At the same time you are not going to see everything that the area has to offer in two weeks and trying to squeeze in too much will make your visit seem more like a chore than a vacation.

We do recommend that you try to plan in advance what you would like to do but be prepared to be flexible when you get there. Choose the parks and beaches that you most want to visit; decide if shopping, eating and golf are important and try to put together a schedule. Do you want to swim with the dolphins, head off on a mission to Mars, see a baseball game or take a trip in a balloon or airboat?

Depending upon your group and the time of year, schedule in rest days where you just chill out around the heated pool at Tigger Woods or perhaps visit the lake or play tennis. Taking days or part days out to do nothing is particularly important when you have very young or elderly guests.

Once you have an idea of which parks you want to visit you can start to choose the best tickets. The various groups; Disney & Universal have special passes which can considerably reduce the cost of individual tickets.

Don’t stop planning once you have a daily schedule mapped out. Visiting a theme park is an adventure in itself. These places are huge and there can be a strategy to ensure you make the most of your day and get to ride/see the attractions that appeal to you the most. Just remember that you will still need to go with the flow of your group. We recommend that you have a plan of action for each park, but a young guest is likely to be overawed when they arrive and meet their first character. Don’t be in such a hurry to hit the first ride that you and they miss the moment!

Firstly, we will look at the Disney theme parks including Disney Quest, their water parks, Downtown, Pleasure Island and the Boardwalk. Later we examine the delights of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The remaining large parks of Busch Gardens and Seaworld as well as Wet n Wild will form the following chapter and then we will consider Kennedy Space Centre.

After the main theme parks we will sample the delights of the local beaches about an hour or so drive from Tigger Woods. We check out some of the golf on offer and take a look at the shopping experiences. We will finish with some miscellaneous ideas worthy of note.

So ...let’s get on with it!

This is made up of a huge 47 square miles. Just a 10 mile drive from Tigger Woods it is very easy to get to. There are 4 major theme parks, Magic Kingdom, MGM Studios, EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. In additional there are 2 water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Nearby is Downtown Disney with a host of shops, restaurants and fun things including Disney Quest and the Cirque du Soleil. At night Pleasure Island becomes the place to be. The Boardwalk was designed for guests of Disney hotels but anyone can get in for a look around and something to eat. The World of Sports puts on lots of games and you can catch a basketball or baseball game.

Disneys first theme park; you can arrive by monorail or ferry. We prefer the latter - it’s a great way to arrive for your first time. As with all parks have your tickets ready and be prepared to have your bags searched. The Magic Kingdom is split into various lands around Cinderellas Castle. We will go around anti-clockwise as this is my favourite route around most parks.

As you arrive you hit Main Street. There aren’t any rides here but there will be lots going on. Try to head up Main Street to get to your favourite rides.

Adventureland includes the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. Not a ride but take a stroll through the tree house - it may bring back some memories. Youngsters like playing here. There are two rides in adventureland you should consider. The Jungle Cruise is an entertaining boat ride - fun but not for the major thrill seekers. Similarly the Pirates of the Caribbean is a boat ride which won’t impress the serious coaster lovers and it might be a little scary for the very young. Some love this ride - some don’t.

Frontierland - here you will find two of the main headline rides. Consider using your fast pass to reserve a ride on one and then queue for the other. Splash Mountain is a water ride with a large drop - you will get wet (even if you are standing watching). Big Thunder Mountain is your runaway train ride - one of the best rides in the park.

At Liberty Square you can slow things down with a riverboat ride. You may find some characters riding along with you. There are some stocks where you can photograph your friends/kids locked up but somehow they seem to get out. Here you can take a wander through the Haunted Mansion (if you dare) - this attraction prompted the Eddie Murphy film of the same name.

In Fantasyland there are rides for the younger guests including Dumbos Flying Elephants, and you can visit Cinderellas Castle. Mickeys Philomagic is a good show for young and old.

