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When I planned my trip to Miami, I was surprised to learn there is a Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach. The horrific genocide carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II wasn’t something I had associated with this South Florida city. Upon visiting, I learned that Miami Beach is actually home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the United States of America. That was a huge part of why it was deemed appropriate to create the massive monument near South Beach. The Miami Holocaust Memorial makes for a stark contrast with the atmosphere of fun and frivolity just a few blocks south, but is an essential stop when visiting Miami. Read on to learn about it.
Miami’s Holocaust Memorial opened in 1990, however its construction was not without controversy. Plans for the site first came about in 1984, when a small number of Holocaust survivors went on to form the Holocaust Memorial Committee. With Miami’s aforementioned Jewish population, the committee felt the city was the perfect site for a large scale monument in memory of the six million Jews killed under the sick Nazi regime. At the time, it was said there were some 20,000 – 25,000 Holocaust survivors living in the Miami Beach region alone.
There were those who objected to the Memorial’s construction. Developers argued that it would put a somber blemish on Miami’s booming reputation as a fun filled summer escape for tourists. Others simply opposed it, claiming such a monument contrary to the separation of religion and state. All arguments came to a head on November 17, 1984, when dozens of Holocaust survivors from all over Florida attended a Miami Beach Planning Board meeting. Emotional pleas were put forth, and the Memorial was unanimously approved. Kenneth Treister was subsequently commissioned to design the project.
The site of the Memorial wasn’t coincidental. Its address at numbers 1933 – 1945 matched the years over which the Nazi genocide was carried out. Some claimed the location was chosen by fate.
It goes without saying, but this isn’t the place for loud conversations or running around. The Holocaust Memorial is a somber place of reflection. When you’re here, you need to show respect for the lives that were lost. While its just a few blocks from the beach, that means you’re expected to at least wear a shirt and shorts on the memorial property. The memorial is outdoors, but smoking, food or drink are all prohibited. If you’re visiting with more than 10 people, you also need to contact the Memorial office in advance before arriving.
If you’re visiting Miami with children, I’ll leave it to you to decide whether its appropriate for them to visit the site. They should obviously be made aware of the significance of the site so that they act appropriately. Some parts of the Memorial, which I’ll cover below, are quite confronting, so keep that in mind.
Arriving at the Memorial, the first thing you’ll notice is the giant bronze arm at its centre. It stretches up into the sky, invoking images of someone suffering and reaching up for help. The bronze arm, officially titled the Sculpture of Love and Anguish, stands at 40 feet tall. It is surrounded by a reflecting lily pond with a 200 metre diameter. Its definitely eye catching, even though its finer details are still obscured from this distance.
When I got to the site, I was greeted by an extremely knowledgeable staff member. Unfortunately I can’t remember his name, but he told me a lot about the history of the site and some of the aspects of symbolism throughout. Right by the spot where we talked, we spoke about a smaller sculpture, this one depicting a woman, seemingly shielding two young children. Behind the sculpture was a quote from Anne Frank – “then in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart”. Those words stuck with me as I look around the Memorial. Its important to look back on times of evil that have been carried out in history, so as to ensure they never be repeated.
Just by the entrance to the tunnel that leads into the main part of the memorial, there are a few information panels. They provide some context to the events of World War II and the Holocaust. After a series of photos depicting some of the horrible events, the panels turn into a list of names of Holocaust victims that wrap around the rest of the site.
Following the panels, you’ll pass through the Arbor of History. This tunnel is comprised of Jerusalem stone and winds towards the centre of the memorial. The tunnel culminates with an eternal flame and the words of Psalm 23 – “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow and death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me”. Wandering down through the Lonely Path, you’ll see Jewish symbols such as the menorah and Star of David, whilst the eery voices of children speaking Hebrew fills the area. You’ll pass the names of various concentration camps, a simple, but stark reminder of some the most evil acts in modern history.
