Welcome to our Florida Guide. Your one-stop shop for vacation planning for that trip of a lifetime to Florida! http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/ 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.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/zipline-tour-for-thrillseekers.aspx On our last trip to Orlando in February this year (2012) we decided to try something a little bit different and I plucked up the courage to book a zipline experience at Zip Orlando. I have to admit to being frightened of heights so you might think this was a strange thing for me to do, but it appealed to me as one of those things you might have on your “bucket list” so I added it to my own list. The zipline tour was booked with Zip Orlando who are located on South Orange Blossom Trail in Kissimmee . The treetop canopy course was completed in the Spring of 2011 and offers thrill seekers eight different cables and three suspension bridges. The cables range from 225 to 950 long and are about 65 feet off the ground and once you have climbed up to your first platform you then zip to the next platform reaching speeds of up to 30mph . All of the tours are completely guided and we were so impressed with our two guides who explained everything and talked us through the safety instructions... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-trolley-tours-at-st-augustine-old-town.aspx So, we have now explored Ripleys guided tours of that lovely Florida city called St Augustine, so now let us look at Old Town Trolley Tours. This tour company started with a converted bread truck and trailer. Well I am pleased to say that they have come on since those days and their bright trolleys run round this and other cities all day long. All their trolley tours include free entry into a museum and just like Ripleys tours, the ticket does not expire for 3 days. You are very likely to find a pick up point near where you are staying so check that out before you leave, They have packaged some tours together and I am going to run through some of them. Number one package includes the Oldest Store Museum, The Old Jail and The History Museum and this costs $35 for and adult and $18 for a child. The Fount of Youth tour includes The Old Jail, The Oldest Store, The Museum, The Fountain of Youth and The Oldest Wooden School House. This would be a really go... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-florida-alligator.aspx When your mind wanders to thinking about Florida (and mine often does) what comes first to mind? Sunshine, of course, Disney, natuarally. beaches, probably but I wouldn' t mind betting that the next thought to pop in your head is alligators. The name ' alligator' comes from the Spanish word for lizard which is ligarto. At one point the Florida alligator population was in fast decline. This was largely due to the fact that they were hunted for their flesh and skin. Old timers will tell you that they rarely saw one in their youth. Nowadays, there seems to be a ' gator in every puddle! The current estimated population is around one million. An adult alligator measures between 6 and 13 feet long (the longest ever recorded was over 17 feet) They weigh in somewhere around the 1000 pound mark. They are pretty much solitary creatures ( except for the mating season) and they are quite territorial. You find this out when you do one of the various boat tours ... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-loop-and-the-loop-west.aspx We all know Orlando is a shopper's paradise and The Loop and The Loop west are no exception. This open air spacious retail and dining complex offers something for everyone and will be sure to keep the most hardy bargain hunter happy. Whether you are searching for that designer handbag or perhaps a vase or the latest smartphone, The Loop has bling and bargains galore. Opened in 1996, this pedestrian friendly strip mall offers well over a million square feet of retail options and is home to a huge variety of large departments stores such as JC Penney, Kohl' s, Beall' s, Ross and TJ Max. Michael' s will thrill the crafters in the family and The Sports Authority should give the active crowd plenty to browse at. Bed, Bath and Beyond, Pier 1 Imports and Kirkland' s offer a variety of household items, there' s a Yankee Candle Company for those wanting to stock up on scents and Mums and Dads can find all they need for their youngsters in Babies R Us. Books and Music lov... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-panhandle.aspx The Panhandle We made our first trip to the Panhandle this winter (January 2012) and stayed in a small townhome at Navarre Beach. It is usually about 10 degrees cooler there than in Orlando. Although we found this area ideal for a base, if we had the younger members of the family with us, we would not choose it for the winter because wherever we went from there, we had a long drive along a ‘scenic route’ which I suspect may have been boring for most children. We loved it though. The summer would be great for children with miles of unspoilt beach and plenty of water sports. As we left the home each day, we drove along the National Seashore with white sand and sea on either side of the narrow strip of road. It reminded me of driving through snow and this was confirmed by the sight of the sand plough which we saw most mornings with the driver muffled by a scarf, to stop the sand getting into his eyes and throat. We took a number of excursions. The Blackwater River Sta... