Disney's colossal coaster ride Expedition Everest thrills adults, but Wishes Nighttime Spectacular is tops with kids. No-fear junkies go for Summit Plummet and just about everyone loves "Soarin'." If you're heading to fantasy land, Zagat's Walt Disney World Insider's Guide rates and reviews all six of Disney's Orlando theme parks for just about everything you and the kids could fit in to a visit: rides and attractions, shopping, dining, nightlife, golf, hotels and resorts plus tips on how to save money and minimize the waits for rides and attractions. And because Disney has come a long way from parades and a ride on a Flying Dumbo, Zagat rates every attraction for both adult and visitor appeal with a special rating for thrill seekers.
The guide also includes a bonus Disney Cruise Line section, 16-page color insert, eight-page gatefold map and reusable bookmarks; $15.95. www.zagat.com.
—Advertiser Staff

SCHOLAR SHIP CIRCLES GLOBE

The Scholar Ship, an ocean liner carrying 600 international undergraduate, graduate students and faculty, sets sail in September for a 16-week semester from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, stopping in Portugal, Panama, Ecuador, Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, China and Japan. At each port of call, students engage in academic field study, shore excursions and independent travel. The ship continues on its return to Europe for a spring semester, sailing from Hong Kong and calling at China, Singapore, India, Seychelles, South America, Morocco and Spain and finishing the voyage in Greece.

Program fees are $20,000 per semester. Student applications are at www.thescholarship.com. A $2-million scholarship fund has been established for the 2007/08 academic year to make the program available to all students. Scholarships are based on academic merit and economic need.


— Chris Oliver

HOSTELS

BOOK A BED ONLINE

Traveling on a tight budget this summer? If all you need is a place to lay your head, consider a hostel, especially in Europe, where the dollar exchange rate is brutal just now. While many hostels cater to student backpackers, others offer private rooms as well as dormitories for eight or 10. And thanks to the Internet, you can preview what you're booking. Start with Hostelworld.com, which has details and photos with ratings and comments by past guests. In May, rooms with two single beds or a double will cost around $32 at Le Montclair Montmartre in the heart of Paris or $36 at Santa Croce in the center of Florence.

Hosteling International USA (www.hiusa.org), is the U.S. affiliate. A private room at a hostel in Portland, Ore. is $40, in New York is $90, and at a hostel in Manoa, is $42. An annual fee of $18 to $28 may be charged at some hostels, depending on age; others require a one-time fee.


— Chris Oliver

TAKE A HIKE

The best Alpine views in the United States, from Backpacker magazine:

1. Bondcliff, N.H.

2. Art Loeb Trail, N.C.

3. Mount Conness, Calif.

4. Harney Peak, S.D.

5. Vestal Basin, Colo.

6. Raven's Ridge, N.M.

7. The Pfeifferhorn, Utah

8. Mint Glacier Basin, Alaska

9. Mount Langley, Calif.

10. Glacier Lake, Ore.


— Chicago Tribune