First post - 1/2 day to fill

[MomPOM]

Hi everyone! I've been loving the board and have been soaking up the information for our trip in early February.

We're flying out to Orlando on Feb 5th. Initially, we were planning to go to Sea World on the 5th and then out to Kennedy on the 6th and heading to WDW on the 7th-12th.

Now of course that I've thought about it, I realized this plan isn't going to work. We get in to Orlando at 11 and after picking up the car, getting to the hotel, etc., we're looking at 1:00 before we can even do anything. My 4 year-old son would die if we only spent a couple of hours at Sea World. So, we're cutting out Kennedy and doing Sea World for the full day on the 6th.

So, does anyone have any suggestions as to what we can do for a half a day outside of WDW. Also, any suggestions on a place to eat dinner?

 

[hobogary]

Old Town is nice, better in the evening.

 

[MEK]

Down Town Disney is fun. How about a character dinner that night at Chef Mickey? Do something that gets you into the Disney mood.

 

[hercamore]

You could go to Animal Kingdom. That park can usually be done in 4-5 hrs.


herc.

 

[tednvon]

All you need is one more idea to confuse you, huh??

My family would vote for trip to Boardwalk...it is beautiful at night!!
Eat at ESPN, check out all sports stuff if a sports fan...about an hour including meals...

If not sports fan, stroll the boardwalk...and walk all the way around by Beach and Yacht club...Maybe stop into Beaches and Cream for a treat...OOOOH and AAAAAH at the cool pool at Beach club...

If not a sports fan eat at the Micro Brewery, or Pizza at Spoodles...make sure and watch for the street magicians and intertainers...they are great...do not miss walking through the beautiful lobby at Boardwalk and find the miniature carousel....All very relaxing and not quite as hectic as all the shopping at Marketplace.

This is my vote...all ideas here are great though, so any choice will be fun!!!


Enjoy...Ted

 

[MomPOM]

Thanks for the info! I guess I'm looking for something not on Disney property and not really ride or theme park related. Is there a cute downtown area to wander around?

We were also thinking of hitting the Disney outlet mall we had been hearing about but I haven't looked into where that is yet.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I'd probably pick something I've never done before in Orlando or on I-drive combined with the hotel pool. You can always do things that are tied in with WDW while you are doing those themeparks so I wouldn't do DTD.

Here's a website that lists the major attractions. I'd assume anything that isn't Disney, Busch (Seaworld), or Universal could be done in an afternoon/evening. http://orlandoentertainmentguide.com/12.Attractions.htm
I'd try any one of these within reasonable driving distance combined with relaxing by the pool.

 

[KQAN]

Yes, Orlando does have a real downtown, as well as a number of interesting neighborhoods to explore. You could walk around Lake Eola in downtown, and stop for gelato, BBQ, beer, or books in Thornton Park, a historic neighborhood with brick streets and 100-year old homes on downtown's west side. You could explore Park Ave in Winter Park (an upscale suburb near the heart of Orlando), with its expensive and interesting shops, bars, and bistros. Similarly, Edgewater Drive in College Park (a neighborhood north of downtown) offers a variety shopping and dining experiences. The Orlando Museum of Art, Mennello Folk Art Museum, Orlando Science Center, and Morse Museum are all great places to explore.

 

[MomPOM]

Thanks for the tips! Thornton Park sounds really nice. We may head there. I seriously can't wait for this trip!

 

[RumpleMom]

JMHO

But remember you might have been up very early the morning of your flight.

Do you really want to drive around unfamiliar territory and do a lot of walking before spending a long next day at Sea World?

You will be arriving around lunchtime, so that and checking in will be top priority. Do you need to stop at a grocery store for a few items? snacks, bottled water?

You could have lunch and explore your resort to see the amenities. Then a ADR for dinner, a character meal is great for setting the Disney mood.

Disney DVD for the evening and get a good night's rest, you won't sleep because of the excitement, but you will be resting. You can get up early and get an early start.

IMO this is a good plan with a 4 year old.


We have teenagers who didn't want to run around that first evening. We did Chef Mickey's, went to the MK for Wishes, then called it a night. That was their only early in night!

 

[kilee]

For our arrival days we usually get in right around lunchtime too. We usually use the time to get settled into our room, maybe swim and check out our resort. Then we usually plan a charcter dinner or special dinner at a Disney resort (even when we're offsite- this just seems to set the Disney mood for the whole trip). Then we usually cap it off w/ DTD.