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Travel Forum / Destinations / USA and Canada / July 2006Florida trip planning
Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to take the shot and hope I'll get lucky :) I wanted to get some help on planning a Florida vacation on an average of 10-13 days. I am traveling with my gf and we're both 23. Overall, we're interested in theme parks, nature & sightseeing, beaches, nightlife and shopping :) The facts I do have is that we'll definately want to visit Orlando theme parks such as Disney, Universal and Sea World (hoping that we could enjoy those at our age). Other than that I've heard Miami is also a must-visit. Can you please recommend a good route we can take along with the number of days to stay in each place and the "must see" places / attractions ? Thanks, Danny miami is nice for sure.......but because I am also a theme park type of guy, I would be able to keep myself busy in orlando for a good long time......then instead of miami I would head to clearwater for my beach fix....and bush gardens is in tampa right next door..... Chuck [snip] > I wanted to get some help on planning a Florida vacation on an average > of 10-13 days. I am traveling with my gf and we're both 23. Overall, [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Can you please recommend a good route we can take along with the number > of days to stay in each place and the "must see" places / attractions ? Not sure how you plan to arrive in Florida, or get around. You can easily start in Orlando if you fly in here. Probably want 2 days for Disney alone, if not more, just depends upon how much time you want to spend in each park. Universal and Sea World are both full days if you want them to be. Universal has a fairly large "night life" kinda business focused on your age group. Disney has one as well, but it is focused a bit more towards a slightly older crowd. You can choose to stay near Disney (Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista) and visit Cocoa Beach by day trip. It's only about an hour each way. Or, you could choose to move over there for a day or so to do some of the beach stuff. The nightlife isn't great, but you ought to be able to find a little. I'd probably just motor back to Kissimmee and take in the night life back there that time of year. You'll probably want 3 days or so in Miami. It has a pretty good beach set up and you'll probably enjoy the night life. It's a pretty "adult" oriented town, at least for adults under 40. "South Beach" is probably what you're looking for. Between the two, I'm not sure there is much reason to stop and visit. There is the Space Center at Kennedy but I suspect that probably isn't "theme park" kinda stuff for you. Fort Lauderdale is popular, but I'm not sure you want to trade time in Miami for there. If you wanna try some "new trendy" you could spend a day and night in Delray Beach. It's kinda new and up and coming. Basically Fort Lauderdale North. You can get directly from Orlando to Miami on the Florida Turnpike in about 3.5 - 4 hours presuming you don't hit an accident or rush hour. Stay off of I-95 until you get to Miami. Note that many off site hotels offer free or paid transportation to the theme parks. This way you save on car rental and parking fees. > [snip] >> I wanted to get some help on planning a Florida vacation on an average [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > in about 3.5 - 4 hours presuming you don't hit an accident or > rush hour. Stay off of I-95 until you get to Miami. Ok. Any tips for choosing hotel locations in Miami / Orlando? Where's all the action at? Btw, should I keep the car in Miami or can I return it once I get there? Thanks, Danny > [snip] > > I wanted to get some help on planning a Florida vacation on an average [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > in about 3.5 - 4 hours presuming you don't hit an accident or > rush hour. Stay off of I-95 until you get to Miami. "Danny Liberty" <dliberty@gmail.com> wrote: > Ok. Any tips for choosing hotel locations in Miami/Orlando? > Where's all the action at? > Btw, should I keep the car in Miami or can I return it once > I get there? Miami is a very car-oriented city, and IMHO, necessary. But as in many larger cities, the higher-priced hotels in the trendier locations charge for parking. Still, I like the convenience. In Orlando, principal locales for tourists are on International Drive (wall-to-wall hotels) or practically next door, the Universal Studios area, both of which are near the intersection of I-4 & Florida Tpke. For Disney, you travel further down I-4 to Lake Buena Vista (near Epcot) or Kissimmee (near main entry). In Miami, the South Beach (Miami Beach) art deco district is an obvious choice, but there are good hotels downtown, on Brickell Avenue (in the city along the bay), and in Coconut Grove (a lush, garden district). I have a room reserved in the Hampton Inn on Brickell at the Causway to Key Biscayne -- near the Museum of Science & Viscaya Mansion. Hope this helps. :-) So you recommend I rent a car for my entire Florida vacation? (Orlando + Miami) The reason I'm trying to save on car rental is because I'm under 25 and they charge almost double the price for underage drivers. But if the public transportation isn't good enough for me to get around in these areas I would rather pay for the car of course. > "Danny Liberty" <dliberty@gmail.com> wrote: > > Ok. Any tips for choosing hotel locations in Miami/Orlando? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > Brickell at the Causway to Key Biscayne -- near the Museum of > Science & Viscaya Mansion. Hope this helps. :-) > So you recommend I rent a car for my entire Florida vacation? (Orlando > + Miami) > The reason I'm trying to save on car rental is because I'm under 25 and > they charge almost double the price for underage drivers. But if the > public transportation isn't good enough for me to get around in these > areas I would rather pay for the car of course. [snip] You can try to get around on shuttles and cabs as much as possible. One thing you might consider is renting cars on a daily basis as needed. There are car rentals out of many hotel lobbies (you don't have to be staying at the hotel). So you could try renting only on the days needed. You might even be able to arrange a one way rental from Orlando to Miami, dropping it off near your Miami hotel. Mostly what you give up with shuttles is time. They tend to run around to alot of hotels both going and coming. Some even do drop offs at Sea World before moving on to Disney. And they basically run on their schedule, which may not be yours. oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com GO TO DAYTONA BEACH IT IS IN THE NORTH OF COCOA AND MELBOURN IT'S BIG AND WIDE GOOD BEACH I VISITED ORLANDO AND MIAMI AND DAYTONA AND LIVE IN MELBORN YOU CAN ARRANGE THEM ORLANDO DAYTONA MIAMI . > oconnell@slr.orl.lmco.com > GO TO DAYTONA BEACH [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > DAYTONA > MIAMI Shhhhhhhh. I suspect that the prefered order would be Dayton, Orlando, Miami. And saying that Daytona is "north of Cocoa", although accurate, is a bit like saying that San Fransico is north of LA. They aren't exactly "neighbors". Considering the persons stated goals and itinerary, I suspect a trip to Cocoa Beach would be more in order than Daytona. Would you recommend a 1 day stop in Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Miami? "Danny Liberty" <dliberty@gmail.com> wrote: > Would you recommend a 1 day stop in Ft. Lauderdale > on the way to Miami? Sure! Its got a great beach and its more laid back than Miami. I like Sheraton's Yankee Clipper Hotel on the Beach (south end). The bar with an underwater window in the pool was featured in the movie, "Analyze This." Other good hotels are Radisson's Bahia Mar Resort just up the street and Hyatt's Pier 66 near the 17th Street Bridge. If you need a more modest hotel, there are several better ones on the mainland, across the Bridge. In a strip mall on 17th Street is my all-time favorite Mexican restaurant, Carlos 'N Pepe's 17th Street Cantina. :-) On 7/13/2006 7:44 PM Danny Liberty wrote: > Would you recommend a 1 day stop in Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Miami? > > After you get there, you may decide on more than one day. You can check things out at Ft. Lauderdale's official visitor web pages: http://sunny.org  Signature________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 > Would you recommend a 1 day stop in Ft. Lauderdale on the way to Miami? No. I mean, there's nothing wrong wit Ft. Lauderdale, but you aren't going to find alot there that you won't find in Miami, and the trip isn't so long as to want a stop on the way. For me it's a place you'd visit instead of Miami, mostly if you'd already been to Miami and wanted to try something else. Ok, last question (seriously) ;) Since I'm planning on visiting several theme parks (Disney, Universal, Sea World) should I book more than one hotel in Orlando (each one closer to a different theme park). I assume it would be more convinient to just book at one place and drive, but perhaps there are different opinions... Thanks, Danny "Danny Liberty" <dliberty@gmail.com> wrote: > Ok, last question (seriously) ;) > Since I'm planning on visiting several theme parks (Disney, > Universal, Sea World) should I book more than one hotel > in Orlando (each one closer to a different theme park). I > assume it would be more convinient to just book at one > place and drive, but perhaps there are different opinions... In a word, "no." IMHO, it would not be worth the time and effort to change hotels. But it could make sense if you were going to stay in one of the park's own hotels to take advantage of the park's guest amenities. You'd want to move when you were thru with that park. For example, if I were to spring for a few nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge ($$$$), I'd move to cheaper digs for the rest of my stay. =R= >In a word, "no." IMHO, it would not be worth the time and >effort to change hotels. But it could make sense if you were [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >Kingdom Lodge ($$$$), I'd move to cheaper digs