Adult Trip to Orlando

Hi All:

Looking for some help planning a long girls weekend (in our mid-late 30%26#39;s) to Orlando for the 1st or 2nd weekend in March. Where can we stay tht will be adult-oriented , a bit upscale and still easy to reach theme parks, shopping attractions and dining? We would want a nice pool area for relaxing and poolside waiters or a pool bar. Will spring break be an issue during this time? Even in our situation (our main reason for going isn%26#39;t Disney or theme parks), I would think being on Disney property would enable us to not have to rent a car and still provide us with the majority of the things we want from this trip. Will a Universal hotel such as Portofino allow this as well? What about Hyatt Grand Cyress?

Adult Trip to Orlando

I would only stay on property if you are interested in the theme parks, or the night time entertainment of Pleasure Island or CityWalk. It sounds like you are interested in more of a fun, relaxing, spa type weekend than a theme park weekend. I would check into the Grand Cypress, maybe the Ritz Carlton or JW Marriott Grande Lakes. I think they would have the level of service you are looking for. If you want to stay at Disney, I would suggest the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, which is next door to Downtown Disney where Pleasure Island is located. Portofino is a great choice if CityWalk is where you%26#39;re headed. Do a few searches on the forum for these resorts, as well as checking out the TA reviews and see which one would be the best fit for you. You will be here with some of the spring breakers, but it shouldn%26#39;t be too bad yet.

Adult Trip to Orlando

Hello traveledwell,

The first two weeks aren%26#39;t too bad for crowd levels it%26#39;s the third week that it begins to get crazy. However it%26#39;s not the least crowded time to visit either. But you should find the crowds manageable.

The Hyatt Grand Cypress is a beautiful resort with a wonderful pool area. A couple other beautiful resorts are the JW Marriott and the Ritz. I also recommend the Grand Floridian resort and the Yacht Club which are beautiful Disney property adult orientated choice%26#39;s also. Check them out at www.disneyworld.com Being on Disney property allows you free transportation to and from the airport, the 4 disney parks including Downtown Disney and the waterparks. However for all other Orlando attractions you would have to get a taxi from the resort. I do not recommend the Portofino resort, however if your looking to be within a 5 minute walk to Universal the Hard Rock would be a good choice. Not as nice as the resorts I listed above though.

Thanks very much for the input. How close is Grand Cypress to the theme parks, restaurants etc...? I%26#39;ve only been to Orlando with the purpose of going to the theme parks; are there quaint shopping areas around, or is it all big mall shopping? Any other suggestions are welcome.

Atlantic Shores Resort

Can anyone tell if this is a good and fun place to stay...it is getting mixed reviews and looks like the last review came in October.

Was going to stay at the Pier House, but a little pricey...

Atlantic Shores Resort

Wow! It%26#39;s hard to believe anyone is trying to decide between the Pier House (which is in the upper tier of Key West hotels) and Atlantic Shores, which is well-known for its fun clothing optional pool/bar but NOT for its accommodations. There are lots of great hotels and guest houses in price ranges between these two.

Atlantic Shores Resort

Yea, I was actually at a loss for advise on this one! You are compairing apples to oranges. Or is that grapes to melons?

well we love the fun clothing optional pool part of atlantic shores, but like good accommodations.

any recommendations that won%26#39;t kill the wallet?

I heard the Atlantic Shores was going to be torn down for condos. Maybe I got bad information? Please advise.

Karen

Karen - Atlantic Shores has been given a reprive. Apparently there%26#39;s doubt now if it%26#39;ll be made into condos.

onaflaa - The Best Western Hibiscus gets great reviews, is in a good location, and won%26#39;t break the bank. Same is true of the Southernmost Hotel, which is just across the street from Atlantic Shores.

Thanks for the update! I%26#39;m glad to hear it%26#39;s not closing down.

Karen

Is Clearwater Beach bike friendly?

Hi again! We are going to Clearwater in June and I was wondering if it would be worth it to bring our bicycles? I drive an accord so we are going to have to buy a special thing to go on the back to bring them. Is there sidewalks along the beach, etc? Thanks!!!!

Is Clearwater Beach bike friendly?

I think it would be a good idea - I wish we would have had bikes but we flew down to Clearwater. I saw a lot of people biking around the beach area. Clearwater is really flat so it%26#39;s very nice for biking.

Is Clearwater Beach bike friendly?

Thanks beachlover, it sounds like I might should bring them then. It is a lot more fun than walking!

