You’d be hard-pressed to find a small child who is not a big fan of going to the zoo.  Animal Kingdom is like no other animal park your child has ever seen and amidst the animal exhibits are the wonderful attractions characteristic only of Disney. 

Animal Kingdom is the smallest of the Disney parks and allows families with small children ample time to cover  the park at a toddler’s pace.  Your children will enjoy seeing some unusual animals that they may have never seen before like Komodo dragons, anteaters, and the Flying Fox (the largest bat in the world with a wing-span of 6 feet)!

The attractions that you will need to avoid with your small children are Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, It’s Tough to be a Bug and Primevil Whirl.

The rest of the park is totally suitable for all ages including Kilimanjaro Safaris which is a pleasant ride in an open-air safari jeep across the “African Savannah” where riders can view giraffes, zebras, lions and more in their natural habitat.

Your small children will enjoy the Wildlife Express Train or a ride on the TriceraTop Spin which is similar to Dumbo in Magic Kingdom (and always a family favorite) as well as playing in the Boneyard which is a play maze built around dinosaur fossils but don’t miss the fabulous performances.  Our favorite is The Festival of the Lion King.  The colorful costumes, incredible imagery including giant floats with all your favorite Lion King characters, stilt walkers, acrobats, trapeze artists, and talented singers rival the Broadway performance of The Lion King we saw a few years back in New York City!  

Finding Nemo – the Musical is not to be missed by little Nemo fans!  This colorful live performance with actors and puppetry is a shortened  re-telling of the movie only with original music numbers added in.

Flights of Wonder is an interesting program but may not be interesting enough for young children.  And if your children have a fear of birds, then this may a good one to avoid as some of the birds will be flying over the audience.

Our family villa is located on the Indian Point sub division in Kissimmee and is only 8 miles from the Disney World theme parks. As most people don’t know much about Kissimmee itself, here is a little information about the City and it’s history.

Kissimmee is 17 miles S of Orlando, and 68 miles E of Tampa.  It’s located in Osceola County in Central Florida along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, which is locally referred to as Lake Toho. It has a large Hispanic population which includes a large number of Puerto Ricans.

Kissimmee History

The area was established in the mid-19th century and was known as Allendale. Kissimmee was incorporated as a city in 1883. Hamilton Disston was mainly responsible for the initial growth of the municipality. His large drainage business was located in Kissimmee. Disston had a contract with Florida to drain the southern portion of the state, in return for owning half of the acreage he successfully drained.He also deepened the Kissimmee River, so products could be shipped into the Gulf of Mexico and points beyond and  became one of the largest single landowners in the nation.

The Kissimmee shipyard produced steamboats to transport people as well as goods for Disston’s dredging and land speculation enterprises. The steamships lost a significant amount of business due to the popularity of trains for transporting people and goods. The Kissimmee area became a prominent location for raising cattle.

In 1884 W.B. Makinson, Sr. opens Makinson Hardware in downtown Kissimmee, which remains Florida’s oldest operating hardware store.

 Disney World opened in 1971 and tourism and development became the main factors for the economy and the cattle industry decreased in importance.

 In 2004 (while our family were at our villa) Hurricane Charlie caused major damage to homes and buildings. Luckily our villa only suffered superficial damage.

Kissimmee Activities

The Osceola County Softball Complex is a popular location and includes five quality softball fields. The Austin-Tindall Regional Park is popular for sports activities.

The city features a large water park and numerous golf courses including Kissimmee Golf Club, Ginn Reunion Resort Golf Course and Kissimmee Oaks Golf Club.

 Excellent fishing opportunities are available at Lake Toho.

Visitors have opportunities to take a tour of the region’s working cattle ranches and the Boggy Creek wetlands.

Close by, Lake Buena Vista is popular for outdoor activities. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is well known for its largemouth bass fishing. Residents and visitors can easily take day trips to Melbourne Beach and other shoreline destinations.

Kissimmee Attractions

• Oldtown.
• Osceola Centre for the Arts.
• Osceola County Historical Society & Museum.
• The Houston Astros participate in Spring Training in Kissimmee at the Osceola County Stadium.
• Silver Spurs Arena is popular for concerts and other events.
• Warbird Museum restores World War II aircraft to flying condition. Tours are available of the work shops, planes and aircraft which are being restored.
• Osceola County Historic Courthouse.
• A world of Orchids.
• Green Meadows Petting Farm.
• Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf.
• Jungleland Zoo.

Our aim was to head for Vero Beach and then head off up the coast to Melbourne. so we headed along Highway 60 for the coast. For those of you that like a long straight road in cruise control then you will not be disappointed.

It took us about one and half hours from Haines City before with reached the east coast and Vero Beach.

So we parked the car and headed for the beach where we stumbled across the Driftwood Resort right on the Talnatic coast.

This was a hotel made from Driftwood. so we sat there at the bar looking out at the blue whilst supping and beer and a cocktail. I would recommend eating there and making an afternoon of it.

A very clean and pleasant place to visit.

Whilst surfing the internet to get an idea of prices, I came across floridatix, which seemed to have the best prices – between £107 - £189 per ticket.

