Welcome to our Florida Guide. Your one-stop shop for vacation planning for that trip of a lifetime to Florida! https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/ en-us Copyright 2026, Orlando Villas Ltd. All Rights Reserved. info@orlandovillas.com https://www.orlandovillas.com/assets/img/logo.png https://www.orlandovillas.com/ 75 50 https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/international-drive-attractions.aspx span style="font-weight: bold; " WonderWorks /span WonderWorks is an amusement park for the mind with 35, 000 square feet of “edu-tainment”. The attraction combines education and entertainment with more than 100 hands on exhibits that challenge the mind and spark the imagination. WonderWorks is an amusement park for the mind with 35, 000 square feet of “edu-tainment”. The attraction combines education and entertainment with more than 100 hands on exhibits that challenge the mind and spark the imagination. This once top-secret laboratory was located in the Bermuda triangle. An experiment gone awry lifted the laboratory carrying it to International Drive in Orlando, Florida where it landed upside down. Luckily all of the exhibits remained intact and available for guests to explore. With the ceiling under your feet and the ground above your head, WonderWorks will turn your world upside down. Pass through the inversion tunnel to realign yourself and start your adventure! Inside you’ll find six wonder zones for loads of family fun! Start your journey below as you discover some of our featured exhibits. After you’ve explored the exhibits, venture up to the basement where you’ll find action-packed entertainment for all ages! Climb through obstacles three stories above the ground in the glow-in-the-dark Indoor Ropes Course, compete against opponents and battle in our in a fast-paced, black-lit Laser-Tag arena and experience a whirlwind adventure in our 4D XD Motion Theatre! Orlando’s best kept secret! The '''' Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show'''' Interactive, entertaining and hilariously funny magic comedy dinner show with UNLIMITED pizza, salad, beer, wine, soda and dessert. You will have so much fun you will want to see it again and again and again and again! span style="font-weight: bold; " ICON Park /span ICON Park is a 20-acre, open-air, gate free entertainment destination with plenty of space to spread out and practice social distancing. The perfect place to ride, dine, drink and explore. Located in the heart of International Drive, ICON Park offers more than 40 amazing restaurants, funky bars, boutique shops and can’t-miss attractions, all anchored by The Wheel, a jaw-dropping observation wheel that stands 400 feet – 40 stories – in the air. Visit other great attractions including SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Orlando and Arcade City. Your little ones and those young at heart can ride the toddler-sized Pearl Express train while older kids and you grown-ups can brave the 7D Dark Ride Adventure and Orlando StarFlyer, the world’s tallest swing ride. Orlando HeliTours is Orlando Florida'''' s premier helicopter operations and touring company, providing scenic flights over Orlando and its world famous attractions. Take your journey in one of their Bell Jet Ranger aircraft, the world'''' s most popular commercial helicopters. Whether its flying over Walt Disney World'''' s Downtown Disney, Animal Kingdom, Epcot or Florida'''' s Butler Chain of Lakes you will experience some of the most breathtaking views of the most amazing places in all of the United States. Orlando HeliTours offers the highest level of safety and service in Florida. They also offer helicopter aerial photography and filming. Orlando HeliTours is also a trusted supplier for local and state government agencies. span style="font-weight: bold; " iFly Indoor Skydiving Orlando /span IFLY is an indoor skydiving experience that creates true free fall conditions, just like skydiving, without having to jump out of an airplane. iFLY Orlando''''s 1, 000 hp vertical wind tunnel generates a wall-to-wall cushion of air, on which you safely float. There’s no parachute, no jumping, and nothing attaching you to planet Earth. It’s just you and the air, it’s the most incredible adrenaline rush. No experience is necessary. Just about anyone can fly, including those with physical disabilities. Children as young as three, to adults as young as 103 have flown. Obviously there are only a few exceptions if you’ve dislocated a shoulder or have had a neck injury you might not be able to fly. iFly is located at the Universal end of International Drive. Mon, 12 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/disney-skyliner.aspx The Newest Way for Guests to Travel Around Walt Disney World Resort Disney Skyliner is the latest way you can travel around Walt Disney World adding to the Disney magic. The gondolas join other transportation ways like Walt Disney World monorail system, the ferry boats, water taxis, and of course the Disney buses. Disney Skyliner is a complimentary transportation system, that moves above waterways and wooded areas while making its way to the theme parks and Disney resort hotels, guests will see some sights never seen before. For now, the Skyliner connects between Epcot and Disney' s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the new Disney’s Riviera Resort, and Disney Vacation Club resort. Guests staying at Disney resort hotels will have quick-and-easy transportation to Disney' s BoardWalk, with access to Epcot through the International Gateway station. There are about 300 Disney Skyliner cabins with many wrapped and decorated in Disney scenes including characters, movies, attractions and more themes. It is great to think you are riding along with Disney pals. The other gondola cabins are painted with eight different vibrant colours. The wrapped gondolas are harder to see out of because the pictures cover the windows, but you can see clearly out of the doors. There is no air conditioning inside the cabins but knowing the hot Florida sun will be beating down on these gondolas most of the year, it was a relief to know that there are openings at the top of the cabins which acts as a vent and gives a strong breeze inside the gondola. If you are afraid of heights, you may not like riding this as it gets quite high above the ground at some points. If you are prone to motion-sickness, you may want to think twice about riding for prolonged periods. The gondolas are hanging from a wire, so they do sway in the wind. Each cabin will take a maxim of 10 guests and Wheelchair, ECV, and Strollers are allowed inside the cabins. Children will not need to get out of their strollers unless the stroller is too wide to fit through the doors. There is a separate line for guests needing additional time to board. These cabins are set apart so that guests with wheelchairs or strollers can board safely without the gondola moving. It also means that the other gondolas will not be starting and stopping repeatedly. Disney Skyliner guests will get see views of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including the Hollywood Tower Hotel. When Approaching Epcot, you can see the countries around the World Showcase Lagoon come into view and a view of the Spaceship Earth in the distance. Disney Skyliner loading Stations along the Disney Skyliner route will feature uniquely Disney designs that reflect their surroundings: Each station has some beautiful art décor, with hand painted murals. There are currently 5 loading stations for guests to board. Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/about-those-chain-restaurants.aspx There is a building boom along Hwy 192 just west of Disney…a boom of restaurants, with many of them being chain restaurants. Realizing that not all these chains exist or are plentiful outside of the USA, here is some opinion and information about them. There are some good meals waiting if you know what to expect. span style="font-weight: bold; " Chuy’s Tex Mex /span : Headquartered is in Texas, thus the Tex Mex focus. I would say they are closer to Mex than Tex, but that is not a bad thing. There is at least one vegetarian option in each food category, and the tortilla shells are made fresh right there. Mexican food chains have a bad reputation in the States, but Chuy’s deserves to be considered outside of them. My favorite dish is the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, which has something of almost everything. Somehow the name prevents me from cleaning the plate…I can’t go for all the calories. span style="font-weight: bold; " Cracker Barrel /span : Put Denny’s, Bob Evans, and Cracker Barrel in the same category and you will not be far off. But Cracker Barrel has rocking chairs (for sale) outside, a gift store with unusual merchandise inside, and good country-style food to boot. Nothing exquisite, just average, but you won’t leave unhappy if you expected a filling moderately priced meal. The service is usually good. . here’s a big tip: Download their app and use their join waiting list feature during busy times. span style="font-weight: bold; " Bahama Breeze /span : Owned by the Darden Restaurant Group, who also owns Olive Garden and a few others. Caribbean themed (obviously), they sport a nice outside patio with live music and good drinks. The food…. to me it is what Corporate America thinks the Bahamas offers. Let’s call it Bahamas Style. They used to have a marinated steak that was my favorite, but alas no more. Lots of veggies and starches vs meat on the entrees, the cost accountants have been at work. span style="font-weight: bold; " Ale House /span : This is a Florida chain. The beer selection is good, lots of tv’s to watch sports. The food is OK, not spectacular, but there are daily specials that are a very good value. I prefer it for lunch vs dinner, but if you want a less complex meal dinner is fine. span style="font-weight: bold; " Sweet Tomatoes /span : In California they are known as Souplantation, but in Florida and elsewhere it is Sweet Tomatoes. It is an all-you-can-eat restaurant featuring an extensive salad bar plus a hot food bar with soups (that are very good), and simpler items like mac n’ cheese, pizza bread, pasta, and baked potatoes. Unlike many buffet type restaurants, they tend to be very clean and the food bars are well-tended. The food is also fresh. Also unlike many buffet restaurants, it is not inexpensive. Expect to spend about $15 a person including a non-alcoholic drink. It is a vegetarian’s nirvana, and the meat eaters will still be OK with things. Fri, 25 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/how-to-ride-flight-of-passage-animal-kingdom-without-a-fast-pass-in-less-than-30-minutes.aspx We spent Christmas and New Year 2018/2019 in Orlando at our house in Tuscan Ridge, Davenport. We were 2 families 4 adults and 3 children aged 11, and 13, We knew that the crowds and lines at Disney during Christmas and New Year would be very busy, so we purchased tickets in advance and attempted to get Fast Passes for our favourite attractions 30 days before. But even logging in as soon as the Fast Passes were made available, there were no Fast Passes for Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, these were already snapped up by Disney Hotel guests who can book Fast Passes 60 days in advance. The estimated wait time for the Flight of passage during our stay was around 260 Minutes which is over a 4-hour wait. So, I did some research and that’s what I would like to share with you all so that you can ride this fantastic attraction in less than 30 minutes. We flew in on Saturday 22nd December, so on Sunday 23rd December we decided to go to Animal Kingdom as there were no Disney Extra Magical Hours, we took advantage of the jet lag and got up at 5.30am and left the house around 6 am, it was still dark and rather chilly but we were very excited so it didn’t matter, we made our way to Animal Kingdom, by the time we paid for parking, parked up and got the tram to the main entrance it was around 6. 45am. At this time there were still a few people ahead of us, but we got a good spot near the entrance and waited for the doors to open, whilst the kids ran around looking at the amazing Christmas Decorations. Although the park wasn’t officially open until 8am they let us in around 7.40am and we made our way to the Flight of passage with everyone else that had done their research, some were running although the attendants told people not to, others were just having fun on the way. We arrived at the beginning of the line about 7.55am and were strapped in and ready to fly with the Navi at 8.20am. This is an amazing attraction which I would highly recommend, but with no Fastpass this can be a very long wait especially with young children. However we managed to finish the ride and look around the shop before 9am. You can do the same If you follow the schedule above and choose a day that doesn’t have Extra Magical hours. We managed to ride this amazing attraction during the busiest time of the year and still have the rest of the day to explore Animal Kingdom and the rest that Disney has to offer rather than spending half of our day waiting in line. If you are planning a trip during Christmas or during the busy summer months follow these tips. Good Luck and Have fun! ! ! ! Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/countdown-to-christmas.aspx On a recent pre-Christmas trip to our villa at Highlands Reserve, we took the opportunity to visit the Now Snowing Event at Celebration. The event is held every year between late November and the end of December and we have always been there just too soon or just too late before, so we were eager to see it this time. Celebration is the town that Disney built in an American Vintage style – lots of lovely houses with porches and a quaint shopping centre. During the annual snowing event there is also an ice rink (not real – it would melt in the Florida weather we experienced on our trip! ) We saw a group of Carol singers dressed in Victorian clothes which really got us in the Christmas spirit and there is also the Celebration train and horse and carriage rides and an opportunity to meet Santa (which we felt a little old for! ) ‘Snow’ falls nightly at 6pm, 7pm. 8pm and 9pm and there is a lovely Christmas tree on Market Street. What we hadn’t realised was that the night we chose to visit the Countdown to Christmas Event was taking place. This was on for two nights; December 8th and 15th and is a showcase for young talent from across America and beyond. It is a totally free event and we saw singers from Los Angeles, Dallas, Orlando and even Glasgow! It really added to the fun and atmosphere of the night. We were told that Justin Bieber was a past performer so maybe we saw an up and coming future star? Entrance to Celebration and the Now Snowing events are free, including parking so it is a great way to spend an evening without it costing a penny but it was extremely busy and parking was impossible nearby, so it would be best to arrive early, be prepared for a walk to the centre or take a taxi. We had planned to have dinner at Celebration and chose the Lakeside Bar and Grill at the Bohemian Hotel. We knew the restaurant as we had had our wedding reception there a few years ago and remembered the food and atmosphere was superb so we were prepared to wait for an hour for a table for two but on reflection it would be better to have booked and also if we had used a taxi we could have spent the time enjoying a cocktail or two! As expected the food was exceptional. We started by sharing a hug plate of Calamari and followed with a wonderful burger and their roasted chicken dish. Along with two drinks, the total was $80 which isn’t cheap but for a special meal we can really recommend it. We were delighted with our trip to Countdown to Christmas and would definitely do it again if we are in town at the time and if we’d have taken that taxi, we would have stayed much longer I’m sure. Wed, 19 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-boathouse-at-disney-springs.aspx On a recent trip over to our villa, we decided on a trip to The Boathouse at Disney Springs. It was a beautiful sunny December day and we chose a table at the Dockside Bar, overlooking the lake and the views were just wonderful. There are over 200 seats on the dock and at that time of year we had a good choice. There is also the more formal restaurant inside. We decided to start with a drink and while my husband enjoyed his usual beer, I opted for a strawberry gin fizz, which just hit the spot! We were sat enjoying the view when one of the vintage amphibious cars ‘drove’ past! It was certainly a sight to see! Apparently, there are less than four hundred of these rare cars left in the world dating from between the 1930’s to ‘50’s and it is a great opportunity to ride in one, driven by a white-suited ‘captain’. We enquired about the tours as we thought it would be good to bring the family next summer. Each car takes three to four people and a twenty-minute ‘drive’ costs $125 but we were told that if we spent $50 in the restaurant or shop we would get a $25 voucher which we could use so it is definitely worth doing if you intend to eat and drive. They also have a forty foot Italian water taxi which can be hired for special events and daily sunset cruises will start in the spring. Our food arrived quickly and that was no disappointment either. The menu, as you would expect for a riverfront restaurant, is quite heavily accented to sea food; lobster, oysters, shrimp, clams, swordfish, salmon… all sounded delicious but I went for the steamed mussels in Cioppino broth, (apparently that’s a type of Italian/American fish soup! ) and they were really delicious, fresh and so tasty and I felt reasonable at $16. It isn’t exclusively a fish restaurant though with other choices including the usual burgers, sandwiches, salads and steaks. Though he was tempted by the twelve ounce Filet Mignon with Crab, I persuaded my husband that $64. 