Where would you go after Disney?

[hopetotimeshare]

Hello Fellow Tuggers! We will be making our third pilgrimage in as many years, to Disney this May. We will be staying at Vistana Resort for 7 days, only visiting "the world" a few days instead of running ragged. I thought a nice treat would be to visit a South Florida beach for 3 more days after Disney (Goodness knows you can use a break after Dis with 3 kids). Any suggestions as to what area you would recommend? The criteria would be:

Should be easy to drive to from Orlando
Kid friendly
Clean and relaxing
Easy on the wallet
Nearby airport

I am open to suggestions regarding Starwood owned beach resorts and others.

Thanks!

 

[bccash63]

Cocoa beach and cape canaveral/space center--kids love it. Dawn
The Resort on Cocoa Beach
Discovery Beach Resort
Ron Jons Caribe

 

[Robnsunny]

Daytona is also nice although more built up than I like.

Driving to the beaches in the Canaveral Wildlife Refuge from Daytona in the north or Cocoa (or a little over an hour from Orlando) is great to get away from the noise and crowds.

 

[topcop400]

If it were me, I'd go to the Kennedy Space center. It's less than an hour away and those who have gone said it was the highlight of their trip.

 

[Sea Six]

Space Coast is a great idea for the whole family. No Shuttle launches scheduled then, but you may get to see this if you're in the area:

Date: May 16
Mission: GLAST
Launch Vehicle: United Launch Alliance Delta II
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station - Launch Complex 17 - Pad 17-B
Launch Window: 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. EDT
Description: An heir to its successful predecessor -- the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory -- the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope will have the ability to detect gamma rays in a range of energies from thousands to hundreds of billions of times more energetic than the light visible to the human eye. Radiation of such magnitude can only be generated under the most extreme conditions, thus GLAST will focus on studying the most energetic objects and phenomena in the universe.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Sea World Has Outstanding Animal Shows.

Hi There, Hope-To . . .

Shux, I can remember when Hoping To was all you were doing. Now that you've taken the plunge, you're a seasoned member of the Vistana Orlando family & you are good to go. Maybe 1 of these days you can apply to the TUG Grand Pro for a new TUG-BBS user name, maybe something along the lines of Aleady Timesharing.

However that may be, don't sell Sea World short as an outstanding Orlando fun destination -- the dolphin shows & the orca shows & the false killer whale shows are amazing. Great fun. A special Sea World favorite of mine is the Pets Ahoy indoor stage show featuring tricks & antics by highly trained dogs & cats & pigs & ducks & I don't know what-all.

If you're feeling specially prosperous, you can spend a day at Discovery Cove (across the street from Sea World), where the kids can swim with the dolphins. Tickets for that are in the neighborhood of $200 apiece, I think. However, if you sign up for Discovery Cove, they throw in free admission to approximately 1 week of Sea World & Busch Gardens (Tampa FL).

If you plan a day at the beach from a vacation base of Orlando FL, you'll spend much of the time driving to & from either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf Of Mexico. Orlando is right smack in between, & not all that close by any beaches -- & even farther away from South Florida beaches. (So it goes. Fortunately, however, Vistana Orlando has outstanding pools right there on site -- not that I need to tell you since you've stayed there twice already & we only went to Vistana Orlando once, our 1st RCI exchange, 2003.)

Have fun.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[lprstn]

Vistana also has Vistana Beach Club in Jensen...

Its newly remodeled and if you own at Sheraton you will get a discount rate on the rooms. Jensen is in the Palm Beach area, you will fly in to Ft. Lauderdale

 

[hopetotimeshare]

Yes Away, I have been around a while now...time flies (no pun intended!) I will look into changing my user name. Although my "hope" is still to own enough weeks "to timeshare" through my retirement years...I have at least 20 -30 years until my hubby's retirement...

I absolutely love Sea World, I haven't been there since 1996 but I am a huge lover of sea life and underwater exploration. Swimming with the dolphins is on my "bucket list" lol so perhaps we can do that at Discovery Cove. We'll be there during Mother's Day and I have hinted around that maybe my family would like to treat me to a day at Discovery Cove...

