A trip to Sanibel and Captiva islands off the southwest coast of Florida should be on everyone’s list of must-see places in Florida, I’m not the beachy type (I was assigned to go in order to write about the area for the AAA Florida TourBook guide) but found an atmosphere that will erase stress, at least temporarily. The name of the game on both islands is fun: good, clean, all-American fun, as in biking, boating, collecting seashells... Read More

All aboard the Hogwarts Express!  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened on June 18 to great fanfare and much excitement, complete with a celebrity-filled grand opening and tons of media coverage. If you’ve ever imagined or hoped that you could wave a wand and do magical things, a trip to The Wizarding World is probably the closest you’ll come to the real thing.... Read More

 
This post was contributed by Bill Purpura, editor of the Ohio edition of AAA’s Home & Away magazine.

Nothing can compare to anything live. Frank Sinatra on tape? Elegant, certainly, but nothing like Sinatra live at the Sands. The Indy 500 on television? Well that’s pretty cool, too, but seeing it from the stands at the Brickyard? Unbelievable. ... Read More

 
This post was written by Anthony J. Adubato from AAA Mid-Atlantic.

It's been a long time in the making, but the Wizarding World of Harry Potter celebrated its grand opening June 18.  If you haven't heard about it, I don't know where you've been hiding, but I'll do my best to catch you up.  I was lucky enough to be one of the first visitors to the Universal Orlando Resort attraction and I have to say I was in awe of what they've managed to create. ... Read More

 If Orlando's in your travel plans, take the advice of these three bloggers and have a great meal in a Florida setting that's a little different than the theme parks.

The Old Spanish Sugar Mill, DeLeon Springs
Recommended by Alison Lockwood
When I first heard about a restaurant where you cook your own pancakes, I had to laugh—the whole point of going out to eat is letting somebody else do the cooking. ... Read More

A week at a Disney resort is a week away from the ordinary, even if it is ‘part of the job.’ In this three-part series, blogger Tony Mayer, a travel counselor for AAA Washington, shares the knowledge gained after a familiarization trip to Disney World in Florida.

Walt Disney’s enduring love for animals and their protection was finally and spectacularly made manifest with the 1998 opening of Disney World's Animal Kingdom. This jewel of a theme park, Disney’s largest single park worldwide, is now my favorite of the four in Florida for several reasons.... Read More

A week at a Disney resort is a week away from the ordinary, even if it is ‘part of the job.’ In this three-part series, blogger Tony Mayer, a travel counselor for AAA Washington, shares the knowledge gained after a familiarization trip to Disney World in Florida.

The second park I visited was Disney's Hollywood Studios, a slice of Tinseltown transplanted to the East Coast that opened in 1989 and was known as ... Read More

A week at a Disney resort is a week away from the ordinary, even if it is ‘part of the job.’ In this three-part series, blogger Tony Mayer, a travel counselor for AAA Washington, shares the knowledge gained after a familiarization trip to Disney World in Florida.

Florida’s Walt Disney World is massive – 43 square miles (twice as large as Manhattan), four theme parks, three championship golf courses, two water parks, 22 company-owned resorts (plus nine on-property resorts run by other companies), all totaling hundreds of dining, shopping and entertainment options. Planning can be a daunting task … once you remember you can’t see it all in one visit, you’re golden!... Read More

 From the Q&A mailbox:

Question:  Candy asks, Is there a AAA parking area at Disney World?

Answer: Nancy Woodard, AAA Disney expert, answers: AAA Diamond Parking provides preferred parking in convenient spaces at all four Walt Disney World Orlando theme parks.... Read More

AAA is now selling vacation packages to Universal Orlando® for travel beginning May 28 to include the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter area in the Islands of Adventure theme park scheduled to open this spring. The 4-night AAA Universal Vacations package starts from $285 per adult for off-site accommodations and $645 for the on-site Four Diamond hotels.

The package includes hotel, a 3-day base ticket to both Universal Orlando theme parks – one theme park/per day, early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one breakfast at the Three... Read More