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The Complete
Walt Disney World 2008: The Definitive Disney Handbook by Julie and Mike Neal (Coconut Press, Paperback, 336 pp.,
$24.95) Reviewed by Susan Parsons
I was nine
years-old the first time my dad brought me to Walt Disney World. I imagined a baby-blue gown swishing around
my delicate glass slippers as I approached Cinderella’s castle. There were shrubs trimmed into shapes
of animals. And the rides—It’s a Small World, The Haunted Mansion, and the Big Thunder Mountain
Railroad. The gift shops were full of plush little Mickeys, Mickey watches, black felt Mickey hats with big Mickey ears, Mickey
t-shirts, Mickey sunglasses. Woo hoo!
I wonder, though, what the experience was like for my Dad. First,
there was the money he had to shell out to get us in the park. The long lines. The burgers
for $2.50—pretty pricey for late-1970-something. And the price of the hotel room. And
what was it like for him to sit through a twenty-minute boat ride watching a bunch of dolls sing? How
did he stand the Country Bear Jamboree show? Years later, I cringe when I think of the money he must have
spent on that trip and the glances he must have exchanged with other parents over the heads of us little ones behaving like
we were on Speed, but it was truly a magical experience for me. Since that time, Disney has expanded tremendously.
Not only is there the Magic Kingdom, but also Epcot Center, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island and Disney’s
Hollywood Studios. It’s no longer one day full of adventures, but several days’ worth.
And the lines are longer and the prices are higher. So if you’re going to bring your kids,
why not go in with a plan? Julie and Mike Neal have written The Complete Walt Disney World 2008: The
Definitive Disney Handbook to help parents of 2008. The Neals are undeniably Disney experts—they’ve
visited the park over 800 times. The book covers all the attractions and rides in the parks, giving for each a description,
color photos, the approximate waiting time at various times of the day, capacity, ADA access and a “fear factor”
for little children. The Neals include listings of all the restaurants at the parks, with a price range,
menu offerings and that even offer a detailed description of the ambience. At the San Angel Inn at Epcot,
for example, you can enjoy a “candlelit table” and “moonlit courtyard” as you listen to mariachis.
A complete listing of the parks’ hotels specifies room sizes, amenities and price range. There
are some surprisingly good deals—rooms at the All-Star resorts, right on the edge of the Disney property range from
$82-141 for standard rooms, and $179-285 for suites. Not sure how to schedule your day? The Neals offer several daily
schedule suggestions for each park, right down to a restaurant recommendation for lunch and dinner. They
also list times of the year when the park is less crowded, what to pack, and information about package deals and special events. The book
is sprinkled with “Fun Facts:” Walt Disney’s parents grew oranges and ran a hotel near
Kissimmee. Baffled locals speculated about what was being built on the land in the 1960’s because
Walt Disney called the park “Project X.” The park is twice the size of Manhattan.
The Cinderella story originated in 9th century China. The
Complete Walt Disney World includes maps, a useful phone listing, tips about childcare and parking, and an index so you
can locate things quickly. The authors advise that while you may be tempted to stay in your hotel room
and watch TV when it rains, those are the days with the shortest lines, and there are umbrellas and rain ponchos available
at most of the gift shops. And a final helpful note to parents—if things get rough running around
the parks in the Florida heat with a bunch of little ones, you can pick up a nice, cool margarita in Epcot’s Mexico
Pavillion or a tall, cold beer at Disney’s own microbrewery, The Big River Grill and Brewing Works.
Susan
Parsons is publisher of the Florida Book Review.
Weird Florida
by Charlie Carlson (Sterling, Hardcover, 240 pp., $19.95) Reviewed by James Barrett-Morison
When thinking of Florida, what comes to mind? Perhaps the sun? Retirees?
Disney World? How about the Garden of Eden? And, no, not figuratively:
If you thought the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Middle East, forget it.
