Welcome to our Florida Trips Guide. Your one-stop shop for vacation planning for that trip of a lifetime to Florida! http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/cat_about_this_guide.aspx en-us Copyright 2012, Orlando Villas Ltd. All Rights Reserved. info@orlandovillas.com http://www.orlandovillas.com/pictures/rss/logo.gif http://www.orlandovillas.com/ 75 50 http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/hints-for-first-time-british-visitors.aspx Once you have booked your flights and villa you need to make sure that you will be able to travel and so you will need to sort out your visa. Most holiday makers will probably travel on the visa waiver scheme and will need to apply for an ESTA, however, if you have ever been arrested or refused entry to the USA you will need to apply to the Embassy for a visa. You apply for an ESTA online at https://esta. cbp. dhs. gov/esta/. This will last for 2 years but there is a now a fee. It is wise to apply for this early just to make sure that you will be allowed to travel. The good news is that there is one less form to fill out on the plane before you arrive. Your airline will also require you to fill out their Advanced Passenger Information before travelling. When you have booked your car hire it is worth checking if you can pre-register your car hire to save time when you arrive. This process varies from company to company. The flight is a long one but the entertainment sy... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/how-to-save-holiday-money-on-food.aspx We are living through difficult time; we really are. But you still need your holiday; right? And if you are going away you want to go to Florida. So how can you cover the cost painlessly? Here are a few ideas. Forego your daily Starbucks; this can save around £1000a year. Also take a packed lunch (with a flask for hot drinks) to work. This saves us around £4000 a year. Clip the coupons from magazines and products and use them. clamp them together and put them in your regular shopping bag. There are dedicated people who get their supermarket bill down to almost nothing. Do not buy ready meals; spend half a day prepping a few meals at the weekend. Roast a large chicken on a sunday and use leftovers for a risotto one day and soup the bones for another. A kilo of beef mince makes a basic mix that you can divide up and freeze for shepherds pie, spag bol, chili and the like. A survey shows that we throw away 30% of all the food we buy. Plan and shop carefully an... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/saving-money-for-your-holiday-clothes-and-gifts.aspx So you have already saved a mint on food and have a healthy amount in the piggy bank. Now here are some more ideas. Commit to whole year of not buying any clothes (but still get new things to wear) How can that be done? Well, it is quite easy; get all your friends and work mates together and hold a clothes swap party. Everyone brings their unwanted clothes and accesories round and you all have a merry evening trying on other peoples clothes and go home with an arm ful of new things to wear. You can hold a similar event to swap D. V. D. S and C. D. s games for the games systems. This will provide free entertainment for several months. Go right through the house and pick out all your unwanted items (you wil be amazed at how much you amass) A good rule of thumb is thatif you have not used it or worn it for a full year' you do not need it. Some items will be suitable for putting on E Bay and pack the rest up for a car boot sale. Research a little beforeh... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/the-disney-widerness-preserve.aspx The Disney Wilderness Preserve started life as recently as the 1990s. This was Disney' s way of paying back a little for the Disney resort damage. The Disney corporation bought 8. 500 acres to donate to conservation and in addition they made a generous amount of money avaiable for the restoration and upkeep of the land. As I write, other organisations have also chipped in with some extra acres; not least the Greater Orlando Aviation authority. Today, the work is almost complete and close to how it would have looked its original state. They have removed any plants that are not native to this area and taken away the agricultural ditches. They have also used controlled burning in the areas that are appropriate (in other words, where that would naturally occur) There are now over 4000 acres of perfect wetlands here that are so important to the ecology of Florida and set up a lab to study climate change. So what else can you expect to see when you visit? Well, t... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/auburndale-flea-market.aspx When you have visited Florida a number of times and are theme-parked out you may well want to explore the real Florida where most Floridians live and raise their families. You may well have visited the flea markets on the 192 but these are still aimed at the tourist market. We wanted to frame some new pictures that we had bought and we were recommended to go to a stall at Auburndale. The Flea market is held every Saturday and Sunday in a dedicated series of market halls. We had never been to Auburndale before and the drive there was part of the enjoyment. There are lovely lakeside homes with their jetties on the lake and their boats suspended out of the water. It looked an idyllic lifestyle. Arrival at Auburndale was a bit of an anticlimax as you go through a street that could be in any American Town. A word of warning if you put the address into a TomTom sat nav it leaves you almost a mile short of the location so just keep going. There is a great fruit and vegetable... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/cici-s-pizza.aspx After overspending on park admissions, shopping and eating out, you may find yourself looking for a less expensive option for dinner one night. Hard to believe, but this fantastic pizza buffet really is only around $5. 00 per person and the food is great! And if you have boys with insatiable appetites who think pizza is the ultimate in cuisine (like my son), you’ll appreciate CiCi’s even more. It’s often difficult to please everyone in the family when choosing a place to eat. Even if you’re not a big fan of pizza, CiCi’s really does a fine job of catering to the whole group! The only thing not included in the buffet price is the beverage, but just like everything else at CiCi’s, your beverage is unlimited – drink all you want while you eat all you want. Start with the salad bar where you can choose from lots of fresh veggies, toppings and dressings. Move on to the pasta where you can choose from two sauces – either marinara or creamy alfredo. The garlic bread is... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/why-choose-florida-for-your-vacation-part-one.aspx When I first started out writing this guide I thought it would be a tough assignment but once I had got started I managed to get it finished in double quick time as there are so many reasons to vacation in Florida Weather Let’s face it especially for us Brits it has to be the weather! ! ! The weather in Florida is amazing I never fail to be surprised when I roll out of bed and the sun is shining brightly, when you live in the UK you often get up in the morning thinking it must still be the night cause it’s so dark and depressing, not so in Florida EVERY morning the sun is shining brightly Fitness Yes you heard me correctly FITNESS! how can this be you ask? well this has to do with the weather once again, how many times have you supposed to be going on a run, or practice a sport such playing tennis etc. in the UK and the weather is dark wet cold or raining, come on admit it how many times have you thought I can be bothered because of the weather This simply doesn’t happen ... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/the-eighth-voyage-of-sinbad-stunt-show-universal.aspx The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad Stunt Show If you have never visited this live action stunt show then you simply must as this is one of the best in any of the Florida theme parks, there is plenty of action with explosion fire and water but what makes it most enjoyable is the humour If you want to get a seat close to the action its best to arrive early 50 minutes or so in busy times but as with all the very best shows and attraction pick and choose your times to get in to see them at the least popular times for a better view The action takes place at a mysterious grotto and is a very spectacular setting which is littered with the wrecks of ships that have been lured to their misfortune by an evil sorcerous This adventure features Sinbad, the beautiful Princess Amoura and the evil witch Miseria but the star of the show is the wise cracking sidekick Kabob who is just plain funny Sinbad and Kabob sail into the grotto to find lots and lots of wonderful treasure but soon are doin... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/what-do-you-need-when-booking-a-villa.aspx There are so many villas on offer at all sorts of price ranges offering all sorts of different amenities. So what do YOU want in yours. The first thing to consider is the needs of each member of your party. 1. If you have a baby then you will need to look for a villa that offers a cot and a high chair. 2. If you have toddlers you will be most concerned about safety in pool area. This one is quite easy, as all villas have to have a pool alarm or safety fence to gain their licence (mind you, I would still check) 3. If you are a group of adults check that you will each have a bed (8 of you in four beds might not be any good if you are a party of golfers not in couples) 4. How many bathrooms do you need. For families it is normally fine to have just 2 bathrooms, but if you children are teenagers who take hours to get ready then you may need more. Likewise, if you are two families sharing you might need 2 master suites. 5. Do you want a games room? Fine if you inten... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/my-favourite-stores-in-orlando.aspx My favourite store in Orlando is J C Penny and in particular the one in The Florida Mall. Every time I visit they are having a sale and whenever I think I have had a good bargain, I get to the till to find they have taken even more money off. My average discount is usually 60%. They are a department store which sells everything. They have a wonderful range of jeans at greatly reduced prices, my favourites are Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans at $12. 99a pair. Fantastic bargain! They sell diamond jewellery as cheap as the UK sells cubic zirconia and they even do part exchange on your old unwanted jewellery. Their curtain and bedding department is a firm favourite for me as a villa owner and as a customer for my UK home. Macy’s in the Florida Mall is great for owners either replacing goods or just newly furnishing as they offer the tax back to foreign visitors. Again, if you visit at sale time you will find some good bargains. Dillards also in the Florida Mall is brilli... