Posted on 04/18/2019 1:54:19 PM PDT by MplsSteve
next week, the wife and I are taking our 10-yr old great niece to Orlando. Yes (sigh), we are spending several days at Disneyworld. Due to someone on the inside, we were able to get great rates for admission and overnight.
One day, we're going to Canaveral National Seashore. Yes, we're gonna avoid the nude beaches. No one should ever see me naked and frankly if some weirdo even looks at my great niece...well, you get the idea.
So what else do Freepers like in the Orlando area? Is Gatorland worth it? Or maybe Discovery Cove? I'm not sure we're gonna have time for SeaWorld or to drive west to Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Would love to go to Kennedy Space Center - but with the reat-nice, I'm gonna have to take a pass on it this time.
Are there places I should avoid? I've heard that certain parts of Orlando are kinda scary.
Are there any good restaurants? Me? I love Bob Evans, Shoney's, Waffle House, etc. The wife and great-niece are pretty flexible too.
I'd appreciate any reasonable suggestions.
Have you checked to see if it is Gay Week at Disney?
Take a day and go to Kennedy Space Center. It’s worth it.
Don’t go downtown.
If you’re going to Epcot and want to ride the Test Track, go in the single riders line. You’ll be in and out in 10-15 minutes, but you may not ride together.
Watch out for Snappigators!
Epcot - Japan...Saki bar and “frushi.” If your great-niece is a Hello Kitty fan, Epcot-Japan is the place to be!
I live here. I don’t spend too much time on the tourist strip. If you stay on the tourist strip you won’t see any places that are “scary.” The tourist strip is about 12 miles from the downtown section.
Personally I like Seaworld. Haven’t been there in a while though and they do change it from time to time.
You’re right about KSC. Not for a 10 year old. If you come back later and go to KSC then my suggestion is that you go online and get tickets for a launch. That is thrilling. But because they postpone them you need to be prepared to either hang around until they actually launch or accept that you wasted a few bucks on launch tickets.
I also have a condo on the beach in New Smyrna Beach near the National Seashore. You would probably do as well to just stop at the public beach in New Smyrna which you would pass on the way to the Nat Seashore. The beach is slightly more picturesque at the Nat Seashore but at least you won’t run into any X rated scenarios.
Use the Fast Pass at Disney World. It reserves a spot for you to ride within a certain window of time. I think you can reserve 2 or 3 rides at once.
If you go to Universal, wait until 3 pm to go on the Harry Potter ride. Everyone heads to it first thing and by 3 there’s no line.
If any of you get nauseous on motion rides, take a couple of ginger root capsules in the morning and again at lunch. They really do help with nausea. No side effects like Dramamine.
If you go to the Cape area take route 50 to Titisville or US 1 from the cape to the wildlife refuge. It is a drive through and is free if you have a Nat. park pass or about $5 on honor system. Should see birds and gators it is about 3 mile drive and a crap shoot on birds sometimes thousands and other few. https://www.nps.gov/cana/index.htm
Before you get to the beach, turn off and go to “Haulover Canal” where you can usually see manatees. Its after you get onto Canaveral National Seashore, but before you hit the beach.
The beach is called Playalinda Beach. Pier 13 is the “nude” beach. If you stay in the lower numbers you’ll be absolutely fine. Bring drinks/snacks because there are NO vendors/hotels/stores.
On your way out of town (Titusville), go to Dixie Crossroads for rock shrimp and fritters. Its a bit touristy for us locals, but nowhere near what you’ll see at Disney.
Unless you must have bottled water ($5 in Disney), any restaurant in any park will give you a free cup of ice water.
“The Knife” is a really good “Argentinian Steakhouse” ... all you can eat grilled meats and fixings.. It’s across from Hotel Plaza Blvd leading into Lk. Buena Vista...
Years ago my son worked at Disney World. Back in the day, great family location and the wife and I visited and stayed on the park five times. We found in the course of 5 visits that one MUST stay on the park to be stress free (no traffic jams heading to/from the park, and if you get tired during the day, just take the monorail to the hotel (or boat) and take a nap. . .something you can’t do when staying off park.
Sadly, homosexuals now have a “week” where they come to gather and ruin the park experience and conduct lewd activities in public (too include ass-less chaps) (Aug 13-19, https://www.gaydays.com/calendar/), and they now take a Disney cruise and do their homosexual thing as well.
Talk with you connection about when to go to avoid the homosexuals.
We found about 5-days necessary to visit all the parks in Disney. . .without being rushed.
I’ve been to Disney during the so-called “Gay Days”. I never saw one with a Pink Triangle on, so, I really didn’t know who was gay and who wasn’t.
Just another day at DisneyWorld.
Oh, and staying on the park allows you early entry into the park.
Book a trip there as park of a package deal, best rates and some meals included, rooms are great in on-park hotels (my favorite is the Grand Floridian).
That isn’t until June. And the gays are generally as pleasant and well-mannered as anyone else.
I drove through Orlando a couple of weeks ago, I believe they are full.
“You would probably do as well to just stop at the public beach in New Smyrna which you would pass on the way to the Nat Seashore.”
New Smyrna Beach is unique because you can drive on the beach, its so much nicer than going to Daytona. Its $20 to get on the beach, or park... so there is that to remember. Flagler Ave is a neat little surf town-like area in New Smyrna Beach.
Conan is correct.
I always made a meal reservation (Tony’s from Lady and the Tramp), was always a great lunch or dinner. Lots of good food.
If not too late, you can make a reservation to have dinner in the Castle. That’s a great time and a WOW factor for the kids.
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