Help w/ hotel & plan ideas (non WDW)

[shawn2103]

First of all let me apologize if this is in the wrong section my boys 7 and 5 are coming to Florida 02/27/08-03/08/08 we are staying at the resort from 03/01/08-03/08/08 so I was thinking going to the ocean for 2 days and the gulf for 1 day or vice versa any suggestions, the cheaper the better as we will not be in the room other than to sleep and any ideas of things to do thanks!!!!!

 

[MattJL]

So you wanted to go to the eastern part of florida for two days and then the western part of florida for one? To me, the "gulf" is just the "ocean" where Tampa is.

 

[shawn2103]

I am open to whatever has more to offer 1 day at ocean or 1 day at the gulf with the other 2 at the other one , any ideas on activities, cheap places to stay??!!?!??!?!?!

 

[MattJL]

Honestly, I'd just do three days at one place.
I live on the Atlantic and you're looking at an hour to an hour and a half drive. While you're out here you can goto Kennedy Space Center. They have a new Shuttle Launch Simulator that is SIMILAR to Mission Space in Epcot. The one thing they simulate with the Shuttle Launch Simulator that isn't in Mission Space is weightlessness. Beach days are hit-or-miss, unless you have a wetsuit. The beaches are okay, but plating in the surf around here can hurt. There's a hard shelf of rock that can cut your feet, or your knees when you fall.
Tampa is going to be a two to three hour drive from Disney. Along the way you can stop at Busch Gardens. They have a ton of roller coasters. When you're in Tampa I'd also goto the Florida Aquarium. They had a lot of stuff for kids and it's one of the better aquariums I've been to. The beach there is probably going to be easier to play in as well.
So if you don't mind the drive, I'd take two days in Tampa and one in Coco/Cape Canaveral.