With four theme parks and two water parks, the family will enjoy non-stop fun. Soar into the darkness of space on the stomach-dropping Space Mountain and then sit back and admire the beautiful Wishes™ Nighttime Spectacular, a fireworks extravaganza in Magic Kingdom.  Travel around the world and sample foods from different cultures, all in one day, at Disney’s Epcot theme park.

This summer is packed with special events that will excite all members of your family! Beginning May 18^th through June 10^th, Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park will be hosting Star Wars Weekends. This is an annual special event that celebrates the Star Wars Saga and the animated television series, The Clone Wars. Embark on Star Tours, meet Star Wars celebrities, attend Jedi Training Academy and end the day by letting loose at the Hyperspace Hoopla.  

Don’t miss out on the ultimate animal adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Venture deep into the Pangani Forest for a private guided tour that places you amongst several exotic wildlife species, including Nile crocodiles and massive hippos. The 3-hour tour includes the guided safari, tasting of African-inspired foods and photo CD. Save $50 on tours at or after 11:45 a.m. from May 29- August 25! This is an authentic Wild Africa Trek, just closer to home!

Summer nights aren’t the same without outdoor concerts! During the annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series, enjoy high-energy performances from some of the best tribute bands at Epcot’s America Gardens Theater. The 2012 series runs from June 10 through July 28 and entrance is free with paid park admission. It will be a toe-tappin’ good time!  

And don’t forget to check out Disney’s Art of Animation, a new Walt Disney World Value Resort, scheduled to open this month! Perfect for families, you can jump into your favorite animated stories, such as “Finding Nemo”, Cars”, “The Lion King”, and “The Little Mermaid.” When completely finished, this resort will host more than 1,100 family suites which sleep up to six people, as well as 800 standard guest rooms.

The travel designers at AurTravel can help make this a summer your family will never forget!

Below is a little more information about some of the attractions Puerto Rico offers.

Bioluminescent Bay

The Vieques Biobay
Visit on a moonless night and you’ll notice the fish swimming in the bay appear to glow green in the water. If you choose to dive in, you’ll look the same way! This is one of the most amazing experiences Puerto Rico has to offer. It’s pure magic! Several tour companies offer kayaking tours of the bay for the more active tourist.

Catamaran Cruises
Grab your friends and kick back and relax as you spend a fun-filled day cruising the Caribbean waters. Most catamaran cruises stop at private beaches for spectacular snorkeling. Or wait till the end of the day and enjoy a gorgeous sunset cruise with your significant other.

Camuy Caves

Camuy River Cave Park
Explore one of the largest cave systems in the world! The 268-acre park is one of the most popular natural attractions in Puerto Rico and features tours of some of the caves and sinkholes. These tours take you through subterranean ravines to the edge of caves over 600 feet deep.

El Yunque Rain Forest 
A two-hour drive from San Juan, this area is about as far removed from the city’s beaches and resorts as you can get. Hike along one of several trails ranging from easy walks to difficult climbs or fulfill a bucket list to-do and swim under a waterfall.

Whatever you choose to do during your time in Puerto Rico, you can be sure it will be fun-filled with beautiful weather! You can’t go wrong!

• GOLFING - Hit the links on some of the world’s most amazing golf courses with some even built around the ancient Mayan ruins. One of the more popular courses is the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. This 18-hole, 72-par championship course provides gorgeous views of the area. Some holes are also lined with natural vegetation and wetlands of the area.
• MAYAN RUINS – El Meco is found just north of Cancun. From here, you can see a breathtaking view of the Chacmochuc Lagoon. Ruinas El Ray is located in Cancun’s hotel zone. This area is famous for the hundreds of iguanas that make their home in these ruins. If you go at the right time, you can see the park rangers feeding these lizards. 
• SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS – Instead of just viewing them through the aquarium glass, slip into the water with these majestic animals. You can choose the type of interaction you want, from petting the dolphins to being pulled through the water by one. There are several companies you can go through to set up this excursion. Most of these companies use facilities on the island of Isla Mujeres, which is about a 30-minute ferry ride from Cancun.
• ADVENTURE TOURS – Choose your adventure! Swim with the fastest fish in the ocean (the sailfish) or with the enormous but harmless Whale Shark. If water isn’t your thing, hike through the jungle to see ancient Mayan ruins or take a bird watching tour. Most tours will pick you up right at your hotel’s front door for a day of fun.

