The Crab Trap

Coming to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach in a couple of weeks. Is it worth driving over to eat at this restuarant? Thanks for any other suggestions.

The Crab Trap

not my favorite place- we love doc%26#39;s on Canal Road and the Point. we also really liked Live Bait at the Wharf- cosmo%26#39;s has good reviews- it%26#39;s on canal Rd near doc%26#39;s

The Crab Trap

We stay a half mile from the Crab trap and didn%26#39;t think it was worth driving back to. It%26#39;s OK but overpriced.

The Crabtrap is a very expensive and crowded place. Not very good for young children or people looking for quiet conversation...

I don%26#39;t know why I see the Crap Trap getting a bad wrap so often. It is on the beach and has a playground for kids, so I don%26#39;t know why you would say it is not good for kids. I thought the food was good and the prices seemed about the same as all the other seafood places in the area. (Just don%26#39;t get crablegs or something because they are expensive there.) I plan on going there again this year...

Weather in Naples in May/June

Going out to stay at Edgewater Beach in May 2009, I have been told that is the start of the rains/hurricanes, is that the case, will we be in the middle of horrendous weather, staying there 30th May for a week.

Weather in Naples in May/June

Hi Suzie,

June does start hurricane season but that doesn%26#39;t mean there will be one. It%26#39;s usually around 85-90 degrees and humid so with that you will usually get an afternoon (3-4 pm) thundershower which lasts about 30 minutes or so then it%26#39;s nice again.

Hope this eases your mind!

Weather in Naples in May/June

Statistically, there is very little chance of a hurricane in May or June. It will be hot and very humid, and the water temperature of the gulf will be in the mid-80%26#39;s, so the only real relief is shade and/or air conditioning. I always find the evenings comfortable and the closer you are to the gulf the better your chances of an evening breeze.

cryptoapi vs capicom

Best Family friendly/variety eating options at a Resort???

I will be traveling with a large family group (my parents, my sister, me, hubby, 4 yr.boy, brother and sis in law, 15 yr. girl, 13 yr. girl).

We were either are thinking about staying at the POP resort or Coronado Springs Disney properties.

However, my thinking is that the POP would have more eating options and a variety and open at better times for us. Correct??? I am assuming that it will be a cheaper menu and option? Am I correct in saying so??

I know some of the people in our group would love a sit down restaurant(I am sure POP doesn%26#39;t have that sort of thing).

POP or the Coronado would buss us to Downtown Disney correct???? In case we did want a more fancy meal???

Thanks for any suggestions!!!

Best Family friendly/variety eating options at a Resort???

The Value Resorts only have a food court and they don%26#39;t tend to have a lot of variety. Coronado Springs offers a few more options. All Disney Resorts will bus you to Downtown Disney;you can also eat at another resorts restaurants if you want a nicer table service meal such as the California Grill which you can walk to from the MK.

Best Family friendly/variety eating options at a Resort???

Check this website for all Disneyworld restaurants and menus, including prices:

http://www.allears.net/menu/menus.htm

bebo

Advice on charter boats

Hello all.

My first post but I%26#39;ve been reading a lot of your comments and such and you have already given me ideas on where to go to eat and such. So I thought I%26#39;d ask away and get some advice. First trip to the Keys. Staying at Continental Inn (also largely in part to TA posts). Just myself and girlfriend coming down June 19-28th and can%26#39;t wait. Two things that we want to do but haven%26#39;t seen much discussion.

Snorkeling. Looking to do a day trip and want a fun time. Go in the morning or afternoon? Best boats? Would it be worth it to bring/buy some gear to use on Cont Inn%26#39;s beach?

Fishing. Best captains? Best prices? I know ';best'; is tricky when fishing is involved. Don%26#39;t care what I catch so species isn%26#39;t a limitation and I%26#39;ll be happy to hear everybody%26#39;s version of best.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Dan

Advice on charter boats

The two charters I like in the Marathon area are - in no particular order:

Reel Time with Captain Nick. www.reeltimefishingcharters.com (305) 942-2171

or

Main Attraction out of Key Colony Beach. (305) 289-0071 Captain Marty.

I%26#39;ve caught fish on both boats.

I was just on another boat this weekend, but it is out of Geiger Key Marina I caught a 20 pound Mahi as the biggest, and we had another 11 smaller dolphin as well. I fished with Captain Greg and Captain Craig. Call Greg at (305) 296-9641.

Tell him I told you to watch your fingers when fishing with them.

You%26#39;ll like staying at the Continental. Nice area. have a dinner at Sparky%26#39;s - you wont%26#39; be sorry. Tell Barb the bartender hi, and watch out for Ally. She tried to kill me with Coronas one night.

Advice on charter boats

The Buffetguy has recommended two great Charter Captains. If you go with Main Attraction, fish with Capt Marty and his mate Jamie! They have a couple of boats, but I think he is the best!

For snorkeling, I would recommend The Spirit http://www.spiritsnorkeling.net/

or Tilden%26#39;s http://www.tildensscubacenter.com/

I don%26#39;t think you will need any gear for in front of the Contental Inn, it is a nice beach, but not really for snorkeling.

Come on down, you are going to have a great time!

AND - another vote for Main Attraction and Capt Marty - he%26#39;s on Main Attraction 1. There are several Main Attractions, that%26#39;s the boat the other two are talking about.

Also right there in KCB is Deep Blue Dive, snorkeling and diving. You can rent gear from them if you feel you need it for the beach in front of Cont inn, but like the above poster said - there isn%26#39;t much to see there. Morning or afternoon? Depends on the weather that day - talk with whoever you choose to go out with for advise on the day.

Come on down!!

Thanks for the advice. Only two more weeks.

Main Attraction is an excellent choice - either Capt. Marty or Capt. Shelby. Also recommend SeaSquared Charters (www.seasquaredcharters.com) in the same marina. Be sure to stop in to Sparky%26#39;s Landing for fish %26#39;n cocktails - also in the Key Colony Beach Marina. A Deep Blue Dive (again, same marina) is top choice for snorkeling. Have a blast!

I highly recommend Captain Buddy LaPointe for inshore fishing. He%26#39;s patient and he%26#39;ll put you on fish. He works with beginners and experienced fishermen. I’d call him ASAP as he is usually booked well in advance. His website is www.fishin-buddy.com. I’ve fished with him for over 10 years and he’s always been terrific.

did anyone who fished those two charter companies go for swordfish. want to do a day trip later this month.

thanks

did anyone who fished those two charter companies go for swordfish. want to do a day trip later this month.

thanks

Both Main Attraction and SeaSquared go for swordfish with success.

http://www.mainattraction.org/

http://seasquaredcharters.com/

Both are good. Swordfishing can be very boring. Deep, deep drop and wait. And wait. And wait. Both of those Charter Captains can put you on all different types of fish!

Labor Day trip to the Keys-first time

Hi all

My hubby and I are virgins to the Keys and have 7 days to explore. Haven%26#39;t had a beach vaction in 5 years so we are due!

We%26#39;re looking for snokeling fun first and foremost, then listening to waves at night with a good drink in hand, good food and just down and out relaxation.

Hubby want%26#39;s national parks(which there are 3 to choose from..) We%26#39;re young empty nesters from Colorado so we love our nature and it%26#39;s just us for the trip.

How do I plan the itinerary? Budget is medium so I need lodging hints as well. We%26#39;ll fly in from Denver to Miami, pick up the car and run with the wind. We know we have 2 days each way of travel which gives us 7 days of fun.

Love your ideas for our much needed beach ';Keys'; vacation.

Shopgrl39

Labor Day trip to the Keys-first time

You should do some research here on TA on the Islamorada %26amp; Marathon forums. There are tons of posts on places to stay %26amp; things to do. Islamorada %26amp; Marathon are central in the keys and make a great base for exploring the rest of the keys. Also contact the chamber of commerce for one of the keys %26amp; they will send you an info packet which has maps %26amp; is helpful in seeing how the keys are in relation to what you want to do. I wouldn%26#39;t over plan. Pick a few of the main things %26amp; then just let the rest happen. You will have a better vacation then if you try to plan every minute. Enjoy!

Labor Day trip to the Keys-first time

First of all - when are you coming? I agree that staying in the Middle Keys (Isla/Marathon/Key Colony Beach) gives you the most flexibility. As for your lodging budget you may consider renting a condo or home rather than staying at a resort or even hotel/motel. There are many available for as little as $800/week up to $3000/week and more. Check out premierkeys.com. If you find one in the low to mid price range this will leave you some $$ to spend a night (or even 2) at one of the inns in Key West. Necessary for your Duval Crawl. Key Colony Beach Marina offers you diving/snorkeling as well as charter fishing, boat rental and great happy hour/dining. One stop shopping. There is tons to do. Visit the Marathon Chamber website floridakeysmarathon.com for just a start and, as earlier recommended, visit the Marathon and Key Colony Beach forums here for ideas and recommendations. Most important - have a great time! Oh - as for listening to the waves - we don%26#39;t really have waves down here, but we do have crystal clear water that%26#39;s perfect for swimming, snorkeling and fishing.

Sorry - I now see you%26#39;re coming for Labor Day! Also check out the Keys Kash coupons on fla-keys.com.

Thanks for all the help here! I%26#39;ll check into all the advice and look at renting too. So, it sounds like the middle keys is the answer for lodging and just weave our way up and down in the car?

