Wet in the wild: Nothing says grouping bonding like getting soaked by the Kali River Rapids.

By Jill E. Cooper

As spring gives way to summer and the mercury begins to soar, families around the world find themselves planning and dreaming about fun in the sun at Walt Disney World Resort.  With daily high temperatures in the 90s during the summer months, the Florida weather may present eager guests with formidable touring conditions. Fear not — find refuge from the humidity in these traveler-tested spots, and I don’t just mean Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. 

Case in point: Many Disney properties lure with whimsically themed and wonderfully refreshing pools.  The newest resort hotel, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, is slated to open later this month and boasts one of the biggest pools in Orlando.

And let’s not forget Epcot, which boasts a number of simply spectacular places to enjoy a splash of cool water.  Situated prominently in the center of Future World, the Fountain of Nations provides stunning entertainment and a refreshing mist to passersby.  In fact, last summer I found that the perfect respite from a hot day at Epcot: the patio at Fountainview Café.

Pull up one of the shaded seats to enjoy hand-dipped waffle cones and root beer floats, plus the occasional spray from the impressive fountain nearby.  Epcot is also famous for its mischievous leaping fountains outside the Imagination! Pavilion.  There, you’ll see the eyes of children (of all ages) light up as they watch droplets hop effortlessly from pad to pad between the garden beds.  More than once, my son has delighted in being soaked as he stepped deliberately into the water’s path.

At Magic Kingdom, you’re going to need to summon some courage to pursue the fastest path to cool water refreshment.  Head to Splash Mountain in Frontierland and ask to be seated in the front.  Plan to wear your waterproof sandals because you’re going to get wet.  A similar watery thrill awaits at Kali River Rapids in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.  Board the circular, 12-passenger river rafts and prepare to get blasted by jungle mists, gushing geysers and unforgiving waterfalls.

And at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, cool down  in the flash flood scene in Catastrophe Canyon during the Studio Backlot Tour.  Not to be outdone by the theme parks, even Downtown Disney offers guests the chance to “cool their heels” by walking, bouncing, or skipping through the dancing sidewalk fountains between their stores.

So don’t let the heat deter you from enjoying the Disney theme parks this summer.  Pack a water bottle  in your backpack at the beginning of each day and keep filling it at the water fountains throughout the parks.  Cast Members working at quick-service restaurants will be happy to give you a glass of ice water. Just ask!

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Jill Cooper is a member of the 2012 Walt Disney World Moms Panel.

Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney, Disneyland Resort or Disney Vacation Club vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their participation on the Walt Disney World® Moms Panel. The views expressed in the Panel are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Online prior to posting.

Perfectly Pittsburgh: The city is upping its array of eco-friendly sites.

By Mark Chesnut

Pittsburgh may have a heritage as one of the nation’s first big industrial cities, but today it’s getting greener and greener. From eco-friendly hotels to good-for-the-planet event venues and attractions, this Pennsylvania city is rolling out the green carpet for business and leisure travelers.

Among the latest news comes from the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which in May was to open the doors to the Center for Sustainable Landscapes. Designed to meet high standards for sustainable buildings and landscapes, the 24,350-square-foot facility is expected to obtain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Platinum level from the United States Green Building Council. An education, research and administration complex, the Center will be available for private group use, and will generate its own energy as well as capture, treat and reuse all water on site.

The Consol Energy Center, which is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as what is billed as the National Hockey League’s first green hockey arena, is also available for private meetings and corporate events.

Pittsburgh’s largest convention venue, the Gold LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center, continues to pursue additional green certification. The 1.5-million-square-foot building was expanded and upgraded in the 21st century; last year, the $9.5-million Convention Center Riverfront Plaza opened, linking the main facility to the riverfront.

Green-seeking travelers looking for a place to rest should consider the Fairmont Pittsburgh, a luxury hotel with Gold LEED certification. The property also offers monthly cooking classes and a Canine Ambassador program, which allows you take Edie, a white boxer/Labrador retriever mix, for a walk. Certainly an ecologically sustainable way to tour the city.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He recycles.

From hard bodies to festivals, it's an all-out party in the streets of Manhattan come Pride Week (June 16-24). Credit: See-Ming.

By Markus Boeker

Why do I celebrate Gay Pride?