It was in Bristol, Florida...according to the late Elvy E. Callaway, a Baptist preacher in the 1950s. Callaway
studied the area for fifty or more years and discovered a number of features that match the Bible's description of the
Garden of Eden. He pointed out that Genesis 2:10 states that “a river went out of Eden to water the
garden; and from hence it was parted, and became into four heads.” That sounds exactly like the Apalachicola
River, which splits into four rivers. The reverend claimed that only two rivers in the world fit this description:
one in Siberia, and the Apalachicola. We doubt that Eden was in Siberia; it's too cold there. . .
Of course, one might point out the absence of apple trees and demand to know where Eve got the apple she ate.
But advocates of the Garden of Eden theory point out that Genesis makes no mention of an apple. That's
right – Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, and we're sure it's growing somewhere around Bristol.
But not
all of Florida is as heavenly. Weird Florida: Your Travel Guide to Florida's Local Legends and
Best Kept Secrets also tells of the Devil's Millhopper, a huge funnel-shaped sinkhole northwest of Gainesville.
The book offers several stories about the hole, each ending with someone (a sinner/ a wagonload of cotton and its driver/
a beautiful Native American princess) falling in and never being seen again. Weird Florida describes some of the more famous weird locations in Florida, e.g. Coral Castle and the Miami
Circle, but the reader can still learn, for instance, several possible reasons for the Miami Circle's existence, ranging
from the standard idea that it's the foundation of a Tequesta home to the critical view that it's merely the remains
of a septic tank. One interesting idea, reinforced by the fact that non-local items made from copper, galena
and basalt were found at the site, is that it was a Mayan trading post or observatory. The book features letters
from fans that end most sections, describing their stories or points of view on the location or topic in question.
They add a connection to local folklore, which the book says is a major influence on all “weird” locations.
But they can also be redundant if they repeat what's been previously stated in the book's text, and some letters
lack credibility: after the Miami Circle article, there are excerpts from messages written by “Jim B.,” “Lotusgem,”
and “Budlite33.” Fortunately, the book does not rely primarily on these letters. In
a section on the Wakulla Volcano, a strange column of smoke that rose from the Wacissa Swamp southeast of Tallahassee intermittently
for hundreds of years, Weird Florida uses both A Tallahassee Girl, an 1881 book from the area, and Tallahassee
Patriot and New York Herald Tribune articles from the 1880s as sources. The smoke was explained
as coming from a camp of runaway slaves or Civil War deserters, but “each new theory seemed to ignore the fact that
the smoke had been seen for at least a hundred years.” Those who wish to see the smoke now are out
of luck – it abruptly stopped on August 31, 1886, when an earthquake struck Charleston, South Carolina. Given
the fact that many in Florida live on the edge of wilderness, it isn't surprising that human-nature contact forms a major
theme in the book. (Just ask anyone who's ever had an alligator invade the local pond.)
One strange item describes how sometimes nature goes awry – or, in this case, multiplies exponentially.
On May 25, 1982, in the Orlando suburb of Longwood, millions of toads invaded the neighborhood. The
toads were so densely packed during the subsequent four days that “cars could not help squashing the poor creatures.
. . The streets soon became a nasty mess, with thousands of smashed toads. Residents
were out with shovels clearing toads from their driveways and patios.” That's not the only example
of nature multiplying beyond belief: “In August 1970, sunbathers on Playalinda Beach, east of Titusville, reported that
thousands of starfish fell out of the sky.” One more example of weird (and possibly mythical) Florida nature is the Skunk Ape,
Florida's own Bigfoot. This large, black and white, yeti-like creature resides in secluded swamps in
the center of the state, from Ocala to south of Orlando. Generally shy, it normally flees when it sees
a human (except for an occasion when it attacked a long-distance trucker). But the humans are even more
likely to flee from the Ape: it gets its name from its disgusting stench, similar to rotting eggs. Urban
expansion appears to be encroaching on the Skunk Ape's territory. Apes have been sighted in suburban
locations as well, most notably around a Fairvilla strip mall: the secretive ape gained the nickname “Fairvilla Gorilla.” A few
years ago, I visited Kingsley Plantation, on Fort George Island near Jacksonville with a school group. We
took the tour, visiting both the plantation house and the former slave shacks on the other side of the property.
