Hi,
As part of a three week trip to the US we hope to spend 3-4 nights in the Orlando/Cape Caneveral area travelling from and back to Atlanta airport.
We definately want to visit the space centre, some beeches and maybe if we have time theme parks in Orlando for one day. A couple of questons

Where is the best base for 3-4 nights?
While I understand the theme parks are huge would one day be worthwhile for a taster? If so which one? Or as we are not terribly pushed maybe omit the Orlando area completly?

Thanks in advance

Hello ruralbear,

Welcome to our country!

If is 3-4 nights, you could stay near the Orlando International Airport as your base. It is very close to the main highway (State Road 528 AKA The Beachline) to the Space Coast. Similarly, you could take SR 528 the other direction to Interstate Highway 4 (I-4) and get to the theme parks fairly easily.

The theme parks are indeed huge and will probably require a full (8-10+ hours) day each. As to which one you might want to visit - I can't say. You may have to research this a little more first. It will be a long and exhausting day, particularly if you come during our summer with its heat, humidity and frequent thunderstorms. If your dates are not yet set, Then let me suggest late September-early October instead. You will enjoy everything even more.

Thanks Orlando Vic,
Our dates are fixed as we have flights booked since Jan this year. We plan to be in Florida during the last week of September. By the way we will have come from Yellowstone and Charleston so I think a few days beech time would be nice!
My own inclination is to base along the coast and maybe travel to Orlando for one day. Any particular coast areas that stand out ?

ruralbear....
If you want a "beach town" You might want to look into Cocoa Beach. There are some good choices there including Condo's. It's maybe an hour and half or so to the Disney parks.

I agree. Cocoa Beach is a good bet.

ruralbear, I would also say Cocoa Beach is a good jumping off point if you want to do Orlando one day. Plus, it is only 1/2 hour or less from Kennedy Space Center. There are dozens of places to stay right on the beach.

(Did you ever see "I Dream of Jeannie"? That was where the show took place- Cocoa Beach.)

It's too bad you couldn't have planned just a bit different- a shuttle launch is scheduled for October 8th! What a site that would be! (Can you squeeze one more week of vacation in???) (I am flying in from Dallas for the one after that, in November.)

If you've never been to any Disney property, you may not want to miss a day there since you're headed that way. Personally, I like Universal Studios better, but I have no small children. I think the latter is better for adult entertainment. Plus, I'm a movie buff. So it was lots of fun.

Please keep in mind that September is still hurricane season, so do have a "Plan B" if that will affect your stay. Alternative trips from Atlanta (if you needed to avoid the coast) could be Nashville (about 4 hrs away) or Knoxville (about 3-1/2 hrs). Tennessee is a lovely state and would be nice visit if hurricane is forecoasted for Florida upon your arrival in Atlanta.

Paula

PS I'm curious. You mention coming from "Yellowstone and Charleston". I am assuming you are going to Charleston first? Because if not, Charleston is closer to Orlando than Atlanta is, so I'm wondering why you'd fly into Atlanta to drive to Orlando when you could just drive from Charleston to Orlando, as it is closer.

If you want a beach town, then it's Cocoa Beach. Roughly a hour and a half drive to Disney, 20-30 minutes to the space center. If you'd like to visit a beautiful, undeveloped beach while you're in the area, try Playalinda beach at Canaveral National Seashore http://www.nps.gov/cana/

sarge, I forgot to add that we have an I Dream of Jeannie lane in Cocoa Beach - A1A at Lori Wilson Park. Look up high; the city has to keep the sign at 15 feet or it keeps getting stolen.

We have stayed in Cocoa Beach several times and love the Resort on Cocoa Beach. Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty is a great seafood restaurant there.

Hi all,
Thanks to everyone for your help. It looks like Cocoa Beach then! One more question. Arriving in the Cocoa Beach area on a week-end how necessary are room reservations?

This is part of a three week fly drive to your country (our third!) split between the Denver and Atlanta areas.We have reservations for about half our nights- we would like to keep some flexibility.

Thanks

I lean toward having reservations. The last week of September is still very good beach weather. Even though summer vacations are over, weekends are still popular with beach goers.

After you make your reservations, check on specific cancellation policies. Many, if not most, hotels/motels still permit cancellations with 24 hours' notice.

Consider an airboat ride while you are in the area. If you have never been on one, they are a lot of fun and uniquely un-Disney. In Brevard County (near Kennedy Space Center & Cocoa Beach), on State Road 528 (AKA The Beachline), right at the St. John's River on the Orange County-Brevard county line, there is the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp <<http://twisterairboatrides.tripod.com/index.html>>. Here you can see some of the real Florida. This place is very easy to find and is where we often take our foreign friends and relatives.

Another Brevard County airboat operator is: Airboat Ecotours <www.airboatecotours.com>. I don't know much about them but have seen their ads.

With each of these airboat places, you will increase your chances of seeing gators if you go just before dusk.

You should be able to get reasonable pricing in September at most of the hotels on Cocoa Beach. Try the Hampton Inn via the web site www.hamptoninn.com. If the premium for ocean view is modest, the upper floors all have a nice view of the beach goig south.

The Doubletree is also beachfront with good rooms facing the ocean.

Family owned, with some charm is the Inn at Cocoa Beach. Telephone is 321-799-3460. The hotel does not have an independent web site, but you can book through Orbitz, Travelocity or Hotel.com. The Inn is also beachside with many rooms having a view.

We just took the airboat ride mentioned above last week and it was great! We recommend the hour ride on 'Lil Twister' as it is a smaller boat and goes farther into the swampland. We saw gators everywhere just swimming around...until we approached and they quietly submerged themselves. We even saw an alligator nest. There is a discount coupon on their website.