We are really focusing on enjoying the resort and exploring the areas around the "world".

And yes, I am so glad we made the choice to purchase at Vistana. We were very pleased during our last trip and even though we had the recent assessment, I know that the end results will be impressive and worth it (to us anyway).

As for the beaches...I would really like the kids to see Cape Canaveral (we have 8 yo twins and a 4 yo). But I also like the Gulf side for beaches...I will certainly take all of the advice here and as usual, analyze it all to death in order to come up with the perfect plan...

You are all so great and my membership here is priceless...thank you all and keep the info. coming! Thanks, Jacki

Hi There, Hope-To . . .

Shux, I can remember when Hoping To was all you were doing. Now that you've taken the plunge, you're a seasoned member of the Vistana Orlando family & you are good to go. Maybe 1 of these days you can apply to the TUG Grand Pro for a new TUG-BBS user name, maybe something along the lines of Aleady Timesharing.

However that may be, don't sell Sea World short as an outstanding Orlando fun destination -- the dolphin shows & the orca shows & the false killer whale shows are amazing. Great fun. A special Sea World favorite of mine is the Pets Ahoy indoor stage show featuring tricks & antics by highly trained dogs & cats & pigs & ducks & I don't know what-all.

If you're feeling specially prosperous, you can spend a day at Discovery Cove (across the street from Sea World), where the kids can swim with the dolphins. Tickets for that are in the neighborhood of $200 apiece, I think. However, if you sign up for Discovery Cove, they throw in free admission to approximately 1 week of Sea World & Busch Gardens (Tampa FL).

If you plan a day at the beach from a vacation base of Orlando FL, you'll spend much of the time driving to & from either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf Of Mexico. Orlando is right smack in between, & not all that close by any beaches -- & even farther away from South Florida beaches. (So it goes. Fortunately, however, Vistana Orlando has outstanding pools right there on site -- not that I need to tell you since you've stayed there twice already & we only went to Vistana Orlando once, our 1st RCI exchange, 2003.)

Have fun.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[lprstn]

Vistana also has Vistana Beach Club in Jensen...

Its newly remodeled and if you own at Sheraton you will get a discount rate on the rooms. Jensen is in the Palm Beach area, you will fly in to Ft. Lauderdale

 

[Lisa P]

If you visit Sea World, get there right at opening time. The first group to enter the Dolphin feeding area (9:15 am, when the park opens at 9) is the smallest group of the day. Then, the dolphins are hungry, active and very interactive.

We loved to pet them and couldn't believe how soft and smooth their skin is, under the chin and chest. They're easy to pet while another family member is feeding them overpriced food, one at a time ($6/tray of 3 little fish). If you go later in the day, the animals are not as hungry and eager for interaction and the crowds offering food are much bigger. Just watch out for the aggressive birds that swoop down to steal the fish out of your hands.

For just 3 days at the beach, with the ages of your kids, I'd probably choose the Gulf Coast, and fly in/out of Tampa. My FL inlaws sometimes get great airfares there. The water is gentler on the Gulf.

If you want to visit Kennedy Space Center (or if your kids love the bigger Atlantic waves), then stay in either Cocoa Beach or Daytona. Airfares can be decent to Jacksonville, depending on where you're coming from (SkyBus goes there too).

For a 3-night stay, I can't help much with resort ideas. Some resorts that are in active sales will offer special deals on hotel rooms and require a sales pitch tour. Wyndham has a 3 night offer at the Westin Ft. Lauderdale or Howard Johnson Plaza for $189 including a $50 dinner cert - you could fly in/out of Miami. I'm guessing that sales tour takes you to their Palm Aire property. Surely others offer something similar, if a hotel room stay is okay with you. Some will allow for an upgrade to a resort condo for a fee. You may want to look into the options through Sheraton, as an owner. HTH.

