Anyone here lives in Orlando?

[Captain Kevin 586]

18 minutes ago, gsand said:

So does my son. I say this simply because of the endless I-4 mess, you have my heartfelt sympathies.

Fortunately, I don't live anywhere near that mess (I've driven there before), and my job as a truck means that I'm almost never home in the first place.

[charliearon 3,017]

1 minute ago, Captain Kevin said:

and my job as a truck

From your pic, I'd say more of a sports car!  How much cargo can you stuff in your pockets?

[Captain Kevin 586]

1 hour ago, charliearon said:

From your pic, I'd say more of a sports car!  How much cargo can you stuff in your pockets?

THAT....would actually be a Boeing 737-800.

[n4gix 4,947]

20 hours ago, charliearon said:

I've been to Florida once in my life.  Mayport-Jacsonville area leaving aboard Saratoga, CVA60 on a Mediterranean cruise.  When I saw mosquitoes as big as seagulls, I said "thank you...goodbye". 

When people ask where I'm from, I always reply "Well, I was born in Florida but raised everywhere else..." I first left Florida when I was seven, and only returned there occasionally to visit my aunts and cousins during the holidays.

Although I did return after discharge from the Army to attend Edison Community College, and later the University of Florida Gainesville to complete my BA in Computer Science, I haven't returned to Florida but once ever since for a short visit to Orlando about forty years ago.

I was delighted when my parents sold their 'retirement home' on Estero Island (Ft. Myers Beach) and moved to Harlingen Texas to buy into a true retirement condo. I had told my folks to please not leave me burdened with their lovely home on Estero Island, as I'd probably wind up losing it to unpaid property taxes before I managed to get it sold!

[sloppysmusic 169]

Hey buddy,

some better (maybe) answers!

I don't know any reliable places in Orlando to stay. I think Airnb (?) would be your best bet there. I used to rent my place out but I'm an hour from Orlando and currently refurbishing/remodelling my South Daytona house so I can't even give you a quote for that at the moment, sorry.

I have stayed in a few hotels myself at normal price and some are good some not. With a family you are going to want clean and safe. I would actually recommend you go for a weekly rental of an Extended Stay self catering suite. Prices are pretty reasonable if you can all fit in one suite and you can save a lot of money by buying your own food at a grocery store and cooking it yourself. saving hundreds literally. Eating out is VERY expensive. You can treat the family out a couple times for sure but sometimes after a tiring day in a park you dont want to start looking for a restaurant, going back to base and frying up some steak or nuking a 'tv dinner' is less stressful

https://www.extendedstayamerica.com/hotels/fl/orlando

These places are generally clean but basic. Professionals use them when working in a strange town for a while to keep costs down. Me and my family did way back when we first arrived in Florida, via Gainesville.

Yes you can buy all theme park tickets when you arrive, although this WILL take much more time as people with tickets go to a faster queue/line.

The official websites of Disney and Universal sell legit tickets at full price of course. There ARE kiosks on International drive that you can buy cheaper tickets at ,which are not scams. Basically a tourist wandering International Drive WITHOUT a ticket is someone Disney/Universal want to get money off. I would NOT buy cheap tickets online. Of course its stressful in a new place spending cash in the street rather than the piece of mind of having tickets already but once you've done it once you get used to it. Plus its not like you cant just turn up anyway at the park and get in.

Plus if you get bad weather (it rains a LOT in Florida, usually all at once) then having advance tickets for a water park will not help you. They let you in and you will NOT be having any fun as they close all rides when dark clouds are around fro fear of lightning (fair enough but makes an awfully long day...Ive been there!)

As a resident of Florida I LOVE all the attractions that are NOT in Orlando but are instead meant for Florida residents without lots of spending money. Our fresh water springs are equal to the best you can get anywhere in the world. Tubing down a river full of fresh spring water is heavenly, and entrance to the park will only cost you $10 all day for the family! You rent tubes (big inflatable rings) and the river itself is free. Go up and down until you need to go home. 