Mickeys Toontown Fair has more rides for the younger guests and is supposed to be a great viewing spot for the evening fireworks.

Tomorrowland is a popular area for thrill seekers. Space Mountain is a roller coaster in the dark and the Time-Keeper is a great show will special effects. The Indy Speedway Racetrack is worth a spin and kids will love the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger. The Astro Orbiter is a pleasant enough ride but don’t queue for long! If you need a sit down (or even if you don’t) try Walts own creation the Carousel of Progress.

This is a working film studio with loads of attractions. Opened in 1989 you will find some great thrill rides and some exciting shows.

Best known is probably the Hollywood Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. As you ride in your elevator towards the penthouse something snaps! Not for straight after lunch!

Right next door so you can grab a fastpass to one ride and queue for the next is the Rock n Roller Coaster starring Arrowsmith. The group decide to take you in their limo to the gig. Fantastic start to the ride, the coaster goes through the dark - don’t keep your loose change in your pockets with this one!

Star Tours is a simulator ride. Your robot pilot takes a wrong turn in your sedate flight and you end up in the death star battle- great fun.

Jim Hensons Muppet 3d is muppet fun combined with Disneys 3-d effects - everyone should love this.

Fantastmic - set around a lake this evening show combines Disney characters (starring the mouse of course) with fireworks water displays, music, boats, holographic projections. Worth staying on for. If you take your evening meal at specific restaurants you can even jump the queue to get in.

Experimental prototype community of tomorrow or every person comes out tired!

This is two parks in one. You enter the park into Future World with 7 pavillions situated around the formidable landmark - Spaceship Earth. Towards the back of the park situated around the lake is the World Showcase.

Lets head anti-clock wise here.

It’s a good way to go if you are looking to hit the main rides early on. Grab a fastpass for Mission:Space and ride TestTrack before heading to Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Spaceship Earth and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Don’t miss the new one -Soaring!

There’s one show here but thoroughly recommended - Ellen’s Energy Adventure - fun and educational - don’t worry kids it doesn’t feel like you’re learning!

There’s lots to see and do here - take time to look around rather than just hit the main attractions. Don’t miss Cranium Command where you sit in a young lads brain during the show - great fun! Alright it’s not a real brain. Body Wars is a simulator ride. You are injected into the bloodstream of someone having had your capsule shrunk first - another must do.

Mission:Space and Test Track are the key new rides in EPCOT. In the first your team has to pilot a space craft to Mars - get ready to pull a couple of ‘G’s. in Test Track you become the test track dummy - you know the ones I mean - the dummys that are stuck in the drivers seat and then the car is smashed into a wall! Don’t worry it is all done at a very sedate pace (or is it?)

Headliners here is the Journey into imagination with figment a show starring Edic Idle. When you emerge from your visit here move on to the theatre next door to the 3-d show Honey I Shrunk the Audience with Rick Moranis as Zalinski.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that Disneys dream with EPCOT was to focus on improving things for the future. This is more than a theme park, they do actually experiment here. Check this out with a ride through the Living with the Land boat ride and the Circle of Life film. A new ride for 2005 Soaring - go on your own hanglider!

This land is centred around a massive aquarium. After a brief film you can take the hydrolator to check out the exhibits. Kids love the Finding Nemo area. Feeling peckish - dine at the Coral Reef - a lovely restaurant which is right next to the aquarium so you can check out what’s going on whilst you eat.

In fact 2 lands with Innovations East and Innovations West. Masses of interactive exhibits and shows including video games of tomorrow.

Spaceship Earth

This centrepiece looking like a huge golf ball is actually a ride. You are gently transported through time and the building taking a trip from the dawn of time up to the present day and beyond.

The World Showcase

Moving out of future world you come to a lake surrounded by 11 ‘countries’. You can stroll around either way or take a boat ride across and start in the middle.

The countries represented are Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the American adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada.

