For Dummies Travel guides are the ultimate user-friendly trip planners, combining the broad appeal and time-tested features of the For Dummies series with up-to-the-minute advice and information from the experts at Frommer’s. Small trim size for use on-the-go Focused coverage of only the best hotels and restaurants in all price ranges Tear-out “cheat sheet” with full-color maps or easy reference pointers

If you want to escape to a world full of fun and fantasy, head for Walt Disney World & Orlando. The area is the No. 1 family vacation destination in the U.S., and this guide will show you hundreds of reasons why. Whether you’re taking your kids or grandkids or treating your “inner child”, you’ll find tons to see and do. You can count a shark’s teeth up close or swim with a dolphin. Tour some of the world’s most unique countries at Epcot or the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom. Strap in for stomach-churning rides or take in great shows. You can check out incredible marine life, exotic wild life, or Orlando’s exciting night life. This friendly guide clues you in to must-see attractions, the best deals, great shopping options, and more. It gives you the scoop on: Walt Disney World, including The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, and more Other terrific theme parks, including Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove, and more The best daring thrill rides, including The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Dueling Dragons twin roller coasters, Jurassic Park River Adventure, and the Tower of Terror Tamer rides and attractions, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Shrek 4-D, and Kilimanjaro Safari Great shows, parades, fireworks displays, and more Like every For Dummies travel guide, Walt Disney World & Orlando For Dummies 2006 includes: Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn’t miss — and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Handy Post-it® Flags to mark your favorite pages

In this fascinating analysis, Cher Krause Knight peels back the actual and contextual layers of Walt Disney's inspiration and vision for Disney World in central Florida, exploring the reasons why the resort has emerged as such a prominent sociocultural force. Knight investigates every detail, from the scale and design of the buildings to the sidewalk infrastructure to which items could and could not be sold in the shops, discussing how each was carefully configured to shape the experience of every visitor. Expertly weaving themes of pilgrimage, paradise, fantasy, and urbanism, she delves into the unexpected nuances and contradictions of this elaborately conceived playland of the imagination.

Florida Historical Society Stetson Kennedy Award The activists and victories that made Florida a leader in land preservation Despite Florida’s important place at the beginning of the American conservation movement and its notable successes in the fight against environmental damage, the full story of land conservation in the state has not yet been told. In this comprehensive history, Clay Henderson celebrates the individuals and organizations who made the Sunshine State a leader in state-funded conservation and land preservation.  Starting with early naturalists like William Bartram and John Muir who inspired the movement to create national parks and protect the country’s wilderness, Forces of Nature describes the efforts of familiar heroes like Marjory Stoneman Douglas and May Mann Jennings and introduces lesser-known champions like Frank Chapman, who helped convince Theodore Roosevelt to establish Pelican Island as the first national wildlife refuge in the United States. Henderson details how many of Florida’s activists, artists, philanthropists, and politicians have worked to designate threatened land for use as parks, preserves, and other conservation areas.  Drawing on historical sources, interviews, and his own long career in environmental law, Henderson recounts the many small victories over time that helped Florida create several units of the national park system, nearly thirty national wildlife refuges, and one of the best state park systems in the country. Forces of Nature will motivate readers to join in defending Florida’s natural wonders.

An inspiring biography of one of the most influential and beloved figures of the 21st century, based on more than a thousand interviews. "I've read every book that has ever been written about Walt Disney, going back to some that were published in the 1930s. [How to Be Like Walt] is by far the most enjoyable to read of them all!" Tim O'Day, Disney Scholar "How to Be Like Walt is a fitting tribute to Walt's memory and an important contribution to the Disney legacy . . . Now more than ever, we need people with the qualities Walt had: optimism, imagination, creativity, leadership, integrity, courage, boldness, perseverance, commitment to excellence, reverence for the past, hope for tomorrow, and faith in God." Art Linkletter How to Be Like is a "character biography" series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book-by far the most exhaustive in the series-Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney's life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism. Far from a preachy or oppressive tome, this book scrapes away the minutiae to capture the true magic of a brilliant maverick.