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/ellie-schiller-homosassa-springs-wildlife-state-park.aspx On our last trip in April, we were determined to finally take a long promised trip to see the Manatees in their natural environment, so we did some research and decided to visit a recommended area, Crystal Springs and The Homosassa Springs area in West Central Florida. The journey took about 2 hours, and was straight forward, taking the Florida Turnpike and I-75, the area was well sign posted and easy to find. We had heard that you are able to hire a canoe and paddle or swim among the manatees, as well as take organized boat trips to see manatees and other natural wildlife. We decided we would like to kayak, but were disappointed that as the river was quite ‘choppy’ we were unable to do this. As time was now moving on we moved on to the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, and were so glad that we didn’t miss this out! However, be sure to spray thoroughly with insect and mosquito repellant as the wildlife includes lots of airborne bugs! ! The Wildlife... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-new-dali-museum.aspx The New Dali Museum The new Dali museum in St Petersburg opened at the beginning of 2011 so when we visited during the Christmas holidays that same year we should have expected exactly what we encountered…. lines longer than those for Soarin’. The journey was really easy. You can’t go wrong I4, I 295 southbound, I 175 East then go to the end, on to Dali Boulevard and park on the left. The museum car park is free, if you arrive early, but if like us you get there late on a busy day you have to use the multi storey and they charge you $5. From the back the building looks very ordinary. It is only when you get to the front that you realise what a masterpiece this is. My husband took his place in the queue; for the queue, while I walked to the waterfront. I had done the driving so was in need of a stroll as we had been stuck in traffic near Tampa. From there I could see what a fabulous building this is and also appreciate its location so close to the shore where the pelica... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/wolfgang-puck-restaurants-at-downtown-disney.aspx Wolfgang Puck Restaurants at Downtown Disney The Wolfgang Puck Restaurant in Downtown Disney is positioned between the AMC cinema and the lagoon. If you are planning on just going to the area for a meal then by pass all the earlier parking areas and park at the back of the AMC. It’s then only a short walk to your meal. The restaurant is really four in one but this review is only for the main full service restaurant which they call the Café. As you enter there is a quick service restaurant on the left and a Sushi bar on the right. There are two more areas the first is the Café which is straight on from the entrance area and the second which is called the Dining Room is up a set of stairs on another level. We eat in here at least once per visit to Orlando and normally combine it with a visit to the cinema. This has given us the chance to see both the changes to the menu and restaurant over the years while finding a number of favourite dishes that we enjoy. When ... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/pixie-hollow-at-epcot.aspx Pixie Hollow at EPCOT When Disney decided to close down the Toon Town area of the Magic Kingdom to create a whole new expanded Fantasyland area they needed to evict a number of popular features. One of those was the Pixie Hollow meet and greet with Tinker Bell and her fellow fairies. Well this was no problem as Tink sprinkled some of her magic pixie dust and Pixie Hollow with all the fairies were transported to a new and better home at EPCOT. This coincided with the 2009 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival and the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden magically appeared so that Tink and her friends could continue to greet guests. The Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden opens daily from 9:30 am to 5:45 pm and is located between the Mouse Gear store and the Kim Possible booth behind the Future World East building. This was planned to be only a temporary location as once the development was completed Pixie hollow would return to its old but much improved home. However the latest pla... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-t-rex-restaurant-building-at-downtown-disney.aspx The T-Rex Restaurant building at Downtown Disney A few years ago at Downtown Disney a part of the parking area was removed to create the new T-Rex restaurant. The part that was removed was the old shaded garden between what was McDonald’s and the start of Pleasure Island. This was leased by the Landry' s chain and is the same group that own the Rainforest Café concept. In fact this restaurant is the Rainforest Cafe it’s just that they have replaced all the animals with Dinosaurs. Also instead of the rainstorm you get at the Rainforest every 20 minutes you now encounter a meteor shower. My daughter had taken her two children here so when I took some of our other grandchildren I knew what to expect especially as we have being to the Rainforest in the past. The exterior calls to you from some distance by grabbing your attention with large set of dinosaur bones displayed across the front of the building which you can see in the attached photos. There is also a Land Rover e... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/epcot-food-amp-wine-festival-the-food.aspx Epcot Food and amp; Wine Festival - The Food This is the third part of my review of the EPCOT Food and amp; Wine Festival. The first part dealt with general information about the festival, the second part looked at the booths and what they have to offer. This part now looks at a walk around the World showcase while sampling the many foods and drink on offer. It’s hard work but someone has to do it. If you have someone in your party that requires a Gluten free meal then at the end of this article you will find a list of the items that met that need in 2011. However you should check with the server at the stand in case they have changed the way they make a particular dish. Disney are exceptional when it comes to helping guests with all types of allergies, no matter how uncommon. Do you fancy any of the items on the menu in the previous article but are not sure if they will be OK for you? Then call a few days before you go and ask to speak to the chef for the country an... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-kona-cafe-at-the-polynesian-resort-hotel.aspx This is a restaurant that we often eat in as the range of food on offer is excellent. I suspect that many overlook it on their first or even second visit to the hotel. The Kona Cafe is located on the second floor of the hotel, to the left as you enter the lobby. As with all Disney restaurants it is not cheap but does seem good value due to its location. As the name suggests the Kona Café tries to give the atmosphere of a Hawaii restaurant. As you make your way to the restaurant you should get into the Hawaiian spirit. The lobby area is decorated with tropical plants, a rushing waterfall and even their own tame birds. The restaurant itself is decorated in a reddish wood with a gold coloured scheme running throughout as you will see from the attached photos. If you feel like a break from the Magic Kingdom in the heat of the afternoon then I can defiantly recommend a late lunch here. The monorail provides easy access so you can leave the park for a couple of hours and return ready t... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/an-overview-of-florida-eco-safaris.aspx Florida Eco Safaris is located in Forever Florida, an area of stunning natural habitat in St Cloud. This area is being preserved to remain just as nature intended and gives you a real feel of Florida as it has been for centuries (before Walt turned it on it' s head) Here you can see around 200 species of bird, black bears (yes, really) white tail deer and, of course, the ubiquitous alligator. Now, what makes this place special and exciting is the way you get to see what the 40, 000 acres has to offer. Let me start with the Coach Safari. This will probably be unlike any coach you have travelled in before as it is elevated to afford the passengers a birds eye view. It travels over land and water deep into the wilderness for two and a half hours of sheer bliss. The Coach Safari costs $32 per addut and $24 per child. Next, the Zipline Safari. here, you will be transported by coach to the start point and then launched over forests by way of a network of ca... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/crispers-restaurant.aspx CRISPERS RESTAURANTS I really must tell you about an absolute hidden gem of a ‘casual’ restaurant. They specialise in sandwiches, soup and salads. During the daytime, restaurant is probably the wrong word, it is an eatery but they have recently extended their opening hours to include a full service dinner, which as at the time of writing we have not tried, but watch this space, we soon will have. We have only eaten in Crispers on the 27 just in front of Publix and opposite the Heart of Florida hospital. They used to be owned by Publix up until mid 2011 but they then sold the fairly small chain to a Miami based health conscious company. Crispers may now be owned by a company that takes our health seriously but they certainly do not compromise on taste and flavour in achieving it, the portions are of a very good size too. Everything is freshly made to order, even the salads and boy do they taste it, I have never felt strong enough about a restaurant to want to tell ev... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-aquatic-preserves-of-charlotte-harbour.aspx In 1975 Florida decided to protect the coastal and inland waters for all future generations to enjoy and also to preserve a unique biological and scientific area. The Aquatic Preserves Act of 1975 came into being and this ensured submerged lands which were state owned were forever protected. ? September onwards is a fantastic time of year to visit this stunning natural habitat of mangrove forests, wetlands, marshes, scrub habitats and pine flatwoods and is a birdwatcher’s dream. The intense heat of the summer months is beginning to lessen and the local wildlife and forna start to flourish during the cooler days. These cooler temperatures and the usually drier trails make the backcountry experiences far more pleasant for the visitor. The Preserve is protected and is constantly being restored by the State of Florida also and with the assistance of volunteers who spend many hours in this beautiful environment in their own time helping to maintain the trails. The preserve... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/where-is-the-best-place-to-stay-in-orlando.aspx This is a question that came up on the Orlando Villas forum recently. It caused a bit of a stir as every body feels that their area is the best. But, the honest answer to that is they ALL are the best, depending on what your requirements are. Some people specify they will be spending all their time at Universal Studios. In that case you will need to find villas that are near there as there is about a fifteen mile distance between Disney World and Universal Studios, depending on where you are staying in the Disney area. If the villas you are looking at are advertising being near Disney, then you will have to ask them the distance to Universal from their villa, mine for example is 8 miles from Disney but 15 miles from Universal. If you want to do both then you will probably spend more time in Disney World, as they have more parks than Universals two. However there are some villas that are equidistant between the two. If you will not be going to the theme parks at all then you... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/blue-man-group-big-changes-afoot.aspx The last time we went to Universal Studios, there was a whole booth staffed with people promoting that marvellous show, The Blue Man Group, so I guess they are expecting it to stay around for some time yet. And to further re inforce that view, this show has just had a major overhaul that employs all the latest technology. The thing I am looking forward to the most is the awesome new finale. Let me tell you a little about it without entirely spoiling the surprise. As the show ends, the audience will be bombarded with light filled, helium balloons. These will be further highlighted with strobe lighting. These colourful balls will drift slowly downwards and you are encouraged to shake your tail feather as you bat these balls round the auditorium. For those of you that have launched any Sky Lanterns, think of a similar effect but coming down instead of going up. Many of you will have seen the show before and you will remember that the finale utilised a h... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/walt-disney-world-did-you-know-that.aspx Disney World never, ever has any “lost children” at their theme parks. It is the parents that are lost! Cast members undergo special training to make sure that children who become separated from their parents are made to feel comfortable. This way is it hoped that the children will not become stressed and it makes it easier for the missing parents to be found. The bricks in Cinderella’s Castle become smaller the higher up they are. This is a particular method called “forced perspective”. It gives the appearance of the castle being taller than it actually is. Every mosaic in the Moroccan pavilion in Epcot has one cracked or flawed tile within it. Artisans, who were brought to Orlando from their home country of Morocco, created the mosaics and their belief is that only Allah can produce something which is perfect. So in order to respect this belief they purposely included flaws in all the mosaics. Animal Kingdom is the largest Disney theme park in the world. It is five ... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/disney-character-meet-and-greet-part-2.aspx Disney Character Meet and Greet – part 2 …………. continuing on from my first article about Disney Character Meet and Greets: If your child wants to specifically meet one of the characters, you can call in at Guest Relations /b in any of the parks or City Hall /b at Magic Kingdom and ask them where this particular character will be appearing that day. Ask the Cast Members /b in the parks where and when your favourite characters will be appearing. They have a special telephone number which they will call for you to find out. If you are visiting Animal Kingdom early in the morning, walk over to Camp Minnie-Mickey /b as this is the least crowded place and time to meet your favourite characters. Everybody else will be heading over to the Safari ride or Expedition Everest. So you’ve found the characters, what do you do now? If you know what time they will be appearing, try to arrive a little earlier /b to avoid having to wait in a long line. Make sure your chil... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/chalet-suzanne-lake-wales.aspx Driving south along the U. S. Highway 27 in the Lake Wales area, I noticed a sign at the side of the road advertising Chalet Suzanne. Having nothing better to do and out of curiosity, we decided to investigate. Leaving Hwy 27, we drove down Chalet Susanne Drive for a mile till we reached the country lane entrance bearing the sign advertising Chalet Suzanne Inn and Restaurant. Following the lane, we wondered if we were about to encounter a similar establishment to one of our favorites, the Cherry Pocket Restaurant, coincidentally also in Lake Wales. The Cherry Pocket is a charismatic, rustic red neck eaterie serving delicious food in a beautiful location at the side of a lake and features live music and line dancing. Fantastic it is, upmarket it is not. However, as we drove round the final bend and cast our eyes on the objective of our curiosity, we immediately realized that the two restaurants could not have been further apart. The building and surroundings would not have looked ... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/spiderman-the-ride-universal-studios-islands-of-adventure.aspx The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman is located in Universal Islands of Adventure. The ride is based on a state of the art 4-D experience that totally immerses the riders in a visual and physical onslaught from start to finish. If you have not been on this ride before I would seriously recommend it! Having not really been a fan of the 3-D style rides and preferring the roller-coaster style on offer I was a bit dubious of the intention of a 4-D ride. I must admit I was also taken back by the age of some of the riders themselves, some as young as 4 years old. This ride was bound to be not as good as I had imagined. The entrance to the ride itself is set back into the scene of comic book land and as such the only thing that tells you it is the Spiderman Ride is the sign above the entrance door. They have made you think you are entering the daily bugle offices that are set in lower Manhattan, New York. If you hit the ride at peak times or during the summer months the wait can be... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/daytona-beach-alternative-day-out.aspx When looking for a day out away from the hustle and bustle of Disney why not look towards the Florida coastline to get away from it all. The East coast of Florida is around 1 hour from Orlando and is within easy reach due to the excellent freeways that take you there. The part of the East coast I am going to talk about is Daytona and surrounding area. Daytona is well renowned for its World famous speedway circuit; however it is the beach area that draws in the mass crowds. Mile after mile of flat sandy beach area is the main attraction and due to the beach being on the coast it tends to have more sun in the summer months than the Orlando area. We tend to go to Daytona beach in our second week of our holiday once we have done a few of the Disney or Universal Theme parks and are looking to do something a little different rather than the rides and attractions. We always tell guests no matter how hard they think they are to day on day on at the parks it is always nice to be abl... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/our-stay-at-treasure-island-part-4.aspx If you walk to your right on the beach from the Thunderbird you get to St John’s Pass however there is also a nice walk if you turn left. As there is a public car park close by the beach gets busy with families ( although still loads of space) and then you tend to have quite a quite strip with just a few fishermen but not as many as when you walk to St Johns Pass. Once 1. 00pm arrives as you stroll along here you start to hear plenty of music. This comes from Caddy’s Bar which is a great favourite with the locals and mostly the younger set. It is a great bar/grill which opens about 7. 00am for breakfast which tends to be the quietest meal of the day here! Caddy’s is on two storeys and plenty of space at the front on the beach where they provide lots of sun loungers I am not sure but I suspect you need to pay to rent these. Recently I have seen adverts for pre booking private Cabanas at Caddys. For those who drive here there is a fair sized car park but this can get very bus... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/often-asked-questions.aspx As a villa owner I am asked many questions by holiday makers about villa rental and associated questions about Florida. I shall try and answer some of those now so you will be better informed when you are trying to wade through all the offers you will get from other villa owners. Do I need to hire a car? My answer is always yes, unless you are prepared to take rather expensive taxis everywhere. Disney World is 42 square miles, almost the size of a small country in England! You could get a bus to the entrance to Disney, but then you may have another 20 – 30 minute drive to the park you require. Disney have sewn up their transport quite nicely in that you can only use their buses if you are staying at one of their hotels or vacation resorts. If you are only going to Seaworld or Universal Studios you may be all right using public transport but it is still not ideal. Taxis do tend to be very expensive but it is possible to get taxis to drop you right at the door of which ever park... http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/often-asked-questions-part-2.aspx Can I book 2 or more villas together? This is usually asked by people who think that Orlando Villas are a management company that run all the villas on behalf of the owners. This is not true. All the owners advertise independently on the site and we do not know what other villas are near us and with whom they advertise. Some are not even rentals but Florida residents. There may be an owner who knows personally another owner nearby, but as most of us are based in the UK and do not know each others UK addresses it would not be possible to co-ordinate a rental with them. Where can I eat on Thanksgiving Day? More and more restaurants these days open on Thanksgiving Day, but not all. Of course the parks are all open and operating as normal (However, they are very, very busy) What is the best day and time to visit the parks? Best avoid weekends if you can but as for time, try and arrive as early as possible when the parks open. Go to the most popular rides first and work ...