50 was a little expensive for a lunchtime snack! ! So reluctantly he settled for ‘Yacht Club’ Club sandwich at a more modest $17. 50. It was stuffed with turkey, bacon, avocado, cheese and salad and came with the best fries which looked just too tempting for me not to pinch a few! Of course, this is Disney, so everything is beautifully clean and well-appointed and there is the inevitable shop or ‘Boatique’ selling clothing, life rings and oars, which can be personalised and the usual collectables. Definitely a place we will return to with the family next year; it felt like a taste of Disney without the need for a park ticket. Mon, 17 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/volcano-bay.aspx This article is not aimed at describing the rides, but rather the basics of getting in and around the park. Getting there:- /b a) If you are staying at one of the Universal resorts hotels, you can make full use of the free buses that run to Volcano Bay from your hotel. (You will also get early access by 1 hour b) You can be dropped off at the drop-off point close to the multi-story car park, then walk-through to the ground floor Volcano Bay pick up point. c) Drive and pay the parking charge ($25 at the time of writing). You will be directed on where to park. With both b) + c), Universal provide buses to and from Volcano Bay from the main car park. Arrival:- /b When you arrive at Volcano Bay, all guests must go through a security screening, this is before your two to three minute walk to the Volcano Bay entrance. Entrance to the park is the same as the main theme parks, present your ticket and use the finger print scan. TapuTapu:- /b On entry you will be given a TapuTapu. This is a WIFI ' watch' type device. You can associate a credit card to this, (You do need to download and use the Universal app in order to do this) so you can pay for anything with a quick tap. Also, you use it to check into a ride, if it' s a ' ride now' or register for a slot in a virtual queue in the future. When you arrive at any ride it will give a wait time, so you' ll know how long you have to go off and do other things. Note: you can only have one ride virtually queued at any time, albeit you can change it to another. Tip:- /b Make sure it is fastened securely. Mine came off on one of the family raft rides. (You can get another TapuTapu, but you do need your entry ticket so they can associate you with the new one) The TapuTapu is used for Photo' s when on a ride. It' s similar to an electronic toll system, so when a photo is taken, it knows who it has taken the picture off. You can go to a picture stand in one of the shopping areas to view any photo' s. You can also use it for ' play' i. e triggering a water spray/jet on a ride. Small children really enjoy this, getting adults wet and vise versa. . . as if we aren' t wet enough already! When leaving the park, you should hand your TapuTapu back. Even though you may think they look nice, and would like one as a souvenir, they have this covered and you do go through a detector which scans for them. Lockers:- /b Medium - can take one small rucksack. $12 Large - can take a full rucksack. $16 (prices correct at the time of writing) When you arrive at a locker area, step one is to pay for a locker. If you use a credit card, you can go to any screen in the locker area and follow the instructions. If paying with cash, you have to go the left and rear of the locker area, where there is a single payment station where you can insert cash. In both cases, initiating payment loads your TapuTapu with the necessary fee, and you can then go onto select a locker. Once you have a locker allocated, if you have other people in your party, you can link up to 3 more TapuTapu' s to the locker. (Just follow the instructions on the screen) Which comes in really useful if you should lose it. (You need to go to one of the customer service huts with your entry ticket, and they' ll assign a new one) Tip:- /b After entering the attraction, do not make for the lockers on the left a short walk away, as there is normally a queue for these. Either turn right or walk past the first set of lockers and go further into the park, where more lockers can be found and more loungers! Towels:- /b $5 per towel. Premium Seating:- /b 2 loungers and an umbrella, all yours for $49 Cabana:- /b I' ve no direct experience of these, as I thought the price was a little high, $199 for single unit for up to 6 people, which includes a locker. The family units are $599 for up to 16 people and are more private. One real benefit of these would be guaranteed shade. As it does get scorchio ' hot' at times. Eateries:- /b 2 larger quick service eatery' s (Pizza' s, Chicken nuggets, burgers) and 2 smaller, (Taco' s, Nacho' s) and 2 bar's. Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/lake-buena-vista-outlet-bargain-shopping.aspx Lake Buena Vista Outlet /b is not one of the main shopping destinations for tourists, but we would heartily recommend a visit. It’s not as fancy as the more upmarket premium outlet places on Vineland road and the top of International drive, but there are bargains here aplenty. It can be found on SR535 between I4 and US192. The official address is 15657 S Apopka Vineland Road and opens from 10am to 9am Monday to Saturday and 10am to 7pm on Sunday. It' s also one of the few places in Orlando with a road roundabout! There' s plenty of parking and on arrival, pop into food court and pick up a coupon leaflet. It could come in useful. This is an Outlet mall, so virtually all shops are selling reduced priced items. Stores - predominantly clothing, but the outlet had something for everyone. Shoes, sunglasses, perfume etc etc. Two stores that really work for us, are Old Navy Outlet and VF Outlet. Old Navy always have some great bargains. We' ve never found another Old Navy store with comparable levels of discount. For instance, during black Friday sales, this store had a lot of items with 70% discount. 2 other Old Navy stores we visited on the same day only had 50% and 60%. The VF store (opposite end of the outlet to Old Navy), is jammed pack with clothes. If you like wrangler jeans, this is the place for you. There are 2 more large clothing stores, Nike and Tommy Hilfiger. We can’t say much for Nike, but Tommy Hilfiger does have some bargains, but don’t expect the very latest designs. One word of warning though. We’ve bought in this store several times and on each occasion, it’s taken an awfully long time to get thru the tills. Depending on your tastes, the other clothes store' s range from Aeropostale, Calvin Klein, Eddie Bauer, Dressbarn, Fossil, G by Guess, Gap, Levi's, OshGosh (children), US Polo Assn, Under Armour, Izod / Van Heusen. Shoe stores:- Converse, Crocs, Fit N Shoes, Rack Room, SAS, Timberland. There is a food court serving normal US fare:- Hamburgers, hot dogs, Pizza, Lasange, salads and snacks. There is also a coffee shop/Internet cafe on the opposite side to the food court. This outlet is also part of a hotel and spa complex, but for the tourist, there is Frankie Farrell's iIrishpub, which we can verify that their fish ‘n chips are worthy of a British chippy. Go grab a bargain. Mon, 26 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/island-grove-wine-company-formosa-gardens-kissimmee-fl-34747.aspx I suppose by saying it was like a Phoenix rising from the ashes sounds a bit dramatic but. . . . . where once stood an old shed on a neglected, overgrown piece of land, we watched it all flattened and cleared and slowly but surely it began to emerge a beautiful vineyard complete with growing vines. Feeling very excited about having a vineyard on our doorstep we couldn’t wait to see what lay behind the grand entrance. We did just that on our last visit to our home in Kissimmee and we were not disappointed! . . . wow