Years ago when we first started going to Florida we heard about this Disney built community called Celebration. It was designed and promoted as an old style small American town and was to have the community feel of a friendly and neighbourly place to live, and was to be a Disney showcase community.
It’s located East of I4 on Hwy 192 and is easy to find from Kissimmee and all the rental villa communities. When we first visited Celebration it was relatively small compared to what it’s like now but it still has that small town charm and feel about it, you feel like you’re miles away from the hustle and bustle of the major touristy area of Hwy 192.
We always make a point of going there a couple of times when we’re in Florida. The central area is called Market Street and is where you’ll find the café’s, shops and restaurants. As you walk round from the central car park you will see a wonderful 50’s art deco style cinema, this sets the tone and is part of the character of the area.
As you cross the road toward the lake where you can see some beautiful turtles sun bathing on the Lily pads you will come across the dancing water fountains, the children can run in and out of these so don’t forget to take their swimming costumes and towels. You will hear background music playing as you walk toward the central part of Market Street, there are rocking chairs beside the lake where you can sit and relax for a while.
We would highly recommend calling in to Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Shop and trying their amazing range of coffees. My personal favourite is the Iced Cappuccino, which is made like a milk shake. On a warm sunny day you can sit in the courtyard at the front of the shop and just watch the world go by, the last time we went there we met a very interesting American couple that had retired and were travelling around America in a Winnebago for a few months.
For those who want traditional English tea and cakes the place to visit is Sherlocks, this is owned by an English family and they will tell you about their experiences of moving there, They had a television program made about their move to Celebration. There are also plenty of events going on through the year we went to a Disney sale of toys and memorabilia where we picked up some very cheap souvenirs.
There is also a range of restaurants to suite all tastes including American, Italian, Spanish/Cuban cuisine or seafood and prime rib. Prices are very reasonable ranging from $4 to around $27. One of my favourites is Columbia, which are Florida’s oldest restaurants established in 1905. Their specialities include the world famous 1905 salad and Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with yellow rice), the Tapas bar is also worth trying if you want to visit more than once.
If you visit Celebration in the daytime you will only need half a day out of your schedule and it will make a pleasant change from the hectic theme parks.