Then you step back out into the open. You’re right at the base of the giant arm that you saw the moment you entered the Memorial grounds. Now however, you can see the more intricate aspects of its design. The hand is swarmed by an immense swath of naked figures, their faces frozen as if crying out in helpless anguish. The way some are desperately stepping over others invokes images of true horror and hopelessness as these representations of those persecuted attempt to escape a horrid fate.
They’re joined by those that couldn’t make it to that point. Scattered around the base of the arm, there’s more figures. Some stand alone with signs of malnourishment, some seek hopelessly to console others, some are draped over the floor, perhaps already having perished. I didn’t expect the imagery at the Memorial to be quite as confronting as it was here, but when you think about what the victims of the Holocaust endured, its entirely appropriate.
I left the site of the Miami Holocaust Memorial with a fresh reminder in my mind of just how horrid the crimes committed against the Jewish population under the Nazi regime truly were. The Memorial forces you to think about the pain and suffering that was inflicted in the pursuit of power. The Holocaust was a symbol of the evil that can brew in humanity. While I like to believe that the words of Anne Frank at the Memorial’s entrance about the good in humankind is true, there’s no doubt that the evils of the Holocaust must be remembered and that we fulfil our humanly duty to condemn any who would take a similar path to attain their goals.
Visiting the Holocaust Memorial invokes a completely different mindset than you’ll likely experience for the remainder of your trip to Miami. I’m glad I visited the site. It surpassed my expectations, both in terms of scale and content, and in my view it is presented in a tasteful manner. Have you been to the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach? What did you think? What message did you take from your visit? Let me know below.
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Disney Springs is a huge shopping and dining complex in Walt Disney World. Its basically an outdoor shopping mall filled with over 100 retailers and more than 60 restaurants. You can go to Disney Springs for all your needs when at Walt Disney World. Its also quite scenic, being on the edge of a large lake. Disney Springs originally opened as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, and has gone through a number of phases since. The most recent refurbishment commenced in 2013 and saw the then Downtown Disney repurposed into the complex we know today.
A lot of Disney guests rave about Disney Springs. Believe it or not, until my latest Disney trip, I hadn’t been. Deciding to change that, I got on the bus to Disney Springs as soon as I checked into my hotel this time around. Having now been, I wouldn’t say Disney Springs is a must-do on a Disney trip. It is good for an arrival day or rest day activity though, if you’re looking to get away from your resort.
For a long time, I didn’t know what to expect when it came to Disney Springs. If you’re in that same boat, hopefully this post will change that as I give a brief overview of this retail district.
Disney Springs is made up of 4 distinct areas. If, like me, you’re arriving by bus, the first area you’ll enter is the Town Center. This completely new part of Disney Springs is themed as an old waterfront Florida town and is filled with traditional retailers. Its the part of the complex that most resembles a traditional high end shopping district. There’s over 30 shops and a plethora of restaurants here.
To the left (looking towards the lake) of the Town Center is the West Side. This reimagined area of the old Downtown Disney has taken on an industrialised theming and is basically the main entertainment zone. Its the largest part of the complex, covering over 340,000 square feet. There’s plenty of options to keep you entertained here – ranging from a bowling alley (Splitsville Luxury Lane), a cinema (AMC) and even a Cirque du Soleil show (Drawn to Life).
At the opposite end (to the right) of Town Center, is the Marketplace. This is the most quintessentially Disney part of the complex and is the area I spent the most time in on my visit. Major shopping destinations have you covered with merchandise here. The World of Disney store is actually the largest Disney retailer in the world! There’s also an assortment of kid friendly rides (think a carousel and mini-train), and a volcano that you can watch erupt regularly (the inside of which houses the Rainforest Cafe).
Finally, you’ve got the Landing. The former Pleasure Island is filled with waterfront dining and is just a great area to chill out. There’s often buskers and street performers adding to the ambience, and there’s 2 really unique attractions here as well (which I’ll touch on below).
