I'M GOING TO FLORIDA!

[madelise]

Help, PS'ers, please. I'm flying to Florida next month to meet my father for the first time since I was a tot. I will be staying in Weston, FL for 3 days, then going to Disney World for Easter weekend to celebrate my quarter century birthday. Since it is a holiday weekend, I know things will be extra pricey and require reservations and such.. and get sold out

I know FL is more humid than CA, but what is going to be comfortable for me to wear? Do you have any recommendations for places to visit in Miami or Weston area, so I can spend some quality time chatting with my father? And can I please please have a recommendation for a hotel near Disney World, that is within walking distance? I plan on going to Disney World for 1.5 days since my flight leaves 7pm. I know there's no way I can complete Disney World in that time, but what are the "MUST SEEs" and "MUST DOs"? I'm also a hugeeee foodie, so what are those restaurants there that I have to have to visit because it's the best place ever?

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

This is such a perfectly timed thread! I'm also going to FL next month and will be heading to Disney (specifically to visit the HP park), although I'll probably be there a day or two before you. We're staying in Kissimmee! I can't wait to hear what people say!

 

[madelise]

This is such a perfectly timed thread! I'm also going to FL next month and will be heading to Disney (specifically to visit the HP park), although I'll probably be there a day or two before you. We're staying in Kissimmee! I can't wait to hear what people say!

Well, you know, I have total ESP and can sense that someone else was also in dire need of tips

Have you booked your hotel for Disney?

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Ha! Good looking out on that then!

DH and I are actually staying with my cousin's family in their timeshare. They invite me every year and this is the first time I'm going. It's free, they're a fun family and we're doing such a short trip that it saves me the headache of checking hotels and such on my own.

 

[mary poppins]

We're' going to Florida next month, too! March is a great time to go to South Florida because it's before the humidity gets bad. It starts to get bad in April and it the worst during the summer and early fall.

Weston is a nice, culturally diverse, family oriented community about 30 minutes west of Ft. Lauderdale. There's a lot to do in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

[SB621]

Ok I'm a total dork but when I went to FL in October the only thing that was really high up on my list was going to The Wizarding World of HP at Universal and it was AMAZING! So if you have a chance to hit up a park I would definitely do that if you are a fan.

 

[Mayk]

I'm ashamed to be a Floridian and never have much to say about visiting central and south Florida.. I live in North Florida.. but I'll add a little bit. If you can afford a Disney property hotel I recommend it. You can take their buses everywhere. Orlando (I'm here now on business) is crazy and Downtown Disney is a nightmare to find your way around and I've been here a bunch... always with my GPS and got lost again today. Downtown Disney has a lot of really interesting places to eat but all very commerical in my opinion. It could be warm and steamy and it could be pleasant. If its rainy.. be prepared for steamy and humid.

South Florida is nice I think you will be close to Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale in Weston. I love Boca... when you head south South Beach is a sight for sure and would be the best place I could think of to celebrate a all 25 years young you are!!! Lots and lots of good places to eat. Joe's Stone Crab is a landmark but Barton G's is my favorite. Joe's does not take reservations but Barton G's does.. a little pricey but if it's a big birthday... and you want to spend a little extra.. great food even better presentation.. it's an experience. Madona has a hotel there that's pretty swanky the Delano which is cool just to go see... lots and lots to do and more and more to just sit and watch... the whole area is a feast for the eyes.. in interesting and different. Try Cuban food if you haven't before.. the best is in Miami! Miami is very warm.. almost all the time.. bring short sleeves and a light weight sweater for evenings or in a building to keep from getting cold. If you are into a theme park.. try Parrott Jungle is on the way to South Beach.. it's smaller and quaint but fun.

On a personal note... so excited you will meet your birth father. I'm adopted and my mother (who raised me) died when I was 21.. I found my birth mother when I was 32 and we are the best of friends. My birth dad wasn't interested in meeting me (his loss).. but what a wonderful experience and such a nice way to answer questions some people take for granted.. Why am I 5'11" tall.. and have dark brown hair and olive skin? Just a little thing but I always wanted to know... Have fun...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

If you want easy, stay in a Disney property, but it will cost more for the same thing you can get just outside. We stayed in a Holiday Inn in the Downtown Disney area and buses run every 30 minutes to every park (just like they do for the Disney hotels). It was wonderful and about the same convenience as staying in an official Disney property.

