A Few Recent Bird/Wildlife Shots from the S. Fla Wetlands

I'm putting it on my calendar!
~Joanie

 

i have decided to make it a vacation, going to fly into orlando friday 3/4, rent a car and drive down to boca raton, stay until sunday after lunch time, driving back up to wdw around 1 pm, that should get me into the world around 4 pm or so, right when rooms are supposed to be ready, staying at disney until friday 3/11. going to book boardwalk within next couple of weeks since it is a home resort window. after all, why not make use of a flight to florida. karen may be coming with me

 

Great minds think alike! I'll probably be doing the same thing and by that I mean extending my trip to spend some time at Disney and Universal. Easter isn't until sometime in April so we're in the clear for missing the Easter vacation crowds.

Karl will definitely be coming down for the bird part of the trip. I'll most likely drive down so I will have my car. I have no idea about hotels in that area of Florida. I don't know if Gary is interested in coordinating bird hotels so that we're staying in the same one. That would make meeting up much easier.

I'm thinking that at some point Karl will want to fly back from Orlando while I stay and do a Disney/Universal run.

The one thing that I do know is that I'll definitely be staying off site for the Disney portion of the trip. I may even book Cabana Bay which is my favorite hotel at Universal. I'm so sick of all the shenanigans at the Disney value resorts and by that I mean things like no housekeeping during your stay and random room checks by security, which are ridiculous. Disney is charging premium prices for the values and you're basically staying in a cinder block hospital room with crappy amenities.

It will be fun to find out info about southern Florida as we plan this adventure. I really appreciate Justin's input on this part of the trip so thank you for that!

Is @ddindy interested in joining us for "Avian Pixelmania"?

~Joanie

 

what about the spring hill suites by marriott, right off 95, not too far from loxahatchee and green cay

 

Looks good to me if Justin thinks it's in the right place.
~Joanie

 

i'll also check put the hampton inn, we have a few months to decide, but that's the general area i am looking at

 

i would recommend anyone planning on attending south florida bird mania make room reservations right now, a lot of the boca area hotels are already sold out for next march, i'll make mine later today and post up what the unofficial bird mania hotel is

 

holiday inn express, 8144 glades road, boca raton

 

I made my reservation.
Holiday Inn Express Boca Raton-West, an IHG Hotel
8144 Glades Rd | Boca Raton, FL, 33434

Karl and I are driving down and checking in on Thursday March 3rd and checking out on Monday the 7th. I'll be headed up to Orlando after that. I'll have to think about where I'll stay in Orlando but it probably won't be on site at a Disney hotel. The quality has gone down so much and the prices have skyrocketed for what you get.

~Joanie

 

I finally got off the proverbial pin dropping "Pot" and made a reservation for Karl and I at Hawthorne Suites Lake Buena Vista (on Palm Parkway near Disney springs ) for Monday March 7th to Monday March 14th after Bird-Mania. With Taxes (there are no resort or parking fees) I paid a total of $952.56 for 7 nights so that is 136.08 per night for a Suite with a full kitchen, minus the oven. These are not the fanciest accommodations as the resort is showing it's age but it has a nice pool, the amenities I use, and no resort/parking fees, plus the housekeeping is good. That price let's me stay longer and I get what I am paying for versus at Disney where things are getting totally out of hand at the resorts.

It pays to join the Wyndham loyalty rewards program and book early.

Easter is on Sunday APRIL 17th so there are no worries fighting those crowds.

Flower and Garden traditionally starts the first Wednesday of March so we are covered there. Unfortunately I find Flower and Garden very boring and I'd love to be around during the Festival of the (F)Arts as that sounds cooler.

The really exciting news is that Mardi Gras at Universal will start on March 1st 2022 and that is one banging party so I am happy to be there again.

~Joanie

 

I’ll have to check into Wyndham Resorts. Is it in close proximity to Disney and US? Is Mardi Gras all month of March? I believe we’re looking at March 8-15 or March 15-22 next year.

 

Yes it is in close proximity!

 

i may be driving down, not because i like long drives on I-95, but due to the ferocious cost of rental cars right now, that added to my airfare round trip is more $ than i would spend driving it. i can do it taking 1 extra day off, and again like many i have a pretty good stockpile of time from nowhere to go in 2020. if i take wed off i can be in boca raton friday by 12. other wise by late afternoon. this decision does not have to be made until september when southwest puts up march schedules and then i can get a car quote