With over 100 shops in Disney Springs, there was no way I was going to stop by all of them. I did spend most of my time in the area checking out some of the more well known retailers though, mostly throughout the Marketplace. The World of Disney store that I’ve already mentioned was the first place I visited. Now let me just say, this place is HUGE. Covering over 50,000 square feet alone, this store spans across 12 rooms and is packed to the brim with pretty much any Disney related merchandise you can think of. Its so easy to get lost in here while wandering through. I was overwhelmed, not knowing where to start.
My personal favourite shop was a little further into the Marketplace. The appropriately named Marketplace Co-op is comprised of a number of “pop-up” type stalls each offering different types of custom products. In particular, I loved the Disney artwork available for purchase at the WonderGround Gallery (and naturally grabbed an original postcard for my growing collection!).
If you’re travelling with kids, they’ll be sure to love Once Upon a Toy and the LEGO Store. I didn’t go into either (there was actually a line if you wanted to go inside the latter). However, I did take some time checking out the life-sized LEGO creations of Disney characters outside. They were really cool!
At over 60 venues, there’s so many food options in Disney Springs. Needless to say, I have not tried them all (or anywhere near them all). One of the most popular though (which I did stop by for dinner) is Planet Hollywood. Located in the West Side, its housed inside a old-fashioned observatory dome. The menu is loaded with delicious American cuisine (think burgers, steaks, sandwiches and more) and there’s clips of various Hollywood blockbusters playing while you dine. Even if you don’t plan on eating here, you should stop by to check out the memorabilia displayed throughout the restaurant.
Another popular restaurant is the Boathouse. Its on the waterfront in the Landing area. I didn’t eat here, but its Florida surf n turf style. I did make my way down this way after dinner however and soaked in the atmosphere, while stopping at a nearby bar for a cocktail or two.
While the Rainforest Cafe is cool due to being inside the functioning volcano, I’ve heard the food isn’t that great.
If you’re planning on dining at one of the more popular restaurants in Disney Springs, you should book in advance. If you don’t have a reservation, don’t worry, there’s tons of counter service options throughout the complex. You definitely won’t go hungry here.
In addition to the abundance of bars and entertainment venues in Disney Springs, there were two attractions in particular that drew my attention. The first of these are the Amphicar Tours, which depart from the Landing, near the Boathouse. Amphicars are incredibly rare vehicles (this is the only place that I have seen them) – they start out as a car, but start floating once they hit the water. If you choose to book a tour, you’ll take a 20 minute ride across Lake Buena Vista, with your guide and skipper pointing out the key landmarks throughout Disney Springs. The tours are expensive, at $125 USD per car and are available on a first come, first served basis. They generally run from 10am-10pm daily.
A (surprisingly) cheaper way to see the area is by taking a hot air balloon ride. The Aerophile experience sees guests board a custom made helium filled balloon. On board, you’ll ascend 400 feet into the sky and be rewarded with views all over Walt Disney World – you can even see the landmarks in the theme parks! Pricing is a reasonable $25 USD per adult, though you are in the air for only 8 minutes. The balloons operate daily from 9.00am – 11.00pm (subject to weather conditions). Sadly, the weather had put a stop on the balloons on the afternoon I visited. I definitely would have done this!
Disney Springs isn’t the must-do that some would lead you to believe, but as something to do on my arrival day, I enjoyed spending a little time here. This post has only touched on some of the things to do at the complex and I encourage you to explore it to find a place to eat that suits you. I’m sure I’ve missed lots of places, so tell me about your favourite spot to check out in Disney Springs.
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It used to be such a simple park to tour when visiting Walt Disney World. Thats because for years it was the park that was undergoing renovations (EPCOT currently has that claim to fame). On my last visit to Walt Disney World, I was able to see just how much that had changed. Honestly, I think Hollywood Studios is now one of the most complete parks at Walt Disney World. By that I mean there is so much to do. If you’re a thrill seeker, its probably the Disney park you’ll want to spend most of your time at. It definitely now warrants a full day to explore. In this post, I’ll be providing my 1 day Hollywood Studios itinerary that I used on my latest trip to show you how I tackled it.