what a beautiful place to sit and have a refreshing glass of wine (tea for the teetotal in our group). The shop was very inviting with so many unusual items and sweet treats including perfect little gifts for the hard to buy for people and the wine enthusiast. The bar was well stocked with every type of wine you could possibly want. There were special offers, wine of the week and a knowledgeable barperson on hand to help make your choice a little easier to make. They also have a wine selection machine with prices ranging from $4-$8 and regular wine and tea tasting evenings and afternoons for the connoisseur. There is also an extensive meeting hall upstairs for weddings, special events, meetings and conventions. There is small bistro and bakery serving hot fresh and pastries also many local organic products including jam, marmalades, salads, cheese and so many different homemade breads. ISLAND GROVE has just started to sell their own brand honey direct from their hives. Light lunches can also be served in the gardens. We spent a pleasant couple of hours sitting outside overlooking the 7 acres of beautiful botanical gardens. Guests can have an adult game of Jenga or checkers whilst enjoying the superb wine in the Florida sunshine. Our server was polite and friendly and was very interested when a member of our group shared the secret of why many vineyards put a rose bush at the end of each line of vines. ISLAND GROVE has a calming, very relaxed atmosphere – a perfect venue to come after a tiring day at the Theme Parks. Our home is near to this venue along Highway 192 and we will most definitely put ISLAND GROVE high up on our list of places to visit upon our next trip in 2019. Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-melting-pot.aspx Our recent visit to Orlando was during the annual Magical Dining Month where over 100 local restaurants offered a 3-course prix fixe menu for $35. The 3-course dinner includes the choice of appetiser, entrée and dessert. Drinks, tax and gratuity are extra. $1 from each meal goes to support 2 charities and in 2018 these were Best Buddies and Down Syndrome Association of Florida. One of the restaurants we choose to try was the Melting Pot a fondue restaurant. situated in what is known as Restaurant Row/ Dr Philips Area on West Sand Lake Road it surpassed all of our expectations. We had never eaten at a Fondue restaurant before so we were both a little unsure of what to expect. The restaurant was easy to find and a large car park serves numerous restaurants that are within close proximity. When we arrived we were greeted warmly and it was good to see that having booked via Open Table our reservation was all in place. We were quickly shown to our table a corner booth for 2 people, with high back seating it provided privacy and our table wasn’t overlooked by anyone. There was a small hot plate built into the table that was to be used to heat the fondue. Our server soon arrived at the table and asked if we had eaten there before when we said no he took time to explain how it all works and the menu and what could be added on as optional extras. As mentioned above during Magical Dining month there is a prix fixe menu; Choice of Appetisers was; Bacon and amp; Brie Cheese Fondue or Wisconsin Cheddar Fondue or Spinach and amp; Artichoke Fondue – we opted for the Wisconsin Cheddar which was aged cheddar and Emmenthaler melted cheese with larger, garlic and spices. Our server came to the table with all of the ingredients and melted/cooked the fondue at the table and we had a variety of bread and vegetables (cauliflower, carrots) and fruit (apples) that we cooked then dip into the fondue. It was outstanding – the cheese fondue was perfect. We then opted to add on a salad for $4. 99 our choice being the Strawberry Pecan which consisted of Spinach, Strawberries, Feta cheese, candied Pecans served with a lemon and poppy seed vinaigrette. Next onto our entrée – there were 4 choices we opted for ‘The Classic’ which consisted of Angus beef Sirloin, BBQ pork medallions, white shrimp, herb-crusted chicken and teriyaki-marinated sirloin and ‘Steak Lovers’ which was premium filet mignon, teriyaki-marinated steak and Angus beef sirloin. We then had to choose and we opted for this to be cooked in the ‘coq au vin’ broth. The server poured the broth and potatoes into the fondue and then brought our plates of raw meat and dipping sauces. He told us how long we needed to keep each piece of meat in the broth to cook and then left us to it. We had a great time and really enjoyed cooking our own food at the table. Finally, we had a choice of desserts – at last, the chocolate fondue. We opted for the ‘Flaming Turtle’ which was milk chocolate, caramel syrup, pecans and a small amount of rum for flambe. The server again cooked this for us and we had strawberries, bananas, various pieces of cake and marshmallows to dip in. For a chocolate lover, this was heaven – there is nothing else I can say. Our overall verdict – a fantastic evening, a totally different experience but one that we really enjoyed and I can imagine with a group of friends or family it would be a perfect evening. Tue, 16 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/orlando-magical-dining-month.aspx Why didn’t I know about this annual event? We have owned our own villa for over 15 years now and it wasn’t until I was planning this year’s holiday that I started to read about Orlando Magical Dining Month. I soon realised we had been missing out on the chance to eat at some fantastic restaurants. So what is Magical Dining Month? Well, it has been running for 13 years and in 2018 over 100 local restaurants participated between 24 August and 30th September. They offer a 3-course prix fixe menu for $35. The 3-course dinner includes the choice of appetiser, entrée and dessert. Drinks, tax and gratuity are extra. $1 from each meal goes to support 2 charities and in 2018 these were Best Buddies and Down Syndrome Association of Florida. It is now in its 13th year. Details of the restaurants and menus are released in July just over a month before the start of the event. There are 4 areas of Orlando that the restaurants are typically situated these being; the Convention area/International Drive, Lake Buena Vista/Disney, Downtown Orlando and finally what is known as Restaurant Row or you may know it as Dr Phillips area. A quick google search will show you that there are a vast variety of restaurants to suit everyone’s taste. For example in the Convention Centre area, you have Café Tu Tu Tango, The Capital Grille, Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, Sharks Underwater Grill (SeaWorld) and Copper Canyon Grill. The Disney area includes Bongos Cuban Café and Paddlefish. In ‘Restaurant Row’ you have the choice of Fleming’s, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Seasons 52 and The Melting Pot to name but a few. The majority of restaurants can be booked via Open Table however, you may also need to contact the restaurant directly. Otherwise, you can try your luck and just turn up to see if they have availability. We choose 2 restaurants firstly Sharks Underwater Grill at SeaWorld – this is one of the restaurants you have to contact directly (e-mail) and we managed to get a table for 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. You may ask why so early but SeaWorld allow you to stay in the park after your meal until closing time and enjoy the rides and shows without buying a ticket. We took full advantage of this and stayed until 10pm. So for $35 per person, we had a 3-course meal, parking and from 4.30pm – 10pm in the park – great value for money. Our next restaurant was The Melting Pot – as fondue restaurant which we have never experienced before. Wow – we loved it, so different but a great evening and I will write a separate review. So my verdict is that Magical Dining Month is great value for money, it allows you to try those restaurants that you may have been tempted to try but never got round to booking for a reasonable price. I am looking forward to seeing which restaurants are included in 2019. Sun, 07 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/first-watch-champions-gate.aspx The Champions Gate Area has been calling out for more restaurants for some time now and I am pleased to say that we now have a First Watch restaurant. First Watch serves Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch opening at 7am and closes at 2.30pm. The menu is extensive and it is a total change from the mainstream chain restaurants that you typically find in the Disney area. You won’t be disappointed. The inside of