Each country is worth exploring in its’ own right. They all have shops, places to

If you fancy watching the Illuminations in style you can book a boat trip which arrives just in time but this is extremely popular so you have to book well in advance.

You won’t be able to explore everyplace in one day and youngsters probably will not find the WorldShowcase as exciting as the theme parks like Magic Kingdom. You can buy them a passport which they can get stamped as they go through the various countries to make it more interesting. Also we have found characters milling around - especially in the gardens in the United Kingdom (but they aren’t there all of the time).

Opened in 1998 this is the newest of Disneys main 4 theme parks. Split into 6 areas you’ll find a combination of thrill rides and zoological exhibits.

As you enter the park you can stroll through this lush area with trees, streams and animals. You can come back through here to eat at the rainforest café.

Discovery Island

Discovery island is in the centre of the park. It is dominated by the huge man made Tree of Life. 145 feet high the trunk and roots are covered in carvings of animals. Inside the roots you will find the 3-d show "It’s Tough to be a Bug" starring Flick from a bugs life.

A nice area especially if you have little ones with you. You are likely to find Disney characters here as the kids head through the marked trails. Two shows with Pocahontas and the Lion King are very popular.

A theme park within a theme park. You find a lot of rides here mainly based on a dino theme. Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl are worth a go. Tarzan Rocks is a rock concert type show. The Boneyard is a play-area so let the kids loose and kick off your shoes for a while.

Africa

This is the biggest part of the park. You visit Harambe a mock up of a Kenyan village. There are shows here at various times of the day. Catch one if you can. The popular ride here is Kilimanjaro Safaris. Climb aboard your jeep and head off on safari. After seeing the animals and maybe a surprise or two take a stroll through the Pangani Forest exploration a fabulous nature trail.

As you move from Africa to Asia (not as far as you might think!) you get a chance to cool off at the Kali River Rapids - a water ride on a large raft. Similar to Africa you can get to view the animals of this continent on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Whilst there are no fireworks for obvious reasons you can catch the parade.

Disney Quest

Based at Downtown Disney this is like their 5^th theme park. There are 5 floors of interactive, VR and video games ranging from early Packman to up to date virtual reality. Design your own roller coaster at Cyber Space mountain, ride it and then watch you riding it!!. Go White Water Rafting or take on the Pirates of the Caribbean. For the artistic amongst you record your own song, redesign your face or draw a Disney character. If you are into arcade games there are plenty; a huge pinball machine that requires dozens of people to play down to the old fashion type. Drive a nascar, disco dance or join in star wars. It’s all free once you get in.

Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach

Disney has two major water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Typhoon Lagoon, so the legend goes, was formed after a great storm which left the shrimp boat Miss Tilly marooned on top of a mountain. The story with Blizzard Beach is that a freak snowstorm created the park and the snow has never completely gone away.

Regardless of whether you believe the stories either park will give you a great day, afternoon or morning out. Whilst the rides are a little different there is a common theme, hence our covering these two attractions together.

Each has a main pool area sloping from a beach with sun loungers. The pools have a wave machine. Although it is a while since we visited Blizzard I would have to say the Typhoon has the best wave pool.

A Lazy River skirts the water parks. Grab a large inflated ring, climb aboard and soak up the rays as you float round.

Each park has plenty of slides where you ride on a mat or rubber ring, some individually and some as groups. The parks are great for the kids to enjoy themselves whilst you can do the same or grab a lounger and ....well lounge.

If you are feeling up to it, we recommend the beach bar at Typhoon Lagoon, but don’t wear yourself out now.

Take a trip downtown. Situated by the main parks Downtown is Disneys own shopping and entertainment centre. Over the years it has evolved into three sections - marketplace, west side and pleasure island.

The market place represents a great opportunity to get those souvenirs for the folks back home. As well as the largest Disney store in the world there are a host of other Disney themed shops including one dedicated to Christmas. You will find the usual characters and clothing as well as some very upmarket paintings and sculptures with a Disney theme - these are true collectors items.

