Where green slime is a selling point

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And at $20 total for breakfast and $50 for dinner, including tip, it was hardly a deal for a family of three, but families with more kids might feel differently. For us, it was cheaper to hit the local supermarket and stock the fridge with cereal and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, then drive somewhere for dinner.

The interaction with costumed characters was disappointingly limited - my son saw SpongeBob once except at a special breakfast. That cost us about $50 and featured most of the main Nick characters going from table to table. It also includes a free photo - though it would have been nice if the photographer had asked Andrew to turn around before shooting.

As much fun as the pools were, a person can only take so much sun and water, so after the second day, we started taking afternoon trips to smaller attractions. Along with Gatorland, which displays alligators and other Florida wildlife, we visited WonderWorks and Ripley's Believe It or Not, two similar museums featuring optical illusions and oddities.

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At night, the hotel has two free game shows. "Nick Live" features two families answering trivia question and, along with proxies pulled from the audience, doing tasks like dressing up adults as the Fairly OddParents. "Who Knows Best" pits three adult-child teams - a parent or other acquainted adult and a child - in a "Newlywed Game"-style competition where the teams try to match answers on such questions as "Who in the family stinks up the bathroom most?" First prize _ a bucket of slime dropped on the head.

My son, as we frolicked on the waterslides, called the Nick Hotel "the best place ever."

I wouldn't go that far - I still favor Dodger Stadium or Camden Yards - but every kid I saw had a smile. And so did I.

If you go:

NICKELODEON FAMILY SUITES: 14500 Continental Gateway, Orlando; www.nickhotel.com or (866) 462-6425. Nightly rates: Two-bedroom suite, $161 to $225; three-bedroom suite, $322 to $450; one-bedroom suite with kitchen and couples' suite. $180 to $250.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER: State Road 405, about an hour from Orlando; www.kennedyspacecenter.com or (321) 449-4444. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Christmas and during launches. Adults, $37; children 3-11, $27.

GATORLAND: 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando; www.gatorland.com or (800) 393-5297. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Adults, $19.95; children 3-12, $9.95.

WONDERWORKS: 9067 International Drive, Orlando; www.wonderworksonline.com or (407) 351-8800. Open 9 a.m. to midnight daily. Adults, $18.95; children 4-12 and seniors, $12.95.

RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT: 8201 International Drive, Orlando; www.ripleysorlando.com or (407) 351-5803. Open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Adults, $16.95; children 4-12, $11.95.

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