Suggestions Requested: Out-of-Park Experiences

Most of the time when we're at Disney we spend our time DOING 'Disney', but there are a few things we've been known to do.

We've talked in another thread about going to Celebration for dinner. If we're there on a weekend, many times we'll go there to tour some of the homes during open house.

We always go to the Outlets Mall at the end of International Drive to see what the Character Warehouse has to offer. Occasionally (but not always), you can find some really good Disney souvenirs at a bargain. We usually go early in the trip and again right before we leave, as many times they'll turn over a bunch of new merchandise in the interim.

If the timing is right, and if we're in the mood, we sometimes drive to Daytona just to mess around and have dinner at Aunt Catfish's in Port Orange. We've also been known to drive to Port Canaveral when one of the ships are docked there just for the heck of it. Normally on that trip we end up in Cocoa Beach.

And since we enjoy the resorts almost as much as the parks, there is rarely a trip when we don't spend a lot of time just going to the individual hotels and seeing what is going on in them, usually eating several meals at favorite restaurants. (Breakfast at Whispering Canyon in Wilderness Lodge and Caribbean Beach, Dinner at Chef Mickey's, usually a lunch at the Poly, etc)

And as odd as this may sound, part of our vacation is a very enjoyable trip to Gooding's in LBV where we stock up on supplies for the week. Odd that a grocery store visit would be considered fun, but when we're stocking up on snacks and drinks and stuff, we really FEEL like our vacation is ahead of us.

You're still in the "planning stage," yet your vacation has already come! It's the perfect moment. Besides, you get to buy much more "interesting" things when you're on vacation. Like jelly beans and Ruffles and Mr. Pibb. It also feels like you're "living" on vacation: grocery shopping=living somewhere.


I was wondering if anyone had ever been to a shuttle launch?

My wife's best friend lives in Houston, and several years ago (1994 I think) she was friends with the pilot of several of the shuttle missions. He invited her to the launch, and she subsequently invited us. We met up at WDW and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. The night before the launch two of the crews families threw a party at Space Camp and we were able to attend that. (Only the families were there, as the crew was quarantined already) There might have been 50 of us in the museum area and we had the run of the place with snacks and stuff. I remember the kid who played the youngest son on Home Improvement was one of the guests also. As I said, with only 50 people or so, you could play with anything there with no waiting.

On launch day, we weren't sure if the weather was going to permit the launch or not. We actually watched it from a roadside park along the way to Canaveral. We were there in the late morning and the launch had to happen by 4:30 or so. They took it to the final few minutes before they gave the go ahead.

Even from the distance of a few miles, it was the brightest "bright" I've ever seen in the sky, and the sound was impressive.

We've seen a few others while staying at Disney World, but this is the closest we've been. I'd encourage anyone to see one if they get the chance.

That's a great description. Shuttle lauch=yay, but I'm more interested in what you played with at Space Camp!!!

The two things that stand out were a kind of video game shuttle lander, where you could try and bring the shuttle in for a landing, and the other was one of the gyroscopes they strap you in and then spin you like crazy. I could play the lander, but the gyroscope probably wouldn't work for me, but my wife did it. I can remember her spinning crazily and when it stopped she had hair pointing in every possible direction.

I've always wondered if you have to be in a certain physical condition to go on one of those things, or if anyone can do it. Do they have them anywhere else where regular Joes can try it out, or do you have to be at Nasa?

Since they had them at Space Camp and you could use them as a guest there, I would think you could find them elsewhere. Although I don't remember, I suspect there were some basic questions they probably asked you about your health, condition, etc.

As far as its effects, I can't imagine it being any worse than a lot of carnival rides.

MT has done Space Camp too (at least kinda)!??!?!

Is there anything in Florida you haven't checked out?

Hey, I just got lucky on that one. Friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing.

And yes, I haven't been to Gatorland yet!

Maybe I'll have to try that out so I can say I've been somewhere MT hasn't been. Have you checked out any of the sporting events there?

Are you asking about sporting events at Disney World? If so, no I haven't. Only Florida sporting event I've been to is a few college football games in Gainesville (which is an experience in itself), and I've been to the Outback Bowl.

I'd love to get to Florida some day for spring baseball. Just bounce around to a few different teams home parks for the heck of it.

who was in the outback bowl?

Kentucky and Penn State. It was a great trip, even though we lost the game. We spent two days in Tampa for the Bowl, then went to WDW for about four days. And with it being a January 1st game, we got to experience all the holiday decorations at Disney as a bonus.

It just ended. Opening day in the majors was scheduled for last night, but I'm not sure if the weather cooperated.

Do you follow Kentucky basketball?

Yes, I do, but on a personal level I actually like football as a spectator sport. We've got season tickets for football so I'm more involved in that program. Jerry Claiborne (former UK Coach) was from my hometown, and was a friend of our family, as he played high school football with my dad.

I like football because of the atmosphere of tailgating, etc. Although I love basketball, its more of a "go in - sit down - watch the game - go home" situation.

My wife could care less about ANY football unless there is a dome or a visit to the state of Florida involved!

I have to give her credit though. I once lost the car in Baton Rouge after an LSU game and she never said one word the entire hour and a half we walked around trying to find it.

She disn't SAY anything.....

But oh, was she THINKING......

If you follow Kentucky basketball, what's the sentiment down there about the Gillespie firing? I went to A&M, so we're wondering why you stole him if you weren't going to give him a chance there!

You know, it comes across as if we just decided after a lukewarm season that he should go. I think there is a lot more to it than that. A big part of being the UK coach is schmoozing with the public, and even the media. Billy came in very casual, laid back, etc., and you can see him tighten up like a drum over the couple of years. I know a lot of the Lexington media, and there were serious questions about his ability as early as the middle of his first season.

I'm on a private UK sports email loop with about 50 other people, and after Billy's farewell press conference we all agreed that he was totally different (personality wise) POST UK than he was during his coaching there. We all said THIS is the BCG we hired, and where has he been the past two years. The pressure was off.

I think he was way too much in a fishbowl and just didn't know how to handle it.

There was also the problem of a contract he didn't sign after two years on the job. (Calipari signed his the first day)

Don't get me wrong, I think he's a good coach and I'm sure he'll land on his feet somewhere and tear things up. But as AD Mitch Barnhart said, the mix just wasn't right. I know on good authority that this was the general opinion in the athletic department as early as a month after he was hired.

(And I didn't even get into the arm chair coaching about his off the wall player rotation. I'm convinced that any other UK coach of the last 30 years would have won at least five more games with this lineup. Something happened that it just all fell apart.)

Interesting. To an outsider it looks like you didn't give him enough time. He was a great recruiter. I would argue that was his greatest strength, so to fire him after 2 seasons seems premature. Everyone keeps talking about how he was bad with the media and wasn't good with alumni and whatever, but I'm not sure that needs to be your criteria if you're UK and trying to get back to the top.

All that being said, the part where he tried to back out and the bit where he never seemed comfortable with the pressure are certainly red flags. Maybe everyone would have been happier if he had just stayed at A&M!