According to a survey taken from the users of Wikipedia it was shown that only the 13% of contributors are woman and 87% are men making the question if Wikipedia is an user friendly site for woman? Because it’s mostly a portal dominated by male users.  Maybe the site is not friendly for female users because males acting in a sociological manner most of them will try to become dominant of their territory while a new user makes contributions even to point if they don’t care if they make mistakes.

Most of the contributors are in their 20’s so what possible valid and relevant knowledge they could have regarding scientific data and actuality? I don’t know because not many people from age can discuss politics really well before going into fanaticism or speaking about medical discoveries with property or being objective to the focus of the information; so do you make any contribution to Wikipedia?

This list is not make on any excellence criteria, it’s jus a list of the roller coasters I have enjoyed the most in Central Florida. Thanks, and Enjoy

Gus

The List:

The Scorpion: Located in Busch Gardens Tampa, with his 39′ 4 loop and no upper restriction I have to say that the Scorpion was the first roller coaster I ride; this roller coaster is perfect for beginners of people who don’t like an intense ride, it only has one loop and three down helix. Many parents who are enthusiast of roller coasters bring their children to The Scorpion so they can try a new element that is absent fromt he kiddy rides; I remember one time I was in the last wagon, in the very very last one and in the wagon that were infront of me there was a father and his boy, the boy was crying outloud and when the ride went on the little boy cried even louder so far the only thing I heard was the crying and not the car traveling through the rails, I have to say it was funny because when the boy conquered the loop he inmediatly started to scream of happiness like everyone else in the train and at the end, the boy asked his dad to repeat one more time the ride; I have a similar story in my case I didn’t ride it on the first because I was a fan, it was pity that my brother was going by himself so I went with him, then I regreted and my mother who she is not a fan of any coaster at all went with us, I seated by myself and my brother and mom they were together, at the end the three of us we were laughing out loud, it was a good memory.

The Hulk: Located at Universal Studios Florida - Island of Adventures, one of my favorites roller coasters, it’s like Nirvana in my opinion because it’s not strong as Sheikra or as X-Celerator, it’s really smooth and it offers a lot of inversions, but there is a negative aspect, it ends quite abruptly not in the way the cars stop suddenly but without a big finish. There is one advice I give if you are going alone or with another friend, take the single rider line, it goes more faster if you are in alone or with another person rather than taking the 75 minutes queue, but if you are going in a large group don’t go in the single rider line it’s just rude. Oh I need to say something the line is what you read you will be split from whatever you are with.

AeroupuertoPor: Gustavo Lequerica

Porque odio tanto a los aeropuertos?
será porque no les veo nada bueno,
mas que largos adioses,
lejos de casa y veo la vida que me ha tocado vivir,
mis recuerdos se vuelven más fuerte con los años,
los días son como la arena del rio Magdelena
los otoños de las playas de Cartagenas,
momentos que pasan y vuelan con el tiempo,
a lo lejos de la quinta de san pedro,
y en la playa de las Americas
solo deje atrás una larga pista en el Nuñez,
donde una vez vivi, ame y trate de morir por mis sueños.
Porque odio tanto a los aeropuertos?
porque a la larga no los asocio con nada bueno,
los veo con un adiós,
Mas no un hasta luego,
que quedo envuelto en el sueño del vuelo,

The Man in The Moon
By: Gustavo Lequerica
There is a man up there,
is not God
or Krishna,
is the king of music,
who sings to the beats of Earth,
the spirit of the moon who inspired many people up way there,
moon walking in the memories of all the people he touched,
smiling to the infinite,
while dancing and singing through all eternity,
dancing freely,
without worries or sadness,
feeling free that someday he will dance and sing for all the people he once knew,
there is a man in the moon,
is not Morpheus,
or any demi-god,
it’s just a man who changed the planet through his beats and rhythms
and he’s just a man who wanted to heal the world,
his time came early,
but he’s not gone at all,
his legacy is here and he is not going to be forgotten soon,
and maybe,
maybe yes, he healed in some way the world…..

Al ver esa foto me encantaría saber en qué piensas/

Veo una mirada triste y romántica que expresa inseguridad a través de su cuerpo/

Hay un aire de melancolía/

Y me encantaría saber que quieren decir tus ojos que tu boca no puede expresar en palabras/

Déjame recorrer tus pensamientos y navegar por las lagunas de tu mente/

Saber que te aqueja y dejar ver tu alma en su plena esencia/

No tienes que hablar, ni decir que te molesta/

Expresada en tu mirada/

Esta todo lo que quieres decirle al mundo entero/

De pronto no puedes hablarlo porque te apena/

O sencillamente no quieres mostrar tu yo al mundo perfecto/

No hay una cabal que sea perfecta y no hay una foto que sea del todo llena/

Es imposible ver la iconografía en 1000 palabras/

Y ver que no haya ninguna que hable más allá de la interpretación y la mera estética/

Me digo a mi mismo que al ver esa foto me encantaría saber que piensas/

Y que hay más allá de esos hermosos ojos soñadores.

