[frozen tundra]

Hi all,
We are planning a week vacation starting the day after Easter. We will be staying in Kissimmee. At first we were going to do the Disney theme Park thing, but the more we thought about it it seems like they will have extremely long lines with the Hoilday week.
We have young boys, 6-11 yrs and thought just seeing the outdoor beauty, the different wildlife, parks and beaches, rummages (tag sales) would be soo coool. Any "insider" suggestions? Thanks!!!!

[cmj_fla]

The first thing I would do when you get here is head towards the closest McDonalds or IHOP or Golden Coral and pick up all the coupons you can. It can seriously save you hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms and attractions and give you tons of ideas on what to do.

While you are here I would check out Gator Land and Green Meadows Farms. They are great especially for the 6 year old. Also check out the Airboats on Shingle Creek (off of 192) you can find a coupon for this and it will allow you to see the "real" Florida.


Also, the lines of the attractions aren't too horrible this time off year. The best thing you can do is be there early (I mean when it opens!) and go to the most popular rides first. Also try Blizzard Beach if your budget can afford it - my family enjoys it more than any other thing in Orlando. Have fun and send me a message if you want any more money saving tips. I am from Kissimmee and have done it all and for as little money as possible!

[Racelady88]

There is also Medieval Knights. It is a dinner theater with an awesome equine performance. Kids love it because of the Medieval theme they don't give you silverware.

[nomoresnow]

Don't miss out on Disney. They've instituted a system where you pick up a ticket at certain rides (like Splash Mountain), you go do something else, then come back within that time span (I think it's a half hour), and you get to bypass the longer lines. I forget what it's called. Do the popular rides in the early morning or during the parades when the lines are shorter, too. But Disney's one of the neatest places in the world, IMO.

Medieval TImes is fun for kids - they get into the jousting thing, plus they get to eat with their fingers. There are tons of water parks, too, but I can't vouch for them.

[frozen tundra]

Well, these are some good suggestions, thank you. We are leaning towards the water parks. Do you have opinions on which ones would be better:
Wet @ Wild
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Adventure Island
And Weeki Wachee Springs?
Also we are contemplating bring our bicycles down, any suggestions? Finally any thoughts on State Parks within 2 hours of Orlando? And I would be remiss if I did not ask on behalf of my wife on your favorite gardens?

[Jammie]

I love your name. I also know how you feel.

We love the outdoors, too and when you mentioned your wife loving gardens, my suggestion would be to take them to Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven. It is absolutely beautiful there. They have bunnies and different things actually formed out of the grass. They also have entertainment there with the best being a water show. They have a Southern mansion with Southern Belles walking the entire Gardens. There's also something that will take you well into the air so you can view the grounds. They have cute shoppes, too. You can also ride a train to get to certain areas. It's just so nice there. Also, have you thought about Seaworld in Orlando? We just love it there.