 

[tombo]

Daytona has great flat beaches that slowly get deeper with no quick drop offs which is ideal for kids (although the waves can get large). The Fairfield Ocean Walk in Daytona has a lazy river, a great ocean to swim in, a large water park right across the street, many restaurants inside the resort including one pool side, 2 indoor and 2 outdoor pools, a shopping complex with 10 movie theatres next door, Bubba Gumps next door, the boardwalk with arcades, the Daytona pier with a skyride, and all of this available on foot without cranking a car engine. They rent rooms by the day too. Your kids might forget about Disney and want to spend more than 3 days here after they see the place. The only problem is it is huge and can get crowded at peak times around the pool and in the lazy river.

 

[Transit]

I fyou love seaworld then check this out.I think Jenson beach is a good option.

 

[pcgirl54]

Other things to do.........

My pick would be Sea World and then the Space Center. It's close and interesting to varying ages.


Here are some less expensive ,age appropriate options that can be done in a day and are nearby:

Silver Springs is another daytrip option that would be interesting to the children without overwhelming the family and tiring everyone. They can see Manatees and alligators and also go on a river boat ride. 90 miles from Orlando. We have not been in a long time so maybe other Tuggers can comment on a recent trip there. http://www.silversprings.com

We have never been here and feel guilty about not going to the famous Gatorland Zoo. It's right in the area and not overtaxing on the wallet or timeframe.
http://www.gatorland.com



2 yrs ago when we were last in the Daytona area it seemed to be in the middle of a rehab boom. A lot of buildings were rundown or being torndown and parts of the area seemed very honky tonky. I was very disappointed and glad I did not book a week there.

Gulf beaches are our favorite place, white soft sand and gorgeous sunsets. You could just enjoy the beach without doing much else. Anything from Holmes beach to Sarasota is nice if you want to drive 2.5 hours to get there.

In line with Gulf beaches is Busch Gardens Tampa which is 90 miles west of Orlando. Tampa is a nice airport to fly back. Many rides are coasters but there are animal attractions and shows in the park. I would not spend money on the main park admission . There is the water park Adventure Island and the Animal park with the tram ride. The Serengheti Plain maybe just the right thing for their age or you may want to take this trip and see the gulf beaches for 3 years down the road.

http://www.buschgardens.com/BGT/aaa_clydesdale_hamlet.aspx

 

[Jim Bryan]

Cypres Gardens

http://www.cypressgardens.com/


You can see the same Concerts that are at Disney.

I know it's misspelled. My computer doesn't always print the "S"

 

[jerseygirl]

When my daughter was young, we followed Disney with a few days at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach a few times:

http://www.tradewindsresort.com/default.asp

They have organized kids activities, a clubhouse, etc.

I think the place is a LOT bigger than it used to be, and there are now a couple of different hotel choices (different price points, etc). We haven't been there in 10 years or so, but definitely loved it back then.

 

[JLB]

The last time after Disney, to recover from a week in Orlando, we spent a week in SW FL.

Now, any more, we just skip the Orlando part, and go directly to SW FL.

Let me know if you need more specifics.

 

[UWSurfer]

The one time I was at the parks, probably 8 years ago, I got to scuba dive the Living Seas's exhibit at Epcot. Disney provides everything, and offers a video for extra $. Expensive...but one of the once in a life time things to do.

Open to certified divers only and it helps to rsvp very far in advance as space is very limited. I called twice each day I was there checking on cancellations and lucked into a slot 2 days prior to the end of my stay.

 

[JLB]

I would agree that for a first-time coastal FL experience, after Disney, or as a break from Disney during a Orlando week, the Spacecoast would be excellent. When our borrowed youngins were youngins, on our first (and last) week in our first (Orlando) timeshare, that's what we did. NASA, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach.

I will also add that despite all of our grownup effort to make their first Florida trip meaningful, by cramming in as much expensive Orlando attraction stuff as we could, what they liked best was the pool at the resort, and the guy taking care of it.

Six degrees of separation . . . one of our borrowed youngins grew up and married a gal whose family is from Merritt Island, and whose Uncle is head of security at Cape Canaveral. Now he and she and we are taking their youngins to the same place, but to visit family.

I have just started the search for a Spacecoast resort that will work for a 2009 Summer getaway.

 

[bobcat]

I would agree that for a first-time coastal FL experience, after Disney, or as a break from Disney during a Orlando week, the Spacecoast would be excellent. When our borrowed youngins were youngins, on our first (and last) week in our first (Orlando) timeshare, that's what we did. NASA, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach.

