Ft Lauderdale

Work is sending me to ft Lauderdale over an upcoming weekend.  Am i nuts to make a day trip to Orlando (disney springs)?  

Well at least no one seems to think this is too stupid.  I'm trying to figure out if googles 3 hour drive is optimistic, or there's more to do in ft laud in january and I'm better off staying put?

One day at Disney is not cheap, factor in the travel time to see how much real time you will have there....  I'd go to Miami Beach instead.  And you can do the slow day down mostly along the coastline.

I've done many times but you are beat up by the end of the day and you have to drive back. 

It might be ok now as the weather is cooperating and its not hot and humid. 

It should be pretty quiet, and springs is free. It's all in what you want to see and do. 

I've done the Disney thing several times.  It's neat but it's getting out of hand.  Want some popcorn?  $13.  Want a can of soda?  $5.  Want to bring in your own food?  You may bring un-opened bottles of water.

The process of getting there, parked, shuttled, waiting in line (a mob) to get it, then waiting 3 hours for whatever attraction you wish to see gets old.  I've been there during psycho times (the week between Christmas and New Years) and slow times (random week in September) and it's all nuts.  The only time I went that it wasn't oppressively busy was one February when it was below freezing at night.  Most Floridians think that frost means instant death.  Daytime temps were 40s/50s, so for this Pennsylvanian it was balmy.

Otherwise you can go on a random tuesday in May and your wait times for rides will be 1 hour instead of 4.

You should definitely experience it once, but going one day to Disney World is like saying "I'm just going to drive three hours to Summit and pop in for plug wires."

I suggest saving up some coin and getting at least a 3 day pass.  That will let you see a little more than half of the parks' property.  You could bust it all out in 3 days but you'll be hoofing it.  Consult some travel sites for deals.  Sometimes you can get hookups with memberships; costco, AAA, AARP, VFW, etc. that make it not oppressively expensive.  If you can swing it, stay on-property.  There are some of the properties that are set up like a (cleaner) Motel 6 and they're not terribly expensive, but they are close and shuttle you right to the front doors of all the parks.  It's a premium price, but I would rather stab myself than self-park and shuttle in the lots.  My dad describes staying on-property like being inside the US Embassy looking out your gold-plated window at an angry mob.

Shorter drive, far more reasonably priced, far less crowded, and something you can hit the highlights in a single day:

Kennedy Space Center

I don't plan to ever go back to Disney, but we try to get to KSC every year. 
 

Everything at Disney is an imitation of something real. At KSC, what you see is the real thing. This is a Saturn five, the most complex and powerful machine ever built (three million parts!). It's not a mock up, and it's done a full duration test burn.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

We got a free stay recently (one of the perks of swmbo working for the mouse I suppose) and staying on property is brilliant. I live 15min away. We never park in park anyhow, we'll drop a car at her hotel and bus/skyliner/boat/walk over to whatever park we're going to. But I finally get why people do the complete Disney stay. I was 15min from my home with my couch and my whiskey and I was happily paying 15$ for a (admittedly really, really nice) g+t at the bar in Coronado. We didn't leave for an entire weekend. Went to hws and springs, transport on property the whole way. Rode the skyliner back and forth for fun. 

Really, there's plenty of ways to do it, and I know most of em. More to the point though, if op just wants to go to springs for the day, it's free unless you get tricked by the kate spade store. 

Disney is different than Disney Springs. DS is fun for part of a day, there's no admission or parking fee, but it certainly isn't like Disney World. It's more shopping, small attractions and restaurants but no real rides like the big park.  They do have something cool, rides around the lake in Amphicars! No, you don't get to drive, just passenger, but it looks like a lot of fun. We've gone there to shop and grab dinner and will go back for sure.

IMHO I'd hang out and explore Fort Lauderdale and that area.  Why spend over 6 hours driving for a one day experience?

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

And if you time it right, you might get a chance to catch a lauch. SpaceX is popping them off like bottle rockets right now.

mikeatrpi said:

Work is sending me to ft Lauderdale over an upcoming weekend.  Am i nuts to make a day trip to Orlando (disney springs)?  

The only Florida people that go to Orlando are the people that live there. The rest of us avoid it like the plague.

Ha ha this is a lively discussion.  We're already Certified Disney Addicts (tm),  and understand the difference between springs and the parks.  I'll have the missus with me, and it doesn't look like the beach weather we had anticipated, even for northerners, so we thought a day trip would give us a quick fix between regularly scheduled vacations.

  If it's really 3 hours each way that's a lot of driving.  I was trying to figure out if the traffic would be horrible or theres a better way to get there, like rail. 

They signed us up for something called the Jungle Queen and some paddleboarding lessons.  Between those we have an empty day

Stampie said:

mikeatrpi said:

Work is sending me to ft Lauderdale over an upcoming weekend.  Am i nuts to make a day trip to Orlando (disney springs)?  

The only Florida people that go to Orlando are the people that live there. The rest of us avoid it like the plague.

You're not wrong. Floating doc was amazed I had delivered his nyg package because I had to cross Orlando to do it. 

In reply to mikeatrpi :

3hrs11 min from my doorstep to ft Lauderdale via turnpike and 95, and I can throw rocks at animal kingdom. 

I couldn't fathom to take a day to drive from FtL (where I grew up) to Orlando for Disney Springs and back.

What do you want to do there?  What interests you in general?

Between Miami, Key Largo, Ft. Lauderdale itself, Palm Beach/Jupiter, there are so many better & closer options.

I like the KSC suggestion above.  For Miami, go rent bikes early afternoon at Shark Valley and then hit South Beach for early evening.  Take a duck tour around Ft. Lauderdale, walk the strip on the beach.  I've been away from there too long to recommend a favorite (after Burt and Jacks shut down).  Pier66 is a unique experience if that is still open.  Is there still a day cruise boat in the port?

If I were in Ft L and looking to drive for 3 hours, I'd point towards Key West. 

In reply to MattGent :

OP has come out as a Certified Disney Addict (tm) so I think it's more a matter of suggested logistics than alternative activities :)

Nah.  I just don't know what I'm getting into.  I'm expecting beach town in the slow season, maybe that's a bad impression.  Alternatives welcome!  And, thank you

Drive south west on 4 to Polk City. That's were Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight  is located.

Winter isn't slow season, it's snowbird season. 

don't go here https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/diners-fall-into-water-after-dock-partially-collapses-at-fort-lauderdale-eatery/2666329/

Key West is more than a day trip, especially on weekends.  That drive is amazing though. Rent a convertible. Even getting to Islamorada is a good ride.

Appleseed said:

Drive south west on 4 to Polk City. That's were Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight  is located.

No longer open to the public. Shuttered last year. 

In reply to Mndsm :

...berkeley.