Orlando

[wishy]

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

[knetter]

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.

[wishy]

Cheers Roy.I might just give it a try

[rcutler]

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

[wishy]

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

Wishy

[rcutler]

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!

[arnoldm]

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

[smokie]

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

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.  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...)

[Matt Harper]

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! 

[wishy]

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

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

[knetter]

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

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.

[mgmark]

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

[Steve Pyro]

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)?

[nopanic - neil]

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

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.

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

http://racerock.com/

"On March 26, owner Bobby Moore's company, Race Rock Real Estate Inc., closed a deal with The Tavistock Group to buy the restaurant and its 3.25 acres for $7.5 million."

"Tavistock plans to renovate the 23,000-square-foot building and introduce a new entertainment-oriented restaurant concept."

[enzo]

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

www.nascarcafe.com