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.

Since then I use my American Express Platinum card to pay for almost everything while over there. It’s not accepted everywhere in the U.K., but is widely accepted in the U.S. On top of that I get 1.5% cash back on everything I spend, so it’s a win win situation if I pay off my account in full every month. Restaurants will also allow you to conveniently add your gratuity to the bill. So no more struggling through your purse for the correct amount of bank notes for tips, usually ending up with having to give far too much, or embarrassingly not enough!

I always make sure that I call my credit card company to make them aware of my travel plans. This can save them from flagging your account when purchases all of a sudden are showing in the U.S. and will often leave you without a card until you call them. Not an ideal situation when you’re in the U.S. I always have my reliable old MasterCard with me just in case of such emergencies, but have been lucky so far (touch wood).

You will always need a supply of U.S. Dollars with you for small purchases etc. Paying for a cup of coffee or a bottle of water with a credit card is taking it a bit too far! Buffet restaurants will generally take payment for your food on the way in, so cash for tips are best there too and always appreciated. Some major roads in Orlando have pay tolls which will require coins if they’re unmanned and cash if they’re not, so be prepared for that.

Just make sure that you get your Dollars before leaving the U.K. for convenience, and shop around for the best rate as it can vary. Many places will also buy back any currency left over at the rate you paid when you come back home, which is handy if you come back broke! However if you love Orlando as much as I do, you’ll hang on to those few precious Dollars and start planning your next visit to that wonderful place where happy memories are created!

The facts are simple, if you put the pool heat on for guests then they have to have an Add on to their cost. And you as the villa owner pick up the cost. The sun shines most days in the Sunshine state, so why should we not take advantage of this Free source of heat and energy. Plus the fact that it is the green option, and no CO2 is produced.

I looked at the villa next door to Mickey’s Woodland Retreat, and saw a sign that was advertising a solar company that had just fitted solar paneled pool heat to the villa. I asked the neighbours what they thought of the sun heated pool and they were very impressed with the results. I didn’t just take there word for granted but got on the web and checked out the company. 

Superior Solar, 275 Hunt Park Cove, Longwood FL 32750
was the company that installed my neighbours, and it was also my chosen company to install my Solar pool heat.

Tel: 407-331-9077 • 1-800-478-SOLAR (7652)
Fax: 407-331-0305

My contact at Solar was Brian Marinelli, he was brilliant! He explained everything to me, and put my mind at ease. The installation was done in 3 to 4 hours as promised, and with no problems. Plus a 10 year warranty!

I have had guests in since and they all say the same, just brilliant! There is a  control knob, with a temperature gauge. Just turn it up or down, to make the pool warmer or cooler.

I can now quote owners a price that includes pool heat plus free phone calls, high speed broadband, and free private use of the house safe.

What a fantastic package at Mickeys Woodland Retreat