Our flight arrived early at JFK airport and it then took 2 hours in a crowded and stuffy immigration hall to get through. We had a booked a shuttle bus to get to our hotel in Manhattan that was easy enough but by the time he had set off, come back to the airport to pick up more customers and picked up more on the way it was rush hour and it took another 2 hours to get to the city, 15 miles away! So an inauspicious start but once we got there it was fantastic.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on W 45th Street which couldn’t have been better placed for Times Square and 5th Avenue. The rooms were a little smaller than usual so with four of us in there it was a bit of a crush but we only slept there so it was fine.

We had 2 great days sightseeing both on the open top bus and on foot. We went to the Top of the Rock which was amazing, you could see the whole city for miles around, we also went on a boat trip around the island so we could see it from the East River and the Hudson River. It was very, very cold! You really do need thermal underclothes. The Christmas decorations and shop window displays were awesome, very impressive.

We also visited Central Park and watched the ice skating. Then on the Saturday before Christmas it was time for the Orlando part of our holiday and we were all ready for some sunshine. Unfortunately when we got to JFK all flights had been cancelled due to the incoming bad weather, there wasn’t a flake of snow at that point. Again we stood in line for 2 hours to be told we had been allocated a flight on Monday morning. Bad news but at least we weren’t on standby.

We then had to find a hotel and it really was a case of there being no room at the Inn. The only room we could get was at La Guardia airport 6 miles away which we took. Another 2 nights of sharing a room, eating takeaway food as there was nowhere to go and just kicking our heels in Queens! Actually there was a shuttle bus to a shopping mall so at least we got out for a while, by that time the snow had arrived and it was bad everywhere.

We finally got to our villa in Florida on Monday afternoon, greatly relieved to have actually got there and to feel the warm sunshine. Although the weather in Florida this winter has been colder than usual, for us at was positively balmy!

We bought our tickets in advance and printed them off at home. That saved some time at the gates.

We entered the park to be met with different street zones that were not only scary but amusing as well. There were also six haunted houses to visit. Meet Cleaver was our favourite.

My wife has never screamed so much - she nearly lost her voice. The ticket also let us visit on two nights so we did not have to worry too much about getting in all the houses on one night as there was some queuing.

All in all a scary halloween in the heat of Florida at 80 degrees.

Well worth the trip

ICE! at Gaylord Palms

This is a truly memorable place to visit and one you will never forget.  We visited this atttraction a couple of years ago with my two young children and it was spectacular.  It very different to anything that we had visited before and the children really enjoyed themselves. 

ICE is an attraction made entirely out of “Ice”.  The attraction’s main scene is a life-size Nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice.  There are sleighs and reindeers where you can sit in the sleigh and have your photo taken.  There are also great slides which the children (or even the parents) can go down, all made out of ice!

Be prepared though it gets extremely cold in the attraction and you are supplied with Parka coats - do wear them as I have never experienced cold like that before.  Also wear closed in shoes/trainers. 

ICE! is open daily, including holidays.  Event hours vary throughout “ICE! season.”  For further information visit the website http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-palms/best-of-florida-christmas/index.html?source=http://www.gaylordpalms.com/ice

SeaWorld The Polar Express Experience

Guests are invited to jump aboard The Polar Express Experience at SeaWorld for a magical trip to the North Pole.  SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic transforms into a thrilling expedition to the fabled Santa Town. The Polar Express Experience is based on the film from Warner Bros.  The Polar Express Experience provides guests with lighting, scent, sound and motion to transport them to the North Pole … and into the spirit of the season.

When guests arrive at their destination, they step off the train and into the movie itself. Temperatures drop and holiday spirits soar as the travelers arrive at the frozen North Pole, complete with towering Christmas tree, gift-laden sleigh, village decor and Santa himself. The journey continues as guests also encounter other inhabitants of the North Pole — the animals themselves — including graceful beluga whales, powerful polar bears and giant walruses.

Visit http://www.seaworld.com/ for further information.

Christmas in Magic Kingdom

We have visited Magic Kingdom during a many trips to Orlando, but I do love going there during Christmas time.  You get lots of Christmas sprit along Main Street, where you will find Disney elves have decked the halls with towering Christmas trees, colourful lights, bows and garland. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, toy soldiers, and giant gingerbread men greet guests during special daytime runs of “Mickey’s Once Upon a ChristmastimeParade.” The parade is included in regular park admission on select dates.  Pls visit the website for further details.

This is only a few ideas of what to do. Just enter “Christmas in Orlando” on the Interet and you will find plenty of information. 

Happy Holiday!!! 

But one thing we reckon is better than shopping at great prices - is shopping at even lower prices!

Thanksgiving

European visitors to Florida may not be too familiar with Thanksgiving.  It is a major celebration for Americans, and is the fourth Thursday in November.  A few shops continue trading for the day, but the majority of shops and many restaurants close for the day.