Can%26#39;t wait to visit :)

Shopgrl

You might want to read my trip report; just search kathyva. I%26#39;m sure it will be too hot and buggy for the Everglades, but look into the Dry Tortugas National Park. Sorry we didn%26#39;t make it there on our first trip in April. Snorkel trips are available all the way down the keys, from John Pennenkamp National Park (Key Largo) to Coffin%26#39;s Patch (Key Colony Beach), Sombrero Reef (Marathon), Looe Key Reef (Big Pine Key), and half and full day trips out of Key West. We enjoyed staying in the lower keys way better than Key Largo. Bahia Honda State Park has a beautiful beach. We may have a lot in common...we are empty nesters and lived in Denver way back in the 70%26#39;s. Happy snorkeling!

Thanks for all the snokeling tips Kathy. I%26#39;ll check out your trip report. Since we want to ck out a couple of the national parks, would you recommend a few days in Key Largo before heading to the middle, and lower keys? I just booked our flight and we got a great fare by going a couple of days earlier so we will actually have 9 full days of fun :)

Thanks to all for the great help and advice!!

Shopgrl39

No, I wouldn%26#39;t stay in Key Largo again. It%26#39;s easy enough to travel from the middle keys to John Pennenkamp National Park to snorkel once there. As you travel further west in the keys, the scenery just gets better and better. My husband and I loved Big Pine Key for the unbuilt,open quality of this key. It is nicely located both to Key West and Bahia Honda State Park as well as to Marathon. Remember that staying in Key West is FUN too! There%26#39;s a wealth of info on this forum but feel welcome to keep asking questions.

I agree I wouldn%26#39;t stay in Key Largo either. It%26#39;s not that far to drive there. We usually do a day trip to Key Largo. Also wanted to let you know traffic can be really heavy on Labor Day. It seems the actual day of any holiday in the keys has very hectic traffic. I would make that a non-driving day.

When booking your place to stay keep in mind the gulf side if you want to watch the sunsets and Atlantic side if you want to watch the sunrises. It%26#39;s great you have the extra days. I know every time we go there we always want to ';call in sick'; and stay extra days.

Ditto what BORN said about the holiday traffic. We got caught in horrendous traffic on Memorial Day trying to get from Marathon to Tavernier to go to the movies. Took us 2 hours just to get to Worldwide Angler - gave up - had a couple of cocktails and turned around. This, of course, was north-bound traffic. I have heard south-bound traffic can be thick on Fridays lately. I guess we%26#39;re getting lots of weekenders. Traveleing EARLY on Fridays would be a good tactic and avoid the O/S on any actual holidays, esp Monday holidays.

Thanks again for all your help. We found a rental villa in Long Key so any advice on Long Key would be great. We want to enjoy nature but still enjoy drinks and dinner out so I want to make sure Long Key isn%26#39;t too remote. It%26#39;s on the Altantic side so we can walk over the gulf side for the sunsets. It%26#39;s right next to Long Key State Park which is nice and the rental includes kayak%26#39;s too :) Bonus!

Bus system

Hey, what is Destin%26#39;s bus system like? I cannot seem to find a web site with it. Can anyone tell me it? How late do they run?

Bus system

Go to the Okaloosa County Transit website at rideoct.org

I%26#39;ve seen it going around quite a bit this week.

Bus system

Destin does not have a bus system.

Bus system? No, that%26#39;s just Semco in a big van picking up TA regulars.

Virgin's 'V' Room

Hi has anyone used virgin%26#39;s V Room at Gatwick? Am considering booking it ans was wondering if it was worth while.

Virgin's 'V' Room

Have a quick look on www.dibb there is a few posts on there

web proxy server

HELP music t -shirts

Hi, sorry about this my son (13) has just got into music in a big way and is looking for some t-shirts like linkin park paramore, my chemical romance and bullit for my valentine are there any shops in orlando that sell these type of t-shirts.

many thanks

HELP music t -shirts

The big Virgin store at DTD had music t-shirts.

HELP music t -shirts

hi spark plug my friend is into that type of music

an when we go she wants to go to a shop called hot topic in orlando. so i guess they probably might sell t-shirts that your after.

hope this helps

liz x

Thanks Liz

any idea where this shop is

hi sparkplug

just had a look for you, there%26#39;s a hot topic in

the florida mall.

dont no if there%26#39;s any others,

if i find out i%26#39;ll let you no.

when do you go ????

Hi liz

two weks and counting yipee

I agree Virgin Mega Store at DTD. My 2 music crazy boys had to take 2 trips and spent HOURS! There is a big section with clothing on the first floor.

South Beach in September

My wife and I will be visiting South Beach in late September for a combo of work and play. Most likely we will be staying at the Double Tree Surfcomber. I understand that this is hurricane season but aside from that should it still be good beach and pool weather? Is the beach in front of the Surfcomber a good beach to hang out at? We would also like recommendations for good restaraunts and bars, not night clubs, within walking distance. Thanks

South Beach in September

one more question...would you recommend savoy over surfcomber? key factors: location, beach and pool...Thanks!

South Beach in September

Unless you are getting an oceanfront at the Surfcomer your

room will be small,dark, and dull. The pool is decent there.

IMO the Savoy is better with a nicer pool and the rooms

are larger and brighter with many having a balcony

and kitchen and more upscale bathrooms. Both are

well located with the Surfcomer being a few blocks

fron Lincoln Road and walkable to Ocean Drive. The Savoy

is right on Ocean in the south of Fifth area which is considered %26#39;hot%26#39;. As long as you are not expecting five

stars both hotels are quite adequate. Perhaps for the same price you could get the Strand and be better off if you can enjoy a rooftop pool. All three provide beach set ups.

bebo

First time staying in Disney!!!!

Hi Folks out there,

I am going to PORS in Sept and this is my four trip to disney but have never stayed within disney aleays stayed in I DR. What are the benefits of staying within Disney and what am i to expect?

Thank you in advance

Andy

First time staying in Disney!!!!

You get the free transportation obviously, and then the EMH. Also, the Disney MAGIC! :D

First time staying in Disney!!!!

You can expect to leave the stresses of your life outside Disney property. It%26#39;s great to go and not have a care in the world. With the bus and boat service you don%26#39;t need to drive unless you want to and we don%26#39;t even watch much on the news. You can truly get away from it all if that%26#39;s your idea of a vacation.

POR is a great resort too, with lots of amenities that a basic hotel doesn%26#39;t have. Be sure to take the boat ride to DTD sometime during your stay.

Benefits of staying at Disney include Extra Magic Hours, free transportation, free parking if you have a vehicle, ability to purchase the dining plan, ability to send packages to your resort, ability to charge all items to your room, etc.

And no timeshare salespeople accosting you all the time!

If you are flying into MCO, don%26#39;t forget to call Magical Express for your Free Transportation to POR

POR is a great Resort, I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll feel relaxed and happy there, that%26#39;s how a Holiday should be :)

We were at POR just a few weeks ago ( and many times in the Past ) The Pool is great and the Food Court has some really nice options. Set aside an evening to listen to Bob the Piano Player and rent a few Bikes to have a ride around one afternoon, maybe over to POFQ to have a look around there. You%26#39;ll get it ( about staying at a Disney Resort ) as soon as you get there.

What are your dates ? There are alot of us from the forum that are going in September :)

www.allears.net/acc/faq_dxl.htm

Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

So I leave for a few days to go to Portland and come back to find Bimini Boatyard shutting down and manatees allegedly copulating on the beach???

Can%26#39;t I leave you all alone for a few days?!!

I am concerned about Bimini because I do LOVE that bread- and many other things about it.. and also because the same company owns Seawatch- no rumors about that closing I hope.. I think I%26#39;ll do Seawatch lunch on Thursday and see whats%26#39;s going on...

Portland/Seattle was great, but for the last few days they had an unbelievable heat wave - high of 97 in Seattle on Sunday- now that we are back everything has gone back to normal for them...

Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

Welcome back! Glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip. It just wasn%26#39;t the same without you. I knew you would be upset about Bimini Boatyard.

I%26#39;m sorry if I was naughty posting the manatee information but I sincerely thought it was helpful visitor information. Visitors like to know where they may see manatees. It isn%26#39;t my fault if the manatees were looking for an audience.

It did bring back memories of a poster who was shocked at some behaviors on the beach. lol

Bimini Boatyard Closing!!! NOOOOO!!!!

Thanks Pat! I have to add that our SWA crew was just fabulous- the flights going out were only half full and they couldn%26#39;t do enough for us! Coming back of course on a Monday flight they were just about full.

Our first expreience with the new way SWA boards. I don%26#39;t care for the A%26#39;s first , then families procedure. We will have to learn to board after the families , evn if we are A%26#39;s- the families don%26#39;t seem to like it either . I guess they are trying to always be sure their business class boards first- so they should perhaps board A 1-15 first, then families- everyone seems to want to avoid infants and toddlers if they can! Of course , as has been pointed out on other forums , there seem to be very few business travelers- there were I think only 3 on the full flight coming back and I think perhaps none out of Ft. Lauderdale- will be interesting to see how it goes as time goes on!

I wish I had been here for the manatees- I have actually only seen one unexpectedly in all the years I have lived here- not counting the ones that used to always be seen at Port Everglades years ago( they used to be easily seen in a cooling station near teh FPL plant there that is now closed to the public I think)- and that one was floating lazily down Middle River one Sunday am when John and I were out walking - in that little canal branch just south of 26th and Federal. They are such amazing creatures!

