florida guide

8/6/2019 Florida Guide

1/50

WELCOME

TO THE ORLANDO, FLORIDA

STEP BY STEP

HOLIDAY

PLANNING and SAVINGS GUIDE

FOR E-BAYERS!

(ELECTRONIC VERSION)


2/50

Hi!

Thanks for trying our Florida Guide, which well post out toyou in the next post!

In the meantime, heres our complimentary electric version,which we send as a service to our Customers. This allows youto read through it as quickly as possible, in case of postal

delays.

For some visitors, this may be the only Florida trip theymake, so youll need to carefully identify what you want tosee, long before you go and we cant stress enough that the

earlier you begin planning (with our help) the better.

For those who have been before, youll know that althougheach trip becomes more relaxed than the one before,

attractions tend to change and hopefully, weve even providedyou veterans with something to think about.

Its doubtful that anyone could use ALL the money savingideas we offer, but using just one would save you at least the

cost of the guide, so good luck!

Please remember to ask any questions you may have thoughtof, or any you think of later well always help!

Thank you again for trying the Guide we hope it helps!

..............................


3/50

CONTENT/STAGES:

A BEFORE YOU GO

1 Make the decision and book that flight!Temperature and Rainfall - Orlando and London. Flights - Passport Requirementsand NEW ESTA

USA Travel Rules!- Adjusting to the Time Difference Disabilities and Special Needs!

2 Where are you going to stay Villa or Hotel?

3 Insure your holiday What if you have to cancel?

4 The Attraction Ticket minefield.Disney, Universal Park and other Parks

5 Car Hire.

B. WHEN YOU GET THERE

1. The Main Attractions Orlandos Funtastic Theme Parks(With 60-minute Teenage Park attack and Tiddler tips and links to great Park Maps!)

2. Spending, Eating Out and Tipping Kids eat FREE!

3. Best (other) Guide.4. What to pack.

5. Shopping The Malls (where to get $3600 in vouchers and much more!)

6. Driving Tips For Brits - Parking at the Main Disney and Universal Parks7. Central Florida Golf Courses.

C. 30 BIG SAVINGS IDEAS (IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM!)


4/50

A - BEFORE YOU GO

1 - Make the decision and book that flight!

FIRSTLY, WHEN DO YOU WANT TO GO?In the past, we always travelled between Easter and the end of May. That wasmainly because we were told that the summer could get very busy at the Parks,

there was lots of rain each day and of course, June - November is the Hurricaneseason (August and September have the most risk!).

Travellers would be very unlucky to catch one of those, but lets face it IS apossibility in Florida!

However, in 2009, we grabbed flights at short notice and spent the middle week ofAugust in Orlando and the following week down on the Gulf Coast (Rotonda,

Englewood). Wed do so again, as the parks were no busier than in May and therestaurants were significantly quieter. Maybe this is due partly to the recession,

but the locals informed us also that less Americans holiday there in August, due totheir kids going back to school and the daily rainstorms. These were dramatic, butnever stopped us from doing anything as they usually rolled in late in the evening,

rained during the night and were gone by the morning.Even though flights were expensive, well certainly be going again during the summer

school break.

TEMPERATURE and RAINFALL

ORLANDO

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE / RAINFALL

MONTH HIGH (f) LOW (f) RAINFALL (inches)

JANUARY 71 49 2.3

FEBRUARY 73 50 2.8

MARCH 78 55 3.2

APRIL 83 59 1.8

MAY 88 66 3.6

JUNE 91 72 7.3

JULY 92 73 7.3

AUGUST 92 73 6.8

SEPTEMBER 90 73 6

OCTOBER 85 66 2.4

NOVEMBER 79 58 2.3

DECEMBER 73 51 2.2

LONDON

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE / RAINFALL


5/50

MONTH HIGH (f) LOW (f) RAINFALL(inches)

JANUARY 44 32 3.1

FEBRUARY 44 32 2

MARCH 48 34 2.4

APRIL 54 38 2.1MAY 61 43 2.2

JUNE 67 48 2.2

JULY 71 52 1.8

AUGUST 70 51 2.2

SEPTEMBER 65 47 2.7

OCTOBER 59 43 2.9

NOVEMBER 50 37 3

DECEMBER 45 34 3.1

BUYER TIP: If youre not tied to childrens school holiday times, you might find ituseful to know that the monorail captain they spoke to last time at Disney, told

them that the last two weeks of September were the least crowded of the entireyear.

OK, ONCE YOUVE DECIDED WE CAN REALLY GET THINGS MOVING

CONSIDERING TAKING THE KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL?Next, youll have to consider whether you need to obtain absence consent formsfrom the kids schools if youre intending to take them out of school during termtime. Thats never ideal but sometimes the cost of holidays outside term time isway too high and might otherwise make the trip impossible. Should be ok though,although you dont have any official entitlement, its unusual for an application to

be refused, unless it affects exams etc:http://www.egfl.org.uk/export/sites/egfl/categories/behaviour/attendance/_do

cs/docs/termtimeholidayguidance.doc

FLIGHTSFlights arent really something anyone can honestly claim to have any secrets for

If you book early, you pay more simple as that, but if youre looking for flights,check out: www.CheapFlights.co.ukIts sometimes a bit slow to update, but gives you a general guide as to who is

offering the cheapest flights at various times of the year.Weve found the best time to look for last minute flights is when a school holiday is

coming to an end. When the families are flying back, youll find some incrediblebargains for flying out. For example, last Easter, the week before we flew out, we


6/50

obtained fights for our eldest son (who decided to join us late!) for 20!!!! (OK, soit was 200 after taxes etc were added, but still incredibly cheap.)

If you have the nerve to wait, give it a try!If you decide to look for a short notice, reduced-cost flight, just bear in mind thatyou might have less choice of Cars (though weve never known any company to run

out completely!) and more importantly, Villas. The easiest way to find somethingsuitable is to use the sites with general searches (see where are you going to stay

section later for details). That way, any owners with homes still available willcontact you and you dont have to get stressed sending e-mails to hundreds of villas

that are already booked! At short notice, this is particularly useful, but bewaretrying this if you book a year ahead, as youll be utterly inundated!

Weve used Thomas Cook, Monarch, First Choice and Virgin for flights.Thomas Cook and Monarch are amongst the cheapest, but dont guarantee

individual TVs, which can make the 9.5-hour flight out, a very long one if youre not

prepared.We tried Thomsonfly in August 2009 and found them to be as good as anyone.

There are some cheap flights out there, but generally theres a huge range. We lookto pay around 350 and wouldnt consider anything over 500.

Flight links:Thomas Cook -www.thomascook.comFirst Choice - www.firstchoice.co.uk

Virgin - www.virgin-atlantic.comMonarch www.flymonarch.com

Thomsonfly - www.thomsonfly.com

Passport requirements and NEW ESTA travel rules!

British passport holders travelling to the USA (or via the USA) are required tohave either individual machine-readable passports or biometric passports. (If you

need to check your passport we recommend you contact theUK Passport Office (Click for link)

Families will be required to obtain individual passports for each traveller includingall children.

Visa Waiver Programme (VWP)If you have a machine readable or Biometric passport you should be able to qualify

for travel (of up to 90 days) without a visa, under the Visa Waiver Programme
http://www.thomascook.com/http://www.thomascook.com/http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/http://www.flymonarch.com/http://www.thomsonfly.com/http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/index.asphttp://www.thomascook.com/http://www.firstchoice.co.uk/http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/http://www.flymonarch.com/http://www.thomsonfly.com/http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/index.asp


7/50

(VWP). That is, provided no one in your party has ever been arrested (even if notconvicted), or if suffering from a serious communicable disease (visit the US

Embassy web site (click for link) for details of all restrictions).

Important changes!

From 12th January 2009, before travelling, everyone travelling into America musthave, completed a brand new internet-based registration form.

This new requirement is called Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, orESTA for short. Its been implemented by US Customs & Border Control and applies

to all international visitors to America who qualify for the US Visa WaiverProgramme. British passport holders usually qualify, and therefore must register

through ESTA before they travel.If you are travelling into America after 12 January 2009, then you will probably berefused entry if you havent registered. Registration is quick & easy, and requires

you to enter only a few personal details regarding everyone in your party as well as

details of where youre staying during your first night in the States.After you have booked your travel details to the US, you can register your details

through ESTA here:BEWARE, OTHER SITES MAY CHARGE UP TO 40. THIS ONE IS FREE!

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

DISABILITIES and SPECIAL NEEDS!Some buyers have asked questions about Disabilities and Special Needs and we feel

that weve let them down in the past, as weve no experience that were able torelate to.

However, were always busy and have come up with the following link which seems toanswer most of the questions:

www.diz-abled.com/Disney-with- Disabilities -Book.htm

2. Where are you going to stay Villa or Hotel?

VILLA
http://www.usembassy.org.uk/http://www.usembassy.org.uk/https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/http://www.diz-abled.com/Disney-with-Disabilities-Book.htmhttp://www.usembassy.org.uk/http://www.usembassy.org.uk/https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/http://www.diz-abled.com/Disney-with-Disabilities-Book.htm


8/50

For your accommodation Wed always recommend a Villa as you get a greater tasteof Florida. They offer privacy, independence, supermarket shopping, your own pool

and of course you wont have to share a room with your kids for two weeks!The trip itself is special and for many families, a once in a lifetime visit.

