Old Town is also a great place for the family as there are shops and also rides. One of the rides is the highest ride ever it goes by the name of the Sky Rider!!! It takes you up a 300ft pole and when you are at the top you are forced to pull a leaver to plummet down toward the crowds of people watching you fall from the sky. There are also Go-Karts which has a top speed of 15mph and it goes up-up-up and back down again. And if you are afraid of heights there is a smaller one too! The shops are for any one, of any age. There are toy stores and leather stores and many other to please you and satisfy you in any way.

Disney has 7 main parks to choose from, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, these are the best parks in Disney and you would be dumb not to visit.

Animal Kingdom is known for one Rapid Roller Coaster, EVEREST! It is in a Yetis cave and when you’re with a yeti something is bound to go wrong. It is an evil yeti who is angry and rips up the track and you have to fly backward in-stead!!!

Hollywood studios is a great park if you like big scary rides as it has the biggest ride in Disney… Tower of Terror and it is amazing. You take a long journey into… the twilight zone and then when you least expect it, it drops you down into a dark hole. But it also takes you to the top and you can see for miles and another ride you can see from all away up there is Rocking Roller Coaster. It goes 0-60 in 1.4 seconds. It is a race to get to the party before you miss the gig and that, you don’t want. You are looping and spinning and it is an experience of a life time that you don’t want to miss.

Epcot is the one with less rides (more educational) but just as good quality as the other theme parks. Mission space is a ride where the mission is to get to Mars safely but some of you may have never flown a spaceship before so that is a problem. It all goes wrong… will you get there?

Soarin is also a fantastic ride to check out as you take a relaxing journey over many amazing different places. It is like flying with the birdies and you can feel the wind bouncing of your face and it is just so amazing.

Magic kingdom is the main park as it is the biggest and it has the most rides compared to the rest. One of the best rides is Space Mountain because it is inside and you cannot see where you are going. It is extremely bendy and swings you around like you are a toy, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain are two rides that are quite the same as the all swing you around but splash Mountain is a water ride.

Florida lets a dream is a villa that can hold up to 8 people. It has a child’s bedroom which has 3 beds, 1 single and one bunk bed. It is extremely comfortable and has a TV and on the wall and a wardrobe in the corner. It is a very spacious closet that comes with coat-hangers. The room has plenty of space for children to play and drawers to store your cloths.

There are two other bedrooms and one of those is the master bedroom that also has a walk in bathroom which contains

A shower/bath, a toilet and another walk in closet. The bedroom, by the pool, has a large set of drawers with a mirror on top is next to the huge TV on the wall. The bed is very comfy and has a bath towel on ready for your visit. There is also a cupboard which is a bit bigger than the others.

The dining room is a lovely relaxing area and has a lot of beautiful flowers whilst eating a delicious American dinner. The kitchen is right next to the dining area. The kitchen contains a cooker, an oven, a microwave and a dishwasher. There is obviously the things a kitchen would normally have. The fridge has a water machine so you can get a delicious drink in the hot weather.

The living room is very luxurious as the settees are so relaxing and there is a massive TV for your family to watch. There are broachers that we have left for you to read there and coupons which you can use to get cheaper meals.

In the garage there is a pool table for you to enjoy and a football table for the little ones to play. There are also 3 closets. One holds the important things like the brush and vacuum cleaner. The one in the middle is the owner’s cupboard which we forbid you to touch as it as our private things in. and the last one just contains the boiler and the stuff for the beach which you may use.

And finally the pool which is the biggest part of the house as it is not just a pool it is also a pool area which is a place for the whole family to sit and talk. So your kids could be in the pool and you could be relaxing but watching at the same time. You must supervise your children whilst in the pool as if any thing was too happen it would be your fault. And you have a view of fields that go far back.

Theme parks are made to make you scream and shout. Any person in the world would love the opportunity to visit this amazing place.

Walt Disney World is one of the most outstanding places ever.  It is filled with spine-tingling rollercoaster’s and if you don’t like big rides, don’t worry there are smaller ones too.

