Off to Florida

bntylr

So i fly out to Orlando on Wednesday and was wondering if anyone on here has been out?

Any recommendations on places to visit?

Particularly interested in food and ofc anything guitar related!  

ddlooping

Never been there but have a nice trip.

[Deleted User]

There are some really unusual/odd motels in the Keys, which were detailed in guide books when I was last there. Alligator Alley is worth driving through (you may wish to avoid the local delicacy of alligator burger though - I'm not joking about this...). Key West is lovely....

chillidoggy

I'm in Florida right now.

The food is the best junk food in the world. And they do it really well.

Theme parks are HIGHLY recommended, Seaworld, Wet n Wild, Universal Studios, Disney, the whole nine yards, they're all fantastic. Mrs C and I are off to Busch Gardens in Tampa tomorrow, and that's worth the drive, too.

As for guitars, see if there's a Guitar Center or a Sam Ash nearby where you're staying.

Have fun, be prepared for the afternoon downpours of biblical proportions, and the crushing humidity.

johnnyurq

Please tell me wet n' wild is what I hope it is and I am there. 

If not I feel a rather angry letter of complaint re the trades description act or US equivalent would be in order.

chillidoggy

It's all it's cracked up to be.....

bntylr

richardhomer said:

There are some really unusual/odd motels in the Keys, which were detailed in guide books when I was last there. Alligator Alley is worth driving through (you may wish to avoid the local delicacy of alligator burger though - I'm not joking about this...). Key West is lovely....

Not planning on going as far as they Keys I don't think, I won't be the one driving so it gets difficult!

As for theme parks, already have tickets sorted FOR THEM ALL. Can't wait! Gives me a chance to be a kid again.

I'm hoping guitar center isn't just an upscaled Dawsons. Although going by there website it seems a lot better.

bntylr

ddlooping said:

Never been there but have a nice trip.

Thanks! Will be sure to post anything interesting I find whilst there so you can least pretend you're there.

daveyh

I've been three times, father in law has property in Kissimmee(sp?). Where are you staying?

chillidoggy

Avoid Alligator Alley. It's mind-numbingly boring, and having driven across it 6 times, and not seen one single bloody alligator, it's tantamount to fraud!

[Deleted User]

chillidoggy;45120" said:

Avoid Alligator Alley. It's mind-numbingly boring, and having driven across it 6 times, and not seen one single bloody alligator, it's tantamount to fraud!

That's because they turn them all into burgers. Strange taste; a cross between fish and chicken.....

bntylr

daveyh;45119" said:

I've been three times, father in law has property in Kissimmee(sp?). Where are you staying?

Just outside Orlando in Cleremont I think
I may be wrong though

daveyh

bntylr said:

daveyh;45119" said:

I've been three times, father in law has property in Kissimmee(sp?). Where are you staying?

Just outside Orlando in Cleremont I think
I may be wrong though

I know Cleremont (stayed there last time), brilliant place to stay, close enough to everything but far enough out to be nice.

For food, find the 'Sweet Tomato', nothing like it in the UK I know of. And marvel at the price of Brit food in the supermarkets.

Guitar Centre is worth a visit, very nice staff. When we were there son wanted an MXR EVH Phase 90, they let him use a $1600 Ibby RG and Blackstar HT50. That wouldn't happen in Dawsons. 

 

Jalapeno

Go.

To.

Kennedy Space Centre !!!!!!!!!

ESBlonde

All the parks can be great, you might need a day off them for a change. My one regret was not going here.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/

Halfway between Tampa and Orlando, it's the worlds biggest private collection and it done family style with lots of superb interactive involvement.

I liked Busch Gardens and Epcot myself but didn't do them all.

boogieman

My girlfriend's brother lives near Orlando, so I've been over several times.

You'll need another holiday afterwards if you're doing the theme parks, they are seriously VAST. You'll need two whole days each just to get round the bigger Disney ones. Some of the Disney ones do amazing firework shows in the evenings, but you can get pass-outs and come back later so you don't have to waste time waiting for them. Seaworld and Kennedy are really, really worth seeing if you get time. 