Finding your Villa can be difficult. Our first ever effort was almost disastrous, as

we spent a week somewhere that was way beyond tired. It was pretty grim andalthough we moved on to spend our second and third weeks in a lovely place, wevenever forgotten that mistake and dont want any of our buyers to endure a similar

experience.Believe me, it can be so difficult to choose, so here are some wed recommend

We have stayed in these, so can recommend them personally:These are in our favourite developments - Cumbrian Lakes and Crescent Lakes

Theyre not the closest to the Theme Parks, but are new and of a very highstandard. Some developments, close to Disney are old, tired and frankly a bit

grubby, so beware!

We loved the first one particularly. Its the house (which we also liked as thekids are closer to you at night) pictured above, with a great games room, poolbackdrop. Its quiet, not overlooked and really handy for evenings out on the

192!www.spaciousdisneyvilla.com/

The next is near the first one. Fantastic backdrop by the pool a little close to theVillas next door, but superb nevertheless very close to the 192!

www.ourluxuryvilla.com/This one is in Clermont, which we found a bit of a drive each day, both to theparks and eating out, but a great Villa close to supermarkets, with superb pool

and backdrop.www.places4u2stay.com/

Heres a belter if youre heading down to the Gulf Coast:www.florida-rotonda-villa.com

Alternatively, we suggest you start your search by visiting the following Villasites. These allow you to post general searches which means that you put in the

dates youre travelling and all the owners with available villas contact you!(obviously if youre booking well in advance be careful as youll receive hundreds

and hundreds of replies!)www.vr360homes.co.uk/www.lastminutevillas.net/

www.fabvillas.com/
http://www.spaciousdisneyvilla.com/http://www.ourluxuryvilla.com/http://www.places4u2stay.com/http://www.florida-rotonda-villa.com/http://www.vr360homes.co.uk/http://www.lastminutevillas.net/http://www.spaciousdisneyvilla.com/http://www.ourluxuryvilla.com/http://www.places4u2stay.com/http://www.florida-rotonda-villa.com/http://www.vr360homes.co.uk/http://www.lastminutevillas.net/


9/50

These sites are also excellent Check out their offers sections, particularly forlate travellers.

www.orlandovillas.com/www.villas2000.com/

Consider the information and photographs very carefully though, to make surethey have everything to suit your needs. This can be a bit of a minefield withsome pictures being taken years ago when the Villa was new, but are now in

areas that have become tired over recent years.Most adverts can be relied upon, but take note of whether youre overlooked and

how far you are from the attractions, nearest supermarket and of course, therestaurants (as you may be tired and whereas a slightly longer drive to an

attraction may be ok, youll want to eat out locally). In our experience, the neareryou are to the US192, the better, but take care. Being very close to Disney isnt

always the best choice.

If youre travelling between (and including) November to the end of May, you shouldadd pool heat to your Villa booking Itll cost an additional 100 but is well worthit when you slip into a beautifully warm pool at 85o even on cooler days.

Try searching for your chosen Villa on GOOGLE EARTH before you book Youll beable to see exactly where youll be and how far you are from the attractions,

shopping and restaurants you most want to visit. We havent added a link as it canaffect peoples computers differently, but it can generally be downloaded free and

very easily.

Words of warning We would strongly recommend renting from British ownersuntil the current credit crunch financial crisis improves Were not saying thatUS owners are any more or less reliable than Brits, but should an owner getinto difficulties and have their Florida home repossessed, itd be much easierto communicate with someone here, than it would be in the USA wouldnt it!

Dont forget that business is NOT booming in the rental business, so negotiate,negotiate and negotiate!

Should you have any comments to make about the villa you choose and wish toleave a personal recommendation to other buyers, wed be happy to considerincluding it in future updates of the guide Simply get back in touch on your

return!

HOTEL
http://www.orlandovillas.com/http://www.villas2000.com/http://www.orlandovillas.com/http://www.villas2000.com/


10/50

If your own space, your own private pool, your own bathroom, kids not having toshare rooms (or even beds!) isnt enough for you and you still want a hotel because

you dont want to end up doing the same cooking etc as you do at home EAT OUT!Its not as cheap as it used to be, but still better than in the UK. Your meals will

cost the same in dollars, as youd spend at home in pounds so thats a thirdcheaper than the usual cost.

But, if youre still not persuaded, hotels come in four main standards, Budget,Standard, Superior and Deluxe. Search for price and location and you dont have to

look far on the Internet to find somewhere acceptable to you.

Month by month, prices vary, so get your quote from two or three hotels (direct)and again remember that in the current climate it is more important to negotiatethan ever. Try to knock them down, before you book - What have you got to lose.Tell them youre on a budget and ask if they could do the same deal for less. (Give

them a figure!)

Staying at the Disney (or Universal) hotels usually allows additional time in theparks, for guests only, but these are obviously more expensive.

Here are some useful links in each category We havent included Disney hotels, astheyre so easy to find for yourself.

Budget:www.motel6.comwww.redroof.com

www.econolodge.comwww.microtelinn.comwww.travelodge.comwww.choicehotels.comwww.knightsinn.com

www.redhorseorlando.comStandard

www.hojo.comwww.ramada.com

www.choicehotels.com(as above)www.marriott.com

www.hamptoninn.comwww.radisson.com

www.tropicalpalms.comwww.enclavesuites.com

Superiorwww.doubletreeorlando.com

www.doubletree.com
http://www.motel6.com/http://www.redroof.com/http://www.econolodge.com/http://www.microtelinn.com/http://www.travelodge.com/http://www.choicehotels.com/http://www.knightsinn.com/http://www.redhorseorlando.com/http://www.hojo.com/http://www.ramada.com/http://www.choicehotels.com/http://www.marriott.com/http://www.hamptoninn.com/http://www.radisson.com/http://www.tropicalpalms.com/http://www.enclavesuites.com/http://www.doubletreeorlando.com/http://www.doubletree.com/http://www.motel6.com/http://www.redroof.com/http://www.econolodge.com/http://www.microtelinn.com/http://www.travelodge.com/http://www.choicehotels.com/http://www.knightsinn.com/http://www.redhorseorlando.com/http://www.hojo.com/http://www.ramada.com/http://www.choicehotels.com/http://www.marriott.com/http://www.hamptoninn.com/http://www.radisson.com/http://www.tropicalpalms.com/http://www.enclavesuites.com/http://www.doubletreeorlando.com/http://www.doubletree.com/


11/50

www.hawthornesuits.comwww.marriott.com(as above)

www.sheraton.comwww.wyndham.comwww.nickhotel.com

DeluxeI doubt youd be buying our guide; if these were within your budget, so if youre

interested, just let me know!

Try also some general sites where you could find some great offers!www.Hotelopia.co.uk

www.greatorlandodiscounts.comwww.CompleteOrlando.co.uk

www.ebookers.com/orlando-hotels

www.internationaldriveorlando.comwww.expedia.co

www.lastminute.comwww.UniversalOrlando.co.uk

3 Insure your holiday What if you have to cancel, or worse!

We thought wed found the cheapest Insurance on previous visits, including thisone. 42 for a family of four, with 1Stop Travel Insurance

Pay them a visit and let me know if you find cheaper!www.1stoptravelinsurance.co.uk

A buyer recommended the Travel Supermarket for the cheapest Insurance andwe found that they did the same package for a family of four for 29!!!

Refund Issued.Visit them at

www.travelsupermarket.com

In December, another buyer seems to have gone better:www.supermarket.com
http://www.hawthornesuits.com/http://www.marriott.com/http://www.sheraton.com/http://www.wyndham.com/http://www.nickhotel.com/http://www.hotelopia.co.uk/http://www.greatorlandodiscounts.com/http://www.completeorlando.co.uk/http://www.ebookers.com/orlando-hotelshttp://www.internationaldriveorlando.com/http://www.expedia.co/http://www.lastminute.com/http://www.universalorlando.co.uk/http://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co.uk/http://www.supermarket.com/http://www.hawthornesuits.com/http://www.marriott.com/http://www.sheraton.com/http://www.wyndham.com/http://www.nickhotel.com/http://www.hotelopia.co.uk/http://www.greatorlandodiscounts.com/http://www.completeorlando.co.uk/http://www.ebookers.com/orlando-hotelshttp://www.internationaldriveorlando.com/http://www.expedia.co/http://www.lastminute.com/http://www.universalorlando.co.uk/http://www.1stoptravelinsurance.co.uk/http://www.supermarket.com/


12/50

Insurance has risen in price recently and after we looked into it, she was right, thisdoes now appear to offer the cheapest range of Travel Insurance, better even than

those above, so give it a try to see if it suits your needs Refund Issued.

4 The Attraction Ticket minefield.

If youve begun to look for your tickets, youll have already found what a minefieldof options it can be. Well begin with an explanation (translated into our own plainEnglish!) of the types available and follow it with some personal observations and

ideas you might like to consider:

Disney TicketsMagic Your Way means you can build your own ticket to suit your needs. Choose

the number of days you need for a base ticket, then build in any of the followingextras that you want:

Park Hopper Option Base means one park (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM or AnimalKingdom) for each day of use Hopper means that you can visit any amount of

them on the same day and it only counts as one. If its your first time, the questionyou need to ask yourself is will you have the energy or the confidence to do that?

Water Park Fun and More The experience doesnt stop with the main themeparks. The choice here is to add visits to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon waterparks, Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, Disneyquest or Disneys Wide World of

Sport.

