Hi just found this site, we are leaving for Orlando on the 14th, Need advise on what to see, and what to miss. I have childen ranging from 17 to 4 years of age, Disney is a no brainer, but as for the rest of the attractions, need help, thanks in advance for your help! redshoes

Make sure you have bottled water before you enter the parks. You will need it throughout the day and it costs a small fortune in the parks. It's also a good idea to buy snacks outside the park too. The Crossroads Shopping Center right off I-4 and across from Disney Village has a Goodings Supermarket where you can buy beverages and snacks along with sandwiches, etc. There's a Goodings on Sand Lake Road too. I always arrived at the parks when they opened in the morning and then left at lunchtime for some down time. We would take our time eating at a restaurant outside the park. Sometimes we would return to our condo to swim. I think it's a good idea to break up the day this way unless you are very tight for time because of the number of days you are there. Wear light clothes and comfortable shoes and sunscreen. I know Disney claims to be the happiest place on earth but I can tell you from experience it's a place where you will see cranky children who are overtired and frustrated adults who had high expectations for the perfect family vacation. My kids and I liked Universal a lot because the rides are great fun and it's an easy walk around the park compared to the Disney parks.

I, too, would recommend the Universal Parks, especially for your 17 year old.

Go to disboards.com - tons of info on that site.

It will be incredibly hot and humid. Get an early start, have a nice lunch, go back to your hotel and go in the pool or take a nap. Back to the parks in the evening. In my opinion, that is the only way to get through it during the summer months.

Have fun!

Don;t miss Sea World - tons to see and do - and the curator can be very informative. And the mammal shows are great!

I think it's worth the trip to the NASA Space Center--Kennedy Space Center near Cocoa Beach. This is a truly different experience, not just a theme park. All ages could be engaged. The tours are interesting, and the crowds (when we were there in the summer) were not terrible. Arrive when it opens, though.

We love Disney, but NASA is worth a stop--you just don't see this everyday.

Hi

My wife and I went to Orlando a couple of years back and we had a great time there. We did Gatorland, Wet 'n' Wild, Adventure gold, Wonderworks and some of the big parks of course. I have posted a trip report with lots of pictures on my personal homepage gardkarlsen.com Maybe you can find some useful information there. Have a great trip

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway