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  1. #1
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    Disneyworld and Miami 2017 to do list help

    I've never been the states before and my soon to be 11 and 13 year old seem to be about the right age and height now to enjoy Disneyworld.

    I wanna go after November's hurricane season and plan to do 7 days at Disneyworld and the other week touring the surrounding areas in some non good at corners Yank Muscle car whilst eating peanut butter and jam sandwiches

    I have an Aunt who lives in the Keys so I wanna drive down there and see her too. So I'm sorting Multi City tickets out to land in Orlando and fly out of Miami now

    Any advice on must do's from you septics on here is much appreciated and those who have been to the area.

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    I may be one of the only Americans on here thats a Florida resident/Thailand expat so I can help

    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    I wanna go after November's hurricane season
    Main thing is why this time? You will miss out on most of the Florida stuff cause its too chilly to enjoy the beaches, witch are world class and the best in the US. This right here will restrict you down, not to mention that Disneyworld & shit will be less enjoyable with the chill. Might sound retarded to some but I would worry more about your plane crashing than a hurricane disrupting your trip

    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger
    So I'm sorting Multi City tickets out to land in Orlando and fly out of Miami now
    Another searchable airport is TPA (Tampa International Airport) if you are gonna rent a vehicle, its only like 1 hour from Orlando. This is my home airport, TPA. Badass easy as shit airport tbh.

    On the Travel, do NOT get a JFK arrival as your first US airport. Spend the extra money and get through Atlanta if you can. What are your US arrival Airport options you're looking at? Seriously, don't get JFK.

    Keys is cool. I mean there is a shit ton of stuff to do. Beaches, parks, if you go during October there is Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and that shit is fuckin cool and will blow your kids minds but the 11 year old might have a heart attack

    I could go on and on but what do ya want to do, or what interests you?

  3. #3
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    Cheers for the advice Slick

    Quote Originally Posted by Slick
    What are your US arrival Airport options you're looking at?
    I'm gonna fly direct to MCO and fly outta MIA



    Quote Originally Posted by Slick
    Main thing is why this time?
    kids UK school holidays, although I'm gonna encroach into that a little bit but i can't take them out for 2 weeks.

    Quote Originally Posted by Slick
    what do ya want to do, or what interests you?
    well, it was the beaches for the second week.....
    Quote Originally Posted by Slick
    its too chilly to enjoy the beaches
    Quote Originally Posted by Slick
    Disneyworld & shit will be less enjoyable with the chill
    I dunno now, maybe go shopping for some coats

  4. #4
    R.I.P. Luigi's Avatar
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    Butterfly. You able to hack US Immigration with your XP software and flag them all as Muslims?

    Cheers bud.

    Sounds great mate. Have a good trip.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    If you want to see muscle cars, head over to Daytona. If you are lucky enough to get there for a race, it is the best. If not, there are plenty of classic auto showrooms around. Good place for Dad and kids.

    Here ya go. Car show at the speedway end of November.

    https://www.wuft.org/news/2016/11/27...-run-car-show/

  6. #6
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    a little peeved at the weather, i thought the place was hot all year round but thinking about it walking around Disneyworld has to be better at 15degrees than 33.

    Thanks for that Misskit, i see the track on maps, i wont be there til December though but i shall take a look.

  7. #7
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    On which island does your auntie reside in the Keys ?
    That could well dictate a large part of your trip's activities.

    Sailfish and Grouper seasons start November in the Keys so a chartered fishing trip surely might add excitement. A day jetboat trip to historic Ft Jefferson from Key West is great for beginner snorkeling.

    Have fun and cash in your Ł's.

  8. #8
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    Top tip.

    Blow out Uncle Sam and hit the Philippines to get your bellend buffed.

    Straight macking, homes.

    Malcolm out, yo.

  9. #9
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    Go to Cape Canaveral while in Orlando and see where the space magic happens...both you and your kids will love it and it's only a couple hours from Orlando.

  10. #10
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Flying into MCO and out of MIA is the best. Much less driving. You will not need a car while in Orlando if you stay at a Theme Park Resort. If you do rent a car in the Orlando area (to drive to Miami/Key West) make sure you have a gps in the car (rentals do come with them for a little extra). Make sure you know how to use the gps before leaving the rental parking area (they will show you).

    About your visit,.......

    First of all,.you have an 11 and 13 year old. You do not want to take them to Disney World (they are too old for baby rides), you want to take them to Universal and enjoy while in town. I like the Portofino. But the Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls (just opened and spent a couple of nights there a couple of weeks ago) are nice. The girlfriend and some of her guests (from Thailand) have stayed at the Cabana Bay and enjoyed themselves.