At lunch time you can choose your venue. The Rainforest Café is very popular and if it’s busy try Captain Jacks next door adjacent to the lake. There’s the Earl of Sandwich for snacks and of course a Macdonalds.

Take some time at Lego area, which has some great sculptures.

And hey - go into Ghirardelli’ chocolate shop - grab a free sample - your mouth will love you for the rest of your life!

The West Side has independent shops, restaurants and entertainment, Furthest west is the Cirque du Soleil. This is a beautiful piece of entertainment. Not particularly cheap but a lovely experience. Nearby is Disney Quest and the House of Blues. Heading towards the market place you’ll find several other restaurants/bars including Bongos, as well as more shops and a large cinema. Shops include a huge Virgin Megastore, a magic shop and a fun fridge magnet shop - good for souvenirs!

Between Marketplace and West Side is Pleasure Island. Whilst entrance into the shopping areas is free you need a ticket to go into Pleasure Island which is open only in the evenings. It is full of clubs and bars most of which are themed. There’s a comedy warehouse as well as a rock n roll club, jazz club and more - "every night is New Years Eve" is the motto. You have to be 18 or with someone over 18 to enter.

A separate area designed for residents of the Disney hotels. Hey we sneaked in and so can you. After all Disney never likes to turn away a buck! The familiar theme - it’s set around a lake, there are shops and restaurants. A pleasant evening and a bite to eat. If you stay a little later there’s a fun piano bar and a dance club. There’s even an art gallery !

A massive sports complex with more sports than you can shake your lacrosse stick at. The baseball is popular and several major league teams come here pre-season.

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Whilst the Disney attractions first spring to mind when many people think of the Orlando region of Florida, there is lots going on besides. The Universal Studios suite of attractions is probably the next best known.

Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Citywalk make up universals attractions and to this we will add Wet n Wild an independent water park. The 3 main parks are all accessed through the same car park and Wet n Wild is a few blocks away.

The first Universal venture in Florida is a theme park based upon its famous movies. At busy times you may wish to plan your route through the park to enjoy the headline rides but we’ll work our way around clockwise!

Entering Universal you soon reach the 4-D experience of Shrek and Jimmy Neutron. Both of these are great for kids of all ages. Moving along you reach Twister an interactive type of show based upon the film. Try and stand at the front of the stage - we did this by being one of the last in. Along from Twister is the Extreme Ghostbusters show where Beetlejuice turns the heroes into various singers. I’d personally be happy to give this a miss because there are much better shows just around the corner. The Blues Brothers put on a street show just opposite Finnegans which is a pleasant place for lunch. Nearby you can find a break-dancing display if your kids feel that the Blues Brothers is too tame!

Top ride ‘The Mummy’ is close the Finnegans. The Mummy combines superb special effects with the thrills of a coaster. Along from the Mummy is another good show Beetlejuices Rock n Roll.

Moving towards the rear of the park are the rides of Earthquake and Jaws. Both based on the classic films and both likely to get you a little damp. For those who fancy a full service meal try Lombards near to the Earthquake ride.

At the top of the park you’ll find the key rides including Men in Black where you and your team ride in carts to shoot aliens and compete against another team for the honours. If it’s your first time you may think that you have done well scoring 40 or 50 thousand until you realise it is possible to score a million points. Contact us for details.

Thrilling guests for a number of years is the Back to the Future simulator ride. So much fun you don’t notice the people in the booths next to you enjoying the same ride.

For animal lovers the Animal Planet show will appeal and if you have youngsters Barney is entertaining. Opposite Barney is the E.T. ride. An enjoyable rather than a thrill ride.

We’ve almost completed our circuit but don’t go without experiencing Terminator 3D - yes, you will want to go back. A mixture of 3-D special effects and live acting.

