Friday, January 2, 2009

Escaping the cold.



As some of you will have gathered, we have booked a fortnight away from such sights as this one (DsD back garden, New Year's Eve), and we're off to sunny Florida next month.

Although we intend to let the girls dictate how many days we spend at Disney and how many in the pool, I don't want to miss the opportunity to do something I wouldn't otherwise have known about. By pure luck I stumbled across an article that told me there will be a space shuttle launch whilst we're there; that's a sight I'd love to see. My usual disorganised self normally reads about such things the day after - d'oh!!

Shoegazer has already kindly offered to see about upping my gigs/year ratio whilst we're there, but I'm here to ask for any other tips on things to do/see during a fortnight near Orlando. Those with kids who've been to Disney - what are the tips for lowering the expense & stress levels there? All contributions gratefully received.

PS - No music attached to this thread; if the rest of you are anything like me over the holiday period, I'm so far behind on 'Spill-posted stuff, I'm never going to catch up as it is ...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For Disney, Eat a good breakfast somewhere cheap before you hit the park. Don't take a car in, use the Disney transport system. If you're staying offsite, a cab will save you time & be cheaper than parking. There are plenty of choices - the food/drink prices are a rip-off inside. Take empty water bottles/containers you can fill for free from a drinking fountain. Get there early & plan what rides you want to hit ahead of time - the bigger or newer the attraction - the longer the line. Take advantage of the fast-pass system that gives you a specific time to go to a ride & you join the shorter queue. Suggest the water parks as a fun way to break-up all the lining up in the heat.

Other stuff

Art & Science museums. Tourists don't tend to go there.

Winter Park boat tour - 30 minutes North - dirt cheap. Tourists don't go there. Good for window shopping & close to Park Ave CD's, large 2nd hand selection & gig tickets.

Blue Springs. State park with natural hot spring ( 50 minutes north). Swim, kyak or take a boat ride. If the weather is cold enough, the manatees swim in from the ocean.

If you're feeling really adventurous, the Everglades are only a couple of hours south.

Have plenty of loose change to pay the tolls on the roads. You may be able to pre-pay & get a transponder from the car rental company - would save a lot of change fumbling when out & about.

Look forward to a 1st live 'Spiller encounter.

glasshalfempty said...

DSD - I can recommend an airboat ride in the Everglades, if you have time to get that far south.

Anonymous said...

Very, very jealous, stuck here in the cold with no prospects of going anywhere - other than back to work on Monday morning. No help on the tourist front I'm afraid (never got much further than Vancouver on that side of the Pond), but I would like to ask you a favour, DsD - and that would be to buy Shoey a BIG drink on my behalf for all his work on the Festive 'Spillations (then I'll just have to pop over to Blighty some time to reimburse you and buy you a drink on your own behalf). Did you all get together for a West Country Social in the end?
Happy New Year and happy travels!

Blimpy said...

Ace photo by the way!

saneshane said...

can't help with any guidance to that side of the world..
but hope you are feeling better and have a fantastic family trip...

(don't forget to save the great photo for next years halloween post)

Anonymous said...

@ Debby - no, West Country Social not happened yet, but here's hoping! And yes, of course I'm buying Shoegazer a large drink.

@ Shane - Thanks, feeling much better already.

@ ghe - can't see my 7- & 3-year-olds enjoying being strapped to a large tin tray with a huge noisy fan on it, but hey, thanks for the tip.

@ Blimpy - I'm absolutely no photographer. With hindsight, I reckon I should have stood two feet further left, got the yucca leaves as background, and just done a close up of the main web: sound better? Ah well, too late now, all the frost has gone.

Thanks everyone. We're not going for another four weeks, so keep them tips coming ...

Anonymous said...

See you in these things, I think, I started feeling good!
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