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| Ten Places to Get Your Family in the Holiday Spirit |
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| The holidays are upon us, and if you need a little coaxing to get into the spirit of the season, then take your family to one of these merry and bright destinations. |
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| Tags: events, Cocoa, Jacksonville, Fort_Myers, theme_parks, Orlando, St_Augustine, Pensacola, Miami, Fort_Lauderdale, |
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| Predictions of Sun and Fun |
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| Forget frost on the pumpkin, fall chills and other scary things outside that have nothing to do with Halloween. Escape to Kissimmee, where “autumn” still technically means “summer” in terms of swimsuit temperatures, thrill rides, playing outside and precisely the vacation you’ve dreamed about.
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| Tags: Kissimmee, theme_parks, events, outdoors_and_nature, |
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| Kissimmee: Theme Parks and Beyond |
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| Connected to Orlando at the hip, Kissimmee gives vacationers all that playtime city has to offer plus the golf courses, cattle ranching heritage, lake tours and hometown friendliness it calls its own. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, theme_parks, parks, Orlando, boating, historical_sites, downtowns_and_small_towns, resorts, theater, |
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| Kissimmee for Kids (and their families, too) |
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| Pack suits and a towel because the fountain in Celebration (and Downtown Disney) is famous for being irresistible! Best of all, it’s free entertainment. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, dining, parks, fishing, downtowns_and_small_towns, theater, wildlife, theme_parks, outdoors_and_nature, |
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| A REAL. FUN. BEACH. |
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| With its new Pier Park entertainment complex, long-popular family attractions, emerald-green waters and a brand-new airport on the horizon, Panama City Beach is the quintessential Florida beach that has spelled out “REAL. FUN.” through the ages, for all ages. |
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| Tags: Panama_City_Beach, Panama_City, beaches, family, parks, theme_parks, piers, |
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| A Not-So-Wintery Wonderland |
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| My friends and family up north wonder how it can feel like the holidays if you’re not wearing 70 pounds of clothing and scraping ice off a car windshield. After 25 years in Florida, I wonder how you can feel at all in a wind chill of -50 degrees. |
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| Tags: events, Lake_Buena_Vista, Orlando, theme_parks, Fort_Lauderdale, Sanibel_Island, Delray_Beach, Fort_Myers, St_Augustine, gardens, Jacksonville, Ponte_Vedra_Beach, Tallahassee, Fernandina_Beach, Kissimmee, Naples, |
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| Back to Orlando |
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| I love a deal of any kind, but here's what I think works about this Endless Summer thing: If it's something you like to do again and again, here's a way to do it cheaper. And if it's something you're trying for the first time, take an affordable test-drive.
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| Tags: Orlando, theme_parks, dining, deals, hotels, resorts, events, festival, |
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| Camping Disney |
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| With clean, convenient campsites and facilities, affordable rates and a strategic location, Fort Wilderness is the clear favorite to not only stay on Disney property and visit the attractions, but to get a Florida outdoors experience as well. |
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| Tags: Walt_Disney_World, theme_parks, |
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| Family Travel FAQ |
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| While every family has different needs, there are common threads. Read these frequently asked questions to find tips to make your upcoming travels easier. |
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| Tags: family, theme_parks, |
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| Beach Blanket Bingo |
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| With hula girls, fire-twirling dancers and more tiki faces than you’ll find in Tahiti, this place shimmies with Polynesian surrealism (and the food’s good, too). |
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| Tags: Anna_Maria_Island, resorts, Florida_Keys, Islamorada, theme_parks, Fort_Lauderdale, Panama_City_Beach, Daytona_Beach, beaches, Hollywood, Weeki_Wachee, |
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| Florida's Retro Theme Parks |
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| Many of the rides are highly embellished versions of rides you might see at the state fair - scrambler, Ferris wheel, Tilt-O-Whirl, bumper cars. |
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| Tags: Homestead, Islamorada, Key_West, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa, St_Augustine, museums, outdoors_and_nature, theme_parks, water_parks, gardens, St_Petersburg, wildlife, zoos, aquariums, sealife, |
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| Family Must-Sees |
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| Your kids will be kissed and hugged by dolphins and sea lions respectively at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. |
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| Tags: Clearwater, Crystal_River, Fort_Myers, Gainesville, Islamorada, Jacksonville, Kissimmee, Marianna, New_Smyrna_Beach, Orlando, Palm_Beach, Pensacola, Tampa, Venice, West_Palm_Beach, Winter_Haven, Kennedy_Space_Center, museums, wildlife, sealife, family, Siesta_Key, Fort_Walton_Beach, theme_parks, zoos, water_parks, aquariums, Everglades_National_Park, Daytona_Beach, |
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| A-Foot at Walt Disney World Resort |
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| Kids programs and video arcades at many resorts keep the little ones happy while the big ones sneak off to be pampered at one of two major spas on property (many of the resorts also have their own smaller day spas), or for adult recreation and sizzling nightlife. |
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| Tags: Walt_Disney_World, theme_parks, |
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| Weird Science |
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| Most families first associate Tampa with Busch Gardens, particularly its screaming roller coasters. But Busch Gardens, like Tampa itself, has its nature side, its scientific rarities. |
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| Tags: Tampa, family, theme_parks, aquariums, manatees, zoos, outdoors_and_nature, tours, |
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| Awesome Family Adventures |
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| Take lots of pictures because no one's going to believe your kids didn't make up this magical river. |
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| Tags: Clearwater, Clearwater_Beach, Cocoa, Cocoa_Beach, Crystal_River, Islamorada, Madeira_Beach, Milton, Orlando, Panama_City_Beach, Pensacola, Steinhatchee, family, theme_parks, kayaking, canoeing, snorkeling, parks, water_sports, Everglades_National_Park, St_Petersburg, Port_St_Joe, fishing, |
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| Thrill Quest |
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| The car climbed higher and higher in the creepy hotel through a maze of elevator shafts and hallways, building our anxiety before the inevitable drop. Everyone let out a scream as we plummeted 13 stories, bounced up and then shot down the shaft again. |
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| Tags: Kissimmee, Orlando, Tampa, theme_parks, |
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| Orlando/Kissimmee Area |
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| The propensity for over-the-top entertainment has infected the environs with a love for fun, faux, goofy and imagination. |
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| Tags: Eatonville, Kissimmee, Lake_Buena_Vista, Mount_Dora, Orlando, Sanford, Winter_Park, theme_parks, |
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| Theme Park Tips |
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| Do the most popular rides early in the morning, moving to the back of the park first. Use peak times in the early afternoon for eating, shopping and shows. Ride lines often slack off toward late afternoon, so save the big attractions you missed in the morning for later. |
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| Tags: Orlando, theme_parks, family, Lake_Buena_Vista, |
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| Epcot |
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| World Showcase, with its 11 different countries in microcosm, virtually takes kids to the places they've learned about in school. |
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| Tags: Walt_Disney_World, theme_parks, |
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| Universal Studios |
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| Save the really scary rides for kids' middle school and teen years. Attractions such as "Twister - Ride It Out" and "Terminator 2: 3D Battle Across Time" contain mature content and so are rated PG-13. |
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| Tags: Universal_Orlando_Resort, theme_parks, |
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| Classic Florida Attractions |
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| Amazonian monkeys have joined the jungle, along with others, including tamarins, for which Frank pioneered a breeding program. |
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| Tags: Key_West, Marathon, Miami, Ocala, Orlando, Winter_Haven, theme_parks, zoos, wildlife, dolphins, St_Augustine, Weeki_Wachee, |
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