Days Out
Theme Parks
In the Summer, the Theme Parks stay open later, some until
midnight. We recommend that you start your day early, come
out at about 1pm and have your hand stamped so that you can
return in the late afternoon, after a lunch and a swim at the
house. If you have a Park-Hopper ticket, you can change Parks
during the same day. To save money, it is a good idea to take
your own water-bottle which you can refill for free from fountains
all over the Parks. There are also lockers that you can put
your picnic and other belongings in.
Make a flag and attach it to your car aerial-this will make
locating your car much easier! Don’t forget to write
down the name or number of your car park as there are many.
What to wear in the parks Don't wear smart clothes; shorts and t-shirts are the order
of the day in summer and depending on the weather the same
in winter. It
is a good idea to have sweaters / jackets in the car in
winter as it can cool down in the evening.
Buy those roll up rain ponchos in Walmart
for the water rides. You can buy them in the parks but they
will be way more
expensive.
Comfortable sandals / trainers are best. You can buy
gel massaging inner soles at Walgreens or CVS. Take plasters
with you
just in case!
Finally, remember that jeans will take hours to dry if you
are going on water rides.
A selection of local theme parks
Busch Gardens: This
Park has a little of everything and is about a 50minute drive
from our house.Recently,
this has been an alternative freebie with Discovery Cove
tickets.
Disney Animal Kingdom: Visit the Safari first
thing in the morning or later in day when the animals are most
active.
Disney Epcot: This Park is best visited at
night, don’t miss
the firework display, it is sensational.You could make a dinner
reservation at one of the restaurants that have a good view
(mostly you will need to do this in advance)
Disney Magic Kingdom: Bear in mind that this
Park gets very busy in the afternoon.
Disney-MGM Studios: consider their "Fantasmic"
dinner package which includes a nice meal in a choice of 3
restaurants and
priority seating for the amazing fireworks (can save you an
hour or 2 queueing.) Best to book this - up to 3 months in
advance.
Disney Quest is a virtual reality complex
which teenagers and grown up kids love (there are other things
to do in the
area so you do not all have to go) Normally opens 11am (check
before you go) and head straight for the "Cyber Space
Mountain" and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet which get the
longest queues.
Discovery
Cove: This offers the opportunity
to swim with Dolphins, the ticket is expensive but everyone
who has experienced it
says that it is worthwhile. Do book this in advance, as admittance
is restricted.
Kennedy Space
Center: If some of your party don’t want
to go, you can drop them off at Cocoa Beach nearby.
Kissimmee Old Town:
The Skycoaster rollercoaster’s three
towers are easily spotted from the 192, it’s right next
to Old Town and has it’s own well sign-posted parking
around the back. The G-Force ride is right next-door and there’s
a nice deck around the ticket office for non-riders to sit
and watch the ensuing spectacle, if you lose your “bottle”!
They have frequent deals on offer, two rides for the price
of one etc. There are also vouchers for money off
in the usual booklets that you can pick up from the restaurants
etc. Leu Gardens currently
offers
free
entry Monday mornings 9.a.m until
noon.
You
could travel on to Winter Park which is
only a few minutes' drive away
SeaWorld: Often,
there is an offer where you can get a 2nd day’s entry
for free. It is a good idea to visit in the evening one
day and the day the other. The shows are different
in the evening to the daytime. Don’t miss the last
Shamu-Show of the day and stay in your seat to watch the
fireworks. If
you do visit Discovery Cove then it is possible that you
will get free entry to SeaWorld or Busch Gardens.
Universal
Studios: This more high-tech and thrilling
than Disney. If you have small children, don’t
miss ET.
Universal
Islands of Adventure: This Park has more thrilling
rides and caters mainly for the teenage market and tinies.
The Orlando Sentinel has a great
trailer for Walt Disney World, Universal and
Sea World.
Discount Tickets
We get our park tickets from park-tickets.com -
they provide hard, paper tickets (not limited-use vouchers
like some other sites).
Disney Secrets
- You can sit up-front with the driver on the monorail
- Search for hidden Mickeys at Walt Disney World
- The Garden behind England at EPCOT
- The solar powered lawnmower, also at EPCOT
- Watching Goofy water-ski on the Seven Seas Lagoon
- Look for the key under the mat at Muppets in MGM
- Try to spot 'Devine' outside Animal Kingdom - she is
camouflaged and you can only see her when she moves.