Because I live it. I’m a gay male in my 40s living in New York City, which just happens to burst with gay pride year-round, and not just during the March on Sunday, June 24. And for the record: Even if I was a 30-something straight man, I would still celebrate gay pride.

Commemorating the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when locals rioted after police raided a gay bar in Greenwich Village, the first Gay Pride parades were held the weekend of June 27 and 28 in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The symbol that we wave proudly — the LGBT flag — made its rainbow debut at the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade in 1978 after former Mayor Harvey Milk asked his friend Gilbert Baker to design a symbol that rallied lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. And recently, President Obama took the bold step of becoming the first U.S. president to support same-sex marriage.

There’s certainly a lot to celebrate, and I’ll personally join the nation in my own backyard at The New York City Gay Pride March on June 24. With gay icons Cindy Lauper, Chris Salgrado, Phyllis Siegel and Connie Kopelov as grand marshalls, the event is a float-filled, eye candy-colored dance party that electrifies Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Lower Manhattan and beyond.

Know before you go

1. Diversity
   This should go without saying, but the carnival is open to all people — regardless of your sexual orientation. I’ve been joining the fun for a decade now, and each year, I’m astounded by the colorful crowd attending the event — parents with kids, senior citizens, high-ranking politicians, including the Mayor of New York City.
2. Is it all one wild party?
   No. While full-volume playlists — including gay anthem “I Will Survive” — and shirtless boys are to be expected along the streets of the West Village (which, incidentally, has the best views), you’ll find smaller gatherings anywhere along 5^th Avenue. Feast on butterfly costumes, flowers and the infamous motorcyclecade called the “Dykes on Bikes” (and yes, it’s OK to call them that).
3. Hotels
   Pretty much every hotel in New York City is gay-friendly, and frankly, that should go without saying. But if you’d like to take a deeper dive, check out the properties and user reviews on GayOrbitz.com. And now, my personal faves, in no particular order:

• Dream Downtown: It’s Meatpacking District-meets-Miami in this trendy space, complete with a hidden courtyard pool and a bustling party vibe.
• Hotel Gansevoort: This hotel changed the face of this area in Manhattan forever. Grab a classic New York Cosmopolitan at the Roof Top Bar, hit nearby Village restaurants and bars, or do all in one night. This city doesn’t sleep, so neither should you.
• Mondrian SoHo: If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon a celebrity or two.
• The Room Mate Grace:  This gay-owned Times Square stay dispels the myth that Mexican resorts hold the monopoly on swim-up bars. And unlike the ones in Cancun, this bar lives indoors. Score.

In my next installment: my hit list of NYC bars and restaurants

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Markus Boeker, who manages hotel contracting for New York City for Orbitz Worldwide, simply believes that a day without laughter is a day wasted.

Envigorating Vegas: The spa at Mandalay Bay offers treatments created for business travelers.

By Mark Chesnut

As the saying goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” It can also make him a tired, stressed-out boy — and it was with that in mind that a group of Las Vegas hotels have created a new array of mini-spa treatments designed specifically for weary, time-pressed business travelers.

At the Bellagio, guests can smooth worry lines at Spa Bellagio with a 25-minute Instant Refresher Facial that includes an enzyme-based peel, anti-stress face and neck massage and skin-perfecting mask. The spa also offers a 20-minute Refresher Mini-Massage, created for business travelers who’ve spent too long seated in front of their computers.

Spa Mandalay, at Mandalay Bay, recognizes that people traveling to Las Vegas on business often don’t have much time to indulge. The facility offers a 25-minute version of all of their treatments, including replenishing sessions for dehydrated skin, a eucalyptus steam wrap and an orange peel body puff, which is designed to revitalize the senses while sloughing away dead skin cells.

The Spa & Salon at ARIA Resort & Casino at CityCenter has introduced a Business Traveler Quick Fix menu, filled with workout, spa and salon services, including a 30-minute kettle bell training class that helps pump more oxygen to the brain– ideal, perhaps, for staying alert when a not-very-exciting meeting appears on the work schedule.

What to do if you can’t even leave the conference room? Spa Bellagio, Spa Mandalay and The Spa & Salon at ARIA have you covered, with in-chair foot and back massages performed by therapists who travel right to the meeting space. Probably a good idea to warn colleagues before you do that.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He could really use a massage right now.