Theme parks are probably the main attraction of Florida as Disney and Universal are probably the most famous ever. Because of this it has high ratings. It has some spectacular rides that go extremely fast and some that bend and bend until you’re so dizzy you want to go on again, but the highest one of them all is Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. You go up 180 degrease and just drops you helplessly from the sky and you plummet around a bendy, loopy track, you even get to listen to music whilst going around. The Mummy is another great ride at Universal as it was one of the first there. It takes you on a journey into a Mummies Sarcophagus and then into a dark room where it throws you around. There are many amazing rides at Universal and these two are the scariest there but that is for you to decide!!!

Disney has some fantastic rides like Tower of Terror and Rocking Rollercoaster and many more. But it is not just the rides that are awesome but also it is the people and the sights. Disney has some amazing things to see and people to meet. You can meet your favourite Disney characters and you can have a photo with them. Disney rides are made for people big and small, thin and wide so you can ride no matter what size you are.

Another amazing attraction is Air boating. You cruise across lakes and lands in the fields but do be careful as a huge alligator could come and eat you but only if you’re a child!!! There are two types of airboat trips one with a guide and one with no guide. The one with the guide is a bigger boat and he takes you slowly around the river. If you are on your own you can go as fast as you want without anyone to stop you.

Well Christmas is here again and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year for 2011. Glad to say that Florida is not having the snow that the UK is having with more than a foot falling. Although I have been told it has been a lot cooler this year than past years…

I hope that everyone who has been lucky enough to go to Florida, this Christmas was able to get there without too much trouble or with any flight delays or cancellations.

 For us - we are here in the UK for the 1st time in 5years – How lovely. Sure I would have much rather been in Florida Never mind.

Let’s just hope that you have your Holiday well planed if it is over the Christmas and New Year time – lots of places such as “Old Town” and Celebration will have free entertainment.

At Celebration they have a band playing which you can sit and listen to or you can walk around the stalls and shops Celebration also has wine bars and restaurants open till late – a good selection of shops with plenty of extra Christmas ideas and that little something special to take back home with you - they have the Snow fall on the hour, which is entertainment in its self. With horse and carts rides - The little train which will take you around Celebration and then there is the water shoots for the children to play in- remember to bring a change of clothes for them or a towel to dry off with. And of course there is Santa to see – he and his helpers will be found down by the lake, a great opportunity to have a fantastic family photo.

If you’re planning to go to the parks be sure to get there early – once the parks are full they will close the gates to you. I have known this to be as early has 10.00am in the morning be prepared for a long day!!   Eat well and drink plenty. All well worth it – the fireworks are fantastic and the atmosphere is thrilling.

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New year to you all!

This is great because you can pitch your gazebo to protect you from the sun and you can also set up a bar-b-que for lunch.

There are numerous food and beverage outlets along the shore and restroom facilitys. Every 15 minutes or so an ice cream van goes up and down the shore stopping when you flag it down.

You don’t even have to take chairs and umbrellas’ because they can be hired when you’re there. Bikes can be hired to go along the beach and small quad bikes. The one thing i like to do is watch all the custom and classic cars go by, some are amazing but sometimes there music blasters are a bit too load but then again this creates a good friendly atmosphere. There is probably one big down side to some people and that is there’s no alcohol allowed on the beach and they do have patrols going up and down checking.

If you’re worried about safety don’t because when you enter the beach they give you a leaflet which explains about the different currents along the coast line and what you can do and what you’re not allowed to do. When you drive onto the beach they mark out lanes on the sand with cones which makes sure you don’t go too near the sea. There are life guards about every 200 yards so you can be sure your children are watched, the guards are trained to spot when the dangerous currents are approaching and they sound there whistles and shout for people to get out of the water until the danger as passed.

Overall Daytona Beach is a great day out for all the family, its clean, safe, the waters lovely and warm especially during the summer period and you will get a fantastic tan but be sure to put plenty of suntan lotion on.

Wildlife: Wildlife sightings vary depending on the time of year, the weather, and even the time of day. Birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, and a variety of native plants including wild orchids may be seen from the boardwalk. Due to natural predators such as mosquito fish and dragonflies, mosquitos are not a great nuisance in the swamp.

