Travel Feature: 

Zip-a-Dee-Zip-Line: A Canopy Adventure
by Terry Dagdagan, PassPorter Guest Columnist


Ever wonder what it would be like to fly like Tinker Bell? Has it been your dream to swing through the jungle like Tarzan? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, then I have just two words for you: Canopy Adventure.

In light of Disney Cruise Line's announcement that they will be returning to the West Coast in summer 2008, you may want to start compiling your wish list of shore excursions. One that I would highly recommend for Puerto Vallarta is the Canopy Adventure.

Now, this is not an excursion for the faint hearted. You'll be sliding along ropes strung high above the forest floor, "zipping" from tree to tree (just like in the TV commercials). However, if you ever had the urge to do something adventurous in your life, this just might fit the bill. The Canopy Adventure is open to those ten years and older. While you are required to be over four feet tall, you must also weigh less than 250 pounds and be in good physical condition.

As with most excursions, there are plenty of tour companies that you can book with if you are willing to do the research. We opted to book ours through Disney when we sailed on the Magic the first season it sailed to the Mexican Riviera.

Upon debarking from the ship you will meet up with a tour guide. He will lead the group down the pier, hand out life jackets and board everyone onto a motor boat. A five-minute trip through the harbor brings you to the tour company's office.

The journey continues as everyone loads up and buckles into the back of a Mercedes Unimog all-terrain truck. This 45-minute ride can be a bit bouncy at times as you leave Puerto Vallarta and snake your way up the mountain into the rain forest.

The Canopy Adventure location looks more like a jungle outpost, which helps to set the mood. Everyone is fitted into their equipment which consists of a harness and leather gloves. It won't be your most glamorous pose since you have to squat when putting on the harness. This allows the guide to fit the harness on your body to accommodate hanging from the zip lines.

Next, everyone's valuables are secured, as you are not permitted to carry anything with you. While we felt these items were safe, it is a good idea to only bring the bare necessities for this excursion. Even cameras are not suggested as you are wearing heavy leather gloves that seem like Mickey gloves when you are trying to manipulate a camera.

After a brief safety talk and demonstration on how to conduct yourself on the zip lines (and most importantly, how to stop at the end of each line) you will head off to the first platform. This one is reached by hiking up a short hill. Here you face the moment of truth--or insanity as a few of us were thinking. As I was being hooked onto the zip line, I couldn't help feeling like I Love Lucy's Ethel Mertz trying to figure out how Lucy (a.k.a. one of my traveling companions) had talked me into this one.

There are several well-trained guides who are interspersed between every four or five guests. They handle all of the hooks and lines for you, so you are always properly connected (you are connected to two safety lines at all timesj). When transitioning from a zip line to a platform or vice versa, you always have one safety line connected before switching the second line.

The first zip line is the test to see if a guest can handle the adventure. If the guides feel that you will not be able to complete the course, they will not allow you to go past the second platform. Despite looking more like a crazed Goofy than a graceful Tinker Bell, I was still permitted to continue the course.

By the second or third platform most of our group had gotten down the rhythm of how to stop. This technique involves gently pulling down on the zip line from behind to slow yourself when approaching the next platform.

The actual feeling you will have as you zip through the jungle is beyond words. It is one of the most exhilarating things I have ever done. The sheer thrill of feeling like you are flying is incredible.

One thing to note is that I imagined the platforms to be huge landings. Wrong! They were actually about two to three feet wide, as they circled around each tree. Being just a little bit terrified of heights, I was a little unnerved at first. As expected, I got used to them and only felt like quitting when I realized at one point that I had to walk across a hanging bridge that had no handrails (and was about two feet wide). Not to worry though, it does have a cable above it to hold your well-secured safety lines.

The heights of the platforms range up to 90 feet. Some were lower depending on the terrain. At one point there was a gorilla swing, basically a knotted rope, which landed you on solid ground before zipping on to the next platform. There are a total of eleven zip lines (each with its own unique name), one swing and two hanging bridges.

At the final platform you will be faced with one more daring feat. From about 30 feet off the ground you will need to rappel down. I was lucky enough to be chosen by the guide to go first (after one of the other guides demonstrated), despite the fact that I was in the middle of the group. Perhaps it was because I had mastered the skill so well that they wanted me to show the others how it was done. Or they desperately wanted to get me out of their trees and off of their platform before I hurt myself or others. I prefer to think it was the former.

Once everyone is on the ground, it is a short hike back to the outpost. Everyone is given a snack consisting of chips and a bottle of water. There are also a variety of beverages (yes, alcoholic too) available for purchase. They accept both Mexican pesos and American dollars, but will give you change in pesos. The tour company sells t-shirts at the outpost also.

Another added feature is that you may purchase a DVD of your adventure. While you are zipping on some of the lines, there are some parallel zip lines traversed by a cameraman capturing shots of each person in the group. This you will need to pay for and it will be mailed to you in approximately two to four weeks. Don't forget to tip the guides for the superb job they have done. Our guides were all very safety conscious, and did their very best to see that everyone had a great experience.

So why not save the shopping and sightseeing for the less adventurous. This excursion is sure to send a thrill up your spine and a tingle in your tummy. Just strap on your courage and start practicing your Goofy yell!



