Kerstmis / Oud en nieuw in Florida

[car66]

Echt niemand een tip om tijdens de kerstdagen te verblijven??

[corrus]

Orlando, orlando, orlando... :mrgreen:

In onderstaande thread kun je er alles over lezen...

http://www.floridaforum.nl/showthrea...=kerst+orlando

[Marcelg]

Vervelend he om hier te wonen tijdens de fesstdagen, vergeleken met Nederland of waar dan ook in Europa vind ik er hier helemaal niets aan.
Nu heb ik nog het geluk dat wij met de kerst met veel europeanen samen komen en er zelf maar wat van maken.
Het enigste dat ik nog wel aardig vind is de lampjes rondom de huizen verder vind ik het hier helemaal niks.

[koenkamphuys]

Nou Marcel, dat kun je toch niet serieus menen...

Mijn kerst in Florida is inderdaad met familie en vrienden aldaar (prettig dat ik ze heb) en oud/nieuwjaar idem. Net als in Nederland. Kerst is nou eenmaal een familiefeest. Tweede kerstdag in FL is geen echte feestdag en een shoppingfestijn waar we graag aan meedoen.

Voor de toerist hebben Disney en de andere attractieparken bijzonder sfeervolle kerstthema's, en waar je ook komt is het uitbundig kerst.

Maar waar ik zo ontzettend blij mee ben in Florida: niet die afgrijselijke kou waar ik na 49 jaar nog steeds niet aan kan wennen, en ook helemaal niet die afgrijselijke teringzooi en het asociale gedoe met oud en nieuw in Nederland.

Maar helaas zitten we dit jaar in Nederland met de feestdagen. :cry:

[Syllvia]

Sja....Rijswijk zeker
Sorry hoor, ik vind oud en nieuw in Nederland altijd erg leuk! We wonen nu in Belgie en ben benieuwd of het hier ook zo leuk is.

[Michael66]

Een paar ideetjes voor degenen die zo gelukkig zijn om in de kerstmaand 2010 in FL te zijn:

With dazzling holiday light displays from St. Augustine to the Keys, the biggest challenge for Floridians is choosing which way to see them. From a helicopter? From a horse-drawn wagon in a historic park? With a flute of champagne at the top of a lighthouse? Or dangling from a harness as you rocket through the treetops? All possible, though not in the same night. From boat parades to theme park extravaganzas, we've assembled holiday light highlights from around the state.

We zip you a merry Christmas

Like a little adrenaline with your Christmas lights? Florida Ecosafaris in Kissimmee decorates its nine-platform zipline course in holiday lights for a nighttime thrill ride each Saturday in December.

"You're stepping off of the platform into darkness, with a beautiful starry sky above and lights and decorations in the trees and on the ground below," said Matt Duda, director of sales and marketing. "The guides get people caroling along the way."

Tickets are $85 and riders must be 10 or older and weigh between 70 and 275 pounds. ((407) 957-9794; foreverflorida.com)

Bells will be ringing . . .

Draped in holiday lights, the carillon at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park evokes a glittering 200-foot Christmas tree. Even more charming is the music that rings out from its 97 bells during the park's Festival of Lights.

"When you hear those old bells play, it really reminds you of the power of the holiday," park manager Ben Faure said. "It's an elegant sound. It resonates through the whole park."

More than 4 million lights illuminate the grand old oaks and plantation-style museum of the park in White Springs, which honors the songwriter who made the Suwannee River famous. Driving through the gingerbread village and candy-cane forest is a must, as are a horse-drawn wagon ride and a visit to the park's craft square, where crafters and artisans demonstrate folk art from quilting to blacksmithing. The shopping area offers gift ideas you won't find in the mall, from pine-needle baskets to handmade pottery and jewelry.

The Festival of Lights runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday through Dec. 31. A bonfire and marshmallow roast — along with hot chocolate and popcorn — are included in the $2 admission fee. ((386) 397-4331, floridastateparks.org)

Clam-tastic Christmas

Forget the flying reindeer: In Cedar Key, Santa Claus arrives by airboat, escorted by a giant clam. Clam farming is big business in this Gulf Coast village, which explains the origin of Santa Clam, but fresh seafood is just part of the draw. Potters, painters and sculptors also call the island home, and galleries selling their wares along streets lined with dolphin- and starfish-shaped Christmas lights are open into the evening beginning Monday through Dec. 13.