Directions: It is at the end of Sanctuary Road West, north of Immokalee Road (County Road 846), approximately 15 miles east from Exit 111 on I-75. Visible, brown informational signs along Immokalee Road assist in finding the Sanctuary. Do NOT take Exit 123 (Corkscrew Road) which does not connect!

Bok Sanctuary

1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales,
FL 33853. Tel: 863.676.1408.

A place of tranquillity in beautiful surroundings. Bok Sanctuary is a mix of gardens (full of azaleas and camelias in the early Spring), peaceful woodland walks, surprising views (the highest point in Florida), mirror-like lakes, beautiful birds, a coral pink tower from which a carrillon of bells plays music hourly and a live recital at 1pm and 3pm each day - with the shade of centuries-old live oak trees to enjoy the music under. We have been back many times and it is always ‘new’. They have frequent ‘special events’, outdoor concerts, exhibitions and displays. Call ahead to check what’s on or go to: http://www.boksanctuary.org/

Directions from I-4, East or West: Take Exit 55 and proceed south on U.S. Highway 27 for approximately 23 miles. Proceed two traffic lights past Eagle Ridge Mall. Turn left on Mountain Lake Cut Off Road. At the caution light, turn right (south) onto County Road 17 (also known as Scenic Highway). Proceed on CR 17 for 3/4 miles. Turn left (east) onto Burns Avenue (also known as County Road 17-A). Proceed on Burns Avenue for 1.3 miles. On your left you’ll see a main entrance sign to Historic Bok Sanctuary. Turn left for the entrance gate.

Directions: drive South of Haines City on US27 then to Lake Wales on S.R. 60, the park is 14 mi. northeast of the city.

Moss Park (close to Orlando International Airport)
12901 Moss Park Road
Orlando FL 32832

Moss Park offers 1,551 acres of recreational facilities. The park provides two boat ramps, two playgrounds, pavilions, swimming facilities, lake-side beach, ball fields, campsites, hiking trails, picnic areas with grilles, recreations programs, RV campsites, and volleyball courts. The area is open to the public from 8 a.m. To 8 p.m. Admission is $1 per person. Campsites are $10 for Orange County Residents and $15 for the general public. There are discounts for Senior Citizens. Pavilions can be reserved for $50 per day for up to 100 people. The park is located off the 417 Greeneway at SR 15, on Moss Park Rd., 4 miles Southeast of Narcoossee Road .

The more that the theme parks put their prices up the more that people are looking for cheaper alternatives to enjoy their stays in Florida - and to keep the kids happy.

During our Guest’s successive wintering in the sunshine we have built up a valuable ‘store’ of trips to make to places where the admission price was often only a dollar - or maybe just a few dollars more. The greatest source of these is the wonderful resource of Florida state parks and recreation areas and historic sites.

Here are just a few that we have visited and enjoyed ourselves.

Blue Spring State Park
2100 W. French Ave.
Orange City, FL 32763

Named Florida’s best manatee observation point. Blue Spring produces 105 million gallons of crystal clear water a day. Fishing, canoe and kayak rentals, picnic areas, scuba diving, swimming, camping, nature trails and the historic Thursby House. A designated manatee refuge, Blue Spring is visited by numerous West Indian manatees during the winter months. (Best avoid weekends and holidays - very crowded then)
Directions: I-4 W. to Exit 114 in Deland. West to U.S. 17, south to French Ave. in Orange City. West on French Ave. to Park Entrance.

Rock Springs Run Reserve State Park
Off State Road 46 (at entrance to County Road 433; County Road 433 not marked) Sorrento, FL32776

Rock Springs Run State Reserve is approximately 14,000 acres of a variety of plant communities typically found throughout Central Florida’s landscape. The reserve is located approximately 30 miles north of Orlando and easily located off of I-4 at the exit for S.R. 46; then follow S.R. 46 west for almost 10 miles. The property was purchased in March 1983 for habitat preservation, for watershed protection and to provide recreational opportunities in the Central Florida area. Directions: Off S.R. 46, 3 mi. W of Wekiwa River Bridge.