07/01/2009

A Dummy’s Guide to Magic Kingdom - Chapter One - The Does and Don’t

By: Gustavo Lequerica Calvo

One of my favorite theme parks in the entire world it’s Magic Kingdom (and all the Disney compound in Kissimme) I feel like a child every time I go and I filled with energy because there is a lot to do and enjoy. In theory the Disney parks are perfect for the people who are seeking mild thrill rides and is the perfect theme park for a child because everything seems to be made just to the child senses development, but at the same time it’s a place that is made without forgetting the parents and older people that are with the children or by themselves. At age 25, I can easily spent the whole day exploring the park even if I know it like the palm of my hands, but I find every time I go a new surprise so technically every time is a new time for me; now I want to share some of my experience if you decide to go to Walt Disney - Magic Kingdom.

There are a few rules around the park, most of them are regarding behavior that almost anyone with some common sense can execute without any problem, but remember; try to be polite as the terrains of Magic Kingdom as well other theme parks are the image to many tourists about how Americans behave and a simple act of kindness can give some positive to the local economy because tourists would want to come back to a place that they feel welcome.

 If you are driving to the park, don’t go to fast, go on a safe speed and distance from the other car because there are many vehicles coming from the entrances of the highway, try to drive on the left side of the road, it doesn’t matter if you drive slow because there aren’t many lanes on the road to the park. If you have a multipass or a one day ticket and when you park, take photos of the surroundings and to the nomenclature of the parking, you will avoid getting lost in the parking lot.

Never push any other people around, be attentive of who is in front of you in the lines or in the fast pass lanes, sometimes people don’t say anything but is best to be polite rather than be uneducated and start an argument in the premises.

Avoid bringing pastes like tooth paste because in most of the parks they are forbidden as tubes of dubious contents, with the exception of sunscreens and sun blockers that are allowed; food and drinks are allowed too, not big quantities but much of the times security don’t put problems with sandwiches and vacuum flasks, you will save money; but, if you don’t want to be carrying anything you can buy a souvenir cup and buy refills in the different islands that are around the park

In Chapter One, we knew the basics about what to do when you arrive in Universal Studios Florida for the first time; right now we are not going to study the parks in further detail because there are different topics regarding each park such as rides and restaurants, best photo spots and how to take videos in certain rides (but not photos because they are annoying to other guests and can ruin their moments) without loosing your cam in the process.

One aspect that is really vital at the moment of your visit is to know the migration pattern of other guests through the parks, it doesn’t matter where you start, you can either start with Universal or Island of Adventures and you will find a similar number of people in both parks; also, depending on the season you will find more or less people in both parks and you can easily expect 2 hour waiting time for a 2 minute ride (i.e. Hulk or The Simpson) and even you can find a 20 minute line if you are buying a meal and not to say the parking lot (it can be a true nightmare). But what is the best time of the year to visit Universal Studios Florida?. My opinion is January to Mid July a little early before the schools are out because of Summer break, it’s a good time, the parking is almost empty and you can visit both parks in no time including the core rides, but if you are planning something magical because at the end of the year, avoid it, but don’t worry if you think you are going to miss the Christmas Parades, they are until mid January and the best is that in January you don’t have to wait to much on any lines because most of the people are back to work after the first and believe me, it don’t need to be December to have a magical time, the magic is in the party and the enjoyment of the individuals.

In December it can be a nightmare, too many people, big crowds and there is little possibility to enjoy at the fullest both parks in one day. I rarely go on December because of the aforementioned issue. Now, the main topic we are going to analyze “The Inside Park Migration Pattern of the Guests”.

Island of Adventures at Universal Studios Florida:
There are six core rides that are popular through the whole year of the theme park, they are:
1) Incredible Hulk Coaster.
2) The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man
3) Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls
4) Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges
5) Jurassic Park The Ride
6) Dueling Dragons

Number 3, 4 and 5 are more popular during the summer and hot days but on winter they are practically deserted because not many people like to get wet during the cold, but on summer you can wait a lot of time more than a roller coaster line because people want to get chill, so if you go on winter and you want to ride the water rides do it but have on hand an extra set of clothes and a towel. Much of the year the rest of the mentioned rides you can wait about an hour or two just to go and face the experience, one of the most popular rides is the Spider Man Adventures, even much than the Hulk Coaster (I’ve waited 2:45 hours just to get in and there are even vending machines in the outer parts of the ride because people get tired). If you want to visit IOA first than Universal Studios, I highly recommend that you start counter clock because people go first to Toon Lagoon and Marvel Super Hero Island which they are clock wise, probably you will meet the crowd in the middle spot or at twelve o’clock or in other words in the Jurassic Park ride.