I visited Hollywood Studios on a July weekday, right in the middle of the Disney tourist season. Naturally, that meant heat and crowds. Despite this, I managed to do everything that I wanted at the park while following this Hollywood Studios itinerary. At Disney World, you just need to make good decisions in the early part of the day, and you’ll generally be able to have an enjoyable time.
As a resort guest, I was eligible for early entry to Hollywood Studios, meaning an extra half hour of ride time before day guests were admitted to the park. With the official park opening time scheduled for 8.30am on the day of my visit, early entry officially began at 8.00am. With that said, we were already moving into the park at 7.30am. This illustrates the key rule of Walt Disney World – get to the parks early! I was at the front entrance to Hollywood Studios at 7.00am (an hour before early entry time) and it paid off when touring the park according to my Hollywood Studios itinerary.
I’ve mentioned in a few of my Disney itinerary posts that this was the first time I had been to Walt Disney World since the implementation of the Genie+ system. As the successor to the old Fastpass+, I found it to be really handy when planning a Hollywood Studios itinerary. The only major attraction that currently doesn’t offer regular Lightning Lane bookings under Genie+ is Rise of the Resistance. You need to buy an Individual Lightning Lane for this attraction (I did) if you want to skip the line here. You can make that booking at 7.00am on the day of your park visit.
In addition to securing my 2.45pm Resistance booking, I booked a regular Lightning Lane for Slinky Dog at 4.00pm. I also had an advance reservation for Oga’s Cantina (made 30 days before my trip) around 12.30pm.
Arriving at the park entry via the Disney Skyliner with plenty of time to spare, I started my Hollywood Studios itinerary by rope dropping the park’s newest attraction. Located inside the replica of Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railroad is a popular ride for all ages. Being right at the park entry, it gets swamped with crowds throughout the day, so I felt it was a good choice to start with. I was one of the first people in line for it and got off just as the park officially was set to open for early entry guests. As I’ve said countless times, getting up early pays off at Disney!
Leaving that whacky railway behind, the next stop on my Hollywood Studios itinerary was Sunset Boulevard. With two of my favourite Disney attractions at the street’s far end, I was keen to ride them while most guests were still arriving. First on the agenda was Rock n Rollercoaster starring Aerosmith. I normally use the single rider line on this attraction, but its not needed this early. Naturally, I followed it up the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror, my personal pick for best attraction at Disney World. By the time I finished there, it was regular park opening time.
As day guests started filing into the park, one of the classic Hollywood Studios attractions seemed less crowded than the rest. That made it an easy decision to head for Star Tours – the Adventure Continues. I’m glad this ride is still at Hollywood Studios. Its no doubt been overshadowed by Galaxy’s Edge, but for years, this was where you would come for your Star Wars hit at Disney World. Riding it again was a must on my Hollywood Studios itinerary.
And speaking of Galaxy’s Edge, that’s where I was headed next. It was just past 9.00am when I ventured into Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, and this was definitely where the majority of the crowds were at. Right from the start of the day, it was busy in Batuu. But at the same time, it was oh so amazing. Disney have done such an amazing job at creating an immersive world here. I fully intended to take it all in, but first, I had a spaceship to catch.
I had a major win when I got in the single rider line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Its well documented that while you’ll save time using this line, you are virtually guaranteed to not be chosen as the Falcon’s pilot. Well, I wasn’t assigned that role either…BUT…another person in my group (for some reason!) didn’t want to fly the ship. I instantly piped up and offered to trade my measly engineer role, and the rest was (very bumpy) history.
My Hollywood Studios itinerary fell apart for a bit after the Falcon. I had planned to move into Toy Story Land and knock over some attractions there, but instead, I spent about an hour and a half wandering around Batuu’s shops and stalls. It really blew my mind.
By the time I left Galaxy’s Edge, it was about 10.30am. I made my way into Toy Story Land, though the lines had picked up here as well. Luckily I managed to secure a Lightning Lane for Toy Story Mania to use later in the day. I hadn’t been to this part of the park before either, so I spent a bit of time taking in the aesthetics, while also taking a ride on Alien’s Swirling Saucers. I also had an early lunch at Woody’s Lunch Box, which was actually quite tasty, albeit basic.