De Leon Springs State Park
601 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
De Leon Springs, FL 32130

Native Americans visited and used these springs as long as 6,000 years ago. By the 1880s, the springs had become a winter resort promising “a fountain of youth.” There is excellent swimming in the spring, which remains at 72 degrees year round. Canoe, kayak, and paddleboat rentals are available for exploring the springhead and spring run. Visitors can enjoy an outdoor picnic or dine at the “Old Spanish Sugar Mill” Restaurant where guests can make their own pancakes at the table. (Great fun for the whole family!) Directions: From I/4 N. of Orlando take SR.17/92, then S.R. 17 to De-Leon Springs, turn onto Ponce de Leon Blvd. The park is located at the corner of Ponce de Leon Blvd. and Burt Parks Rd.

The countries the park has are:

Mexico

Norway

China

Germany

Italy

American adventure

Japan

Morocco

France

United Kingdom

Canada

In these little outlet’s children and adults can learn about different foods and cultures that other countries have to offer.

There also something for the kids to do….they can collect stamps while they are walking around the different countries (the world) once they have collected them they can then exchange these for a free poster making it more likely that the will remember more about EPCOT.

Every ride and attraction helps to teach the audience visitors and guest’s something, whether it is about energy and the “pros” and “cons” of all energy sources as seen in Ellen Degenrees “Universe of Energy” ride, or a historical summary of Man’s achievements on Earth as depicted on the “Spaceship Earth” ride, otherwise known as the giant golf ball ride. This ride is customized for the passenger, allowing you to choose your home country via a computer onboard the ride along with an opportunity to select answers from a series of questions and then creating a future world for the passenger based on your responses.

Overall EPCOT is an educational theme park that goes about furthering this objective in entertaining ways. Many rides are supportive on respectable goals such as conservation, respect for our environment and cultural understanding.

The only ride which I can say I did not like very much was, “The Mission Space simulator” that was only because afterwards I felt quite sick and fuzzy headed.

EPCOT is a great theme park, which I thought was quite a bit larger than Magic Kingdom, and one which offers their guests a truly unique experience; you might even come away learning something new about our world that we live in!

Old Town in Florida is located just off highway 192 in Kissimmee, Florida just 3 miles away from the main entrance to Disney and just a few miles away from Universal Studios and Sea World, Old Town is also very close to hotels. In Old Town you will find dinning, shopping and entertainment for all ages there is also a fair which caters for all ages.

Dinning available at Old Town

KFC – offers you your chicken burgers and mini fillets, chicken strips, popcorn chicken along with side orders like mash potato, potato wedges, corn on the cob, coleslaw, Mac and cheese, home style biscuits.

A & W American food- offers you the well-known food that the whole family love with food like burgers and fries with root beers also served. They offer something the whole family will enjoy.

Blue Max Tavern- the Blue Max Tavern serves lunch and dinner on a daily basis. A full menu is available on arrival. They also have karaoke every night of the week. There is also a pool table and a full bar. Open until early hours of the morning most nights.

Old Town chip shop- is a British style fish and chip shop that offers English style fish and chips and home baked pies and mushy peas. They also offer a range of alcoholic drinks along with soft drinks.

Old Town fun fair- fun spot

Old town fun fair has rides and enjoyment for the entire family. Some of the rides that are on offer are the happy days family go-karts, tea cups, frog hopper, wave swinger, Ferris wheel, merry-go- round, Bumper cars, laser tag, a kid’s roller coaster. All rides require tickets to ride most rides are more than one tickets value ticket packs are available which makes the rides work out cheaper than buying tickets separately.

Though if you plan to ride the fair all day then buying a wristband works out a lot cheaper. 

Live music at Old Town

Old Town also offers live music throughout the year they have about four or five live bands in a month. The bands play on a Saturday night during the Saturday night cruise (with the old cars)

Weekly events at Old Towns

Thursday night is bike night- on a Thursday night is biker night where all bikers are able to come and show off their bikes whether you have a Harley Davison or a chopper come along to Old Town on a Thursday night for a night of fun.