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marihalojen
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We are unexpectedly going to Orlando for a few days! Dh has a class he has to take, so Marianna and I will be foot loose and fancy free for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Potentially we can get super tickets or something as a friend's father works at one of the resorts but I need some sort of idea of what to suggest when they want to drag us off for something. I have never devoted one ounce of thought to going to Disney World or Land or whichever is here in FL so I'm a blank slate here, ladies! Also very open to alternatives to Disney as well...ARE there alternatives in Orlando to Disney?  
What would you suggest for a gal who hates rides (I'm with your oldest son on this one, Cay!) and a 13yo who loves adventure?
I've read We're Going To Disney World! as a crash course...
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lapazfarm
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I think there is a Medieval Times there in Orlando. That's something S and I have always wanted to do.
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Theresa
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marihalojen
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Oooh - we're dabbling in Medieval stuff right now too...
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~Jennifer
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The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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folklaur
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Oh! Medieval Times is fun (a little hokey, but fun...) and I think it is the FL one that has the Medieval Village, if I am remembering right, and that was WAY cool.
We happen to love DisneyWorld (we went there for our Honeymoon even  .) My favorite is Epcot. If I could only go to one of the Disney parks, that would be the one, but I haven't been there since the animal park opened, so I don't know anything about that one.
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lilac hill
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I did the behind the scenes tour of the gardening and plant stuff. I even saw some aquaculture they have.
Definately my favorite Disney sight.
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Viv
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marihalojen
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People keep telling us to try either Epcot or Animal Kingdom, those two names keep popping up. The new Animal Kingdom place sounds cool, Laura, our local midwife took her family there and the hotel room they had overlooked the savannah with the giraffes and all, right outside their balcony. Not that that will happen for us, who knows what sort of a place we'll be staying in!
Viv, I could really groove on a gardening tour, I'll have to check on the behind the scenes stuff!
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
The Mari Hal-O-Jen
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lapazfarm
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Of course there is always Sea World. We love it, but it may be a bit redundant for you girls.
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Theresa
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Mary G
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Jennifer -- EPCOT is way cool ... the food is delicious, the walking around fabulous and just enough rides for your daughter .... you could even do an int'l unit while you're there! Honestly, that's dh and my favorite part of the whole thing. MGM is also cool -- if you've seen alot of movies and tv ...
Animal Kingdom is ok -- but sort of an over-the-top zoo (but we went just after it opened and it was so DARNED HOT! and I had just had THomas and was feeling pretty darn wimpy).
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missionfamily
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Discovery Cove is pretty cool too, like a hands-on version of Sea World...of course, it may be a bit "everyday" for you guys!
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MacBeth
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I totally love the way everyone here likes EPCOT. So many people say they skip it because it's too "sciency". It has been everyone's favorite here, even when the kids were quite little. They way prefer it to the rest of the park, though the big kids do like MGM  --something about the Rock'n Roller coaster and Tower of Terror. "It's physics, mom!"
Isn't there some kind of Holyland Land in the area, too? 
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bfarmmom
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Yes, Epcot is something to see. They do a homeschool days for Florida residents. Very fun. They have a countries and cultures track and a science track. You may be able to call and see if they can get you the books. You never know. They can be very accomidating.
There is a lot to see there.
Holyland is also in the area, but one of my friends said she wouldn't go back. I am not sure exactly why, I think it had something to do with the Bible and translation. I will call her and find out.
Hope this makes sense, I am typing and nursing!
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Cay Gibson
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marihalojen wrote:
What would you suggest for a gal who hates rides (I'm with your oldest son on this one, Cay!) and a 13yo who loves adventure?
I've read We're Going To Disney World! as a crash course... |
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I would suggest you leave the killjoy at home like I did  but...Just Kidding!
Seriously, Epcot is the ticket. You don't have to worry about rides if you don't want to and it's a fantastic place. One can live there the whole time and forget the rest of Disney. Even my ride-loving children (including the younger two) remember Epcot the most/the best and wish to go back ASAP.
[Edited to add: I have talked to Corey about just going to Epcot. I know he would love it. And he'd love Animal World too. So I know you would love it since you don't like rides either.  ]
Also, not sure I put this in the "We're Going to DW" post, don't worry about freezing suppers and bringing them as I posted we were going to do. Life is too hectic and frenzied over there (trying to get all your minutes in a 24 hr time frame outside of the hotel). Just eat on the run. We really didn't find it that outrageous...even though I know it was. But we never got back to the hotel to eat supper. We stayed until closing and it was easier (for our comfort and sanity) to snack throughout the day and eat one meal at the park. In your case it's just the two of you. You'll be just fine.
Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!
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Mary G
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We found the food pretty reasonable when we last went (8 years ago) ... the places all had kids menus and didn't much balk at even adults ordering and the portions were huge. If you can ... drive there... park.... and stay as long as possible and then drive home! You'll save on hassles, traffic and parking expense and the park really has some great food ...
Epcot -- the "golf ball" is cool, the science places are VERY cool (but we always find stuff broken) but the international stuff is the best ... they get REAL souvenirs from the countries (but do add the cheapo MIC Disney stuff) and you can really learn ALOT about the different countries.
ENJOY and let us know what y'all end up doing!
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marihalojen
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Cay Gibson wrote:
marihalojen wrote:
What would you suggest for a gal who hates rides (I'm with your oldest son on this one, Cay!) and a 13yo who loves adventure?
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I would suggest you leave the killjoy at home like I did but...Just Kidding! |
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I'll buck up, I promise! I won't mind getting splashed but I think I might draw the line at being turned upside down and wooden roller coasters are definitely a no-no. The only thing that should be shaken that hard is a martini!
Cay,  I'm not one to pack lunches or snacks really, much less haul a crockpot and frozen meals for miles! I thought you were so organized for doing that. Besides, I've heard that Orlando is like, King of Restaurants. More there than anywhere else in the known world. Surely we'll be able to find somewhere yummy to eat!
Animals are a given with Marianna, and since we haven't been to a good zoo in years (don't waste your $$ on Miami's) maybe we'll try Animal Kingdom as we can always trek up to Miami's Seaquarium to see Killer Whales and such.
 It sounds like Epcot is a go! Right up our alley. I'm excited to hear about the cool things made in each country, Mary, good to know!
Thanks, Ladies! I'm certain we'll have a great time!
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~Jennifer
Mother to Mariannna, age 13
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5athome
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I echo everyone's recommendation for EPCOT. We love WDW but avoid the Animal Kingdom when we go - it really is extremely overrated. I would not describe it as a good zoo by any means. The MGM park is a lot of fun and you can see tons of shows (versus make me sick kind of rides). They have a new automotive stunt show that was spectacular (even the doubting females in our crew loved it).
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jenk
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Disney Alternatives:
Orlando Science Museum http://www.osc.org/
Leu Gardens http://www.leugardens.org/
Wikiva Springs http://www.floridastateparks.org/wekiwasprings/
Or if you feel like driving a bit out of town
Ft Christmas http://www.nbbd.com/godo/FortChristmas/
Hope you have a good time!!
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Barbara C.
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The Spring Break before my husband and I got married we went to Orlando. The big event was the Bay Hill Invitational (where we got Tiger's autograph just before he won it). We planned one day to go to Disney, because my husband had never been. I told him if we were only going to one park it was Epcot. He's not really into rides to begin with. What rides they do have at Epcot are pretty low key boat things.
The top 5 things I love about Epcot:
1. The delicious sauerkraut in Germany.
2. The interesting foreign students working in the world showcase of their respective country.
3. The Living Seas aquarium.
4. The basic boat ride at The Land that shows some of their agricultural techniques.
5. Trying on the various hats in Mexico and taking pictures of each other.
Honorable Mention: The Rood Church (maybe in Norway?) made a big impression on me, even when I was really young.
We ended up skipping out on an extra day of the golf tournament, so I told hubby we should hit the Magic Kingdom. I explained that MGM is better, but the MK is so iconic that we had to hit it. He really liked the Country Bear Jamboree and a few other things, but his favorite was The Hall of Presidents.
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SharonO
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[QUOTE=marihalojen]
Cay, I'm not one to pack lunches or snacks really, much less haul a crockpot and frozen meals for miles! I thought you were so organized for doing that. Besides, I've heard that Orlando is like, King of Restaurants. More there than anywhere else in the known world. Surely we'll be able to find somewhere yummy to eat!
Each country in Epcot has a counter service type restaurant. You can "graze" and walk around the world showcase. The sit down restaurants are amazing, but that takes more time and money.
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marihalojen
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Well Ladies, we did it! and I actually enjoyed myself!
We only did Epcot one day and had a pool day the first day, we had to recover after the horrid drive up to Orlando. We thought we'd get in around 9pm or so but got caught in the backup from a fatality on the Turnpike so didn't get in 'till 2am!
You can check out our photos here!
Thanks for your encouragement...I would probably have blown Epcot off without it!
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~Jennifer
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Fun in Orlando FL - Help!
