thirty years ago i'd say goto Sarasota but i don't know now...Check out the Holyland Experience...great experience for you and family!
http://www.holylandexperience.com/
beach!!!!!!Sanibel, Captiva, even Jacksonville............beach it baby!
The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral aren't far away - save the travel distance, you won't be disappointed.
Another thing - I hate bugs, and the further south you go in Florida the bigger the swarms of gnats and other pesky flying critters you will encounter. LOL
At least, that was what I experienced - and forget the 'keys' - it just isn't worth it. I spent three months down there and it was awful!
It’s a bit of a hike, but St. Augustine has the Alligator Farm and lots of history, shops, and restaurants.(oldest city in America)
Is this a driving vacation?
There are many aviation museums to choose from: http://www.aero-web.org/museums/fl.htm
If you do happen to head up toward the panhandle, stop off in Pensacola to visit the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Head a little further to Mobile, Al and visit the USS Alabama: http://www.ussalabama.com/
From Mobile, you drive back north along I-65 and stop off in Huntsville, AL to see the US Space & Rocket Center there. http://rocketcenter.com/
thirty years ago i'd say goto Sarasota but i don't know now...Try New Smyrna Beach instead of Daytona. 27th Ave. Park has free parking and is the beginning of the no-drive portion of the beach. More family oriented than Daytona IMHO.
Shark fishing.
You got three days of bait.
Universal Studios, Seaworld and Cape Canaveral, my kids absolutely loved the Saturn V.
And Universal has the Harry Potter land now.
Myakka State Park near Sarasota is a great place for an airboat ride to see alligators. You can also rent canoes and go out on the lake - but keep your distance from the gators. I believe you can also rent bikes and ride the roads in the park if you aren’t bringing your own.
Actually, Sarasota is a nice family place (only been there in winter, so don’t know situation in summer). Beautiful beaches and picnic parks.
This area was relaxing when we opted out of the Bahamas for Florida:
http://www.longboatkey.org/
Are you saying you have a total of 3 days, with 2 days allotted to Disney?
I disagree with Rio & Ron — EPCOT is great for that age. Or Animal Kingdom. Of the 4 Disney parks, I’d probably skip the Studio (Hollywood, or whatever they call it now). With one day remaining, I’d do Sea World.
Spend a day at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach (both Disney) to unwind. Also spend a day at Cape Canaveral. Take the cheapest tour, it is as good as the more expensive ones.
Sanibel Island.
The Space Center, then Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach.
Swimming with the mantees at Crystal River is the most amazing thing you’ll do there. Tops Disney even for the kids. We still talk about doing that ten years later. Can not tell you how utterly amazing the experience is.
I hope you have a good time in FL
As an alternative next time, consider the MS Gulf Coast.
A lot more bang for your buck. These are not mine. I just live nearby. They are very nice.
We went in June. In addition to the parks, we also drove over to Clearwater Beach (mainly to visit relatives, but also for sightseeing). We also drove the A1A between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine, which is beautiful. We spent part of a day there, but could have easily stayed for many more.
We didn’t go to the Space Center this time, but I’ve been there before. I actually saw the Columbia take off once many, many years ago.
There’s all kinds of stuff to do in central FL if you look around.
Oh, and you CAN carry a gun at Disney, if you have a permit that is honored in FL (mine is). I did it in all four parks. They search any bags you bring in, but they don’t search your person. No metal detectors, either. I just tucked my Kel Tec P32 in my front pocket and went right in the front gate. If they find out you have it, they’ll offer to secure it for you in a locker or allow you to lock it in your car rather than kick you out of the park, according to other sources on the Internet. Never was an issue with me, though.
Take them for an airboat ride through the swamp.
There are some on Rt. 50 on the way to the Space Center.
The water ski show at Cypress Gardens is nice.
Sarasota for the Ringling mansion.