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/lake-buena-vista/dislb/hoteldetail

As for restaurants, we never found anything worth recommending. Sometimes we'd stay at the parks through dinner and just eat inside. Another day when the weather was bad, we just came back to the hotel and ate there because we didn't really want to have to change and deal with going out again. Disney is wonderful and since there is so much to do, it is tiring. That is going to be about the most crowded week of the year to go, though. We did it that week years ago and it was quite crowded.

 

[Sparklelu]

The hotels just near Disney Marketplace are great. Buses to the Transportation hub, within walking distance too! We stay in the Wyndham and the Hilton
.http://www.downtowndisneyhotels.com/
The weather will be warm,sunny shorts,tees light jacket for chilly venues. The parks will be crowded.
The actual Disney hotels are great too. the low end hotels are very nice. the rooms are small though. The nice part about staying on property in the Disney Hotels,is early entry to the parks.
Just a word though..Wizarding World of HP is not a Disney park It's Universal . They are on different ends of International Drive.


As for South Florida( I'm on the West Coast of South Fl but got my masters in Miami Shores. Go to Miami, go to Calle Ocho for some great Cuban food http://miami.about.com/cs/maps/a/calle_ocho.htm

Head down south to Bill Baggs state park
Climb the lighthouse.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/

Bayside Marketplace to eat on the water or fly on a trapeze
http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/
If you get a chance drive over the Rickenbacker Causeway and see what I think is one of the most beautiful views ever.
Rickenbacker causeway beach!!!!! And the view looking back at Miami should be familiar if you watch CSI Miami it's in the opening credits

Hope this helps.

 

[Sparklelu]

And how nice you are meeting your father!

 

[Missy]

Hi Madelise! I don't know anything about Florida but I just had to chime in to your thread and say I am so excited for you to meet your dad again after such a long time-YAY!!!! I hope it goes great and that it is everything you want it to be!!!!!! Sending all the good luck dust your way!!! And have fun visiting the sites too. Last time I was there was over 25 years ago lol but I loved Disneyworld! And happy 25th bday in advance!!

 

[Chewbacca]

I could not be more jealous of you going to DISNEY WORLD on OUR birthday!!!

You are going to have a great trip. I'm so excited for you.

 

[vc10um]

I think you've gotten great advice already, but one thing that hasn't been mentioned is to TELL DISNEY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY. You'll get a button to wear around the parks and all the employees will wish you Happy Birthday and you may get some extra fast passes and whatnot to ride the rides.

Since you're celebrating a big birthday, if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two, I'd suggest looking into "Drinking Around the World" at Epcot's World Showcase (just google it, you'll find several different blog posts/articles detailing the finer points). You would probably only want to spend a few hours there, so I'd just recommend hitting the best spots for their more unique drinks. But it's a pretty fun adult activity at WDW.

 

[tyty333]

Weather wise it has been an extremely warm winter. I suggest tank tops, light tee shirts,
Cute shorts and skirts. I've been wearing sandals for the past couple of days. I would only
bring maybe 1 colder weather outfit just in case.

 

[madelise]

I<3 it when I step away for the day, and come back to a bunch of lovin'.

 

[madelise]

We're' going to Florida next month, too! March is a great time to go to South Florida because it's before the humidity gets bad. It starts to get bad in April and it the worst during the summer and early fall.

Weston is a nice, culturally diverse, family oriented community about 30 minutes west of Ft. Lauderdale. There's a lot to do in Ft. Lauderdale.

What is there to do in Ft. Lauderdale? I'm glad the timing just so happened to work out with the weather That's by accident, for sure.

 

[madelise]

Ok I'm a total dork but when I went to FL in October the only thing that was really high up on my list was going to The Wizarding World of HP at Universal and it was AMAZING! So if you have a chance to hit up a park I would definitely do that if you are a fan.