This park is split into 5 ‘Islands’ around the by now familiar lake. It will appeal to those who prefer thrill rides.

Marvel Super Hero Land - a massive roller coaster ‘The Hulk’ dominates and nearby you will find Doctor Dooms Fearfall which takes you up (strapped into your seat) the outside of a building and then ... stops taking you up!

Moving along from Super Hero Land is Toon Lagoon. Here you will find two water rides. Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls takes you on a pleasant boat ride until the only way out is downnnnnnnn. Popeye and Blutos Bilge Rat Barges is a raft ride - whichever you ride you will get soaked.

Jurassic Park the next land also has a River ride similar to Dudley Do-Right but with some dino animatronics. Also in this land are the Pteranodon Flyers - a youngsters chairlift ride and the Discovery Center. Worth taking some time out here just to wander around.

From the Lost Continent you move into Suess Landing. This island is really for the little ones with plenty of rides and entertainment. Grab a little one and try out the Cat in the Hat ride. You will love it and you can pretend that you only went in to accompany a small child. If you don’t have a small child borrow one.

City Walk is to Universal what Pleasure Island is to Disney.

Entertainment includes clubs and bars as well as a 20 screen cinema. There are lots of themed restaurants as well as live entertainment outside. You can take a break here and just people watch or even boat watch as they transport guests staying in the Universal Group hotels to and fro. As it gets dark you will even get a good view of the nightly firework display.

The worlds first water park is just around the corner from Universal (opposite Skull Kingdom). Although independently owned you can buy special tickets from Universal which includes entrance into Wet n Wild. Not as well landscaped as the Disney parks, there is nevertheless plenty for the serious water park enthusiast and for those looking for a sedate day in the sunshine.

With a central pool complete with wave machine there is plenty of serious slide action as well as a lazy river.

In Florida the Anheuser-Busch group operate three parks, all of which are worth a visit. Sea World and Discovery Cove are situated near the Universal Parks in Orlando and Busch Gardens is in Tampa Bay about 60 miles west.

A great day out where a zoo and theme park meet. There’s even free beer!

Let’s go anti-clockwise heading across the park to two of the main attractions. Shamu the Whale is an excellent show where trainers and the whales entertain and educate. Be warned, if you wish to stay dry sit towards the back!!

Opposite Shamu, you’ll find Wild Arctic. A good time to visit is when everyone else is watching Shamu. First you have to get to the Arctic and you can go on the ski run (walk) or in a helicopter. The latter is a lovely simulator ride taking you North and as with these types of rides it doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. As you emerge you come out into Base Station Wild Arctic where you can see Polar Bears, Beluga Whales, Walrus etc.

Continuing our journey you will find an adventure playground area for kids, a stables with Clydesdale horses and the Hospitality Center where you can grab a snack and enjoy the beautiful lake and gardens. You can even sample the brewing delights of the owners who make Bud.

Odyessa is a show with a underwater type theme. Like to tell you more but I slept through it!

The park has two serious rides around the animal exhibits. Kraken, a large roller coaster and Journey to Atlantis and water ride with a steep drop at the end. You can’t sleep through these.

Shark encounter is a walk through huge aquarium. The worlds largest acrylic underwater tunnel gets you up close without getting wet. Penguin Encounter is a delightful trip watching penguins and puffins. All of the exhibits are arranged tastefully and gives you a chance to see and learn about manatees, seahorses, turtles, stingrays and dolphins. At the dolphin nursery you can feed and pet these favourite mammals and you can even go below the nursery to watch them under the water.

Other shows include Seamore and Clyde - a very popular sea lion show and pets ahoy. Fancy a pearl? You can get a diver to get your very own oyster.

The park has the usual lake with attractions. You can hire a boat or pay to go up on the Skytower and look over Orlando if you have a head for heights. The evening show is Mystify which can be watched from a restaurant if you time it right . A different Shamu show is run in the evenings.