A Letter From Mickey
Get your children to write to Mickey and he will send a
letter back. Send
the letter to:
Walt Disney World Info,
Guest Letters,
Letters
to Mickey Mouse,
PO Box 10040,
Lake Buena Vista,
FL 32830-00100
– it really
gets them excited about the trip.
Fort Wilderness
Here's a very easy afternoon trip that is minutes away.
Drive towards the Magic Kingdom and stay in the right lane.
Tell the gate person you want to head to the Wilderness Lodge.
Once there tell the gateman at that resort you are coming
in for a meal and walk around the resort.
At the front desk ask for a map of the resort that shows
the walking trails that lead to Fort Wilderness. You have
two of them. One is a typical forest trail that starts behind
the marina. Sandy but firm, wide and clean. The other one
starts behind their Villas at the Wilderness Lodge timeshare
resort. This trail is paved - easier for those who find walking
difficult. Either trail is the same length and is one mile
long. We did the sand trail and actually came face to face
with free roaming deer. It was delightful and quiet. Both
trails end at the Fort Wilderness horse stables.
We went in and saw all kinds of lovely thoroughbred horses.
From there we headed over to the Trails End restaurant in
the main lodge. Here's a true Disney secret. For $9.95 you
can enjoy a full lunch at their most spectacular family style
buffet. All home cooked and the selection is substantial.
11 AM to 3 PM only.
Next to the petting zoo; kind of hokey but fun as well.
If you have young children they have pony rides for $2. Minnie
Moo is one of those really odd Disney legends and she is
always there to accept hay.
After that we went down to their lakeside beach, found dozens
of lawn chairs and several hammocks strung between the tall
pines. What a great place to relax.
Within the hour we boarded the boat that leads back to the
Wilderness Lodge. It actually goes to the Contemporary resort
first so you end up with a FREE 45 minute boat ride.
Once
at the Wilderness Lodge we decided to walk the grounds
and enjoy their wonderful surroundings. We bought a cool
drink at their Silver Springs pool side bar
Four hours passed by quickly. Total cost for the two of
us: $22 including the meal. Children eat at half
the price but as you know have double the energy.
This tip is from one of our guests:
"...every night at 630-ish they have a camp fire with roasted
marshmallows followed by a
sing a long and then show a Disney film on a big outdoor
screen, we went twice, the kids loved it.."
That's why we love Disney. Plenty of small secrets if you
are willing to investigate.
Foolproof secret route to Disney
It isn't any shorter, but saves you traffic
lights and traffic.
- Come out of Westridge and turn left onto the 27 (going
north)
- Turn right onto the 192
- Once you go under the State Road 429 look
to your right for Publix and then the tourist office
and turn left onto Black
Lake road (at lights)
- When you get to the T-junction, turn
left onto Sherbeth and stay on this road until you pick
up signs to your
Disney
Park
If you miss the Black Lake turning:
- Stay on the 192 until you get to the Formossa Gardens
lights
- Go over those lights and watch for next lights
- Look left
and you will see a garish gift shop
- Turn left onto Sherbeth
Road
- Stay on this road until you pick up Disney signs
if you miss both turnings:
- Stay on the 192 until you see the official Disney entrance
Relaxing Days
Hot air ballooning
We have found a company here offering
hot air balloon trips for up to six people for about $165
each (about $90 for children
under 10). The flight is followed by a champagne breakfast
(cold meats, cheeses, fruit etc). You get to keep the champagne
flute and get a photo too.
Theme Parks
These are some of the other parks that we and our guests have
enjoyed:
Kelly Park This 248-acre Orange County park is built around
one of the Apopka area’s crystal clear springs. As its
name suggests, Rock Springs bubbles up from a cleft in a rock
outcropping and, instead of spreading out into a pool, becomes
a swiftly running stream that quickly slows to a meander. The
activity of choice here, and the major reason for the park’s
obvious popularity, is riding down the stream in an inner tube
or on a float.
Kids, and not a few grown-ups, jump into the
headwaters by the dozens and bob and splash their way downstream
for about
a mile. The trip takes about 25 minutes at a leisurely float.
