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Florida
While parties in the Commons, or chilling in Chatham Square may keep you entertained for a bit, there will come a time in your stay there that you will realize that there is a world outside of the one Walt created. Its called Central Florida, and as the world's number one tourist destination,
Beaches
This is Florida after all, so expect to hit the beaches pretty often. Since everything in the area seems to be 'world class', there's no reason for that to stop at the beaches, and they do live up to their high billing. If you want close, 50 minutes east is Cocoa Beach, which is cheap and cheerful, and seems to be more of a 'local's beach' then the west coast ones.
Head 90 minutes west along I-4 and you will be in the Clearwater area - which is cleaner and larger than Cocoa, and has no ants, but you will have to put up with the crowds. There are plenty of great beaches in the St. Peterburg/Clearwater area, but my personal favorite is Sand Key County Park. Located at the north end of Sand Key near the bridge, Sand Key Park boasts an extraordinary white shelly sand beach that is among one of the widest in the area. Parking is plentiful and cheap (which is not the case a few miles north at the main Clearwater Beach) and it always seems less-crowded.
If a party beach is your style, stuff the car with booze and people and head 90 minutes up I-4 to world famous Daytona Beach, which rocks anytime, but especially in the spring during College Spring Break and Bike Week. There are hundreds of other great beaches in Florida,
Entertainment
Naturally, the Disney Theme Parks are at the top of this list, but after spending five 8-hour shifts per week at one of them, you might just want to get away. A short drive from the housing complexes will take you to I-Drive and 192, the tacky tourist strips. Universal Orlando Resortwith the Islands of Adventure Park, CityWalkand Universal Studios is a must-do, especially if you are lucky enough to be there in October for Halloween Horror Nights (NOT to be missed!). In addition, Wet 'n Wild(the most popular waterpark in the U.S.), Sea World(featuring the awesome Kraken floorless roller coaster) and Discovery Cove(if you into swimming with dolphins) are all less than 10 minutes away! An attraction that everyone should visit at least once is Gatorland, which is on South Orange Blossom Trail, about 20 minutes away. It has been there forever, and still features great gator wrestling and jumparoo shows, plus CMs get a big discount! If you find yourself in the Tampa Bay area, make time for Busch Gardens, which has built up an amazing collection of rides and roller coasters.
Nightime Entertainment
Starting close to home, Pleasure Island (PI) is Disney's answer to the nightclub, a sprawling complex that has no less than a half-dozen clubs, plus restaurants and shops. It is part of the larger Downtown Disney area, which features more restaurants, a few dozen shops, 24 AMC movie screens, a Disney Quest, Cirque Du Soliel, and a couple of huge restaurant/bar/concert hall complexes. Admission is free to Downtown Disney and the Pleasure Island area, but admission to the clubs in Pleasure Island is around $20 per person (!), so go on days when it is free for Cast Members (Monday and Thursdays). If you go to the AMC Theatre often, it could be a smart move to get a Moviewatcher.com membership card. It's free and gives you bonuses, free popcorn and more as you visit more and more films. Also, Company D sells special cinema-tickets called "Silver Passes" for $5.50. These can only be used for films that have been running for two weeks or more, but it's still cheaper than the $7 you normally pay with cast member discount. When you grow bored with Downtown Disney, Universal Citywalk should be next on your list. Universal CityWalk is much like Downtown Disney, but has a more adult edge to it. Much like Pleasure Island, you don't have to pay to enter the area, but you do to enter some clubs and restaurants past a certain time. Unlike Downtown Disney, parking is not free. For drinks, head to Pat O' Brien's, an exact replica of the famous New Orleans bar. The Hurricane is the specialty, and features something like 5 shots of rum! Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville has a fun atmosphere, but the food leaves a bit to be desired. For clubbing, The Groove looks plain on the outside, but is all high-tech and high-energy on the inside. On busy nights, the Main Stage outside is a fun place to hang around and watch whatever show is on - the atmosphere is energetic. There is also a Cineplex theatre, with dozens of screens. Downtown Orlando offers great clubs and pubs, but is a very expensive cab ride away, as it's more than 1/2 hour up I-4. Digital City has a more complete listing of bars and clubs.
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