I chuckled at the Manatee post. It reminded me of the ';Flaming on the beach'; post too.

I%26#39;m really bummed about Bimini Boatyard closing....I loved their Cobb salad with Diane dressing!!!

We%26#39;re lunching at Seawatch tomorrow- it has the same owners as Bimini. I think that Cobb is on that menu as well- or something very similar. I%26#39;ll let you know ( sob!) I%26#39;m going to miss the crabcakes eggs benedict at Sunday Brunch- it is so hard to find a place open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday - and they were- plated brunch too- which is even more rare! I pray there are no similar plans to close Seawatch- my ';ladies who lunch'; have a charity event there each year. We also used to have several functions annually in the sun porch areas of Bimini!

I%26#39;m still trying to figure out how to break this news to a friend in Tallahassee- she has had a special brunch there for about twenty people on her once a year reunion visit for the last few years. It was her favorite spot in town!

We will miss this place as well. On our recent stops there the last couple of years they always seemed busy, so I%26#39;m curious if this was due to some reason other than a lack of business.

Harry

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope to quell some of your fears. Bimini Boatyard was sold recently to Mr. Steve Hudson, who is related in some manner to Mr. Wayne Huizenga. Right now they do not plan to close. However they will be re-decorating and making everything new and classy.

Right now the back bar is walled off while they change the decor. This should last 2 or 3 weeks.

Not to fear, they will continue to serve the same Bimini Bread and their menu may be improved as they hire more top chefs.

Conciergeforyou - I%26#39;m glad to hear that it is only a temporary closing and look forward to our return in Dec.

The Hostess at Seawatch told us that Seawatch operated Bimini under a lease agreement with the shopping center owner , who has terminated their lease. So I don%26#39;t know what the new place will be like , but it won%26#39;t have any connection to Seawatch or same employees or menu. She said many of the employees will be brought to Seawatch and she has heard some Bimini menu items will be integrated there.

As far as whether the new place will be better- lets wait and see...

We had a nice lunch at Seawatch ( grilled grouper with chive-tomato butter and bar- b -qued salmon. and a nice fruit cobbler while we watched the iguanas play.)

Abby, they serve the Diane salad there ( with chicken ) and also offer Cobb Salad with choice of dressing , so I think your Cobb /with Diane Dressing will happen at Seawatch if Bimini strays from what we all loved so.

I know new owners ruined 15th Street Fisheries ( in my and many opinions)and of course prices were raised drastically on their new worse menu), so lets hope Bimini doesn%26#39;t have the same fate!

Thanks for the update Lulu - the description of your lunch menu is causing quite a stir with my salivary glands!!

It%26#39;s always difficult when new owners come in - and you%26#39;re so right! Typically the menu changes and the prices go up. I hate it when you find a place you like only to have it go the way of Bimini and 15th Street Fisheries.....

Disney Tickets Question.

We have bought 7 day MYW tickets without a hopper option.

However if we did decide to hop could we use one of the extra days to do this?

So could we use one day for MGM and then another day to do the evening %26amp; night at MK?

Hope this makes sense

Thanks

Disney Tickets Question.

Nope, not allowed.

Disney computers know you have already been to another park that day, so when you try to enter the second park on the same day without Hopper option, the gates will lock, and the CMs do not override it.

Disney makes a lot more money now selling the hopper as an option, which is another $47.93 per ticket, whereas an additional day on a multi-day ticket might only cost $6 or so.

Disney Tickets Question.

Thanks Kat. Suspected that it may work like that.

If you decide you want to park hop, you can add the park hopper option any time you want, even after you%26#39;ve started using the ticket. You can pay for the upgrade at any park ticket booth (including the water parks), Guest Services at Downtown Disney, and at the Lobby COncierge desk at your WDW resort.

hair straightener

Bus schedule?

Does somebody know what is the bus schedule at the value resorts?

Bus schedule?

No set schedule. Busses for each Disney destination come every 15 to 20 minutes, give or take 5 minutes.

Some take longer, some come sooner, sometimes you%26#39;ll have 3 busses for one destination before the one you are going to arrives.

Patience is a real virtue with Disney busses.

Bus schedule?

Do you know at what time does the first bus comes out in the morning?

One hour before the park opens for business (including morning EMH days).

How early do i have to start making the line sow i can get a seat?

Depends on your location on the route. Stop 1 - maybe 20 mins before bus one? Stop 3 - on busy days might not even be an option..

What is the first hotel that the bus pases by?

Each resort area has their own busses that service only that resort, except for the ';sister resorts'; at Disney.

The ';sister resorts'; which share busses are the three All-Star resorts, the two Port Orleans resorts, the Swan and Dolphin resorts, and the Yatch %26amp; Beach Club resorts.

All other Disney resorts have their own busses that go straight from the resort to the theme parks.

If buses get backed up to where 2 or 3 are right behind one another for the same park, they rework the buses or a bus sits for a while. They really do try their best to keep to the schedule, but when they have to load a wheelchair on the bus that can take 10 minutes. This is when you find the back up.

You can pick the park that everyone at your resort is going to or the park no one is going to. It is just luck.

I love the bus system, if you have teens they can use them easily to get around. I would not do disney any other way.

I disagree that buses start running only one hour prior to park opening time. They start running earlier than that. The ';one hour'; thing is a very common misconception.

WDW offers character breakfasts at each of the 4 theme parks, and each of these restaurants have reservations (';ADRs';) that begin at least one hour before park opening. Disney likes it when guests use their Disney Transport bus system, and so they make it possible for people to use the buses to get to these expensive meals.

For Magic Kingdom, for example, the first buses begin running around 6:30 a.m. (even if the park doesn%26#39;t open %26#39;til 9:00 a.m.). That early, they run only about every 30 minutes instead of every 15 or 20 minutes, but they definitely begin running that early, as the first ADRs begin at 7:00 a.m. (Cinderella%26#39;s Royal Table, Crystal Palace). In addition, you can take an early bus to MK to catch early ADRs at Chef Mickey%26#39;s in the nearby Contemporary Resort ... in fact, if you tell the driver you are going to Chef Mickey%26#39;s, he or she has the discretion to drop you off directly at Contemporary!). %26#39;Ohana, at Polynesian, has 7:00 a.m. ADRs, and 1900 Park Fare, at Grand Floridian, has 8:00 a.m. ADRs.

Animal Kingdom and DHS have ADRs beginning at 8:00 a.m. (Tusker House and Hollywood %26amp; Vine, respectively), so buses there will begin by no later than 7:30 a.m., probably more like 7 or 7:15 a.m. (even if those parks don%26#39;t open %26#39;til 9:00 a.m.).

Epcot has ADRs at Restaurant Akershus beginning at 8:30 a.m. Buses to Epcot begin running on a daily basis by 7:30 a.m. or a little earlier.

If buses truly started running only 1 hour prior to park openings, guests wouldn%26#39;t be able to use Disney Transport buses to get to these early ADRs at/near the parks.

nearest best beach with surfing waves

My son loves to surf in sunny Aberdeen, Scotland, near Chinners greenhouse!

Can anyone recommend a good beach for surfing near Orlando? Ideally we would like to keep the driving time as short as possible but realise it will be 80 miles plus... and we would have to hire boards.

nearest best beach with surfing waves

Your best bet will be Cocoa Beach. You can rent surf boards there and a lot of people surf there. :o)

nearest best beach with surfing waves

The Atlantic ocean side is definitely better for waves than the gulf side, albeit you have to be on the lookout for sharks.

Daytona, New Smyrna, and possibly Cocoa Beach would be the closest destinations to Orlando for better surfing.

Cocoa Beach is less than an hour away. The Beachline toll road (528) takes you stright there. You can rent boards many places but Ron Jon%26#39;s is most famous.

Have fun!

Melbourne beach also

Just take 192 till you hit water

Depending on how advanced or beginner he is Cocoa Beach is usually a good bet and for about $3 in tolls you can be there in an hour from Orlando. From %26#39;The Streets%26#39; to Cocoa beach pier are pretty soft waves and you can usually find a spot away from swimmers and have fun. if he%26#39;s intermediate to advanced may want to check further south in to Satellite Beach (rock bottoms) to Melbourne. New Smyrna Beach is the most consistent beach in FL and youre pretty much guarenteed you can find a wave. NSB is an hour north of Orlando. Check out Red Dog or Inlet Charley%26#39;s for board rentals.

If you need to rent surfboards check out Cocoa Beach Surf Company (next door to Ron Jons) or Quiet Flight (about 10 minutes south of Ron Jons), sorry, not a fan of Ron Jons.

All board rentals should be under $20 for a full day.

hope that helps some

Joysilvercat,

I agree with the previous posters. Cocoa is your best bet for several reasons not the least of which is the best waves. Melbourne is good for a more experienced surfer and excellent for non-surfing water activities. Cocoa is not as busy as Daytona but has enough surf shops and surfing instructors that if you book in advance you can find someone qualified to teach you what you need to know. It also has the best options other than Daytona for those in the party who would rather see and be seen than risk their necks in the water.

My final reason is a ';soap box'; issue for me. People drive on the beach in Daytona. There is no driving on the beach in Cocoa. In my opinion, alcohol, automobiles and people playing on the beach do not mix. I do not consider the beach at Daytona safe for that reason. I have been there out of season on week days when there are no cars. Daytona is a nice beach when it can be enjoyed safely.

