Exchanged one RCI deposit today!

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Couldn't find anything along N FL Gulf Coast for 20 - 28 Nov, so we're taking one at Orange Lake North. Haven't been there since OLN was being built.

The crew wishes to take 4yo great grand daughter to Disney. Where is good for obtaining tickets?

We could use input for North section. Like, what is located where?

Is there an airport shuttle? How about transportation to the parks?


Robert

[chriskre Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close chriskre]

Undercovertourist.com and AAA have decent discounts.

Many people buy these and they upgrade at the window benefiting from the discount and getting the pass they really want.

I just do AAA. But I'm a FL resident and buy a seasonal pass. With AAA you get preferred parking also.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Florida Northern Gulf Coast [4]
The crew wishes to take 4yo great grand daughter to Disney. Where is good for obtaining tickets?

We could use input for North section. Like, what is located where?

Is there an airport shuttle? How about transportation to the parks?


Robert

Last time we needed Disney tickets, which we still had to pay some for, we took a WasteGate tour.

OL will be calling daily, frequently, to tour there.

North Village OL has a large water park at the entrance, OL Blvd., side. The Par 3 lighted golf course is in the North Village with the Pro Shop at the water park.

Tennis courts there too, near OL Blvd.

It is a loop, one main road going in and out on either side of the water park.

Unless they changed things.

This should be it:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=28.363...,0.019205&z=16

(You have to slide it to the right a tad.)

Here's the entrance from 192:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=28.347...,345.8,,0,5.01

Here's the east entrance:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=28.347...,0.076818&z=14

Here the East Village is on the left and Disney's (Reedy Creek) wastewater treatment plant is on the right. Whew!!! (slide it to the right a tad.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=28.373...,0.038409&z=15

Street View appears to be disabled inside OL.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

There is a back way to WDW from OL that someone sent me, I'll see if I can find it. Avoids a lot of the traffic on the busy part of 192.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

There is a back way to WDW from OL that someone sent me, I'll see if I can find it. Avoids a lot of the traffic on the busy part of 192.

Yeah, that would be good. I wondered about that after looking at the map.

Any great seafood and Mexican eateries?

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Here is the shortcut, Sherberth Road. There is a lefthand turn lane on 192 to it.

U.S. 192 & Sherberth Rd, Kissimmee, Osceola, Florida 34747 - Google Maps

Slide the map to the rioght and you will see OL to the left (west).

There is also the Disney entrance off of the Western Expressway toll road, which bisects OL, and which you can get on on 192 right at OL. You can move the map around and see the Disney road (Western Way), which is the first exit north.

You might want to print and save all that, including the roads inside Disney. There have been times that 192 has been total gridlock and we went in on Sherberth and out on the east side of Disney with no traffic problem.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

I'll be studying the maps a lot. I like to know my way around before we get there. I like to know alternate ways.

Thanks Jim.

Now, where are the food places, like Shells (which I understand is no longer).

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'll be studying the maps a lot. I like to know my way around before we get there. I like to know alternate ways.

Thanks Jim.

Now, where are the food places, like Shells (which I understand is no longer).

The only Shells left is the original one on South Dale Mabry in Tampa. We get there a couple times during our annual Florida visit. We will eat there New Year's day and January 7. The manager always asks me how golf was. I've got his card in my wallet.

Last time we stayed at OL was for Christmas three years ago (extended family in a 3-bedroom in the East Village . . . & the wind was from the East).

When we checked out on Saturday, 192 going to Disney was gridlocked . . . all 3 eastbound lanes . . . all the way past OL, so that the light to get out of OL would not change. As I recall I eventually went anyway, and took the lefthand shoulder to the turn lane to Sherberth, into Disney, and out the east side.

If I'm not mistaken, Silver Lake was along that route.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Olcc - dwd

"OLCC to DWD

Here's the shortcut---go out of OLCC, turn left, go to light after PUBLIX shopping center rigth by OLCC and turn left on Black Lake Road---follow it all the way to the stop sign and turn left on Sherbeth/Sherwin (?) and follow that until the light (you will pass disney private property signs, disney casting stuff, etc.--its OK to be on the road--you are allowed), turn right at light and follow signs to your park--impossible to get lost of mess up!

IT'S SUPER GREAT!!! we used it all Easter---if you pay attention--use it backwards----follow signs for Animal Kingdom Lodge and turn left at light back onto Sherbeth/Sherwin----it will make your life SOOOO much better coming and going to the parks---10-15 minutes TOPS to get to/from parks with NO traffic!!"

