Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Help from my Florida folk.............VACATION ADVICE NEEDED

Tomorrow I'm hauling my family to Orlando for our first ever family vacation. It's the wife and I and 3 kids (8) and 214. We're doing this as a one income family so budget is a consideration, but we probably won't do this again for at least 5 years.

I'm looking at 25 bux a plate for hotel continental chow, so I'd rather put clothes on some mom and pop type restaurant owners. Any advice on hiddegems in the area?

One kid really likes sushi, I hope to try a blue crab and local seafood.....little one is ool with a microwave corn dog...lol.

We're doing at least one day in tampa to see the gulf coast and at least one attraction like universal studios or SeaWorld. At a grand a day I can't pull off more than a couple of those.

If anybody has some tips to help me save some money yet still make a memory for the kids, please help.

I was lucky enough to work 2 months of 7/12's to pull this off.....but we're going to cook through it in a blink, so I want to make the best of it.

I was hoping for SNUBA or something other than water parks as we have those at home.....looking for real Florida type stuff.

Thanks in advance.

Look into getting free discount coupons at a lot of local places like restaurants, hotels and gift shops. Maybe even online? It's been years since we did the Disney/ sea world/ universal studio vacation.

I hope you bring home lots of pictures and wonderful memories. Good luck.

I’m in Orlando with my family now. Spending a day at a beach/beach town is a relatively cheap way to spend time. We spent today at Daytona Beach and spent the last two days at SeaWorld and SeaWorld’s Aquatica. The extra money for a meal pass is well worth it at the Sea World parks. Given that a pop or a cookie is $6-$7 dollars the meal passes easily pay for themselves.

A half day fishing charter out of Port Canaveral and a few hours touring NASA is a fun way to spend a day.

We did Sea Levelers charter last year. I’d recommend them for a charter if that’s something that you’re interested in.

Visiting the Cape and NASA on Merritt Island is a good choice. I can also recommend the Orlando Science Center. We take the grandkids there often. The west coast beaches are nicer (imo) than the east coast beaches.

My advice. Skip Orlando.

Thanks guys. SeaWorld is on the list. What's the crowd like and how much are we looking at after parking, random fees and all that for 5 people to hit it with meals?

Thanks....we leave in 9 hours.

I had to get one of my kids some antibiotics forwarded to Orlando. Hopefully it's not the sign of what's to come.

Orlando sucks like a Dyson vacuum cleaner, and the rest of tourist trap Florida isn't far behind. Rent a car and drive Alligator Alley up through the central part of the state on your way to the west coast, and see some interesting scenery- - - -orange groves, cattle ranches, etc. Rural Floridians are like country people all over the rest of America- - - -good people who won't try to cheat you out of your last dime. Urban Florida is full of transplanted damyankees- - - -scum of the earth. Watch out for the blue haired 90 year old grannies- - - -driving their dead husband's 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood at 25 MPH in the fast lane to the senior citizens' discount buffet- - - -looking through the top of the steeringf wheel!

Okeechobee is nice to visit. I like inland Florida. Cocoa Beach is an OK visit. My daughter and her family live in Palm Bay so we spend a fair amount of time there. A trip down through Melbourne beach and on down to Sabastion is a good way to waste a day. Plenty of Brevard County public beach access. Some good seafood places which won't break the bank. The Brevard County Zoo is a good visit as well. Beach time depends on the weather and wind. The Sabastion Inlet State park is a nice visit with a decent beach. All of this stuff is south of Orlando (by about an hour or so), and we like it because it isn't quite so busy.
Blue Cypress Lake is a good place to fish for bass. Cabins are rustic but not too spendy. This is very different than the heavily congested coast.
We usually drive down and usually drag our trailer. It's nice to have your own home. If I'm honest, having lived most of my life in the rural northwest, I find most of Florida kind of confining, but one can always find something to do. GD
PS. You can even go ice skating in Viera!

I am coming from a town of 600 people. I am not fond of crowds....but this one is for the kids. We're definitely doing at least one day on the gulf side beaches.

Orlando and Disney USED to be good. Local dirt has it figured out.

Been in FL 55 years. So many better places to go.

