Coming to Orlando on vacation? Ask me anything...

[nvanprooyen]

Positives

Volcano Bay is great.
All food options are fantastic
Loews Royal Pacific was great
Hilton Bonnet Creek was great

And if you dind yourself lucky enough to get on anything at Disney in under 30 mins, it's great!

Glad the weather cooperated enough for Volcano Bay. It's a great water park.

You happen to eat at NBC Sports in CityWalk? That's one of my go-to's when I'm down there usually.

I've never stayed at Royal Pacific, mostly because one of the main benefits are the Express passes (which I already have). But I've heard it's nice, not surprising because pretty much all the Universal Hotels are.

And glad you liked Bonnet Creek. Great location and pretty good rates vs the Disney properties IMO.

 

[MDB111™]

Glad the weather cooperated enough for Volcano Bay. It's a great water park.

You happen to eat at NBC Sports in CityWalk? That's one of my go-to's when I'm down there usually.

I've never stayed at Royal Pacific, mostly because one of the main benefits are the Express passes (which I already have). But I've heard it's nice, not surprising because pretty much all the Universal Hotels are.

And glad you liked Bonnet Creek. Great location and pretty good rates vs the Disney properties IMO.

We walked by those jumbo-trons a half dozen times but never went into NBC Sports. We did eat at Pat O'briens and the Cowfish though.

Thanks again for the Hilton Bonnet Creek recommendation. I second that it is awesome but there was difficulty with the kids having to ride the shuttle for too long. Let's say we were doing Animal Kingdom one day. Well the shuttle did drop -offs at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood studios before AK. And then they switch it up every week. So I did for-go that twice and just took a taxi to the parks. It saved vital Fast Pass time. The ride attendants were nice and could be lenient but you get the idea that the entire experience revolves around the Fast Pass.

One thing that is awesome about Bonnet Creek is that it is connected to the Waldorf Astoria property and they are still able to get the "Magic Hours" which we took advantage of. We were able to start at AK one day at 8am and 7am one day at Hollywood Studios.

We also never got to Adventura even though we were right there while at Volcano Bay. We couldn't stick around that long to enter.(That park closed at 5pm that day)

 

[Ares]

I may join a trip to Universal next year in the fall.

I did it for just the weekend Fri-Sunday before my cruise on Monday and it was fun.

Was just me and my buddy, so we could be a bit more agile with our movements.

Did not have the Express pass thing.... had some serious waits.

 

[MDB111™]

I may join a trip to Universal next year in the fall.

I did it for just the weekend Fri-Sunday before my cruise on Monday and it was fun.

Was just me and my buddy, so we could be a bit more agile with our movements.

Did not have the Express pass thing.... had some serious waits.

Worth every penny. I strolled by some long lines, chest all puffed out like "Suckas" I felt so big time. It was like a V.I.P situation. Harry Potter fans muttering under their breath like "Who the **** are these assholes?" and you'd hear "Oh that's Express lanes" and I'm like "I run this joint"

 

[HeHateMe]

Worth every penny. I strolled by some long lines, chest all puffed out like "Suckas" I felt so big time. It was like a V.I.P situation. Harry Potter fans muttering under their breath like "Who the **** are these assholes?" and you'd hear "Oh that's Express lanes" and I'm like "I run this joint"

Im just happy that you made it out of Florida alive and in one piece with all of that rain!

 

[MDB111™]

Im just happy that you made it out of Florida alive and in one piece with all of that rain!

Second half of the week dried up our Harry Potter wizard gowns in no time!!! Express lines had us walking so fast, those capes were blowing in our wakes! I'm talking my feet were kicked up and my butter beer was half gone before those chumps in the muggle line got through. They were jealous. They were mad. We were kings that day.

 

[Ares]

On the contrary I got to spend so long in that King Kong ride line show room thing I had seen it no less than like 30 times.

I believe I got an honorary degree in witch-talking.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

I don't think one has lived until they experience the constant onslaught of a light drizzle to moderate downpour with 75 degree temps on a fun family vacation.

Stay safe out there

 

[Burque]

Glad the weather cooperated enough for Volcano Bay. It's a great water park.

You happen to eat at NBC Sports in CityWalk? That's one of my go-to's when I'm down there usually.

I've never stayed at Royal Pacific, mostly because one of the main benefits are the Express passes (which I already have). But I've heard it's nice, not surprising because pretty much all the Universal Hotels are.

And glad you liked Bonnet Creek. Great location and pretty good rates vs the Disney properties IMO.

I want to go shark fishing at NSB. Any recommendations for that part of the world?

 

[nvanprooyen]

I want to go shark fishing at NSB. Any recommendations for that part of the world?

**** yeah I do. NSB is my hangout spot, I'm there all the time. Live like 30 mins away. What do you wanna know?

Edit - This is what I can talk about all day. I live in Volusia county and can literally tell you every spot worth mentioning. Especially if you want to fish.

 

[Burque]

**** yeah I do. NSB is my hangout spot, I'm there all the time. Live like 30 mins away. What do you wanna know?

Edit - This is what I can talk about all day. I live in Volusia county and can literally tell you every spot worth mentioning. Especially if you want to fish.

Looking to shore fish for sharks and other things. Looking for info on good places to stay. Hotel vs air bnb, and interesting places to eat good sea food.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Looking to shore fish for sharks and other things. Looking for info on good places to stay. Hotel vs air bnb, and interesting places to eat good sea food.

I've got you covered. I'll come back to this when I have some time later today. Will you have a car? What time of year are you thinking?

 

[nvanprooyen]

I've got you covered. I'll come back to this when I have some time later today. Will you have a car? What time of year are you thinking?