The Thanksgiving sales traditionally start on the Friday following Thanksgiving.  But be prepared for an early start - the best bargains are to be had at 5am (yes, really, 5am - that’s 5 o’clock in the morning.  The middle of the night!).

But is it worth an early start?  Many Americans certainly think so, as the shops are busy from the start.

Where to shop

The choice of where to shop for bargains is overwhelming.  The best way to find out where the best offers are is to buy the local newspaper ‘The Orlando Sentinel’ during the week before Thanksgiving.  The Sunday edition is packed with adverts for all the local stores, and makes great reading over a cold drink, lazing by the pool at your villa.  Examples of shops which have fabulous discounts are Wal-Mart, Super Target, Michaels, Best Buy……and many others.

What to buy

Villa owners are often to be found buying electronic goods.  Brand name televisions, video and DVD players enable them to provide extra luxury for guests.  We were delighted to pick up an additional DVD and video combination unit for just $48 (typical price in the UK at the time £75 or much higher).  But these may not be so attractive to visitors from overseas, who have different voltage to contend with.  European visitors may look for portable items such as laptop computers, MP3 players - but do check the voltage required to recharge the batteries.

To avoid concern about voltages, there are bargains to be had on toys, crafts (40% off any one item, or 20% off total bills are typical offers) etc.  DVDs and music are often on offer (the Shrek 2 DVD for $5 was a welcome addition to our choice of films - usual cost of Blockbuster films around $14, which is still great value) - but don’t forget to check if your DVD player at home plays Region 1 discs.

Getting up early

These bargains require a very early start - numbers are limited (but still there are often many hundreds of each item).  We recommend shopping, and then catching up with breakfast at one of the excellent offerings, such as the I-HOP (International House of Pancakes)

During the holiday period at Epcot, from November 27th - December 30th. the Park is transformed into an International Celebration of Christmas traditions from throughtout the World. It is highlighted by the Candlelight Procession with the live entertainment and decorations a sight to not to be missed.

Candlelight processional is held on Selected Nights at The American Gardens Theatre, telling Christmas stories narrated by Celebrity Speakers, accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra and a Full Mass Choir. Whoopi Goldberg is one of the narrators this year. It is very popular, as you can imagine and fills up very quickly, so you need to get there early. You can pre book with a meal package which guarantees your seat at the show and the fireworks. (We didn’t and took our chance by getting there early). 

It is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit and to see and share the magic feelings with people from all over the world but most importantly, your own family. It is truely an amazing atmosphere which we will share again when our next visit takes in Christmas.

Add this to you “Must Do” list, not forgetting The Osborne Lights.

Have a great Christmas at Disney

Mary & Larry

Halloween horror nights at universal is THE BEST experience ever, we have been going now for the past 6 years and always make sure our holiday is around the time when this is on. the best deal out there is the frequent fear pass, you do not need an annual pass to get this, it is a very special offer, you get to go to the horror nights at least 12 times, you get to ride all the rides on the side they are having the horror nights, so not only are you getting to experience all the fun of the horror nights with the haunted houses and scare zones, you are able to enjoy universal also.

We would also recommend the meal deal bands that they have, it is a great deal $19.99 for the whole day at selected restaurants, pizzas, burgers, chinese, fried chicken, pasta, deserts, cookies. it is great for the whole family, something for everyone….

There is also a drinks cup you can buy, if you buy it with your armband your drinks are free all night, if you just buy the drinks cup then refills are about $1 per refill, still a great idea drinks can get quite expensive when you are hot and sticky running around in the hot weather from ride to ride !!!Express pass is great but a little expensive, seaworld and busch gardens are doing similar options now a lot cheaper.

but you can not beat disneys fast pass (FREE) you just have to collect a ticket from each ride you want to go on.

Best times to visit the parks is MAY and September, very quite easy to get on the rides not too much queing

Best restaurants > GOLDEN CORRAL and for the kids a great cheap meal out

all you can eat CI-CI’S Pizza at $5.00 per person for all you can eat pizza, pasta, salad, deserts !!!!!!! great value great taste’

you can find ci-ci’s on international drive, highway 192  vineland rd

Many more opening,

best crazy golf, highway 192 BONANZA golf only $3.99 per person, special offers always in the books, check out all coupons can save you a lot of money over 2 weeks !!!!!

Universal & Busch Gardens actually employ THOUSANDS of extra staff to dress up and SCARE the visitors as they make there way around the Parks. Their costumes are absolutely brilliant and with all of the Scarey bits there are lots & lots of laughs.

Seaworld include their nights in with the price but Disney, Universal & Busch have special ticketed nights so it is best to check the nights & prices out.

Universal have a Special Themed event each year & this year it is from The Silver Screen –CHUCKY & THE WOOLFMAN.

