Club Arnage

Due to the fact that I went to the 'S' word in March........my family have ganged up on me and have forced me to book holiday in Orlando in December!!!!

What would be the best places to visit,as we have 10 days to spend on the US continent?

We are going over on the 12th to the22nd .

So please can you make reccomendations as to what to visit.

Wishy

The Cape of course, you will love. Big engines, rockets, what more does a guy want. You could also post this question on Sebringfans.com They should know were to go in florida.

Cheers Roy.I might just give it a try

Agree with Roy,

Rockets!
Bush Gardens
Sea World.

Maybe Disney and Epcot.

There are also the gator rides... water parks... florida malls... crazy golf... and the downtown disney for nightlife!

Give Mat Harper a PM, a Yorkshire man in Orlando!

Can vouch for the rockets and downtown disney but has been years since the others!

Ask Smokie about the southern regions eg. Key West! LOL

Thanks Rick,

Matt has already helped out with recommendations for the hotel booking and is looking into discounted theme park tickets.

I was wondering if there were any other places to visit other than 'Uncle Walt' ,Universal,Seaworld and Kennedy Space Centre .......all of these are already accounted for.

Just wondered if there were any Motor museums/cruises going on in the area...or even something cultural.....if that is possible in the worlds largest theme park ;D

Wishy

I would avoid the area of Orlando that Mat told us was rather un-savoury when he met us on the Sunday! When he pointed out that the area was unsafe we realised that we were lucky to have not been shot at yet!

As for local places for that only the locals know about, I would think that SebringFans is you best bet. Another contact is the Amazing Randy of course!

Try Gatorland, it's really the alternative to Uncle Walt et al, done in true southern style with aligator wrestling and really non pc jokes and signs, exceptionally refreshing after the plastic of Disney.
 You must have the gator ribs - tastes just like chicken.
To avoid the queues at the theme parks go on a week day while the Americans are still at work or school, we went to Universal on a Thursday and didn't queue at all.

Arn

Key West was a blast if you aren't with the family  ;) It's a very laid back holiday resort with lots of bars and people out to enjoy themselves.  8) :o 8) Long old drive from Orlando though.

Every time I've been to Florida I've been to Daytona. You must do the tour of the track, IIRC you can have a few laps with a pro driver too. Then you can tell me what it's like, as I've never made it there  :) (except the gift shop, hunting for a DVD for Chris24...)

Aye up Wishy
Tha'll not go far wrong with your hotel venue - deffo on the more refined side of town, so have no fear about riff-raff, drive-bys and home invasions. Still looking into the Mix-Tix situation - so far not coming-up much cheaper than purchased over there - but gimme another day or two....
There is plenty of non-rodent influenced entertainment - particularly 'during the holidays'.
For culture, investigate Mt Dora, Silver Springs and Hooters.
For automotive enchantment, see Garlits museum, "The Speedway", Orlando Speedworld Drags (at Bithlo - don't worry, I'll show you where it is) and the Richard Petty Driving Experience, at, you guessed it, The Mickyard.
For refined local culture there is of course, the genteel Fish on Fire - but as you'll be here during the heat of the run-in to the play-offs, we tend to drink where there's an abundance of flat-screens. I would be delighted to host you and your family to an evening of fine-dining (all-you-can-eat wings and $2 Buds), whilst watching the Bengals getting the $hit kicked out of them by the US equivilant of Plymouth Argyle Reserves. The venue is The Scoreboard Grill on S. Orange Ave. You and your clan will like it.
I have to say, I found Cape Canaveral to be a bit of a snore, unless there's a shuttle launch, it's all a bit 'static' for my liking. One of my drinking buddies is an airboat captain at Boggy Creek (E. Lake Toho) - he'll take you out and rattle your fillings, if you like. His boat runs an un-silenced 454ci big-block chevy, so that makes it worthwhile, even if the Gators are asleep.
Looking forward to seeing you again, Andy! 

Hi Matt,

Firstly don't worry about the tix.......err'indoors has finally exhausted the ticket sites and is chomping at the bit to order them.....I really hate impatient women....don't you ;D

As the family are still in bed at this time i'll speak to them later bout the cultural experiences on offrer.Mind you the trip on the airboat sounds interesting.

On the subject of motoring interests,I have seen that there is a cruise every Saturdy night in Kissimee......is it worth a visit?

Wishy

There is a racing restaurant in Orlando, Race rock or something, you might want to check out. It is in the same area we went last year for the Jap restaurant.