I will also add that despite all of our grownup effort to make their first Florida trip meaningful, by cramming in as much expensive Orlando attraction stuff as we could, what they liked best was the pool at the resort, and the guy taking care of it.

Six degrees of separation . . . one of our borrowed youngins grew up and married a gal whose family is from Merritt Island, and whose Uncle is head of security at Cape Canaveral. Now he and she and we are taking their youngins to the same place, but to visit family.

I have just started the search for a Spacecoast resort that will work for a 2009 Summer getaway.

To the SUPER BOWL.

 

[JLB]

. . . . . . . . . . . .

To the SUPER BOWL.

 

[hopetotimeshare]

To the SUPER BOWL.

As in the infamous commerical that has followed superbowls for decades?

...for example the commerical would go -

"Eli Manning, you and your Giants just won the super bowl, what are you going to do now?" and his reply would be "We're going to Disney World!"


My husband and I went to Disney for our honeymoon and at the end of our wedding video the videographer zooms in on us and says "Don and Jacki, you just got married, what are you going to do next?" and our reply was of course..."We're going to Disney World!"

By the way congrats to all the Giant's fans! My 8 year old son is a huge Giants fan - hubby is a die hard Cowboys fan...so although hubby's season ended a few weeks ago we had a reason to celebrate last night!

 

[liborn2]

Tampa Airport less than 1 hour, our family really enjoyed our vacation here.
They have tennis courts, fishing off the pier, movies to borrow, basketball, outdoor pool, hiking paths, chance to enjoy nature. You will be very relaxed.

Discover a part of Real Florida at Sutherland Crossing, an intimate vacation escape offering the modern conveniences of individual guest houses located on thirty-two acres of natural Florida habitat.

Sutherland Crossing offers simplicity and modern convenience in thirty-five individual guest houses. Each is comfortably furnished and offers a screened-in patio on the second level, a ground level deck complete with picnic table and grill The furnished kitchen is open to the great room and each guest house can accommodate six to eight people with three bedrooms and two baths.

It's Our Nature. Explore, enjoy, experience and learn from Nature on a guided island walk. Start planning your vacation activities now! Kayak the gentle water, visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and spend a pleasurable day on board a Marine Life Adventure trip with a Marine scientist or visit Caladesi Island to soak up the sun at one of the beautiful local beaches.


Sports
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Tampa Bay Devil Rays
* Tampa Bay Lightning
* Tampa Bay Activities

* Museums Florida International Museum
* Henry B. Plant Museum
* Holocaust Museum
* Salvador Dali Museum
* Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
* Tampa Museum of Art
* Museum of Science and Industry



* Attractions Busch Gardens
* Lowry Park Zoo
* Cypress Gardens
* Seabird Sanctuary
* Sea World
* Walt Disney World
* World Famous John's Pass Village
* St. Petersburg Pier
* Cruise Ships
* Florida Aquarium
* Tampa Area Golf Courses
* Tampa Area Restaurants
* Tampa Area Shopping
* Movie Theaters

 

[JLB]

Actually, I got it the first time.

The question would be, "Eli Manning, now that you and the Giants have gone to Disney World, where are you going next?" . . .

Of course, the real answer to that is, "To do a lot of TV commercials."

And yeah, hats off to the Giants for one of, if not the best, Super Bowl performances ever. A game that was a game all the way til the end of the game, with bill-check stomping off the field.

And a national anthem to rival Whitney Houston's.

"Eli Manning, you and your Giants just won the super bowl, what are you going to do now?" and his reply would be "We're going to Disney World!"

 

[3kids4me]

We once spent a week at Disney, the drove to Sanibel (I think about two hours?), spent a week there, and then flew home. The kids were a bit bored in Sanibel (they were really almost too young to appreciate it) but I thought it was fab! Very relaxing, nice wildlife preserve, and great shelling...perfect pace after Disney.

Sharon

 

[JLB]

Therefore, the Spacecoast, even from this Sanibel lover (palm tree hugger).

The kids were a bit bored in Sanibel (they were really almost too young to appreciate it)