Orlando Trip February 2007

 


Visiting Orlando in February from Boston was a dream come true.  The temperature in Boston was in the teens (16-20F) our entire trip.  It is also a off season for Orlando with the exception that some of the East coast school vacations were in session. 

The off season also meant relatively short lines at many of the attractions.  The evenings were a bit cool in the 40's which meant many of the Floridians were donning heavy coats and sweaters also the crocodiles were very sedate due to the cool temperatures.

Kennedy Space Center



KSC was a good attraction to do once.  You need to plan for it to take most of the day because seeing all of the sites means traveling and waiting for buses that transport you from site to site.  Several IMAX movies are included in the admission price which is a great value if you can actually see the ones you like.  So my advice is to plan ahead and make sure you can hit the show times during the day.  The food court is located at the main site (the entrance) so if you are on the bus track keep in mind the time and transit so you are not caught far from decent food during the lunch hour.  The eco-exhibit is not that exciting just a homage to the fact that KSC is surrounded by protected park areas.  If you are into wildlife there are lots of birds around the property so plan on pulling over to catch some nice photo opportunities.
 

La Nouba

La Nouba was a great show located at Downtown Disney.  Having seen many Cirque du Soleil shows La Nouba is good but not tops above "O" or Mystere both of which are in Las Vegas.  La Nouba meaning "to party" had many acts but several stood out and stole the show.  The chinese girls with their yo-yo spinning tops, mountain bike rider and closing trampoline act.  The transition between acts seems a bit longer than other CdS shows this may be due to the design of the arena and space to move acts around.  La Nouba fills this time with several clowns that are like commercials in between acts.  The good seats are about $116, 80, and 65 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

View Show Clip



Airboat & Monster Truck Tour
The Boggy Creek airboat and monster truck tour was a great time and great value plan on 45 minutes to 1 hour from the Disney area.  For under $40 you get both rides/tours.  It is hard to pick one ride/tour over the other but the fun factor on the Monster Truck is a bit higher.  The airboat takes you on several stops into small inlets along the edge of the lake. 

Then down about a mile and a fast trek back.  They provide ear protection which is wise since the motor is very loud.  Water birds, bald eagles and some alligators will be pointed out by the helpful guides.  On the Monster Truck it is on a private ranch and animals are drawn to feeders that are setup through out the ranch area.  Birds, deer, wild turkey, cows, raccoons and even gators are on the tour.  The gators are in special fenced in areas and the guide brings along some chicken parts to throw at the gators to coax them to move for the tourists.  They just opened a pretty cool  gator pen that the truck drives right through the center of via a lane that is actually under water.


Epcot at Disney World

 

Hilton Tuscany Suite

 


Daytona Raceway

Daytona is a bit over an hour from the Orlando Disney area but plan on an all day event.  Plan some time to drive past the raceway to the Daytona beach area where you can drive on the beach (tide permitting) for a fee but free after 3pm.  Parking at the free park and ride adds about 20 minutes each way but saves you $40.  The seating is very cramped.  Chairs are next to each other with no space.  Leg to leg, arm to arm.  Also higher the seating the better.  The engine noise is loud so if that could bother you bring along a pair of ear plugs.  Other items you may want are; binoculars, sunscreen, handiwipes (napkins are not allowed in the raceway since they get stuck in the cars on the track).

 

Silver Springs Nature Park

Silver Springs is also a all day event if you can spare the time.  It is almost 2 hours from Disney Orlando area.  The last leg before the park is Route 40, be prepared this 7 mile leg is painfully slow due to street lights and town traffic.  Once at the park there are three water tours and a land jeep tour.  Check or plan your visit around concert schedule which is included with admission.  Park is very clean and tidy with nice guides that actually seem like they love their jobs.  Lots of wildlife at the park.