    While in Miami (if you visit for a night or three), try to stay near the beach (South Beach). Shhhhh, you might enjoy it more than the kids, especially if you like Hispanic women (in tiny bikinis trying to out-do one another). Familiarize yourself with Airbnb and get a nice place along the beach. No reason to pay hotel prices.

    Key West is nice but maybe geared more for adult activities (your aunt would know)? The kids will get enough with the (beautiful) beaches in the Miami area.

    More on Florida here: https://teakdoor.com/travel-the-world...o-florida.html

    One more thing,……..Never Ever visit Tampa (don’t fly into it don’t fly out of it – avoid it). It’s a dump. About Daytona,..drive by it (Orlando to Miami/Key West) if you have to. You might want to avoid spending one night there and the Daytona 500 just ended.

    We’ll be in Florida from the end of October till Mid-December (before they burn someone in Thailand) between Miami (friends/family) and just south of Orlando (at the ranch). When you drive by, smile and wave.
    Last edited by S Landreth; 02-03-2017 at 05:52 PM.
    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

  11. #11
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    ^ Superb and much appreciated, i see there's working links there too
    thanks.



    Quote Originally Posted by S Landreth
    When you drive by, smile and wave
    erm, thanks I'll make sure i get something with dukes of hazard airhorns fitted

  12. #12
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    ^But you might want to avoid driving that type of vehicle to Key West and the South Florida area. Different type of Floridian in both of those places. Dukes of Hazzard air-horns might be more appropriate for Tampa.

  13. #13
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    EPCOT center.....enjoyed it immensely years ago on company boondoggle.

  14. #14
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    Just my 2 cents... I've been to Disneyland HK and I enjoyed it even as an adult. I've also seen late teens & young adults enjoy it. I've also been to a local amusement park w/ kids of similar age as Dill's kids, and I think his kids would also like Disneyworld. If the kids grew up watching Disney animations, then they'll surely enjoy the experience. If the blonde lil girl I saw in pix before is still little, then she'll like dressing up as a Disney princess. Cheers!

  15. #15
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    Reading about it, it looks like 7 or 8 is the perfect age, so i'm gonna take my Thai daughter too. She's the one who wears Disney Princess dresses btw Katie, the 11 year old is always trying to get me to buy designer brands.

    I just mentioned it to the Thai wife about me taking our daughter and leaving her behind alone, you can only get 4 in a Ford Mustang didn't go down very well.

    I'm gonna do both Disneyworld and Universal, may even stay in Tampa to keep the costs down now i've crossed the beaches off the list



    Just read the sea temperature is 25 degrees in December but those great White's scare the bejesus outta me. I've got enough on my plate looking out for alligators

  16. #16
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger View Post
    Reading about it, it looks like 7 or 8 is the perfect age, so i'm gonna take my Thai daughter too.......

    the Thai wife

    I'm gonna do both Disneyworld and Universal, may even stay in Tampa...
    How nice,.the entire family. Sounds like it'll be a wonderful lasting memory in the states. Enjoy yourselves. Always nice to have a visitor (reoccurring would even be nicer).

    Disney World and parenting – awful growing up and having to act responsible. It would be nice to drop a tab or have a drink to get through that theme park.

    Just a suggestion (you’ll understand after the visit). Order of rides,…..make the the rest of the day/evening/next day).

    Not right after a meal. When you get on the , do it with your son only! Let the girls have their own cup.

    The first month Disney opened my stepfather took me and a couple friends of mine there. Monorail running in the building! How great is that? We were very young teenagers and my stepfather let us loose while he went to visit the presidents and see some shows, etc.

    One thing not to do in Disney. Watch for that persistent fat f’in Rat.

    I think we were on our second day and had rode all the rides we needed and as teenagers we started looking for other things to do while in the park.

    We saw our target,......Mickey. We go big!

    Surrounded by tourists posing for pictures one of friends decided he would get behind Mickey, grab him by the ears and give him a good prolonged shake.

    Mickey was a bit upset to say the least.

    For the next 4 hours that f’in rat ran around the park trying his best to catch us. Running around hiding in different gift shops, behind larger tourists, in and out of crowds/lines, the complete opposite ends of the park. He would stop at nothing to catch us, we thought.

    It did get a bit spooky.

    Finally we saw the rat walking towards an area where he would do a shift change. Thank goodness his day was over and our nightmare ended.

