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

Blizzard Beach is as you would guess set around a snow capped mountain.

They have an area called melt away bay this has a wave pool, the children love this area.

Summit plummet is as it suggests a large water slide when you are at the top it seems almost vertical but for the brave at heart it is a great thrill ride.

It Is said to be the worlds fastest and tallest free fall body slide , and believe me it certainly does live up to its reputation.

To take you to the top of mount gushmore you would take the cable car, or walk if you are feeling energetic (always take the cable car myself)

On mount Gushmore there are several rides team boat springs, this is a raft ride that all the family can do together.

The toboggan racers are great fun here you lay down on your tummy and race the rest of your family you can race up to eight people at a time

There are lots more rides in Blizzard and all are great.

Typhoon Lagoon

Is set around a dessert island the rapids is a gentle ride where you float around the park on a large rubber ring you can get off at several places.

Here in this park there are 9 water slides and the main area is a beach ,when the hooter sounds it has a huge rolling tide.this is great fun but the wave is very strong so if you are a bit unsteady don’t go too far in.

Aqatica

This is the newest of the water parks in the area, and is located by sea world. It is said to have 36 slides ( I have never counted them myself) The main slide is a clear plastic tube slide that runs through a lagoon filled with dolphins. There is also a large beach area. As with all water parks refreshments are readily available

Wet and Wild

I believe this is the oldest of the water parks, it is conveniently situated at the bottom of International Drive

They have several rises that all family members can go on together. The two person hydro capsule blasts you off. My favorite is the black hole, but wont spoil it for you. If you decide you just want to go in the afternoon I believe they do a discount.

What ever water parks you try you will not be disappointed

 MAGIC KINGDOM

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:  tickets are required for the merriest Christmas party. This usually starts at 6.00 and you can see the snow fall on Main Street, also enjoy cookies and cocoa to help keep you warm, and watch a magical holiday parade with characters in festive costumes, and a special presentation of Wishes fireworks around the castle. All the rides are open as usual.

You can meet Santa Claus at the small garden next to City Hall.

EPCOT

The entrance to Epcot has beautiful poinsettia trees. The Lights of Winter illuminate the walkway between Future World and World Showcase, they light up with festive musical scores. Also the fountains at the entrance dance along to the music.

There is a Tree Lighting Ceremony each night at 6pm. All the lights go out and then the tree comes to life.

Candlelight Processional: There is a wonderful choir and orchestra together with a guest narrator. Lots of carols and festive songs to listen to.

Storytelling around World Showcase: As you stroll around the World Showcase, there are storytellers from each of the countries.

IllumiNations, Reflections of Earth: Not forgetting the daily firework and music spectacular with extra fireworks at the end just for Christmas.

 DISNEY-MGM STUDIOS

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights: Lots of lights on the buildings and they twinkle along with the music. Snow is falling as well!!

The parade has lots of characters in their Christmas finery!

DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Jammin’ Jungle parade has characters dressed in their Christmas finery.

Camp Minnie-Mickey has carolers and photo opportunities with the characters in their Christmas get ups.

DOWNTOWN DISNEY

There are carolers and live music at Downtown Disney and Father Christmas can be found in his hut by the lake.

DISNEY HOTELS

All the Disney hotels put on a great show. There are beautiful swags in the lobbies, wonderful trees, there are roundabouts made from chocolate, houses made from gingerbread and lots of other decorations.

ICE AT GAYLORD PALMS

Have a great time looking at the ice sculptures at Gaylord Palms. You will need to be warmly wrapped up and you are supplied with extra thick coats while you walk through the Ice Pavilion.

These “vacation rental homes” (villas as the Brits call them) usually sleep upwards of 10 (in the 4 BR/2BA variety) and are spacious enough to accommodate two families on vacation (holiday as the Europeans call it). That is a significant savings and the Europeans have been taking advantage of this for years! Savings continue by not having to eat every meal in a restaurant.

When we are on vacation (holiday), our kids want their favorite breakfast cereal and milk along with watching TV when at home, but always seem to order foods in restaurants that they never seem to like or finish. And it usually costs way too much. Get dressed, drive around looking for food, and wait in line to eat breakfast out with a family of 5 and you will easily spend $25 or more.

Enjoy a lazy morning in your rented home, then let the kids jump in the pool while you plan the rest of your day. Saves time, saves trouble and saves money! First, there are no lines, no carts no check-in. They knew you were coming and the key is waiting. You pull up to the garage and you’ve pulled up to the front door. You are treated like royalty – you are on the first floor and the views are usually more than just a parking lot. You don’t get one room with two double beds and a single small bathroom. Awaiting you are four bedrooms and two bathrooms, a villa that sleeps 10 comfortably. Add to that all the comforts of home and a private screened-in heated pool. You are off to a “royal” start.

Most of these homes are in residental short term rental neighborhoods and are close to grocery stores and all the main attractions. Disney is usually no further than any of the hotels. Enjoy the Parks – Enjoy your Rental Home! The kids want to get up early. Fine, they have the whole house to themselves. Most homes multiple televisions as well as Playstation, Xbox or other console games - which the kids get to play, far away from you. Close the bedroom door and it is just the two of you. Have a relaxed morning breakfast or family dinner on your schedule and not on some restaurant’s waiting list timetable.

Now that is how a family vacation should be! So, consider renting a home the next time you head down to Disneyworld. You may never go back to renting a cramped hotel room again.

