Weekend Update Oddlando Edition for October 18, 2008
As I mentioned in our last Weekend Update, I am in the Orlando area this week for MiceChat's Invasion III, including the Florida version of our signature Gumball Rally event and the second edition of our Sip 'n' Nibble event. Due to our busy schedule here in Orlando, I am changing our format for this week to bring you a very special report on some of our activities here.
For the last few years, I have been wanting to see some of the Orlando sights outside of the Disney and Universal parks so we decided to check out the tourist traps on Internationial Drive and also the Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway (also known as Highway 192). We kiddingly refer to this area as ODDLANDO.
Our first stop in ODDLANDO this morning was Tiki Island Adventure Golf.
We didn't play mini golf but we asked if we could walk through and take pictures and received gracious permission from the person at the counter.
The place was pretty cheesy and the dinosaurs needed some TLC - most of them had holes in them. There were only two parties playing golf when we were there, but it was mid-morning. I imagine most of these places see an upsurge in traffic after the parks close.
Our next stop was McDonald's. Not just any McDonald's as you can see from this sign:
Unique it was. It looks like they stuck a McDonald's PlayPlace on steroids onto a regular McDonald's restaurant from the 70's:
If children go into this McDonald's expecting the PlayPlace of their wildest dreams, they will be painfully denied. This McDonald's features quarter-sucking arcade games identical to those that can be found in your local Dave & Buster's. They try to hide the greedy intent of the game room by decorating it with random and hideous decor from a Ronald McDonald nightmare:
I think that the food that they offer in this MickeyD's may be from the aforementioned nightmare:
Next stop, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. I have to say I had very low expectations but I was quite surprised at how enjoyable this place was. I have always avoided these museums in other cities, so I can't say how this one compares, but we were reasonably entertained for an hour or so. It's hard to see from this photo, but the building is built to appear that it is sinking into the ground:
They are big on optical illusions here:
Mona Lisa made out of tiny little pieces of toast:
Bed pan collection:
Piece of the Berlin Wall:
After Ripley's, we ventured down International Drive just a few blocks to WonderWorks. You'll notice that the sight gag here ups the ante on Ripley's - while Ripley's is merely sinking into the ground, the WonderWorks building is completely upside down!
The theme is carried out in the lobby.
Quote:
This once top-secret laboratory was located in the Bermuda Triangle when it was ripped from its foundation by a horrific tornado and carried thousands of miles away.
This tornado was man made and created by a group of scientists from around the world who were trying to find answers to the unexplainable. During their experiment, something went awry and the power of the tornado was unleashed throughout the laboratory. Remarkably, all of the experiments remained intact and functional.
This tornado was man made and created by a group of scientists from around the world who were trying to find answers to the unexplainable. During their experiment, something went awry and the power of the tornado was unleashed throughout the laboratory. Remarkably, all of the experiments remained intact and functional.
WonderWorks "Official Survival Guide"
($2.00 additional with purchase of admission)
($2.00 additional with purchase of admission)
By the time we were finished with two floors of this stuff, I was yearning for portraits made out of tiny pieces of toast!
And what do we have on the third floor? How about some more quarter-sucking arcade games, of course, and LazerTag!
Unless we were with some kids, we would NOT return to WonderWorks. Anyone want to buy a slightly used WonderWorks "Official Survival Guide"? Cheap?
After WonderWorks we decided to go to Old Town Kissimmee. We have been wanting to visit Old Town since we stayed in Kissimmee for our very first trip to Walt Disney World in 2004. During that trip we were staying only one block from Old Town and we could see the neon lights of the rides from our room, but we were so entranced by Walt Disney World that we never made it over to Old Town. It has been on our list every trip since, but it was never a priority so it never happened. Since it seemed a prime candidate for an Oddlando experience, we drove across town to Kissimmee.
I haven't been able to verify this, but Old Town Kissimmee looks very much like a genuine old-fashioned downtown area that evolved into a tourist trap with the advent of the Disney parks just a few miles away. As a downtown business owner myself, I can imagine that the Kissimmee businesses just gradually evolved into visitor-serving type businesses, and eventually the whole downtown area turned into this cheesy tourist magnet.
The main drag through this area has been closed to vehicular traffic and each end of the four block long area has been outfitted with the very latest in County Fair rides. Every possible visitor need is fulfilled in Old Town Kissimmee. You name it, they have it: salt water taffy, flavored popcorn, palm reader, Florida souvenirs, diecast cars, pet clothing, hawaiian shirts, T-shirts, to name just a few. There is even a haunted house and blacklight mini golf!
One of Old Town's promotional gimmicks is the old car cruisin' thing, so there is quite a bit of old car stuff and Fifties stuff sprinkled around. This is inside the A & W food stand:
These static displays of old cars are scattered about. It's a shame to see these old beauties rusting away in the Florida humidity.