We're staying in Kissimmee and my efforts are targeted away from metropolitan areas....but my kids have never seen much of a big city. I have done my time in those places. If they can see or swin with a dolphin, eat sushi and visit the zoo....I think its a win.....but universal studios keeps coming up in conversations with them.

I recently took a side trip to Crystal River. Its on the west coast, full of springs and the winter grounds for manatee. You can get a boat trip wiil get to swim with them, rent kayak gear and paddle bay, paddle and swim to mouth of springs, etc. Great little area and cost of a day with both the boat trip and kayaks will be far less than anything Orlando.

Sshh. Don't go telling everybody that. Lol.

If you are going to the Tampa area, Clearwater Beach is nice, but will be crowded, and is tourist oriented. Just a little north is Dunedin. Honeymoon Island is very nice, and not as crowded as Clearwater. There is also a ferry to Caladesi Island, which is even less crowded. You can see Dolphins pretty often from the ferry. In South St. Pete, Ft Desoto Park is a very cool place to visit. Decent Beaches, and the old Fort to explore.

Its on my retirement list and in the very near future

Thanks guys....that's my style.

We naturally spend most of our time on the oceanside and don't visit the gulf coast too often. When it comes to swimming with dolphins and such, that Sabastian Inlet State park is good for a chance to get close to wild dolphins. To swim with dolphins in a restricted setting, the Dolphin Research Center is a good option (Key Largo , if I remember right). The thing to remember is that there really is more to Florida (or most any other state) than meets the eye. There is natural Florida (my preference) and there is man-made Florida (Disney World and Universal). There are also combinations of the two. There are the two coasts and the interior, north and south, and the everglades. In Melbourne, we have canoed up Turkey Creek and had the manatees right next to the canoe. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can't see it all at once. I think I would get Universal out of the way first (a couple of days should do it), then pick an area to cover. If you want to see South Florida and the Keys, I'd plan on another trip just for that! We spent 2 weeks in Everglades National Park and went back twice more. GD

He has kids, they are going to Orlando like everybody with kids does if they can. At least once anyway. The Orlando bashing isn't doing anyone any good.

Yeah we vacationed in Clearwater. Very nice at the beach. Surrounding areas can be a little ghetto.

Disney and kids is fun.

There is no beach in orlando. You're almost right slap dab in the middle of the state.


https://i.imgur.com/myh94nG.jpg

Says you.

A lot of people go once in their life and Orlando is the end of it, so it's worth trying to dissuade him and his family from Orlando if possible.

frankly, coming down to Florida is a waste of time and money. Basically it's a scam. Find some place near home and vacation there. The kids do NOT need any further Disney influence in their young lives.

Wonder what they'd think of getting dropped off at the head springs and drift snorkeling Rainbow River and see what a big largemouth bass will do when you yank on its tail..

Well, that's a point.

aye !!!!!

If you spend enough time around Crystal River with a power boat, you will get good at using your foot to push the manatees away from the back of the boat so you can put the motor in gear. 🙂

Wow, is this guy ever in for culture shock! Stand by for crowds and be prepared to spend LOTS of money. If you must, Sea World is way better than Disney. At Disney we had the fun of standing in line 45 minutes to take a five minute ride to see plastic stuff. And everyone buys a fast pass, so that is no help. You will blow your entire budget just getting into the gate at Disney. As long as you are south of there anyway around Kissimmee, Gatorland is great for everyone and cheaper than anything in Orlando. Woodsbys Calf on Orange Blossom Trail is kind of mom & pop and a local hang out. We liked eating at Harbor Side in Winter Haven and the pontoon boat ride from there is great through a bunch of chain of lakes especially for bird watching. Being birders, Meritt Island is great just north of the Space Center and a driving trip gets you into lots of rural Florida, but stop at the ranger station first to get the map and ask if the painted bunting is at their feeder out back. Dixie Crossroads in Titusville right across the bridge is good for lunch, but you will have a waiting line. Yes, plan a day at the Space Center. You will be amazed. Take the train to Winter Park and walk around to see how the high rollers live. Then take the boat tour to see them tearing down 3 million dollar houses in order to build a 5 million dollar one. Cherry Pockets is a unique eating experience south of Poinciana as is Old Harry's. The Saint Johns river boat trip is a good one to see lots of back woods FL.As long as you are around Tampa, I'd keep going to get to Fort DeSoto state park. Lots of nice beaches there and some Florida history.