Non-Expiry OptionNormally, Magic Your Way tickets expire 7 or 14 days afterfirst use. This option allows you to use any unused days on another visit. It costsmore of course, but can work out very economically if you intend to visit anothertime. This is also an option used by many e bayers to reduce their costs as

will be explained fully later.

Disneys Ultimate Ticket For UK visitors, only available in the UK.This allows access to everything, whenever you like. A great option for flexibility,

but probably not if youre conscious about your budget.

Universal / Islands of Adventure/ Seaworld / Aquatica/ Wet n Wild tickets -Visits to these attractions can be made with a

FLEXTICKET (or 5 Park Bundle of Fun) which gets you unlimited access and


13/50

includes access to Universal Citywalk a complex between Universal and Islands ofAdventure, featuring restaurants and nightclubs.

FLEXTICKET PLUS (or 6 Park Bundle of fun) Includes visits to Busch gardens inTampa.

Before buying a FLEX ticket, which are actually pretty good value, consider whereyou actually want to visit. If you dont like swim parks, it will probably be cheaper to

buy a day at Seaworld (where youll get at least another free) and a two day passfor the Universal Parks (usually with another free). We doubt youd want to visit

these parks more than once each, so buying separately will save you about $40 each.

If youre in the military, the Flex ticket is probably NOT for you!When we were last at Sea World, we noticed that US military personnel weregiven FREE entry for themselves and up to four dependents. We asked if thesame generosity would be afforded to their allies i.e. the UK military and the

staff confirmed that IT WOULD!So, on production of a UK military ID card, our service people will also begiven FREE entry to Busch Anheuser Parks Sea world and Busch Gardens!Unfortunately both Disney and Universal have confirmed to us that they arenot considering a similar gesture for members of our armed forces. They

arent overly generous to their own either, offering just percentage discounts.Were currently in correspondence with them in an attempt to persuade them

to change their policy, but no joy yet.

So, thats the formal stuff Here are some further thoughts for you.

SAVINGS IDEAS FOR DISNEY TICKETS

First time travellers tend to buy from tour companies who will sell you a 14 dayhopper pass to the Disney parks and another 14 day pass to Universal, Sea World,

Busch Gardens and Wet n Wild water park.

If youre only going for two weeks (four days of which, youll probably be too tiredto go out) why buy 28 days of entertainment? So, using our itinerary later in the

guide, decide what you want to do on each of your 14 days (build in some rest!) thenjudge more precisely what youll need but read on!

Why buy hoppers, when the first time visitor, particularly with kids, is eithertoo nervous, or too tired, to use them. We feel its best to save money and buybase tickets which give you a full day at one park. Hop on your next visit, when

you dont want to try to see everything and are far more likely to pick andchoose what you want.


14/50

Should you use the non-expiry option on tickets for the Disney parks?If you do, you could make some very significant savings.

See the spreadsheet on the next page, which shows the savings potential,

researched by us for over 3 years from e bay.Sales prices fluctuate, but the averages weve shown are based on that

extensive period of research.

One could buy a 10+10 day pass (thats 10 at the main parks and 10 at theplus day parks i.e. swim parks and Disney quest), use 5+5 and sell the

remainder on e bay.Why buy 10? Well, if you were intending to buy 5 (many people buy 7 and

often dont use them all), why not? 10 will cost about 92 more of course, butby using your 5+5 (shouldnt need more than that) and selling the remainder,

one could recoup over 200 of the 340 outlay.Remove the extra 92 from your initial planned costs and you have a net gain

of around 110 at least, for each ticket.

Lets go back to the beginning Your 5+5 day pass was going to cost you247, but by using this method, the 110 gain would reduce that to 137 (at

the most) for your 10 days entertainment, or 13.47 a day!

Basically, the more days you buy, the more you seem to get for those youdont use and although the initial outlay might be difficult, its well worth it in

the end.

This idea can be used for fewer days too and if, while youre in Orlando, youdecide to use more than the 5+5 days and sell less, the costs of your extra

days will still work out much less than they otherwise would.

If thats not enough, come to think of it, if tickets were also bought from e bay,perhaps from one of the buyers who decide to follow this idea, savings could be

even greater but see WARNINGS below!

Its also very interesting to note that you can upgrade the days remaining onyour tickets.

For example, if you want another three days (as long as you had daysremaining), you dont have to pay the full cost of a three-day ticket You canpay just the difference between what you have left and the amount you want

to upgrade to.


15/50

Complicated? Not really Heres a great example of what you might consider,in stages:

1. You obtain a 2+2 ticket At various times of the year youll find these on ebay Youll pay around 100, maybe less.

2. When you get to Orlando, you use the ticket to upgrade to 10+10 at Guest

Services, if thats what the ticket was originally (or adjust appropriately).Going to cost you, maybe 200 (the difference between 2+2 dayers and

10+10s) but read on.3. You visit all five Main Parks and maybe 5 others, thats 10 days

entertainment.4. Youre left with 5+5, which you sell on e-bay for about 200.

5. You sit back and enjoy the thought of those eight days, which would costaround 250 from a ticket dealer, having cost you only 100! Thats about

10 a day!Weve worked variations of this idea and always saved a packet, but if you

need any hep at all, just get back in touch!

INCREASED SECURITY-CONSCIOUSNESS AT DISNEYSecond-hand tickets used in the last 12 months are highly likely to have been

fingerprinted by Disneys security system. That means the system could hold thefirst users fingerprint.

The way it works is, if you have second-hand tickets and are also fingerprinted,the prints wont match. Families and parties of people mix up tickets all the time(which is why weve stressed that YOU shouldnt!) so youll simply be asked to sign

your ticket.Thereafter the system will hold your fingerprint and of course the ticket will have

your signature, which makes buying or selling unreliable! We dont recommend eitherin those circumstances!

So, if the ticket has been fingerprinted, make sure it isnt signed and only buy whatyoure going to use. Dont buy with a view to selling on what you dont use. If it isnt

fingerprinted or signed youre ok.

Remember therefore, if you are intending to sell on the days you dont use, makesure that each member of your party uses the same ticket each day.

Swapping them around between you will alert the system to the change of print andyou might be asked to sign them.

UPDATE: Some buyers have mentioned that Disney seems to be fingerprintingpeople with greater consistency these days and our August 2009 trip certainly

confirmed a general increase in security.This shouldnt affect your buying and re-selling of any tickets that you purchasednew and the same benefits can be enjoyed. Also, it wont affect used days never


16/50

expire tickets, which are older as the fingerprinting system wasnt in place.However, be very careful buying second-hand tickets that have been used in thelast year or so, as they are much more likely they have been fingerprinted than

before that period.REMEMBER, we recommend the purchase of new tickets which will allow you to

choose to use the use what you want, then sell on the rest method, as used byhundreds of e bayers to save money for both buyer and seller.

Buying from e bay is safe (usually), but dont buy, or sell tickets, which you know areprinted and signed. If you buy from e Bay, always ask the seller when they were last

used and whether they were fingerprinted.If not, you can use and re-sell, but if they have, we reiterate that you should buy

with a view to using the days yourself.You may not always be asked to sign them if/when the fingerprints dont match. If

youre not, re-sale is still secure for the buyer. (Then of course it will be them whoare asked to sign).

If youre selling tickets PLEASE inform the buyer of the last date of use. (ASK!when buying!)

Contact us if youre in any doubt Well always offer our opinion!

SELLING ON E BAY

If you decide to sell your unused days, youll get more for them by listing themindividually, despite e bays extra fees.

Never be tempted into selling by someone asking you to end the sale early. They are

looking for your tickets under their value - Let the auction run!It may seem obvious to most, but if you buy your tickets with plus extras, dont bin

your left over swim park days (as we did first time around!)Swim park days sell well on e-bay Usually for just under the gate entry cost!

NEVER pay more for tickets than the amount of Paypal cover(See below for further explanation.)

OTHER TIPS

Purchase your tickets before you go!Tickets are NOT cheaper in Florida! One of the very few things not to be.

There are guides who are recommending not getting your tickets until you get toOrlando and are advising people where to shop there. This is a HUGE risk.

There may be some ok places around, but once you arrive, do you really want to bescratching around Orlando looking for deals, when you should be having fun?


17/50

There are enough savings ideas in this guide for you to leave such potential traumawell alone!

- Attending a timeshare presentation is the only way to obtain genuinely cheaptickets, without using the e bay or buy and sell method above. They are very

different from the dodgy European experiences and ARE a source of cheap tickets;so, if its for you, give it a try. These are advertised everywhere, but usually

outside eating places such as Ponderosa.But, do you really need that when youre on holiday?

The spreadsheet below is based upon Ticket Momma, which has been amongst thecheapest ticket sites for some time.

http://www.ticketmomma.com/walt-disney-world.htm

Take a careful look at the options (newly updated for January 2010!) and come back

to us if you need any further explanations.

Park PlusEXCHANGERATE 1.65 Likely

Yourdays

DaysDay

s $ Cost 6.5 TaxTotal

$ Use Sell ReturnAveCost.