Up next, I moved on to Animation Courtyard and used this busy part of the day to check out some of Hollywood Studio’s mini-museums. I started out with Walt Disney Presents (I’d overlooked the memorabilia in the entry hall previously, but it really is comprehensive). Up next I went through Star Wars Launch Bay and came face to face with Darth Vader himself. After all that, I caught a screening of MuppetVision 3D on Grand Avenue.
My reservation at Oga’s Cantina was coming up as 12.30pm neared, so I made my way back to Galaxy’s Edge. As with everything on Batuu, I was really impressed by the attention to detail given in the re-creation of an authentic Star Wars cantina. When you book at Oga’s, you can stay for an hour, and can order 2 space themed cocktails. I enjoyed both the Fuzzy Tauntaun and Bespin Fizz (the latter of which comes out smoking!). The cantina also offers intergalactic snacks and other beverages.
I spent about 45 minutes at Oga’s. I then had a little more time to fill in before my reservation for Rise of the Resistance, so I hiked back down Sunset Boulevard and did Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, seeing as there was practically no wait.
As 2.45pm approached, I was getting excited. It was time to finally experience Rise of the Resistance, the Star Wars headliner that has received rave reviews for being the best attraction Disney has put together to date. And let me just say, from the moment you step into the waiting area, it lives up. After being briefed on our mission by Rey and then being taken onto a Resistance transport, we were taken into First Order custody. Before we could escape however…the ride went down for maintenance. That’s right, I got to see the intimidating officers revert to regular cast members as we were told the ride was going down.
Not the ideal first experience of this epic attraction, but Disney looks after you when this stuff happens. We were all given a free Lightning Lane to use on the attraction at any point in the day when it went back online. However, there was no estimated time for when it would be back up and running. As it turned out, a performance of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Adventure was about to start as I exited, so I rushed over to catch that. I also used the downtime in line to book a Lightning Lane for another go on Smuggler’s Run later in the day (the single rider line is great, but I wanted to be a pilot again!).
With Rise still down, it was time to go back to Andy’s backyard. With my Lightning Lane window open, I got on Slinky Dog Dash. I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected to. Its definitely a welcome addition to the park. I followed it up with another Lightning Lane attraction, as I was able to ride Toy Story Mania.
Having now done everything in Toy Story Land, I used my reservation on Smuggler’s Run back in Galaxy’s Edge. I also secured an additional reservation for the Tower of Terror later in the evening.
Getting off my second run on the Falcon, I noticed that Rise of Resistance had reopened. It was going on 6.00pm by the time I was back through the parts of the experience I had already seen. I was basically up to the ride portion. After boarding the First Order escape transport, I can safely say it had all been worth it. Everything, including the last drop back to Batuu makes for an extremely memorable adventure. I definitely see the hype around this attraction, and think its worthy of all the praise its attracted. Its not overblown in the slightest.
After getting off the ride, it was time for dinner. Already being in Galaxy’s Edge, I ate at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. Its a good quality counter service option (which doesn’t require a reservation). Try the Batuuan Beef Stir Fry – its delicious!
With about 2 hours of park time left after dinner, I had done pretty much everything I wanted to do on my Hollywood Studios itinerary. While I had missed a few of the shows (Beauty & the Beast, Frozen, etc), I had seen them in the past, so wasn’t too worried. With there being no Fantasmic performances at the date of my visit, I ended the day by doing some of my favourite rides again. First off, I used the single rider line on Smuggler’s Run (sadly no pilot role this time), then used my final Lightning Lane at the Tower of Terror. From there, single rider on Rock and Rollercoaster was a short wait. I followed that up with one last ride on Tower of Terror from the standby line.
I really enjoyed my day at Hollywood Studios. Having seen just how much the park has grown over the past few years between visits to Disney World, I was very impressed. I feel like this park now offers the most exciting attraction line up in Walt Disney World. Hopefully this Hollywood Studios itinerary post has given you some ideas as to how best to experience them all and so much more.