Not sure where he is coming from, but he is going to kiss the ground when he gets back there. So many people head for Florida for the weather and attractions, but FL. is so slow to improve the infrastructure, that it is gridlock lots of places. Out of towners are like raw meat to the criminal element, so go out after dark at your own risk. Distance down there is measured in time, not distance. We drive 65-75 here in the Midwest and would be in jail for driving the kinds of speed that they go down there. We sold out last year to get out when the getting out was good. The only reason FL. is still on my CF location is to keep that swallow tailed kite on my avatar. No bird that I've ever seen can fly like those can. Be interesting to read his post trip experience.

Traffic is certainly something to learn to deal with. I drive 64 miles to work everyday through zero lights and it takes 70 minutes.

Thanks for the heads up on the fast pass.

So far it sounds like seaworld and animal kingdom are my kids choices.

This is certainly a cash hemorrhage....I hope they love it.

We have a 24' whitewater jet boat and they've all played with 8' sturgeon.

Disney isn’t the Disney of yesteryear. Think Starwars.


I think all the animal/fish stuff is lame. But we see that stuff on a regular basis.

Glad that you are checking in. Florida is a l-o-n-g state and it takes lots of time to get places because the stop lights are 5 minutes long in the city; that is if you even get through the first time they turn green. The wife suggest a jet boat ride. Lots of those kind of places on Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho to everyone down there) which is a huge lake and the head waters to the everglades.

It was pretty funny one time when I was talking to a fisherman that had just come in from fishing Toho. Now that lake is huge and you can't see across it and I asked the guy how deep is it out there? "Oh, must be at least 6 or 8 feet" he said. It was an oh wow to a guy who is use to fishing the Great Lakes. They don't use anchors on a lot of boats because they have mud poles that jam into the bottom.

Another watch out is the traffic rules. There aren't any for lots of them down there. Plenty of folks don't bother with car insurance and if they get into an accident and the car is still drivable, they leave. A real common trick we were seeing the last few years is two cars going through a four way stop together nose to tail.

An airboat tour/ride is on my list of things to do when/if we vacation in FL someday.

Don't understand you wanting a contest, but that's cool.

Not a contest at all.....just saying they've touched some big fish.

Never seen orcas, manatees or gators.

Been there, done that, with my three sons. I live in FL now, it's all expensive at the parks. My advice would be to get some fixin's to eat your breakfast in your lodging, much cheaper that way, and buy as many snack stuffs at local grocery to cut down on meals out where ever you can. I used to feed my sons at Chic Fil A for $7 each, now same meal is over $10 (3x). Fast food for me and the boys was easily $40 per and that's just one meal. We travel a lot now, mostly just me and the Mrs, mostly air bnbs, we eat breakfast at lodging (last thing you want to do is start the day hungry, looking for food), eat lunch out, and then fix some sort of dinner and wine/whisky in the evening, much more relaxing and affordable/better food.

We had dinner at this place. I saw the car and it caused me to do a little investigating. We spent $200 for 2 of us to eat and it was the first time I'd shelled out that much for a meal in my life.....and I feel like it was worth it.

This morning I have to spend 90 minutes letting someone try to sell us a time share, but in reward they are eating $600 off our seaworld tickets and a midevil dinner theater. I'm not tickled about the 90 minutes, but for a guy on an hourly salary treating the whole clan, this is a gift to me.

Incase anyone wonders, $60 in the hands of 3 kids at the arcade is exactly 20 minutes of fun.

This is a very good idea. Close to Tampa. We went there last month but got rained out.

Been to Orlando a couple times, 1988 when my kids were little and then in 2001 when they were teenagers. It was a lot of fun.

Noticably more the crowded the second trip, we spent more time at Epcot and did Universal Studios, and went to Canaveral to see the space museum, etc.

A friend had taken grandkids a year or two ago to Disney, he suggested if I was thinking of doing the same I could give him $10,000.00 and he would kick me in the nuts and I'd feel about the same after.

But since you're there, make the most of it and have fun! Memories for a lifetime!

Silly savages… I’ve been to Disney over 3000 times! LOL … I worked there for years.