Universal Studios Florida:

There are six rides (and in a near future seven) that are the core of Universal Studios Florida, they are:
1) Shrek 4-D
2) Hollywood’s Rip, Ride, Rock It (A Roller Coaster that will open soon in late 2009)
3) Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
4) Disaster!
5) Men in Black - The Ride
6) The Simpson’s Ride
7) E.T. The Ride (After almost 20 years is popular as ever)

There is not an exact pattern to travel through this park, not even in December but there is something you should know, The Simpson’s Ride in the highest point of the season is the ride that you will wait the most (without exaggerating, you can wait 3 hours) you will wait about 90 minutes to go in, this ride in particular you should ride it first before anything else as soon as you go to Universal because of the popularity and the long waiting time; other ride that you have to know carefully even if it’s not as shakey is Shrek the ride, as The Simspon’s people can wait long enough before entering the actual ride itself and the last ride you need to know is always packed is the M.I.B. ride (5) because of its proximity with The Simpsons but if you go alone to M.I.B. you can skip the line and go in the single rider line (only if it’s open).

A Dummy’s Guide to Universal Studios - Island Of Adventure Florida (Chapter One)

By: Gustavo Lequerica-Calvo

Hello all and welcome to the Dummy’s guide for Universal Studios and Island of Adventure Florida. There are many approaches a traveler can take when he is visiting a theme park for the first time and also if he has been to the theme park a couple of times and thinks he knows the park like the palm of his hand; one thing is to know the park like the palm of your hand and other is to know it in more detailed way than the rest of the visitors like if you live in Central Florida. As a traveler myself and a theme park enthusiast, I have learned many things over the years but in the past year since I moved to Central Florida and I got my seasonal ticket to Universal Studios Florida and Island of Adventures I have learned a few more things that I didn’t learned before like if you buy a memorabilia drinking cup you can save a lot of money in beverages or like the pattern the guests take when they are visiting the park; those are tricks that you learn with the experience and if you are first visitor this guide is here to help you out.

The first thing that you have to take care of is the budget, the park is not cheap but opposite to other theme parks is more affordable and more quicker to know in 48 hours, probably a day if you already been there. The parking so far in 2009 cost US$12 for the day but after 6p.m the fee goes down to US$3 because people go to the City Walk to spend the night but also if you want to give a quick visit to the theme parks before they close (much of the time they close at 8 p.m. and some rides are open until the closing time) you can and then you can enjoy the nightlife in Universal City Walk. The entrances of the parks are a little expensive if you are non Florida Resident (what Non Florida Resident? It means that you live internationally or if you are an U.S. citizen/resident you have to live in Florida for at least six months to a year before being considered a Florida resident) they can cost US$75.00 if you buy them in the ticket boot, but if you buy them with a tourism agency or online they can be more cheaper as they can be offer in combos. If you are a Florida Resident is another story because of two different reasons; the first one if you live in Florida and you like to spend your holidays in Universal Studios theme parks, the entrances for one park one day can cost you roughly US$60.00 if you buy them in advance but if you buy them in the boot they can cost the same as a non Florida resident. A one day two park entrance can cost US$75.00 if you are a Florida Resident and if you buy them in advance, using an intermediary like A.A.A. or a travel agent; the second reason is a win win situation if you enjoy theme parks and if you live in Central Florida, you can buy an annual pass or a seasonal ticket and you can save tons of money with the entrances because you can go on weekends or any other day off.

Do the maths and see how much you will save, you only will pay for the parking if you buy the seasonal/ anual pass. The food inside the park can be a little expensive, like any other theme parks who make profit through memorabilia, food and drinks; we are going to discuss the best places inside both theme parks where you can eat well and try something different beside the pizzas and hamburgers. If you want to save in the park you can buy a memorabilia cup or bucket where you refill drinks and pop corns and save a lot of money in that; doing a small estimate a person who buys food and drink inside the park can spend about 20 dollar by himself just by buying drinks once and then, but all of this we are going to discuss it later in the other chapters because so far so now this was the introduction to the dummy’s guide to Universal Studio Florida.

The Simpson’s Ride is really cool, for the fans is the most closest thing to Nirvana; but at the same time is a bittersweet ride because for many purist of theme parks and movie buffs, this was the ride who replaced the cult atraction Back to the Future (who closed some months ago) and people have  divided opinion between both rides. In my opinion this one is amazing a perfect ten and I think is the perfect successor for Back to the Future. I’m not going to give any spoilers regarding this ride but I’m going to give some advice before riding it. First, if you have the two park one day ticket go first to this ride as it cramps with people like you can’t ever imagine; I went today on the lowest point of the season and it was full! I had to wait an hour just to get in and I was lucky because if you are by yourself you can go more quickly than largest parties (and some rides like MIB has single rider line) that was my luck; second don’t expect something like BTTF, both rides use the same technology but with The Simpson’s is different regarding certain aspects of the narrative. Third if you have extra money buy a fast pass, is a life saver in most of the cases specially on holidays where the lines are impossible. If you ever come to Central Florida don’t hesitate to visit Universal Studios and Island of Adventures is a great experience that you won’t forget.