REMEMBER some Halloween Events are NOT suitable for young children. We have this chart below which will give you a good idea of the shows but again it is best to check everything out for your own family.

Halloween 2009 At a Glance

The events really do Blow the Socks off our shows here in the UK and are well worth visiting—IF YOU DARE!!!!!!

Have fun - we are over there so we certainly will

Mary & Larry

It was fabulous to be able to put up a Christmas tree and decorations to get the real feel of Christmas without the UK wind rain and bad weather.

We visited Old Town which is a must for any time of the year on Thursday and Saturday to see the car and motor bike display. but what we really thought was nice was that because Old Town was decorated up so nice with a very large Christmas tree in the centre of the town, excited the children,  that much that they wanted to spend more time in the town walking in and out of the shops and eating and drinking  rather than the “fun-spot” fair.

We also thought it would be nice to have a look at what was going on at Celebration, early evening on New Years Eve. It was fantastic with the hourly snow fall the live music which allowed the children to dance in the snow in the street, there was also face painting, bouncy castle, horse and cart ride, the water fountain and food stalls for the children, for the adults there were plenty of drink stalls which allowed you to buy a glass of wine and wonder around Celebration in a fantastic atmosphere. There were plenty of restaurants open where you were able to sit in and order meals. Overall we thought it was excellent.

We also took a little walk in and out of the back streets to look at the Florida homes decorated up, we took some lovely photos and all pointed out which house we would love to buy, mine of course would have to be one with a large porch and two identical rocking chairs, so we could just watch the world go by……

Visiting the parks during the day was also good, the sun was out, giving you the feel of our UK summer not to hot and not cold, looking at how the parks were decorated for the Christmas theme was amazing; the size of the Christmas tree was out of this world.

Very very enjoyable Christmas and hope we can do it again…..   

If you are visiting Orlando this December, why not visit Celebration and enjoy their “Now Snowing”  & “New Years Eve” Event.

Now Snowing is a month long Winter Wonderland Spectacular featuring strolling Charles Dickens Carolers, photos with Santa, horse drawn carriage rides, and nightly snowfall at 6:00, 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 PM. This event runs up to New Years Eve and Now Snowing Nightly parking and admission are FREE!
 
On Saturday 20 December Celebration hosting the Radio Disney Holiday Concert.  Radio Disney is a 24/7 radio network devoted to kids, tweens and families. Kids help pick the music that is played and are encouraged to interact via a toll-free line to the Radio Disney studio.  The snow starts falling at 6.00 pm and the music begins immediately after with performances by some of the Radio Disny artists. 
Again the event is free and everyone is welcome. 

New Years Eve will be the exciting new family friendly FREE New Years Eve Bash in Celebration Town Center.  On Wednesday December 31st, Celebration Town Center will bring the New Year in with a bang at an all new fun, family friendly celebration like none other. The event will kick off with special performance by Robbie Carrico (American Idol Season 7 Finalist) and Johnny Bulford (Colgate County Music Showdown Challenge winner) followed by the great sounds of multi-talented The Reflections Band and live music throughout the streets. Then as the clock strikes midnight, catch the fireworks spectacular while standing in the final ‘snowfall’ of the year. 
 
I have personally visited the Now Snowing event with my family every Christmas we have been to Orlando.  There is plenty of snow for everyone and the children love playing and throwing the snow at each other.  Christmas music is played whilst snowing and it really makes it a festive occasion.  I actually prefer the snow here than in Disney as a lot more snow falls here and its FREE!  As it takes place on the hour the children get to enjoy it more than once.  We have also visited some of the great restaurants whilst there and it has made a really great evening out.  I would definately recommend a visit if you are visited Orlando during December, Christmas and lead up to New Year.
 
Celebration is conveniently located between Highway 192 and interstate 4 near Walt Disney World.
 
Further information can be obtained by visiting http://celebrationtowncenter.com

A Family called Osborne started decorating their own home in Arkinsaa in the 90s. They grew so much that the crowds of people who travelled for miles to see them were causing traffic jams and the neighbourhood complained until they were stopped. Every year thousands of Dollars were raised for Charities.

When Disney heard this they decided to offer The Osborne lights a place at MGM, which is now Hollywood Disney Studios. Over 1 MILLION lights now are in place with most of the original lights still in the display. 

Disney Hollywood hold this wonderful event every year. Every Fifteen minutes the masses of lights and displays ”Dance” to Christmas Tunes as the SNOW Falls around you. Only in AMERICA but it is certainly a site everyone should see. It is FREE with the admission into the Park during these Christmas dates.

We are fortunately arriving on the 4th of January and will head straight for DHS to catch the last night and it will help us get into the Florida Time Mode, a great way to start anyones holiday.

Mary & Larry Phillips