Don't miss a steaming bowl of clam chowder at Tony's: A two-time winner of the Great Chowder Cookoff in Rhode Island, the pudding-thick chowder is also available for shipping as a holiday gift. ((352) 543-0022; tonyschowder.com).

Santa arrives at the beachfront Cedar Key City Park on Dec. 11 as part of the town's lighted boat parade. For more information, go to cedarkey.org.

Five million lights and a purple cat

Jennings Osborne's neighbors complained when the holiday display at his Arkansas home reached 3 million lights. Little Rock's loss is Florida's gain, however, as the whole shebang was moved to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 1995.

At the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Disney's Hollywood Studios isn't so much decorated as encrusted with holiday glitter. Among the miles of lights hides a purple cat figure — mistakenly brought along from the Osborne's Halloween decorations — that diehard fans search for each holiday season. The display is included in park admission and runs through Jan. 3 (except Wednesday).

Not to be outdone, the Magic Kingdom has its own light show: Its trademark castle gets an extreme makeover icicle-style, getting decked in 200,000 white lights each evening through Jan. 3. ((407) 939-6244, disneyparks.disney.go.com)

Nights of Lights in the old city

St. Augustine's streets, shops and historic inns get a frosting of twinkling lights at the annual Nights of Lights celebration, which continues through January with concerts, candlelight tours and art walks. Nights of Lights packs the calendar with daily events: On Dec. 5, re-enactors bring to life St. Augustine's mid 1700s British occupation, ending in the torchlit Night Watch Parade and a musket volley that rings in the season. If muskets don't figure into your dream holiday, try the Holiday Tour of Bed and Breakfast Inns on Dec. 11-12 or a candlelight tour of the 1883 Villa Zorayda on Dec. 18 and 27-30.

New to this year's Old City festivities is a 20-foot-high, 100-foot-long ice slide in the St. Augustine Amphitheatre's Winter Wonderland, also home to a skating rink, sleigh rides through decorated trails, s'more making and winter-themed games. (winterwonderlandflorida.com)

Visitors have two options when it comes to taking in the annual Regatta of Lights on Dec. 11: Stake out a waterfront spot along the Intracoastal or be part of the parade by booking a seat on a decorated fishing boat departing from the eatery Cap's on the Water.

For a bird's-eye view of Nights of Lights, hop on a helicopter (oldcityhelicopters.com) or climb 219 steps to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse, where full-moon programs on Dec. 21 and Jan. 19 include a champagne toast and hors d'oeuvres for $25. (getaway4florida.com/nights)

Holiday Knights at UCF

Now in its third year, Light Up UCF in Orlando has grown into a holiday extravaganza befitting the nation's second-largest university. Free music and light shows set Knights Plaza near the UCF Arena aglow every evening through Jan. 2. More than 75,000 lights flash in synchronized splendor with holiday tunes, while Christmas movies show on a two-story surround-sound screen and the UCF Marching Knights and other groups perform. Admission is free, but the outdoor ice skating rink, ice luge, Ferris wheel and carousel require tickets. Light Up UCF opens at 11 a.m. on weekends and 5 p.m. weekdays. (lightupUCF.com)

Lights afloat

South Florida may never have a white Christmas, but spending a December evening yacht-watching at a waterfront park is some consolation. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is the vantage point of choice for the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade on Dec. 11, when 100 lighted boats, from megayachts to outrigger canoes, make their merry way down the Intracoastal through Fort Lauderdale. Homes and businesses along the parade route are decked out as well.

Reserve a seat in the grandstands ($21 adult, $16 child) or arrive early to save a spot at the southern end of the park near the seawall. Children's activities, games and demonstrations of Seminole culture, from arts and crafts to traditional dances, begin at 3:30 p.m.; the parade begins its journey from downtown at 6:30. Admission to the park (walk-in only, no cars) is $3. ((954) 564-4521; winterfestparade.com).