Lol, a few of my friends have told me to go, too, but I am not a Harry Potter fan in the least! I read the first book, and that seriously took a lot of effort. I've never been into magic topics for books. My imagination isn't really that great. Sorry HP lovers!! I know I can get attacked for this! :X But more HP for you!

 

[madelise]

I'm ashamed to be a Floridian and never have much to say about visiting central and south Florida.. I live in North Florida.. but I'll add a little bit. If you can afford a Disney property hotel I recommend it. You can take their buses everywhere. Orlando (I'm here now on business) is crazy and Downtown Disney is a nightmare to find your way around and I've been here a bunch... always with my GPS and got lost again today. Downtown Disney has a lot of really interesting places to eat but all very commerical in my opinion. It could be warm and steamy and it could be pleasant. If its rainy.. be prepared for steamy and humid.

South Florida is nice I think you will be close to Sunrise/Ft. Lauderdale in Weston. I love Boca... when you head south South Beach is a sight for sure and would be the best place I could think of to celebrate a all 25 years young you are!!! Lots and lots of good places to eat. Joe's Stone Crab is a landmark but Barton G's is my favorite. Joe's does not take reservations but Barton G's does.. a little pricey but if it's a big birthday... and you want to spend a little extra.. great food even better presentation.. it's an experience. Madona has a hotel there that's pretty swanky the Delano which is cool just to go see... lots and lots to do and more and more to just sit and watch... the whole area is a feast for the eyes.. in interesting and different. Try Cuban food if you haven't before.. the best is in Miami! Miami is very warm.. almost all the time.. bring short sleeves and a light weight sweater for evenings or in a building to keep from getting cold. If you are into a theme park.. try Parrott Jungle is on the way to South Beach.. it's smaller and quaint but fun.

On a personal note... so excited you will meet your birth father. I'm adopted and my mother (who raised me) died when I was 21.. I found my birth mother when I was 32 and we are the best of friends. My birth dad wasn't interested in meeting me (his loss).. but what a wonderful experience and such a nice way to answer questions some people take for granted.. Why am I 5'11" tall.. and have dark brown hair and olive skin? Just a little thing but I always wanted to know... Have fun...

I have to book my hotels soon, so I just looked into the Disney resort hotels. Jebus, they're PRICEY! Yikes. The hotel there for 2 nights will equate to my whole round trip flight there. I'll ask SO what he thinks, and maybe I can stick him with the bill since it's my birthday. I am trying to cut costs as much as possible since this whole trip is really something I can't and shouldn't afford…. but I can't say no to finally meeting my dad. I have zero memories of him whatsoever. I'm glad you had a pleasant experience meeting your birth mother. My father and my mother decided to divorce before I was born, so my last visit from him was when I was 3, and when he was finalizing the divorce with my mom in the states. I am scared, and nervous. I don't even know what I want to know from him that we haven't already discussed through emails in the last few years.

Thanks for reminding me about the Cubano presence in FL! I mean, WE, Los Angelenos, have THE.BEST. Mexican food ever. So I've GOT to try THE.BEST. Cuban food ever while there.

 

[madelise]

If you want easy, stay in a Disney property, but it will cost more for the same thing you can get just outside. We stayed in a Holiday Inn in the Downtown Disney area and buses run every 30 minutes to every park (just like they do for the Disney hotels). It was wonderful and about the same convenience as staying in an official Disney property.

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/lake-buena-vista/dislb/hoteldetail

As for restaurants, we never found anything worth recommending. Sometimes we'd stay at the parks through dinner and just eat inside. Another day when the weather was bad, we just came back to the hotel and ate there because we didn't really want to have to change and deal with going out again. Disney is wonderful and since there is so much to do, it is tiring. That is going to be about the most crowded week of the year to go, though. We did it that week years ago and it was quite crowded.

Thanks for that link, DS! Yikes. It must be because of Easter weekend or something.. the cost is up on par with the lesser end of the Disney Resorts! I'll bookmark it. I'm hoping to book this weekend, with SO here visiting, so we can finalize everything. Good to know they have the buses, too.