There are 6 types of tickets available to use at Discovery Cove:

Ultimate Adventure Swim

1 day at Discovery Cove, including unlimited access to the Coral Reef (snorkel with thousands of tropical fish), Ray Lagoon (snorkel with hundreds of rays), Resort Style Pool (with sandy beach) and Free Flight Aviary (home to more than 250 tropical birds), and including a 30mins reserved Dolphin Swim Experience

Also included are a generous continental breakfast, 3-course freshly prepared lunch, unlimited snacks, fresh fruit and smoothies, also water, sodas, and (for over 21s) beer and wine.

Complimentary all-day self-parking, sun loungers, lockers, towels, sun cream, showers, snorkels and either a swim vest or wetsuit.

14 consecutive days unlimited admission to Seaworld, Aquatica and Busch Gardens (including free transportation to Busch Gardens from International Drive, and various locations in Kissimmee).

Ticket available without Dolphin Swim Experience: Ultimate Adventure Non-Swim

Choice Of Adventure Swim + 14 DaysBuschGardens

14 consecutive days unlimited admission to Busch Gardens (including transport) only.

(As the Ultimate, but doesn’t include Aquatica and Seaworld).

Ticket available without Dolphin Swim Experience: Choice Of Adventure Non-Swim + 14 DaysBuschGardens

Choice Of Adventure Swim + 14 Days Seaworld

14 consecutive days unlimited admission to Seaworld only.

(As the Ultimate, but doesn’t include Aquatica and Busch Gardens).

Ticket available without Dolphin Swim Experience: Choice Of Adventure Non-Swim + 14 Days Seaworld       

Notes

Check-in begins at 8am daily

Children must be 6 years old to swim with dolphins

Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult to enter Discovery Cove

One swim ticket must be booked per party

Only sunscreen provided (safe to animals) can be used (additional sunscreen factors SPF 15 & 30 can be purchased)

Limited capacity – calendar on flordiatix website shows which days are booked up.

Location

Discovery Cove
6000 Discovery Cove Way
Orlando, FL 32821

To get to Boca Grande we would take the causeway from the Mainland.  On Placida Road we saw this cluster of buildings just after the causeway and discovered amongst other things a restaurant called the Fishery.  It looked a bit of dump from the outside and what was the Fish Market which serviced 18 fishing boats is now a derelict building, around the corner you come to the charming restaurant. There is now only one fishing boat as time marches on.

Initially it did not particularly appear attractive at all despite backing onto the bay.  We steered clear, but we read reviews and spoke to some people who recommended it, so we thought we would give it go.

We went midweek one evening and entered the restaurant to be pleasantly surprised, the staff were friendly and the place was busy with a mixture of locals and tourists, it oozed character we were shown to a table by the large picture window which overlooked Gaspiralla Sound, and the other small islands in the area.  There was a long dock where people who had come by boat could tie them up. There was a car park for us mere mortals.

We ordered from the extensive menu, there is lot of fish as you would expect but also steaks for the likes of me, I was impressed by the basket meals they did as well, portions were huge, and prices were average and did not break the bank.

Before our food arrived on that first visit, we went out onto the dock and marvelled at view, it was so relaxing watching the pelicans dive bomb in the water for their tea. Then we saw a dolphin swimming close to shore looking for his tea as well.  

We went back inside and promptly told the waitress about the dolphin, we were excited to see dolphins in there natural environment, which was quite simply amazing.   She was unmoved and commented they were there most nights.  She added that when she was a kid around 20 years ago she would go down the Fish Market which at that time was the home to the fishing boats and feed up to 20 dolphins who would gather waiting for the local fishermen who landed there catch in the hope of getting some titbits, that must have been some sight!!. On another visit when we came out there was mother racoon with her cubs and mother cat with her kittens.  It is obviously a routine that diners bring leftovers from the meals out for them and on this occasion the racoon and the cat were in competion for the food while their young continued to play together in the bushes.

It was lovely to watch them and added to charm of the place, so if you are ever in this part of Florida then we can recommend a trip to the Fishery not only for the food but to see some of the Florida Wildlife.

The Fishery continues to serve good food and dolphins can be seen on a regular basis.

Most of the helpful tips apply to most villas, has most owners like to try and add a little extra to help out, with your holiday, we know and understand that it is expensive when you have children.

In our kitchen units next to the cooker you will find different kind of beakers example would be a beaker from “Blizzard Beach Park” – to buy in the park these are around $12.00 once you have brought one you can refill your cup all day long “free” IF YOU take the ones in the villa you can “BUY A BAR CODE” for the cup. And it will only cost around $6.00 and still fill them up all day long …..Half the price!!! Allowing you, extra dollars to spend elsewhere.

In most of the parks you can also buy a meal deal ticket each, around $20.00/$30.00 buy it in the morning and eat all day long……make it good Value for money.

If you buy things out of the parks (hats, tops, teddies ect) ask if your day ticket gives you a discount…(10%)

When you start packing remember there no need to pack any towels at all, there are plenty of towels in our villa for the bathrooms, some children’s picture beach towels to use around the pool or to take to the beach, I’ve also left out a couple of picnic box’s for you to use and kept in the freezer are the ice Blocks to keep your picnic cool, in the garage you will also find a couple of beach chairs to take.

