The Sundae Spa is a new salon/spa that recent;y opened in our area. It is currently a one location operation, but while I was recently there with my daughter, at least 3 people inquired about franchise opportunities. I first brought my 6 year old for her birthday and she loved it. She had a mani,hair wrap, facial and made a body spray. There are also other packages available and every service gets a SUNDAE at the culmination of the experience. The spa is also stocked with child safe lotions, soaps, 'chemistry sets' (read lotions, sprays etc) and dinosaur items for boys.Look in the candy case for what looks like fudge and cupcakes but are really soaps! The spot is decorated in an ice cream motif and slice of heaven for the girls. I just returned with my older daughter and her friend for a second visit. During our stay 2 birthday parties were happening with girls from quite a distance. Everyone was having a grand time. Although they are still working out some organizational kinks(we had to wait for our guides) they have a great spot on their hands. I would definitely recommend this for the tween set. They also do cuts and styles and there were boys at the parties as well that got glitter tattoos and spiked hair.

Our kids wanted to see alligators while we were touring the Florida countryside. While visiting the Merritt Island National Refuge we came upon the wildlife drive and saw a ton of alligators living in the wild. This tour is a loop tour with several hiking trails as offshoots. We saw birds, turtles, snakes and lots of gators, especially 2 large ones near the far end of the loop that a ranger was rangling! The kids enjoyed getting out of the car to take a closer a look, but never too close. Call the ranger station if you are thinking oif going as the park is closed during shuttle launches. I believe there may be one more launch scheduled before the program ends.

We spent the day on the coast of Florida hiking and checking out this refuge and were pleased to discover they had a Manatee viewing area. Although it was May and not the best time for Manatee viewing we happened upon a group of 6 Manatees frolicking in the canal area. We were able to see them very clearly and they stayed as long as we were there. Although if you are not familiar with the area it is hard to find and currently they are doing construction on the roads outside the refuge, it is definitely worth the trouble if your children enjoy wildlife. What a treat to see these creatures in their natural habitat. There is also a volunteer naturalist on site to answer any questions and to provide information. The area closes late afternoon so if you are traveling from the Disney area plan accordingly.

Fun Squared is a bowling and laser tag facility on the Berlin Turnpike. Our kids love the duckpin bowling because it is easier for them to handle these balls than the larger balls. They also have bumpers and fantastic lighting.Additionally they have laser tag. My son loves to this this with his friends. They have a score tracker outside so you can see how your group is doing. There is also a small arcade area which of course the kids cannot escape. We have had birthday parties there and they are very organized. Unfortunately as we have twins they have difficulty coordinating the parties to our liking due to the busy atmosphere of the laser tag area. On a weekend the games can fill up and there is generally a rotating factory feel to the games. I am not sure the children notice this, however the adults do. Additionally the children are not allowed to have a parental chaperone in the laser tag area. Although it is enclosed and 'monitored' by employees, the children from your group may be mixed with other people including adults and young adults. Although the participants are read the 'rules' before entering my children did hear some foul language from members of a young adult group and this was not addressed by the monitor. When I brought this information to the manager she said that it is the expectation that the children would let the monitor know that there was an issue. I do not think a 8 or 9 year old should be given this responsibility. If you do not have a group of 30 than I suggest you pay and go in with your child(ren). This is my only serious issue with an otherwise well-run fun facility.

This was our second visit to Seaworld because the last time we went my 8 year old daughter LOVED it. Though it is not quite a Disney type park it is well organized and maintained. It just lacks some of that magic. There are not a lot of rides here. All of the big ticket rides have serious height requirements. There is a small area of kiddie rides and a huge climb around. This one is the largest I have ever seen. It is great but very easy to lose your kids since it has 3 tiers and multiple exits. The crux of this park are the shows. If you work your day right and arrive at gate opening you may be able to see them all. Grab a schedule on the way in and plan your attack. We found the best show was the small animal show. Cats, dogs, birds ecetera. They seem to make the animals really show their personalities. In the off season not all shows run so check the website as part of your planning. This could be a 5 star park for us, but the adults in our group really think this is a 'nickel and dime you' operation. Everything was extra. This was transparent to the kids and they love this park because of the animals. You can feed the dolphins, the stingrays, see a polar bear and go on some pretty intense rides.