One thing I didn’t learn till I read Weird Florida, though, was that Kingsley Plantation is haunted
by not just one, but three ghosts: a child who lives in the slaves' well (the well has been covered, and the ghost is
no longer seen or heard); a woman, rumored to be the plantation-owner's wife, who only appears in photographs taken on
the home's extensive front porch; and a man with red eyes who chases cars on the road at night, the only malevolent ghost.
The Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve, which operates the plantation, does not mention the ghosts on its
website. In addition to other phantoms ranging from a ghost horse to a ghost motorcyclist, Weird Florida
describes other paranormal activities in the state. Florida has its fair share of UFO sightings, but for
those with a fear of aliens, it's actually a great place to live – the book makes no mention of a single alien abduction
or even contact. The author puts forward the theory that because of Florida's distinctive shape, it's
easy to spot from space, so aliens use it as a “transit point” before going to their final destinations elsewhere.
Florida's aliens are fashionable beings: during the 1960s, sightings abruptly switched from the traditional saucers
to more modern and stylish triangle- and boomerang-shaped craft. Not all of the book is out-of-this-world, though.
It details famous historical people from Florida, ranging from business tycoons like Henry Flagler to swashbuckling
pirates on the Gulf Coast to notable gangsters like the members of the “Notorious Ashley Gang,” backed by a woman
named Laura Upthegrove but more commonly known as “Queen of the Everglades.” Ms. Upthegrove
later moved into a more reputable job as a gas station attendant. It describes various roadside oddities.
Did you know that Florida is home to both the smallest post office and the smallest police station in the
world? And does this say something about our public services? This book is an interesting and
enjoyable read, and it's highly recommended for all Floridians or travelers to the state. It's
a good read for non-natives who want to impress their native Floridian friends at cocktail parties. But
remember this warning: take everything with a grain of salt. And a glass of orange juice.
James
Barrett-Morison is a junior at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove, Florida. He is also a contributing editor at Florida
Book Review.
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Florida on Horseback: A Trailrider’s Guide to the North and Panhandle Regions by Cornelia
Bernard Henderson (University Press of Florida, Paperback, 192 pp., $24.95) Reviewed by Lauren Buck As an avid horseback rider
since age twelve, I have explored many of South Florida’s horseback trails. However, I have never
had the opportunity to go riding in Northern Florida, so I read Cornelia Bernard Henderson’s book, Florida on Horseback:
A Trailrider’s Guide to the North and Panhandle Regions, with interest. Henderson’s guide
offers horseback riders information about 112 trails in the Northern and Panhandle regions of Florida.
In the beginning of the book Henderson provides a list of icons she uses to describe the amenities available at each
trail she directs you to. For instance, a tent shows if there’s a campsite, a tree indicates there
is a shady area to rest, and a water spigot lets you know there is water for you and your horse.
Henderson then describes some of the dangers of Florida trail riding and discusses what you need to take with you.
She suggests keeping an eye out for fire ants, alligators, and being extra careful when bringing any dogs with you.
She reminds you to pack five gallons of water per horse, hay, a haynet and fly spray for those areas of Florida where
bugs can really bother your horse. In one of her most practical suggestions Henderson writes, “Sudden
rains in Florida can leave you soaked to the skin. We’ve learned the advisability of keeping an extra polo shirt, sweat
shirt, and loose-fitting pair of jeans and an inexpensive rain slicker in a storage box in the peak of our trailer.”
The book is filled with many other little reminders that could make a huge difference on your trip, such
as looking at a map of the trail before you embark, and carrying a compass in case you become disoriented.
Henderson goes into great detail about every park area, and includes driving directions to the trails.