The Denny's restaurants are brilliant for breakfast, lots of choice and really cheap. Just don't order grits..I did, just to see what they were and it's basically white mush with no taste that looks like wallpaper paste. Most of the restaurants serve enormous amounts of food and you get extras like drink refills and side salads for nowt, so if you're a greedy bugger like me you'll come back weighing about a stone heavier. 

Last time we were there (last September) we found retail prices had gone up substantially, so clothes, jewellery etc aren't the bargains they used to be. Never got round to looking at guitars though, so there may still be decent deals to be had.

guitargeek62

ESBlonde said:

All the parks can be great, you might need a day off them for a change. My one regret was not going here.

http://www.fantasyofflight.com/

Halfway between Tampa and Orlando, it's the worlds biggest private collection and it done family style with lots of superb interactive involvement.

I liked Busch Gardens and Epcot myself but didn't do them all.

Woah - adding that to my checklist for next time! We're going in 2017 to see the big NASA launch

chillidoggy

Another plus for Cape Kennedy Space Centre. I paid extra for the lunch with an astronaut, and found it fascinating to get to ask questions about the guy's experiences. The place is a must for anyone mildly interested in space flight.

crunchman

I stayed near Clermont last year.  The theme parks are good - especially with young kids.  Seaworld/Aquatica/Busch Gardens are are a lot cheaper than Disney if you get the 2 week pass that covers all 3 of them.  If you get the pass you can pop in for a few hours at a time, rather than have an exhausting 10 or 12 hour day.  This works really well with the water park where you can pop in to cool off on a hot afternoon.  They do get you with the parking though.  All of the theme parks seem to be $14 or more for parking.

Some of the eat as much as you want buffet's are good fun.  If you are going to a theme park, the secret is to stop at one of these for an enormous breakfast so you don't need to eat much and pay inflated food prices inside.

Guitar wise, George's Music were really nice when I went in there, and there is a big Guitar Centre in Orlando.  Both of them have a lot of high end stuff.  From talking to them I think they do good trade selling to the British.

freakboy1610

I've been several times. I would go for Universal and Islands of Adventure over Disney unless you have kids in which case you have to do Magic Kingdom (bot not the other Disney stuff). No cheap tickets for Disney but we usually get good deals on Universal at the booths on International Drive. Just avoid the ones selling timeshares!! I really liked Kennedy Space Center and would recommend Midway Airboat Rides http://www.airboatridesatmidway.com/ for a fun trip. We have been out with them 3 or 4 times and it's always a great laugh. They have a huge pet pig in the office and a little gator that you can hold. They are East of Orlando on the way towards Kennedy so combine the two! Georges Music is tucked away on I-Drive near to the Universal turn off. As for food it's got to be Red Lobster, Tony Roma's for endless ribs (on a Monday I think), Ming Court for Chinese and Uno for pizza. I'm going again next May. Have a great one.

Axe_meister

I found Florida to be a place of extremes with not much in the middle.

Mega fat people and mega fit people

Mega rich and mega poor

Saw a shuttle launch when I was there 12 years ago (one off my bucket list).

Love the observation area, right next to one of the lakes with just a piece of string separating you from the water with a big sign saying

This is a national park approx 3000 Alligators live in the waters. One could just imagine a small child being snapped up as it plays.

The gators love to sit under the bridge at the Kennedy Space center. 

Hated the main Disney park, but enjoyed the others.

Sea world was fantastic.

Got stopped by the police as we were walking from our hotel to the local mall. Just next door, but there was no pavement.

Cops wanted to do us for jay walking, but thankfully realised we were Brits. On asking how else we should get to the mall, they said we would have to drive, which meant driving 3 miles away from the mall before we could do a U turn, then drive 6 miles back up again to do a U turn which meant we could have turned into the mall car park.

I very nearly said "no wonder you Yanks are so fucking fat".