I have been biking on Clearwater Beach. Lots of sidewalks. You can also bike over both bridges, one into downtown and one over to Sand Key Park. There is also the Pinellas Trail, I believe it is something like 20 miles. Nice scenery.

Apartment Hunting?

Because of a job offer my son is moving to Jacksonville. We are apartment hunting and we don%26#39;t know anyone in the city and he has been there one time to interview for the job. We are hearing that the Southside is a good place to live and Mandarin has been mentioned also. Does anyone have any information about apartment living? If you know any names of great apartment complexes, it would be very helpful. He will be moving within the next month.

Thanks so much.

Apartment Hunting?

Jacksonville is a big city and rush hour traffic is bad and getting worse. Where or in what area of town will your son be working? We%26#39;ll be doing him a favor if we can direct him to places to live that are reasonably close to his work.

Regardless of how far it may be, living at the Beach gives one something nice to come home to. It%26#39;s more than just a place to live.

Apartment Hunting?

It really depends on his personal taste as well. Some people love living at our beaches regardless of any commute, some love the funky, alternate atmosphere of our Riverside area, some like the quaint San Marco or Avondale. And Spirit%26#39;s right...will you be concerned with working fairly close to home. Tell us a little more. Do you prefer a complex where most of the units are the same and have amenities like pools, gyms, etc. or would you prefer more of a duplex type where it may have a bit more character?

I just moved to the Jacksonville area and I went on Rent.com...plus once he uses rent.com and finds a place, he can get $100.00 from them!

I am working in the Deerwood area, so I found a place 10 minutes from my job...its great and I love the area!

Thanks, Travelbug! Welcome to Jax!

eye makeup pictures

Keys for the over 50's

I see some threads elicit far more response than others... Here%26#39;s my problem. We%26#39;d like to visit the keys but have no desire to get drunk or go topless (believe me at 50 something these days are behind us). Should we skip the Keys altogether or just skip Key West? Is there anything to see other that the world through the bottom of a bottle?

I was hoping for some coastline, and relaxing scenery. Where should I head?

Keys for the over 50's

Yes, Key West does attract its share of partiers, mostly in the old town area. But, Key West is rich in history and architecture and has more fabulous restaurants than any where I can think of! Hemingway House, John Audubon House, the little white house, the Sunset Celebration, the conch train are all attractions you may enjoy. The snorkel trips and sunset sails offer booze but I don%26#39;t think you need it to enjoy the trip. And if you are looking for %26#39;relaxing scenery%26#39;, wow, there is nothing on earth that can relax me faster then driving through the keys. Simply beautiful.

We like to split our trips between Key West and the Marathon area. Its a nice location where we can take day trips out to visit Bahia Honda park, Sombrero beach, John Pennecamp as well as go out fishing, etc. I think there is something for everyone in the keys (except maybe those looking for the white sandy beaches or that enjoy wearing a shirt and tie or evening dress to dinner).

If I were you, I%26#39;d look over the items on the %26#39;Florida Keys Attractions%26#39; tab and decide whether there is anything of interest to you.

Keys for the over 50's

I%26#39;m in your over 50 age group ( sob) and we visit Key West each year as one of our favorite getaway weekends.

You should definitely not go to Key West if you are looking for a nice beach- Mother Nature has been unkind in giving the island completely surrounded by water nothing but rocky unattractive beaches. A few upper end htels have made tiny artificial sandy beaches, but that is not a strong point for Key West ( most places do have pools and or hot tubs.)

What we enjoy is great dining, both upscale and casual, lots of great magaritas at open air bars, lots of window shopping and little galleries and just an interesting mix of artsy , open minded folks. We also enjoy the laid back attitude where casual wear is always tolerated, bikes and scooters are acceptable transportation etc.

Key West is not an inexpensive destination, but we stay at the Best Western Hibiscus, dine at many of the restaurants/bars in the Turtle Krall area and unfailingly have breakfast at the lunch counter of the Dennis Pharmacy across from the hotel. The people watching is terrific everywhere in town. While we are there we always go to Fast Buck Freddies on Duval to purchase outrageous birthday cards for all our friends and hit Mallory Square at sunset at least once- it%26#39;s always a beautful sight.

And, even though we have been to key West at least 25 times we really haven%26#39;t experienced any of the outrageous behaviors you mention. I%26#39;m sure they happen at times other than Fantasy Fest, but not sofrequently or audaciously that you find them everywhere. I would definitely suggest you spend a few days there

First time south - what to do?

Hi, We have 4 nights in Miami and would like to explore some of the Keys while we are down that far. There will be hubby, myself and 3 teens. We love to explore and snorkel and shop just alittle for bargains. Any suggestions? Can we do part of the Keys in a day? THANKS!