for the >rest of my stay. =R= If I were staying at AKL, I wouldn't want to move at all. :-) For what it's worth, AKL and Wilderness Lodge are the two least expensive hotels in Disney's "Deluxe" category. That means at certain times of the year, you can get a room for only a couple hundred dollars a night. ;-) Well, hey, that is a lot less than the Polynesian or the Beach Club! You can see my AKL photos (except for the ones from my most recent trip, which I haven't posted yet) at: http://www.wintertime.com/OH/WDW/ It's a *wonderful* hotel! Patty > Ok, last question (seriously) ;) > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > to just book at one place and drive, but perhaps there are different > opinions... Universal and Sea World are so close together, it's dubious that you could move "closer" to one than another short of staying "on property". Disney is a bit further down the road, about 20 minutes or so, and can involve getting through some traffic at certain times of the day. Some folks do advocate staying on property, especially at Disney, but also Universal. It ain't cheap, but you do get access to the transportation services of the parks. Basically this means you can get in earlier than others, and you can easily "run back to the room" during the day if you wish. Staying off property makes this a bigger deal, and I think you might get stuck paying for parking twice or something. Technically I don't think you can stay "in" Sea World although there is a large hotel practically across the street from the parking lot. Technically, Disney isn't "in" Orlando. Depending upon how one looks at it, it is either in "Lake Buena Vista" or "Reedy Creek Development District". All that really means is that if you're not on property, you have some driving to do just to get to the gates. They really run you around in circles to get there from Orlando. Depending upon how many days you were going to spend in Disney parks, you might be able to justify moving from Orlando proper down to one of the hotels just off Disney property. Danny, If you don't mind a little driving and paying for parking at each park, "International Drive area " is close to all of them. So you could stay there and commute ~20-30 minutes each day each way to Disney and 10-15 minutes each to Sea World / Universal. CHEAPER than staying at the Grand Floridian, but most the same atmosphere. That's Ok - DO go to the Grand Floridian for 3pm tea and soak in the charm and elegance and then later in the day ( or after the parks close) go to the top of the Contemporary Hotel for drinks and to overlook the Magic Kingdom / Epcot fireworks. There is a WIDE range of hotels near International Drive: ranging from smelly,dirty to very high class. I usually get a " Days Inn " or equivalent on Sand Lake Rd next to International Drive.If you look at any Disney books, online maps for Orlando, you see International Drive parallels the highway. If you are NOT located near the highway on ramps, you may spend 30 minutes getting TO the highway. Sand Lake Rd connects International Drive to the highway so I find by staying there, I avoid the traffic getting to/from the highway which CAN be significant amount of time while going to Disney/Sea World. Universal has an access road ON Sand Lake Drive, so it's REALLY handy then - miss ALL the int'l Drive traffic. I will say that we were there about 6 months ago ( offseason) and stayed at the " Sleep Inn" opposite Universal - at 5605 Major Boulevard in Orlando. I found an online deal and even though I did NOT go the Universal, it was easy on/off the highway - a few more miles to Disney but I was travelling at hwy speeds so the extra miles were not noticeable and NO traffic getting to the hwy ( since most people around there WERE going to Universal) http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/SleepHome?sid=4yCKM.0b9hMg2QM.7 ( This road parallels Sand Lake Rd - on the OTHER side of Universal ) Bobb > Ok, last question (seriously) ;) > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Danny Ok I know I've asked this once but I just want to make sure: Do I need the rental car in Miami? Parking seems to be very expensive ($20+ a day) and I'm staying in South Beach at the Art Deco district area. If I'll end up paying that money to taxies I would probably rather stick with the rental... My stay will be short (about 3 days). Thanks, Danny If you're gonna STAY at South Beach you don't need a car at all - you can walk everywhere easily. As for parking, some of the hotels INCLUDE parking . Your car is actually in a garage that they pay for a few blocks away and they fetch it for you. So check with your hotel / their website to see if it's included. Note: for the hotels that DO include it, you can go in/out of the garage all day no charge - without it being included in hotel price (you paying for it) there might be a .. $10 minimum each time you go in /out - so 5 times a day = $50 minimum for parking, so think thru what you're gonna do while you're there. But if you're just sure that you're gonna just hang out - get no car and use the cab to/from the airport Taxi