Florida Destination Guide

Florida is America’s playground – the perfect holiday destination for children aged from 4 to 84!! From the theme parks centred around Orlando to the fabulous beaches around its 1800  mile coastline and the fascinating natural beauty of the Everglades, Florida really does have something for everyone.

Orlando boasts the largest collection of theme parks in the world - with something to suit all tastes. Thrill rides, characters galore, water parks and rides themed to your favourite movies means there is never a dull moment. Located in Orange County in Central Florida, what we refer to as Orlando is more than just the growing and thriving downtown area itself with its designer boutiques, big name department stores and a variety of outlet malls. It also encompasses International Drive - one of the main locations for hotels and is also home to Sea World  and Universal Studios, Lake Buena Vista, which is where Walt Disney World is located and Kissimmee, which is some 20 miles south of the downtown area and has some great value accommodation, whilst still being only a short journey from the major attractions. Whilst buses do run between the main areas and the attractions, having a car in Orlando will make getting around a whole lot easier.


Magic Kingdom® - Home to Cinderella’s Castle, seven magical themed lands, over 40 varied attractions, lively entertainment and shows and most importantly, Disney characters (who will sign autographs and pose for memorable photographs). Magic Kingdom® Park provides fun and fantasy for both the young and young at heart.

Epcot - Experience the unique combination of the vision of tomorrow in Future World and the international cultures of today in the 11 countries of The World Showcase. Stroll from the heart of Paris to the Great Wall of China, just a few of the delights in store as you journey around the world.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom - Whether real, imaginary or extinct, the animals who rule this domain bring to life a full day of adventure. From a safari or archeological dig to a thrill ride that takes you to the edge of extinction, you will marvel as the stories of all animals unfold before your eyes.

Disney-MGM Studios - Enjoy a day in the movies at Disney-MGM Studios, marvel at the deathdefying stunts at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Encounter a terrifying fall of 13 stories in ‘The Twilight Zone of Terror™ and then sit back and enjoy the latest live stage show - Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, a musical adventure based on Disney’s hit movie.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach - open seasonally: Experience the world’s tallest, fastest free fall speed slide set on a 90-foot ‘snow capped mountain’ in the midst of a Florida-style water park.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon - open seasonally: Escape to the wettest, wackiest attractions in paradise, whether navigating exciting water slides or swimming with real sharks, you’re promised the most wonderful water adventure.

Downtown Disney - An exciting metropolis of restaurants, nightclubs and theatres and the most spectacular selection of Disney character merchandise in the world. Adults will enjoy Downtown Disney, which, with eight completely different nightclubs, offers something for all musical tastes. Downtown Disney West Side is the latest new addition and includes the AMC 24 Theatre Complex, Bongos Cuban Café, Cirque du Soleil and DisneyQuest.

Wet ‘n Wild® - Orlando’s most exciting water park, offers the best variety of multi-passenger rides. You can boogie down the retro raft adventure, Disco H2O™. Splash to the hits of the 70’s as you spin circles through an enclosed aqua disco. Take a relaxing journey into Florida’s past on the Lazy River or get soaked down a ruptured pipeline on The Blast. Children love the Kids’ Park featuring smaller versions of the park’s popular adult rides. Wet ‘n Wild® features signature attractions like the Bubba Tub, a triple-dip slide. Wet ‘n Wild® is open year-round.

SeaWorld® Orlando - There's no place in the world like it! Where else can you touch and feed dolphins, count the teeth on a shark and come face-to-face with a polar bear? Enjoy the grace and agility of Shamu® in a new production called "Believe". The new Shamu® show will feature SeaWorld®'s majestic killer whales with aweinspiring choreography, an elaborate 3-storey set, original musical score and state-of-the-art multimedia. Be dazzled by the all-new dolphin spectacular, Blue Horizons. Challenge Kraken®, the tallest, fastest and wildest coaster in Orlando! At SeaWorld® Orlando, it doesn't get any closer than this.

Universal Studios® - Jump right into the action of your favourite movies at Universal Studios®. Put yourself to the test at the most extreme audience participation show ever - Fear Factor Live. Plunge into total darkness on a psychological thrill ride - Revenge of the MummySM the Ride. See, hear and feel the action through the miracle of OgreVision in Shrek 4-D™. Rocket through the worlds of your favourite Nicktoons® on Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast™ and save the earth from aliens on the interactive ride MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™. It’s all at Universal Studios®, the number one movie and TV based theme park in the world!

Universal's Islands of Adventure® - Experience the innovative thrills and unexpected adventures of Universal’s Islands of Adventure® theme park. At Islands of Adventure you’ll take a journey through five uniquely-themed islands - Seuss Landing™, The Lost Continent®, Jurassic Park®, Toon Lagoon® and Marvel Super Hero Island® - where the world’s most cutting edge rides and attractions challenge all your senses. Here, timeless myths, legends, children’s stories, cartoons and comic books come to life right before your eyes. You’ll battle villains in 3-D on the first-of-its-kind 3-D thrill ride, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®. Then defy gravity as the Incredible Hulk Coaster® takes you on a highspeed roller coaster rampage.