There are exits from the river along the way and an excellently
maintained network of boardwalks (with flooring designed
to protect the barefooted) let you carry your tube back
to the
beginning for another go. You can also go down without a
tube but, for most adults at least, the stream is too shallow
for
swimming during most of its course. At the middle of the
tubing course, the stream blossoms into a series of lagoons
and pools
that form the centerpiece of the park. This is the place
to come for a cooling, if somewhat crowded, swim. Or join
the
sunbathers thronging the shores and islands. This is a great
park for kids and, if you don’t have any, you may feel
a bit overwhelmed by other people’s.
Tubes are not available in the park, so unless
you bring your own, stop at one of the tube rental shops near
the park
entrance.
The cost is modest, about $3 for a day’s rental.
Most of the rest of the park is given over
to nicely shaded picnic tables, most with a barbecue nearby.
The park also
offers camping sites ($10 a night for Orange County residents,
$15
for all others); electricity is another $3. Your admission
receipt lets you leave the park and return the same day.
No pets are allowed in the park, and there’s no fishing
here.
Made a full day of it by visiting Mt Dora on
the way as half a day is plenty in Kelly Park
Rock Springs, Apopka (407) 889-4179
Wildlife Parks
Homosassa
Springs State Park
Homosassa is about 90 minutes north-west on
Hwy 19. This sanctuary has Florida's State Hippo, a two-headed
turtle, orphaned manatees and a million fish to watch from
an underwater observatory. If you enter by the main highway
you get a free boat ride. Entrance is a few dollars.
If you are at Homosassa we recommend the nearby Marguerita's
Restaurant (pictured above), a proper American
waterfront joint serving superb fresh fish and real key
lime pie. You
can also pick up a goldfish bowl-sized marguerita cocktail
for about $3. We had the blackened mahi-mahi. And a marguerita.
From Homosassa, it's about two miles down Halls River Road
(west). Or if you're feeling really swanky, just pilot
your boat up the river and stop off right inside the restaurant.
Wekiwa
Springs
Wekiwa Springs State Park, (pronounced Wahk-eye-wah),
is located off the I-4 at exit 92, approximately 15 miles north
of all the excitement in Orlando.
Covering an area of 7,000 acres, Wekiwa Springs
State Park offers an excellent opportunity to get back to nature.
Visitors can hike, camp, fish, swim, go canoeing and see some
real Florida wildlife in their natural habitat
Other Local Secrets
Try the Lavender
Lace Tea Rooms and curiosity shops at
Lake Alfred. The food is fabulous and lots of interesting things
to buy. The gardens are lovely and the walk at the end of the
road round the lake is great. Lots of chance of seeing a Gator!
Car Enthusiasts
Motorbike Parade every Thursday
and Classic Car Parade every Saturday evening at about 8pm,
at Kissimmee Old Town (on Hwy 192). Go early to chat to the
car- and bike-owners. The best place to see everything is the
open bar opposite the Bucking Broncos.
Free. Children can go on rides if you buy a wristband.
Garden Lovers: World
of Orchids, Old Lake Wilson Road, Kissimmee. Free. Phone:
407-396-1887
Water Lovers
Winter Park is lovely to visit, it is basically quaint shops
and lovely pavement cafes and restaurants all down one side
of a cobbled street and parkland on the other side of the street.
Some of the shops are most unusual and sell stuff you will
only see there. What is well worth the journey is the boat
trip on the lake there, the lake is to the right of the shops
and takes you through a few canals with a running commentary
on the surrounding buildings including how much people paid
for fantastic buildings, most fascinating. We had a very comical
commentator when we went and it was a beautiful day so we took
some great photos and had a good laugh whilst catching some
rays at the same time. The easiest direction to Winter Park
is to go up the I-4 towards Orlando take the Fairbanks Avenue
Exit then travel east for 2 miles, turn left into Park Avenue
which is the said street. The approach to Park Avenue looks
very run down but it is a nice surprise when you turn into
Park Avenue.
Fishing Enthusiasts:
Licences to fish are available from Wal-Mart (see map above).
- Lake Davenport / Esprit on Hwy 27. Strictly speaking, you
should not fish directly from the docks. In practice, nobody
usually objects.
- Kissimmee Lake Front off Hwy 192. Hire a boat and catch
a huge bass.
- Southport - on the South Poinciana Boulevard.
- Celebration - off the I-4 / Hwy 192. Lots of smaller fish.
Disclaimer
We do not take payment for any of these recommendations -
these are all just places we and our guests have had a
great time.
This information has been given in good faith, but
it is always best to ring and check before you make any arrangements.
Have a great vacation!
Guest
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