fare from the airport to South Beach is regulated to prevent scams - a posted flat rate on the taxi - depending upon what part of Miami Beach ( area 1,2,3,4 etc). Maybe $25 pp each way. ( Locals - any input here ? ) So, for 2= $100 for taxi. But if you want to go to ... Ft Lauderdale, Key Biscayne a car is gonna be cheaper than taxi - maybe just get one for a day. There are a lot of pickup/dropoff spots on Miami Beach. Last year we went fishing for a few days prior to South Beach stay - picked up a car at the airport ,stayed at Hampton Inn at Key Biscayne entrance ( not fancy but free parking) and dropped it off as we got to South Beach. Then we took a cab to the airport several days later. Knowing that, we picked a cheap hotel (without "parking included "). Bobb > Ok I know I've asked this once but I just want to make sure: > Do I need the rental car in Miami? Parking seems to be very expensive [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Danny > Last year we went fishing for a few days prior to South Beach > stay - picked up a car at the airport, stayed at Hampton Inn at > Key Biscayne entrance (not fancy but free parking) and dropped > it off as we got to South Beach. Then we took a cab to the airport > several days later. I've reserved that same Hampton Inn for the same reason you mentioned... centrally located, free partking, reasonable rates. But for a 3-day stay, if I wanted to do any siteseeing away from the beach, I'd keep a car... provided the hotel did not charge me an arm-and-a-leg. To compare parking expenses, I found that www.frommers.com does a good job of detailing garage fees for the hotels they cover. =R= Does it make any sense to advise this person to get a good guide book on Florida? > Does it make any sense to advise this person to get > a good guide book on Florida? A book? Like with paper? How quaint! The problem with most guidebooks, besides their weight, is that, while they have volumious information, they rarely help you prioritize or provide specific where+how advice. Word-of-mouth is always useful -- just like real computers. We stayed in the Marriott village in Lake Buena vista. It is down the street from an outlet mall and very close to the Downtown Disney entrance. They have Fairfield, Courtyard and Spring(something) suites, each more expensive than the other, but you can use all the hotels facilities. We enjoyed staying there very much. Danny Liberty wrote: > Ok. Any tips for choosing hotel locations in Miami / Orlando? > Where's all the action at? [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >> in about 3.5 - 4 hours presuming you don't hit an accident or >> rush hour. Stay off of I-95 until you get to Miami. > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in > Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Can you please recommend a good route we can take along with the number > of days to stay in each place and the "must see" places / attractions ? Before you decide on a route, you need to firm up your itinerary. You could easily spend your entire vacation at Disney World and Universal Studios. Well that's kind of what I was trying to understand from you guys. I figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks + Universal + Sea World and perhaps Keneddy Space Center would take at least 6 days (each park an entire day, correct me if I'm wrong). I'm not sure where to go in the remaining 4-6 days, that's why I asked you guys :) One more question - do you recommend renting a car in Orlando? I assume it would be cheaper to get to the parks by public transportation (especially if I stay somewhere nearby) but it might be useful for the nightlife. But then again, I wouldn't really know so I'd rather just hear an opinion :) Thanks, Danny > > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in > > Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > could easily spend your entire vacation at Disney World and Universal > Studios. > Well that's kind of what I was trying to understand from you guys. I > figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks + Universal + Sea World and > perhaps Keneddy Space Center would take at least 6 days (each park an > entire day, correct me if I'm wrong). > I'm not sure where to go in the remaining 4-6 days, that's why I asked > you guys :) Definitely go to Miami for 4 days. South Beach. > One more question - do you recommend renting a car in Orlando? Yes. > I assume > it would be cheaper to get to the parks by public transportation Bad assumption > (especially if I stay somewhere nearby) but it might be useful for the > nightlife. But then again, I wouldn't really know so I'd rather just > hear an opinion :) Orlando has lousy local transportation options. You could try getting around on various shuttles, free or otherwise, but you'd waste alot of time and be on others schedules. Go to Thrifty or Priceline.com, maybe Hotwire or some place and try to find a deal on a simple rental car. I'd bet you can find something for $20 -$30 per day or so. > Well that's kind of what I was trying to understand from you guys. I > figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks + Universal + Sea World and > perhaps Keneddy Space Center would take at least 6 days (each park an > entire day, correct me if I'm wrong). Sounds good to me > I'm not sure where to go in the remaining 4-6 days, that's why I asked > you guys :) That really depends on what your interests are, personally I'd head off to the everglades. > One more question - do you recommend renting a car in Orlando? I assume > it would be cheaper to get to the parks by public transportation A car is essential. Public transportation is all but non existent and the theme parks are spread over a large area. Keith > I figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks... each park an entire day There are 4 major parks in Disney World -- Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. It's fairly common for folks to spend one day at each of the parks (sometimes less for Animal Kingdom, which is the smallest). If it's a slow time of year, you can see a substantial amount (but not everything) in one day apiece. But if the parks are busy, you'll find long lines at the popular attractions and you'll get a lot less done in a day. Disney's parks are huge, so it's always a good idea to do some planning. Don't just wander around at random, or you may arrive at rides at their busiest times, may waste time doubling back to places you missed, etc. Buy a good Disneyworld guidebook, decide which attractions are most important to you, and come up with a general plan for each day. The guidebooks (and many of the Disney websites) have tips about the best ways to minimize waiting time, etc. Jim > Well that's kind of what I was trying to understand from you guys. I > figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks + Universal + Sea World and [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > nightlife. But then again, I wouldn't really know so I'd rather just > hear an opinion :) It really depends on your interest. You could easily spend your entire vacation just in Disney World; there's an enormous number of things to see and do right there. If you want some variety, maybe plan to spend three days at Universal, three at Disney, one at Sea World, and two in the area by Kennedy Space Center. Going all the way to Miami from the Orlando area will kill the better part of a day just doing the drive, and the drive (in my opinion) is boring. Danny Liberty wrote: >Well that's kind of what I was trying to understand from you guys. I >figured seeing the 3 major Disney parks + Universal + Sea World and [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > I've been to Orlando/DisneyWorld three times, with about an eight year interval between each visit. Twice were without kids, once with. Walt Disney World keeps getting larger with each visit. Walt Disney World is a lot bigger than you might think. There is no comparison to Disneyland/California Adventure in California, which is much smaller. Allowing only three days is pushing it a bit. For the first time visitor, even without kids, I would recommend five days divided as follows: -- 1 1/2 days at Magic Kingdom (use Park Hopper to move between Magic Kingdom and Epcot on second day) -- 1 1/2 days at Epcot -- One day at Disney/MGM -- 1/2 Day at Animal Kingdom (plus 1/2 day of much needed "down time") If you are into water parks, WDW has three, plus "Wet and Wild" in Orlando. Give yourself an extra day if you want to do any of those. Allow one day for Sea World. Allow one day round trip for Kennedy Space center (one hour East of Orlando). I don't know about Universal Studios Orlando, since it is the only major Orlando park I have not visited. Our niece went for her honeymoon, though, and spent three days there. If you stay in Walt Disney World you will have free shuttle service between WDW attractions and (in some cases) early admission before the general public, but the only way to get to any of the off-site attractions is via car or taxi, since Disney doesn't provide shuttle service to other parks. Staying in WDW can be more spendy than staying off-property, but is more convenient to the WDW parks. If you stay in Orlando or Kissimmee, there is an abundance of shuttles to most of the major attractions in the area (including WDW) for a reasonable per person fee, making a car unnecessary. Shuttle service starts early and runs late, with most shuttles doing a pick up and drop off of passengers at major area motels at regular intervals (every 1/2 hour or hour, depending on where you stay). Gray Line has a one-day tour from Orlando to Kennedy Space Center that we took several years ago (http://www.grayline.com/franchise.cfm/action/details/id/411), as well as transportation to other Orlando area attractions. If you are still starving for things to do after all that, you could venture out to Cypress Gardens, Gatorland, or Busch Gardens. For starters, I would recommend picking up a copy of "The Unofficial Guide to Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764566040/104-1334710-3238341?v=glance&n=283155). Not only will it give you invaluable information about WDW, but it covers other area