Spec me Florida!

danb21t said:
Good times, even closer to my house :D

whats the weather like, my old man needs to come out soon to do some maintainence on the house!
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it's only about 65 at the mo, clear blue skys and a slight breeze, but perfectly comfortable for morning poolside chillin' :)
 
wish I was out there tbh, better than snow and cold rain

plus I'm well overdue with a craving for Taco Bell and a restock of Mountain Dew
 
went end of august last year, got a flight to MCO from manchester with virgin for just over £410. wouldn't go to orlando again but would definitely go to tampa and miami again. most advice seems to be covered i would just add that they will offer to hire you a sat nav at the car rental place if your vehicle doesn't have one, don't bother, get one from wal mart for cheaper than what it'd cost to hire
 
danb21t said:
wish I was out there tbh, better than snow and cold rain

plus I'm well overdue with a craving for Taco Bell and a restock of Mountain Dew
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Just to update, it's now in the mid 80s so I've been forced to break out the beers :D

Another thing to add is that if you get a villa and are thinking of hiring a boat, get one with a dock.
 
apeZ said:
- If visiting for 2 weeks or less, Disney will tide you over fine. If 3 weeks, opt for either a ticket for SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Aquatica or Universal if you like.
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Seriously? Disney is pretty boring, better off getting a flexticket for Universal and the likes by far.
 
I remember seeing Punta Gorda absolutely flattened by the last major hurricaine..

FORCED to get the beers out, hard life!

mid 30s (f) here LOL!
 
I did my 2nd trip to Florida in November for 3 weeks with my girl friend and some other friends and it was an awesome holiday. Our base was in Orlando but we drove to Miami and Key West for 1 week and that was one of the best experiences ever.

Recommended
  • Magic Kingdom - you have to go there a least once in your life
  • Busch Gardens - An awesome theme park with amazing coasters.
  • Kennedy Space Centre - A snap shot of space history and also a must visit.
  • Airboat rides on Everglades or similar.
  • Steak Houses – Simply the best steaks around !
  • Get yourself to a Pro basket ball game – it’s amazing to watch live.
  • Visit Shopping Malls.
  • Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure – Theme parks with superb rides.
  • Shooting Ranges – hand over your passport and some money and fire any gun you like: Shotguns, M-60’s etc etc.
  • Places worth visiting – Celebration, St Petersburg, Daytona Beach.

You can easily spend a lot of money (we spent over £6k) but you’ll definitely come away from your trip with big smiles.
 
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SDK^ said:
, Daytona Beach.
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i thought daytona beach was a bit of a let down. tampa bay was awesome though, driving over the connections felt like being in a game of ourtun or ridge racer! and i thought the beaches were the nicest (nicer than south beach in miami too) took a tour of tampa on a tram and it really is a magical place
 
With regards to the argument about which theme park is better, here are my thoughts.

Magic Kingdom - An absolute must just to see what all the fuss is about. Go be a kid again, you won't regret it. Do not miss Wishes.

Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney MGM) - A good day out and plenty to see and enjoy. Great rides, Toy Story Mania and the Tower Of Terror are a must.

Epcot - My favourite park which I find so relaxing to stroll around in. Explore the World Showcase and sample foods from around the globe. Make sure to take in Soarin'.

Animal Kingdom - A great place to see the wildlife while also enjoying a theme park setting. Good rides and shows although it does shut early on account of the animals.

Universal Studios - Some good rides some not so good rides. Worth a visit to sample the likes of The Mummy and Terminator 3D. The Simpsons ride isn't half as good as the Back To The Future ride it replaced.

Islands Of Adventure - Dependent on your age, the new Wizarding World Of Harry Potter may be a strong attraction. Great rides such as Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls, Spiderman, Hulk and Dueling Dragons. Very loud but also very good.

Seaworld - What's a trip to Orlando without taking in Shamu? Dolphin shows, a performing walrus, belugha whales and a polar bear. Great stuff for all ages.

Busch Gardens - Superb coaster theme park which also features wildlife. A great mix and very recommended.


Do not concern yourself with debates over hotels and villas and just choose whatever suits your pocket and favouired location. With food, I don't like to cook while on holiday and Florida has a host of good places to dine which won't burn a whole in your pocket. I doubt that you will leave a theme park to go back to your residence to make lunch and the theme parks cater for this with a mix of foods from cheap to not so cheap but that is up to you and how you feel at the time. Check out All Ears for the lowdown on food at Disney.
 
rG-tom said:
Lucero I'm going in 54 days, staying:

http://www.directvillasflorida.com/florida-villas/551-florida-villas-hamilton-house.html

for 3 weeks...will let you know how it panned out when i get back mid march :)
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Stayed in a place called Villa Aruba that was on Reserve Drive for 2 weeks last year. From the looks of it, it's only a few minutes away from the place you linked too looking at google maps! Have to say the whole area was very nice, really peaceful and quiet and easy to get to as its just off I4.

To OP, if memory serves it was £475 a week
 
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eddiemcgarrigle said:
Epcot - My favourite park which I find so relaxing to stroll around in. Explore the World Showcase and sample foods from around the globe. Make sure to take in Soarin'.
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Epcot is disappointing imo. The 'World' food places are expensive for what you get. It took us 1hr 45mins to queue up for Soarin', and that was at about 10am. I can't even remember much about it, only that is wasn't worth queueing for 20 minutes, nevermind 2 hours. It's just a glorified motion simulator. In fact, the motion games in the queue are more fun. The ride inside the golf ball is interesting but quite dated now. The Mission: SPACE ride is extremely poor despite what it looks on the outside. The Test Track is the only decent thing to see there. And you should definately use your Fast Pass for it.
 
We went to Orlando for 2 weeks stayed in a hotel on I-Drive. It was awesome (three guys holiday like, theme parks, wreckage and hooters)

We then rented a car mid hols and went to Daytona Beach then onto Miami Beach it was, ermmmmm awesome although maybe it being just the three of us may of made it better (fitties galore all loving the brits)

My input :)
 
Hi guys,

Just another quickie. What should we be expecting to pay?

For the two of us, it's coming in close to £3k. Does that sound right?

Flight: £800
Villa: £800
Car Hire: £300
Food: £300
Parks & Activities: £400

Total: £2600 (conservative?)

This is based on two people for two weeks

Thanks
 
i drove in and out of florida last year on a budget. definitely worth doing.

daytona beach was nice, amazing view, but not much there.

orlando and delray beach were very nice. really enjoyed the Keys as well.
 
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