That's it for Old Town Kissimmee. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We won't be needing to go back there for a while.
We'll return to our regular format next week. Thanks for reading.
Your Editor - Rixter
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Total Comments 25
Comments
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Fantastic!!! Oddlando - how perfect!
There is so much about Orlando that most Disney World guests never get to see.Posted 10-17-2008 at 09:40 PM by Dustysage
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Wow!
This was a terrific treat! What a great travelogue and thank you both for submitting this!Posted 10-18-2008 at 08:57 AM by PEZZ Lightyear -
I've always wondered what those specific tourist traps were like. I guess I was right to think that they were all a waste of time.
Great job this week.Posted 10-18-2008 at 09:11 AM by caesarboxfan 
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Great update! Good luck in the Rally!Posted 10-18-2008 at 09:50 AM by WheresMickey -
Great update today! Funny thing, I was watching Travel Channel last week, and they had the Top 10 show on, and it was the Top 10 Most Unique McDonald's in the world. That was one of them! I was like, I've seen that place somewhere before... oh yea! Also, even though that WonderWorks place turned out to be a Discovery Science Center, the building itself looks pretty awesome.Posted 10-18-2008 at 10:19 AM by SeaWolf38 -
I've been to all of those places, and although your descriptions were accurate, my reactions were just the opposite. I think there is a lot of charm and fun to be had off the beaten path of the mega-parks. You're right that these might not be an 'every trip' kind of places, but I always try to take a day or two to try out the stuff I-Drive and Kissimee have to offer. Also the Magic dinner show at Wonderworks is pretty good.Posted 10-18-2008 at 10:59 AM by Louiedog - I love that Wonder Works has the time machine from the Austin Powers movies.Posted 10-18-2008 at 12:10 PM by toemblem
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Please tell me you guys went on that triple-wheeled spinning ferris wheelPosted 10-18-2008 at 01:10 PM by almandot -
Very fun update, thanks a bunch.Posted 10-18-2008 at 01:34 PM by vfire -
Fantastic Travel/Trip Report. I too have always wondered about these places scattered around Orlando. Thanks to these pictures and stories I won't have to wonder anymore. Only wonder how people can be cheated so easily out of their hard earned money. You were on an expedition for the rest of us and therefore your spending was for scientific purposes, and we thank you so much. I am so glad you had the chance to do this and that even though cheesy, it looked like you had a great trip. Thanks for posting this for us.Posted 10-18-2008 at 01:40 PM by Lost Boy - While this was nice, this is a DISNEY website, & I really think you should feature more Disney things.Posted 10-18-2008 at 02:43 PM by Luke Manning
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Great photos, but the cynical tone of the commentart was a bit off-putting. I love tourist traps like that no matter how cheesy and bizarre.
We get Disney five days a week. Most of the time the WU has some Disney stuff in it. This time it didn't. So what?Quote:While this was nice, this is a DISNEY website, & I really think you should feature more Disney things.Posted 10-18-2008 at 04:06 PM by BassBone -
I'm going to have to agree with BassBone on this one. There are at least 4 to 5 updates that are "Disney" related each week. Disney, believe it or not, is not the only thing in Orland, or Anaheim, or anywhere else.Quote:While this was nice, this is a DISNEY website, & I really think you should feature more Disney things.
The Weekend Update is, and has always been, about showing things Disney, and Beyond. Afterall, MiceChat is a "Different look at Disney".Posted 10-18-2008 at 09:09 PM by sir clinksalot -
Oddlando, I like it. Cool report.Posted 10-18-2008 at 09:52 PM by DonDuck - I have read many non-Disney things on this website and it is good. Variety is the spice of life.Quote:While this was nice, this is a DISNEY website, & I really think you should feature more Disney things.Posted 10-18-2008 at 09:59 PM by toemblem
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Love the update on other Orlando tourist places. We usually have about 3 or 4 DL updates each week, so seeing some other tourist traps helps add a little variety!Posted 10-19-2008 at 12:06 AM by Aladdin -
I love plcaes like this sometimes for their kitsch value, but often for the creativity pulled off on a less than Disney budget. For example, that McDonalds, I'm all for having one look different. I'm tired of walking into a chain store and feeling like I'm any of the stores of that chain, a little individuality is sorely needed.
The tone was off-putting, the pictures was so fun.Posted 10-19-2008 at 09:29 AM by Pirate Lover 68 -
Your right, would be nice to read a report or story, instead of an editorial.Quote:The tone was off-putting, the pictures was so fun.Posted 10-19-2008 at 11:31 AM by Club 33 Mike -
What a fun report! I loved it
Posted 10-19-2008 at 12:08 PM by dsnylndmom - Does that mean that you consider Disney a tourist trap?Quote:We usually have about 3 or 4 DL updates each week, so seeing some other tourist traps helps add a little variety!Posted 10-19-2008 at 02:15 PM by toemblem
