Why go there?

The US state of Florida in general, and the central Orlando region in particular, have become firm favourites on the holiday destination chart, particularly so for travellers from the UK and Ireland. And why is this? Well, they speak an understandable sort of English, the food is recognisable and service levels are extremely good, the wine is cheap, the weather is sunny, and most importantly, there are a gazillion theme parks to keep the kids amused. Depending on the dollar rate, shopping can be a bargains galore expedition.

The journey there

It's about an 8 hour flight from the UK. This will cause smokers a bit of panic, especially if they can't carry lighters somewhere in hand or hold luggage to assist them in having a nicotine burst at the other end, but doesn't cause too much jet lag on the westward leg. Useful things to have in your hand luggage include a spare change of clothes, your passport numbers, a game (Uno is universally popular, but a normal deck of cards holds many possibilities), some boiled sweets (especially for the landing), a bottle of water and a good book. Age and personal preferences will dictate what sort of book, whether a collection of Sodoku puzzles or the latest Jackie Collins. Plain paper and pencil can be handy too. As well as the normal queuing at the airport check-in desk, you will also have to endure a long passport check on landing, so things to keep yourself and your party amused during the long shuffling process will be appreciated.

The weather

It's hot. No matter what time of year you go. Sample temps? During the summer it's hurricane season, so expect tropical rain showers complete with thunder and lightning every day, usually in the late afternoon. Carry a light rain coat (the theme park ponchos are perfect). Drink lots of water, wear lots of sunscreen, walk on the shady side of the street, and slow down!

Getting around

It is very difficult to get from one place to another without a car, so fly/drive holidays are a good idea. The vehicle will almost certainly be an automatic, and air conditioning is a necessity. Consider the amount of luggage you will be transporting to and from the airport when choosing what size car you want. Petrol (gas) is cheap, but any saving is negated by the low miles per gallon that the car will do. If you're feeling brave and have a motor bike licence, you can hire a Harley Davidson, but it's not so handy for transporting a family of 5. You COULD stay in a Disney resort and use their shuttle buses to go to the parks, but that limits you severely. Driving is fairly straightforward - intersections on the main highways are well marked and are numbered in terms of miles, so you can work out how far it is between them. Directions use the name of the road rather than the name of the city (e.g. arrows will point to the I-275, not to 'Tampa'). The Interstate 4 (I-4) is the main route between the major attractions. Toll roads are clearly indicated - have plenty of quarters ready for payment at the frequent booths. Remember to drive on the right! On multi-lane highways, vehicles can overtake on either the left or the right, and exits may be on either side too. Turning right at a red light is permissable unless indicated otherwise - make sure that the road is clear. Park nose-in in a car-park - most vehicles only have licence plates at the rear, and this enables it to be seen.

Theme parks

This is the main reason families go. Disney is the original and best, setting the standard that the others try to reach, although the oldest park, Magic Kingdom, is starting to show its age (the queue for Peter Pan has got to be the most boring line ever!) Don't even think about attempting 2 Disney Parks in the one day.

Magic Kingdom - best for little kids, evening parade and fireworks. Worst for - eating locations. Thrill Rides - Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain.
Epcot - best for scientifically oriented teens, and adults who will enjoy strolling around the World Showcase. Thrill rides - Mission: Space, Test Track, Soarin'.
Hollywood Studios - best for the variety of live shows, and a decent selection of restaurants, but watch out for those on the Disney dining plan which will be harder to get a table in. The Brown Derby is a really nice posh restaurant that does a great steak, while Hollywood and Vine has a superb buffet for $22. Thrill rides - Tower of Terror, Rock'nRoller Coaster.
Animal Kingdom - best for, well, animals!

Universal Studios and its sister park, Islands of Adventure, is more user-friendly. It tends to be less crowded than Disney, and the characters have more time to talk to guests. Popular rides are - The Simpsons, Jaws, The Mummy (Universal), and Hulk, Spiderman, Duelling Dragons (Islands). Islands also has some extermely wet raft rides and log flumes.

It's possible to walk between the 2 main parks, passing the Hard Rock Cafe situated between them, making it a handy meeting point. The food there is pricey, but way better than normal theme park fare, and the burgers are superb. As are the staff - Birdie, behind the bar, has been there for 25 years, and she and all the staff are really friendly and welcoming (Hi to Markus!) A good selection of alternative eateries are also available at City Walk, a short distance away from the parks. The Blue Man Group show is expensive but worth it: a highly original combination of percussion, mime and comedy in an unforegttable show for all the family from about aged 6 up.

Sea World - the must see show is Believe, with Shamu the whale, followed closely by the Dolphin show. Sharks Underwater Grill is a welcome restful haven of dark, cool tranquility. The food is delicious (typical menu blackened scallops, seared tuna) with a backdrop of sharks swimming around in a tank. Sea World has the most un-user-friendly map, and is quite spread out, so only the dedicated visitor will get to see all the attractions and shows in one day. Its related park, Discovery Cove, is very popular with UK visitors, who make up about 40% of its guests. Visitor numbers here are limited to 1,000 per day, so reservations must be made in advance, and the whole vibe of the place is relaxed and uncrowded. The main attraction is the facility to swim with dolphins. Purchasing the photographs or DVD of your experience is a hefty additional expense, but for a once in a lifetime experience you may feel it's worth it.