Future world: a rendering of the MIA Mover station at the Miami Intermodal Center

By Mark Chesnut

With new rail service, expanded facilities and a variety of new flights, South Florida’s two biggest airports are making it easier than ever to travel to the Sunshine State.

They may be just a few miles apart, but Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport offer very different travel experiences — and both facilities are working to improve their appeal with travelers as well as the airline companies that serve them.

Fort Lauderdale flights
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport is preparing for growth, as it invests some $791 million to extend its south runway by 2014, in preparation to handle increased demand. In addition, the airport has begun wetland restoration at West Lake Park, in nearby Hollywood, as well as a noise mitigation program.

Among the newest nonstop domestic service at Fort Lauderdale is offered by Alaska Airlines, which launches nonstop flights to Seattle on July 16. Carriers ramping up new international service include JetBlue Airways, which recently started flying to Bogota, Colombia, and Kingston, Jamaica.

Miami flights
Officials at Miami International Airport report a 7.1 percent increase in passengers between 2010 and 2011, with more expected this year. The facility’s Capital Improvement Program, scheduled for completion in 2013, is already showing results, with the ultimate goal to connect the relatively new South Terminal with the brand-new North Terminal.

Also new is the MIA Mover, an automated people mover system that debuted in 2011 to transport passengers to the Rental Car Center as well as the Miami Intermodal Center, a ground transportation hub being developed by the Florida Department of Transportation. When complete, it will allow travelers to connect with all forms of ground transportation in the county, including Amtrak, regional rail systems, Greyhound, city buses, shuttles and taxis.

Miami’s airport has added several new airlines and routes in recent months, including new service to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon and Monterrey, Mexico.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. As a teenager, he collected boarding passes.

Don't look down: Orbitz Senior Market Manager Robin Gallagher scales a sky bridge over the Blue Ridge Mountains.

By Robin Gallagher

Having just planned a team meeting in Asheville, N.C., I was worried how my colleagues – a diverse group representing several nations, regions and ethnicities – would receive the tiny mountain town. As it turns out, I couldn’t have chosen a better location.

We are, after all, in the business of travel, so it made sense to get people moving and experience local flavor. Let me just say – there’s no team bonding like walking across sky bridges or zip lining across the Blue Ridge Mountains. Those of us who have been lucky enough to zip line in different parts of the world all agreed: It was an equally unique and exhilarating experience as any.  And getting to the site was easy, too. The site operated by canopy tour specialist Navitat — is only 30 minutes from downtown Asheville.

When our pulses returned to resting rates, we visited Asheville’s most famous icon: The Biltmore Estate, where we ate and sampled wines. We also snuck in a trolley ride through downtown, as well as a few brewery tours.

Our team holed up in The Grand Bohemian Hotel from the Marriott Autograph Collection, a rustic, yet luxe retreat with a boutique feel. Think warm woods, taxidermy, and an art gallery that captures the spirit of the artsy town.

Should you need to plan your next corporate meeting, make it an active one, and head to the mountains.

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Robin Gallagher is a busy working mom with even busier boys who are 5 and 6. As you can imagine, having family fun while keeping the interest of boys with 20-minute attention spans has become a mission for her and her husband in both life and travel.

Smartphone, smart trips. Download the free Orbitz app for iPhone to book flights, hotels and rental cars.

By Valerie Moloney

We’ve come a long way from brick-and-mortar travel agencies and paper tickets. Cut to 2012, when one in five smartphone users are booking their hotels and flights on their mobile devices, according to a comScore study. In a fourth blog post for USA Today, Orbitz CEO Barney Harford spotlights our growing appetite for mobile travel apps, and the cost savings for booking mobile-only hotel deals. At Orbitz, we saw a 12 percent jump in customers using a mobile-optimized version of our website or a native app in the first quarter.

Smartphone users: How often do you use your mobile device to book travel? Tell us on Twitter @orbitz.

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Disney magic: Downtown Disney is among the group-friendly venues in central Florida.

By Mark Chesnut

Orlando may be known as the capital of Florida vacations, but its many world-famous attractions can also serve as memorable backdrops for business meetings, entertaining and enjoying time off after long days at work.

Among the newest venues is TurtleTrek, which debuted in April at SeaWorld Orlando, with a 3D, 360-degree film that allows viewers to follow the journey of a sea turtle.

Universal Orlando Resort has unveiled an array of new developments for 2012, including a new lagoon show, daytime parade, theme ride and miniature golf course, as well as a revamped Blue Man Group show and upgrades to the Amazing Adventures of Spiderman ride. Replacing the Jimmy Neutron attraction at Universal Studios Florida is a new 3D attraction based on the animated film “Despicable Me.”

The Walt Disney World Resort has plenty of new group- and business-friendly options, including Splitsville, a new attraction that opens this fall in Downtown Disney. With a 30-lane bowling alley, billiards, live music, dining and dancing, Splitsville is clearly designed to create a festive atmosphere.

At the Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom, the first phase of Fantasyland’s expansion is already up and running, with attractions including the Storybook Circus and Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride. When the project is complete, Fantasyland will be twice its original size.

Disney-bound travelers will also find a new option for accommodations, with the opening of the first group of guest rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, where suites are designed with — you guessed it — animation themes.

Central Florida attractions on a smaller — but still very business-friendly — scale include CSI: The Experience, a traveling exhibition that has opened up shop here through the end of the year. Based on the hit TV show, the venue allows visitors to try out their own detective skills. Anyone caught up in the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking, meanwhile, should consider Titanic: The Experience, which has reopened with new artifacts from the wreck site, including what is billed as the second-largest piece of the ship to be recovered.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He was a big fan of the Eastern Airlines “If You Had Wings” ride at Walt Disney World.

Mac users are 40 percent more likely to book four- or five-star hotels, according to our research.

By Valerie Moloney

In an effort to understand the way our consumers plan their trips, we uncovered this fun fact: Mac users are 40 percent more likely to book four- or five-star hotels than PC users. Does this surprise you? iPad junkies follow similar behavior. The findings, shared in the third blog post by Orbitz CEO Barney Harford in USA Today, highlight our efforts to analyze a mountain of data for a more personalized booking experience.

Mac and PC users, we’re curious: Do our findings about hotel bookings ring true for you? Tell us on Twitter @orbitz.

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• Download the Hotels by Orbitz app for iPad
• Get the free Orbitz app for Android
• Orbitz  Flights, Hotels, Cars for iPhone
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The Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers is among the Sheraton Hotels getting upgrades.

By Mark Chesnut

Starwood Preferred Guest members take note: Sheraton Hotels, one of the upscale hotel brands owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts, is unveiling some $350 million worth of upgrades at an array of its properties in the coming months.

In the Big Apple, guests are now checking into a revamped Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, where a $160 million facelift has resulted in a refurbished Sheraton Club Lounge and guest rooms.

In Europe, the biggest beneficiary of the infusion of cash — which is the result of Starwood and private owner investment — is the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh, Scotland, which now has refurbished guest rooms, a new restaurant and bar and more than 14,000 square feet of newly renovated meeting space.

In Latin America, the Sheraton Santiago Hotel & Convention Center, in Chile’s capital, is completing the final phase of its $13.5-million renovation, which will improve the lobby and convention center, as well as the swimming pool, terrace and outdoor restaurant. In April, the Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort, in Rio de Janeiro, began the first phase of its $30 million renovation, which will revamp the guest rooms and also result in a new Link@Sheraton Cafe, as well as a new Shine Spa and “Sheraton Fitness Programmed by Core Performance” gym. In addition, the convention facilities at the Sheraton Rio will expand from 22,400 to 27,400 square feet. Later this year, the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel & Towers, in Mexico City, will begin its own renovation program as well.

Across the Pacific, the Sheraton Mirage Resort & Spa Gold Coast, in Australia, is wrapping up $20 million worth of upgrades, including a facelift for its public areas and landscaping. The Great Wall Sheraton Hotel Beijing, meanwhile, is undergoing a $50 million renovation over the next three years, which will refresh all guest rooms, public spaces and restaurants.

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Mark Chesnut is a travel writer, editor and publisher of LatinFlyer.com, which focuses on travel to Latin America. He always thinks he’s going to use the hotel gym.