attractions as well. > For the >first time visitor, even without kids, I would recommend five days [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > -- 1/2 Day at Animal Kingdom (plus 1/2 day of much needed "down >time") I'd like to point out that although AK has fewer rides than the other parks, it does have two fascinating walking trails, one with Asian animals, birds, etc. and one with African. AK is also a great place to sit for a while and watch the musicians and other entertainers. So I'm not sure it still deserves the reputation of being a half-day park. That said, I always recommend that people have hopper passes so that whichever park they're at, if they get bored or the park gets really crowded, they can go elsewhere. >If you are into water parks, WDW has three Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and...?? >Give yourself an extra day if you want to do any of those. Or at least half a day. I spent a few hours at Typhoon Lagoon a few months ago and enjoyed it a lot. > Staying in WDW can be more spendy than staying >off-property, but is more convenient to the WDW parks. Plus, it gives you that special feeling of being immersed in WDW! >For starters, I would recommend picking up a copy of "The Unofficial >Guide to Disney World" by Bob Sehlinger. Yes, a very good book. I also like the PassPorter Guide to WDW (http://www.passporter.com). And AllEarsNet (www.allearsnet.com) is a superb unofficial site for WDW information. Patty If you are in orlando ,your first stop must be mc donalds.Pick up a couponbook.That saves you many dollars of your hotelbill.Or go to www.roomsaver.com and clip a coupon. ina rozema netherlands > Danny Liberty wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > Not only will it give you invaluable information about WDW, but it covers > other area attractions as well. On 7/10/2006 4:12 PM Danny Liberty did the "monkey dance", then made these writings: > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in > Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Here's an alternative trip. The parks here are natural. Fly into Ft. Lauderdale. Spend a few days there. Soak up some sunlight. Do the Las Olas shopping and nightlife scene. Hit some of the gay clubs. Cathode Ray, Colosseum. It's a friendly town and easy to find a group of gays to hang with. See the art museum downtown they are a world class art museum and usually have something like King Tut, Jewels of Topkapi or the like on exhibit. From Ft. Lauderdale take a drive to the interior, do an airboat ride in the Everglades. Along the coast north of Miami is Hulover Park. It's a really terrific beach. No buildings at the edge just sand and water. Rumor has it there's a clothing optional beach there. If you've never done it, you might want to give it a try. Just be sure to cover with sunscreen all of you. ;-) From there head on down to Miami and South Beach. You might want to book rooms in family oriented North Miami Beach as rates may be less than they are in South Beach. Then again, you might luck out and get some great pre-season rates in South Beach. While in South Beach give another gay dance club a visit. Why all these gay clubs? These guys really know how to party! Most of the djs are on the cutting edge of music and some come from world play spots like Prague, Mykonos, Paris and London. After you've danced, danced and danced... head on south to Key Largo. Check out John Pennekamp state park. 90% of this park is under water. Take a glass boat ride, or go out on a boat to snorkel or scuba the immense coral reef system. Make arrangements in Key Largo or Marathon for a dolphin swim experience. From here you have a choice. You can go further south ending in Key West or you can turn around and head north. Divert over to Panama City. From there enter the Seminole Country, more Everglades experience. Watch 'gaitor wrestling. Or you can do an open jaw. (a little more costly). Arrive in Ft. Lauderdale do Ft. Lauderdale. Then head northwest to Orlando. Do Orlando. Then go back and do Miami. Leave from Miami or drive back to Ft. Lauderdale and leave from there without doing the open jaw thing. I respect your interest in theme parks. I think they are great in places that don't have that much to offer. South Florida has so much in the way of nightlife, shopping, beaches, different biospheres, and nature I just think the time is better spent experiencing the real rather than the artificial. Signature________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 > I respect your interest in theme parks. I think they are great in > places that don't have that much to offer. South Florida has so much in > the way of nightlife, shopping, beaches, different biospheres, and > nature I just think the time is better spent experiencing the real > rather than the artificial. If someone says they are specifically interested in theme parks and is going to an area best known for theme parks, isnt it kind of silly to suggest they skip the parks? Its like someone saying the enjoy canyon hiking, they are headed for utah, and then you recomend that they go and hang out at gay