Busch Gardens have now opened the new Sesame Street Safari of Fun. It is more for the little ones, which we believe, is needed as there are limited kiddies rides at a lot of the Parks. The height restrictions imposed at the parks can spoil the family day as the great disappointment for the little ones when they are turned away brings the whole family down.

The music filled area with the African dance tunes keeping everyone’s feet tapping while the kids can enjoy the kid size rides, water fun and lots of surprises waiting!!

Elmo’s Tree House is great climbing fun and Grover’s desert ride has the children all screaming with joy. They have now introduced the Dine with the Characters experience, this added with all of the Bigger rides helps keep all of the family well and truly entertained.

Aquatica’s Omaka Rocka ride has brought lots of comments from the guests at our villa and they are all GOOD!! Evidently, you get the same experience of snowboarding and skateboarding as you speed down the water slides into massive funnels, experiencing weightlessness as you can ride the curves up and down and even go backwards. Everyone can join in and enjoy the ride without being professional, even a Granddad has improved his ”Street Cred” with his family!! which he couldn’t help but mention in our guest book.

Larry & I are certainly looking forward to taking our grandchildren ( he needs some “Brownie Points of late!!) 

Have fun

Mary & larry

No matter what time of year it is, people who love Florida do not need an excuse to make their way to The Sunshine State for a little rest and relaxation.  Accommodation in Florida is remarkable with hundreds of Disney villas, Florida villas, Orlando villas, Florida vacation rentals and villas near Disney that are available to rent.

There are many reasons visit Florida for a vacation, but for those who do not know a lot about this lovely southern state here a few of the top reasons that make this Florida the US of A’s fourth most populous state.

Theme Parks – Many individuals would say this is their number one reason for taking a vacation Florida.  Theme park fanatics, most especially Disney fans, often head to The Sunshine State every year to get their dose of magic. Orlando, of course, is at the center of the theme park kingdom, with the four parks of the Walt Disney World complex, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and SeaWorld Orlando.  However do not forget about Tampa’s Busch Gardens Africa, which is also an excellent amusement park, almost always landing on annual top 10 lists for theme park enthusiasts.

Beaches, beaches and more beaches – according to many people, this is the number one reason for coming to Florida.  The ability to sit on The Sunshine State’s incredible beaches and enjoy the soft sand, warm water, and beautiful sunsets you will find there.  Florida has thousands of miles of coastline and the beaches are many and quite varied in their type.  Choose your favorite, from Tony South Beach in Miami, the place to see and be seen, to the white sanded family oriented beaches of Siesta Key, near Sarasota.  There are also the Panhandle beaches like popular Destin or the beaches of the northeast, including Fernandina and Ponte Vedra, as well as the beaches of the Keys and those in the southwest, like Sanibel and Marco Islands.  Wherever you go, you will find a Florida beach where you can sun, swim, and enjoy the view.

Sports – Major league sports are a very important part of life in Florida.  With teams like the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays calling Florida home, it is no wonder some visitors head to The Sunshine State annually just to enjoy the sports that take place there all year round.  From NFL football to NHL hockey to pre-season and regular season baseball.  Add to that all the wonderful college teams in the state and it’s easy to understand why Florida is a sportsman’s mecca.

Nightlife – Nightlife sizzles in many parts of the Sunshine State.  On the east coast, the most popular nightlife spots are Miami Beach, Ft. Lauderdale (especially during Spring Break), West Palm Beach, and the other towns in that area.  In central Florida, the Walt Disney World complex has its Pleasure Island area 9currently being refurbished), where adults can party as if it is New Year’s Eve each and every night.  Universal’s City Walk appeals to nighttime revelers as well, with its many restaurants and bars.  On the west coast, Tampa’s lively Ybor City area is a favorite with the under 30 crowd, but the remainder of Gulf Coast beach towns also offer a good collection of nightclubs and other popular party spots geared towards various age groups.

National Parks/Natural Sites – Florida is home to about a dozen national parks, monuments, and seashores, all of which are a joy for the visitor to explore.  A must see is expansive Everglades National Park, which occupies much of the southwest portion of the state.  The largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., the Everglades is home to many rare species of animals, birds, and plants, and an airboat ride to view them is a must.  State Parks throughout Florida are excellent as well, like Sarasota’s Myakka River Park where guests can experience a diverse natural area of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands; or the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, where visitors can take a prairie buggy ride along one of Florida’s largest stretches of dry prairie.