Whilst you're there, don't forget Daytona beach, the scene of all those LSR attempts in the 30s, and before.  In the steps of Campbell, Keech and Seagrave and all that....

MG Mark

The Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum south of Ocala is interesting if you're into looking at his collection of revolutionary top fuel dragsters etc (I am, so I went).

I also found Kennedy interesting (a day visit).

There's scuba diving to be done at Key Largo, but anywhere else in Florida is shite.

I've albums of photos taken at Garlits / Kennedy at my Webshots site (click the cobra)

Can you bring me back a Pontiac V8 flywheel and clutch assembly as hand luggage (about 25 kgs)?

This has now closed down, they auctioned all the stuff off June this year.

http://racerock.com/ (http://racerock.com/)

(http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/4/web/2416000-2416999/2416491_191_full.jpg)

As far as I know the roundy roundy and around again cafe is still open though near universal studios

www.nascarcafe.com

Everyone so far has been spot on with the info.
I do recomend the air boat rides and the gator farm.
I would certainly like to hook up with you while you are here.
I will be there on business Dec. 6th thru 8th.

Randy  ;D

Joking aside, there's an absolute ton of stuff to see and do, that is unconnected to Disney or Universal.

St. Augustine is a very interesting and relaxing day out (located between Jax and Daytona on the Atlantic coast). The mediterranian architecture coupled with spanish moss festooned FL Live Oaks make it atmospheric and 'old America'. I love the place.

Wekiva Springs State Park is also great (as is Silver Springs, near Ocala) - and the air-boat experience is a lot of fun - and quite interesting if you like wildlife up-close.

Gatorland had a big fire recently - not sure if they are fully operational again yet. Personally, I find the place a bit offensive (not that I'm a lentil munching tree-hugger or anything), it's grubby, exploitative of the animals and a bit hi'billy, if the truth be told.

Saturday night cruise in Old Town, Kissimmee is OK to see once. The 800 cars claim is a bit of a stretch, but there's a fair old collection of rods, muscle-cars and historics - I say OK to see once because the same folks show-up week in, week out.

Depending on how fat in't wallet you are, you might like the Warbird flight experience in Kissimmee. You get to 'front-seat' a T6-Texan - but I think it's in region of $300 a throw (up).

As MGMark states, Daytona Beach has a real automotive history (The LSR attempts were actually run at Smyrna Beach) - but there is not a lot to see/do on the sands at that time of year. Depending on the beach erosion situation, you may not even be able to drive on the beach, as per normal. There is some good related stuff at the Daytona USA exhibit at the Speedway though - worth a visit, without doubt.

Take Randy up on his offer - the gulf coast is great and there are some great attractions on that side of the state. The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is really good and Ybor City (northern historic district) is like Bourbon St, New Orleans at the weekend. Check-out/Google The Sea Screamer at Clearwater - and there's lots to see and do at St. Pete.

You are not going to be short of things to do, Andy.   

Daytona Int. Speedway - Definately worth a look, although I think you'd be hard pushed to spend the entire day there - they have some fun simulators, and a great tour - especially when there's testing on track.

Don Garlitts museum - I'm not sure how into drag racing you are, but I really enjoy it, and found this place truly awesome.  It's packed to the rafters of cars "through the ages" of Drag racing, which is pretty impressive given that they were mostly driven by the same person.....We have some old Cine films of the cars in action that my dad took when he was my age, so for me it was really cool to see the cars in the flesh.

Busch Gardens is fun if you are of a stronger stomach - the rides get pretty hairy there.

There is also the ORLANDO SPEED (?) drag strip - they run a "run what ya brung" type event up there, with a difference.....No chavved up Novas, no rude boy stereos, these guys are serious racers, driving serious bits of kit....we had a really good evening there, despite the 4pm shower which we thought would blow it out.....
well worth it for the evening racing....

Blimey you've bought back all sorts of memories!!

Do what I did 10 yrs ago, get onto NASA website and see if any launches are programmed.

We saw a Mariner rocket lift-off.  AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Hmmm,

Spoilt for choice............Looks like we should have booked three weeks holiday rather than 10 days......seems that there is far more to do than I anticipated.

I guess it is time to start setting our itinery for the invasion of Orlando in 3 months then!!!

Having discuused Matt's options yesterday,the concencus of opinion is that we will take up the offer of the air boat ride and i'll come and watch the football match and have the odd beer or three.