Cocoa and Melbourne are nice beaches all the time.

CTR

There is also a store in the Florida Mall that has surf lessions. It%26#39;s pretty neat to watch. But Cocoa Beach is best for waves on the Atlantic Coast. The gulf is very calm.

Traveling with Family USA 2009 - starting at Florida

coming for a 4 to 5 week family holiday in either June 2009 or Sept 2009 with wife and 2 girls 7 and 10

starting in florida with Disney main point of interest

will travel car and or amtrak up east coast taking in Washington/ new york /Boston and then on to chicago ( poss fly)

would like opinions /options on the following

- staying at disney hotels or not in orlando

- internal american flight deals / passes for multi flights?

- accommodation in New york/washington - are apartments an option ?

- amtrak deals ?

- things not to miss

Coming from Australia - would love your feedback

Traveling with Family USA 2009 - starting at Florida

AS for the Disney portion of your trip, if you choose September, you may be able to take part in the ';free dining plan'; offer Disney has at that time of year. This will allow you to eat at Disney for free during your stay at no charge.

Also, staying at a Dinsey resort is much cheaper in September than in June.

Here%26#39;s a website where you can research all kinds of Disney resorts, so you can decide what budget you want to go for:

http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/faq_hot.htm

Traveling with Family USA 2009 - starting at Florida

For apts in DC, don%26#39;t know of any, but we used priceline last time and got the Residence Inn near the white house. Bedroom plus living area with sofabed and full kitchen. Excellent breakfast included.

New York is harder. Post on the NYC fourm maybe.

There used to be flight deals like you speak of but no longer. One way tics between major cities using the discount airlines like Air Tran will serve you well.

For Orlando,

If you are just doing disney parks and staying there for a week, then I would stay onsite. If you are going to want to do other things like Universal, shopping beach etc I would at least rent a car if not relocate to a condo in LBV.

And as Kat said, Sept will be cheaper, and the weather on the east coast and Chicago will still be nice so I%26#39;d think of then.

Amtrak would be more then flying up the coast, so a car is a better route. If you are driving you should stop along the shore on the way up.

If you just want to see parts of the U.S you can get a good deal on flying from Orlando to NYC - then you can do a flight from NYC to Long Beach CA, back to NYC then back to Orlando. This way you still have roundtrip which is cheaper then one way flights. Jetblue has some great prices on flights. Airtran is another one but I have never used them.

While in NYC, you could venture out from there to Boston, Cape Cod, Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, etc.

While in CA you could go to Disneyworld, AZ (Grand Canyon), Las Vegas and of course the west coast shore.

OOPs....getting messed up planing our next trip.

Disneyland is in CA, Disneyworld is Orlando.

Marriotts Residence Inns are usually good for a apartment feel hotel.

Niagra Falls is great if you get a chance to see it. It%26#39;s right at the Canadian Border %26amp; is best viewed from the Canadian side but you can view if from either side.

I agree Air Tran %26amp; Jet Blue have good rates for flights between Orlando %26amp; NYC. Check them on Tues %26amp; Thurs for best deals.

Amtrak will take you longer to get to NY. If renting a car there are lots of places to see along the way depending on which route you take to go north.

Atlanta, Ga has the worlds largest aquarium, North Carolina has beautiful mountain scenery and if far enough west there are places to stop %26amp; mine for gems, white water rafting %26amp; tubing, Biltmore House in Ashville is great altho may not be exciting for the kids. The Smokey Mountains are beautiful, Gatlinburg %26amp; Pigeon Forge Tennesse are fun for the kids %26amp; adults.

If you drive up the coast instead, there is Savannah, Ga %26amp; Charleston SC both historical places with lots to do. Many great beach stops along the way too. Have a great vacation whichever route you decide on traveling!

thanks for your feedback - its getting my mind started on planning

it looks like we may drive orlando - washington-new york- poss boston so hints on stops accom on the way would be appreciated

our 2 major flights internally will be LA or san fran to Miami/orlando then later 4- 5 weeks later Chicago - La /San fran

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS SO FAR

bebo

Which resort is for us?

My husband and I would like to go to the Florida Keys next year but neither of us have been before. Just need to know which place would suit us best. I%26#39;ve seen holidays for Key Largo, Key West, Key Vaca, Duck Key and Islamorada. We are in our late 20%26#39;s early 30%26#39;s, no children. We like to sit by the pool during the day but still like to have the option of sight seeing. We love to go out in the evening so there needs to be plenty of bars/ restaurants. Nothing too heavy, just places you can go and watch the world go by. Not bothered about clubs.

Any help would be greatly received.

Cheers

Steph

Which resort is for us?

Each area of the keys has its own personality. The upper keys (Key Largo) are more like the mainland. If you go no further south than here, you%26#39;ll miss the real beauty of the keys water, bridges etc. The diving in Key largo is its main attraction.

The middle keys (Islamorada, Vaca Key or Marathon) Is known for sportfishing, there is diving, just not as much.

The lower keys - mainly Key West is known for Duval street and it%26#39;s nightlife.

You can do any (fish, dive, party) in any of the keys.

If you make the Marathon area your ';home base'; you can get to each end of the keys is an easy 1 hour drive. I%26#39;d try and pick someplace near the middle keys.

Which resort is for us?

What Buffettguy said!

Secret Link in MouseSavers Newsletter.

I have often poo-pooed this so called saving BUT using this link to Undercover Tourist I was able to save $22.

Nemmis may think that this isn%26#39;t worth it but any saving is worth having

Secret Link in MouseSavers Newsletter.

Link?

Secret Link in MouseSavers Newsletter.

Well Done

I agree, every little bit helps :)

Can%26#39;t post it on here but it is easy to sign up for the newsletter- just go to

www.mousesavers.com

Danke.

recommend face powder

B&B recommendation for 3 people

My first visit to Key West and I am looking for a good bed and breakfast that can accomadate 3 people within walking distance of action on Duvall. Since the 3rd person is my younger brother; I could just throw him under the bed, but I%26#39;ll try and be nice... I don%26#39;t seem to see to many that have an extra bed or sleeper sofa in the room. Suggestions would be appreciated Thanks!

B%26amp;B recommendation for 3 people

Look at these -

http://marreros.com/index.htm

http://centercourtkw.com/

http://courtneysplacekeywest.com/rooms.htm

http://wickerguesthouse.com/index.htm

http://nassauhouse.com/index.html

http://seascapetropicalinn.com/

http://casa325.com/

B%26amp;B recommendation for 3 people

If your brother an adult or a child? Many B%26amp;B%26#39;s don%26#39;t accept children.

I%26#39;ve stayed in one of the two bed units at Marrero%26#39;s. Very large room, it was nice.

There%26#39;s also some two bed rooms at Cypress House.

We recently stayed at Rose Lane Villas. Had a separate king bedroom, living room with a pull-out sofa (which our friend said was comfy), full kitchen and really nice large deck overlooking the pool. EXCELLENT location to Duval.

Thanks for the replys I%26#39;ll do some research on the ones suggested! (btw my brother is 23, but he%26#39;s a broke college kid and since I%26#39;m footing the bill I would just rather pay extra for a bigger room than double for an additional room...)

Now I%26#39;m overwhelmed with decisions. I guess that%26#39;s better than none. I am looking at staying at Center Court, the cottages at Courtney%26#39;s Place or maybe the Wicker or Seascape Inn. Does anyone have any tips/preferences for any of these. And are they all in good locations? Thanks again!

For locations...

-Center Court is at 1075 Duval, 4 blocks from the Southernmost end and 10 short Key West blocks to the north end. You%26#39;re near the Banan Cafe, Blue Heaven, Grand Vin, for example, and not really far from anything.

-Courtney%26#39;s Place is 720 Whitemarsh Lane, 1.5 blocks off Duval between Angela and Petronia. Nice because its on the Simonton side od Duval so you can walk about 2 blocks to Sarabeth%26#39;s and you%26#39;re about 8 blocks to the Key West Bight and all those happy hours.

-Wicker Guesthouse is at 913 Duval Street and the comments above for the Center Court are true for the Wicker. But their webpage has an offer for a free, third night. Check it out.

-Seascape Inn is at 420 Olivia Street one block off Duval on the Whitehead side. This puts it close to Kelly%26#39;s and the Green Parrot, and acout 6 blocks to the Mallory Docks.

None of these is greatly better or worse based on location. You usually don%26#39;t want to stay right on Duval Street, but the two on Duval are far enough south so that there won%26#39;t be a lot of noise.

hth

Pjk

i%26#39;ve stayed the douglas house several times and they have a variety or rooms and suits. the sago palm room has 2 beds; the coconut palm also has 2 beds - 1 in the loft. very reasonable prices, nice pool, and both of the rooms i mentioned have front porches.

http://www.douglashouse.com/

Alyson,

I do not think you can go wrong with any of them. The locations are all really good. Seascape and The Wicker House are literally around the corner from each other and in a great area. Its a bit quieter around there and there are lots of restaurants, bars and galleries to walk to. Center Court has several properties so let us know which address you are looking at. Courtney%26#39;s Place is set back a couple of blocks from about mid Duval (main street) and its in a much more residential area. All the guest houses offer something different so here are some things to consider -

Will you have a car and need a parking spot? Not all B%26amp;B%26#39;s have parking so you would have to use meter parking.