That's unfortunate to know we're going during the most crowded weekend of the year This is totally last minute, and I wanted to visit Disney World since I don't exactly plan on visiting FL anytime soon again. Rawr. I've been at the Disneyland here in CA on New Years Eve, so I know how busy they can possibly get. SO has agoraphobia in large crowds, and can get anxious and angry, so thanks for the warning. I'm going to have to send him to get an RX for xanax or something. I don't want to deal with a 27-year-old behaving like a 5-year-old on my birthday

 

[madelise]

The hotels just near Disney Marketplace are great. Buses to the Transportation hub, within walking distance too! We stay in the Wyndham and the Hilton
.http://www.downtowndisneyhotels.com/
The weather will be warm,sunny shorts,tees light jacket for chilly venues. The parks will be crowded.
The actual Disney hotels are great too. the low end hotels are very nice. the rooms are small though. The nice part about staying on property in the Disney Hotels,is early entry to the parks.
Just a word though..Wizarding World of HP is not a Disney park It's Universal . They are on different ends of International Drive.


As for South Florida( I'm on the West Coast of South Fl but got my masters in Miami Shores. Go to Miami, go to Calle Ocho for some great Cuban food http://miami.about.com/cs/maps/a/calle_ocho.htm

Head down south to Bill Baggs state park
Climb the lighthouse.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/

Bayside Marketplace to eat on the water or fly on a trapeze
http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/
If you get a chance drive over the Rickenbacker Causeway and see what I think is one of the most beautiful views ever.
Rickenbacker causeway beach!!!!! And the view looking back at Miami should be familiar if you watch CSI Miami it's in the opening credits

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the link to those hotels! You think they would've made it simpler by letting you enter your dates, and listing ALL the prices for the 7 hotels Welp, Double Tree and Hilton are booked up.. Guess this means I gotta hurry up and book the rooms before the rest are booked! But thank you!

And thanks for those other links. Yes, they do help so much. I'm going to bookmark this page for reference on my phone

And how nice you are meeting your father!

Yes, it is! Thanks

 

[madelise]

Hi Madelise! I don't know anything about Florida but I just had to chime in to your thread and say I am so excited for you to meet your dad again after such a long time-YAY!!!! I hope it goes great and that it is everything you want it to be!!!!!! Sending all the good luck dust your way!!! And have fun visiting the sites too. Last time I was there was over 25 years ago lol but I loved Disneyworld! And happy 25th bday in advance!!

Thank you thank you, Missy! I appreciate your excitement for me. I'm like this --> right now. I'm trying to stay happy, but truly, it's nerve-racking. Yikes! I wish I can go for a longer time period, but I have an interview for a graduate school I applied for the week I leave I actually need more dust THAT way than for my visit! Hehe.

 

[madelise]

I could not be more jealous of you going to DISNEY WORLD on OUR birthday!!!

You are going to have a great trip. I'm so excited for you.

Yay, I'll make a toast to the air for you the night before, since you technically turn 25 half a day before I do! Explain to me again how time differences work

 

[madelise]

I think you've gotten great advice already, but one thing that hasn't been mentioned is to TELL DISNEY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY. You'll get a button to wear around the parks and all the employees will wish you Happy Birthday and you may get some extra fast passes and whatnot to ride the rides.

Since you're celebrating a big birthday, if you enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two, I'd suggest looking into "Drinking Around the World" at Epcot's World Showcase (just google it, you'll find several different blog posts/articles detailing the finer points). You would probably only want to spend a few hours there, so I'd just recommend hitting the best spots for their more unique drinks. But it's a pretty fun adult activity at WDW.

THANKS! I've always wondered where I can get the button! Where do I tell them that? I can't believe I've been to the Disneyland here so many times as a child, and I have never gotten a button!! My mom used to take me on my birthday, too! Hrmph.

Thanks for the tip about Drinking Around the World! I was wondering what else is there to do in Epcot that will interest me? Their website completely overwhelms me, since I'm not sure which attractions will be suitable for adults vs. young young children.. since they list those little itty bitty baby rides in the Disneyland site for attractions, too.

 

[madelise]

Weather wise it has been an extremely warm winter. I suggest tank tops, light tee shirts,
Cute shorts and skirts. I've been wearing sandals for the past couple of days. I would only
bring maybe 1 colder weather outfit just in case.