10 H Y 525.77 34.18 559.95 339.36 5+5 5+5 198 14.14

10 B Y 477.89 31.06 508.95 308.46 5+5 5+5 172 13.65

7 H Y 429.06 27.89 456.95 276.94 4+4 3+3 169 13.49

7 B Y 380.23 24.71 404.94 245.42 4+4 3+3 147 12.30

6 H Y 397.14 25.81 422.95 256.34 3+3 3+3 169 14.56

6 B Y 348.31 22.64 370.95 224.82 3+3 3+3 147 12.97

5 H Y 383.99 24.96 408.95 247.85 3+3 2+2 105 23.81

5 B Y 335.16 21.79 356.95 216.33 3+3 2+2 100 19.39

4 H Y 352.07 22.88 374.95 227.25 2+2 2+2 105 30.56

4 B Y 311.69 20.26 331.95 201.18 2+2 2+2 100 25.30

3 H Y 329.53 21.42 350.95 212.70 2+2 1+1 55 39.423 B Y 285.40 18.55 303.95 184.21 2+2 1+1 50 33.55

1 H N 135.70 8.82 144.52 82.00 82.00

1 B N 83.70 5.44 89.14 54.02 54.02

H Hopper Tickets Last Update
http://www.ticketmomma.com/walt-disney-world.htmhttp://www.ticketmomma.com/walt-disney-world.htm


18/50


19/50


20/50

On our return, the RAT predictably called us liars (calling Phil a conman) andsuggested wed used the days, not them!

If we hadnt thought to get evidence from Disney Guest Relations, they would havegot away with such their scam, totally!

Paypal found in our favour, but only on condition that we returned the tickets to

them. We were uncomfortable with this as they could simply close their account, inorder to end up with both our money AND the tickets, so we approached the police

for advice.

Initially, they advised that the seller had committed the crime of deception, butbe warned - This is NOT a police matter, as much later, they changed their minds.

Sorry, but they were not helpful at all on this matter!

So, always pay using Paypal and raise a dispute immediately if your seller doesnt co-operate. If Paypal find in your favour, they will reimburse you!

Therefore, ALWAYS ask the seller for details of when the tickets were last usedand if problems arise, you MUST gain details from Guest Relations. They are very

informative and helpful and you dont need to reveal how you acquired them.Theyll simply tell you whats left on tickets and provide all previous usage details.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE TICKETSBefore you read about tickets for these stunning parks (BETTER THANDISNEY IF YOU HAVE SLIGHTLY OLDER KIDS) see details on the newIsland due to open late in 2009 The wizarding world of Harry Potter!

Heres a link

www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

.and now to the tickets:

There is less variation in price on Universal tickets. The sites above are stillrecommended, but its also worth paying a visit to the Universal studios website,

which always has the most up to date deals (for obvious reasons) and generalreasonable prices (see also below).

Universal dont offer free fast-passing for individual rides, like at Disney - Theyoffer a fast pass which will allow you to miss the queues once on all the best rides.

We see the travel programmes on TV arent mentioning that these passes cost!
http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/


21/50

Costs vary depending on the time of year (visit the Universal Studios Floridawebsite for updates)

Personally, wed only buy one if the park is busy and your holiday days are runningout and would leave it until we got to the park before deciding (though numbers are

limited for obvious reasons).

NB: Universal hasnt sold non-expiry tickets for some years, so the buy more/re-sell idea wont work with them.

A common ticket offer is a third day free with a two day 2 Park hopper ticket -Dont buy one that doesnt!

Keep an eye out for another offer:Occasionally, starting in January, for about three months, they offer an additional

childrens two day (+1 day free) pass FREE WITH AN ADULT TICKET!!!Most ticket sales sites then do their own version of this deal.

Taking advantage of this offer will save you OVER 50 for each childs ticket, so

take a good look round for this offer.However, beware if buying childrens Universal tickets from e bay. Make sure theydont have to be used with the adult tickets with which they were issued free!!!!!!!

Always ask the seller!!!!!!!!!

This is why there are sometimes so many kids tickets on e bay. If youreconsidering buying some of these, beware, because sellers dont always mention the

condition below (maybe unaware of it, to be fair). We have no evidence yet onwhether Universal conducts any checks, but it may be worth the risk if theyre very

cheap, but not otherwise.

Universal dont always offer this deal, but theres usually something temptingearly in the year, so keep an eye on their website.

A great fallback is a seven-day pass to both parks for around 60 (+ a couple ofquid for tax)!

You wont do any better than this, so if you want to visit the Universal parks (a mustunless you have only very young kids) visit the Universal Website for your tickets!

If theres no sign of this on the Universal site, try visiting

www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com

I used this deal for our family in 2008 - Rarely come across better CustomerServices. They were very helpful and respond to questions very quickly.

A buyer has also recommended that you visit VIATOR who also has good deals onUniversal tickets.
http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/


22/50

LATEST THEME-PARK INFORMATION (Updated daily!)

Check out these websites:www.screamscape.com/index.htm

Screamscape-The ultimate guide to the theme parks and is updated every day,which is far more than us visitors would have time to do, so give it a try for the

latest news:Also, you might want to visit another excellent site for up-to-date news:

www.themeparkinsider.com

5 Car Hire.

No rush to book your car. Take your time and look for the best deal but car hiregenerally is a big area to be ripped off, so BEWARE!

Most tour companies promise a free car, but their charges for insurance alone willbe more than if you go to the car hire sites.

This is the best website that weve used for cars It gives four choices:www.uscarhire.co.uk

Tried it this year and its saved us 60 against our former favourite Dollar(which is one of the options)

Expect to pay about 270 for two weeks mid-range car all in!Booking is so much easier than youd imagine and very reliable, so dont feel tied tothe tour company We doubt whether the car they offer will genuinely be free as

theyll charge around 300 just for Insurance! - Let their car go!

HOWEVER, with all car hire firms comes another warning. Buy the top platinumpackage on the net (or the GOLD at US Car Hire), NOT the Full package,

otherwise, you will be ripped off for petrol, local tax and additional drivers, whenyou arrive at the airport, tired and maybe unwilling to argue your case, as you might

normally.It will cost about 30 more but will save you around 100, if you want an additional

driver, but only maybe 20-30 if not.Youll get a full tank to start with, but nothing is returned if you bring a full one

back, so try to make sure the tank is running on willpower when you take back yourcar.
http://www.screamscape.com/index.htmhttp://www.themeparkinsider.com/http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/http://www.screamscape.com/index.htmhttp://www.themeparkinsider.com/http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/


23/50

WHOEVER YOU USE, MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SORTED BEFORE YOUGO!!

WARNINGS!Make sure you have enough luggage space!

When you pick up your car at the airport, the staff WILL try to get you toupgrade for maybe just $20-$25 a day. The pressure isnt heavy, but in any caseDONT FALL FOR IT! If you do, you could end up paying up to 175 extra for car

that may have cost you only 25 extra if youd booked it from home!Sorry, but in our experience, all the stories about free upgrades just arent true!

Its also well worth paying extra for a SAT-NAV system if youre a bit nervousabout driving in the USA.

A good tip is to ask the company to set your villa or hotel address as your homebefore you arrive. That way youll be guided to your destination without having to

worry anymore than is absolutely necessary about driving.

ADJUSTING TO THE TIME DIFFERENCE!Just a thought and it may seem a bit daft to you, but Phil is a creature of habit;

someone who suffers when trying to adjust to the time difference abroad. The kidsand I always adjust very easily, but on early visits to Florida he was yawning and

ready for bed around 19.00 hours! (Oh, hes such an exciting guy to be with! Blesshim!)

Of course, Orlando is five hours behind UK time (4 at some times of the year) sofor him it was already midnight.

He got around this by trying to adjust earlier. It would be MAD of course to stayup until 4 in the morning every night during the week before you go and work will

almost certainly prevent you from staying in bed until mid-day, but you might wantto try SOME sort of adjustment at least, in order that you have more chance of

hitting the ground running.This may be even more relevant with kids, most of whom have limited energy levels.

Maybe try to keep them up later and let them sleep longer, wherever possible,before your trip.

Having said that, the excitement is normally enough to get peoples adrenalinrunning, but if you suspect you might need some adjustment time, where would you

rather it was? At home, or during the first days of your Florida holiday, wheretheres so much to see and do. You dont want to risk either yourself or the kids

being too tired to do it, particularly if it may be the only time you go!

B WHEN YOU GET THERE


24/50


25/50

At any park, no one can organise your whole day for you, each of us likes to dodifferent things, but this is our if you do nothing else, do this guide.

First, some more preparation for the uninitiated:- Before heading off to the park of your choice, preferably before you even go toFlorida, look closely at the park maps and decide your priorities Dont imagine you

can do this when you arrive at the park Do your homework The more you do, themore benefit there will be.

- Buy tickets before you go Theyre usually cheaper that way and having them,means you wont have to queue at the gates, watching while everyone else skips

through and gets to the best rides first.

- Get there early! Get there early! Get there early! Thats to EVERY Park andbefore the gates open.

Late arrival will guarantee big waits for rides at most times of the year.

Add time for parking (cost $12 in 2009) and for your trolley ride to the park gates(used at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios). Theyre good fun, but dont be too

British. Be as determined to get your family on as others are its not a time tostand back and be polite!

- Grab a map on entry to all the parks Theyre always by the entrances and arevital to get you quickly around the park.

- Each Park has an attraction board, which lists the wait times for individualattractions and show times. A Cast Member is usually stationed beside them

and will provide you with directions, if required.In Magic Kingdom its at the far end of Main Street on the left just before the hub

as you approach Cinderellas Castle.Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM) has a board located at the right corner of

Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard.Epcots electronic board is just outside Innovations West.

- Travelling around the park: Should you travel left or right around the parks?The answer is actually BOTH! The holiday programmes on TV are still telling

people to go the opposite way (i.e. turn right) around the parks, but ifeveryone follows that advice, wont that create bigger crowds in that

direction?Bit of a conundrum isnt it, so heres our advice:

Go to the LEFT at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Islands Of Adventure and UniversalStudios.