@Burque

Gonna start dropping some local shit in this thread.

I'll start with some places to eat in NSB proper, and we can go from there. One local staple is JBs Fish Camp:

JB's Fish Camp

Check out our menu, complete with online ordering!

jbsfishcamp.com

If you want a great burger, Breakers is where it's at

The Breakers Restaurant | New Smyrna Beach, FL | 386-428-2019

The Breakers Restaurant is perfectly located right on the beautiful sandy beach of New Smyrna. See our sun drenched views, ocean birds wading & great food!

breakersnsb.com

For breakfast, check out Wake Up cafe. A bunch of Argentine options on the menu. Mon Delice as well if you want to grab some French pastries.

Wake Up Cafe in New Smyrna Beach - Wake Up Cafe NSB

New Smyrna Beach's Best Breakfast Restaurant Featuring American Standards & Delicious Argentine Specialties

wakeupcafensb.com

I'm only scratching the surface of places to eat. These two though are great local options. I'm gonna add more food, but my phone is almost dead. Will also add places to stay, and things to do as well.

 

[Burque]

I've got you covered. I'll come back to this when I have some time later today. Will you have a car? What time of year are you thinking?

I'm not sure the best time to visit. Obviously want to avoid hurricanes, but I'm thinking we'd mostly want to Beach it up, fish, eat good food and hang out. I've only been to Florida once and was on the gulf side so I'm a total Atlantic ocean n00b.

We'd have a car and would be willing to drive a bit for the right things. We both enjoy pretty much everything foodie that's not pretentious.

 

[nvanprooyen]

I'm not sure the best time to visit. Obviously want to avoid hurricanes, but I'm thinking we'd mostly want to Beach it up, fish, eat good food and hang out. I've only been to Florida once and was on the gulf side so I'm a total Atlantic ocean n00b.

We'd have a car and would be willing to drive a bit for the right things. We both enjoy pretty much everything foodie that's not pretentious.

Ok, got it. I'd say probably like April or May is most ideal. It should be nice, warm, and the precipitation tends to be lower. It's always kind of a crap shoot though.

Since you'll have a car, that opens a lot of stuff up. In addition to shore fishing for sharks, some of the best redfish fishing in the world is right here too back in the mosquito lagoon. Also sea trout and snook.

Canaveral National Seashore has miles and miles of unspoiled beaches.

You should also check out some of our local springs, which are amazing.

I'll give some more links on places to stay, things to see, places to eat soon.

 

[nvanprooyen]

As far as places to stay go, NSB doesn't have a ton of hotels. It's a lot of condos. My #1 pick would be Ocean Trillium:

Home | Ocean Trillium Suites

Welcome to Ocean Trillium Suites Registered guest must be 25 years of age or accompanied by parent or legal guardian (notarized documentation required). Overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, the Ocean Trillium Suite's condominiums will provide the ideal setting for a perfect vacation or ...

oceantrilliumsuites.com

You said you weren't into pretentious shit. This place is great. It's pretty cheap given the location, awesome views, very clean and in a good location. Keep in mind that it's a bit dated if you care about that. If you decide to go here call and request a x04 room on a high floor. Your view will be great. I've personally stayed there like 20 times.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Some other things to note...nothing in FL is really pretentious. Especially beachside. We all sorta just roll around in flip flops, shorts and tshirts.

This one is right across the street of Ocean Trillium:

SoNapa Grille - American Restaurant in FL

SoNapa Grille in New Smyrna Beach, FL. SoNapa Grille specializes in wine from Sonoma County and Napa Valley, hence the name SoNapa. The menu consists of a chef inspired Northern California Cuisine, served in a rustic yet casual winecentric atmosphere.

www.sonapa.com

And then there's Norwoods. My recommendation is to hit the treehouse bar:

Norwoods Eatery & Bars in New Smyrna

A staple of New Smyrna and surrounding areas. Norwoods Eatery & Bars offers live entertainment every night. Coupled with a large selection of wines and cocktails that pair excellent with a wide variety of delicious food selections. The Treehouse Bar along with the NEW Roots Bar offers a relaxing...

www.norwoods.com

Will add more later

 

[Burque]

@nvanprooyen is Orlando the best place to fly into if you are going to stay at NSB?

If so the Stars are aligning for my trip out there. Allegiant just announced non stop flights from ABQ to Orlando for like 66 bucks per direction.

 

[nvanprooyen]

@nvanprooyen is Orlando the best place to fly into if you are going to stay at NSB?

If so the Stars are aligning for my trip out there. Allegiant just announced non stop flights from ABQ to Orlando for like 66 bucks per direction.

Allegiant flies into Sanford, which is even better. It will take you about 30 mins or so to drive over there.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Also @Burque if you end up flying in / out of SFB, downtown Sanford is worth a stop if you're into beer:

Food & Drink in Historic Downtown Sanford - Historic Downtown Sanford

Diverse Restaurant Scene in Historic Downtown Sanford You may think we’re biased, but we are not kidding when we say Historic Downtown Sanford’s food and drink scene is phenomenal. Award-winning, […]

www.historicdowntownsanford.com

Even if you're not into beer, there are some solid places to eat there. Probably the most popular is this German place (note over 4k reviews, and 4.7 stars):

Hollerbach's German Restaurant · 201-205 E 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771

★★★★★ · German restaurant

www.google.com

But there are also a bunch of others worth checking out too.

Let me know if you end up wanting to check downtown Sanford out. I can give you a bunch of advice on that one too. I live like 10 mins away and it is one of my regular hang out spots.