`Alan Bryman has expanded on his internationally well-known work on Disney theme parks and Disneyization to create a fascinating and highly readable book. It should prove of interest to beginning students in a number of different courses and fields, as well as to scholars interested in culture and consumption. There is no question that the model created by Disney, and emulated in whole or in part by many organizations and in many settings, will continue to influence social structure and culture well into the future. This is an important book about a significant social process. And, it manages to be a fun read, as well!' - George Ritzer, author of McDonaldization and Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland `Bryman's analysis of contemporay consumption is full of detail and provides a host of examples ranging from restaurants and hotels, to theme parks, zoos and sports stadia. Without doubt students will find it an accessible text, one that should allow them to think about consumption, familiar consumer products, settings and activities, sociologically' - Barry Smart, Professor of Sociology, University of Portsmouth `Bryman's dissection of Disneyization is a timely and significant contribution to the growing literature on Disney. In fact, his excellent analysis of the extension of Disneyization throughout society explains why we should care about the Disney phenomenon at all. This is not only an important book for Disney scholars, but for any one interested in the future of modern society' - Janet Wasko Professor of Communication Studies, University of Oregon This is an agenda-setting new work in the sociology of culture and modern society. It argues that the contemporary world is increasingly converging towards the characteristics of the Disney theme parks. This process of convergence is revealed in: the growing influence of themed environments in settings like restaurants, shops, hotels, tourism and zoos; the growing trend towards social environments that are driven by combinations of forms of consumption: shopping, eating out, gambling, visiting the cinema, watching sports; the growth in cachet awarded to brands based on licensed merchandise; and the increased prominence of work that is a performance in which the employees have to display certain emotions and generally convey impressions as though working in a theatrical event. This insightful book demonstrates the importance of control and surveillance in consumer culture. Of interest to a wide variety of students studying in business, sociology, cultural studies, media studies and leisure studies courses this will also be of interest to anybody interested in understanding the intricacies of modern society.

Placing theme parks from the United States, Europe and Asia in a comparative, multidisciplinary framework, this fascinating book argues that these fantasy environments are an extreme example of the totalization of public space. By illuminating the relationship between theme parks and public space, this book offers critical insights into the ethos of total landscape. Illuminating the relationship between theme parks and public space, the book offers an insight into the ethos, design and expectations of public space in the twenty-first century.

An Exclusive Recipe for a World of Disney Magic for the Discerning Gay & Lesbian Traveler!Set aside time for a vacation. Add a pinch of pixie dust. Mix with your favorite fairy tales. Sprinkle liberally with a gay and lesbian sense of fun.What do you have?The makings of one hell of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, seasoned just right for you!Do you feel left out by travel literature designed to help plan a dream vacation at Walt Disney World?Is there too much emphasis on the June-and-Ward Cleaver set-up, with no mention of the pleasures gay and lesbians might find at the Walt Disney World Resort?A Walt Disney World Resort Outing blasts the traditional party line, and takes you, step-by-step, through the essential planning for a Disney vacation only gay and lesbian travelers can experience. It explores the lavender side of Walt Disney World Resort, both subtle and not-so-subtle, while organizing specific, thorough information that you need to customize your own Walt Disney World Resort outing!_____________________ “A Walt Disney World Resort Outing is a refreshing take on a Disney World vacation for gay & lesbian travelers. It doesn't just present another perspective on Disney attractions, but provides an insightful guide to the lesser known activities that help turn a regular vacation into an unforgettable experience. If you're visiting during Gay Day or any time of the year, this guide is a must-have for every visitor to Walt Disney World Resort!” —Doug Swallow, Founder of Gay Day at Walt Disney World (www.gayday.com)

This extraordinary text for undergraduate urban students is a reflection of Mark Hutter’s academic interests in urban sociology and his life-long passion for experiencing city life. His deep academic roots in the Chicago School of Sociology help inform and appreciate the variety of urban structures and processes and their effect on the everyday lives of people living in cities. This text, however, extends the Chicago School perspective by combining its traditions with a social psychological perspective derived from symbolic interaction and also with a macro-level examination of social organization, social change, stratification and power in the urban context, informed by political economy. This entirely new, 3rd Edition has a global outlook on city life, and a visual presentation unmatched among books in this genre.