Dining at the Sharks Underwater Grill, like the Coral Reef allows you to watch the aquarium and fill your tummy.

This sister site to Sea World restricts the number of guests. Beautifully landscaped, you will find no rollercoasters here. You will start your day checking in and having a ‘complimentary’ group photo.

From the entrance you can stroll around to the beach and grab some sun loungers. Next to the changing rooms you can slip into you wet suit top and pick up your snorkel and goggles.

A tropical river and cove allows you to explore the scenery and ship wrecks. A freshwater, heated, crystal clear river which winds through the parks aviary and caverns. You can buy underwater cameras to snap your friends and family in their new diving gear.

Cooler and indeed cooler is the Coral Reef and Ray Lagoon. No heating here for obvious reasons but a chance to get up close and personal to the marine life at the park. Another chance to use that camera.

And of course, what many people visit the park for - to swim with the dolphins. You are allocated a time to attend the Dolphin Lagoon. You firstly get a briefing before heading down to the lagoon. In groups of about 8-10 your instructor (and dolphin) explain about these creatures, you will have a chance to assist with a trick and finally grab a fin and be propelled through the water. Don’t worry if you can’t swim the lagoon slopes gently and you can stay in your depth. The whole experience is photographed and put on video. Considering the cost of the dolphin swim is extra it is disappointing that the photos costs more again.

The cost of entrance includes lunch.

About 60 miles west in Tampa Bay sits Busch Gardens. A fantastic combination of zoo and theme park.

With 6 roller coasters and 3 water rides, Busch Gardens is a great place for thrill seekers. The coasters range from fairly gentle through wooden construction bone rattling right up to the new 70 mph 90 degree drop SheiKra.

The Congo River Rapids is a circular raft ride and the other 2 water rides are the kind with the steep drop and seriously damp clothing.

There are several shows including Morrocan Roll and the roving brass band the Mystic Sheiks. RL Stines Haunted Lighthouse is a 4-D show - a lot of fun and a sit down.

Animal attractions abound. Check out the Tigers around the Congo River or the flamigos by the Land of Dragons adventure playground. The Rhino Rally is very popular so climb aboard your jeep to check out the Rhino and maybe a surprise or 2. A railway circumnavigates the park and will take you through the Serengeti Plain where you can see lots of animals native to Africa. Alternatively you can view them from above on the Skyride chairlift. The Myombe Reserve is home to the parks ape community but you can’t leave your little monkeys behind - I tried!

Towards the Atlantic Coast are the twin attractions of Kennedy Space Center and the Astronauts Hall of Fame.

Kennedy is an active launch centre and you could be lucky enough to check out the Shuttle taking off. You may prefer to avoid a launch day as it gets extremely busy. Kennedy has plenty of attractions including memorabilia from the early days of space exploration. There are rockets to check out as well as capsules from those pioneer adventures.

A large IMEX cinema shows 2 films - the Dream is Alive and Space Station 3-D. Nearby is Mad Mission to Mars. All 3 attractions are very popular so queue early and to do Kennedy properly try to allow a whole day - you can easily spend an hour in the gift shop!

The Astronauts Hall of Fame is a separate attraction to Kennedy and it has other exhibits as well as a ride or 2. Strap in and blast off in the G-Force Trainer or why not sit down at your console and be part of Mission Control.

If you fancy a special meal you can book to lunch with an Astronaut!

This guide is meant as a taster to the attractions near Tigger-Woods. We cannot mention everything but worthy of attention:-

Ripleys Odditorium - a fun hour or two wandering through some of the strangest and bizzare, people and things.

Wonderworks - more strange fun at Floridas only upside down attraction.

Bogey Creek - take an airboat ride through the swamp checking out the local habitat and the gators.

Gatorland - over 100 acres of gator theme park and wildlife reserve.

Silver Springs - 350 acres of parkland and a crystal clear river with glass bottomed boats. Situated 90 miles north of Orlando.