First time south - what to do?

if you do a northern key maybe, but I am not an expert.

As far as bargin shopping goes. There is the sawgrass mills mall. It is the largest outlet mall in america and is amazing. Great high end outlet stores, great resturants and other activites. It is actually a little north of ft lauderdale and depending where you are staying in miami about an 45 minutes away. I would make a stop. Especially if it rains it is a great way to kill a rainy afternoon. It is worth it. Just going for the ralph lauren outlet is worth it to me. The neiman marcus discounts are great also and so are saks both especially for shoes.

wwwsawgrassmillsmallcom (I think if I put the periods in they will not post my post) This should give you all the info you need. Since you are down that way, you should stop at the mai kai it is a pretty good place to eat, the tropical drinks are strong, it is very festivly decorated. You kids will think it is awsome. You have to get a tropical drink they are amazing there. Have one of the kids drive yall home. It is a nice little afternoon trip. The full on polyonesian show is always a good time. Kids under 12 dont have to pay to watch it either. Also on their website they have links to coupons and other cool stuff. wwwmaikaicom. It is always a good evening. Even if you dont go to the mall depending on where you are staying in miami it shouldn%26#39;t be more than a half hour away. It is a polynesian tropical oasis right in the middle of south florida!

Roadtrip!! Need some advice

Seven of us will be driving to Key West all the way from Michigan! We are all student teachers and so excited for Spring Break! Because we don%26#39;t get paid for our internship we have to do this kind of cheap. We are staying at the Key Lodge motel, does anyone know anything about it? Also, has anyone been on the Key West Pub Crawl? It sounds like fun but I%26#39;d like to hear from someone who has been on it. Any other advice on fun bars or cool things to do would be great! Thanks!

Roadtrip!! Need some advice

Don%26#39;t know anything about the Key Lodge Motel.

I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;d pay to go on a Pub Crawl. If you can get outside and walk, you can get to the next bar on Duval.

The Pub Crawl may give you a t-shirt, but IMO whooooopeeeeeee.

Bars to go to:

Turtle Kraals, Schooner Wharf, Two Friends, Sloppy Joes, Irish Kevin%26#39;s, Fogerty%26#39;s, Bull and Whistle, Garden of Eden (open minded adults please), Bare Bottoms (piano bar), Hog%26#39;s Breath, Front Street Bar, El Sibony.

Have ONE drink at each of these places (ya right - 1 drink only) and then head to the sunset festival at Mallory Square. Do this the first day. Start at noon, spend 30 minutes at each place. You won%26#39;t care about the sunset. Spend the next day recovering on the Conch train seeing the sights of Olde Towne.

Roadtrip!! Need some advice

Don%26#39;t forget Capt Tony%26#39;s, Rick%26#39;s, Hog%26#39;s Breath and Margaritaville.

Be careful going down....that%26#39;s a LONG drive!

Karen

BuffetGuy is right, forget the organized Bar Crawl! Make one up for yourself.

This is what we are doing when we have our Bar Crawl in April...

We have 14 people going. We are splitting up to two teams of seven. Each guy gives the Captain of these teams $40 at the beginning of the Crawl. We are doing this because it evens things out for everyboody cashwise because bar drinks will vary. The Captain is responsible for buying drinks at each bar. 30 minutes per bar like BuffetGuy mentioned. We are starting at 7PM and going the opposite way that BuffetGuy mentioned. Conch Republic Seafood for dinner, Two Friends, HogsBreath, Sloppy Joe%26#39;s, Irish Kevin%26#39;s, Kelly%26#39;s, Fat Tuesday%26#39;s, Virgilio%26#39;s, and The Green Parrot.

Have Fun!

Bring down liqour with you. Also, dont do the pub crawl. They are right make your own. If you go during happy hour and bounce from place to place you should get good enough deals on your own. Besides you are a pack of hot teachers... when we go out the pack of 8 college girls we always get better deals. especially on shots. I am sure you have experianced this yourselves many a time. If you go to the schooner wharf home page, the fat tuesdays home page, and the two friends page they have coupons for two for ones and money off drinks. Print a page of them take it to kinkos and copy a bunch. granted it is one person per day but you can go back and use them everyday!

I have a long standing promise to let everyone know where the spring break deal will be at each bar on each night. My friend did not get the specific bars but we are already getting VIP passes to somewhere. Seeing as how they are called VIP I am thinking it is for ricks. But I am sure there will be some all you can drink deals... I will let you know as soon as I know.