Animal Kingdom is the newest of the Disney World parks and one of my favourites. The park is dominated by the enormous ‘Tree of Life’ which is a sight to behold. It is a 14 storey tree that has a trunk that has 325 different animals carved into it! You could spend a whole day just trying to spot them all! Inside the Tree of Life is a show about a Bug’s Life. It is a great show with effects such as bugs running under your seats and many more which you will have to discover for yourself.
As the name ‘Animal Kingdom’ would suggest there are plenty of animals to see all through the park. There is a lovely train ride through the safari park where you can see all types of animals. There are walks where you can Continue reading “Animal Kingdom – Much More Than Rides” »
Shopping in Florida is one of the attractions for many people and Belz Factory Outlet is America’s largest factory outlet center, featuring over
one hundred and seventy outlet stores. As this is a factory outlet they offer big discounts such as up to 75% off prices, then add to that that it is 75% off American prices (remember we get charged way more in the UK) and THEN add to that the conversion of your pounds to dollars and you can get some ridiculous deals!!!!
The Beltz Factory Outlet used to be the place that everyone used to go to, but as time marches forward other people got wise to it and more malls like this opened up. Beltz also though does have the advantage of location as it is located at the end of International drive which is the centre of Florida world really, for those with limited movement or wanting o drive as little as possible there are buses that run up and down International drive making it easy to visit and so this is a real plus!!
The Mrs and I have fond memories of going to Beltz factory outlets. Last time we were in Florida Continue reading “Beltz Factory Outlets – Bargains Galore” »
Many people out there don’t like America and everyone has a right to their opinion! The fact that it is wrong is beside the point 
Those who do like America will have heard of Walmart and whenever it is on the news in the UK there is a brief picture of this warehouse looking shop that is clearly the size of a small town (yes we have included one)!!
For me and other people that I know that love America, then going to Walmart in an experience in itself as an example of the differences in the way of life between us and them with the basic principles that if you are going to buy something there should be a large version, but also if you want to go shopping then you should be able to buy everything in one place! Walmart is like 2 or 3 Tescos all in one place. You can see that supermarkets in the UK are starting to go the same way, as in Sainsburies or tesco these days there is a full aisle now of Continue reading “Walmart – What a Great Place so USA” »
Typhoon Lagoon is a wonderfully themed water park located near the main attraction. The design is that of a paradise in the South sea islands with a nice selection of fast and slow rides water rides so that you can zip along… or float and meander. At the centre of the park is a Mountain with a boat perched on top called Miss Tilly, and when you hear the boom and see Miss Tilly rock then it is time to be in the main Lagoon as it is time for Wave Machine to fire.
This is a very large wave pool. It is intended really as a swimming area with nice lapping edge of the beach. When the trigger is fired for the wave machine then the waves can get up to six feet high. Some coves, built in to each side of the lagoon, offer some protection from the waves should you need. There are a number of life guard posts around the lagoon and from what I have seen they look to be very alert all the time.
Castaway Creek is a meandering stream that floats around the perimeter of Typhoon Lagoon. It is often used as a way to get round the park, rather then walk to a ride you want to go on you can simply jump on an inner tube that are found along the route and let the gentle current push you along the river, when you are where you want to be, simply leave the inner tube on the river and climb out of the next set of steps. Beats taking the bus 
Continue reading “Typhoon Lagoon – Want to go back” »
When the excited days start getting nice and close, there is time to start thinking about getting packed and ready for the great trip and there are some tips that can offer some advantages. The “Top Tip” is to think about the trip home. It is sad of course to think about coming home before you even go however Florida is the shoppers paradise and so you need to allow for this in your packing.