Watersports – Florida is a state surrounded by water and for this reason you will no doubt want to take advantage of the many watersports available there.  You can take your pick, from calm water related pursuits like fishing or sailing to more exciting adventures, such as jet skiing, SCUBA diving, kite or wind surfing, wake boarding, parasailing, and more.  With 8,500 miles of shoreline, 7,800 lakes, 320 springs and 35 rivers, the possibilities are endless!  Many beach hotels offer free use of non motorized watercraft and outfitters throughout the state peddle charter fishing cruises, dive lessons, and other opportunities which enable you to enjoy Florida’s beautifully warm waters.

Shopping – Every good vacation has a little shopping time built in (and why not).  In Florida, the shopping options are many and varied, ranging from upscale shops in ritzy South Beach, Miami and beautiful St. Armand’s Circle near Sarasota to popular outlets in Ellenton (near Tampa), St. Augustine, Naples, Florida City, and Orlando.  You’ll also find everything in between at the many malls that dot the Florida landscape.  For real bargains also try the Farmers Markets and Flea Markets dotted all around the state.

Key Lime Pie - Okay, you can get this pie in some other parts of the South too but this delightful confection originally had its start in the Florida Keys.  In fact, nearly every restaurant in the Keys, especially in Key West, serves this dessert.  The key lime tree arrived in Florida in the 1500s and recipes for the pie began appearing as early as the late 1800s, though it became really popular in the 1930s.  Some restaurants make it with graham cracker crust, others with pastry crust.  Either way, it’s a Florida must have several times over.

History – While most people tend to visit Florida for the recreation, the state’s interesting history is one of those side perks visitors can experience while exploring the region.  From the Spanish style architecture of St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European established city in the U.S., to Tampa and its ties to the cigar industry, to the rich military history of the Panhandle, Florida excites and educates visitors who enjoy gaining a little knowledge while on vacation.

Arts and Culture – Florida is filled with museums and entertainment venues both up and down both the East and West coasts and everywhere in between.  Visitors can buy tickets for rock concerts, Broadway style shows, dinner theatre, and much more, in major cities like Tampa, Sarasota, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, Jacksonville etc.  Other cultural sites include incredible art museums (check out the Ringling Museum in Sarasota), history museums (found in nearly every county), aviation museums (like the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola), and science museums (including Tampa’s excellent Museum of Science and Industry).

Yet again more changes to the Theme Park prices, there are so many packages now it is really difficult to choose the best deal that suits your family requirements.

In readiness for the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando have announced a new ticket pricing structure called “U Select”. It is similar to the Disney “Magic Your Way” ticket system where you buy a base ticket for a number of days with the option to park hop if you wish. Presumably this is to encourage visitors to stay longer than just one or two days during their vacation. Just like Disney they want you in THEIR Parks to spend your money to make up for the smaller crowds.

You can buy either a one, two, three, four or seven day pass to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks (excluding separately ticketed events such as Halloween, Thanks Giving, Christmas Shows). If you wish to visit both parks on the same day, then you can upgrade to the park-to-park access option.

Though the adult one day ticket remains the same price at $79 plus tax, the two day ticket is considerably more expensive than it used to be. By buying three or more days then the “day rate” drops. Tickets are valid for up to 14 consecutive days from the date of first use but there is not a optional “no expiry” charge like the Disney tickets. If you are still not confused to which is the best for YOU there is more!!!

The joint Universal and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment tickets known as Orlando Flex tickets have also gone up in price by $25.

We think everyone needs to get as much information that is going to help them get the best deal and save them some money. Most home owners will do their best to help but it will still come down the the guests prefered choice.

With all of this going on, we still feel the Fun, Entertainment, Shows and the Magic is still worthwhile.

Happy Holidays

Mary & Larry

When it comes to eating there is so much choice you won’t nowhere to go there are restaurants just about everywhere and of course there a fast food places such as MacDonald’s and KFC. But of course you can also shop at Wal-Mart and make your own food which is better if you’re on a budget.  There is everything in America that there is in every country so you would find something you liked.

