The much loved Disneyland Monorail has been a part of the themepark since its opening in 1959. Over the years it has had several facelifts and model changes but it is still one of the parks biggest attractions.  The monorail is used to transport guests around the park and to the shopping and entertainment area of Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel.  The monorail offers spectacular views of the Disneyland park as it follows its snake like route around Tomorrowland and the Matterhorn and across the Submarine Lagoon of the Nemo ride.

We have written a few stories about Disney Sea in Tokyo on Tripandom, and reckon it is the best of the Disney Parks we have visited. There are some great attractions similar to the ones in the US, Paris and Hong Kong like the Tower of Terror, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and the like but the park has some great attractions not seen anywhere else including the incredible Journey to the centre of the earth attraction inside the towering Mount Prometheus Volcano. The Arabian Coast is a favorite especially with the young with Aladdin, Genie and the Princess all staring with the pirates and thieves of the seas. Mermaid Lagoon is loved especially with the young, where they get their chance to meet Arial and her friend from the smash hit Little Mermaid. The amazing fireworks, water and fire show BraviSeamo would have to be the most adventurous and spectacular show ever undertaken by the Disney parks it is just breath taking and an incredible way to finish the day.

Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida has just opened its newly updated Hall of Presidents staring all 43 US presidents and taking centre stage for the first time a Barack Obama anamotronic robot.  The attraction has been a hit since opening in 1971 and the new updates make this show one of the most technically advanced productions ever seen at Disneyworld. The voice of President Obama is actually him, he recorded a special message for his robot a few months back.  George Washington and Abraham Lincoln also speak in the show and all the other presidents look on and move to the speeches with some amazing facial expressions and limb movements. The show has been retiltled for the look and is now known as A celebration of Liberty’s leaders” and focuses on the strong bonds between the people and the president.  Patriotically opening on the 4th of July this attraction is sure to be one of the more popular at the Disneyworld resort.

for more information http://www.disney.com

At the end of a huge day at Tokyo’s Disney Sea the ocean’s come alive with the most spectacular show only Disney could attempt. BraviSEAmo! features fire, fireworks, giant dragons, fountains, boats and of course all your Disney characters- it is absolutely amazing.  This You Tube video also features some of the DisneySea 5th year celebrations including Mickey and his team in a fantastic dance routine, overlooking the beautiful harbor. Later in the video are some of the magnificent shows including the Mystic Rhythms which feature the living spirits of the rain forest which tell their take of this land far from civilization and the Little Mermaid show which is a huge hit for both young and old. There is only one DisneySea in the world and it’s in Tokyo right next door to Tokyo Disney Land and is an amazing and unique theme park enjoyed by millions every year.

For more information on Japan visit www.happyjappy.com

Toontown at Disneys Magic Kingdom

While the rest of country is battling icy winds and heavy snowfalls, Orlando’s enjoying pleasant 70-degree highs and sunny skies. Jealous? You don’t have to be – winter is one of the best times for planning a vacation to Orlando, especially given all the fun you can have at Universal Studios Orlando, Walt Disney World , and SeaWorld Orlando . It’s the off-season for tourism in Orlando, meaning fewer crowds and shorter lines on your favorite rides. Throw in the pleasant weather, and there’s no doubt that Orlando is looking pretty good this time of year. You may just want to consider ditching work and taking time off to enjoy some of these Orlando theme park highlights.

Disney’s Epcot is about to unveil a new interactive attraction that will have you fighting crime all over the world – the world showcase, that is. The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure gives Disney guests a chance to be secret agents as they team up with Kim Possible characters using special “Kimmunicators.” Uncover clues and control top-secret equipment at the different World Showcase pavilions to complete missions, fight bad guys, and save the day.

Disney will also begin featuring a new parade in February that will give you a whole other reason to come out into the sunlight. At Magic Kingdom, the Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party will take to Main Street, USA with floats, lots of Disney characters, and music for a 12-15 minute party taking place three times daily.

And over at Universal Studios, the talk of the park is still the Simpsons Ride, which puts you right at Krustyland along with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. You’ll fly, float, and crash through Krustyland’s kiddie attractions and stunt shows as you embark on a wild, over-the-top ride. With just as many laughs as thrills, hanging with the Simpsons definitely beats work.

When the day’s over at Universal, stick around for Let the Music Move You at Universal Studios’ Mardi Gras. Coming to the park on select nights from February 7th through April 18th, this party in the streets is a great escape from the dull winter. Enjoy live performances by some of the biggest stars in music, as well as a spectacular parade, outrageous street performers, and of course, authentic Cajun food to spice it all up. Don’t forget to stop by Universal’s CityWalk afterwards for the official after party, too.

Finally, nothing beats the winter blues like the Kraken ride over at SeaWorld. This floorless monster will rock you, drop you, and spiral you around for a roller coaster ride like no other. After all, what better way to feel the Orlando wind rushing through your hair than on a mythological underwater beast soaring above and under the ground? And stay tuned for the opening of Manta later this year, another ride that is sure to shake things up at SeaWorld.

There are plenty of attractions and events to keep winter interesting in Orlando, so plan your vacation now! Get discount Orlando theme park tickets  at OrlandoFunTickets.com , and you’ll have everything you need to enjoy a warm and fun-filled season.