Back in the day when the kids were little, a full day at the parks was exhausting for them.  Well, these days, they’re like energizer bunnies and never quit and full days at the parks are now exhausting not for them, but for us aging parents!! So, seeing that Sea World was running their “2 nd day free” offer, we took advantage of it to split up the park over two days.  We arrived around 5:00 p.m. and immediately had our tickets validated for the next day.  Our first stop was “Blue Horizons.”  This was certainly not the dolphin show that I remembered!  This show had birds, trapeze artists, divers and special effects –wow! Next it was on to “Shamu Rocks” where I had a great time moving to the beat of tunes from my era.  Shamu had quite a few friends now and was a lot bigger than I remembered!

We went to “Wild Arctic” next which had been transformed into the “Polar Express” for the Christmas season.  I didn’t expect to be going on a virtual reality ride at Sea World but hey, I’m not complaining!  It was great fun and the effects coupled with scenes from the movie (which was brilliant) made for a very unique experience.  We came out just in time to gather at the Waterfront for “Mystify” which is the night-time finale featuring fountains and fireworks – another pleasant surprise. 

We were anxious to return the next day!  We immediately lined up for the popular roller coaster, the Kraken followed by The Journey to Atlantis.  Thrill rides at Sea World was also a very new experience for us all – and thrilling they were!  We went on to enjoy all of our old favorites including the Penguin Encounter, the Clyde and Seamore show, the Manatee Rescue, and the Shark Encounter

We thoroughly enjoyed seeing Shamu once again in “Believe” and our favorite show of the day was “Odyssea” at the Nautilus Theater.   This was a beautiful performance in the tradition of Cirque Du Soleil.

So, if you haven’t been to Sea World in awhile, it’s definitely time for you to return!

One attraction that we have visited a couple of times (and will no doubt do so again) is the Kennedy Space Centre, around an hour’s drive away from the attractions on Florida’s east coast. The space centre is a huge attraction, and is of such significance that the area is known as ‘The Space Coast’. Many flights from Europe will cross the Florida coast around the Space Centre, giving visitors their first glimpse.

History of Space Travel
The sixties were the era of space travel, when the USA and USSR competed to establish which superpower could develop their space programmes quickest, with the aim of landing the first man on the moon. There are many exhibitions and film shows covering this era, which brings back memories for anyone who grew up through the sixties. A full scale Saturn rocket is on display, as well as other actual models - including a piece of moon rock. The most memorable Apollo missions are described in detail through film and demonstrations – including Apollo 11 (when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon) and Apollo 13 (the mission which was struck by disaster, and was later recreated in the film of the same name, featuring Tom Hanks).

These missions were launched from the Kennedy Space Centre, and the launching pads are still in use today for shuttle launches (see below).

Shuttle Missions
More recently, shuttle missions have been launched from the Space Centre. Some of these have been manned, others unmanned, and carry goods (or ‘payload’) on behalf of many corporations. At the time of writing (November 2008) shuttle launches are being scheduled for the coming year - the exact dates can be checked with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Parts of the Centre will be closed during launches - so the Space Centre is best avoided during these times. Alternatively, you may feel this is a great time to visit - there is something majestic about watching one of these huge rockets slowly lift off, then gather speed and gradually disappear from view Launches are visible from many miles away. We recommend checking before travelling if a launch is scheduled, and what facilities will be open.

Other Facilities
A tour of the Centre by bus is offered - this is recommended, as it provides an insight into the mysteries of space travel, and allows you to visit areas which are otherwise inaccessible.

Did man really land on the moon?
There are many theories about whether the moon landing events really took place. Come and see the evidence, and decide for yourself!

The Orange County park is built around one of the Apopka area’s crystal clear springs. Rock Springs bubbles up from a cleft in a rock and, instead of spreading out into a pool, becomes a swiftly running stream that quickly slows to a meander. The activity of choice here, and the major reason for the park’s obvious popularity, is riding down the stream in an inner tube or on a float. Being that the water source is a natural spring, the water is crystal clear and cool, but not too cold. The depth varies between 2 to 4 feet deep, so it is possible to walk in the river, although you have to watch out for rocks and weed.

About two thirds of the way down, the river widens out into a series of pools, surrounded by grassy areas to sunbathe and picnic. Here you can swim and snorkel, or just continue on your way on your tube. The whole tubing trip takes about 25 minutes.

The park area by the lazy river has an excellently maintained system of boardwalks, so it is easy to get out, make your way to the start, and go down again.

Another actiovity loved by children is searching the river bed for fossilized sharks’ teeth, left behind when the area was at the bottom of a shallow sea.

Most of the rest of the park is given over to nicely shaded picnic tables, most with a barbecue nearby. There are restrooms and it is possible to buy very basic food here, but taking a picnic, or a barbecue, would be best.

The park is very popular with locals, so it might be best to avoid weekends.

Don’t make the mistake we made, and drive into the park without your tubes. Tubes are not available in the park, so unless you bring your own, stop at one of the tube rental shops near the park entrance before you go in. They are not expensive.

Another word of warning – alcohol is not allowed in the park, and this is enforced. We saw a couple having to pour their beer away before being escorted unceremoniously out of the park by the Sheriff.

To find the park, take the Rock Springs Road north from Apopka; right onto Kelly Park Road and follow the signs.