If you like going out at the night time then there are clubs pubs and also family entertainment such as old town and down town Disney which is a Disney run place. Which is free and there are shops and theatres and performances which kids and adults will enjoy. Old Town is a little town on the 192 between marker 10/11 which is good if you want to go out for an hour or for 5 hours there is always things to do look around the shops watch the live band, have cold or hot drink, food or something real British like good old fish and chips or look at all the kitted up cars and motorcycles that run down the main street on Friday and Saturday evenings. There are all sorts of shops from sweet shops to clothes, jewellery, Florida merchandise shops. Old town also have a now large “Fun Spot” There is also a place called boardwalk which is also run by Disney where there is shops and restaurants where you can chill and on the night you can also see the fireworks from magic kingdom and Epcot.

There are really good places to go shopping like the Florida mall to the Osceola mall to lake Buena vista there are expensive brands for small prices.

During October the Food and Wine Festival is in full swing and gives the visitor the opportunity to sample speciality dishes from, not only the cuisines of countries permanently represented in Epcot but also from several other guest countries whose temporary stands, dotted around the lagoon, cannot fail to attract those with an appetite to try something a little different.

We tend to enter the park via the International Gateway and stroll in an anti clockwise direction in the hope of timing our visit to coincide with a performance from the Japanese drummers whose energetic and rhythmic routines are truly exquisite.

This spot is also provides a great photo opportunity with the Japanese arch set against a red sky with the familiar Spaceship Earth globe as the backdrop.

We’ll probably get a quick bite to eat from one of the temporary stands, the Australian Kangaroo steaks can be recommended, and then walk towards the American Garden Theatre which probably holds around a thousand people. This is located adjacent to the Great American Adventure and is attractively set amongst trees with fairly lights suspended from their branches.

The concerts last for half an hour appeal to all tastes. Artists such as Sheena Easton, Sister Hazel and David Cassidy were all performing during the Food and Wine Festival.

The culmination of the day’s events is the Illuminations, Reflections of Earth firework spectacular which takes place every evening at nine o clock and visitors tend to claim their favourite vantage spots up to an hour before. In our opinion this just isn’t necessary because viewing all around the lagoon is more or less unobstructive.

We tend to ease our way around the United Kingdom pavilion which not only provides great views of the lagoon but also givers us the opportunity to slip quietly out of the park once the fireworks have finished.

If there is anybody reading this that hasn’t yet seen Illuminations then we can tell you that, in our opinion, this is the best firework display in Disney and should not be missed.

Wet and wild is a good park if you really like water slides because it has loads of them, but is no relaxing space.

But there is some good slides like “Bran Wash” which is a big drop, it drops you in a tube 2-4 people per tube. There is a little park for the kids with the bubble which is a big bubble with water coming down which you slide down on.

Magic kingdom

Magic kingdom is very good for all ages. The main street is where all the main shows take place like “Spectro magic & Wishes” gathering by the castle with fire works and lights and Tinkerbelle. There are other “lands” with rides and shows in like “Tomorrow land” which is all equipped with things for the future, there is a “in the dark rollercoaster” called Space Mountain. There are more “lands” like “Adventure Land” with the great ride “Pirates of the Caribbean”. There are also “lands” like “Frontier Land with the very good “Thunder Railway”. There is also a “land” for younger kids which is “Mickey Toon Town Fair” which is a good for little kid with little kiddie roller coasters and fair rides.

Animal kingdom

Animal kingdom is very good it has the ride called the “Everest”, which is a very scary rollercoaster. It is based around Asia and Africa. So you can picture what it looks like very green, with a wide selection of animals including Monkeys, Gorillas, Giraffe and Birds. There is a wide selection of rides from rollercoaster’s to water rides. There is also a wide selection of shows for all the family to watch.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is all about glitz and glamour with movie theatres and dress shops which are all props. But it is a very good park it has to big rides with the Rock and Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror. There is a animation bit of the park with a show from Kermit the frog and Miss piggy. You can go behind the scenes in real movie studios to see what producers do. There are skylines like in Manhattan so you can get the “REAL” feeling of different parts of America.