Kara Chalmers 2016-12-16 07:21:33
Discovery Cove, Orlando Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista Juniper Springs, Ocala National Forest Favorite Florida Experiences The Sunshine State is overflowing with fun ways to spend a family vacation. Plan your next getaway around one or more of these favorite experiences and you’ll give your kids a trip they’ll treasure forever. Kissing a Dolphin If your kids aren’t already obsessed with dolphins, they will be after meeting one up-close. Do the “Kissed by a Dolphin” program at Dolphins Plus Bayside in Key Largo, or spend a day at Orlando’s Discovery Cove, where you’ll get to hug, kiss and swim with a dolphin before getting a dorsal fin tow back to shore. Hunting for Scallops Head to Homosassa or Steinhatchee to experience the underwater treasure hunt known as scalloping. Don a mask and snorkel, then dive underwater to spot and grab the shellfish before they scoot away (scallops “swim” by opening and closing their shells). Kid-friendly scalloping charters and accommodations include Dreamcatcher Island, Homosassa Riverside Resort and Steinhatchee Landing Resort. Scalloping season is in the summer; be sure to check the dates before you go. Getting a Fantasy Makeover Bring your Queen Elsa wannabe to Walt Disney World’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where fairy godmothers in training will transform your little beauty into a princess (or a knight), complete with hairstyling, shimmery makeup, even gowns and accessories, depending on the package you choose. At Disney’s Pirate League, kids can be magically made over into scurvy swashbucklers. SeaWorld’s Aquatica, Orlando If wizards and witches are more your family’s style, head to Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where Ollivander’s wands, Hogwarts school uniforms and quidditch gear are for sale. Riding the Waves (and Wiping Out) While Florida’s central east coast is touted as the best place to hang 10, you can find surf lessons and summer surf camps up and down the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, so kids can pick up surfing skills while on vacation. Florida Surf Lessons, for example, offers instruction daily in Miami’s South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Jupiter and Cocoa Beach. Horseback Riding on the Beach Two North Florida outfits take horseback riding up a notch with beach rides: Broke-a-Toe Horseback Riding offers relaxing sunset rides on the shores of Cape San Blas, and Kelly Seahorse Ranch on Amelia Island will guide you on horseback to remote Atlantic Coast beaches. Gliding Down Water Slides These water park thrills aren’t for the faint of heart, or for those under 48 inches. On the towering Summit Plummet at Disney’s Blizzard Beach, your kids will drop down a ski jump, plunging 12 stories almost vertically. On Ihu’s Breakaway Falls at SeaWorld’s water park Aquatica, they’ll step into one of the “breakaway boxes” at the top, and then wait anxiously inside to see which of them will have the floor yanked out from underfoot first, dropping them 80 feet down the towering waterslide. Swimming in a Spring Florida’s freshwater springs are clear, beautiful and 72 degrees yearround. They give families the chance to try activities like tubing, paddling, snorkeling and scuba diving. Two great options are Blue Spring State Park in Orange City and Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland. If you’re specifically looking to swim with manatees, head to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge’s Three Sisters Springs in the winter. Ziplining Over Gators Orlando’s Gatorland is the perfect theme park for the reptile lover in your family to see alligators up close. Try the park’s Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, where you’ll soar from heights up to 65 feet, at speeds near 30 mph, on a 1,200-foot-long course over Cuban and Nile crocodiles. You’ll fl y above an alligator breeding marsh while some 130 gators watch from below. For family members who prefer to stay on the ground, more attractions await including Adventure Hour, Rookie Wrestling, Gator Night Shine, the Trainer-for-a-Day program and numerous wildlife exhibits. Screamin’ Gator Zip Line at Gatorland, Orlando A Teenager's Guide to Florida By Jodi Mailander Farrell Search {Teens} at VISITFLORIDA.com These Snapchat-worthy experiences will appeal to teenage thrillseekers. Get ready to rock their vacation. Retro Road Trip Vws make the coolest campers. Rent a retro Volkswagen camper van with Florida Oldscool Campers in St. Petersburg. They can guide you to the state’s best glamping spots. Rates start at $450. floridavwrentals.com Neon Paddleboarding Take a magical night tour of Miami Beach atop a stand-up paddleboard equipped with LED lights that illuminate five feet underwater and 15 feet around the board. The Sunset Glow Tour is $65 at Miami Beach PaddleBoard. miamibeachpaddleboard.com Diagon Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Even teenagers get nostalgic. Recall the popular book series from their childhood at the Potter-themed worlds inside Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. Fulfill the thrill ride quota and snap a selfie in Diagon Alley. universalorlando.com Zip The Canyons A mile-long zipline complex built atop a 94-acre limestone quarry, The Canyons Zipline and Canopy Tours in Ocala has nine courses over 100 feet high, with rope bridges and a rappel. The 2.5-hour tour starts at $96. zipthecanyons.com All-Ages Shows at Revolution Live Live electronic, rock, funk and more fill the twostory, standing-room-only Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale, which periodically hosts all-ages shows that end by 11 p.m. jointherevolution.net Wild Cats Big Cat Rescue is a 67-acre animal sanctuary in Sarasota devoted to rescuing and housing abused and abandoned wild cats. It shelters around 100 tigers, leopards, bobcats, lynx and cougars, among other felines, and provides tours, photo safaris and feeding experiences. Rates start at $36 per person. bigcatrescue.org SPLASH AND SWIM WITH FLORIDA’S BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS Scan this page with your smartphone to watch a video about swimming with dolphins at Marineland near St. Augustine. Download the free Layar App. See full instructions on pg. 12. Milestones & Celebrations By Amy Shepherd Dow Search {Weddings or Reunions} at VISITFLORIDA.com The ideas below should help you make some major memories. For more ideas, search for your topic at VISITFLORIDA.com. Getting Married? Whether it’s a gala event or a simple ceremony on Sunset Cove Beach, capture the moment at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. If it fits your theme, host a welcome luau barbecue. Near Tampa, Cross Creek Ranch offers two elegantly rustic venues: the Carriage House Stable and the French Country Inn. Having a Baby? The babymoon package at Island Cottage Oceanfront Inn & Spa on Flagler Beach offers prenatal massages and a ‘Baby Shower in a Basket.’ Or, for a glam celebration, relax with Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa’s package for mocktails and spa tummy rubs in Palm Beach. Then shop Worth Avenue and lounge at the resort’s tea bar. Hosting a Family Reunion? A few minutes from Disney, The Palms Hotel & Villas is the ideal family hub with its condo-style accommodations, kids’ pool and sandbox, basketball court, grills and golf access (plus complimentary shuttle to the parks). On Florida’s northwest coast, Sunrise Beach Resort in Panama City offers threebedroom units and bunk rooms. Popular shopping and entertainment complex Pier Park is practically next door. Milestone Birthday? Sarasota’s relaxed-Miami style is reflected at Hyatt Regency Sarasota, a downtown waterfront gem near Main Street, upscale bars and restaurants, and St. Armands Circle shopping. Down south off Key West, Sunset Key Guest Cottages are on their own private island. Breakfast baskets are delivered every morning to each cottage, some of which have their own plunge pools. A ferry transports guests to Key West’s buzzing Old Town in minutes. Major Anniversary? Set this anniversary in lovely Seaside on northwest Florida’s gulf coast. Design it to include beach bonfires, dolphin tours and tee times through Cottage Rental Agency’s top-notch concierge service. Or celebrate your romantic history at St. Augustine’s Casa de Solana Bed and Breakfast amid the old-world charm (use one of the many romance packages typically offered). Cottage Rental Agency, Seaside Tideline Ocean Resort, Palm Beach
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