somthing new for orlando

[chris n]

hi everyone i am looking for somthing different to do in orlando.
i am going in May for 3 weeks with my wife and 3 kids,ages 13, 10 and 8,also mother-in-law age 60+.
i am looking for some of the lesser known things to do

[carys]

ooh see ya there ! I am going with my dh and 3 kids too .But we will be doing the usual.Someone will be along to help ,you are best trying this evening if you get no replies bump it up later .Good luck.

[MattF]

We enjoyed Dinosaur World (about an hours drive from Orlando). Greta half day if your kids like dinosaurs

[Villainlover]

We enjoyed Dinosaur World (about an hours drive from Orlando). Greta half day if your kids like dinosaurs

Is this place good? ... we always have a giggle as we pass on our way to Busch Gardens .. reminds me of Flamingo lands (I think) plastic dinosaurs when I was a kid..

not sure where you have been in the orlando area but if you like planes then fantasy of Flight is one option

[SusieK]

Cypress Gardens is a great day out. See my trippie for details.

[stevejnr292]

Silver Springs is also another option. Plenty of beaches to choose from (Daytona being one, also have the race track there). Trip to Naples, the Everglades, John Pennekamp the coral reef place near the Everglades. It really depends on what you and the family enjoy doing.

Steve

[Fiona]

St. Pete`s beach and pier on the Gulf Coast, Boggy Creek airboat ride, Kennedy Space Centre and Cocoa Beach (Ron Jon`s Surf Shop is well worth a visit.) Just wondering if you have done any of these in Orlando - Pirates Cove Adventure Golf, Disney`s Boardwalk, Downtown Disney, Celebration and one of the many cinemas? If not, then they are all well worth a visit. :-)

[purpleprincess]

How about Gatorland or the Astronaut Hall Of Fame

[loznoon]

You should try kayaking down in Tampa, great fun.

See the sticky at the top for details of this and other ideas!

[min]

Another vote for Cypress Gardens....It is VERY quiet though...esp on a weekday in Sept!!!! The gardens are lovely, and the rides are great,not huge white knuckle jobs...good for kids,with a ferris wheel and dodgems...also dont miss the rapids.....FANTASTIC.You dont get wet at all...not even a splash..we rode it 5 times, and it was just so unexpectedly good....even the wusses enjoyed it!!!!!

Also voting for Clearwater...the sunset is SPECTACULAR!!! and nice sunset festival on the pier of artists,jewellers and local crafts....So arrive and park the car in the main car park at the harbour...go on the giant speedboat Seascreamer for an hours tour...you WILL see dolphins surfing of the wake of the boat...have lunch, and then onto the beach for a wee hour or two....onto the pier for a wee browse around the stalls,then watch the sun set.....have a nice dinner on one of the seafront restaurants, then a nice leisurely drive home.....Well,thats our typical Clearwater day...you can if you want visit various quieter beaches up the coast, but dont miss tht sunset!!!

Have a great holiday whatever you do!!!

[feathersonline]

We'd have to agree with Cypress Gardens, it's become one of our favourite places to go over the last 2 years - we've even got annual passes now! Plenty of rides for the youngsters, a great water ski show, beautiful botanic gardens, animals, and plenty of other things to keep you amused.

What about a trip to Winter Park in Orlando - old fashioned cobbled streets and 'posh' shops to look at, a few nice deli's to grab lunch - Brandywines is our favourite, where you can sit outside watching the world go by, and the 'piece de resistance' - the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum - the Worlds largest collection of Tiffany Glass - fabulous, and only $3 to go in. There's also the Orlando Science Museum - with loads to do for kids.

In the same area you can also go to the Harry P Leu Gardens - best time to visit is December - February for the magnolias and camelias.

Another place for flowers, plants and wildlife is the Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales.

Disneys Boardwalk is a good place to spend a few hours, just strolling around, or renting a Surrey Bike for the family, and if you time your visit right, you can see the Epcot fireworks for free!

