Earlier this week, it was Tiger Woods. Today, it's Mickey. Oh, the magical world of Michael Phelps.

The golden swimmer is to receive a "Heroes Welcome" during a parade this morning at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

It's expected, really, since Phelps seems to be quite the mouseketeer. He's been part of "Disney Swim With The Stars," shimmied into merman fishtails for a Disney "Fantasea" photo shoot and posed with Minnie Mouse after he won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Nothing wrong with it. Goes with his wholesome image.

Plus, he and Mickey obviously have a lot in common. Just look at their cute ears.

(Photo: Walt Disney World photo from 2004 via Associated Press) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 6:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Today's the day, rock 'n' roll fans. Hard Rock Park officially opens in Myrtle Beach with a concert by the Eagles, a red carpet walk by top rockers and, of course, enough pyrotechnics and fireworks for even the heaviest metal-head.

Rockers taking part in the ceremonies include ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Sister Hazel and Aerosmith - minus the rehabbing Steven Tyler, I guess.

The festivities continue tomorrow with a concert by the Moody Blues. Details at hardrockpark.com.

 (Photo: The Zeppelin rollercoaster by Associated Press)

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Happy Monday, travelers. Did you have a wonderful weekend getaway? Let's hope your plans didn't include a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, where the heat and smoke from a major fire kept away theme park visitors -- well, some diehards still tried to get in. The theme park is set to re-open today.

Also, if you missed my tips on how to pack like a pro, check it out here. Some readers asked about compression bags, which I didn't include in the story. Here's the deal: The packing expert I talked to warned that these bags can force deep wrinkles into clothing. Plus the idea is that we simply have to learn to travel with less.

(Photo: Associated Press) 

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Haven't we all had enough of American Idol? After Wednesday's finale, don't you need a break from both Davids? No? Well, I do, but I'll humor you with a little travel news from the over-produced, overly long, so over songfest.

Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando is opening a new attraction in January 2009 called the American Idol Experience. Guests will be able to sing on the big stage -- there's even an audition process and voting system. That's what I'm talkin about, dawg!

In fact, right after the finale, Cook appeared in a Disney commercial where he uttered the same words used by many Super Bowl champions: "I'm going to Disney World!" He's a winner, that David Cook! Although David Archuleta might be a better fit for Disney. Right age group and all.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Theme parks are so much fun that we tend to overlook the warnings about height requirements and back injuries. The worst thing that ever happened to me was losing my glasses on the Big Thunder Mountain at Walt Disney World some years ago. I was blind for the rest of the day.

That said, theme parks are overwhelmingly safe, but people do get hurt. Last month, Florida’s major parks reported that several broken bones, a couple of seizures and a spinal injury were suffered by visitors during the first quarter of 2008, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

One woman, 72, fractured her hip exiting Disney World’s Mad Tea Party ride. A young woman had a seizure after riding The Incredible Hilk Coaster at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure. And a 48-year-old man fractured an ankle jumping into Cross Country Creek at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Ouch. So be careful out there. Hands inside. Use restraints. And please wait until the ride has come to a full and complete stop before racing off to the next one.

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

When most people think about theme parks, they think of Orlando. But really, that's nearly 1,000 miles and a plane or train ride away. Who needs those hassles?

For a quick spring weekend getaway, there are several amusement parks less than a three-hour drive from Baltimore: Six Flags America in Bowie, HersheyPark in Hershey, Pa., Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pa., Sesame Place in Langhome, Pa. and my personal favorite, Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, Pa. Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion in Virginia are probably just a tad longer drive, but still within proximity.

Continue reading "Take your pick of parks" »

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

What do you call a male mermaid? A merman? What if it's Baltimore's own Olympic champ Michael Phelps -- Poseidon, perhaps?

Decide for yourself -- take a look at the swimmer alongside actress Julianne Moore in a portrait from Walt Disney's latest "Year of A Million Dreams" promotion. In a scene shot by Annie Leibovitz, the duo are frolicking in the deep with other mer-people a la Ariel from Disney's hit The Little Mermaid.

"It was kind of weird to be able to put on a tail and swim around in a tank," said Phelps, who was photographed by Leibovitz in L.A. last summer. He joins a long list of stars, including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Julie Andrews, who have all been photographed by the famous photographer as various Disney characters.

You can catch (get it?) the photo in Vanity Fair's June issue.

(Photo: Annie Leibovitz for the Walt Disney Company)

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It's time to coast through summer. Six Flags America opens tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. A week from today, HersheyPark opens for weekends only -- and then daily beginning May 21.

Both have new rides launching May 24. Tony Hawk's Halfpipe is a new, four-story high, freefall waterslide at Six Flags that sends riders flying down a ramp at 23 mph. Mmm, that seems slow. Did I mention the slide doesn't have sides?

At Hershey, the new ride is a vertical-lift, inverted-loop coaster called Fahrenheit. The park says the drop is 97 degrees and the steepest in the U.S. Whoo-hoo. I'm so not going anywhere near this thing. You can see a webcam of this ride here.

(Photo: Fahrenheit, Courtesy of HersheyPark )

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Boy, it’s tough being a VIP. All the paparazzi. The get-out-of-jail free cards. The swag. The parties. The passes at Disney World that mean you never ever have to stand in line to ride Space Mountain.

What? Wait one Pinocchio minute, here. Isn’t Disney a democracy? Don't we all have to stand in line, with the Florida sun piercing our cranium, waiting for a little boat to show us It’s A Small World, after all? Even if you're smart enough to get a FastPass, you still have to wait – sometimes hours – but in the meantime you can go stuff your face instead of standing on your feet.

But according to the Orlando Sentinel, some "high-profile" guests can get an all-day, unrestricted FastPass to go on any ride at any time without waiting in line. Disney says it’s all about security and logistics. I mean, imagine the horde of 6-year-olds waving their princess autograph books in Hannah Montana’s face as she waits in line for Peter Pan’s Flight. Not to mention the screaming. Egads. Maybe the mouse has it right, but I want to hear from you.

Is Disney out of line with this policy? Do you have any tips for avoiding lines at theme parks?

(Photo: The Walt Disney Company)

Posted by Michelle Deal-Zimmerman at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)