About the Author: Terry and her husband Gene live in Las Vegas with their two daughters. They were excited to be aboard the Disney Wonder for its first 10-night Southern Caribbean Cruise last September, and look forward to their next stay at the Disneyland Resort this summer.
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Dining Review: Spoodles
by Thomas Cackler, Guest Columnist


Before our recent trip to Walt Disney World, my wife and I puzzled over which new restaurant to try. Since we were introducing family members to some of our favorites, we knew that this trip we would only have time for one new restaurant. After narrowing the list down to a handful of choices, we asked several of our Disney friends to make the choice for us. They chose Spoodles, located in Disney's BoardWalk entertainment district, for our new dining experience.

Based on their recommendation and other reviews we had read, my wife Julie and I, along with our five-year-old nephew, Joey, were looking forward to our first visit to Spoodles. Given the restaurant's location, we decided that we would tour Epcot's World Showcase during the day and use our meal at Spoodles as part of our transition to the Extra Magic Hours at the Disney-MGM Studios. Since it is a quick boat ride from both Epcot's International Gateway and Disney-MGM Studios, Spoodles provided a nice retreat that served to recharge us for more theme park fun.

Spoodles takes its decorating cues from the areas that inspire its menu; Spain, Italy, and Greece. We noticed immediately that Spoodles presents a tasteful yet reserved decor. We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and found it like visiting a friend's house for a meal. We arrived about 30 minutes early for our reservation and as it was an early dinner, had no problems getting a table quickly. Our host walked us through one smaller dinning area and then past the kitchen before showing us to our table.

Our server greeted us and asked if we had any questions about the menu. As we did not, we gave our drink order and started making our decisions. One thing Julie and I both enjoy about most menus at Walt Disney World is we have just the right amount of choices. Spoodles was no different. With only seven appetizers to chose from and six entrees, the variety was just right to capture whatever mood a diner might be in, yet not overwhelm with too many choices.

Soon after we placed our order, a basket of bread arrived with olive oil for dipping. This was very tasty and would have made an excellent appetizer alone; however, our ‘real' appetizers soon arrived. Joey had the chicken noodle soup, which looked very tasty. I'm not sure that most children would have enjoyed it as much as he did, but he is an adventurous eater and enjoys his vegetables. Julie and I ordered the calamari and the four-cheese flatbread. While the calamari was extremely well done, tender and not over-cooked as many places tend to do, the four-cheese flatbread was simply incredible. The crust was crispy and light and the overall flavor was tremendous. The flatbread now ranks among my top five appetizers on both the Disney Cruise Line and at the whole of Walt Disney World.

For my entrée, I had the steak kabobs with multigrain pilaf. The chefs did a nice job with my steak, cooking nearly to perfection, and served it with a drizzle of harrisa, a Tunisian hot sauce. The multigrain pilaf had a pleasant nuttiness that offset the spiciness of the kabob nicely. While I did not finish my entire meal, I found that the portions on this offering to be just about right and I certainly did not let any of my steak go to waste!

Julie had the garlic shrimp linguini and based on her response along with the small sample I tasted, the chefs did another fantastic job. If you don't care for garlic, however, you probably should avoid this dish, as they certainly did not hold back on the garlic. We both love garlic and found it a well-seasoned meal. The portion was huge and splitting this dish would have probably satisfied both of us. Julie ate until she was full and then shared part of the remainder with Joey.

Joey's meal was probably the only disappointment of the entire experience. He had the kids beef kabob; it was dry and flavorless in the small bite I took. He appeared less than enthused with the kabobs as well, as he ate only a bite or two before quitting. He did eat a reasonable amount of Julie's leftover linguini, so I'm doubtful his decision to not finish the kabob was because he was full. In retrospect, I wish we had insisted he stick to his original choice of a beef and pasta dish.

Our deserts were very good, although we had a clear-cut favorite. Joey had the kid's ice cream sundae. While it was virtually the same sundae he had throughout trip, he loved every minute of building and eating his own creation. Julie ordered the white chocolate orange cake and we both found it a nice end to a meal. I ordered the Chocolate Apricot Pistachio cake and while it was good, it was a bit heavy after my meal and I didn't finish it. I also had a scoop of raspberry gelato with my cake, which we all agreed was the best of the desserts served.

Our server did a solid job. While not the best service we have enjoyed at a Disney eatery, it was also far from the worst. Polite and prompt perhaps best describe the service and certainly lived up to the high standards we have come to expect while at Walt Disney World. Normally, we engage our server in conversation, but we never had the opportunity to do so while at Spoodles. We did hear him in a lengthy conversation with another table about his hometown baseball team, so this may be attributable to our weariness rather than any deficiencies on his part.

Had we not been using the Magic Your Way Dining Plan on this trip, we would have spent approximately $125 for our meals, including all gratuities, and a glass of wine for both adults. A similar party could enjoy Spoodles for far less as we noted that most portions were large and easy to share. For the quality and quantity of food, however, we feel the meal would have been a reasonable value for Walt Disney World if we had paid out of pocket, and is a tremendous value for those using the Dining Plan.

We really didn't know what to expect when we made our reservations for Spoodles, but I do think it safe to say that we enjoyed our meal tremendously. From the pleasant atmosphere to the wonderful food, Spoodles offers a wonderful dining experience to those who are willing to make the short jaunt to the BoardWalk. Based on the positive experience of this meal, we need to listen to our Disney friends' recommendations more often!


About the Author: Thomas is a web site coordinator and freelance web designer. A veteran of five trips to Walt Disney World and one Disney Cruise since 2002, Thomas is a member of several online Disney communities including the PassPorter forums where he shares his knowledge and love of the Disney Parks with anyone who will listen. He lives in Iowa with his wife Julie and nephew Joey.

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