Do each of them have phone and/or televisions in the rooms? It may or may not be important to you but its worth checking.

What do all offer for breakfast and what are the times it is offered? Do any of them offer Happy Hour?

What is the size of the room? With 3 people I would suspect you would like a chair or two in the room and a decent size bathroom or at least a table or shelf in there for everyones toiletries.

Do all have pools or hot tubs and what are the hours?

Most B%26amp;B%26#39;s are not kid friendly but if you are looking to avoid them for your vacation its always good to ask.

Look through the reviews of each place on this site. Most are very detailed and will tell the bad and the good.

I hope this helps and doesn%26#39;t confuse you more, lol.

Thought of something else -

The room entrance - Some are outside entrances so there might be a feeling of a little more privacy compared to walking into house to get to the entrance of your room.

The ones available at Center Court I am looking at are:

529 Olivia Street - Leeward Isle

905 White Street - Osprey%26#39;s Nest

907 White Street - Palm Isle

Gulf Breeze - on the corner of Virgina %26amp; Whitehead maybe?

Thanks for the tips! I would probably rather and outside entrance and I will have a car.

Ticket price increase????

I know that last year Aug 07 Disney ticket and hotel prices went up. I was wondering if anyone has heard of an increase coming in Aug 08. I know that things have to go up, but my goodness if they keep increasing the price, people will not be able to afford to go. I also heard that Universal prices just went up 10 bucks, is this true?

Ticket price increase????

Yes, Universal and SeaWorld just raised prices on some tickets, while lowering others, so it%26#39;s a give-and-take with those companies.

Disney has done their rate increases in August in both 06 and 07, so there%26#39;s no reason to think they won%26#39;t raise again in 08/08. In 06, they raised the prices two times in the same year (Jan and then again in Aug).

Ticket price increase????

Gosh that%26#39;s bad to rise prices twice in one year, but I guess the sheer volumne of people still going, shows that it doesn%26#39;t have an adverse effect.

And the amount of the raises was fairly small. One thing about Disney is volume, with the number of people attending, a $1 price increase per day can generate a lot of revenue...

Did Universal raise their prices or just remove some of the discount that had been in place earlier this summer?

looking back on first trip

I have been home a week now from my first visit to WDW. Went with husband who had worked at EPCOT and our 2 boys, 6 %26amp; 9. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed ourselves. That said, this is really a different type of vacation then we are used to and I can%26#39;t imagine going back year after year. All those people with shirts and buttons that say 15th trip or 20 trips, wow! What is it brings you back?

looking back on first trip

Routine..

looking back on first trip

It can%26#39;t be just routine, Orlando is to far and costly for many.

It%26#39;s and addiction and i start to get witdrawl symptoms if i haven%26#39;t been for 9 months :)

Mickeys my Brother and Minne is my sister,plus the fact my Grandchildren love the place lol.

Sometimes it%26#39;s because we need a little Magic, an escape from the real World.

Somestimes it is to bring family or friends who have never been

Sometimes it%26#39;s to just relax at a Nice Disney Resort and eat well at the Nicer Disney Restaurants

When we go in April it%26#39;s for the Flower %26amp; Garden Fest @ Epcot

When we go in June it%26#39;s for Star Wars Weekends @ Hollywood Studios

When we go in September it%26#39;s all about the Free Dining Everywhere

When we go in November it%26#39;s for the Mickey%26#39;s Very Merry Christmas Party and all the Beautiful Decorations

That%26#39;s just a few reasons

:)

Disney is magic. It is more magical when it isn%26#39;t so crowded. :-)

This will be our 4th trip. I agree, we need a little %26#39;magic%26#39; in our lives. We love the whole atmosphere. I really think it was more %26#39;magical%26#39; when the kids were little. They%26#39;re 11 %26amp; 16 now, so this will be an entirely differenet kind of trip I%26#39;m sure.

Disney is a ';go go go, do %26amp; see as much as you can'; kind of trip. Some of our vacations are lay on the beach, some are active, so I know what you mean. That%26#39;s part of why this is only our 4th trip......other places in between.

Disney is still one of the best vacations we%26#39;ve taken. I also like the all inclusive option and the fact that disney %26#39;takes care of you%26#39;. It makes you feel special. (awwww......)

Disney fireworks prefered viewing

We will be at Disney 27th sept-4th oct and we have taken the fireworks prefered viewing option but are just wondering if anyone has done this before and were in Epcot and Magic kingdom is this situated and is it really worth booking in advance or are the views in other parts of the parks just as good.

Disney fireworks prefered viewing

I%26#39;m not even sure what that option is.... Is it a new Disney offering?

Disney fireworks prefered viewing

Its part of the free dining plan package,we usually watch MK fireworks from in front of the castle which is a great view so we are wondering if the prefered viewing will be any better thanks.

Hmm. I think this may have come from your booking agent, I can%26#39;t find any reference to preferred viewing with the free dining plan.

As far as I know the only preferred viewing is if you book via AAA membership, and the spots are a little off to the side, but much less crowded

Booked directly with Disney and were told today when we paid the balance that we could book prefered viewing for a certain night but didnt bother yet as its a bit to far in advance.

Ok, thats a new one on me, please share details as you might get any...

It%26#39;s part of the %26#39;Magic Your Way Premium Vacation Package%26#39;

wdwinfo.com/disneypackages.htm#descriptions

Oh, ok that makes sense. I didn%26#39;t think it was part of free dining. You get it on the plat plan too, but we didn%26#39;t use it last time, and we used the fireworks cruise at epcot.

Wonder if they discount the Premium and Plat plans during free dining, since that%26#39;s a lot of the value...

bebo

Silver lake resort orlando/kissimee area

HI all

I take it that not one person on the forum has stayed in the Silver Lake Resort in Orlando.. OR a few have but cannot comment due to the sensiive nature of using bad language.

I am getting worried.. this place could be a dump.. maybe somebody can prove me wrong.

looking forward to comments.

cheers

niallr

Silver lake resort orlando/kissimee area

We stayed for 3 nights in April this year , we had a cheap deal with a time share presentation . We are timeshare ownders at Westgate and Silverlake wasn%26#39;t a patch on what we have over there, but it all depends on what rooms you get , we were in a one bed one bath ., it was a decent size but it was very dated and in need of modernisation. They also have a lot of newly built rooms which I presume are much better so I think it all depends on which rooms they put you in. It had one pool , it was ok . There was a games room which the kids liked and a kids club that they enjoyed. It also has a small gym . But basically as we only stayed there 3 nights we weren%26#39;t there that much. the location is great for disney.

Silver lake resort orlando/kissimee area

Thanks for the up-date macgill.

Sounds quite ordinary, but at least i know what to expect.

I will be sure to update eveyone on the type of room etc that we get.

As we will be there for 10 nights i should be able to give a fairy decent overview,

cheers again

niallr

Hi Niallr

Wondering if you stayed at Silver Lake Resort and what you could tell me about it. We are staying there NO MATTER what(locked in timeshare). So anything that you could tell me as in extra tips etc to make it a more pleasant stay etc.

Any recommendations as far as packing? Or items to bring? That you wish you had?

Even for Orlando in general.........

Thank you very much!

Shell

Have you stayed there as of yet? Looks like a good deal but would rather hear from someone that stayed!

Thanks!

What did you think of the resort? We are staying there in June -- it will be our first time to that resort. Would love to hear your thoughts!

rbwildcat

Hi

Our family spent 10 nights there in October 2004. The stay was not part of a timeshare deal and we were NEVER bothered once by anyone trying to sell us a timeshare.

We had a 1 bedroom 1 bath with a studio lock out.

Room: 1 bedroom was great, big full kitchen, giant bathroom with really big Jacuzzi tub and washer/dryer in bathroom. Pool: Big.Kids loved it,

Bar that serves basic food next to pool.

Arcade and kids activities, staff were great with my 3 boys, made tied dyed t-shirts, and other crafts and activities.

Big Sundries store on property, had a little of everything you might need.

Resort has room service of basic food it was good but not consistently good, sometimes only OK.

We really enjoyed the resort very much. We had no issues with anything at all during our stay, everything worked, rooms both 1 bedroom and studio looked newly redone, so can%26#39;t give opinion to service requests, the entire resort was very clean, comfortable, and would stay there again with out any hesitation based on our last stay.

Very convenient to Disney World too. You really don鈥檛 even need a car, we had one, but could do with out if only going to the theme parks, use the shuttle. Silver Lakes is walking distance to all sorts of shops too.

It%26#39;s been nearly 4 years since we stayed there and I have read on their web site so many additional upgrades to the property we are looking into fitting another vacation in this year to go to Disney World and will stay at Silver Lakes. We already know it and had a great time.

You%26#39;ll have a great time. I have found the only people who don%26#39;t have a good time on vacation are the ones who spend their time crawling around bathroom floors to take pictures behind the toilet, dirty window sills and anything else they can find wrong LOL.

Best,

CaliforniaNative

I%26#39;ve seldom seen such mixed reviews for any place as are these posted on the Kissimmee Forum for Silver Lake:

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34352-d87998-R鈥?/a>

I%26#39;ll probably never be trying it myself, but will be interested to hear your opinion, just for curiosity%26#39;s sake, so let us know how you make out.

Maybe you can at least get some useful information from these wide ranging reviews!

