THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD 2013 EDITION
There’s so much to do at any given Disney park that a little advance planning can be very helpful, and this latest in Alpha Publishing’s Complete Idiot’s Guide series, written by Doug Ingersoll, offers a very thorough look at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The book starts with all the basics like how to get to the park, options for obtaining tickets and the best times of the year to visit. Every ride, show and attraction is detailed as are all of the hotel and dining options, and there’s information on things like back lot tours and hidden attractions. The 400-page soft cover book is small enough to carry with you and also covers Epcot Center, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.

UV SKINZ
Nothing can spoil a vacation quite like a painful sunburn, but those planning a visit to a sunny climet can avoid the sun’s damaging rays with the help of protective clothing from UV Skinz. UV Skinz sells a line of swim shirts, swim bottoms and board shorts made of light weight, quick-drying and chlorine-resistant material with added UV protection (UPF50+) woven right into the fabric. Hats and sleeves are also available.

STAY IN TOUCH OVERSEAS WITH XCOM GLOBAL’S MI-FI
Getting an Internet connection while traveling overseas can be irksome and expensive, but XCom Global’s Mi-Fi device can help you stay connected without the hassles. The Mi-Fi is a palm-sized mobile hotspot that’s capable of connecting to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously and that can tap your iPhone, tablet or laptop into a 3G network in 175 countries. When you rent the Mi-Fi, it’ll be expressed to you the day before your departure, and you’ll also get a pre-paid mailer for the return. Plans start at $14.95 per day and for those flying out of LAX, the Mi-Fi can be picked up and dropped off at the Skyphone rental outlet in the arrival lobby of terminal 1F.

JAM CRUISE 11
Who wouldn’t love a music cruise as a holiday gift? Jam Cruise 11 takes place on the MSC Poesia as she sails from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Jan. 7 headed to the Turks & Caicos Islands and the Bahamas with a line-up of performers on board that’s scheduled to include Galactic, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, Steel Pulse, Lettuce, Funky Meters, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood and Tea Leaf Green. The ship returns to home port on Jan. 12, and there’ll also be a post-cruise show by moe. that day at Revolution Live! in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Also scheduled to perform during Jam Cruise 11 are Breakestra, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Big Gigantic, JJ Grey & Mofro, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Hot Buttered Rum and the Pimps of Joytime.

JOIE DE VIVRE: SECRETS OF WINING, DINING AND ROMANCING LIKE THE FRENCH
Ooh la la! This new book by Harriet Welty Rochefort is a great primer for anyone about to visit France or for armchair travelers who seek to learn what gives the French their reputation for knowing how to enjoy some of the finer things in life: eating, drinking and flirting like a Parisienne. Rochefort is an American married to a Frenchman, and she’s lived in France for a long time. The advice she doles out via Joie de Vivre’s 300 pages of anecdotes and essays is taken from real life experience. Rochefort explains things like how to dress, act and even pout like a Parisienne, advises that you don’t need to know a lot about wine, explains the intricacies of French-style dining (aperitifs first!) and of course lays out the basics of French-style seduction. Rochefort also humorously reveals that the French penchant for arguing is no accident; they’ve elevated verbal conflict to an art form as a means of having fun.