Hope this helps your planning...;)

[chris n]

thanks all,
looking forward to doing some of these things, has anyone tried the indoor sky diving?
Can't wait 3 weeks in Windsor Hills from 12th May

[Gaz]

sorry to put a dampner on things but i am sure i heard that cypress gardens has gone bust (sorry if im wrong)

[Gaz]

found it http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/orl-cypress1306sep13,0,2308995.story?coll=orl-headlines-hurricane

[feathersonline]

Cypress Gardens has only declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy which protects them from their creditors and they can keep trading. They were still well and truly open for business last week...

They are still waiting for the insurance companies to pay out after the hurricanes - that's what has caused their problems.

So there's no need to panic, you can still go..:)

[Sue]

A balloon trip is a nice way of getting a different view over Orlando - cannot fly over the theme parks and an early start though.

[highlander447]

thanks all,
looking forward to doing some of these things, has anyone tried the indoor sky diving?
Can't wait 3 weeks in Windsor Hills from 12th May
Hi my son did this in the summer and loved it, so much so that he wants to do it for his birthday again in April

[Suzie&Stuart]

Im glad Cypress Gardens has only filed for Chapter 11 as we want to go there next summer.

Back to original thread, how about a game of baseball. Major League at Tampa and Miami and Minor League not too far away in Lakeland, Tampa, Brevard or Daytona.

Stuart

[frankb]

Cypress Gardens is a great day out but I would also go for Winter Park. A lovely small town and you can go on the boat ride around the lakes for a few dollars. You get to see how the really rich live with their houses scattered around the lakes and an informative commentary from the skipper.

[Splashman77]

Hi

Homosassa Springs is an interesting day out take a look at the link

http://www.manateecam.com/
http://www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/default.cfm

[highlander447]

Cypress Gardens is a great day out but I would also go for Winter Park. A lovely small town and you can go on the boat ride around the lakes for a few dollars. You get to see how the really rich live with their houses scattered around the lakes and an informative commentary from the skipper.
I agree forgot all about the boat trip we did this as part of a city tour with gator tours its a great way to pass an hour, although overall the city tour isn't too great:smile:

[toptoff]

If you can handle the drive ( a stop over is preferable) then the intercoastal waterway is a mind bogling eye opener in the Fort lauderdale area. This place drips money but it is so beautiful. Some of the houses here are worth $5m with $20m boats at the end of the garden. We stayed in pompano beach at a friends house who had a small boat so were really lucky for the local knowledge, but there are regular tours.

Totaly different from Orlando.

By the way the gulf coast has some great beaches, far better than the more accessable ones from Orlando. i.e. daytona or cocoa. Go to St Petes or Treasure island. different class, the best i have seen.

[freedomathome]

I used to live a few miles north of orlando( Longwood on highway 434) The Wekiva Springs State Park is beautiful and another quaint scenic town is Mount Dora. It's like something from stepford wives!! all white picket fences and adorable gift shops. The tourist areas have wonderful theme parks etc. but if you have travelled all this way it's lovely to visit parts of 'real' florida. One final thing...on the 436 at Altamonte is an excellent shopping mall. It has 4 dept stores and a massive food court. This was our local mall when we lived there and it's rare to find any tourists shopping here. This means that the sale prices are generally way lower than the florida mall as the americans are looking for bargains too! The mall is a similar size to the florida mall and it takes about 40 mins to drive there from Disney area. just continue up the I 4 (towards Sanford) and the altamonte mall is 2 stops before the sanford exit (used to be exit 48 but i think they have changed the exit nos now). Turn right onto the 436 and the mall is about 1/2 mile down on the left hand side

[BONZO]

If not already seen - try this link (http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=104626) for a list of attractions "Beyond the Parks".

If you discover anything else just add it to the list.

[Suzie&Stuart]

and another quaint scenic town is Mount Dora. It's like something from stepford wives!! all white picket fences and adorable gift shops.

Another vote here for Mount Dora. We went there a couple of years ago, on a Sunday. Loads of antique and craft type shops, reminded me of Howarth [Bronte Country]up the road from us in W. Yorkshire.
There where quite a few bikers there on their Harleys, many of them husbands and wives on their own seperate bikes.
There was also an old trolley bus that run on the railway between Mt Dora and Eustice, that was quite interesting. All in all a really nice relaxing day.

Stuart

[antwire]

another vote for gatorland