the restaurant is modern and clean. There are various seating options including a few booths. Often there is a wait for a table due to the popularity of the restaurant but you can minimise that by calling ahead or going onto the ‘App’ and joining ‘the line’. The menu is extensive – whether you are looking for a traditional breakfast – bacon, eggs, or something healthier i. e. avocado on toast, Superfoods bowl with coconut milk, chia seed pudding and fresh fruit, to an omelette. For lunch, there are salads including Chicken Avocado Chop Salad, Sweet Honey Pecan and sandwiches with the traditional BLT, Monterey Club and veggie burger. All in all there is something for everyone. For kids there is bacon and eggs, grilled cheese, chocolate chip pancakes and various sandwiches typically all served with fresh fruit as well. We were quickly shown to our seats and the server asked what we would like to drink – coffee was the order of the day and the server soon returned with a pot of coffee, filled up our mugs and then left the pot of coffee on our table so we could refill our own mugs – no waiting for a server to come round to top up your drink here. There was even a choice of creamers (including pumpkin) in a pot on the table or if you prefer milk then just ask. We took our time to view the menu and I was toying between the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes or French toast. We actually both decided on the Floridian French Toast made with thick cut brioche, powdered cinnamon sugar, fresh bananas, kiwi fruit and seasonal berries, together with a warm berry compote. It was delicious but so filling. Before you go sign up to the Sun Eclub and you will receive exclusive offers and news and best of all you will even receive a buy one get one free voucher that you can use on your first visit. Overall an excellent restaurant with friendly staff and ideal being only just off the Interstate Sun, 07 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-healthy-travel-checklist-part-1.aspx After the excitement of booking a trip or even bore your thoughts should turn to your health your health. Here are some handy pointers on how to prepare for an adventure to a different country. span style="font-weight: bold;" MAKE A PLAN /span It always pays to find out what the climate will be like in your chosen destination, what the maximum and minimum temperatures will be, and also the altitude range, as this will often inform what you pack. Nights can get surprisingly cold, even in the tropics and especially at high altitude. Try to also get an idea of how bug infested your destination will be and guidebooks are a good place to start looking, and whether you’ll need to cover up for climatic, entomological or cultural reasons. Also, ask yourself if the region you are going to has an air pollution problem that might affect you. Then there’s basic safety. Be sure to check for any recent local travel warnings. Two good places to check are the US State Department (travel. state. gov) and you should also view the relevant destination page on the UK’s FCO site (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice). People continue to go into unsafe destinations through ignorance and it is worth knowing,or at least be forewarned, about what you might be getting into. span style="font-weight: bold;" ILLEGALITIES /span Another piece of homework worth doing is on local laws and what restrictions there are on crossing borders with prescription only medicines. You may not consider yourself to be a drug trafficker, but if you are carrying diazepam, to keep you calm on a flight or codeine for your backache, there is a chance that you could be detained in some places. Travellers have got into trouble with the authorities in the past, even while only in transit, by carrying addictive prescription drugs with them. The following; Opiates (tramadol, codeine), benzodiazepines (diazepam, temazepam) and sleeping pills (zopiclone, zolpidem) seem to cause the most problems. To prevent misunderstandings you need to bring some documentation that confirms your medical need for carrying medicines. A brief summary print out from your notes that confirms what is prescribed and can be stamped by the practice is good. Repeat prescription lists will also be helpful as would keeping the meds in their original labelled pharmacy pack, as this should have your name on it. Another drug to be careful of is alcohol. Take special care when drinking in public in Muslim countries. Remember that drink-driving regulations are comparatively lax in the UK. In many countries, including the European states of Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic, having any alcohol in your blood while driving is an arrestable offence. If in doubt as to the rules, check one of the mentioned websites which has entries for each country on its ‘Foreign travel advice’ pages, while its ‘Local laws and customs’ sections make for interesting and informative reading. Continued part 2. Sat, 15 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/the-healthy-travel-checklist-part-2.aspx span style="font-weight: bold;" REGULAR MEDS /span If you often have a need to take prescription medicines, such as a course of antibiotics for an infection, you may want to bring a just-in-case course. If you have been asthmatic in the past, consider packing an inhaler in case air pollution is bad on arrival. It also pays to know what suits you and what doesn’t. If you are allergic to penicillin, do you know that this precludes taking amoxicillin, flucloxacillin and Augmentin? NHS rules mean that just-in-case medicines required for travel are generally available only on a private prescription, even if you are exempt from prescription charges. The NHS also usually only funds up to two months of medication at a time; if you are off on a long trip, you might need private prescriptions for, say, six months of tablets. Pharmacy charges for such prescriptions are variable, so it is worth shopping around. However get to know your doctor before the trip and they may give larger amounts on a current prescription. span style="font-weight: bold;" GET INSURED /span While medical care in the European Union is currently covered by your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC; check you have one and that it is in date), it is wise to take out travel insurance to cover other expenses, such as evacuation. Declare everything or you risk not being covered; many policies don’t cover trips above certain altitudes or extreme sports. Also, check what you will need post-Brexit. span style="font-weight: bold;" STOCKING UP /span Have a think about what you need to buy. Maybe one or two good water bottles depending on where you are travelling. Know their volume so that you can work out how many purifiers to add later and also keep track of your fluid intake. I often travel with two one-litre bottles. Remember to replenish your repellent and sunscreen if you have had it since last year then remember the latter’s shelf life is usually about a year. Sunglasses bought abroad may not be UV protective, so buy a good pair in the UK beforehand. Also, stock up on a few paracetamols as well as antihistamines (cetirizine or loratadine) and Steristrips for a minimalist first aid kit. span style="font-weight: bold;" IMMUNISATIONS /span When people think of travel health, many assume that organising jabs is just about going to your GP’s surgery or a private travel clinic, but you will need to allow time. Practice nurses don’t prioritise injections for holidays over diabetes care, for example, and even private clinics can get booked up. Some courses of injections require a couple of months to complete, so the sooner you make your first appointment the better, although accelerated schedules can be arranged. It is worth keeping a spreadsheet of your immunisations, as it is easy to lose record cards, especially if they are done by different clinics. Whoever you see, you’ll save money if you check out the health requirements for your destination before attending the clinic. The best website for this is the NHS (fitfortravel.nhs.uk); use it to find out about potential problems such as malaria risk. So now you are good to go, so enjoy yourself. Sat, 15 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/a1a-scenic-historical-coastal-routes-byway.aspx If you are heading towards the northeast of Florida, St Augustine, Jacksonville or Amelia Island, from the Orlando area, the quickest way is via I4 and I95, which will take about 2 and a half hours to get to St Augustine. However, it is not the most interesting! If you have some