clubs and go shopping rather than doing what they are primarily interested in. Chuck > > I respect your interest in theme parks. I think they are great in > > places that don't have that much to offer. South Florida has so much in [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > going to an area best known for theme parks, isnt it kind of silly to > suggest they skip the parks? I know what you mean, but in defense of the poster, the OP already had like 11 comments addressing directly his interests. A little friendly information about considering potential alternatives doesn't seem all that out of line. This is especially true in the manner that it was suggested where they outlined "theme park type" activities in Pennycamp and airboat rides. He also tried to suggest nightlife activites, and shopping, that was roughly in line with the original posters descriptions. > Its like someone saying the enjoy canyon hiking, they are headed for > utah, and then you recomend that they go and hang out at gay clubs and > go shopping rather than doing what they are primarily interested in. I'd probably characterize it more as a case of suggesting to someone that they consider that there is more to Nevada than gambling, or more to Missouri than Branson. Boat loads (excuse the pun) of people take cruises and don't visit the ports of call. I'd probably still try to suggest they try once and a bit. Me and my wife goto FL every year, we usually stay in the Clearwater area and visit Orlando for a day or two. It is about a 2hour drive from the beach to Disney, sometimes longer depending on traffic. Clearwater Beach is a nice beach area with some shopping on the beach (or across the road). I am not sure about the nightlife, we have only been at the pier at night which is great too. You can spend as long as you want there I am sure you will find something to do. For Disney, you can spend you entire vacation there and get everything you want but a beach. The parks themselves should be done one day at a time, there is too much to see and they are quite large, trust me, you will be tired after spending a day at one. West side/pleasure island is good for shopping and night life. I think you need a pass for pleasure island, but not the rest west side. My favorite place in Disney is Typhoon Lagoon, this is the best water park I have ever been to. I can easily spend a day there with the huge wave pool and all the slides. BTW I think Orlando is pretty safe in hurricane season, they usually get some wind damage and a lot of rain during one, I am sure a resident can provide more information than I can. You didn't say if you are flying or driving, the information centers just across the border has a lot of information and can help you out. Have fun! Danny Liberty wrote: > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in > Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Danny > Danny Liberty wrote: > > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Can you please recommend a good route we can take along with the number > > of days to stay in each place and the "must see" places / attractions ? [snip] > BTW I think Orlando is pretty safe in hurricane season, they usually get > some wind damage and a lot of rain during one, I am sure a resident can > provide more information than I can. [snip] The problem these days is that the evacuees come up towards Disney and all the hotels from the coasts so it gets kinda crazy. And the parks can close for a day or so as things blow by. It's not a fun time to be here for anybody. >> Danny Liberty wrote: >>> Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > can close for a day or so as things blow by. It's not a fun time to be > here for anybody. But it is still safer than being on the coast during one right? Even if the eye doesn't pass over where you are. We are actually considering a trip late aug/sept as well. Thanks [snip] > >> BTW I think Orlando is pretty safe in hurricane season, they usually get > >> some wind damage and a lot of rain during one, I am sure a resident can [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > the eye doesn't pass over where you are. We are actually considering a > trip late aug/sept as well. There are 3 dangers from hurricanes. 1) Rising water. You usually have to be within about 1/4 mile of a major body of water to be at risk of this. 2) Structural damage to buildings. This can happen anywhere. I live in the middle of Orlando and the lady across the street had her house biforcated by a tree as she sat in her living room during Charlie. To have purely wind driven structural damage one needs to be in something around a Cat 3 hurricane, or a mobile home. 3) Tornados. Around the eye of hurricanes often forms small tornados. They have all the destructive power that one is familar with such things. They tend to be "small" as compared to their midwest cousins, but it won't matter much when it hits you or your house. But being in an area after a hurricane moves through can be a major distraction. The power is often out for days, the water may be undrinkable, there may be curfews and travel