Orlando Private homes...

Location - All our homes are located in Kissimmee within 15 miles of Walt Disney World Resort. Some of the estates we use include Lindfields, Indian Ridge, Indian Wells, Windward Cay, Indian Creek, Montego Bay, Chatham Park, The Palms at Lake Davenport, Sunridge Woods, Davenport Lakes and Westridge.

Homes - These 3, 4, and 5 bedroomed homes, each with private screened pool, are fully furnished and offer spacious sleeping, living and dining areas. You will benefit from fully equipped kitchens as well as spacious bedrooms and bathrooms.

Maximum Occupancy

3 Bedroomed home - 8

4 Bedroomed home - 10

5 Bedroomed home - 12

Please ask for further details and prices.

Florida offers a wealth of wonderful beaches with many varied resorts. In fact, Florida offers a beach resort to suit every budget and taste. All you have to do is select the one which appeals to you and sit back, relax and enjoy the miles and miles of magnificent beaches. The coastline of Florida extends for around 1800 miles and no point in the state is more than 60 miles from the sea. It boasts some of the top beaches in the US. As you can imagine, the distances are vast and most people visiting the state choose to hire a car, although if you want to stay put at a beach, it is not absolutely necessary. However, there is such variety of scenery in Florida that it would be a shame not to visit other beaches as well as taking in the Everglades National Park.

Gulf Coast

St. Petersburg and Clearwater – Long time favourites with holidaymakers, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, approximately 114 miles from Orlando and 264 miles from Miami, are two of Florida’s most popular resorts. Both are perfect for families with their wide sandy beaches, excellent water sports and a good selection of shops and restaurants.

Sarasota/Longboat Key – A little more exclusive than Clearwater and St Petersburg, Longboat Key (133 miles from Orlando and 245 miles from Miami) is home to pristine beaches, shallow water and glorious sunsets. It is also a short drive from Sarasota home of elegant shopping plus many fascinating museums and beautiful barrier islands.

Naples – Located 243 miles form Orlando and 121 miles from Miami, Naples is a quiet, sophisticated and elegant relaxed resort with superb beaches, boutiques, restaurants and shops.

Gold Coast

Fort Lauderdale – Fort Lauderdale, 212 miles from Orlando and 31 miles from Miami, is a sophisticated fashionable resort known as the ‘Venice of America’ due to its 165 miles of inland waterways. In fact water taxis are the most popular form of transport! Fort Lauderdale offers some superb restaurants, a varied night-life and chic boutiques, it also has miles of excellent beaches.

Palm Beach County – Palm Beach County is 70 miles north of Miami and 150 miles from Orlando. Home to the rich and famous, Palm Beach is Florida’s most exclusive and chic city, offering more golf courses than any other city in Florida.

Boca Raton – Boca Raton boasts charm and elegance but is a quieter resort destination. Singer Island - is located in north Palm Beach County boasting spectacular beaches and ocean vistas but only a short drive away from the sophistication and culture of the mainland.

Florida Keys

Key West – Key West is Florida’s most southern city and is located 394 miles from Orlando and 165 miles from Miami. Once in Key West you will find whimsical shops, offbeat restaurants and streets lined with Victorian residences. Make sure you visit Ernest Hemingway’s house and take in the breathtaking sunset. Key West is also a great night-spot.

Islamorada – Even more relaxed than Key West, it is located approximately halfway down the Keys, close to Marathon. Here you will be able to enjoy the ultimate place to ‘wind down’.

Key Largo – An area which offers every water sport imaginable and you can also enjoy one of the many Everglades tours that are available.

Miami Beach

South Beach – Miami’s shining crown is its beautifully restored Art Deco district with its superb 1930’s architecture and the world famous South Beach.

Key Biscayne – Just one road leads to Key Biscayne, which lies on a promontory south of Miami. There are some beautiful beaches and the area retains a quiet, gentle tempo on the edge of the bustle of the city.

Coral Gables – Just 20 minutes south of Miami Beach lies the fashionable and up market area of Coral Gables. Spend a couple of hours shopping on Coral Way, but make sure you have plenty of credit on your card first!

Coconut Grove – The oldest settlement in the area, the “Grove” was developed for well-heeled northerners in the early 1900s. It still retains an air of refinement and has a social scene which revolves around its excellent restaurants and bars.

The Everglades – Only an hour or two from Miami, but a whole world away lies the wildest part of the state. The Everglades National Park covers most of Florida’s southernmost tip and is second only to Yellowstone National Park in terms of size.