3 Canucks Visit "The Other Side of Orlando": A Trip Report (Complete!)

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Brilliant trip report. I've been waiting soooo patiently (not) I'm really looking forward to our week on I-Drive - its been nice to have a non-Disney report. Thank you.

Thank YOU for coming back to read the ending after such a long wait!

Best wishes to you and your fiance on your upcoming wedding. May you both have a wonderful holiday in Orlando, and a long and happy life together!

 

[bankr63]

Thanks Gina and Clan. It was a fabulous trip! Great photos and your report kept moving right along. We get to go back a lot (we own 3 weeks of Timeshares in Orlando, but rarely use them ALL), but it never seems to be enough time to do everything we want to do! That especially holds true once you escape the hold of the Mouse, and discover everything else that Central Florida offers.

You definitely need to do the waterparks! The waves at Typhoon Lagoon are incredible, and the water coasters are really neat (unlike straight slides, they have sections where jets shoot you uphill).

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

You definitely need to do the waterparks! The waves at Typhoon Lagoon are incredible, and the water coasters are really neat (unlike straight slides, they have sections where jets shoot you uphill).

The plan on our August trip is to visit two......we're just having a hard time deciding on which ones to pick . We are nothing if not indecisive!

One will either bet Wet N Wild (they have a length of stay pass that's pretty reasonable) or Aquatica (they have a Weekday Pass that's also not a bad price). Then the other will be ???? (a one-day, one visit pass). Not sure if we will do W&W/Aquatica, W&W and a Disney waterpark, or Aquatica and a Disney waterpark. Ugh! Its easier to make up my mind when there aren't so many awesome possibilities.

Also, bankr63 , I was hoping I could pick your brain ... have you ever done an airboat tour on any of your trips? If so, is there one you would recommend over another?

 

[bankr63]

The plan on our August trip is to visit two......we're just having a hard time deciding on which ones to pick . We are nothing if not indecisive!

One will either bet Wet N Wild (they have a length of stay pass that's pretty reasonable) or Aquatica (they have a Weekday Pass that's also not a bad price). Then the other will be ???? (a one-day, one visit pass). Not sure if we will do W&W/Aquatica, W&W and a Disney waterpark, or Aquatica and a Disney waterpark. Ugh! Its easier to make up my mind when there aren't so many awesome possibilities.

Also, bankr63 , I was hoping I could pick your brain ... have you ever done an airboat tour on any of your trips? If so, is there one you would recommend over another?

For the water parks, I would suggest that if you are spending a couple of days in the Disney Parks that you add the WPFAM option to your tickets. This would get you into one or both waterparks, and into DisneyQuest as well for a pretty reasonable price. I have a feeling your boys might like to spend an evening playing at DQ, perhaps while you get your shoppin' on at DTD. (Okay that was sexist, for all I know you could be the video game queen)

We have never done the airboat tour, only the St Johns River boat tour out of Blue Springs State Park. It was amazing, but I would suggest you wait until a winter trip for that as the manatee overwinter in the Springs, and are not to be missed.

My tip would be to get the Unofficial Guide - Beyond Disney. They have a fairly good section on the various airboat outfits and which are the best. It is a short enough section that you can grab a Starbucks and a comfy chair at Chapters if you don't want to buy the whole book. Our local library has it too, but it is a couple versions old and the UG books are updated frequently.

 

[SharonK0527]

Thanks for the great TR Gina! It was fun to see all the fun you guys had and I'm looking forward to your next TR in August!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks for the great TR Gina! It was fun to see all the fun you guys had and I'm looking forward to your next TR in August!!

Thank you Sharon!

PS....love your daughter's name....it was on our short-list 16 years ago, till we found out that the little girl that we were sure we were having turned out to be male. Ironically, we ended up with a niece by the same name a few months later, but with a different spelling ("Savana"). Its just so pretty .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

For the water parks, I would suggest that if you are spending a couple of days in the Disney Parks that you add the WPFAM option to your tickets. This would get you into one or both waterparks, and into DisneyQuest as well for a pretty reasonable price. I have a feeling your boys might like to spend an evening playing at DQ, perhaps while you get your shoppin' on at DTD. (Okay that was sexist, for all I know you could be the video game queen)

We have never done the airboat tour, only the St Johns River boat tour out of Blue Springs State Park. It was amazing, but I would suggest you wait until a winter trip for that as the manatee overwinter in the Springs, and are not to be missed.

My tip would be to get the Unofficial Guide - Beyond Disney. They have a fairly good section on the various airboat outfits and which are the best. It is a short enough section that you can grab a Starbucks and a comfy chair at Chapters if you don't want to buy the whole book. Our local library has it too, but it is a couple versions old and the UG books are updated frequently.

No Disney (again! ) on this trip. I so wish you could buy a multi-day waterpark pass without having to buy a multi-day park pass. Alas, 'tis not the case.

The suggestion to pick up the Unofficial Guide - Beyond Disney is a great one. I love to read . And I really, REALLY love to read stuff that pertains to our upcoming adventures!! I will be off to Chapters this weekend!!! (but I'll take my book to-go.....I'm a Tim Hortons girl ... and its roll up the rim time! ).