Port Discovery DisneySea Tokyo

Like Tommorowland at Disneyland Port Discovery is Tokyo’s Disneysea’s look into the future. With a very flash Jules Verne inspired retro futuristic theme this place is a lot of fun with it’s two major attractions. The Stormrider is a simulator style ride which puts the rider in the eye of a huge storm experiencing wind and turbulence while the Aquatopia ride is a randomly steered hovercraft like vehicle which zooms around a shallow lake with lots of squirts and fun, you can choose to get soaked or stay fairly dry.

For more information http://www.happyjappy.com

When Halloween rolls around in Orlando, all of the amusement parks tend to get a little bit scary and gory for little eyes and ears. So, you can find it comforting to know that there are numerous activities that aren’t SO scary throughout the Orlando and Central Florida area for your family to have fun with! Walt Disney World, and SeaWorld Adventure Park, are just two of the parks offering Halloween options for little ones and those not wanting to get scared.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom is a perfect event for the entire family to enjoy. Held September 5 to October 31 (on select nights), guests to the park can come to the park in costume and ready to party with all of their favorite Disney characters! Trick-or-treat for candy with your children throughout the park, as you are still able to hop in line for all of the classic Disney attractions. There is also a Halloween parade, a special “HalloWishes” firework display, and tons of other fun activities and attractions. This event is not included with the Disney World ticket. In order to attend this event, you must have a separate admission ticket for the specific event.

Another great option for families is SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular at SeaWorld Orlando! Running on select days from October 4 to 31 and INCLUDED with park admission, you can enjoy tons of Halloween fun with Shamu and all of his friends. Come to the park in costume and trick-or-treat along the park path as you enjoy the fantastic rides and shows of the park. Friendly sea witches, mermaids, pumpkin fish, and other sea creatures will trick-or-treat right along with you, giving your children a memory they will never forget. There are tons of special activities, shows, and more throughout the park for the entire family to celebrate Halloween.

But, not only are not so scary Halloween events happening at these theme parks, but throughout Orlando, as well. The Orlando Outlet malls often present safe options for children to trick-or-treat. Trick-or-Treat will be held at the Festival Bay Mall at International Drive from 6 pm to 8 pm on Halloween, for example. There is even an event at the Central Florida Zoo called Zoo Boo Bash, where families can participate in fun Halloween activities with their admission to the zoo on October 18, 19, 25, and 26.

There are tons of fun family options for Halloween here in Orlando! So, why not take a break from the cool and crisp weather of the north and head south to Florida for Halloween! Spend Halloween with your family at Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and MORE!

Now if it is 3 top things we like about traveling it would be fast trains, Disneyland and Las Vegas. Unfortunately you can’t combine all three in the one trip, but that may change in the future according to this Slashdot story. Apparently the Bush administration has approved 45 million in funding towards a 300mph maglev train to link Disneyland to Las Vegas in under 2 hours. Maglev’s have been touted as the future of train travel as their speed is comparable to an aircraft but by being a train can move more people to and from a central city spot. The biggest problem with maglev’s is building the track that allows the train to levitate magnetically is frightfully expensive. The Shanghai system in China (video above) cost around 1.2 million US to build a 30 klm track and experts predict that this money will never be recouped over the life of the train via its fares. Apparently the 45 million set aside for the US system is to pay for environmental studies on the first leg of the project. With the length of the proposed track being around 250 miles we hate to think how much the train will cost if completed. Perhaps Bush’s plan is to make it so expensive GM will never be able to buy it to close it down! What do you think great idea or white elephant? Hit up our comment form below.

If you are a regular reader to Tripandom, you will probably know we love a Disney story, and we haven’t done one for a while so Today is Disneyland Day – Paris Style. The Disneyland Paris Space Mountain is an amazing indoor rollercoaster ride and is one of the parks premier attractions. Featuring a Jules Verne themed adventure based on his From the Earth to the Moon book the coaster consists of a 1.5 g uphill launch at just under 70 km per hour and a sidewinder and corkscrew. All set to a synchronized on board audio theme composed by Steven Bramson the five vehicles can take 25 people each on a 2 minute ride. The Coaster rises over 45 metres and travels 1000 in the breath taking adventure. The building itself is a masterpiece of Disney design, being over 61 metres in diameter and 43 metres high it dominates the Tommorowland section of the park. The ride has recently gone under a huge makeover and has been renamed Space Mountain Mission 2.

For more information: http://www.spacemountain2.com/

Right in the centre of Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida there are snow capped peaks (well plastic snow) and an adventure water park like no other. Blizzard Beach is one of Disney’s water parks and it is a great place to get away from the big theme parks for a day and enjoy some sun, surf and snow. The park is set up like a ski resort complete with huge ski-jump which is actually a breathtaking waterslide and there are chair lifts, toboggan rides and the 90 ft Mount Gushmore slope. There’s a surf beach and even some freezing ice caves to explore on the Cross Country Creek which circles the park. There’s plenty of places for food and of course those Disney souvenirs and even a Polar Pub for the grown ups to enjoy a few quiet beers while the kids are playing. When planning your Disney adventure to Orlando factor in an extra day to enjoy Blizzard Beach.