ORLANDO, Fla. - Since arriving in central Florida five days ago, the Iowa football team has seen Shamu, ridden plenty of roller coasters and even met with Mickey and Minnie.
The Hawkeyes have squeezed in couple of practices as they prepare for Saturday's Capital One Bowl game, only 96 hours from today when Iowa and LSU will meet on the field.
It's those hours that take a little of the fun out of the bowl experience for players.
"There are plenty of great things about bowls. Seeing different parts of the country, playing different teams, a good trip, nice gifts, but there is a lot of time to kill," Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway said.
Greenway isn't the only bowl-experienced player who sees the other side of the bowl experience.
"Everybody treats you well, and most everything is great, but there is a lot of down time that fans probably don't think a lot about," Louisiana State linebacker Lionel Turner said. "For us, this is a business trip."
Iowa safety Sean Considine said sometimes family and friends have a hard time understanding that.
"I've had buddies try to talk me into going out with them and having a good time, but you just can't do that," Considine said. "You can't go out and get drunk and party like a lot of fans do.
"They can sleep in until noon the next day. I've got to get up and go to practice."
That typically means calling it an early evening, spending time at the team hotel with teammates, where watching bowl games on television typically fills idle hours.
Greenway would prefer to practice in Iowa City and arrive at the bowl site about two days before the game.
"I know that's not practical. The bowl people want you to enjoy their city, but honestly that's what I'd prefer," he said. "I'm not big on standing in line at amusement parks. I'd like the routine to be as close as possible to what it is normally."
After an off-day Monday, when most players visited Disney World, the Hawkeyes hit the practice field this morning to begin concentrated preparations.
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.