I'm a bigger girl, so I cannot wear shorts My butt will chomp chomp and eat them up! Weggie central ALL DAY, every day! Hehe. Will jeans be too much? Or should I stick with dresses? I just want to wear my sneakers for Disney World, since I don't want to end up with tired and sore feet…. I just can't figure out what type of clothing will look acceptable with sneakers! HA! I never wear sneakers. Mine are black Nikes with a hot pink logo. It looks hideous with my cute day dresses



Does anyone know a car service where I can pick up in Weston/Miami, and drop off in Orlando? Or if my dad drives us there, maybe a shuttle service or something from the hotel to the airport?

 

[amc80]

THANKS! I've always wondered where I can get the button! Where do I tell them that? I can't believe I've been to the Disneyland here so many times as a child, and I have never gotten a button!! My mom used to take me on my birthday, too! Hrmph.

Thanks for the tip about Drinking Around the World! I was wondering what else is there to do in Epcot that will interest me? Their website completely overwhelms me, since I'm not sure which attractions will be suitable for adults vs. young young children.. since they list those little itty bitty baby rides in the Disneyland site for attractions, too.

You don't actually have to tell anyone. Just go inside guest services (right inside the park gate) and they will have tons of different buttons to grab! We had a quick visit to WDW on the tail end of our honeymoon. We got there on the morning, stayed one night, and flew out the next afternoon. We opted to stay at a Disney hotel for the convenience and time savings. We hit magic kingdom one day and Hollywood studios that night (extra magic hours for resort guests). The following day we planned on spending a few hours at animal kingdom and then moving on to Epcot. But we had so much fun that we never made it to Epcot.

As far as a hotel within walking distance, that's not really possible. It's not like Disneyland- it's like 5 disneylands all spread out miles apart. The report hotels are spread out throughout the properties.

One suggestion, if you have an iPhone. There's an app (free) that tells you the current wait time for rides. We used that a lot and found it to be really helpful.

 

[aviastar]

If you want easy, stay in a Disney property, but it will cost more for the same thing you can get just outside. We stayed in a Holiday Inn in the Downtown Disney area and buses run every 30 minutes to every park (just like they do for the Disney hotels). It was wonderful and about the same convenience as staying in an official Disney property.

http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/lake-buena-vista/dislb/hoteldetail

As for restaurants, we never found anything worth recommending. Sometimes we'd stay at the parks through dinner and just eat inside. Another day when the weather was bad, we just came back to the hotel and ate there because we didn't really want to have to change and deal with going out again. Disney is wonderful and since there is so much to do, it is tiring. That is going to be about the most crowded week of the year to go, though. We did it that week years ago and it was quite crowded.

Thanks for that link, DS! Yikes. It must be because of Easter weekend or something.. the cost is up on par with the lesser end of the Disney Resorts! I'll bookmark it. I'm hoping to book this weekend, with SO here visiting, so we can finalize everything. Good to know they have the buses, too.

That's unfortunate to know we're going during the most crowded weekend of the year This is totally last minute, and I wanted to visit Disney World since I don't exactly plan on visiting FL anytime soon again. Rawr. I've been at the Disneyland here in CA on New Years Eve, so I know how busy they can possibly get. SO has agoraphobia in large crowds, and can get anxious and angry, so thanks for the warning. I'm going to have to send him to get an RX for xanax or something. I don't want to deal with a 27-year-old behaving like a 5-year-old on my birthday

High schools often time their Spring Break to hit Easter, so lots of families have this week for vacation.

It's been a long time since I have been able to go to DW, but my favorite parks were Magic Kingdom-obvi-, the parade at night is pretty neat; MGM, for the shows and the Tower of Terror; and Animal Kingdom for sheer awesomeness. If you only have two days skip the water parks, but all three (Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, River Country USA) are great if you have a longer trip. I didn't care for Epcot, buuuttt...I was like 15 so take that with a grain of salt.

Sounds like it's an important and AWESOME trip!

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

I will definitely be doing The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter! That is one of the main reasons we're going! I think I did know it was at Universal though, so sorry about saying it was Disney! I think we may hit up Disney as well, but that isn't a huge thing on our list. Just HP and enjoying the sunny weather. I can't flipping wait!!