No matter what you choose to do with your time in Cancun, you will leave feeling refreshed and relaxed! We would love to hear your favorite activity in Cancun! Post in the comments section below.

San Diego Zoo
Take a full day to explore this world-famous zoo, which includes a 4,000 bird sanctuary. Explore the zoo on the three-mile guided bus tour or hop on the Skyfari Tram and get a bird’s eye view. The children’s petting zoo lets you get up close and personal with animals such as sheep and goats. And you can even feed a giraffe if you visit on a Saturday or Sunday!

San Diego Wineries
One of the best kept secrets of San Diego – the wineries! Most of these wineries are located only about 45 minutes to an hour away from downtown. Enjoy the spectacular views from the vineyards while you take a guided tour. And then unwind as you sample the different varieties of wine offered. You can even schedule transportation to and from the wineries so you don’t have to worry about driving! A few of the more popular wineries include the Bernardo Winery, Falkner Winery, and Fallbrook Winery.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The park began more than 20 years ago as a breeding facility for the San Diego Zoo’s large animals. Today, the 2100-acre sanctuary is open for visitors to view the large animals roaming in settings similar to their natural habitats. Tour the African plains or Asian Savanna by way of trams, carts, segways and even zip lines!

USS Midway Museum
Step aboard the longest-serving Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century and explore a city at sea. The USS Midway Museum is an unforgettable adventure for the entire family. Put on your headphones and take the family audio tour, which will guide you through more than 30 locations on the carrier. For the brave souls, the museum features three types of optional flight simulators for all ages.

Balboa Park
You can’t leave San Diego without visiting Balboa Park! As you walk through the park, stop to take a ride on the carousel or hop on the miniature train for a 3 minute, ½ mile scenic trip. Pick up a souvenir from the United Nations Building, which is used for educational and administrative purposes. And the San Diego Zoo is located in the northern part of the park so you can cross these two sites off your sightseeing list in one day!

La Jolla Kayak
For the adventurous adults, La Jolla Kayak offers fantastic opportunities to kayak or snorkel around the sea cliffs, the Seven Caves, and the Underwater Park in La Jolla. Certified tour guides will help you explore the beautiful Southern California coastline.

LEGOLAND®
Geared toward children ages 2-12, LEGOLAND® is built for fun!  With more than 50 rides, shows, and attractions, kids will be entertained for the entire day. Dig for fossils or climb inside the Megga-Egga-Saurus on Dino Island. In Fun Town, children can explore a town scaled down to their size. Join a hilarious race to hose down a burning building at the Fun Town Fire Academy.  For the young inventor, visit Imagination Zone where you can create your own vehicle out of legos and race it against others. LEGOLAND® also has its own water park. Plus, there are action-packed live shows and great restaurants all throughout the park. Join in on the fun!

Sea Life Aquarium
Located next door to LEGOLAND®, the Sea Life Aquarium presents a view of the underwater world easy for a child to understand. In the newly opened Octopus Garden, you can view several different types of these amazing creatures. Kids can also enjoy play zones, fun facts and quiz trails throughout the aquarium.

You may want to consider purchasing a temporary cell phone once you arrive at your destination, allowing you make calls at the local rate. Your service provider can give you information on where to obtain these phones. No contracts are necessary and many come with pre-paid calling time already loaded.

Another option is to rent a cell phone. Most companies will ship the phone directly to your house and include paperwork so you can ship it back when you return.

