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Week in Florida- recommendations?


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2023 May 3, 12:07pm   841 views  17 comments

by RedStar   ➕follow (0)   💰tip   ignore  

I'm taking the family to Orlando for a week, kids want to do the typical theme parks. The wife also wants to spend time relaxing on a nice beach for the later part of the week. What coast would be better to visit? Panhandle seems too far of a drive. What's the verdict on Gulf Cost vs Atlantic side? Would like to not get eaten by sharks. Also not interested in Miami area or Daytona or the Keys as we've been there before. Just want nice clean swimmable beaches. And yes I know a week is short but it's all I could manage from work.

Alsol trying to decide on Disney vs Universal or both? Kids are pre-teens so they like the coasters. But I imagine we only have 3 days max with theme parks.

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1   AmericanKulak   2023 May 3, 12:30pm  

Atlantic! You know Kennedy Space Center is an east hour from Disney/Universal?

We have the best beaches for Surfing on the East Coast - that means it can get choppy, but we're off the Gulf Stream so it's warm enough to swim. I went this morning.

Check out the Cocoa Beach Pier, and we have tons of seaside eateries. One great place is the Island Bar and Grill to have beers and Mahi-Mahi sandwiches by the Intercoastal. You can see dolphins and manatees sometimes, and always Pelicans, from the outside seating area.
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Island-Waterfront-Bar-Grill/100045905126891/

There's also the Titusville National Police Museum, the Warbirds Museum (historical Aircraft from WW1 to F4Fs to B-24/25s to F-4s), and a host of smaller museums. Besides KSC exhibits there is also the https://ccspacemuseum.org/ Space Force Museum of early Spaceflight. Might get lucky enough to see a launch, and yeah the ground shakes:
https://spacecoastlaunches.com/launch-schedule/

We also have Gator & Mini Golf places, plenty of ice cream joints, and a Renninger's Flea Market on the Weekends.

/Brevard County Tourist Board

Give me 15 minutes to walk over and I'll take a shot.

Here's a better live view. Very flat today.
https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/lori-wilson-park/5842041f4e65fad6a7708aab?camId=64020aa34846ba8d3a90db88
https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/16th-st-south/5842041f4e65fad6a7708ac7
2   gabbar   2023 May 3, 4:31pm  

There is a small beach in Bahai Honda State Park. Its very nice. Your kids will love it too. Make sure you have water shoes. Its free.
3   WookieMan   2023 May 3, 5:45pm  

Depends what you want out of the nice beach. I've never liked the Atlantic side or the central and southern Gulf side. It's popular because of year round temperature. Stay out of Daytona for sure. The Keys are over priced and overrated. Miami no good with kids.

Rethink the Panhandle depending on time of year. Best sand you'll find in the country if you're just lounge around and kids jump in the waves types. St George Island would be the closest. You'd want to get further west though. Panama City, Destin, Navarre or Pensacola.

Key is, this a road trip or you flying in? And from what region? I've been doing one way flights and driving to another destination and dump the car at that airport. The drive from Orlando to say Destin would kind of suck, but they have an airport if you're flying. Just dump the car there. No problem if you don't want to say where you're coming from and how, but it does make a difference. Price and route wise with either driving or flying. FL has so many damn airports, so a 5-7 hour drive one day isn't that awful if you're in and out. Or you could fly within the state.
4   RedStar   2023 May 3, 7:02pm  

WookieMan says

.

Rethink the Panhandle depending on time of year. Best sand you'll find in the country if you're just lounge around and kids jump in the waves types. St George Island would be the closest. You'd want to get further (some text omitted to shorten quote...) flights and driving to another destination and dump the car at that airport. The drive from Orlando to say Destin would kind of suck, but they have an airport if you're flying. Just dump the car there.


I will take the panhandle into consideration for sure. Were flying from SFO to MCO first week of June so I might just do the drive once we get exhausted enough of Orlando.
5   gabbar   2023 May 4, 5:50am  

The best beach in the world is Princess Cays. Its a stop on carnival cruises. Its owned/leased by this cruise line. If there is paradise on earth, it is here. In August.

1. Warm water.
2. Still water.
3. Soft white sand.
4. Turquoise and aquamarine water color.

Took the cruise out of Baltimore. Paid 650 for a 5 day cruise for 2 persons.
6   Onvacation   2023 May 4, 5:54am  

RedStar says

Alsol trying to decide on Disney vs Universal or both?

Keep your kids away from the Mickey Mouse actor with his tail on backwards.
7   🎂 Tenpoundbass   2023 May 4, 6:00am  

You might catch video of a Florida world class black family brawl.