She provides phone numbers to call in advance with any questions, a list of the potential hazards, and the surrounding
wildlife. She details the trail conditions with comments such as, “We found the trails a perfect
width, and the footing on our visit was excellent.” Overall,
I was very pleased with the amount of information provided in Florida on Horseback, and the knowledge Cornelia Bernard
Henderson showed about trail riding. I would recommend this book to any of my equine loving friends. Lauren Buck is a student at Florida International
University majoring in Hospitality Management.
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In Key West? Visit us.
A Sunny Place for Shady People
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Florida's Living Beaches by Blair and Dawn Witherington
(Pineapple
Press, Paperback, 326pp., $21.95)
Reviewed by Jennifer Hearn
Florida’s Living Beaches is more than just a reference
book for the savvy beachcomber. Within the glossy, colorful pages of this field guide, there are 985 images,
431 maps and 822 descriptive accounts that reveal the most esoteric secrets of Florida’s coastline without ever
spoiling the reader’s initial intrigue.
Blair and Dawn Witherington provide evidence that the beaches
are, in fact, alive. Of the 12000 miles of Florida coastline, almost 700 are sandy beaches where starfish lurch in the low
tides, bioluminescence dazzles in the wrack lines, and ospreys spread their narrow wings and glide over the shoreline.
The book not only illustrates and explains why the beaches are pulsating with life, but it also shows how humans interface
with it. Florida’s Living Beaches explores the connection
between sea, land and man in five sections: Beach Features, Beach Animals, Beach Plants, Beach Minerals and Hand of Man.
Each page identifies a specific charm of the living beach, describes its function, reveals its whereabouts and seasonal
appearances, from Santa Rosa Island to Fort Clinch, and includes some interesting facts under the heading “Did you Know?”
For example, did you know that tropical almonds have a sedative and aphrodisiac effect . . . on rats? In Beach Features,
the Witheringtons detail the anatomy of the wave, demystify the relation between celestial gravity and the tides, and explain
how to find the wavelength between sand ripples. The reader learns that the variety of tea, turquoise and
mint-green colored waters (which could tempt anyone to collect them in Mason jars) is actually a result of turbidity and algae.
The section also examines the Gulf’s most enigmatic and infrequent phenomenon: the green flash. The reader
follows the tracks and burrows of elusive creatures in Beach Animals, and also discovers the distinguishing features of oceanic
drifters such as moon jellies and blue buttons. Here the reader takes a closer look at the volutes and
whorls of snails, the beaks and plumes of birds, and the identifying features of both land and marine mammals. Blooming
or sprawling over the sand dunes and the open beach are fuchsia flowers, perennial spiderlilies, glossy leafed seaside joy
and the sinuous vines of the beach morning glories. The Beach and Plants section, however, points out that
we never see the most enchanting vegetation in its entirety, only in its globe-drifting parts. The
section discloses where to find the sea-sculpted driftwood and where you can go to fill your pockets with bright red sea beans.
Crushed quartz make up most of the beaches’ sand, but also scatted about are fossils, and seashell granola, which provide
evidence of former marine and land life. Detailed description and up-close photographs of sand, stones
and fossils are all included in The Beach Minerals section. The reader learns that because the peninsula
is so young, Florida does not have any dinosaur remnants. But perhaps on a calm day during a fossil scavenge,
you can be lucky enough to find the robust, triangular tooth of the white shark that existed thousands of years ago. In the
final section of Florida’s Living Beaches the Witheringtons write, "Just as beaches record connections
between the “natural” components of continents and seas, coastal sands also receive our own well-traveled discards.”
The Hand of Man section identifies treasures and dunnage of Spanish galleons, derelicts of rafts from Cuban balseros,
and bits and pieces of brave sea heroes that were once cherished playthings: plastic green army men and baby doll legs.
This section seems to reveal scientifically what Pablo Neruda expressed poetically: “The sea comes in and joins
our lives again.”
Jennifer Hearn lives in Miami where she writes about nature and traveling. She grew
up in the Caribbean and knows all about the anatomy of a wave.
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For more about Florida travel
see our Nonfiction Page for a review of Weeki Wachee, City of Mermaids, and our History Page for a review of Florida on Film.
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