My family and I are going on vacation. We are going to disney world for a day and then to St. Pete beach for a couple of days and then back to Orlando for a family reunion. I hoping to stop at some orchids growers or some nice greenhouses along the way. Any recommendations would be great.

Accent Orchids in St Pete.. by appointment only accent [email protected] 813-299-8834
Orchids in Bloom I think in Apopka (just outside of Orlando )[email protected] 407-242-0619
both were at the Tampa Orchid Expo and had great plants at excellent prices.

Also First Orchids on Plymouth-Sorrento Rd. in Apopka is the best place for low priced orchids if you don't mind a lot of them not having tags (i.e. no names). They are a wholesaler to cruise ships and restaurants so will have hundreds of one type of orchid at very low prices. It's a 'cash only' place, though.

I got gift orchids for all my friends and co-workers there for (don't tell them ) $5 each. Nice selection of Catts, Brassavola types and a huge number of Vandas, mostly not in bloom though. All the Vandas I've bought did have tags.

Krull-Smith is also a long-established grower in Apopka. Their prices are a lot higher but they have wonderful named varieties, a lot are their own registered crosses.

Better drive a very BIG car.

Yeah. I'm thinking a U Haul I really appreciate all the suggestions I'm actually looking forward to Orchid shopping more than I am Disney World.

Well if your really into it, as mentioned above, if you can get by Frank Smiths greenhouse ( Krull-Smith), it IS disney world. He has some of the rarest orchids in the world. A really nice guy and just knows alot and loves it and shows it. Im not sure if you have to call first.

(Im into daylilies, he used to grow them too, thats where I met him, he has since sold out to Pete Harry and is back to just orchids. I dont know when orchids bloom, but I hope you get an eye full.)

Stopped by over here to make sure you found some places

I just got done checking prices for the U Haul it seems to be a little expensive so I bought three Greyhound tickets for my kids and wife for the ride home

Spoken like a true orchid addict

I don't know what the ticket price for Disney is...but you could just drop the family off at the gate and get a head start shopping with the extra money you'll have...

Its 100-110 to get in, worth it if you get an arm band and reserve times ahead of time for what you want to do and when you want to meet the characters. A must if your only going to stay only one day.

We got the arm bands in the mail last week and alread reserved rides and a character lunch.

You wont be sorry, they are the best way to get your monies worth, and have a pleasurable day...well .. imo