My wife and adult daughters took the three little ones to Disney last weekend. I stayed home in protest.. But I was delighted to hear my daughter say the lines were all short for everything. She even said space mountain line was only 20 minutes long vs the typical 45 minutes to 2 hours you would usually wait. She said it was the longest line out of them all.

Disney without Splash Mountain, and The Pirates of the Caribbean, isn't Disney at all.
8   AmericanKulak   2023 May 31, 6:30pm  

Tenpoundbass says

You might catch video of a Florida world class black family brawl.

My wife and adult daughters took the three little ones to Disney last weekend. I stayed home in protest.. But I was delighted to hear my daughter say the lines were all short for everything. She even said space mountain line was only 20 minutes long vs the typical 45 minutes to 2 hours you would usually wait. She said it was the longest line out of them all.

Disney without Splash Mountain, and The Pirates of the Caribbean, isn't Disney at all.

Another advantage of the Space Coast! Unlike Orange and Seminole, we have a better demographic!
9   RedStar   2023 May 31, 9:42pm  

AmericanKulak says

Tenpoundbass says


You might catch video of a Florida world class black family brawl.

My wife and adult daughters took the three little ones to Disney last weekend. I stayed home in protest.. But I was delighted to hear my daughter say the lines were all short for everything. She even said space mountain line was only 20 minutes long vs the typical 45 minutes to 2 hours you would usually wait. She said it was the longest line out of them all.

Disney without Splash Mountain, and The Pirates of the Caribbean, isn't Disney at all.

Another advantage of the Space Coast! Unlike Orange and Seminole, we have a better demographic!


OK so we actually went last week. Started in Orlando and managed to do 3 theme parks. Both Universal parks and Magic Kingdom. Disney attendance is WAY down. In fact after the fireworks it was an absolute ghost town. We did every ride again the last 2 hours. Tron makes up for Splash Mtn IMHO. They still had Pirates which was great.

For the beach we ended up on Siesta Key / Sarasota. Wonderful beaches and weather to boot.

I love Florida! What amazed me most was the roads. Except for construction zones they were all in great shape. And cheap gas.We had a few downpours but I dgaf, I was in a free state. I envy you Floridians
10   AmericanKulak   2023 May 31, 10:00pm  

RedStar says

I love Florida! What amazed me most was the roads. Except for construction zones they were all in great shape. And cheap gas.We had a few downpours but I dgaf, I was in a free state. I envy you Floridians

Isn't it amazing? That was the first thing I noticed when I first moved down from up North.

Next time come see our amazing real warm Ocean beaches and our Aerospace accomplishments!
11   🎂 Tenpoundbass   2023 Jun 1, 6:16am  

RedStar says

They still had Pirates which was great.


I thought they got rid of it. I remember they took the salty animatronics out of the entrance. Where Pirates were chasing around a beer wench saying "Come here Wench!" while the other's sang "A Pirates life for me".

The first time we went, the ride stopped moving and our boat was right at the scene I described above for about 20 minutes.
The wheering and whizzing of gears, and the endless loop of the dialog. I was about ready to get out swim out of there.
You don't realize that as soon as your boat turns the corner and another boat comes around the whole scene repeats again.
12   rocketjoe79   2023 Jun 1, 8:14am  

If there was any way to squeeze in a SpaceX Launch at the Cape, I would try!
13   zzyzzx   2024 Mar 18, 12:32pm  

rocketjoe79 says

If there was any way to squeeze in a SpaceX Launch at the Cape, I would try!

Username checks out!
14   WookieMan   2024 Mar 18, 1:24pm  

Orlando tomorrow. We have a list of restaurants and activities, but we're just gonna wing it. Then on to Tampa for a more beach vibe. Gonna do some golfing. My youngest wants to do the Cat Cafe which zzyzzx would probably like. I can't and neither can my nephew. Not a cat fan.

Kids are begging for Disney for the Star Wars park... forget the name. Fucking expensive. I might go as I need another Chewbacca photo. We get along.

Should be fun. I'm sure the door will fly off our plane and we'll all die. So if I stop posting you'll know the reason.... lol.
15   HeadSet   2024 Mar 18, 5:43pm  

WookieMan says

Should be fun. I'm sure the door will fly off our plane and we'll all die.

Bring your tool kit. Metric.
16   AmericanKulak   2024 Mar 18, 5:51pm  

WookieMan says

Orlando tomorrow.

@WookieMan

Launches on Thursday and Friday, I think.
17   WookieMan   2024 Mar 19, 7:45am  

AmericanKulak says

WookieMan says


Orlando tomorrow.

WookieMan

Launches on Thursday and Friday, I think.

Hmmm? Didn't think about that. Thanks for the tip, would be fun. Might do that. Kids would like it I think. Wife can go shopping or something lol. She won't be into it.

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