And you were totally correct on your assumption......video game queen I am surely not!!! It's shopping all the way, baby!!!!

 

[SharonK0527]

Thank you Sharon!

PS....love your daughter's name....it was on our short-list 16 years ago, till we found out that the little girl that we were sure we were having turned out to be male. Ironically, we ended up with a niece by the same name a few months later, but with a different spelling ("Savana"). Its just so pretty .

Thanks! She gets a lot of compliments on her name. I think it has become a little more popular over the last few years. I have to say though, I must give credit for her name to my DH. I had picked the name if it was a boy (Tristan). DH said "If it's a girl, I love the name Savannah". As soon as I heard it I loved it so it took us about 3 seconds to pick her name!

 

[reelmom]

I just found you trip report and imagine my surprise when I thought some of the pictures looked familiar. Then I remembered seeing them on the Orlando Informer website. You did a great job reviewing the hotel. We are staying at Royal Pacific for the first time in May. I hope we get a discount/upgrade like you did. I am excited about early entry and express pass. I am also worried since I am afraid that we will get spoiled and want to go there instead of Disney in the future.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I just found you trip report and imagine my surprise when I thought some of the pictures looked familiar. Then I remembered seeing them on the Orlando Informer website. You did a great job reviewing the hotel. We are staying at Royal Pacific for the first time in May. I hope we get a discount/upgrade like you did. I am excited about early entry and express pass. I am also worried since I am afraid that we will get spoiled and want to go there instead of Disney in the future.

Glad to have you along . And yes, that was my post on the Orlando Informer site (I am totally impressed that you linked this thread and that submission ).....its a great resource for non-Disney Orlando vacation planning, isn't it? Dan does a fab job and I was happy to be able to contribute to his website.

You will love love love the unlimited express passes. It is absolutely worth staying on site for. I will keep my fingers crossed that you receive a nice upgrade when you arrive. The Royal Pacific is so lovely, I am sure you will be happy with your stay!

 

[MamaLema]

I LOVED your trip report. Your research and planning is awsome!

Thanks for sharing

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I LOVED your trip report. Your research and planning is awsome!

Thanks for sharing

Your kind comments are much appreciated .

So glad to have had you reading along. This trip report was so much fun to do .... the next best thing to "being there"!

 

[reelmom]

Glad to have you along . And yes, that was my post on the Orlando Informer site (I am totally impressed that you linked this thread and that submission ).....its a great resource for non-Disney Orlando vacation planning, isn't it? Dan does a fab job and I was happy to be able to contribute to his website.

You will love love love the unlimited express passes. It is absolutely worth staying on site for. I will keep my fingers crossed that you receive a nice upgrade when you arrive. The Royal Pacific is so lovely, I am sure you will be happy with your stay!

I agree that Dan does a wonderful job. So much information and great tips. I like him even more today. My name was chosen as the weekly contest winner! It was for a free subscription. SInce I was already a subscriber, Dan refunded my money. Looking forward to more of your contributions on the Orlando Informer.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

My name was chosen as the weekly contest winner! It was for a free subscription.

Looking forward to more of your contributions on the Orlando Informer.

Woohoo!! Congratulations!!

And thanks .

 

[monkey30]

Great TR! Enjoyed looking at the sunny pictures as I hide in my house during this crappy winter weather!

Love the pictures you 3 looked like you had a blast! Now I am regretting not trying the butter beer!

 

[pkitty]

This was an awesome report....been to wdw 12 times and never once to Universal....this motivated me to check it out. My dd id 18 (a lonely only s well) and heading to Sheridan College this fall (degree in fine arts) and this would be a good "farwell trip". Thanks for the hotel info as well....glad you had an awesome family trip

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Great TR! Enjoyed looking at the sunny pictures as I hide in my house during this crappy winter weather!

Love the pictures you 3 looked like you had a blast! Now I am regretting not trying the butter beer!

Thank you for the kind compliments!

As for the butter beer.....I could seriously go for a nice cold cup right now! Guess you'll just have to book another trip so you can try some .

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

This was an awesome report....been to wdw 12 times and never once to Universal....this motivated me to check it out. My dd id 18 (a lonely only s well) and heading to Sheridan College this fall (degree in fine arts) and this would be a good "farwell trip". Thanks for the hotel info as well....glad you had an awesome family trip

Thank you so much .

A farewell trip to Universal sounds like an awesome and amazing send-off to college. What a lucky girl your daughter is!!! I hope to do something similar for my boy when he completes high school. He's planning on a career in the Canadian Forces, so when he does "leave the nest", he's likely to be far from home. *sigh* ... it will all come too soon. One minute they are babies, the next they are moving away .

 

[highland3]

Gina... you rock!!!
What a great TR. We're heading to Universal for the first time in just over a week and now I have a much better idea of what to expect.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Gina... you rock!!!
What a great TR. We're heading to Universal for the first time in just over a week and now I have a much better idea of what to expect.

Aw shucks......you made me blush!

Have an amazing, fantastic and incredible trip!!!!! Would love to read about your adventures when you return....hopefully you will have time to post a TR as well!