Visiting Florida

[Joe Matt]

Originally Posted by Mike

My family and I are going down to Florida from August 24 to September 2. While we are down there we are going to be in the Disney area, doing that whole deal. We are also going to visit FIT for a day or two, we'll be there for their exploration day.

What other fun things are there to do, that might not be in the big tourist guides?

Seriously Mike, there's stuff beyond Disney? Go to the parks, find your favorite things, and keep riding them over and over. :-P

Also look into the Epcot and Fort Wilderness (not Wilderness Lodge) Segway Tours they offer.

Oh, can't go wrong with Blue Man Group over at Universal. Just don't kid yourself with the parks.

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by Joe Matt

Also look into the Epcot and Fort Wilderness (not Wilderness Lodge) Segway Tours they offer.

The Segway tours there are pretty sweet. (I've been on both.) The one at Epcot uses the i2 models and goes around the World Showcase before it opens in the morning, and the one at Fort Wilderness uses the x2 models and goes on a variety of offroad (dirt) and paved trails.

Just to note that for the Fort Wilderness one, be sure to get their quite a bit early, especially if you've never stayed there before. Because the campgrounds are so huge, you need to take a separate intra-hotel Disney bus to get from the main bus stop at the front of the campground to the back where the tours are. This can easily add 15-20 minutes onto your arrival time.

[Ryan Albright]

um The beach, rent a jet ski, a boat, Any of those places around there are all tourist traps

[DonRotolo]

If you are into electronics surplus, head towards Orlando from Disney on Route 4, get off at Fairbanks (ave?), the coolest surplus store is located at the southeast corner of that intersection (about 1/2 block off, but easily visible by the missile on the roof...)

Citrus world is cool, just to see it - a 50 foot diameter orange. Drive just a little bit further away from disney on that same road if you need groceries, don't buy stuff at the tourist trap 'grocery stores', go where the locals go.

If you want to see something eerie, go to the town of Celebration. It is a planned community that was built not long ago. It looks like a quaint village in New England, that was teleported to Florida by aliens. Nice restaurants too.

Kennedy Space Center, need I say more?

Don

[Wayne Doenges]

There are also the helicopter tours. It's neat to see Disney from the air.
I miss the airship rides. They used to have a blimp, with Shamu on the side, that you could take tours in. They would even let you fly it. After you landed, you got a certificate saying you were a pilot for Shamu. It was great. I still have it.

One of the best restaurants is the Rain Forest Cafe. Great food and atmosphere. Try the Jambalae (sp?)

KSC is great. I saw a nightime shuttle launch once there. Tip: Have change ready for the toll road to KSC.