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/where-to-eat-in-orlando-part-1.aspx As a villa owner, I am often asked if I can recommend restaurants to eat in while in Orlando. Sometimes people think they may well cook at their villa, but trust me, you will be far too tired after a day at Disney World to want to think about shopping and cooking for meals. You may want to have the occasional BBQ when you are having a rest day from the parks, but even that becomes a bit of a chore when eating out is so inexpensive. The main thing to remember about Orlando, is that you can eat the very best food in some of the mid price range restaurants. There are the very cheapies which I would not recommend, however, I will not name them in case I get sued! Just remember that if they are really cheap (under $10 for a main course) then they probably wont be that good. In the ones I would recommend, you will pay between $10. 99 and $15. 99 for a main course, plus dessert and drinks. They do have dearer things on the menu but they are usually just larger sizes i. e. steaks go from... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/where-to-eat-in-orlando-part-2.aspx Part 2 For a more basic style of food, pork chops and mash for example, the Crackerbarrel on H192 is pretty good if a little bland for my taste, but I have heard good things about it from people. For the best ribs, especially baby back ribs, then Sonny’s BBQ Pit on H50 is the place to go. However, this is again very rustic, so be warned. Lonestar at Lone Buena Vista is a very good restaurant for all round good steaks and pork chops, full of flavour and very reasonably priced. Opposite Lonestar is Bahama Breeze. This is a bit more special but worth it. The ambiance is superb but the food is only as good as the others I have mentioned. They have a lovely outside bar where you can have a drink before dinner. For Italian food there is the Olive Garden on H192, which I like very much or Carrabas, which is almost next door, I consider slightly inferior. For seafood you can not beat the Red Lobster for reasonably priced sea food and the hot biscuits (cheese scones to the British) w... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/sonnys-bbq-pit.aspx Sonny’s BBQ Pit is situated on Highway 50 near the junction with Highway 27 in Clermont. This is quite a rare treat, I say tongue in cheek, as you have to be up for dining which is not quite your usual run of the mill steak houses which abound in Orlando. Sonny’s is very, very down market as the car park will attest. It is usually full of pick-up trucks and Harley Davidsons. Once inside you will be seated either in a booth or a wooden table and wooden chairs, but do not let this put you off. The ribs are amazing and well worth the sacrifice of fine dining! The sort of things they serve are baby back ribs which are truly the best ribs served anywhere, normal ribs and pulled pork. (Rather a strange name to us Brits) It appears to be bar-b-qued pork which is well done then shredded and served either on it’s own or in a burger bun. They have a very extensive salad bar which has soup and desserts as well, so if you buy a salad bar portion you can go back as many times as you lik... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/ride-guide-soarin.aspx Ride Guide – Soarin’ br / br / One of the newer rides in Epcot Soarin’ was originally featured in the California themepark and proved so popular that the concept was adapted further and added to the Land Pavilion. It is definitely a family favourite and suitable for some of the smaller members of the family to join the fun. br / br / The ride is themed around the idea of a simulated hang glider flight, flying over the Californian countryside. In the pre-show area the feeling is that you are almost going to be boarding a commercial airline flight, with staff in airline type uniforms and you are directed through towards departure gates. While you wait for the pre-show there is a long corridor with several different large screen displays. As well as showing pictures and videos, these screens interact with the audience as well, which helps to pass the time. There are quizzes or activities to do and you are even projected onto the screen yourself at times! br / br / When... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/florida-mall-part-1.aspx Florida Mall Part 1 Shopping in Florida is one of the most pleasant and rewarding pastimes that I know of on a trip to the Sunshine State. Pleasant, because I love shopping, and rewarding because of all the money I save. In general most goods are pound for dollar - if you pay £10 for something in the UK it will cost $10 in Florida. Many goods are even cheaper than that. My husband bought some shirts in the Florida mall at J C Penny for the equivalent of £8. 56! And they were good quality, excellent fabric, shirts. I bought some hair straighteners for $9. 88 the equivalent of £6. 17 at Walmart. Again a good brand and dual voltage! Some things though, are more expensive, such as cameras and the most trendy coffee makers like Nespresso. Having said that though, I bought a good quality, 12 cup filter coffee maker for just over the equivalent of £10. My favourite of the shopping malls is the Florida Mall. Even though the Mall at Millenia is very much more up market and well worth a... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/florida-mall-part-2.aspx Florida Mall Part 2 Brookstone is a very upmarket version of our own Gadget Shop. Mind you they only sell the top quality goods, not silly plastic toys. These goods are not cheap but are so unusual it makes you think it really is what you have always wanted! My husbands laptop bag on wheels that has enough room for clothes for an overnight stop, is excellent quality and will last for years, mind you it was $99 plus tax. (around £68) Jewellery is an absolute bargain, diamonds are less than half the price of jewllers in England and there are so many jewellery shops. Victoria’s Secret is a world famous ladies underwear shop and always has goods on sale plus they have a new store open called Victoria’s Secret Beauty which sells lovely bath and body products. There are stores for just sweets, coffee, food, toys, electrical goods, shoes, clothes and even a shop which specialises in tea! Quite a novelty for a nation of coffee drinkers. There are shops dedicated to kitchen good... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/minivan-or-grand-caravan.aspx To a British ‘audience’ the phrase “Minivan” conjures up an image of a vintage Austin Mini estate that was popular with plumbers, window cleaners et. al circa 1970 driven with attitude similarly the term “Grand Caravan” sounds like something out of a ‘Wallace and Grommit” short film. Picture it now, a string vested Wallace turning to his trusty furry companion and saying, “Now lad for a smashing excursion this Summer we are off to stay in a grand caravan in the Yorkshire Dales! ” However in America the titles. Grand Caravan and Minivan are terms often applied to large people carriers, such as a Chrysler Grand Voyager, Dodge Journey or Toyota Highlander for example. br / br / These vehicles are a great choice for a family vacationing in America. They offer exceptional value for money as a hire car and are spacious for passengers and luggage. Even if you have only three people in your family consider a “caravan” as a vehicle of choice. You can check out the price differentials on U... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/magic-kingdom-s-secret-passages.aspx The Magic Kingdom utility corridors (known as Utilidors) are a chain of tunnels which have been built directly underneath the Magic Kingdom theme park. They were originally built so that waste materials could easily be removed and to also provide hidden admittance to certain parts of the park. This is very handy for the characters and cast members when they need to travel to another section of the park without being seen by members of the public. It is also a lot quicker! Cast members travel the tunnels on foot or by Pargos (these are battery operated and resemble golf carts). The Utilidors are not only a series of tunnels but are also dressing rooms, costume departments and cafeterias for cast members. The best way to describe them is a “world beneath another a world”. Also, contained within the tunnels are a hairdressers and rehearsal rooms. Once a cast member leaves the tunnels they are considered “Onstage”. When Walt Disney World was being built, Bay Lake was drained an... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/journey-into-imagination-epcot.aspx Journey into Imagination can be found in The Imagination Pavilion in Future World, Epcot. It originally opened on March 5th 1983 and there have been three versions over the years. The most recent version opened on June 2nd 2002. Sponsored by Kodak it has changed more than any of the other pavilions in Epcot. The latest changes were a result of guests complaining that they did not like the second version and that Figment had only been given a cameo role. Figment is a small purple dragon, so called because of ‘Figment of the Imagination’. In June 2002, Figment reappeared again and is much more involved in the ride, appearing in every scene. Doctor Nigel Channing, played by Eric Idle from Monty Python' s Flying Circus, hosts the ride and invites you to the Institute’s open house. Figment, much to the dismay of Doctor Channing, invites himself along and causes all sorts of mischief along the way. During your ride you will visit five labs where you will study various sense... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/what-makes-seaworld-so-good.aspx Seaworld is one of Orlando’s most under popular parks with families, however is not normally on the must do parks. The park boasts excellent visitor records and is actually one of Orlando’s best visited parks by people on vacation. Over the Years Seaworld has morphed into a great park by constantly adding new rides and attractions to keep people wanting to come back. Rather than sit back on their laurels they have kept people wanting to come back Year on year. As you would expect the park is aimed at giving information about many creatures that rome the seas. There are many aquariums and pools where different fish, sharks, rays and penguins live, allowing you to get up close and personal with each at the same time learning about them. One of the main attractions in Seaworld is the SHAMU show. This is located in the main arena and can seat well in excess of 10, 000 people. Prepare to get wet if you are unfortunate to get the only seats left at the front! Don’t worry though you c... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/mel-rsquo-s-diner.aspx We had been to Universal many times before we decided to go to Mel’s Diner to eat. If you have visited Universal you are sure to have noticed Mels which is situated on a corner in Hollywood near the Lagoon. It is a replica of a 50’s American Diner and characters in 50’s outfits (including Marilyn Monroe) are often seen outside it and provide great photo opportunities. Other photo opportunities are with the great array of 50’s American cars but be prepared you may have to wait your turn to get your photos taken. I have even seen a photo of Cliff Richard pictured with one of the cars when he visited Mel’s Diner earlier this year 2011! Inside it is decorated in a 50’s style with little juke boxes on the tables. On days when it is not too hot you may want to eat outside where you can sit either overlooking Hollywood Boulevard or the Lagoon. When we ate there it was part of the Universal Meal Deal. Although we have never used this guests at our villa have said it is very g... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/our-stay-at-treasure-island-part-1.aspx We have always loved the Gulf Coast and over the years had stayed at Naples, Anna Marie Island Sarasota and Clearwater. About 10 years ago when they were staying at our villa on their own my parents went in search of somewhere we could all stay together for a few days yet still be reasonably independent. This was when they discovered Treasure Island. If you want to seriously shop on the way you can get there by going on the I4 towards Tampa take the 75 towards Naples and stop off at Premium Outlets at Ellenton, but be prepared it may take you several hours to shop! We sometimes do that if the weather is bad. You then get to Treasure Island over the famous Sunshine Bridge which stretches over Tampa Bay and is over 5 miles long but not good for people with no head for heights! Alternatively from Orlando you head towards Tampa on the I4 then onto the 275 south. If you get off this at 23b you go onto Central Avenue which is the direct road to Treasure Island. As you approach it... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/our-stay-at-treasure-island-part-2.aspx The Thunderbird motel is ideal for families although when they holiday on their own in the quieter months my parents still stay here. All the rooms have 2 Queen Beds which is ideal for young families with children. You can either stay on the ground floor which surrounds the beautifully landscaped courtyard and pool or on the first floor which has great views out to sea. At the front and directly by the beach are some lovely rooms although theses are more expensive. They also have 2 Queen Beds but in addition have balconies. My parents tend to book one of these in the cooler winter months because if the weather is not so good they can still sit out on their balconies and read books. In addition to the basic rooms there are also “efficiencies” which have their own small kitchen. As Treasure Island is relaxing sand and sun place it is great for those who just want to stay on the beach and eat in their room, you can stroll across the road for a take away Pizza or phone for a Chinese ... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/our-stay-at-treasure-island-part-3.aspx Directly in front of the Tiki Bar area at the Thunderebird is a walkway where people stroll or ride bikes during the day and this gets particularly busy in the late afternoon as the heat of the day dies down a little. We often just sit here in the early afternoon with a cool drink and watch the world go by. On the beach itself there is a net for volley ball which the teenagers love, you can see some very competitive games here especially during school/college holidays. There are also bright yellow Cabanas which you can rent they are situated on the beach about halfway down towards the sea. Rental is about $20 a day but the daily rate becomes less the more days you rent for. You just find one that has a To Rent sign on it and sit down; it never takes long before a man in a van appears to take your money! My Dad always has one of these so he can pop in and out of the sun. They really are very useful as they come with 2 loungers and he is not often on his own as we all go up t... http://www.uscarhire.com/florida-trips/a-leisurely-day-in-the-cocoa-beach-area-part-1.aspx When we visited our villa in March 2011 we were delighted to experience great weather particularly hot for that time of year. Having been to various Theme parks during the first week of our stay we decided Orlando was getting very warm and we decided to head for the Cocoa Beach area for a day. We decided to go on the 192 as this goes directly into Melbourne but we were unfortunate to encounter red lights at every traffic signal so our journey took us well over an hour and a half. If you do go on this road you need to be aware that once you leave the commercialised part of the 192 there are hardly any eating facilities until you reach Melbourne. We had disregarded the likes of McDonalds for breakfast so were really hungry when we reached the Melbourne Shopping Mall and by then breakfast was over. However there were several places to eat here and we decided on Toojays as we had eaten in one of their branches at Dr Phillips in Orlando. We were not disappointed with the food as they ...