Go to the RIGHT at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.Seaworld doesnt matter (see below)


26/50

Also, see 60 minute park attack below, which is not only for teenagers (whichincludes those who are teenage at heart) but also for those with tiddlers.

- A common tip is to take empty water bottles to the parks and fill themfrom the many drinking fountains to save money.

Its a good idea, as drinking in such heat is an absolute necessity.Try filling and freezing them the night before, so theyre nice and cold.

Theyll defrost while youre at the park (though beware, getting very wetbags!).

Its one of our 30 tips as its quite popular, but having travelled all that way,spent so much to be there and as its the USA (where everything is still

cheap despite the bad exchange rate), dont be so mean!BUY THE KIDS A COKE IF THATS WHAT THEY WANT!

Next its our 60-MINUTE PARK ATTACKS:

BEAT THE QUEUES / SINGLE LINE RIDERS!If there are just two of you, keep your ears open while queuing for rides as theattendants often shout for couples so they can fill cars that take four or more

people in each row. This could save you lots of queuing time.However, by far the best method of reducing queue time (other than using the

fast-pass system) is to take advantage of the rides that have single rider lines.Unless you specifically want to experience a ride as a group, or family, consider

splitting up into these lines. The attendants are always looking to fill spare seats inthe cars with individual riders and you will definitely get to enjoy the rides faster -

often with no queuing at all!

THE DISNEY PARKS

If youre planning to go to a park a bit later, check whether it opened an hour earlythat day. If so, it will almost certainly be the busiest park all day, so AVOID!

Fastpasses are fantastic and you despite what youll read in brochures, you CANhold two at a time. Just wait until a minute or so into your allotted time period

before using your ticket again. In other words, if you get a time-slot of 11.20 to12.20, just wait until 11.21 to get another. Try it - It works!


27/50

MAGIC KINGDOMwww.wdisneyw.co.uk/mkmap.html

Follow your Disney dreams to a place where storybook fantasy comes to life Wellwere not going to pop that particular bubble. There IS magic about this park.

Everyone will love it even though its more for tiddlers than teenagers, but this iswhy you came all this way and its well worth all the effort!

Tiddler tips: The entire park is simply wonderful for smaller kids particularly. The

two tips we would offer are firstly to head for Fantasyland (Dumbo, Peter Pan andmany other rides) and Adventure land (Aladdin and more) where most of the rideswill be ok for them. The other is very simple - try to split the day. If youre in a

Villa or a hotel thats relatively close, go home for a few hours in the afternoon soyou can come back in the evening to see one of the night parades Theyre stunningbut can get very busy, so find a good vantage point on your route map and stick to it

like glue. The alternative is to plan for two visits to this park, once with an earlystart and early finish, the other with a late start and late finish later in the

holiday perhaps, when youre adjusted better to the time difference and have moreenergy for nights out. Make the effort you wont regret it and your little uns

memories will all be positive.Teenage dash: Dont delay - As soon as youre in, head to the back of the park(Frontier land). Fast pass Splash Mountain and ride Big Thunder Railroad. If youre

in early enough you may get to ride both without a wait more than once! Thenrelax and enjoy having done the best two rides in the park for non-little ones. The

only big (ish) ride left for you is Space Mountain, though you might like BuzzLightyear more than you expect to. They are also next to each other, so you can

fastpass one while you queue for the other.

EPCOT

www.wdisneyw.co.uk/epcotmap.htmlThe EPCOT CENTRE is really two parks in one. The first has futuristic rides, thebest of which are Test track and Soarin These will both interest teenagers but

not tiddlers.Teenage dash - Go to one and fast pass it, then head to the other to ride it. Theyrequite a distance apart, but after riding one, head back to use the fast pass. Mission

Space will also interest older kids, but give it a miss if you dont like enclosed
http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/mkmap.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/epcotmap.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/mkmap.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/epcotmap.html


28/50

spaces. The G force on this ride can be disturbing. We hated it and it took Phil anhour to feel normal again afterwards, but our 11-year-old son loved it (though

perhaps all the more because it made the others feel ill).There are some other rides, nothing too challenging, which you should check outfrom your map, then you can prepare for the second part of this park and your

leisurely walk around World Showcase - the world as seen in the US! (Renew yoursun cream before setting off!)

TEENAGE WARNING! Many of you will not enjoy the next couple of hours, but puta smile on your face and make an effort.

No major tiddler tip here other than to make sure theyre in a stroller as its a longwalk for little ones.

ANIMAL KINGDOMwww.wdisneyw.co.uk/akmap.html

The latest Disney park. It has an African/Safari theme and is one you can do in a

day.Teenage dash - As always, get there early and if you do, we suggest you go sharp

right, to ride Dinosaur Its usually quiet for the first hour.This ride throws you around a lot; so if you have a bad back, dont risk it!

When youre done, leave the area to the right and head for the Everest ride. Thisis the newest ride in any Disney park and worth a bit of a queue. However, considerfast passing it and moving on because later, the queues can reach almost 2 hours!Try also the Kali river rapids A wet ride, not as good as the Popeye and Blutos

bilge-rat barges at Islands of Adventure, but similar.Not too sure about the Kilimanjaro Safari Long wait which can take much of yourenergy resources. Big attraction, but if Safari parks dont do it for you, considergiving it a miss whereas one of our Tiddler tips is to do it. The other is to takethem to see the Lion king show and dont miss Its tough to be a bug, a very good

3D movie.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (Formerly MGM)www.wdwinfo.com/maps/MGM.htm

Teenage dash - Turn right at the first street junction (Sunset Boulevard) and headfor Aerosmith (Rock n roller coaster) and Tower of Terror. In our view

theyre the best two rides but Aero is so popular they will run out of fastpasses, so do it first! From there, head to the back of the park for the

stunt show Lights! Motors! Action! We find Star Wars a bit disappointing,but you must ride it (maybe fast pass it for later and go to the Indiana

Jones show round the corner). Do the others first.Tiddler tip - Its definitely a park you can do in a day, but the early start has a

drawback here, as you mustnt miss the night show Fantasmic.
http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/akmap.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/akmap.html


29/50

Its a memorable show not just for tiddlers, but also for the whole family. Dontmiss this outstanding entertainment Disney at its very best.

Disney Teen tip Rides are quieter while everyones watching the parades. Considergetting over to your favourite while the queues are reduced.

THE UNIVERSAL PARKS

If you, as we do, feel the Disney parks are better for smaller kids, Universal iswhere the bigger ones find their own paradise. Two parks (Universal studios and

Islands of Adventure) with masses of rides, very few suitable for littleones.

Again, get your tickets before you go not on arrival, Preferred parking will placeyou nearer to the parks, which are otherwise quite a walk through the parking

areas. Itll cost you an extra $5 (costs $16) and if you want to do it, stick to thevery far left lane of arrival. Theyll direct you from there and ask you to put on

your hazard lights so it might be an idea to know where they are!A big saving can be made on Universals meal deals. For around $20 you can

get UNLIMITED meals at four Universal theme park restaurants (salads,chicken, burgers etc) so, consider buying two and sharing meals between four(as many times as you like!) Normal single meal prices are around $8 each.

ISLANDS OF ADVENTUREhttp://www.universalorlando.com/ioa_map.html

Journey with your family through five remarkable islands where all your favouritemyths, legends, comic books, cartoon heroes and childrens stories come to life on

the most innovative rides and attractions ever created. There are high-speed rollercoasters, whimsical childrens rides and groundbreaking 3-D attractions.

Visually stunning park and the most recently built. This is also where the newWizarding World of Harry Potter area is planned to open in 2009. (Teens - Take a

change of T shirt and shorts when you visit this park!)Tiddler tip When you enter the park, turn right and head for Seuss landing. Thereare some rides here for little ones, which wont interest the bigger kids at all. Take

your time here, as this is as good as it gets for little ones and theres not much elsefor them beyond this island.
http://www.universalorlando.com/ioa_map.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_challenges.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_coasters.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_coasters.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_fun_w_kids.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/ioa_map.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_challenges.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_coasters.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_coasters.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/prs_fun_w_kids.html


30/50

However heres the best Teenage dash in Florida!Dont turn right with the tiddlers, go left into Marvel Super Hero Island and meet

The Hulk. If you have the bottle to do this ride, do it now, as queues will buildlater. From there, keep going left and get yourselves on Spiderman. This is the

most technologically brilliant ride weve ever been on Dont miss it. If crowds are

small, youll be tempted to go on it again Just one more please, as you have to moveon to TOON LAGOON and prepare to get wet. Try Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Fallsfirst (Phils favourite) and then Popeye and Blutos Bilge-Rat Barges. You WILL be

drenched, so get changed quickly and move onto Jurassic Park followed by DuellingDragons. If youve followed this guidance you may just have done the best rides inunder an hour and the crowds wont yet have caught up with you. This is where to

begin going on things a second time.Youve missed Dr Doom, so if you like the look of it (near to Spiderman) fit it in asyou pass and skip the second ride on Spidey. If its a quiet day, youll be ok, if not,

you may end up with a wait some of the other rides.

(You could of course avoid all that rushing by buying a past pass, which allowsyou to jump the queue once on every ride Good idea if you couldnt get out of

your bed early enough!)

We havent made many theme park eating recommendations, but at Islands try toeat at mythos (In The Lost Continent). Its voted the best theme park restaurant in

the world every year and although it looks a bit posh, it isnt and meals are quitereasonably priced.