Busch Gardens is heaven for coaster freaks, who can take the Defy 5 challenge, and ride all of ShiekRa - a vertical drop of 200 feet with a hold at the top, Kumba, with many twists, Scorpion, a tight spiral that'll leave you dizzy, Montu, 7 inversions on a suspended coaster, and Gwazi, a double wooden coaster that shake rattle and rolls you around its Lion/ Tiger tropical setting. The Katonga show is reminsicent of The Lion King, and is full of colourful costumes and lively music. Take the Serengeti Express train for a welcome sit down and a look at all the animals. Eat at the Desert Grill while there's a show on. Busch Gardens is in Tampa, and can be a bit tricky to find by car, but there is a shuttle bus which goes from Universal and Sea World. The Busch Gardens staff are not as efficient at loading rides as those at Disney and Universal, and there are no single rider or Fast Pass queues (although you can pay for a quick pass). It can be a bit of a free for all at the top of the queue, and many rides will have tantalising but frustratingly empty seats. The lockers use up lots of quarters, but flip flops, hats and glasses can usually be left at the disembark platform. You shouldn't need more than 1 day at Busch.

For all the big theme parks, to get round all the popular rides you need a strategy. Start by getting there as soon as or before the gates open, and use any fast pass or single rider¹ queuing system that is available. That should enable you to get the big 3 or 4 rides done by about mid-day. Go and see one of the shows over lunch time - all the shows and spectacles are very well staged, and a sit down in an air conditioned environment is extremely welcome. Grab a bottle of chilled water or an iced coffee for a bit of a pick-me-up. Don't sit in a marked splash zone if you don't want to get wet. Go for something to eat about 3 - most Americans eat lunch at lunchtime, so it'll be quieter later in the afternoon. Alternatively, grab a hotdog or something that can be eaten while watching an afternoon parade. Try to stand on the shady side of the parade route. The queues will die down a bit after 6 as day trippers head home, so use that time slot to go on anything you didn't get to earlier. All the parks have a magical evening fireworks/ illumination spectacular - these are worth staying for, but bear in mind this makes it a very long day - try to have a lie-in the next day.

It is possible to buy tickets for entry to them parks and other attractions before you get to the States. This will save time, and can save money, although it can require a bit of mental arithmetic to work out which pass is going to be the most suitable for your party (3 day/ 7 day/ 14 day etc). Check your tickets when you receive them to ensure that they are actual tickets, not vouchers that have to be exchanged for tickets after a reservation is made.

Downtown Disney - This is a large collection of shops and eateries. Make sure to make a note of where you've parked. A stunning show is La Nouba, from Cirque du Soleil. It's right beside the House of Blues, which makes for a good pre or post show meal. A few doors down is Wolfgang Puck, a very classy restaurant with an eclectic mix of cuisines including sushi and Asian. Planet Holywood is here too. Shops include the world's largest Virgin megastore. There is an indoor Disney video games/play area, but it has a hefty entrance fee.

Waterparks

Non theme park activities

The biggest attraction outside the theme parks is the Kennedy Space Center, over on the eastern coast. It's nigh on impossible to get there by public transport, so plan on going by car. There is ample car parking. There are a number of shows, IMAX screenings and exhibits to get round here, so it pays to get there early. The bus tour, included in the admission price, takes you to 3 different areas: viewing gantry, Saturn V, and the International Space Station. You'd be going pretty fast to do this in under 3 hours, so factor that in when deciding what other attractions to see and do. Lunch with an astronaut is an awe-inspiring experience for anyone with an interest in space travel, and includes a decent buffet lunch. The space shuttle launch experience is an exciting and very realistic simulation, and the recreation of the Apollo 8 launch from a mock up of the control room is very effective. Look out for wild gators in the ditches beside the roads around and near the Center.

Serious lovers of drag racing will enjoy a trip to Daytona Beach.

Those who know the strange and fast sport of Drag racing may want to visit Big Daddy's museum of drag racing.
There are three halls of race cars in the museum, and a small shop outside selling t-shirts, caps, race car models and other paraphernalia.
The museum nicely collects cars from most of the history of racing, focussing on the traditional dragsters, and not so much of the 'doorslammers' and funny cars.
Visitors can follow the history of Don Prudhomme - Big Daddy - through his racing career, most of his cars, all his awards and prizes, along with curious from his tool box and scrap books.
A section is reserved for Shirley Muldowney, one of the most successful female racers, who used to outrun most of the male racers for decades.

Silver Springs, Ocala, is a Nature park. There is a single entrance fee, after that, all activities are free.