restrictions, restaurants may be closed, etc. Disney is usually up and running within a day, but a city like Miami can be "closed" for the better part of a week. I hate to say this but August, and more likely September are the peak months for hurricanes in Florida. Flip side is that you'll know that something might be brewing roughly 5 days prior to any real issues. You'll know before you come, or you'll be gone before it hits. > [snip] >>>> BTW I think Orlando is pretty safe in hurricane season, they usually get [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > prior to any real issues. You'll know before you come, or > you'll be gone before it hits. Hey...thanks for that info, you're right we should know in advance what our 'situation' will be if there is one...it also helps that we will be driving and we will probably stick to Orlando. when you go to disney, make sure you sit up in front with the conductor if you take the monorail into the magic kingdom....no matter how old you are, it is just cool as it gets!! Chuck > when you go to disney, make sure you sit up in front with the conductor > if you take the monorail into the magic kingdom....no matter how old [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all...do do do da da da it's a small world after all." :-D :-P Signature________ To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address. Brian M. Kochera "Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!" View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951 > "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all...do do do da > da da it's a small world after all." :-D :-P CURSES TO YOU for putting that song back in my head. :p > There are 3 dangers from hurricanes. > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >prior to any real issues. You'll know before you come, or >you'll be gone before it hits. Inland flooding kills more people generally. No one has mentioned it but it seems to me the little thought of north panhandle of Florida is the best place to vacation when in Florida. A little cooler perhaps too. I like this site to plan as this is the best area, at least i think so <a href="http://www.panamacitybeach.com">Panama City Beach</a> --BK > No one has mentioned it but it seems to me the little thought of north > panhandle of Florida is the best place to vacation when in Florida. A > little cooler perhaps too. [snip] It may "seem" that way only because I suspect you did not review the original posters requests. "Theme Parks" was high on the list. Ho has tomtom software maps of the usa? Where can i download it? Dusty > No one has mentioned it but it seems to me the little thought of north > panhandle of Florida is the best place to vacation when in Florida. A [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > --BK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mijn Postvak In wordt beschermd door SPAMfighter 96 spam-mails zijn er tot op heden geblokkeerd. Download de gratis SPAMfighter vandaag nog! > > There are 3 dangers from hurricanes. > > > >1) Rising water. You usually have to be within about 1/4 mile of a > >major > >body of water to be at risk of this. [snip] > Inland flooding kills more people generally. Which would be #1 on the list. You can visit this site http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/Southern-Florida.aspx or http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/Central-Florida.aspx since it has alot of information that could help you plan your trip. it has attractions viewed directly on the map, and lots of travel guide content... hope it helps > Ok guys, after my West Coast trip I'm planning to eventually arrive in > Florida in September. I know it's hurricane season but I'll have to [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Danny Hey Danny- I just found this great website that's perfect for what you're looking for. It's also integrated with google maps. It's called Tripcart. Here are the links for their two guides to traveling around in Florida: This one is the central Florida guide - http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/Central-Florida.aspx And this one is the southern Florida guide - http://www.g2art.com/prod/F803# I hope this helps you and your girlfriend have a great vacation in Florida. Make sure you spend at least three days in Miami, minimum. Have fun! johnny Hey Danny- I just found this great website that's perfect for what you're looking for. It's also integrated with google maps. It's called Tripcart. Here are the links for their two guides to traveling around in Florida: This one is the central Florida guide - http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/Central-Florida.aspx And this one is the southern Florida guide - http://www.tripcart.com/usa-regions/Southern-Florida.aspx I hope this helps you and your girlfriend have a great vacation in Florida. Make sure you spend at least three days in Miami, minimum. Have fun! johnny > Hey Danny- > > I just found this great website [snip] > johnny Hey johnny. Look up the phrase stealth spam. |
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