UNIVERSAL STUDIOShttp://www.universalorlando.com/usf_map.html

(The Rip Ride Rocket is OPEN just wait til you see it!)Universal is our favourite park. Its based around the film industry and has a greatatmosphere. Another park mostly for Teens and although some of the rides may be

considered a bit tame for some (Jaws, Twister, Disaster) others are great fun(Jimmy Neutron, Shrek, Men In Black). Revenge of the Mummy and the Simpsons

ride, which opened in 2008, are the main white knuckle rides.Teenage dash Turn left when you enter the park then left again for the

Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket You cant miss it, its rather BIG! This is the lateststunning ride in Orlando and Im afraid we bottled it. Kids loved it though. Next,

head for the Revenge of the Mummy. This is a fast indoor roller coaster based onthe movie. If youre there early, youll get top ride it more than once, but maybelimit yourself to two because next you have to cross the park before the queues

get too long for the Simpsons ride. This is a 3D roller coaster very similar to theride it replaced (Back to the Future). If you loved the old ride, youll love this. If

you hated the old ride, sorry, youll hate this. Same ride new theme!
http://www.universalorlando.com/usf_map.htmlhttp://www.universalorlando.com/usf_map.html


31/50

The Terminator isnt to be missed if you enjoyed the movies, but its a show and 3Dmovie in a large theatre, so leave it until after youve done all your priority rides.Our Tiddler tip here is to go to the right and head to the Kidzone (youll pass theET ride on the way which may be ok for your kids) where there is entertainment

and a small roller coaster (Woody woodpecker) for little ones.

Our favourite place to eat is Finnegans, an Irish bar serving great meals and anunexpectedly nice pint of Guinness! The Guinness stew is to die for and they do

some interesting puds in shot glasses. You might even get to see the Blues Brothersperforming across the street, if you time it right.

If youve been before and you werent keen on the Earthquake ride, you should missDisaster as only the pre ride entertainment has changed The ride remains the

same!

C) SEAWORLD

www.seaworld.com/orlando/parkmaps.htmlLacks the charm of other parks and certainly not our favourite, though to be fair,

we know people who consider this their favourite park!Unlike other parks, we feel that one visit here is enough, so you dont want to miss

any of its gems.For me, these are obvious There are the three big rides (For teens, not tiddlers)Journey to Atlantis, Kraken and Manta Ride these early so you can concentrate ongetting the timing right for the others. Check your map for the times of Believewhich is the new Shamu (Killer Whale) extravaganza and excellent Blue Horizons

(Dolphins and Birds). These are obviously must dos at Seaworld, but also try to fitin Clyde and Seymour (Sea Lions) take pirate island. Only the tiddlers are likely to

enjoy the show, but get there early and youre in for a treat. Before the showbegins and as the audience are still arriving, look out for a mime that appears in the

crowd and mingles with those arriving, taking the mickey out of them. Its very,very funny so dont miss it.

There is other entertainment of course, the best of which is probably ArcticEncounter. Not our cup of tea, but very popular with us tourists.

In May, SeaWorld opened their new thrill ride. Ride it facedown in ahorizontal position, this manta- (flying Ray) inspired ride looks great. Didnt goto Sea world in August, so didnt get to ride it, but it looks great fun. Wed

appreciate some reviews from buyers once youve tried it out!

D) KENNEDY SPACE CENTREThroughout the Orlando area, theres more than enough to fully occupy visitors

even if you tire of the theme parks (?), so, if youre tempted to branch out a little,you might want to try Kennedy Space Centre, the home of the US space travel

programme and in our view, well worth a visit.
http://www.seaworld.com/orlando/parkmaps.htmlhttp://www.seaworld.com/orlando/parkmaps.html


32/50

It can be reached with a little an hours reasonably straight-forward driving (lots oftolls, so have lots of dollars and quarters at hand), but maybe leave it until youve

been there for a few days, when youre more confident and itll be even moreenjoyable!

Whats generally on offer is well covered on their website:

www.kennedyspacecenter.com/If youre lucky enough to be visiting when theres a launch, here are some viewing

tips:Did you know that the satellite and shuttle launches are from different parts of

Merritt Island? No, we didnt either until we were advised to watch a shuttle launchfrom the north-end of CoCoa beach. We were told (wrongly) that it would be thebest place to see a take-off. Thats actually very good advice for rockets, such asthose carrying satellites, but NOT for Shuttles, which take off from the north-

west of the island, NOT the south!The best viewing points for Shuttles are around Titusville, such as from the

Interstate. This will also provide easy access in and out of the area, but as always -Get there early!

Personally we wouldnt pay to view from the Space centre, as there are greatvantage points to be found elsewhere for free, but of course you can pay to go ontothe main site for the full experience. Beware though, as tickets run out very quicklyso if you havent booked well in advance, youve little chance of getting any. Keep alookout on their website and add your name to the e mail distribution list for up todate news, which is generally reliable. Watch the local news for updates, when you

get to Florida though, as disappointingly the last time we planned to watch a launch,it was postponed for three weeks.

Hope you get more luck!

HERE ARE MORE OTHER USEFUL MAPS TO EXPLORE:

CITY WALK OVERVIEW: http://www.universalorlando.com/cw_index.html

BUSCH GARDENS PARK MAP:www.buschgardens.com/BGT/pi_park_map.aspx

DISCOVERY COVE :http://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspx

TYPHOON LAGOON WEB SITE: www.wdisneyw.co.uk/tl.html

BLIZZARD BEACH WEB SITE: www.wdisneyw.co.uk/bb.html
http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/http://www.universalorlando.com/cw_index.htmlhttp://www.buschgardens.com/BGT/pi_park_map.aspxhttp://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspxhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/tl.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/bb.htmlhttp://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/http://www.universalorlando.com/cw_index.htmlhttp://www.buschgardens.com/BGT/pi_park_map.aspxhttp://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspxhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/tl.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/bb.html


33/50

DOWN TOWN DISNEY SHOPPING: www.wdisneyw.co.uk/ddmap.html

NEXT, ARE OUR RECOMMENDED TIMETABLES FOR YOUR VISIT(SOMEONE ON E BAY IS CHARGING 20 FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS!)

USE OURS, CHANGE THEM OR MIX THEM WE HOPE YOU FIND THEMUSEFUL.

1. SUGGESTED ITINERARY - FAMILIES WITH TIDDLERS!

DAY 1: FLIGHT IN ARRIVAL

Find your accommodation-Shop for food,

explore the vicinity and eat out locally.

DAY 2: No doubt what to do on the 1st day. Up early + off to Magic Kingdom! Dont push the

kids too hard Well be back! Early finish after day parade then pool time + eat out.

Day 3: Let's keep up the momentum Up early and off to Epcot. Lots of walking so take (or

hire) a pushchair (Stroller). Great eateries here, so try them out, then stay home tonight.

DAY 4: Your feet are tired; your legs are stiff, so this is a rest day. Lie in late and then take a

trip to Down Town Disney. Relax, 'potter' and maybe have dinner there. Take your time!

DAY 5: Get back into the parks slowly-Try a swim-park. Aquatica is best for little ones as it

has a large wet play area just for them, which Disneys swim parks dont have.

DAY 6: Up early again-We're off to the Animal Kingdom. Not so much walking today but the

tiddlers will love it. Back to accommodation in the afternoon for pool time and eating out.

DAY 7: Move away from the Disney parks + take a trip to Universal Studios. Up early again

but not the best park for tiddlers, but dont miss it if this is likely to be your only Florida trip.

DAY 8: Rest day-Well, sort of! This is the one mum's been waiting for. Go shopping at one of

Florida's great Malls. Eat there in a food hall and stay at home tonight.

Consider also visiting Gatorland A terrific half-day entertainment.

DAY 9: Islands Of Adventure! Not filled with tiddler treats but still well worth it. Get there early

once again, or spend the day queuing. Watch the rides if you cant ride them.DAY 10: Seaworld - Read our notes on this park as its not our favourite. For tiddlers though,

plan your day not to miss out on the three shows strongly recommended in the Guide.

DAY 11: Rest day and off to another Mall or outlet village - Enjoy taking your time around the

shops even though the pound isn't as strong as it was, you're bound to find bargains.

CONSIDER A TOP UP OF YOUR DISNEY TICKETS - AS IN THE GUIDE!

DAY 12: Hollywood Studios-If there's one park to maybe delay your arrival, this could be it,

in order that you get to see Fantasmic when it's dark. Maybe consider getting here early,

see the park, then go home for a while, before returning forFantasmic. DONT MISS IT!

DAY 13: Haven't been for an 'all you can eat breakfast' yet, so do this today. Then we're off

back to the Magic Kingdom. Arrive much later, so kids have energy to stay for a night parade

+ fireworks when the park closes. THIS WILL BE A LIFETIME MEMORY FOR YOU ALL!

DAY14: This is your last day so YOU decide what to do with it! You should have enoughticket days left to choose your favourite, so ENJOY!

DAY 15: Last minute souvenirs/shopping at Wal-

FLIGHT OUT DEPARTUREMart, or maybe a last trip to Downtown Disney.

TICKETS NEEDED FOR THIS ITINERARY:
http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/ddmap.htmlhttp://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/ddmap.html


34/50

1x Four Park Flex Ticket + 1x Five Day DISNEY BASE TICKET without PLUS days.(You may want to buy more Disney days initially, or top-up (Day 11) - See Guide for

details)

WHAT YOULL MISS!

