the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

Last month Universal Orlando opened its sixth on-site hotel, and the stylish and affordable Aventura Hotel does not disappoint. The 17-story glass-and-steel tower offers 600 rooms, a rooftop restaurant and lounge, a food court, and a pool. I stayed in a 314-square-foot standard room with two queen-size beds on the 15th floor. Rooms are beautifully appointed and minimalistic, but in

In today’s post, Len Testa, coauthor of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, shares with us his review of Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Opened in 2009, Bay Lake Tower is a 15-story, 295-unit DDV resort with studios and one- and two-bedroom villas, as well as two-story, three-bedroom Grand Villas with spectacular views of Bay Lake and

Rarely seen characters are one of the highlights of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, and this year is no different. Long lines form early for the stars of the party, such as Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs (holding court inside the tent of Pete’s Silly Show) and Jack Skellington and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas (Liberty Square). Mickey shows off his

In our previous blog post about Central Florida’s Roller Coasters, Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa, authors of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, promised to reveal their 17 favorite Central Florida roller coasters. Without further ado, here they are! MANTA, SEAWORLD An inverted flying steel coaster, Manta gently lowers you into a suspended Superman position and you, well, fly.

This Labor Day weekend, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is home to the 7th annual Great Irish Hooley. The mission of an Irish Hooley is to promote Irish music and culture, and Raglan certainly excels in doing so. Nine Irish bands and the new Raglan Road Irish Dance Troupe will provide traditional Irish entertainment on different stages. All weekend long,