In most of the villas nowadays including ours, the garage normally holds children’s activity games such as pool or snooker, air hockey. These do come in handy for the wet days in Florida or the days that the parents really do need a rest day.. Also again including our, a lot of the villas will have WIFI or internet access.

We very often drive to St Cloud which is an easy run on the 192 and you get to experience a much laid back way of life. During our last visit we came across a free local paper that I think is worth its weight in gold. It’s called “Orange Peel Gazette” and it advertises itself as “The hottest little paper in town”.

It has a mind field of information in it plus articles, adverts and quiz’s.  Local handy men are cheaper to hire and as a property owner, invaluable for finding local business that are just a phone call away and who actually turn up to give you a quote.

We were looking through and found this brilliant Seafood restaurant, called “One Eyed Grouper”.

It’s on Canoe Creek Road, behind Winn-Dixie Plaza and is open 7 days a week. You can get, oysters, grouper, clams, crab, and even gator bites, they also do burghers and ribs for the kids if they do not want to be adventuress enough to tackle the gator bites. (I love them)

They also do an “All you can eat” Fish and fries at $9.95 before 6pm. Mondays special is dinner for two at only $11.99. Very good value for money and you will definitely need a siesta around the pool after trying the all you can eat.

This little paper gives you everything from local barbers, locksmiths and where to get your BBQ apron embroidered.

One I liked the best was an article about  what to do if you are ice fishing and your car breaks through the ice in water more than  fifty feet deep. “Remember to exhale slowly as you descend to avoid bursting your lungs. Also to watch out for “Walleye” and if possible, note their approximate depth and what they are feeding on”!!

Last thing you would be able to do when your freezing cold, wet, and fighting for breath is to watch for Walleye!

Pick a paper up the next time you drive through St Cloud, you will be fascinated by it.

Jackie Wakelin

Festival Bay is next to the Belz Designer Outlet shopping mall - or rather next to what used to be Belz, as this mall is now known as Prime.  And it is easy to find - just head north on International Drive, and you will drive past Festival Bay, on the right towards the top of I-Drive.  The I-Ride trolley service runs right by Festival Bay, which can also be approached from The Mall at Millenia.

Festival Bay is now well established, albeit with several units still unoccupied.  As these empty stores are filled, so this will become a more serious competitor to the existing malls.  But already there are some exciting shopping opportunities.

Ron Jon’s

Ron Jon’s Surf Shop is one of the anchor stores at Festival Bay.  Renowned for its wide choice of surfwear, a visit to Ron Jon’s used to mean a trip along the Interstate to Cocoa Beach.  But not any more - Ron Jon’s has come to Orlando!  Whilst there are other surfwear stores in the area (PacSun have several outlets), this really is a welcome addition, packed full of surf labels.

Bass Pro

Outdoor activities are catered for at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, specialising in not just fishing equipment (the name gives that much away), but also other outdoor activities such as boating and hiking.  Why not treat yourself to one of the power boats lined up outside?

Vans Skate Park

Vans Skate Park provides the opportunity to practice skateboard and roller blade skills.

Other Stores

The range of other stores continues to increase.  Our favourites include shops specialising in Hawaiian fashions and products, an excellent discounted book store - and, of course, the opportunity to stop for an ice cream or coffee.

Cinema

A multi-screen cinema is the prime entertainment on offer - the opportunity to put your feet up and relax in front of a blockbuster movie (visitors from overseas will no doubt get the opportunity to catch a film several months ahead of its release in their home country).

Our Verdict

Festival Bay promises to deliver even more as it continues to develop.  Its location provides the opportunity for a real shopping blitz - by starting at the Mall at Millenia, and then joining I-Drive and working south through Prime, Festival Bay and the Premium Outlets.

Being completely new to this we were unsure what the dress code should be but it sounded like quite a smart affair so we returned to the hotel and showered and changed ready for the evening. We embarked at 4.30, the day was beautiful, blue cloudless sky, sea like a millpond and the sun slowly setting behind us. We took a seat in the middle, quite near to the front and prepared to enjoy the experience, champagne in hand!

The men were enlisted to unfurl the sails, we set off and it was absolutely wonderful. The ship ploughed smoothly through the very light chop whilst we were in the lee of the island then suddenly we were out into the open sea and there was much more movement and as the bow of the ship dipped into the water it sent lots of spray onto the boat, this was all good fun until suddenly a huge wave came over the top, right over us. We were absolutely drenched from head to foot, my hair was soaked, my white trousers had become transparent. I couldn’t do anything but laugh, everyone else was laughing and cheering so I stood up and took a bow to a huge round of applause! I was congratulated for being such a good sport and although i did feel a bit a silly for not being appropriately dressed it was great fun. The only thing to do then was to carry on drinking champagne and not to worry about it.

When we got back into harbour did we go back and get changed? No - we had realised by then there is absolutely no need - in Key West anything goes!