Local Attractions
Pirate & Princess Palace
is nearby many great attractions, activities, and areas of interest.
The concierge service at Emerald Island Resort provides a shuttle
service to many of the locations listed below for a per person fee. We
suggest you rent a car with a GPS, or at the very least, a
good map; those maps that come in those advertising booklets at the airport don't count! We've put our spin on the attractions we've been to, but there are many others listed in those airport booklets; see what peaks your interest.
Attractions
Magic Kingdom
If you have little ones, see any other park first. Why? Because Magic Kingdom is
so full of excitement, and every character they have ever known is right
in front of them, and real, and amazing. Epcot, Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld, and so on, is all good, but after seeing Disney Characters and kid-friendly rides every time
you turn around...well, it's hard to keep up the pace that is Magic
Kingdom. Budget 2 days if you want to ride big attractions, and have to
stand in line to ride Dumbo with the kidlets.
Epcot
Geared for the older set in our opinion, and impossible to do in a day.
Budget 2 days for this park if you'd like to visit "Future World" as well as all the "countries" in the "World Show Case". The sit-down restaurants at the
Pavilions are worth a try. Our teen loved the Biergarden buffet, and our toddler
loved dancing to the Oompah band. Go to the Disney website to see all they have to offer and make your reservations as soon as you can.
Hollywood Studios
Now that Toy Story Mania! opened, there's more for little ones. Ok, us
big kids love it too. This park has the best thrill rides, and
Fantasmic! is a show not to be missed. Check the show schedule on the Disney website, Fantasmic! doesn't run every night. You can do this park in 1 day if you skip some shows. The veggie pizza at Pizza Planet is surprisingly good, and just like all meals at Disney, you do not have to order the "combo" that includes a small salad, because the salad is just not very good. The sandwiches at Starring Rolls cafe is are quite good, too.
Animal Kingdom
This is a beautiful, relaxing park in between those days of Tower of
Terror or Big Thunder Mountain. Until you go on Expedition Everest;
it's crazy fun. Do it. The best part about this park (for those with
little ones) is the Dino Land Triceratops Spin ride. It's like people
don't even know it's there. We were able to put our toddler on it over
and over with no wait (this was in low season, highly recommend).
Compare that to the Dumbo ride at Magic Kingdom, and you'll keep
shoving your kid on this ride 'til she's had enough for the rest of the
week. Bring a rain poncho if you plan to ride Kali River Rapids; you will get soaked. Hit this park at opening, because it closes the earliest of all Disney parks, some days as early as 5 pm. Even with the early close, you only need 1 day to see this park provided you get there at a decent hour.
Universal Studios/Island of Adventure
We honestly wouldn't bother taking little ones to these parks. Yes,
there's the Cat in the Hat land and such, but there's just so much more
"thrill rides" for older kids, we couldn't justify the time or the
cost. We went without the kids, and agreed we would wait to bring them
when they're older. Tons of folks may disagree, but that's our take on
these parks. The biggest must-do: Spiderman (a 3-D ride that's just
the coolest) and the Hulk. It looks way worse than it is, and this is
coming from a coaster chicken, bit the bullet, and thought it was great. Bluto's Barge is like the Animal Kingdom's Kali River Rapids, but better! You will get soaked. Budget 1 day per park, and buy tickets online on their site ahead of time, it's cheaper. Print at home or at the kiosk at the park entrance.
SeaWorld
The little kid attractions were plentiful, but you need a solid-sized
toddler to get on. Ours barely made the height requirement. She
had a blast, nice that you don't need to walk a mile to each one. Bring
the kids' swimsuits, there are fountains on the sidewalk by a covered
eating area. It's a great way for them to cool off, and gives you a
break, too! The penguin exhibit is very cool, and the walrus left us
in awe; he's massive!
Busch Gardens
The drive to this park is about an hour and 15 minutes, provided you take the toll roads. If you'd like to visit, order your passes online at least 7 days before you go, and you'll save $10 per ticket; print your ticket at home. Get their at least 45 before opening; the lines to pay and park are very long. The thrill rides are plentiful, as are the animal exhibits, and there is a Sesame Street play land for small children. There is not much for children who are too old for the Sesame Street area, and too young for the thrill rides. We enjoy roller coasters, but the wooden coaster was much too rough for us and made our teeth rattle! Never again...you were warned!
Activities
Shopping Malls (shopping is considered an activity in my book, go online to get coupons for the outlets)
Orlando Premium Outlets, Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun 10am-9pm, I-4, exit 68 PH: 407.238.7787 They have a Disney Outlet store, some really good deals to be had. About a 15 - 20 minute drive from the house.
The Florida Mall, South Orange Blossom Trail & Sand Lake Road PH: 407.851.6255
Orlando Prime Outlets, just been purchased by Premium Outlets, so it's probably very similar. No as close in proximity as Premium.
Golf Courses (many have coupons in those tourist books at airports, wal-mart, etc.)
Falcon's Fire Golf Club Kissimmee PH: 407.259.5445
Kissimmee Golf Club Kissimmee PH: 40
7.847.2816
Kissimmee Bay Country Club Kissimmee PH: 407.348.4653
Orange Lake Resort Kissimmee PH: 407.239.1050
Remington Golf Club Kissimmee PH: 407.344.4004
Disney World Golf Courses
Eagle Pines Fort Wilderness PH: 407.939.1600
Lake Buena Vista Downtown Disney PH: 407.939.1600
Magnolia Magic Kingdom PH: 407.939.1600
Oak Trail Magic Kingdom PH: 407.939.1600
Osprey Ridge Fort Wilderness PH: 407.939.1600
Palm Course Magic Kingdom PH: 407.939.1600
