By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Jeff Rendall
Spring break in Florida sometimes means spotty weather and sub-optimal conditions. Not this year.
“Spring Break in Orlando… no thanks!” This is what a friend wrote to me when I told him I was planning a trip to central Florida in the early part of March. Yes, I told him, it was technically spring break, though the bulk 
of travelers would be heading that way after we’d already left.
Seeing as “our” spring break was set for over a month before Easter this year, it figured that most of the onslaught of visitors would still be busy with school before being unleashed on the American mecca of family vacationers and college students alike.
I was right. Though it wasn’t as though we were left to our whims to do whatever we wanted without worries about traffic and excessive costs – and lack of availability with quality resorts – we managed to fit in a trip that included some of the touristy-type stuff as well as experience a few things we didn’t anticipate and ended up thoroughly enjoying.
And we did it all on a budget. We set out an amount we’d wanted to spend for each day and didn’t greatly exceed it once we saw I-4 and the multitude of communities neighboring the fabulously developed and planned vacation destination of Orlando.
We steered away from Disney; that’s recommendation number one
My friend’s sentiments regarding Orlando and spring break are genuine – and most likely garnered from experience. We ventured to central Florida in early April a couple decades ago and discovered that tens of thousands of eager Disney-goers had thought of the same thing.
Disney during peak times is a nightmare. Having been to the Florida parks during the two busiest times of year there – spring break and Christmas – I can attest to the intense crowds that converge. I remember how it was, literally, wall to wall people, a wave of humanity that swamps everyone foolish enough to try surfing it.
This doesn’t mean we didn’t have a good time when testing the landscape, all those years ago. Or that the Disney folks can’t handle ginormous crowds. They can. Mostly. But waiting in line everywhere wears on everyone sooner or later. Going early in the morning is an absolute necessity. Or staying late. Crowds thin when trying to leave the places, which isn’t always
simple or easy.
This time we opted to skip Disney entirely. And with a little creativity and taking advantage of suggestions/tips from people in-the-know, you can discover a wealth of fun stuff that doesn’t have anything to do with Mickey and Minnie and (insert contemporary Disney character’s name here).
Pool your resources, prepare for some measurable drive time and save your sanity.
Here’s how we did it:
Spring break also means spring training. Major league baseball without the in-season stress
Perusing the sports websites one morning, a thought occurred to me – a good many major league baseball teams do their pre-season practice sessions (and games) in South Florida. The weather’s much tamer than points north, so most of the baseballers do so out of necessity, which works to the benefit of the players but also those seeking escape from the ravages of groundhog predictions of more weeks of winter.
It’s a stroke of genius, right?
Not so fast. I quickly discovered that most of the teams’ spring training sites were situated well away from where we’d be staying in Orlando, which meant we’d have to get up early and face getting back to our resort later than we’d prefer, kind of like going to the Disney parks.
These pre-trip fears were somewhat unfounded, and depend on which teams you choose to visit. Right away we grasped that heading to the gulf side sites would mean tacking on several hours to our days, and probably wouldn’t come as cheaply as we would’ve desired. Luckily, there were alternatives – and we weren’t overly-picky about which teams to cheer on. We just wanted to see baseball players up close and baseball games where you’d have a hard time telling the difference between what counts (in terms of wins and losses) and what doesn’t.
Hailing from the Washington DC area for the past three decades, one potential team to visit was the Washington Nationals, which just so happen to do their season warm-ups in South Florida, not far from other major attractions in the southernmost part of Florida.
Sure, the Nationals’ spring home wasn’t proximate to Orlando, but to see the Nationals and not have to shell out major league money for minor league chances of victory? It was a no-brainer.
The Nationals share Cacti Park with the Houston Astros. Because of the schedule, they had a Grapefruit Game planned for the first Sunday we were in Florida, which was also check-in day in Orlando. Despite the miles involved, we headed to Palm Beach to take in what would be our first ever spring training game between the Nationals and the “visiting” Florida Marlins (which call Miami home during the regular season).
We found the location and followed a modest line of cars headed towards the stadium. Parking was $15 and there was a sign indicating that no cash was accepted. This was our experience with the no-cash policy most places are moving towards these days. There was a large open grass field to park the car. No rush. This was spring training, right?
Upon reaching the ticket booth, the friendly attendant checked his computer screen and said the best deal was a block of four tickets which included four hot dogs, four drinks and four chips for… $59. Not bad! We hadn’t planned to buy much when at the park, having stocked our cooler with drinks and snacks in case we got hungry.
We didn’t figure on spending nothing while in Florida, but were pleased to find an afternoon’s worth of professional baseball entertainment for $75 (including parking). And a lunch/snack to boot!
After passing through security, we noticed a group of players warming-up on a field adjacent to Cacti park. The small gathering included James Wood, the one Nationals player I kind of knew. The others? Not sure who they were. But we were close enough to see that the pitcher threw really hard. What a difference from the Little League Saturdays!
The athletes are bigger and more powerful these days. It gives you an appreciation for how difficult it is for the players to even make a major league roster. And why the top performers make the kind of money they do. It’s definitely a different breed of human being, for sure.
Once we’d had enough up-close star gazing, we ventured into the stadium and found our seats, which were in a sparsely populated part of the facility in direct sunlight. The crowd was filing in. No one seemed to be in a hurry. The public address system made announcements. A large scoreboard flashed statistics and entertained the baseball watchers with bloopers and funny shorts. This was spring training at its essence.
The contest began and it felt like a “real” game except without the fanfare of a big stadium. The players acted like they cared. They’re serious about their craft. The crowd cheered a little at the appropriate moments and people milled about on the concourse level, mostly seeking shade and a comfortable place to spend a few minutes.
We spotted the snack bar where our vouchers were good for the hot dogs and drinks. The prices on the board indicated we’d gotten a pretty good deal when buying admission. I believe a hot dog alone was $9.99 without a discount.
We searched for a shady place to eat and located a table partially covered by an umbrella. The food didn’t last long and it didn’t make us forget the atmosphere of a big stadium. A home run ball – hit by the Marlins – landed up near the snack bar in the grassy area for fans who sought cheap outfield seating which felt more like a picnic area. I’d imagine most spring training facilities have a similar type of open lawn space.
The Nationals’ anemic offense didn’t produce much excitement for our side’s fans. The Marlins clearly had the upper hand that day. The “name” players played a few innings then made way for up-and-comers. Time went by relatively quickly, aided by recent pitch clock mandates and a system that easily resolved pitch challenges. Kind of neat to see how technology improves the fan experience and the game itself.
We weren’t used to the direct sun exposure, so we left a little early. The Marlins were in control. The Nationals looked as though they’d struggle this season. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Exiting Cacti Park was easy. Getting to I-95 was convenient, and a three-hour drive to Orlando awaited us.
Our first spring training baseball experience wasn’t quite how I’d originally envisioned it. I’d thought we’d be closer to the field and players, kind of like what was portrayed in the movie “Fever Pitch”. Perhaps those types of experiences are available. We just didn’t get there early enough. And the baseball clubs are merely doing what they do, which is preparing for a LONG regular season with many such days at the ol’ park.
Despite the drawbacks, I would recommend going to a spring training baseball game if you’re in Florida and seeking a non-Disney activity. You’ll definitely remember it!