Post #185906 by Dancin' Lizard on Sun, Sep 11, 2005 7:25 AM

We happen to be sitting in Orlando right now. I have a few suggestions for you and the family!

The Universal Studios area is just a fast drive from Disney Worls on I4. Find International Drive off of I4. There you will find a bunch of stuff that both you and the kids will enjoy.

There are at least 4 (maybe 5) Putt-Putt golf places on I-Drive. All of them are themed and are more than just 18 holes set out in a park. Two of them have tiki statues in them! Hawaiian Golf has the most tiki statues but is sparse with other decorations. Volcano Tiki Golf seems to have been a dinosaur theme golf park and they threw a few tiki statues in to go with the new name. I have heard that if you can make the volcano errupt you get a free game. Don't know if that is true or not.

On up I-Drive is Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Totally worth a look. The building looks like it's sinking into the ground on one corner. Inside there is a really good smattering of South Pacific tiki masks and don't forget the penis sheaths! A Kodak moment to be sure!!

Not too far from Ripleys is a museum that is in a upside down building. The kids are going to want to stop there for sure. Inside it is, apparently, an interactive hands-on museum. I've never been in so I'm not completely sure what's going on in there.

Now, on the other end of I-Drive is Festival Bay Mall. Inside the mall is Hilo Hatties with a great smattering of affordible tiki keychains, statues, wind chimes, shirts, dresses, candy and everything else that Hilo Hatties has to offer.

Also at the mall is Ron Jon Surf Shop with large tiki statues on the outside entrance of their store. On the inside entrance is a great Woodie on display.

Festival Bay also has the Outdoor World store. Not to miss! No tikis here but the amount of dead mounted things, the indoor waterfall, giant fish tank and bait vending machine ..... yeah, I said bait vending machine. Right next to the Coke machine. .... well, it's all a must see just to say that you did.

If I remember correctly on the entrance of Festival Bay there's a restaurant on one side that has a large gator on his hind legs outside. Another photo opportunity for the kids.

Now, if you have time go into Downtown Universal. You don't have to buy admission to the park to go here. There's a few tikis near Margaritaville as well as a sand beach bar and the Hemisphere Dancer plane.

Have a great time! We sure did.