Hi

7 replies to original post and 2 out of 7 gave reviews. The others were also asking for reviews. Not really so mixed since there were only 2, unless I missed some reviews some where.

Best,

CaliforniaNative

There are 155 reviews on the link I posted above for the Kissimmee Forum.

We just returned from a week%26#39;s stay at Silver Lake Resort %26amp; had a wonderful time. We were in the 900 building, which is one of the newer buildings. We had a two bedroom (both king beds) and 2 baths. The master bath was quite large with a jacuzzi tub. The unit was very spacious %26amp; very clean. We had a pool right outside our building. It was very private and nice for relaxing. The larger pool was spectatcular. We enjoyed lots of swimming and sunning. The recreation center had pool toys to check out. We were very impressed with the staff. They were very friendly and very helpful. The grounds workers kept the lawns, flowers, %26amp; pool areas very nice. They also had great security. We could see them patrolling the area at night. We loved the proximity to Disney. We did rent a car and drove to the theme parks. The 800 %26amp; 900 buildings are by the back gate, which made it very convenient to head out to the parks. I would definitely recommend this resort and am looking forward to going back again sometime!

rbwildcat

pencil cases with initial

Christmas at Disney World

We will be in Disney World over Xmas (arriving on the 19th of December) We are wondering what would be a good restaurant to have dinner that evening - hoping for something similar to what we would eat back home in Canada (ie: turkey).

We are having brunch that morning at Chef Mickey.

Christmas at Disney World

Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom would be a very good choice, but whatever you choose you%26#39;d better book quickly!

Christmas at Disney World

I would call the Disney dining line 407-wdw-dine and ask them. Some restaurants may have special Christmas menus. But like the last person said, I would do it quick. Hopefully there is someplace on property with reservations left.

Yes, call as soon as you can and be very flexible with your times and places. Christmas holiday dining reservations are scarce by now.

Thanks for the replies. We had been booking our restaurants as the 180 days approached but I was hoping to find somewhere we could get turkey, etc for dinner.

We have a reservation at the Marekesh restaurant and seats for the candlelight procession and story reading.

has anyone done this and what did you think.

YES! We do the Candlelight Processional every year and LOVE it! We saw it with Andie MacDowell last year and Gary Sinise the year before. I can%26#39;t recommend this highly enough for those that are interested. It%26#39;s so uncommon to see something like this done by a big company like Disney these days. And while you%26#39;re at Epcot, check out the fun Christmas Around the World talks at each of the lands. My kids love it.

I%26#39;ve eaten at Marrakesh too. I think there are better places to eat at Epcot but it was okay and unique. The food was decent and the belly dancer was fun to watch.

Agree with Liberty Tree Tavern, they have family style turkey , mashed potatoes, gravy, etc.

You can always take a look at what Disney World offered last year for Christmas and go from there - I can%26#39;t imagine it would change that much (other than the prices going up) - check out this link at allearsnet

http://allears.net/tp/h_dine.htm

Also wdw info has good information:

www.wdwinfo.com/holidays/Christmasdining.htm

Family Friendly Eats in Clearwater FL?

Going to be in Clearwater with our 2 year old daughter. We%26#39;re also traveling with another couple also with small children. Can you recomend places to eat that are good, reasonable and family friendly? Interested in a variety of places - a good breakfast place, place to grab a burger and of course a great seafood place or two. Any fun places to watch the sun set? Thank you for your help!

Family Friendly Eats in Clearwater FL?

Since you have children, you should check out the Pirate Cruise. Lots of fun for the kids and grown-ups too. It gets great reviews here on TA. You can get great burgers at DogWater Cafe. They bring your food in Doggie dishes, different but a fun atmosphere and really good burgers.

For breakfast we have all of the chains Perkins, Bob Evans, Dennys, Village Inn, IHOP, and Waffle House. For a non-chain local place, I prefer Yanny%26#39;s. It is small but full of flare and has totally awesome french toast and home fries. Lenny%26#39;s is also a local breakfast diner, very popular with the snow birds.

I am not one for recommending seafood restaurants, maybe someone else can help on that.

A great place for sunsets is on Pier 60 or anywhere out on the beach.

Have Fun!

Family Friendly Eats in Clearwater FL?

I am assuming you%26#39;ll be staying at the beach. Check out Frenchys

http://www.frenchysonline.com/ there are several Frenchys%26#39; but for a good time watching the sunset go to Frenchy%26#39;s Rockaway. They have indoor seating, but also outdoor seating on a deck right on the beach facing the sunset.

Thank you, ssim and MarkBee for your recomendations! We will check out the restaurants you mentioned. Only wish our trip was sooner- would love to escape this deep freeze Chicago seems to be in at the moment..brrr thanks again!

I keep hearing about Frenchy%26#39;s. My husband and son love seafood, but the only seafood I like is a mild fish that is coated and deep fried. Would I have a problem eating there? I hear it%26#39;s right by our hotel.

No problem at all. For a very mild, white fish, the local favorite is grouper. It%26#39;s great fried. You will also see Mahi-Mahi on menus. It is less $$$ but very close to grouper. These are two that are very mild, not too %26#39;fishy%26#39; and both are great fried.

Thank you MarkBee!

coupons for outlet mall or dining

Is there someplace you can pick up discount coupons for the outlet mall or restaurants? Any little bit will help, especially with the price of gas!!!!!

coupons for outlet mall or dining

Here is the address to the only coupons I have found.

http://see-destin.com/coupons.php3

coupons for outlet mall or dining

funinthesun -

Check out www.getmorevacations.com . If you are staying with one of the properties listed on the site, you will have one complimentary meal at Capt. Kidd%26#39;s every day of your stay.

Many of the properties also offer complimentary tickets to The Track, Big Kahuna%26#39;s, golf rounds at Sandestin, Bluewater Bay, Shalimar Pointe, deep sea fishing, kid%26#39;s fishing (Little Nemo), free DVD rentals, dolphin cruises and more.

Be sure to look! Many people aren%26#39;t even aware that this program is available to them. Property management companies big and small are featuring it now - ResortQuest, Newman-Dailey, Fun Destin, Destin Luxury Resorts, etc.

That kind of savings offsets the price of gas quite nicely.

Have a great vacation!

There are two Chamber of Commerce located in the Destin area. One is on Okaloosa Island and the other is at the entrance to Regatta Bay. They have free discount coupons and brochures available. Most restaurants have free tourist books that contain coupons. Have fun!

40th birthday destination???????

Ok, hope this doesn%26#39;t show up twice because I thought it already posted. Anyway.... Next April will be my 40th birthday (ugh), and I am looking for a good place on the beach to go with a few friends to celebrate/forget it. Florida seems like the logical choice since we will probably be driving from KY. (We have done all inclusives in Mexico/Dominican before, but can%26#39;t leave the country because of a passport issue one of our friends has).We have been to Destin twice and like it ok, although our last trip there was a red tide and rain disaster, but I don%26#39;t know that it will be warm enough there in April to enjoy the beach and water. So I am looking for other suggestions for destinations. We are looking for a nice beach and water, because we are used to carribean and Destin waters, nothing cloudy. I would like some place fairly laid back (no spring break kinda atmosphere), but with some activities other than shopping for those who don%26#39;t enjoy the beach as much as I do. Also some places to drink and hang out a couple of nights, especially on my birthday. We prefer to stay beachfront, and will probably be looking for a 3-4 br condo with a pool. Price is kinda negotiable, but I would like to stay in the 1,500.00 to 2,100 range for a 3 br for the week if possible. ( I would be willing to go higher for a great property). We thought about Key West, but don%26#39;t want to drive that far and pay the rates there with the lack of good beaches. Sooooo.... let%26#39;s here it. Anyone got a good suggestion?

40th birthday destination???????

My 1st intial response was Key West.

If you%26#39;re flying that would be the spot.

If you%26#39;re driving you might want to check out the east coast beaches, like Jacksonville or St Augustine.

40%26#39;s are a breeze!!!

40th birthday destination???????

Thanks nemo, but I am concerned the water would not be clear enough on the east coast side. Does it compare to the water in the Gulf?

We will still make it to Key West one of these days-the parrothead in me insists on it-we will just have to do it during a lower season and without other people%26#39;s likes and dislikes to plan around!! Thanks for the encouragement on the age thing! LOL

Take a look at Navarre Beach. It is about 40 minutes from Destin but a completely different atmosphere. It is a small island with views in all directions of the Gulf and Santa Rosa Sound. It still has the beautiful clear water sand without the crowds. The beach just recently went through renourishment and the beaches are wide and the sand is as white as Destin , if not more so. Navarre Beach is considered ';Florida%26#39;s Best Kept Secret';. There are a couple of restaurants on the island and quite a few more on mainland right across the bridge. There is also a nice beach type bar on the island and several on the mainland. Shopping is rather limited but you can be in Pensacola Beach or Fort Walton in 20 minutes . You will find lower rental prices here also. You can get info at the Navarre Beach Chamber of Commerce website. I am rather bias because I live on the island and I can assure you that the beaches are beautiful. Have fun!

Leaving in 2 weeks!!!

We are so excited to be coming to NSB in 2 weeks. I was wondering what else besides the beach (like there IS anything better!) we should do. We are traveling with 9 kids ranging in age from 2 - 15. Is there anything we should relly see/do while we are there?

Still worried about sharks! :(

Leaving in 2 weeks!!!