Here are a few companies who offer these services:

• Travel Cell  877-CELL-PHONE (877-2355-74663)
• PlanetFone 888-988-4777
• Cellular Abroad 800-287-5072

It pays to do a little research before heading overseas. That way you will be spending your money on souvenirs instead of phone bills!

Before you go, check with your bank or credit card company to make sure your card will work in Europe and let them know that you’ll be making withdrawals while traveling.  Otherwise, they might freeze your card if they detect unusual spending patterns.  Some banks automatically block US debit card use in certain countries (including the UK) to protect against fraud.

One other thing to remember when withdrawing money using a credit card from an ATM: it’s considered a cash advance. If the balance is not paid off, it will start to accrue interest. Many times, credit card companies charge a higher interest rate on cash advances.

The most notable differences to travelers will be:

• Hotels, exchange booths, and local banks will only be able to change a maximum of $1,500 USD cash per person per month into Mexican pesos. Previously there was no limit.
• Businesses (including restaurants, shops, and Destination Management Companies) will only be able to accept a maximum of $100 USD cash per transaction – but the number of transactions per customer is not restricted. Certain businesses may not be able to, or may choose not to accept American dollars for any purchases. They would still accept Mexican pesos.  For example, if a traveler wants to purchase an excursion that costs $150 US dollars per person, the traveler will only be able to pay $100 of this amount in USD cash and the remainder will need to be in another form of payment (credit card, pesos, etc).
• Airlines are advising they will only accept Mexican pesos and credit cards for any fees, including baggage fees.

Other payment methods such as credit cards of all types and all issuing banks, Travelers Checks, Mexican pesos, and non-American foreign currencies (such as euros or Canadian dollars) are not affected in any way by this new law.

If you should have any questions about the new regulations, contact AurTravel. They are here to help you plan your next great getaway!

1)    Save time. With a private charter, there is no need to arrive at the airport two hours ahead of your schedule in order to make it through the security line. Private transportation usually has its own security checkpoint which is less hassle. It also cuts down on the total travel time, as you’ll be able to avoid the headaches and boredom of long layovers.

2)    Flexibility. Whether traveling by yourself or with a large group, you can schedule your departure time around your schedule instead of depending on the schedules of commercial airlines.

3)    Convenience. Have you ever arrived at your destination but your luggage didn’t? No need to worry about that with a private jet! You can rest assured that your luggage will arrive at the same time as you. Many private transportation companies also offer door to door service – they’ll pick you up at home and deliver you to the airport.

We’d like to hear from you if you’ve traveled by private jet. What do you think are the best benefits?

If you have an upcoming need for a private jet, contact AurTravel to help you out. With our knowledge in the industry, our Travel Designers can find the best pricing for you and help plan your trip from beginning to end.

Photo courtesy of Matt Mordfin

Several companies have developed apps for smart phones with airport terminal and gate maps. Some apps also include airport restaurant information along with customer reviews.

The USA Today Travel section reviewed several of the travel apps. Click here to read what they found. We’d love to hear from travelers on what apps you’ve found useful when traveling. Post your thoughts in the comment section below!

• Let the AurTravel agents research the best hotel deals in or around your city. They can also tell you which hotels have the best amenities. Relax, enjoy room service, and pamper yourself at the hotel spa!
• Be a tourist in your own town. Put together a list of the places you would like to visit around the area. These include restaurants, zoos, golf courses, and more that you pass by on your way to work everyday and always say, “Someday, I’d like to go there.” Now is the time! Research those locations to see if they are offering any deals or planning any special events during your vacation time. If necessary, purchase admission tickets ahead of time.
• Leave the laptop at home and keep your time on the cell phone to a minimum. This is a mini vacation – treat it as such.
• Bring your camera. Candid shots are the best! And they’ll remind you of all the fun you had right there in your own town.

Happy Staycationing!