    It was a good time.

    and please Dill be careful what some might tell you here. My daughter lives next to Tampa (Only! Because she took a job at a hospital in the area after receiving her doctorate and it’s pretty impressive or at least her title and responsibilities are. But she’s only there for a couple years. She wants to add the job description to her résumé) and met us for dinner while we were visiting Universal just a couple weeks ago. That drive can take some time,......

    Last edited by S Landreth; 05-03-2017 at 12:51 AM.

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    Just to clarify a few things:

    Tampa Airport is not a dump. No idea why thats being said. From the time the plane lands to standing in the car rental hall with all your shit takes 15 minutes. Its clean and efficient. If its out of the way, yeah sure don't use it, but its by no means a dump.

    Second, the drive from Orlando takes about an hour in off peak times. Try and drive it at 5:00PM and its gonna take a while. Both Tampa and Orlando are good sized cities. You really need the actual address of the destination to judge the driving time. The above is a bit misleading. Google maps works very well though, and is a good carry around phone GPS and its very accurate if the destinations are known.

    Tampa itself is far and away better than Orlando. No idea why its being slugged off as "redneck" like orlando is in any way better

    Florida itself is pretty diverse in that there is Redneck, Hood, Latino, Immigrant, sprawling land, beach, rivers, swamp, retiree, suburban, filthy rich, etc... You can be in a really nice area and drive about a hour, and you're in redneck swampland or horse farms, wide open roads lined with trees and at that time of the year, if you drive really early in the AM, you will see lots of wildlife. Deer, hawks, raccoons, turtles, wild pig, etc... Not everyone is a toothless redneck

    Imho, disney, universal, etc... are great. But Florida, as a State, has a lot to offer, and I mean when I was a kid I don't remember what hotels looked like, I remember that bigass alligator, the boat we took the day trip on, swimming with manatees, etc.. Nobody relocates to, or visits florida, for the hotels & universal, they go for what the state has to offer.

    Im more of a salt of the earth guy, to each their own. There are tons of free or stupid cheap state parks with wildlife galore.

    https://www.floridastateparks.org

    Campgrounds and Camping Reservations - Florida Department of Environmental Protection

    List of parks located in Florida

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...da_state_parks

    Florida Springs, Springs in Florida, Florida Cave Diving, Manatee Viewing - Florida's Springs: Protecting Nature's Gems - Florida DEP

    There are manatee tours, during this time of year that you want to go. Little bit of a drive, but not bad. I took my wife (Thai) there and she thought it was the absolute coolest thing swimming them. They congregate inland, in groups, when it gets "cold" until the waters warms up. Kids will love it. Another thing to have a look at.

    5 Great Places to See Florida Manatees

    Can also see gators on the way to Miami/Keys if you drive, in the swampland. Just google Everglades tours.

    Everglades Airboat Tours & More - Captain Jack?s Airboat Tours

    Florida is also a huge Drag Racing state due to the weather. You mentioned cars, and this is just about as American is you'll get. When you get closer to knowing the exact date, Look up NHRA Top Fuel races in FL and see if they have any. Some of the quickest cars known to humanity running on nitromethane. Your kids will shit themselves with the OMG factor. They rattle the earth for miles and you need double earplugs. In ear, and covered, especially for the kids. You can walk around the pits and get up close, the guys love it. The fuel when its being burned smells like sweet sugar. Its weird. The drag races anytime are usually pretty sick. People have some crazy stuff.

    I race here when I'm home. Im no pro, just gambling on radial tires with an SBF + Nitrous + 116 octane.

    Bradenton Motorsports Park Bradenton, Florida

    Race Tracks in Florida: A Race Track Directory of Drag Strips, Asphalt and Dirt Tracks in Florida - RacingIn.com

    Florida Drag Strips

    There is a reason people vacation and retire in Florida. Its a rabbit hole of stuff to do year round if you're a local, and most of it is family oriented. Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater areas are great, Orlando is a latino hood with strip malls

    Funny Landreth has to preface his daughters location decision to Tampa with "Only!!" There is a bit of rivalry with Orlando & Tampa for some reason

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    End of the day, there is ALOT of good ole America to see in that area.

    Plenty of places to take your kids to safely shoot guns too give em a bit of learning on that, and understand about them & how powerful they are With instructors & stuff

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat klong toey's Avatar
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  20. #20
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    Your a brave man Bollinger taking three children on a long haul holiday .

    Magic moments, enjoy.

  21. #21
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    Florida. My parents retired near Orlando. Took my kids to Disneyworld and Epcot many times. The whole area is great for kids. Central Florida is ugly though.The whole state is tacky except the enclaves. Bring tons of money. Seriously. Disneyworld is very expensive.

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