Fantasy of Flight - located on the I-4 on the way to Tampa. Learn about and take a trip in bi-planes and hot air balloons.

Skull Kingdom - a ‘haunted’ castle located next to Wet n Wild dedicated to grizly goings on. Mazes, caverns and challenges galore.

Water Mania - a water park on the 192 aimed at family fun rather than for major thrill seekers.

Florida is a penisula. Despite the coastline being ravaged in 2004 by hurricanes there are more beaches to enjoy than you can ever visit in one week.

To the East of Tigger-Woods is the Atlantic Coast. You can easily reach Daytona and have a drive along that famous beach or visit Cocoa which is nearer to Kennedy. Further south is Miami and the famous Keys. To the West is the Gulf Coast. Beautiful beaches abound. Clearwater is one of the closest to Tigger-Woods and you’ll not be disappointed. A gorgeous sandy beach and a chance to go out onto the Gulf and look for dolphins. Grab dinner and watch the sun set. A little to the South is St Petes. More lovely beaches and you can take a trip out to Shell Key. Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Venice - the list goes on. Why not take the cool bag from the villa, pack a picnic and enjoy a lovely day out.

In general eating out is good value and you may decide not to use the kitchen facilities at Tigger-Woods except for snacks. However, the kitchen is fully equipped, there is a lovely dining area and even a BBQ.

A short trip down Highway 192 will offer you a good choice of cuisine for around $15 per head. You can expect the food and service to be good and the portions plentiful. At the villa you will find a book of recommendations made by previous guests and you will see the likes of Golden Corral, Ponderosa, Sizzlers, Red Lobster etc. You will find Chinese and Indian restaurants and the ACE Buffet is close by and provides a Chinese buffet, plus chips etc for those who aren’t Chinese cuisine fans

For special occasions there are alternatives and we can recommend the California Grill at the Comtempory Hotel Disney where you can get an upmarket meal and wine plus watch the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom (best to book in advance). Every park has lots of places to eat ranging from fast food on a tray to table service. The Coral Reef at EPCOT, Mythos at Islands of Adventure, Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, Lombards at Universal are some of the better. Try taking a trip to Celebration and enjoying a meal there, then walk it off enjoying the sights of this lovely town.

At Clearwater we would recommend Crabby Bills. We enjoyed it so much that we ate there for lunch and went to another of the chain to watch the sun set.

To eat in just visit any of the supermarkets close by; Walmarts and Publix are within a couple of miles and stock up.

It’s strictly over 21s and if you don’t have ID you don’t get served here.

If you fancy a drink out you can take a stroll to the 19^th hole bar less than 10 minutes stagger. There are 2 bars a little further away - Beef O’Gradys. The one on the 192 shows English soccer matches! An English pub is just off of the 192 - the Stage Door - good if you like karioke.

Florida has plenty of golf courses. There are 2 adjacent to Tigger-Woods in Polo Park but for those looking for top quality courses you can try the course at Southern Dunes (10 miles south) or any of the championship Disney courses. There’s plenty of information on the hundreds of internet sites. At Polo Park a round of golf is very cheap and includes club hire and a golf buggy!

Florida has a tropical climate. The attractions are great fun but it can be very tiring especially for little ones. Take water with you and plan to have breaks or your holiday can become a chore rather than a fantastic experience. Plan your days out and make use of the fast passes at the parks which let you jump the main queue. Ride as single riders when queues are long - you get on much quicker but you just don’t sit together. A lot of attractions will let one adult ride whilst the other looks after their small child and then change over without queuing again - baby swap. If the queues are long, you have arrived late and even the fast pass queues are huge consider buying a fast pass. It isn’t cheap but you can ride all of the main attractions once on the fast pass line. Take things to amuse the little ones whilst you are in a queue; colouring books, small pen and paper puzzles etc. Get them an autograph book to record their meetings with their favourite characters.