Buy a large cooler and buy food in a grocery store. I recommend PUBLIX. Fill the cooler with drinks and food PLUS a bag of ice and you will have a cheap flexible day.

Don't know how old your children are, which is important of course. All kids love splashing in water though! Some nature trails you can find but can be boring in Florida as it's all flat and green.

Here are some links I fully recommend you check out.

https://www.floridastateparks.org

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/wekiwa-springs-state-park

 

(Above is music video I made for a friend at Wekiwa. only 30 mins from Orlando. $6 entry. Canoes cheap too.

 

http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cultureparks/parks.aspx

 

I would recommend doing a tour of the state parks or local county parks above. Unless you all hate the water that is! Water temp is a refreshing (!) 72f ALL year round so will certainly cool you down in the summer weather which can average 90-95 in the day easily.

Below are my favorite tubing parks

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/blue-spring-state-park

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/ichetucknee-springs-state-park

The one above (Icheticknee ) is one of the best experiences in Florida I have ever had. It's a LONG river ride, well over an hour if you take it easy and bump around the banks and take photos/videos. not so good for toddlers or little kids, blue Springs would be better for that as only 15 mins or so ride down the river.

Quick last theme park tip:

Get there EARLY, an hour before opening. It will take you almost that long to park and get to the rides themselves. Then go ANTICLOCKWISE around the park. For some reason everyone goes left and clockwise. This method will give you no lines for maybe the first 1 or 2 hours if you're lucky. After going round this way once the park will now be jammed full with the classic tourists who get there later due to alcoholic excesses the previous night. Spot the sunburned skin & football shirts... Now leave the park to get some lunch outside (that will save you maybe 50 bucks and you can get better food.) Head back into the park late afternoon an hour before dinner and it will not be so hot and the crowds will be thinning as people leave to get their British fish n chips (I'm a Brit so I can snigger!) and a relax in the pool. You will still have to wait at this time but maybe 15 mins per ride instead of an hour mid-day.

Hope this helps in some way, am going to post it in the thread also in case anyone else would find it interesting.

Oh, a little known but gem is Fun Spot Orlando. A day pass is less than $50 each. Although they do not have the most exciting rides and only a couple at that, it really is a cozy family park with rides for everyone from 2 up. Best of all it has go karts. Included in the admission price you can literally spend all day racing with your family in safe restricted karts if you want. 4 different tracks (by memory) with differing elevations you can get great views of the whole park there. Am sharing the park website link and a video of me doing one of the circuits. Great fun and near the center of Orlando, food is ok priced there but the parking lot is easy to get back to and get food outside before getting back in. The major parks will take a good hour just to get to your car and back to the rides in the opposite direction. Fun Spot is about 100 yards from car to coaster!

https://fun-spot.com

 

 

[n4gix 4,947]

That Sky Coaster looks like great fun! Too bad I'll never get to try it myself. At my age I do believe my heart would stop...

[sloppysmusic 169]

13 hours ago, n4gix said:

That Sky Coaster looks like great fun! Too bad I'll never get to try it myself. At my age I do believe my heart would stop...

I hear you! That kid was my friends girl I took for the day down there.. She wanted me to go with her but I chickened out... I was just past 50 then and I will do any Rollercoaster on the planet but free fall when someone else decides to flick that switch.. Hell no! 

🙂

[W2DR 1,859]

On 3/2/2019 at 5:21 PM, charliearon said:

I've been to Florida once in my life.  Mayport-Jacsonville area leaving aboard Saratoga, CVA60 on a Mediterranean cruise.  When I saw mosquitoes as big as seagulls, I said "thank you...goodbye". 

Excuse me but you obviously don't understand. The mosquito is the State Bird Of Florida. Show a little respect the next time you see one................

[sloppysmusic 169]

'Skitos schmitos... The NoSeeUms are the real invisible scourge! 

[Dillon 2,197]

Orlando resident here (east side).  PM me if you still need assistance.