Florida Archives - The Culture Mom

01Apr

On Saying “No”: Disney Social Media Moms Conference

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

I've been blogging for five years now and every year I've quietly hoped to be invited to a blogging conference called Disney Social Media Moms. It's a very big deal in the social media community, or seems to be. Besides getting an opportunity to delve into the world of social media with other women for a weekend, you get to bring your family along to experience Walt Disney World in a very magical way with Disney as host. When I didn't make the cut the first year, I thought I'd make it eventually. But when I didn't make the cut the next year, I began to Read More

09Mar

Kissing the Cold Away in Kissimmee, Florida (and Win a FREE Trip!)

Posted by The Culture Mom 3 Comments

Last week I was invited to tour Kissimmee, Florida and I jumped at the chance. I was curious about the town neighboring Orlando and what it has to offer tourists. After all, how can one compete with the lure of Disney? I can honestly say I was surprised with just how much the city has to offer in terms of luxury hotels, great restaurants and a plethora of activity for families looking to do something other than amusement parks. Here's a wrap-up of what I did, where I stayed, where I dined, so you can plan your next visit to Kissimmee...with or without Read More

16Feb

A Solo Trip to Hawks Cay Resort

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Solo travel can be so... Empowering. Restorative. Enlightening. My recent trip to the Hawks Cay Resort was all of those things and more. For just a few days, I left my family at home, well taken care of, and went to cover the new renovations at Hawks Cay Resort. The resort is on Duck Key, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Key Largo is 46 miles north, and Key West is 61 miles south. It was a 2-2-1/2 hour journey from Miami, where I flew into. For a few days, I'd explore the hotel with a group of writers and have experiences Read More

28Nov

Passports with Purpose: Supporting Literacy and Going to Disney

Posted by The Culture Mom 1 Comment

When I try to imagine a world without books, it's just too hard. My whole world revolves around the written word, it always has. When I was a child, I ran home from school to read books. My mother took us to the library all the time. When I finally got around to reading the classics, it was as though a whole new world opened up to me. I majored in Journalism, started my career in television but naturally found my way into the publishing industry where I have worked for the last eleven years. My love for reading and books has never waned and I am Read More

02May

Animal Kingdom with Kids

Posted by The Culture Mom 2 Comments

(This article 'Animal Kingdom with Kids' is also featured on TravelingMom.com.) When I started planning our trip to Disney World, I decided that on this trip to all the parks, I had to visit Animal Kingdom. It was the only park I had never visited, and I really didn’t expect it to be as good as it is. After a day in Magic Kingdom, which was really, really crowded due to spring break and Easter weekend, Animal Kingdom was much more manageable and far more enjoyable than I ever imagined. I’m not sure why I doubted for a minute that this park would Read More

29Apr

A Child-Friendly Timeshare: Wyndham Bonnet Creek

Posted by The Culture Mom 7 Comments

Wyndham Bonnet Creek Child-Friendly Timeshare

My family and I discovered a true gem of a resort on our current trip to Disney World. The Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort is located 10-15 minutes from all the Disney Parks, Universal Sea World, downtown Disney and is perfect for families of all shapes and sizes. It's not a hotel or even a Disney resort; it's actually a timeshare. It has so much to offer: location, activities, accessibility, spacious rooms, amenities, free shuttle service to all the Disney parks, five pools scattered around the resort, miniature golf, club rooms, an extremely kind staff Read More

28Apr

Epcot with Kids

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

(This article 'Epcot with Kids' is also featured on TravelingMom.com. I am currently on vacation in Orlando and will be posting articles from my trip over the next few days across both web sites.) When we decided to visit Disney World during Spring Break and Easter weekend, we didn’t really factor in the expected lines and big crowds. So, we decided to spend our first day at Epcot. Epcot may not be the first Disney park you may consider as a good place to start for your kids. It’s big, it’s educational, it doesn’t have the roller coasters and more Read More

04Apr

Modern Technology is Changing the Face of Travel

Posted by The Culture Mom Leave a Comment

Have you ever lost your kids on the ski slope or wanted to make plans rather quickly to meet up? EpicMix Kids is a cross between Nike+ (tracking your physical activity) and FourSquare (recognition of location-based accomplishments), with the ability to connect and share with friends on Facebook (for users over the age of 13) and Twitter (making connections) - it's social media for skiers! EpicMix allows skiers to track vertical feet and runs skied and recognize special achievements by rewarding guests with collectible digital pins. The mobile app Read More