The park has lots of alligators in captivity, but also some running loose. Stay a good 4 metres away from any 'gator. They don't usually attack unless provoked, but may mistake small children for food, usually in the evenings.
The park has several boat rides, through the smaller branches of the river (monkeys can be seen in the woods - these escaped years ago and now live free), and on the main river (there are at least two rides, on glass bottomed boats). The water is really clear, and the 5 metre deep spring wells seem close enough to touch. Shells and sand swirl as the water presses up from underground. Tarzan and James Bond movies have been shot in the springs due to the clear waters, and props (fake ancient statues and shipwrecks) are pointed out on boat ride.
There is wildlife galore here: Turtles, alligators and lots of birds, from moorhen to bald eagles, ibis and three kinds of heron, vultures and other. The park rescues birds that have been injured, and releases those that have healed. Some heal to some extent, and are displayed in a 20 minute wild bird show where you can have owl and hawks flying just inches over your head. On another boat trip, you get to view birds that cannot heal - an owl missing an eye, a brain damaged kite that cannot remember how to hunt from one day to the next, so has to be fed manually, a vulture with a missing wing among others.
Spotting the wild birds on this longer trip down river is very exciting, and you may see vultures, ibis and herons, and even a bald eagle. Moorhens, turtles and alligators are very common, and all like to catch the sun, beautifully displaying themselves.
They have a few bears of different types - the honey coloured grizzly is majestic - and also a family of giraffes. You can buy suitable biscuits to feed the giraffes, but beware of the stink! For some reason they have a pungent odour.
On a jeep+trailer trek, they have deer, pigs, llama and a camel, and if you're lucky you will spot more of the monkeys that ran away.
By the gator cage, they have some more birds, like flamingo, and a secretary bird, and an exhibit of lots of kinds of alligators, caymans and crocodiles.

Not far from Gainesville, approximately 2 hours north of Orlando, there is a open air museum and park called Dudley farm. The farm was started in about 1850, and remained operational until the 1940s. The last family member lived at the farm until about the 1980s. The farm has the main home open on the ground floor, so you can peek into the bedrooms. The kitchen is in a separate building, for fire security and to keep the heat away from the living areas. The family kept a general store where the people from neighbouring farms would come for supplies. Guides tell you about how the land was farmed, and how livestock were kept through the years. Turkeys roam freely about the farm, and can be quite impressive to observe.

The Gulf Coast is a long stretch of little seaside towns with white surf, warm blue sea, and a relaxed vibe. Many holiday companies will offer a two-centre package, combining the faster paced theme park whirl with some chill-out time in Clearwater. Day trips are easily managed, and it's worth staying to watch the sun sink into the sea.

Things to pack

Clothing is cheap out there, so tavel light. A light pair of cropped trousers/ long shorts with zipped pockets (for tickets and coins) is ideal. Craghoppers and other outdoor wear clothing companies do a good range of comfortable, hard wearing, lightweight, easily washed and crush proof clothes. Crocs are the ideal footwear for theme parks, as they are comfortable enough to be on your feet all day, and recover quickly from wet raft rides. They can even be hooked over the wrists while swimming. A waterproof backpack, that is easy to wear, and will hold your ponchos, some bottles of water (top up at the many water fountains), sun cream², bite cream, and small enough to stuff into a locker. A sun hat. Sunglasses.

Other useful tips

Avoid alcohol during the day - the heat is oppressive and you can easily become dehydrated. Arrange a meeting point for use if members of the party go missing. Put paper products (tissues, tickets) in a dry pocket if youre going on a wet ride.

4th July will be busy everywhere - expect mammoth queues.

Have a draft itinerary - spread out theme park days with more relaxing ones, and leave a quieter morning for after a late night show or evening activity. But don't be too rigid about changing it!

Eating out is cheap and the quantities are plentiful - a good way to start a long theme park day is with a big breafast at the likes of Shoneys or Perkins. Tipping is expected - the staff are taxed on what tips they ought to have receeived, not what the customers actually gave. Don't expect to see many vegetables during your stay. Most drinks are bottomless - i.e when you finish your coffee or soda, it will be refilled at no charge. Fizzy orange (Fanta)is not common.

Guidebooks - we found the Brits Guide to Florida to be easy to read and packed with useful tips and advice. Given enough notice, they'll even draw up you own tailored itinerary.

The journey home

The trip home might be an hour shorter, allowing for the jet stream, but it will feel very tiring. It is likely to be an overnight trip, travelling East, which means losing about 5 hours. Trying to sleep in a cramped upright position, while the 4 year old beside you is being sick, the 2 year old in front of you is wailing loudly, and the 6 year old behind you is kicking the back of your seat, is a tough job. Try to block out the world around you - use an eye mask and headphones. In an ideal world you'd have those special noise reduction headphones and a tailored playlist on your iPod containg Zero 7, Mozart or whatever sends you to sleep. A more likely scenario is that you will buy one of the airplane's specail headsets and use that to listen to the available music channels on the in-flight entertainment console. The quality of this will be very crackly and intermittent, but then, you'll be interupted every 5 minutes by the cabin crew reminding you to wear your seat belt, the co-pilot telling you that we've only got another 5 hours to go, or the 4 year old jiggling your headset plug.