Ok, so let's say you only have 36 hours to spend in Orlando, Florida. What fun and exciting entertainment can you do in such a short period of time BUT still feel like you've had a TOTAL BLAST??? Well, look no further. Here is your FUN GUIDE to "doing" Orlando in only 36 hours....
On a Thursday morning we headed to Orlando and spent the day at Gatorland. Dave zip-lined throughout the entire park as I checked out the White Alligators. I can't imagine the fear you'd feel coming face to face with a gator let alone a WHITE alligator. I mean seriously...I think I'd poop my pants! This gator park is something to see, especially if you are a "Swamp People" kinda fan...I'm not saying that I AM but I am.
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| Daddy Dave "acting" nervous before the zip-lining. (Ok, I think he REALLY WAS nervous...LOL!) |
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| They are so rare and NOT to be confused by Albino Gators that I couldn't even find a reputable link to post! WoW! |
We then checked in to the Disney's All Star Movie Resort and stayed in the adorable 101 Dalmatian "wing" of the hotel. The convenience of staying right in the MASSIVE Disney city is well worth the few extra bucks you'll spend on a Disney hotel. If you're smart, which we were not, you'll plan ahead and it can even be cheaper than staying off the resort. I'm just saying. You have access to all the buses (free) that will take you to all the attractions and they run every 10-15 minutes. The "budget resorts" are clean, reasonable and decorated to the hilt. I've got a 2 page manifesto on "How to do Disney World" that I put together for a few friends that were planning a trip...I'll post that sometime!
After a few bevvies we hopped the bus to Downtown Disney and enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the Rainforest Cafe where THIS fish...
...spent the entire meal swimming from the top of the tank to the bottom but always taking a moment or two to stare "lovingly" at me in the middle. Who would have thought that a fish could make my husband inflate his chest and "claim-his-woman"? (A warning to any gents out there who might fancy me; if a fish arose this type of territorial behaviour in my hubby, you may want to Step. Off. I'M TAKEN! LMAO!) The Rainforest Cafe is a MUST SEE in any city they are located. Every 5-10 minutes the place goes dim and a rainstorm ensues where all the life size animals move and make sounds...totally RAD! The food is pricey and nothing to rave about but the ambiance is worth every. single. penny. If the "Rainforest" isn't your idea of a good time, not to worry, there are TONS of dinning options including The House of Blues, Planet Hollywood, a Crab Shack and Wolfgang Puck's Cafe, just to name a few. Like EVERYTHING in Disney, expect to give up your right and maybe even left arm to eat. LOL!
After dinner we toured "downtown" and caught some great street entertainment. You could spend hours in Downtown Disney...there are so many speciality shops and services. Had we planned better we would have arranged to go see Cirque du Soleil- La Nouba, apparently it is one of the best productions to date. Maybe next time?!?! You can also ride this HUGE hot air balloon and get a great view of the Disney Empire, we decided not to and save this adventure for when the kids are with us. Honestly though, you don't need to buy some pricey ticket to some show or exhibition, you can grab a drink of your choice and sit on one of the many "patios" or even along the boardwalk and enjoy a variety of music from different artists. The party atmosphere was appealing to Disney goer's of all ages. That's code for; it wasn't too loud or annoying.
However, since
The next day we spent time at Disney Quest. What a surreal feeling it was being there. Totally futuristic. So much so that I I felt like I was in that movie Total Recall. Remember the one that we all watched and said something like "This is out-of-the-world-crazy stuff. That's NEVER gonna be a reality!" Ah, ya, wrong! It sure is a reality and while it was tons of fun it was a tad scary too.
It is a FIVE story building with virtual games and rides...it's unreal! Seriously though, I felt like this $hit was bordering on the likes of "Terminator".
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| A Virtual Raft Ride in the Jungle You have to seriously paddle on the sides of the boat as that blue thing (below the raft) inflates and throws the boat all over the place...totally awesome! |
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| Virtual Pinball Game You have to stand on these saucer-like thingies and move it with the weight of your body up and down and sideways as you are the ball in the game...A TOTAL WORKOUT!! |
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| Virtual Comic Book Super Hero (Are you thinking "Total Recall"?!?! See I told you!) Anywho, you make your way through a virtual metropolis fighting crime as a Superhero! |
To top the "mini vay-k" off we headed to dinner at Medieval Times. THIS was BY FAR the BEST part of the trip. I had soooo much fun & I can't wait to tell you all about it tomorrow! It was THAT GOOD that it needs it's very own post...LOL!
So, there you have it! Don't tell me you can't have fun in 36 hours at the Happiest Place on Earth!!
(I would recommend more time to visit the theme parks for first time visitors...LOL!)
Happy Tuesday!
(BTW, It Feels GREAT to Be Back!)
YAY for a mini vacay for you and Daddy Dave!!! You definitely deserve it!!
ReplyDeleteWe loved downtown Disney too...didn't do the hot air ballon ride (even though the girls were with us, they were just too little to enjoy it), but we DID eat at the wolfgang puck cafe and it was AMAZING. So tasty. But I didn't get checked out by any cool rainforest fish, so IDK, maybe that would have been cooler! LOL!
I agree, you can definitely have fun in 36 hours in Orlando!! Thanks for sharing your adventures!