You are so lucky. We were there just about a year ago and are so sad not to be able to go back this year. I%26#39;m by no means an expert on the area, but have taken our kids many times. Obviously the beach IS the best thing there and us adults are perfectly satified to do nothing else, but kids sometimes want alternatives. You can rent different motorized vehicals on the beach, which we did one year. My kids loved it. We%26#39;ve also done mini-golf, and I saw a movie theater. You go back on the mainland and drive south on US1(I think). We%26#39;ve also driven down to Canaveral National Seashore. Go all the way down on Atlantic Ave. until it ends. The beach there looks like what all the beaches would look like if there were no condos, houses or restaurants. There is also a nature park and walking trails. Of course, you can always drive to Daytona Beach, which we sometimes do, and there%26#39;s tons of stuff to do there. Have a great time. I am going to go look at my pictures from last year and imagine I%26#39;m in New Smyrna right now.

Leaving in 2 weeks!!!

Thank you so much. I will absolutely do the Atlantic Ave thing. It sounds beautiful! And Daytona too. I appreciate you answering. I look at my pictures from Virginia Beach all the time, wishing I was still there. Lol.

bebo

favorite musical groups

waterparks in january??

just wondering what your opinion on this was.... im travelling from 1st of jan to the 15th of jan, both hotels im staying at will have pools so i had originally decided not to bother with waterparks considering the time of year but i just wanted to know everyones opinion on this??

:)

waterparks in january??

I did go to a water park in January (Typhoon Lagoon) and it was absolutely miserable! The air was so cold I didn%26#39;t even want to get out of the water, so I spent most of the day in the wave pool and lazy river. I only had a few hours to ride rides during high noon and even then it felt chilly to me.

However, I am a Floridian. We tend to wear mittens and snow coats when it is 50 degrees outside. So, I don%26#39;t know what it would feel like to you. During the day in winter, our temperature almost never goes below 50. Usually it is in the 60s or 70s. Also the water is heated at all the water parks. So if it was a particularly warm day and you can stand the cold better than a Floridian you may be fine.

waterparks in january??

thats brilliant thanks so much, i think ill leave the waterparks as well always have the pool at the hotels if ther is a hot day :)

Hi we went to the water parks at Easter I was freezing I thought the water was cold

My son that was born in Alaska LOVES cold water and weather... go figure. Last Jan, when we were in Daytona Beach, he was splashing around in the ocean, NOT warm pools. Freak :)

Anyway, we too are going to Orlando next Jan. We are not planning on doing any water parks for the same reason. There%26#39;s a really cool pool with slides just a few feet from our room door.

We were in Cuba last February and we were frolicking in the ocean - and I can%26#39;t see the temps being much different in Orlando as it is very close geographically (although Cuba is a bit further south).

I personally would go to the water parks if the weather is warm enough - whatever your threshold is for swimming at home in the summertime, use that as a gauge for the temp you need in Florida. Make your decision according to the weather by checking the weather network 2 weeks prior. The average high in January is approximately 22 degrees. A little cool but bearable I think... Where I am in Canada, its minus 55 with the windchill in January.

www.weather.com

Where to stay

I want to book a holiday to Miami next year for me and my boyfriend. Can you advise on a hotel/apartment on Ocean Drive thats not too pricey but is pretty decent.

Thanks

Where to stay

char%26gt;%26gt;

Check rates at the Park Central and if that is too pricey,the Century is on Ocean Drive and is perhaps the least expensive (though it is a very simple basic smaller property the location is ideal).

AG

Where to stay

Hi, I know you said you would like to stay on the ocean, but I could advise you a place on the ocean bay condo complex called Flamingo. this is a fantastic place, my boyfriend and I stayed there and we had a great time. we found this condo on website www.flamingofunmiami.com ,you can check it out and see the place. We stayed before on the ocean, but the hotels are not nice, most of them have no balconies and have small windows.

good luck and have a good time in Miami.

Trip Report

Okay everyone, I am back from PCB relaxed and ready to give you my trip report. Sorry if it gets too long, but there is a ton of information to tell.

We left home at 6:00 a.m. on the 25th after getting little to no sleep the night before because of a huge thunderstorm. The trip down was smooth and we made it in a little less than 7 hours. Panama City Beach has changed so much since I was there three years ago. Most of the Mom and Pop places have been torn down and replaced with nice new condominiums. I think the change is for the better. It was exciting driving down the strip for the first time and seeing all of the changes. The only thing I want to add about the new developments is that there are two HUGE condominiums that have been built right beside Pineapple Willy’s. I do not see how there is doing to be any room at all to move on the beach when these places open. I would never stay in either for that reason.

We stayed at Pinnacle Port, which is in the gated community of Carillon Beach. Pinnacle Port is an older condominium but our room was great. The rooms are done with an upstairs and a downstairs with a balcony facing the ocean and another facing Lake Powell (if you have a fisherman in your family, they let you fish off of the dock). Being the end of the season, there were times when my husband and I were the only people on the beach. There are no other condominiums around, just beach houses. The larger pool is great. It is indoor/outdoor, but they left the sides open for the week we ere there. If you felt like you had been in the sun too long, you could swim in the shade. The pool is a lot deeper than it says it is though. I am about 5’7” and I was standing on the tips of my toes in the “5 ft.” area. We never went over to the other pool. There was construction going on (replacing windows) that woke us up on some mornings, and got a little loud by the pool, but my husband and I didn’t see it as a big deal.

We ate at Pineapple Willy’s on Saturday– H had the ribs and I had the grouper basket (no complaints). We had Hungry Howie’s delivered on Sunday – We loved it. Great Pizza and great prices. On Monday we went to Tony Roma’s – H had the all you can eat ribs (Monday’s only $18.99) and I had a steak – H considers this the best meal of the week. Tuesday, I cooked. Wednesday, we ate at Spinnaker’s Paradise Grill – I had the Paradise Burger which is huge and delicious, and H had the grouper basket. Thursday, we ate at Hammerhead Fred’s – We both ordered ribs and were a little disappointed with the service and the food. And Friday night, we ate at the Boatyard – I love this place. H got the seafood platter and I got the grilled chicken (Wonderful food, service and atmosphere).

Activity wise, we played five games of Putt Putt Golf – two at Pirates Cove and three at Coconut Grove. We went to the Ripley’s museum which was fun for us, but if you have kids, I would not recommend it (tons of reading). H fished off the dock at Pinnacle Port. We went bowling/played pool/played arcade games at Rock It Lanes. Went to see Halloween (Yikes!) at the new Cinema in Pier Park – which was the coolest theater I have ever been in. And last but certainly not least, we went on the Sea Screamer Sunset Cruise – Beautiful and a ton of fun.

Sorry about the length – If you have any questions, I will try my best to answer.

Trip Report

Sounds like you had a fantastic vacation! I miss PCB so much, can%26#39;t wait to go back. I%26#39;m sure it is not very crowded this time of year-wish we could go now.

I totally agree with you about the new condos going up by Pineapple Willy%26#39;s. I cannot imagine how crowded the beach is gonna be in that area. I would be devestated if I owned a condo in that area. Plus, how are they ever going to fill those rooms at that huge place Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf, right?)

Thanks for a great trip report!

Trip Report

My daughter and I just returned also on Labor Day. We were very disappointed - could not find anywhere to eat breakfast besides McDonalds. Pineapple Willy%26#39;s was overpriced and overated--we had a delicious meal at Tony Roma%26#39;s for $20.00 less (ribs). Did not like the fact you had to drive forever just to get somewhere to eat or shop. No sidewalks to even walk on Front Beach Rd. The most enjoyable part of the trip was the beach. Never going back again.

I%26#39;m sorry that your trip with your daughter wasn%26#39;t any fun. I honestly can%26#39;t complain one bit about my vacation. Breakfast wise, I forgot to mention that we ate at Mike%26#39;s Dinner one morning which was a pretty good Breakfast. Mike%26#39;s couldn%26#39;t beat our local place here though. We also picked up a dozen doughnuts at Thomas%26#39;s one morning - very good!

The All Americian Diner has a great all you can eat breakfast bar. Also a new breakfast place on MIddle Beach Rd is Annother Broken Egg restaurant. We like the All Americian Diner all you can eat breakfast and we can make it to the evening meal after that.

Really enjoyed reading your trip report, glad ya%26#39;ll enjoyed it. We like the west end of PCB also.

mistyhall02-

Glad you had a great trip! What is it about the theater that makes it so cool?

Misty

hi I%26#39;m glad you had a safe and wonderful trip Great trip report it also looks like it was just two of ya%26#39;ll sounded very romantic

boy do %26#39;I%26#39; need to bookmark your activity agenda ! ,, ,thats quite nice, didnt sound like you had much beach time, I think as we get into /near my 50%26#39;s , the W and I will probably steer away from a majority of our trip being just the sun and beach part of it ... we tend to just detox at the oceanfront, and not do too much else !! ,,, but like I said I sure need to remember things like the screamer sunset cruise - and Pier park too! wow - heck when we were there in May, Margaritaville was not built yet... how much more to go at the new Pier park? - our resort is not more than 1/4 mile from there ....

Me and the hubby are heading down Saturday. Can someone tell me where Thomas%26#39;s Doughnuts and Boondocks are?? thanks!! Cant wait to see those beautiful beaches!!

Keep going west on Front Beach Road... toward Laguna beach and Sunnyside beaches ..its a nice ride and you%26#39;ll find Mikes Diner out this way , and if you make it all the way west you%26#39;ll come back into Back Beach Road (StateRoute 98)

Winn Dixie; Publix and Bayou Bills seafood house is on/near the intersection. We loved Byou Bills crab legs - get there when they open - 5pm daily

the actual address is :

19208 Front beach road

Thomas Donut and Snack shop

and if you%26#39;re staying well east of that , say Back Beach Road exits A,B,C ... Check the MAP out on the web thread below

you might just wanna give them a call and check those hours - maybe be 1st in line for the freshest ones !!

850-234-8039

see this online MAP !!!

www.emeraldcoastmap.com/ecmap_front2007.html

prices for character meals

where can i find prices for the character meals. Are they all the same price or different price it sounds like it will be fun to try

prices for character meals

www/wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm

they are quite fun

prices for character meals

Sorry :(

www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining.htm

Prices are on the Disney website, they get booked up way in advance I believe. We did breakfast with Mickey, Donald etc in Animal Kingdom for around $90 for family of 4, booked day before but availability was VERY limited and think we got lucky. (were there 2 weeks in June)Also we felt kind of hussled out after characters had gone so next lot could get in. Much preferred Spiderman breakfast in Universal, not so widely advertised and Spidey stays in restaurant for whole time and talks to every table for a good 5/10 minutes. Also Cat in the hat and the Things are there. Was around $80 and there seemed to be no rush to get us out. You can book at guest services at Islands of Adventure. Hope this is helpful.

thank you for the info

3 days in July with grandchild...help

Will be coming to Ft Walton/Destin Area for a couple days in July. Trying to determine best deal for hotels in the area. Narrowed down to Hampton Inn, Ramada Inn, Holiday Inn, or 4 points Sheraton. We used to come to Okaloosa Island with our kids but its been a few years so not sure what would offer the most entertainment options for the granddaughter. Thought about the condo option but too many to choose from without any knowledge and these don%26#39;t seem to offer anything for the little ones.

Any suggestions other than the obvious (Beach) for things in the area that will keep a five year old entertained.

Dining suggestions of kid friendly establishment%26#39;s with good tasting food will also be appreciated.

Are the dolphin or fishing trips able to hold a five year olds attention?

Thanks in advance for any replies,

Gary

3 days in July with grandchild...help

Hi Gary

I know you%26#39;ve said you don%26#39;t really want to do a condo, but have you checked out Waterscape resort? It%26#39;s a new condominium resort that just opened up this season. It has what I would consider to be a ';waterpark'; on site, that I%26#39;m sure would delight your granddaughter. You can check out the layout at crescent-resources.com/condos/…default.asp. We are staying there for a week in August with our 2 kids, who are soon to be 5, and 2. I believe ResortQuest is their property manager, and we booked through them. They just started a new amenities program called Passport to Fun, which includes tickets to several activities that would also be great for your granddaugther (including boating/fishing). Check them out at www.resortquestfortwaltonbeachvacations.com. You can read about the Passport to Fun program right on the homepage.

My other suggestion would be Destin West Beach %26amp; Bay Resort (www.destinwest.com), which is similar to Waterscape in that it has a ';waterpark'; for the kids on site. It%26#39;s a 2-part resort, with part of it being on the bay, and the other part being on the beach, so that if you are staying on the bay side, you use the skywalk to cross over the road and get to the beach, and vice-versa. It%26#39;s also fairly new, having only been open a few years, I believe.

I don%26#39;t think that ResortQuest has many listings at all for DestinWest, but I know that they had several for Waterscape, and you can also check out listings for both of these properties on sites like www.vrbo.com and www.vacationrentals.com.

As far as hotels, I don%26#39;t know much about any of them as we%26#39;ve never stayed at one when we%26#39;ve visited the island, but maybe someone else can give you some helpful info about them. Hope this helps!

3 days in July with grandchild...help

Those are some good ideas. Destin west would probably be best booked through destinwest.com for any nights less than a week, most rentors on vrbo.com only rent weekly.

I%26#39;ve stayed at the Ramada in FWB on the water (this one http://www.ramadafwb.com/), it%26#39;s a nice place. I%26#39;ve heard there are some kids activities that are going to be open for the summer there.

I have small children and the biggest hits when we go include the gulfarium (right beside Destinwest and Ramada), the landing%26#39;s family nights (sometimes they show movies or have activities out there), Goofy golf is always a favorite its at 401 Eglin Pkwy NE, and the Emerald coast science center is a nice interactive place for the kids to learn and play with hands on science(http://www.ecscience.org/).

We don%26#39;t dine out much, we usually go condo and cook our food, but when we do go out we go to Fudpucker%26#39;s (the one in Destin has an alligator pit and the kids can feed the baby gators and it has a jungle gym for the kids to play on) or Po%26#39; Folks in Niceville. I%26#39;ve heard Captain Kidd%26#39;s is good for children, but I haven%26#39;t tried it. Maybe some other members have more information on finding dinner. If not, the front desk at your hotel/condo should be able to help you find a dinner atmosphere that is suitable for your grandchild.

The dolphin boats are fun. Our kids didnt have a problem losing interest with them. When we lived in the area all the schools took young children on the glass bottom boat tours and they loved it.

One thing we%26#39;ve learned with the kids, sometimes they just want to swim at the hotel and build sandcastles. To be honest, I think that%26#39;s what our children enjoy the most.

I hope some of that helps,

Liz

Holiday Inn Sunspree on Fort Walton Beach is great for younger kids because they have a really good children%26#39;s program, 2 pools, movies, and oodles of other kids to play with.

I%26#39;ve been taking my kids (now teens) to the Sunspree several times a year, for many years and they have always had a blast. The only downside is that during the summer the place is usually crawling with children 24/7 so it can get a little crazy.

I%26#39;m headed down there for the weekend of 7/18 myself.

We have young kids and have stayed at the Island Princess the past 5 years. Between the beach and beachfront pool we%26#39;ve never had difficulty entertaining them.

Our ';tradition'; has been to take a dolphin boat ride w/Olin Marler. We chose that company because they always had ';buy 1 get 1 free'; coupons in the yellow pages. We%26#39;ve never been disappointed with the ride, have found it to be family friendly and entertaining for the kids. At some point the Captain always invites the children to help him steer.

Our rental agency always gave an entertainment pkg that included a fishing trip on Little Nemo. The first year it was ok but the second was worse. The boys talk about it being fun and they did catch some interesting fish. The water was so rough that the three of them got terribly sea sick and felt poorly all evening. If you have smooth waters it would be a great experience for a 5yo.

On a rainy (or sunburnt) day I would suggest the Gulfarium. We did that our first year but haven%26#39;t returned.

The fountains at Destin Commons seem to be a hit w/kids. Be sure to dress them in water friendly clothes and let them have fun in the water fountains after you%26#39;ve gone to dinner or treated yourselves to an ice cream.

We definitely prefer a condo vs a hotel because of the accommodations, convenience, size difference, etc.

We%26#39;ve never found non-kid friendly dining establishments. There are places that we feel are more for date nights so we dismiss them as options and choose elsewhere. We%26#39;ve dined anywhere from the Old Bay Steamer to the Crab Trap to Dewey Destins to McQuires (one of our favorites).

If you%26#39;re in the mood for Italian you must try Pranzo%26#39;s at FWB. One evening we ordered to go and immediately put it on our ';must dine'; list for our next vacation.

Enjoy your trip,

Gritzi

ittwit

Inn at Gulf Place or Gulf Place Cabana?

I can%26#39;t tell if there would be much of a difference in location of the two (I wish I could find a map of the Gulf Place community). Does anyone have any input on either of the two? I found a great rate on a 1 bedroom at both of them and can%26#39;t decide. Help please ;) Thanks! Erin

Inn at Gulf Place or Gulf Place Cabana?

Which place did you pick? Also do you know of any Pet Friendly cottages, condos, etc. in this area?

Thanks, lhundley

Inn at Gulf Place or Gulf Place Cabana?

We chose the cabanas and were very happy with it (booked through VRBO.com). The Inn at gulf place and gulf place carribean were both right next door, so location between the 3 is all the exact same. If you want a view of the ocean be sure to book an upper floor because it is across the street from the beach. I don%26#39;t know about pet friendly though. Hope this helps!

bebo

Traveling to Florida with Teens

Does anyone have any suggestions on a hotel/resort for our family? We have a 17 yr %26amp; a 21 yr old. We are an active family and like to do water sports, kayak, see wildlife and marine life. We will be coming to Florida in August.

Thanks!

Traveling to Florida with Teens

No big resorts/ hotels on Sanibel. The closest thing would be Casa Ybel which has some resort amenities (on site food, bar, rentals, etc.). Give it a look.

As always, for families I also recommend Pointe Santo (where we own our unit). We chose it because it is family friendly and a beautiful property.

If you are really into the wildlife either are pretty close to the refuges. Any inn or condo on West Gulf Drive gives you the closest access to the refuges while being close to the main concentrations of restaurants and shopping. If you have any other specific preferences I am sure you will get a lot of good feedback from others as well!

Traveling to Florida with Teens

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will definitely look into them. We are pretty flexible as far as location.

Staying at a place like Casa Ybel will give the most options for the whole crew, plus it is central to the Islands for splitting off by bike or car. Where ever you choose the two Islands are only approx. 20 miles tip to tip.