A jolly trolley Christmas

In early December, the owners of Sarasota's SRQ Trolley comb area neighborhoods for the best light displays before mapping out the route for their Holiday Tour of Lights. The trolley tour draws visitors who come back each year, said SRQ owner Priscilla Gratton.

"It's become a family tradition for some people," she said. "They bring hot chocolate and snacks to enjoy while they're riding around looking at the lights."

Holiday music plays during the 90-minute tours, which depart at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. each night from Dec. 9-31 and cost $15. Holiday parties may rent out the entire trolley, so call in advance to ensure availability and reserve a seat. ((941) 538-1414; srqtrolley.com).

. IF YOU GO

Holidays in Florida's state parks
State parks offer budget-friendly holiday fun, from Santa meet-and-greets to dinner cruises. For more information or the full list of holiday events, visit floridastateparks.org.

Holiday Cruise and Dinner, 5 p.m. Dec. 18, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla. Take a guided boat tour of the Wakulla River, where Tarzan was filmed, before dining in a 1930s Mediterranean Revival lodge decorated for the holidays. $32 adults, $20 children 12 and younger.

Fishing With Santa, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 11, Colt Creek State Park, Lakeland. Santa takes some time off from checking his list to see what's biting in Mac Lake. Poles, bait and tackle provided; $3 per vehicle.

Santa Paws 5K Run and Pet Parade, 8 a.m. Dec. 11, Highlands Hammock State Park, Sebring. Pet photos with Santa, a 1-mile pet parade and a 5K run to benefit the Humane Society of Highlands County. Registration prices vary.

Mermaid Shows, Dec. 11-12 and 17-18, Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, Spring Hill. Retired mermaids from the 1940s to the 1970s strap on their tails and hit the water Dec. 11-12, while the holiday show "Winter Waterland" takes over the pool Dec. 17-18. Adults $13, children $5.

Santa Over the Rainbow, 6-8 p.m. Dec. 10-12 and 17-18, Rainbow Springs State Park, Dunnellon. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the lavishly lit head springs on a decorated boat. Also view the lights only (no Santa) 6-8 p.m. Dec. 26-27, $1.

Bron.

[Chrissie en Pleun]

Wij vertrekken 24 december naar Florida (Westkust) en komen pas 's avonds laat op onze bestemming aan. Daarom willen we graag weten zijn er op 1e kerstdag 25 december supermarkten geopend (bijvoorbeeld de Wallmart). De dichtstbijzijnde Wallmart is een zgn. 24/7 vestiging. Houdt dit in dat deze winkel met kerst geopend is? En zijn restaurants zoals Denny's deze dag geopend?

[Sanibel]

Wij zijn in 2009 in deze periode geweest, en gingen ook de 24/7 Walmarts op 24-12 om 18.00 uur dicht en op 26-12 om 06.00 uur weer open.

Waar je dan wat te eten kan halen zijn de 7eleven bij de tankstations.

Er waren op 1e kerstdag wel enkele restaurants open waar onder de Mac aan de 192 vlak bij de Super Target en de Golden Coral, maar daar stond de rij tot op de parkeerplaats.

Maar maak je voor de rest geen zorgen je zal niet verhongeren, ga lekker GENIETEN!!!!!!!!

Sjon, Bianca en Romy

[corrus]

ALLE supermarkten zijn op kertsdag dicht (ook de 24/7)

Denny's en Mc Donalds... zijn normaal geopend, de vraag is of je daar wel wilt zitten op je kerstdag. (ik in ieder geval niet)

[Riverwood]

Op welk vliegveld komen jullie aan en hoe laat? en gaan jullie naar een hotel of condo/villa.?

Eventueel direct na aankomst boodschappen doen en als jullie in villa/condo zitten kan je een levensmiddelenpakket aanvragen.

Verleden jaar waren wij in Kissimmee en daar waren alle supermarkten dicht en bij de restaurants die open waren afwijkende openingstijden en lange rijen wachtenden.

In ieder geval een hele fijne vakantie in Florida.

Groetjes Henke.