time to spare, head across to Daytona Beach and take the A1A Scenic and amp; Historical Coastal Routes Byway all the way up the barrier islands. This route will take a little more time but has beautiful scenery and interesting buildings to see as you pass by, delicious restaurants, and fabulous beaches to stop and enjoy. Route A1A runs all the way from Key West in the south to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island with a few gaps along the way. After Daytona Beach, you will pass through Ormond Beach (our favourite). The road runs past the most fabulous beachside villas, some of which are huge, and all of which back onto the beach. Take a little time out to walk along the beach and have a look at these houses. I guarantee you will be green with envy! A case of real property lust! Next up the coast is Flagler Beach (named after Henry Flagler who brought the railway to eastern Florida), with its three-story upside down houses, where the sea view from the top floor is what it is all about. Onto Matanzas Inlet and Crescent Beach with their amazing stilt houses, built on the beach; goodness knows how these survive a hurricane. There are lots of different beaches on the way north. Beverly Beach, Butler Beach and St Augustine Beach, just before you rejoin the mainland at St Augustine. All have parking areas and walkways to the beach itself. Take a few minutes out of your journey to stretch your legs and enjoy the beautiful beaches! If you can really spare some time, visit Marineland, which you will pass on this route. It is one of Florida’s first marine mammal parks and offers several dolphin encounters, educational programs and research. Have lunch at a lovely roadside or even beachside restaurant, where the fish is freshly caught, simple and delicious! We stopped at a roadside restaurant called Paula’s at Crescent Beach where the Mahi-Mahi sandwich was out of this world, and the waiter could not do enough for us! We used this route to travel to St Augustine. We arrived early afternoon, relaxed and excited (instead of frustrated and irritated on the interstate). We were so impressed with this route that we came back the same way when we returned to Orlando after our visit. Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/st-augustine-lighthouse-jail.aspx If you have a couple of days spare on your Orlando holiday, we can thoroughly recommend a trip to St Augustine; Florida' s oldest continuously settled town. Start off in the holiday mood by heading up to Daytona Beach and taking the A1A route up the barrier islands. It will take a bit longer than the interstate but is much more interesting and pleasant. Check out the fabulous properties on route! There is such a lot to do in St Augustine; this is just going to give a taste of what is on offer. We went for a couple of days and stayed in a city centre motel with an attached diner, which was clean, comfortable and well placed for what we wanted to do. On our first afternoon after our leisurely drive up, we visited the Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, just off the A1A on Anastasia Island. The lighthouse was originally built between 1871 and 1874 and is still a working lighthouse today. Climb the 219 steps to reach the 165 ft high viewing platform with its original restored Fresnel Lens. It is owned by a non-profit maritime museum and open to the public. Back down to earth, there is a cute Lighthouse Keepers cottage you can explore along with several other outbuildings. Later that evening, we visited the Old Jail. Built by Henry Flagler in 1891 to replace an existing jail, which he thought was ugly and too close to his fabulous hotel, this is further away, and a very attractive building on the outside. Inside it is a very different story! There are regular guided tours from “inmates” in period costumes who show you the women' s cells, maximum security cells and the death row cell as well as the kitchen. You can also see where the Sheriff had his office and his family lived. The contrast with the prisoner accommodation is unbelievable. The conditions for the inmates were truly terrible! Cramped, dirty, no glass in the windows, so the bugs and mosquitoes had free reign to attack the prisoners, scrawny mattresses filled with Spanish moss infested with more biting bugs and no sanitation to speak of, it was appalling to say the least! Worse still, it was in use as a working jail until 1953! Upstairs there is a two-story group of steel cages, originally designed to sleep four prisoners per cell that regularly slept eight with only a bucket as a toilet. Outside you can look down onto the gallows where eight prisoners, who had to help build the gallows, met their ends during the working life of the jail. A must see; if only to count your blessings! On the same Old Town site you can also catch an Old Town Trolley around St. Augustine or visit the Oldest Store Museum, The St. Augustine History Museum and a gift shop. Tue, 21 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-9-part-1.aspx We had already decided yesterday that we would visit Islands of Adventure today so we were up pretty early for a holiday day and had some breakfast at the villa, some nice croissant and jam followed by lovely fresh fruit. The weather was once again sunny it looked like it would be another hot one. Soon we were all in the car and driving up to Islands of Adventure, the traffic was pretty busy at this time as everyone was on their way to work but it wasn’t long before we were pulling into the parking lot and making our way to the roof to park up. The park wasn’t too busy and soon we were through the entrance and making our way through Seuss Landings and the lost continent and approaching The wizarding world of Harry Potter Hogsmeade, this was the main place we wanted to visit before it got too busy. We wandered around Hogsmeade taking in all the sights and the little shops and of course visiting Olivanders, I honestly think that the wizarding world of Harry Potter area is the best thing that studio has done so far and its rightly quite busy at all times. Soon we were in the line for the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey ride this was the main ride that will and Karlie wanted to visit, this is the most popular ride in the Harry Potter area and I can see why as you soar above the castle grounds. Next we made our way to the new ride Skull Island Reign of Kong as you might have guessed this is based on the recent film of King Kong, you join an exhibition group on a vehicle as you ride around the skull island looking at the sites pointed out by your guide until you come under attack by the prehistoric predators, will Kong come to your rescue? It’s a great new ride with lots of atmosphere but quite a short ride in my view but one not too miss! We made our way around to the Marvel comics area and took a ride on the Spiderman show this still is one of the best rides in islands of adventure despite its age and we all enjoy it definitely one not to miss although choose your time carefully as it is still a popular ride. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-9-part-2.aspx After the Spiderman ride, Will and Karlie headed off to the Hulk roller coaster as this seems to be their number one favourite roller coaster and once again there was a long wait for it but it was getting pretty hot by now so Shirley and I sat close by in the shade and rested whilst they queued. Around 30 minutes later they appear with huge grins and announced they were going to queue for the Hulk again because they wanted to have another ride on it, I certainly wasn’t going to volunteer for a ride on it so we headed for an ice cream at Cinnabon a much better idea than riding the hulk in my view. About twenty to thirty minutes later they appeared and we made our way through Port of Entry and the shops to the exit, soon we were outside after another long hot day. We had already decided that we were going to visit Bubba Gump’s for our tea but it was a little early around 5 pm and so what to do for a little while before. We made our way to the New toothsome Chocolate emporium, this is now in the spot where the NBA national basketball place used to be and wasn’t there last time we visited so were curious it like something of our Charlie and the chocolate factory. Inside was as you would expect lots and lots of chocolate items if you’re from the UK it’s like a big Thornton’s shop but bigger, there were props also that I’m sure were in reference to a film but not sure it had been realised in the UK. After there we headed over to Magerittavile, now we had passed this bar many times when the kids were younger it is basically a seaplane parked up on the edge of the lagoon on the entrance to islands of adventure but never gone in as the kids were too young Will and Karlie now both old enough to drink so we popped in Margaritaville for a couple of relaxing beers before heading off to Bubba Gump’s for food. There we no queue for Bubba Gump’s as we were pretty early, we love the place the menu is good the service is generally excellent unless its really busy, there’s lots of seafood dishes and the shrimp is really good with good sized portions a little expensive as it in the Park area so to speak but definitely one to visit. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-10.aspx Yesterday had been a very long day in the parks the weather was very hot and humid so once we were all up and had had a few coffees and breakfast we all sat around discussing what we were going to do today. It didn’t take too long for us all agree maybe a rest day might be in order we could spend all day around the pool enjoy the sun, the pool the spa and of course a few ice cold beers etc. after a long day in the parks pounding the concrete in hot humid weather you need a break and so a pool day it was. We took time to chat about what else we're looking to do or visit as we were into the last few days of our holiday and so compiled a list of stuff that everyone wanted to do to make sure we didn’t miss anything as there is so much to see and do in Florida especially in Orlando with Disney, Hollywood Studios, Airboat rides etc. its best to have a good discussion and to have a list of must visits so everyone gets at least what they really want to visit. We spent all day lazing around in and out of the pool but mostly the spa nothing quite like a bubbling spa on a sunny day sat drinking ice cold beer this is total relaxation time plus give you time to think about what you want to do on rest of your holiday. We had driven past the New Manny Chop House a few times on the 192 this was now located in the Old Houlihans building. It had been many years since we visited the much smaller older Manny's Chop House down the I4 freeway where we had had superb steaks and fantastic salad and so had decided we were going to visit it at some point. Our current favourite place for a steak was longhorn and we wondered if Many Chop House could take the lead so we decided that tonight we would eat at Manny's especially as it was mid-week and so wouldn’t be as busy as its well known the locals eat there. We arrived around 7 pm and got a table instantly we were soon seated and the waiter came to serve us. He was incredibly friendly and informed us we had just missed the happy hour and said next time come early! Will and I ate the biggest steaks you could get and the steaks were really good along with the famous salad but although Manny was cheaper than longhorn the steaks at longhorn were just that tiny bit better, all that being said the waiter at Manny made the dining experience much better than at longhorn all credit to him. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-11.aspx I woke up this morning feeling a little unwell, earlier in the week Will had had a stomach bug and it lasted for a few days and now it was my turn I had a little toast for breakfast but felt quite queasy and need frequents trip to the loo (yuk) so didn’t feel like doing too much The girls wanted to do some shopping and Will was up for that too but I said I hope they didn’t mind but I was going to sit it out and spend time at the villa by the pool just resting doing a bit of reading etc. till my stomach settled down They decided they wanted to visit Prime outlet to do a bit more shopping (more handbags at Kate Spade no doubt) because I’m told a woman cannot have too many handbags and Shirley had bought two on her last visit along with Karlie getting a couple also Will wanted to visit the Levi shop again and another good look around the Adidas store for more sportswear there are always places you miss on your first visit a second trip is always a great idea. Then they were going to pop back into Walmart and have a good mooch around looking for some bargains which can take several hours to mooch around the whole shop completely, Shirley wanted to replace some items in our villa as items get damaged, lost or even stolen so I was a little glad that I had an excuse to get out of shopping today even if I wasn’t about to admit it. They duly set off out in the car and I just pottered around and lay by the pool reading. I messaged home to make sure everything was ok and dealt with any emails that had backed up whilst I was away in Florida the hours passed quickly, always good to have FREE wifi in the villa to use. Soon they arrived back with lots of shopping bags and seemed to have had a good day soon the choice of where to eat tonight came up I suggested how about the Olive Garden? This was everyone favourite place to eat without a doubt, there is a lovely one just up the Highway 27 from us and so it was decided. They had a quick dip in the pool and relaxed before we all got changed and set off for the Olive Garden, we were surprised to find it very busy with locals always a good sign and all hand superb pasta dishes along with the lovely salad and the tasty garlic bread, yummy. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-12-part-1.aspx Now today was to be a Marathon day we had found we had a few days left on our old Disney tickets and so we decided to make our first and only visit to Disney as we had bought 2 week tickets to Universal Studios in the UK at a good price plus we had visited Disney many many times in previous years. The girls had decided they wanted to watch the Disney fireworks from the Magic Kingdom that evening but wanted to visit Epcot in the daytime so today was going to be a long long day fitting both parks in and watching the fireworks meant a late trip home. We arrived at Epcot very early not long after it had opened and headed over to test track it was very busy with a long wait time so fast passed it for later we strolled around the future areas of Epcot and went on Mothership Earth which is still our all-time favourite ride in Epcot the wait wasn’t too long and it lovely and cool as today was very hot already even early in the morning. Funny but I can remember our first trip to Epcot and the ride in Mothership Earth many of the things they were showcasing then such as video calling etc. were things of the future and now they are the normal everyday thing, the ride then was really cutting edge make me a little nostalgic. We headed out to the world showcase as this is the best area of Epcot in my view and soon we entered the world of Mexico I really like this area lovely and cool inside the little market area is so quaint and the ride is fun even if latest face it's a little old fashioned by today's standard. The ride at Norway has now been changed into a frozen ride and some of the Norway theme has been lost take over by this Frozen theme which is a shame but good for the children I guess, next it was China although the Chinese acrobats were not there at the time we spent a fair bit of time looking around the shops there. Next its Germany home of the Bratwurst, not a lot to see here really and soon we were onto the Italy area, this is a nice area has a bit of atmosphere and some nice eating places if you're into pasta of course. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-12-part-2.aspx After we had finished our visit to Italy we came to the halfway point on the world showcase America, there was lots of work going on the American Adventure and so we didn’t really visit as it is being remodelled. Next along is Japan but once again the display of the big drums being beaten was not on so instead we visited the loved shop, for some reason we always seem to spend quite a bit of time in Japan looking at all the little trinkets etc. that are for sale. Soon we arrive at Morocco. Now this is another favourite of mine I don’t quite know why I think is it a little like the Mexico exhibit with little back streets and bazaars it always feels more authentic and interesting, more so than some of the other countries on the world's showcase Then it was France the home of French cuisine always an interesting area to visit but very busy in the restaurants and dining area, but well laid out with some nice French pastries and of course French wine and perfume. Next along is home Great Britain, its quite funny to see the shop and some of the items that Disney thinks reflect Britain, there is the Harry Ramsdens clone fish and chip shop where we did actually have a portion of fish and chips because we were hungry and there was somewhere to sit and of course the pub, the Rose and Crown! A particular favourite of Karlie as she works in a pub called the Rose and Crown at home in Blighty so we have the obligatory photos in front of the pub then pop in for a pint of Bass red label well of course although I have not drunk that in a pub for well over twenty years! We head back to future world and go for some free drinks in the Coke outlets where you can taste all the flavours of coca cola for free, our thirsts quenched with lots of free tastings later we head over Test Track and get in the FastTrack queue. Even though we fast tracked it there is quite a wait till we actually get on the ride but as always its worth it, they have changed it a little since we last visited it looks different inside but it’s the same ride as ever soon your whizzing around the outdoor test track area at high speed another definitely not to be missed. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-13.aspx We got home pretty late the previous night as we had to catch the monorail back from the Magic Kingdom and then catch the other monorail back to Epcot to pick up the car and then drive home in the traffic, there was a problem with the monorail to Epcot and we had to wait a good thirty to forty minutes for one to arrive this meant we were very late back. So this morning we were later up than on other days due to the fact that the previous day has been a marathon day with two parks visited in one day we had planned today to be a rest day, so after a snooze, in bed, I got up to coffee and croissants. The sun was out and it was a very pleasant temperature in the low to mid-seventies, we have all agreed to just chill around the pool and spa for the day before going out to eat later that evening, that is just one advantage of a villa over a hotel, quiet relaxation! Our villa has a totally private pool looking out over a lake and no one looking over at your pool unlike a lot of the cheaper villas that you can rent, the spa is situated right out in the sun due to the oversize decking we have built meaning that at all times of day you can lay out in the sunshine’s and top up your tan if that’s what you like. We also have a lanai at the top end of the pool close to the kitchen diner area meaning you can lounge around in the shade under the fan and keep popping back into the kitchen for an ice cold beer or a bowl of ice cream as you read your book or browse the internet using the free Wi-Fi. We had a little lunch some love fresh salad and fresh fruit which is just so tasty out in Florida, and then discussed where everyone would like to eat in the evening as we were coming towards the end of our vacation we had visited most eating places and now it was where would you like to visit one more time before we go home. The choices were Olive Garden or Longhorn and we all agreed on Olive Garden, so after a day in the sun around the pool and in the spa we had a few games of pool and air hockey in our converted garage/games room before setting off for another excellent meal in Olive Garden. Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/florida-trip-2017-day-14.aspx So after the chill out day yesterday today we had decided to visit the parks Karlie and will have made a list of rides they wanted to vast one last time before we had to fly home to the UK, the list was extensive and covered three parks. Now three parks is going to be a long day luckily they were all Universal Parks and so we dint have to drive or take the monorail from one to the other but still visiting Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and the water park volcano Bay in one single day was going to be quite an action-packed day. So we set off on an early start and headed straight into Universal Studios and headed over to the wizarding world of Harry Potter but stopping off on the way to go on the Men in Black Shooter up ride first still an old favourite of mine. We went on the Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts ride and had a good mooch around before catching the Hogwarts Express train from Kings Cross which travels over the Hogsmeade station in the wizarding world of harry potter in the islands of adventure. We had a good look around the Hogsmeade and went on the Harry Potter the forbidden journey ride, both of the Harry Potter world in both parks being very popular now, we had a good walk around the park visiting all area but once again had a go on the Spiderman ride in the Marvel superhero island area. Karlie and will wanted to ride the Hulk roller coaster once more and so we sat in the shade and waited for them to get there turn after about twenty-five minutes they came out the ride facing beaming. Time for Volcano bay, then we headed back to the car parking to pick up our bathing costumes etc. and then headed down to the coach pick up for Volcano bay, soon a coach appeared and we were on the trip to the entrance. Once inside we picked up our tapu tapu and headed off to get changed, and headed off to the rainforest area where we all did the family raft rides. In Volcano Bay, there are lots of raft type rides and a lot where the whole family can ride together. We then headed off to the Volcano area and we all did the Krakatau Aqua Coaster which was really good fun, the light was fading now and will and Karlie set off around the park to get as many rides in before the park close whilst Shirley and I went back to the lockers to get changed. Fantastic day, packed with fun! Fri, 17 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT https://www.orlandovillas.com/florida_guide/tallinn-old-town-in-depth-part-15.aspx span style="font-weight: bold;" Patkuli Viewpoint /span After you have spent time just looking at the view you will want to identify what you can see. On the far left is the neoclassical facade of the executive branch of Estonia’s government enjoys. Below you, a bit of the old moat remains. The Group sign marks Tallinn’s tiny train station, and the clutter of stalls behind that is the rustic market. Out on the water, ferries shuttle to and from Helsinki, which is just 50 miles away. Beyond the lower town’s medieval wall and towers stands the green spire of St. Olav’s Church, once 98 feet taller and, locals claim, the world’s tallest tower in 1492. Far in the distance is the 1, 000-foot-tall TV tower, the site of a standoff between Soviet paratroopers and Estonian patriots in 1991. During Soviet domination, Finnish TV was even more important, as it gave Estonians their only look at Western lifestyles. If you can imagine that in the 1980s, many locals had never seen a banana or a pineapple except on TV. People still talk of the day that Finland broadcast the soft porn movie Emmanuelle. A historic migration of Estonians purportedly flocked from the countryside to Tallinn to get within range of Helsinki and see the onscreen images. The TV tower was recently refurbished and has now been opened to visitors. To continue the walk you will need to back through the arch and then turn immediately left down the narrow lane, turn right onto Toom-Rüütli, and then take the first left, and pass through the trees to the next viewpoint. span style="font-weight: bold;" Kohtuotsa Viewpoint /span Scan the view from left to right. On the far left is St. Olav’s Church, then the busy cruise port and the skinny white spire of the Church of the Holy Ghost. The narrow grey spire farther to the right is the 16th-century Town Hall tower. On the far right is the tower of St. Nicholas Church. Below you can visually trace Pikk Street, Tallinn’s historic main street, which winds through the Old Town, leading from Toompea Castle down the hill from right to left. It then passes through the gate tower, past the Church of the Holy Ghost, behind St. Olav’s, and out to the harbour. Less picturesque is the clutter of Soviet-era apartment blocks on the distant horizon. The nearest skyscraper which is white is the Hotel Viru. In Soviet times this was the biggest hotel in the Baltics. Locals use to joke that Hotel Viru was built from a new Soviet wonder material called “micro-concrete”, this was 60 per cent concrete and 40 per cent microphones. Underneath the hotel is the modern Viru Keskus, a huge shopping mall and local transit centre, where this walk will end. To the left of Hotel Viru, between it and the ferry terminals, is the Rotermann Quarter, where old industrial buildings are being revamped into a new commercial zone. Continued in part 16 Mon, 30 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT