the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

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    It’s Looking a Lot Like Christmas

    Christmas at Walt Disney World is a magical time. The Magic Kingdom has a stunning display of holiday decorations, a tree-lighting ceremony on Main Street, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade on select days, concerts, Yuletide street performances, and a spectacular fireworks show. At night, Cinderella’s castle is illuminated by a myriad of icicle lights. The Magic Kingdom is also home to Mickey’s Very Merry

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    Hogsmeade — A Tour of the Highlights

    Join Seth Kubersky on a Whirlwind Tour of Hogsmeade Passing beneath a stone arch, you enter the village of Hogsmeade. The Hogwarts Express locomotive sits belching steam on your right. Next is your first ride, the Dragon Challenge. The ride, formerly known as Dueling Dragons and part of The Lost Continent, was renamed and incorporated into The Wizarding World in

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    Gatorland—A Hallmark of Old Florida

    In these days of genial zookeepers, it’s hard to imagine a man like Florida showman Owen Godwin, who established Gatorland in 1949. More of a reptile-fixated P. T. Barnum than an environmental enthusiast, Godwin traveled the world collecting toothy critters for his zoo of gators and “jungle crocs.” But the days of aggressive collecting are gone. Most of the alligators

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    Kids Activities at Mall of America

    Plenty of Kids Activities at Mall of America Smart marketers have realized that the best way to draw the parent crowd is to provide kids activities for the youngsters. Books are best (we know that for a fact), and Barnes & Noble scored one of the best locations in the mall. The huge store is located on Level 1, right off the

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    The New Disney Springs

    Springs have Sprung at New Disney Springs The new Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney, is a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex along the banks of Village Lake that has seen a major overhaul in the past three years. As Disney puts the finishing touches on the four distinct areas, let’s explore this complex that, upon completion, will have twice as