Disney Quest at Down Town Disney An Indoor theme park on 5 floors.Great for a dull or rainy day. Maybe not for very little ones, but otherwise

worth a visit (Plus day needed)Kennedy Space Centre (Bit of a long drive and not for Tiddlers at all!)

Busch Gardens OK, for little ones, but the long drive rules it out in our view and youd need to add it to your five-day flexticket!

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (Disneys swim parks and our kids favourites Plus days needed.)

2. SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR FAMILIES WITH TEENAGERS

DAY 1: FLIGHT IN - ARRIVAL

Find your accommodation - Shop for

food, or explore the vicinity.

DAY 2: No doubt as to what to do on the 1st day. Up early + off to Magic Kingdom! Bit tame

for teens, but this is why you're here. Early finish-back to the pool + an evening eating out.

Day 3: Let's keep up the momentum - Up early and off to Epcot. Lots of walking and plenty

for the teens to moan about! Great eateries here, so try them out, then stay home tonight.



DAY 5: Get back into the parks slowly-Try a swim-park. Aquatica at Seaworld is great, but our

teens love Typhoon Lagoon best of all. DownTown Disney is virtually over the road!

DAY 6: Up early again-We're off to the Animal Kingdom. Not so much walking today+maybe

not the fullest day you'll have, so you'll get some time around your pool later, then eat out.

DAY 7: Move away from the Disney parks + take a trip to Universal Studios. Excellent for

Teens - See our 60-minute park attack! Early start vital!

DAY 8: Rest day-Well, sort of! This is the one mum's been waiting for. Go shopping at one of


Consider also visiting Gatorland A terrific half-day entertainment.

DAY 9: Islands Of Adventure! Stunning! Park for Teens! Get there early -

Once again, you can be guided by our 60 minute Park Attack.

DAY 10: Seaworld - Read our notes on this park+plan your day so you don't miss the 3 shows

I recommend. Also, there are two GREAT rollercoasters, but not the best park for Teens.DAY 11: Rest day and off to another Mall or outlet village - Enjoy taking your time around the



DAY 12: Hollywood Studios-If there's one park to maybe delay your arrival, this could be it,

in order that you get to see Fantasmic when it's dark. Only the most cynical teens won't

enjoy it and it's right next to the parks top two rides - Tower of Terrorand Aerosmith.

DAY 13: Haven't been for an 'all you can eat breakfast' yet, so do this today. Then we're

going back to the Magic Kingdom. Arrive later, so you can stay for a night parade and see


35/50

the fireworks when the park closes. This will be a lifetime memory for you all!

DAY14: This is your last day so YOU decide what to do with it! You should have enough

ticket days left to choose your favourite, so ENJOY! (I bet it's Islands of Adventure!!)


FLIGHT OUT DEPARTUREMart, or maybe a last trip to DownTown Disney.

TICKETS NEEDED FOR THIS ITINERARY:1x Four Park Flex Ticket + 1x Five Day DISNEY BASE TICKET without PLUS days.(You may want to buy more Disney days initially, or top-up (Day 11) - See Guide fordetails)

WHAT YOULL MISS!Disney Quest at Down Town Disney An indoor theme park on five floors.

Great for a dull or rainy day and worth a visit Plus day needed.Kennedy Space Centre (Bit of a long drive and probably teen moan-zone!)

Busch Gardens (Great for teens but a long drive and youll need to add it toyour five day flexticket!)

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (Disneys swim parks. our kids favourites butnot really for very little ones Also more Plus days needed.)

3. SUGGESTED ITINERARY FOR ADULTS + OLDER KIDS.

DAY 1: FLIGHT IN - ARRIVAL

Find your accommodation - Shop for

food, or explore the vicinity - Eat out locally.

DAY 2: No doubt as to what to do on the 1st day. Up early and off to Magic Kingdom! It's for the

kids really, but isn't this why you came? Early finish-back to the pool+an evening eating out.

Day 3: Let's keep up the momentum - Up early and off to Epcot. Lots of walking today

Great eateries here, so take advantage and try them out - maybe stay home tonight.



DAY 5: Up early again - We're off to the Animal Kingdom. Not so much walking today+maybe

not the fullest day you'll have, so you'll get some time around your pool, then eat out.

DAY 6: Fancy a Swim Park? If so,Aquatica at Seaworld is the latest, but our favourite is Typhoon

Lagoon.DownTown Disney is virtually over the road! If not, it's time for a bit of a drive!

Let's go to the Kennedy Space Centre - Don't scrimp - visit everything you can!

DAY 7: Rest day - Well, sort of - This is the one mum's been waiting for. Go shopping at one of


If you have kids, consider also visiting Gatorland - A terrific half-day entertainment.DAY 8: Time for a trip to Universal Studios. Not the best park for those with small children, but

excellent for everyone else-See our 60 min.park attack! Early start vital if you want rides!

DAY 9: Islands Of Adventure! Stunning! Stunning!! Stunning!!! Park for rides! Get there early!

Once again, you can be guided by our 60 minute Park Attack.

DAY 10: Rest day and off to another Mall or outlet village. - Enjoy taking your time around the




36/50

DAY 11: Seaworld - Read our notes on this park and plan your day so you don't miss the 3 shows

recommended. Also, there are 2 GREAT rollercoasters, but not the best park with Teens.

DAY 12: Hollywood Studios - If there's one park to maybe delay your arrival, this could be it,

in order that you get to see Fantasmic when it's dark. Only the most cynical kids won't

enjoy it and it's right next to the parks top two rides - Tower of Terrorand Aerosmith.

DAY 13: Haven't been for an 'all you can eat breakfast' yet, so do this today. Then we're going

Back to the Magic Kingdom. Arrive later, so you can stay for a night parade and see the

the fireworks when the park closes. This will be a lifetime memory for all ages!

DAY 14:This is your last day so YOU have to decide what to do with it! You should have enough

ticket days left to choose your favourite, so ENJOY!


FLIGHT OUT - DEPARTUREMart or maybe a last trip to DownTown Disney.

TICKETS NEEDED FOR THIS ITINERARY:1 x One-Day ticket for Kennedy Space Centre (Full access), 1x Four Park FlexTicket + 1x Five Day DISNEY BASE TICKET without PLUS days. (You may want tobuy more Disney days initially, or top-up on day 11 - See Guide for details)

WHAT YOULL MISS!

Disney Quest at Down Town Disney An Indoor theme park on five floors.OK for a dull or rainy day, but not a priority Also a Plus day will be required.

Busch Gardens - Bit of a drive but you could visit this great Theme Park on oneof your rest days or the day before you leave - Youll need to add it to your

five-day flex ticket!Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (Disneys swim parks and our kids

favourites Plus days needed.)

If youre going for 7 days and need similar help, just ask!

2 - SPENDING MONEY AND TIPPING (A WAY OF LIFE INFLORIDA)

Lets face it, how much you spend is up to you isnt it.The Nationwide and Post Office are the only credit cards Im aware of who

dont charge for use abroad, so it may be worthwhile getting one before you go(particularly if youve been considering transferring your balance anyway).CREDIT NOT DEBIT

During our latest trip (August 2009) we experienced some difficulties when usingour bank debit card. Apparently, when youre paying for your shopping, if a paymentscreen gives you a choice of Debit or Credit card, even if its a Debit card, you

should choose Credit. Thatll save the embarrassment of the card being rejected.


37/50

You should always make sure you have an alternative way of paying - Cash, or aCredit card.

Generally, work on the basis of dollars for pounds, so if your normalsupermarket shop at home costs you 150, its going to cost you $150 (or less),

which at the current exchange rate is 100.Still cheap despite the tumbling pound and thats typical of pretty much

everything over there.Just to help you judge things a little better when eating out. There were four of us

in 2009 We always eat out. We had cokes (all refilled free) beers and the oddmarguerita. Heres what it cost us:

Outback (www.outback.com) (Australian theme) (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) 75Ponderosa Steak House Booking not necessary, but heres a link anyway

(www.ponderosa.com) - 40Kobe Japanese - 94 (www.kobesteakhouse.com)

Black Angus Steak House (www.BlackAngusOrlando.com) (Highly recommended) -75

Sizzler Steak House Booking unnecessary - 35Olive Garden (www.olivegarden.com) (Our favourite Italian cuisine) - 65

Golden Corral - Booking unnecessary - Not our favourite, all you can eat buffetstyle - kids loved it) - 35

Giordanos (Pizza) (www.giordanos.com) Not keen on the big baked crusts, buteveryone else liked it - 45

Charleys Steak House (www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com/charleys) (Steak todie for!) Over 100 (with wine)

Cracker Barrel Booking unnecessary - (They go for a more homely atmospherehere No alcohol, but still Lornas favourite!) - 40

Planet Hollywood (Kids love it) (www.planethollywood.com) 60The prices are for all five of us!!!!

(Try also Boston Lobster Feast Booking unnecessary but heres the link(www.bostonlobsterfeast.com)

REMINDERS: Dont forget to pick up vouchers wherever you see them.They can prove very useful when dining out and IF YOURE NOT THATHUNGRY get something from the kids menu or split an entre (thats a

main course) with someone else!