Whenever we go over to Florida we take AT LEAST one empty bag with us and wear the trainers on the trip that need to be replaced. When there are places such as Beltz Factory Outlets that need to be visited as part of your trip then there needs to be some space in the bags for the flight home  to avoid charges. The last time that we went there was a couple at the next desk that we being exhorbentent charges for an extra bag to bring home, the problem with this of course is that it is an unexpected Continue reading “Packing For A Florida Holiday” »
As far as I am concerned, this is Disney! Each time I have been to Florida the first thing we have always done is go to Magic Kingdom. This always gets us into the perfect mood and gets you ready for what must be your best holiday! Where else can you arrive at a park and on arrival to get to the gate you can either go by mono-rail or paddle steamer! We have yet to go on the monorail as ‘It Has To Be The Steamer’. On arriving at getting through the gates you arrive in the square at the bottom of Main Street. If you have ever seen the photos of a friend that has been to Florida, there is a picture of main street and the mighty castle at the far end, I still look at the photo from the first time I ever went there and remember the buzz and enjoyment of finally being there! You can even sit on a bench with Walt and Mickey mouse for a photo, albeit a bronze version (Mickey is busy after all). 
This square is the start of the Magic Kingdom and the location for hiring pushchairs and the like for your day, you can of course take you own or hire them. At the far end of Main street in the mighty castle. This plays as centre point of the park with the 4 lands of Magic Kingdom as paths from this point. The 4 lands are .. Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. Each land has its own Continue reading “My Magic Kingdon – I Love It” »
Universal has 2 parks in Florida, the first is Universal Studios and the second is the newer ‘Universal Islands of Adventure’ and this is where the adrenaline is. The Islands of Adventure Orlando has a great collection of thrill rides and roller coasters to get your heart started! One of my favourite rides was the ‘Dueling Dragons’ this is technically 1 ride but it 2 cars running at the same time on 2 tracks that are very close to one another, the pinnacle of which is when the 2 cars aim straight for each other and at the last minute they both loop over the top to avoid the collision. This is a great roller coaster and well worth taking the option for queuing to ensure that you are on the front row of either of the dragons as although this is always better on a rollercoaster it is more so, on this one!! Take on the Dueling Dragons!
Another of the major rides at Islands Of Adventure is ‘The Amazing Adventures Of Spiderman’. This is not a rollercoaster but a mixture of thrill ride and simulation, it has been well made with added option that 2 cars ride Continue reading “Islands of Adventure – Great Day” »
The first couple of times I went to Florida I didn’t go to Sea World. I had the preconception that there would be nothing interesting there compared to the Disney World parks. The first time I did decide to visit was with my Boyfriend on our first solo visit to Florida. The first impression I got was that it is much calmer than the Disney parks. There is a lovely water feature at the entrance which in itself is a lot more understated.
As soon as you go through the gates it felt peaceful. It helped that we were there in September and the crowds were really very small. There are animals and fishes to see and feel as Continue reading “Sea World – My Favourite Park in Florida” »
Summit Plummet is something else when it comes to swimming time or at least the opportunity to have a thrill ride in the water. For those that have been on a slide at their local swimming pool it is nothing like that!! This is a 12 storey drop where it is predicted that you make it up to 60mph!! This is so much the case that they have actually installed a speed trap on it so that when you get to the bottom you are able to see the speed that you achieved during your descent!!
This is an awesome ride and one that MUST be included in your day if you are willing to take on the challenge of the day AS THIS IS the challenge. As the photo shows this is quite a drop!! You stand at the top of the ski jump in Blizzard beach and look down and what is Continue reading “Summit Plummet at Disneys Blizzard Beach” »
Tikes Peak is the section of Blizzard Beach that is designed and created for the smaller children to be able to enjoy the swimming and paddling and even go down some child sized versions of the slides with or without the tubes to sit in.
This pool area has water that is no deeper than a foot or so and they can all paddle and as long as they can stand up then it should all be good. The Tikes Peak is near the entrance of the park but has a lovely covered area that works really well to give you a chance to cover up a bit in the mid day sun as well as be able to put a child down for sleep in a push chair when you want. This is a great place to have Continue reading “Tikes Peak in Blizzard Beach” »
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