Make a mental note when you go, so that you can find your way back. As I remember it is not marked well.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

"OLCC to DWD

Here's the shortcut---go out of OLCC, turn left, go to light after PUBLIX shopping center rigth by OLCC and turn left on Black Lake Road---follow it all the way to the stop sign and turn left on Sherbeth/Sherwin (?) and follow that until the light (you will pass disney private property signs, disney casting stuff, etc.--its OK to be on the road--you are allowed), turn right at light and follow signs to your park--impossible to get lost of mess up!

IT'S SUPER GREAT!!! we used it all Easter---if you pay attention--use it backwards----follow signs for Animal Kingdom Lodge and turn left at light back onto Sherbeth/Sherwin----it will make your life SOOOO much better coming and going to the parks---10-15 minutes TOPS to get to/from parks with NO traffic!!"

Make a mental note when you go, so that you can find your way back. As I remember it is not marked well.

Yes, you can turn left on Black Lake or turn left on Sherberth itself. Both have turns off 192.

black lake & 192, kissimmee fl - Google Maps

You might have to play around with it a bit.

I see that Silver Lakes resort is on Black Lake, not Sherberth.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Or . . . turn right on Lake Wilson and go to WasteGate.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Thanks.
I should have it all figured out by the time I Rt rather then Lt a couple times.

No matter, Bronson must be used?

[Georgia632 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Georgia632]

The only Shells left is the original one on South Dale Mabry in Tampa. We get there a couple times during our annual Florida visit. We will eat there New Year's day and January 7. The manager always asks me how golf was. I've got his card in my wallet.

Last time we stayed at OL was for Christmas three years ago (extended family in a 3-bedroom in the East Village . . . & the wind was from the East).

When we checked out on Saturday, 192 going to Disney was gridlocked . . . all 3 eastbound lanes . . . all the way past OL, so that the light to get out of OL would not change. As I recall I eventually went anyway, and took the lefthand shoulder to the turn lane to Sherberth, into Disney, and out the east side.

If I'm not mistaken, Silver Lake was along that route.

If anyone is going to the Cocoa Beach area and want to go to Shell's, there is one in Melbourne, Fl on New Haven Ave.
(192). Still in business, still going strong.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

If anyone is going to the Cocoa Beach area and want to go to Shell's, there is one in Melbourne, Fl on New Haven Ave.
(192). Still in business, still going strong.

We ate at that one (well, at one time or another we ate at just about all of them) on the way to Orange Lake from The Galleon. Very busy exit, with a Wal*Mart/Murphy Gas, and we hit it at 6:00 on Friday Night!!!

When Corporate Shells went under (old thread), originally the Melbourne one was reported as one of four to remain open. Another poster reported it had stayed open.

http://www.timeshareforums.com/forum...staurants.html

When the bankruptcy went down, there were many conflicting reports:

Google

Subsequently, it was reported that all but the original Tampa locations closed:

"Shells Seafood Restaurants Inc., a Tampa Bay mainstay, closed its 10 remaining restaurants Wednesday and told the courts that it plans to permanently shutter the once iconic chain."

Then this appeared:

"Four Shells restaurants managed and operated by the company, including two in Tampa and one in Sarasota, were not included in the bankruptcy filing and remain open."

Then this:

"Four Shells locations are independently owned and not part of the corporate bankruptcy, including one in Melbourne and the three original locations in Tampa and Sarasota. Deborah Christen, owner and co-founder of the three original stores, said the remaining stores will soon restore signature favorites."

We know the one in Sarasota (S. US 41, near Siesta Key) is gone, and the Manager at S. Dale Mabry told us the other Tampa one is gone (That was the first one we ate at, in 1989.) I guess that left one other location . . . Melbourne? The Melbourne website says they are independently owned and operated.

We confirmed the Sarasota closing a couple years ago, and it was still closed this month. (closed is closed)

Is "Shells" still open on South Tamiami? - Sarasota Forum - TripAdvisor

The corporate locations copied the original ones exactly, so that you could not tell that they were not all part of the same operation. I guess that's because you could not see that the Corporate operation was spending $$$ hand over fist.

FWIW, S. Dale Mabry/Tampa did not return to the peanuts on the floor, but did revert to the original menu, or pretty close. This year (New Year's day lunch and the following Friday dinner) my favorite manager is no longer there, but I did have a nice talk with one of the founders, who was actively working the overflow crowd.

As hard as it is to get in and out of the S. Dale Mabry location, the overflow crowd speaks to the popularity of this Florida throwback restaurant.

(Maybe the food poisoning is a way of keeping the crowd manageable. )

(I did my Masters' thesis on Shells. Did I ever list all of the ones we ate at, preparing that thesis? )