Kids Eat FREE (Valid for children 11 and under)Most ticket sites also sell a Kids Eat FREE card, which is good for over 50

restaurants. 1 card per child accompanied by a full-paying adult. Youll also seethese advertised when you get to the Orlando area and they can save you a large

chuck of change.
http://www.outback.com/http://www.ponderosa.com/http://www.kobesteakhouse.com/http://www.blackangusorlando.com/http://www.olivegarden.com/http://www.giordanos.com/http://www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com/charleyshttp://www.planethollywood.com/http://www.bostonlobsterfeast.com/http://www.outback.com/http://www.ponderosa.com/http://www.kobesteakhouse.com/http://www.blackangusorlando.com/http://www.olivegarden.com/http://www.giordanos.com/http://www.talkofthetownrestaurants.com/charleyshttp://www.planethollywood.com/http://www.bostonlobsterfeast.com/


38/50

Full participating restaurant list:Lake Buena Vista Area

Cattlemans Steakhouse / CICIs Pizza / Indian Palace Restaurant / Kitty OSheasIrish Pub / Ponderosa / Ragian Road Irish Pub / Sizzler

Kissimmee Area

Boston Lobster Feast / CICIs Pizza / Kools Oak Fire Grill / Magic Mining Co. /Passage to India Restaurant / Pacinos Italian Restaurant / Ponderosa / Sizzler

International Drive AreaAashirwad Indian Restaurant / Baskin Robbins, Bergamos Italian Restaurant / BolaRistorante / Boston Lobster Feast, Cattlemans Steakhouse / CICIs Pizza / DixieCrossroads, Dunkin Donuts / Fridays Front Row / McDonalds Bistro / Ming Court /

Oishi Japanese Restaurant/ Wild Jacks / Passage to India Restaurant /Ponderosa / Punjab Indian Restaurant / Shallmar Indian Restaurant Sizzler / SpiceCaf / Taverna Opa-Orlando, Thai Thani / The Butcher Shop Steakhouse / Village

Inn Restaurant

None of the chain restaurants are big on puddings (but you wouldnt have roomanyway!), but, if you must, stop at Krispy Cream Doughnuts (mmmmm, so much

better than dunkin doughnuts). Also the bakeries in the supermarkets should easilysatisfy even the sweetest tooth.

For a really good guide of the main chain Orlando restaurants, visit rent-a-disney-villa website, which is a good guide But take the prices with a slight pinch of salt!

USE THE LINKS ABOVE TO BOOK THE RESTAURANTS YOU DEFINITELYWANT TO VISIT, BEFORE YOU GO. WAITING CAN BE OVER AN HOUR SO

THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Tipping is a big deal there and scared the hell out of us first time out, so weprobably overdid it. Now, whatever the formal guides tell you, we give 10% if the

service is just ok, 15% if its good. Sometimes 20%, if its excellent.Generally, guides will advise 15% to %18% at least, as thats the rate American

waiters/waitresses are taxed, whether they get the tips or not. However, even inthe land where the Customer is king, service comes at different standards, so why

shouldnt tipping also vary.10% to 20% does it for us!

In Florida, tip in all the places you would in the UK i.e. Not in Burger bars, or whenyou pick up your car; not bar staff, just the waiters/waitresses; cab drivers, your

luggage carriers and tip with your restaurant bill, just as you would here.If in doubt, watch what others are doing.

3 - BEST (OTHER) GUIDE


39/50

The best guide weve found for the whole experience from start to finish is withoutdoubt A Brits Guide to Orlando and Disney World, by Simon and Susan Veness.

Its a brilliant book by Brits, for Brits and deals with everything in a simplestraightforward way. Buy one from any bookstore, the internet (or even e bay) with

some of the money we hope we can save you.

There are some e bay guides who seem to have exploited the popularity of the bookby selling under a similar name, over-emphasising the BRIT theme Weve no

comment on their quality, but they shouldnt be confused with the real one and areprobably infringing copyright laws!

4 - WHAT TO PACKWhat to pack? NOT MUCH! Everyone over packs on their first visit, but t-shirts,

shorts and something comfortable to walk in are all thats needed in the warmermonths. Also, leave the smarter, going out stuff at home Everyone dresses

casually, even in restaurants!Try packing your things in a smaller suitcase fit snugly within a larger one You will

almost certainly be bringing much more back than you came with!

5 SHOPPING

Ladies, Florida may be a paradise for many things, but for the boys, heres thedown side The Fantastic Shopping. Sorry lads, but we have to cover this:

Heres a website which gives details of how to obtain coupons/vouchers for up to$300 of discounts:

orlandotouristinformationBUREAU.comIts a brilliant site for Florida information generally, with links to every shopping

experience you need!

Visit the section on the Florida mall for $300 worth of shopping coupons.

Apparently they are now charging to send these vouchers over here, but whywouldnt they? The point is to pick them up personally and use them there, not re-sell them here So dont waste them girls!

THIS MALL HAS A FANTASTIC FOOD COURT TRY WALKING PAST ALL THEOUTLETS FIRST AND GETTING A TASTE OF WHATS ON THAT DAY, BEFORE


40/50

YOU DECIDE WE USUALLY END UP WITH THE SESAME AND TERIYAKICHICKEN IN THE JAPANESE ONE!

Heres some other useful shopping stuff on the site further apologies to the boys,but theres also a coupon book available from the Customer services desk at

Premium Outlets.

BEFORE DOING ANY SHOPPING, ALSO TRY TO VISIT WAL-MART TO GATHERSOME VISITORS BOOKLETS. THEYRE NEAR THE EXITS AND ARE PACKED

WITH DISCOUNTS FOR MANY ATTRACTIONS, DINNER SHOWS, SHOPPINGAND EATING OUT!

Another buyer tip is that Disney send their out of season merchandise to stores inthe area, including Character Warehouse at Mall 2 of the Belz Factory Outlets at

the end of International Drive in Orlando (the opposite end to the Convention

Center is). Another one is Character Premier in the Premium Outlets in Orlando.Both of these stores sell official Disney merchandise much cheaper.

Remember Florida Sales and Resort Taxes When youre working on your budget,remember that Sales Tax in Florida is approximately 6.5%.

SOME MORE FREE COUPON SITES:

http://www.orlandosaving.com/foodtop.htm

http://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocouponsdiscounts/Orlando_CouponsDiscounts.htm

PREMIUM OUTLETS MALL

This has shops like Ralph Lauren, Nike, Timberland. Dont forget that coupon bookfrom the Customer Services desk in the middle of the Food Hall, available for all

foreign visitors. From the 192 follow signs for I4 East to Orlando. Exit atJunction 68 signposted Lake Buena Vista. Go straight over at lights, keep goingpast the church Mary Queen of the Universe and the car park is then on your

right.MALL AT MILLENIA

This is the newest Mall in Orlando. There is a lovely Macys store and it is nice towander round. There is also a great restaurant called The Cheesecake Factory.

To get to it, take exit 78 off the I4 and you will see the impressive building on yourright with palm trees laid round it.
http://www.orlandosaving.com/foodtop.htmhttp://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocouponsdiscounts/Orlando_CouponsDiscounts.htmhttp://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocouponsdiscounts/Orlando_CouponsDiscounts.htmhttp://www.orlandosaving.com/foodtop.htmhttp://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocouponsdiscounts/Orlando_CouponsDiscounts.htmhttp://goflorida.about.com/od/orlandocouponsdiscounts/Orlando_CouponsDiscounts.htm


41/50

FLORIDA MALL

Take the 192 and follow signs for I4 east to Orlando, exit at 74A at Sand LakeRoad, Turn right, follow road for 4-5 miles to junction of Sand Lake Road with the

17/92. You will see signs for the Florida Mall car parks all round this junction.The alternative route is to take the 192 for about 17 miles, you come to a set of

traffic lights, with a metal sign over the road on your right for DowntownKissimmee, take a right turn down Orange Blossom Trail, then its a ten mile drive

down OBT till you see signs.Opposite the Florida Mall is Best Buy, which sells computer and hi-fi stuff and a

lovely bookshop, called Barnes and Noble.

SANFORD FLEAMARKET(the best one)

This is held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week, but not all stalls open on aFriday. It is good for suitcases, leather goods, t-shirts, and pets!

The nicest route showing you a bit of Florida countryside, go right onto US27 northout of Woodridge estate, and carry on to US50 and turn right. Follow this roadtowards Orlando, go under the I4 then take a left turn onto the 17/92 north.

Follow signs for Sanford and keep going. Fleamarket is on that road just beforeLake Mary Boulevard on the right hand side. You will see a brightly coloured

hoarding and a small fairground just before the entrance. You can get here on theI4 but quite a busy motorway or using the 417 toll road $5.50 much the quickestroute 50 mins and little traffic. Take 417 from Celebration and follow through to

jnc 49 Lake Mary Boulevard go left to the 17/92 and then left onto 17/92 for 2miles flea market on your left.

6 - DRIVING (and parking) IN THE USA JUST FOR BRITS!(Updated for 2010!)

Like most UK visitors, before we went, we were quite scared at the prospect ofdriving in the USA, but have grown to love the slow pace We hope you do too.

BRITS have the most accidents at road junctions:


42/50

You must stop first, but can then turn right at traffic lights (unless a sign saysotherwise), even if theyre on red, provided the road is clear But you CANT do it

to the left!!On our first visit, while sat on a clear road waiting to turn left, someone tooted us.So, presuming he was being a stupid holidaymaker, Phil went left, followed by the

driver who had shown such irritation.Later, on a busy road, he presumed we could do the same - DOH! Nearly killed us

all!!!Right is good Left most certainly isnt! The only time you have priority to go left is

if your lane has a GREEN ARROW. A green light means you can go, but you mustgive way to oncoming traffic.

(We laugh now

florida guide

Documents