We now have all the theme parks covered that we want to go to......dispensed with Kennedy space centre,added Kissimee cruise,air boat ride,football match .........and of course err'indoors has insisted that she wants to do a little r & r at the shopping malls.

All the automotive stuff apart from the cruise may have to wait until I make a return to the"S" word in 2009.

It would be great to pop over to the west coast to meet up with Randy ,but I'm not sure wether we will have enough time.

Wishy

You could always got to the Bible land theme park, or something like that, if that tickles your fancy. Just saw a bit about it on some travel programm, very good to laugh at the american christian culture ;D

Ah yes - The Holy Land Experience - I used to work next door at The Evil Satanic Bastard Experience, but that's a story for another time!
It was all very relaxing to spend the coffee break out in the parking-lot, evesdoropping on the re-enactment of the stoning of the infidels - or even better, experience the etherial music wafting through the neighborhood as a suspiciously Charles Mansonesque "Christ" was resurected and sent in a heavenly vector. All very tastefully done.

Wishy, don't get your knickers in a knot just yet, but you could get lucky if the scheduled Shuttle mission STS-122 launch gets nixed for any reason (as they very commonly do). Atlantis is slated to go on December 6th - but if they have any technical or weather delays, you could be treated to one of the greatest spectacles to be seen anywhere. Keep an eye on NASA's website, just in case.

Wishy,the west coast of Florida has some of the most beautiful in all of the world.It is also 2.5 hrs through some of most conjested traffic in all of Florida.Beautiful or not they are still just beaches.For beaches and some history as well I recomend St.Augustine.
My thoughts were I would come that way,hook up with you and Matt for some beers.

Randy,

We will be touching down in Orlando late on the 12th and returning on the 22nd.........just in time for Santa to deliver our presents we hopefully will buy in Florida ;D

Matt has invited me to watch one of the playoffs which I assume is for the Rosebowl Tropy?.......perhaps we can meet up then!!

Wishy

Wishy

You could always go to church on Sunday in Florida, I'm sure I have seen DRIVE IN Church over there.

I would go, but I'm sure if I got anywhere near, I would get struck by lightening, last time I went to church a tree blew over next to the church, which was close enough!

Neil,

The only church I go to on a Sunday is one that serves BEER!!!!!

Are you sure that the tree that fell over was not pushed over by your cherry picker......... ;D

I Agree with the others, there is sooooo much to see and do. As for Kennedy the saturn rocket takes your breath away with the sheer size and if you can see a launch its something you will always remember, we saw John Glenn on the STS 95 launch a trully awsome sight. We are off there again in April 08 cant wait.

We saw a space shuttle launch some years ago (Columbia) and it was immense, it's well worth a look if there is an opportunity.  Although my sister's kids found all the hanging around waiting for it pretty tedious (they were 12 and 9) and were much more interested in a dolphin we found in some water!! 

St Petes & Clearwater are beautiful, we managed to get a few days over there (having decided we didn't really like (and couldn't afford!) the Keys), we had three weeks in total though and spent two weeks around Disney et al and then did the final week travelling.

Try "Crabby Bill's Seafood Shack" in St Petes (if it is still there) great food and a wonderful atmosphere.

Still there.
Still good.


Bob how have you been?

 A family holiday 10 years ago. I week in Orlando doing all the Disney stuff then a week on the Gulf Coast doing lots of drinking stuff. Stayed between St Petes and Clearwater,can't remember exactly where but very close to Crabby bill's

Like you do ::)  Happens all the time in Wycombe ;D

I know  ;D  My sister was furious, she being of a certain age (...and much older than me  ;D) remembers watching "the man (allegedly) on the moon" and was really excited by the concept of a space shuttle launch and all her kids did was watched the dolphin and moaned that they were hungry  ;D

We were in Orlando a couple of weeks ago and we were on International Drive (one of the main roads near the theme parks) looking for a go-cart track, there are lots of them, but it started raining so we saw a Motorsports Museum (not sure of the name) and stopped in.  Just a small building but if you like motorcyles, it was pretty impressive.  A couple of cars, lots of old Race Rock t-shirts, some good art & posters, but lots of great bikes.  Only takes a minute or two if need to fill some time.

Have Fun!

The US is now a continent?  ??? I'm surprised Canada Phil hasn't sued your ass off or at least had you blackballed from CA. ;)

Mr,Zarse,

I see you are being as pedantic as usual!!!

If I have offended anybody,it is wasn not meant to be so.

Mind you Canada is an extension of the USA isn't it? ;D