Florida holidays

Things to do

For an 'out of this world' experience, head to Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach, to taste space food and maybe even see a live shuttle launch. Meet your favourite Disney Characters and experience the excitement, fantasy and fun of Walt Disney World Resort. Universal Orlando® Resort brings blockbuster films to life with amazing thrill rides and non-stop action. Try white-knuckle rides at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay. Watch spectacular dolphin shows and water-skiing stunts at SeaWorld® Orlando, splash down flumes at Wet’n Wild® and swim with dolphins at Discovery Cove®, Orlando.

Florida Dolphin Tours

2 Day Dolphin Getaway
For this two-day excursion, you’ll travel to the Florida Keys, the Everglades and Miami. There’ll be a night in Key Largo where you can expect an evening meal, live music and awesome sunset. Then it’s onto the Everglades for an airboat ride to see alligators, turtles and way more besides. In Miami, why not visit the swanky Bayside shopping district, eat at one of the waterfront restaurants or visit the Hard Rock Café?

Florida Adventure Tour
Here’s your chance to escape the theme parks and see another side to Florida. After breakfast it’s off to the Crystal River – home to the endangered Florida manatee – where you can snorkel, swim and, if you’re lucky, interact with these amazing creatures. After lunch it’s time for a narrated airboat ride, before heading onto the beautiful Homosassa State Wildlife Park where you’ll get to see lots of wildlife – including more manatees.

Kennedy Space Center
The Kennedy Space Center is a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the space programme. We’re talking NASA’s launch HQ, the massive Saturn V moon rocket and a zany “Mad Mission to Mars”. Then there’s a Rocket Garden and the five-story IMAX® space films. Plus there’s the Astronaut Hall of Fame, featuring historic spacecraft and simulator rides where you can take a moonwalk or feel the pull of four Gs in the G-Force Simulator!

One Day Miami Everglades
Your day starts with an airboat ride through the Everglades in search of Alligators! Afterwards, you’ll join an alligator handling show before heading to Miami’s Bayside shopping district. Here, you’ll board the Star Island cruise that’ll take you to see the celebrity’s houses. You’ll end your day in Florida’s “melting pot”, South Beach, with its art-deco district, world-famous stretch of sand and restaurants. And don’t forget about some designer shopping.

Explore your destination

Whether you want to stay at the heart of all the action or go somewhere quiet, Orlando’s got some great destinations to check into…

International Drive
Visit wacky attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and get up close to a real-life manta ray on an underwater-inspired rollercoaster? Tick. Shop ‘til you drop for electronics, sportswear or designer labels? Tick. Fill your belly at a bar or restaurant? Tick. This stretch of shops, hotels and attractions has everything the US does best. In the spirit of bigger is better, there’s even a 20-screen cinema. And you needn’t worry about sore feet walking from one end of International Drive to the other – there’s an I-Ride trolley to take a load off.

Lake Buena Vista
It comes as no surprise that at Lake Buena Vista, Disney’s the word on everyone’s lips. Here, you’re right in the heart of all the action and this means fun’s a certainty. At the Walt Disney World Resort there’s stacks to keep you smiling. You’ve got the Magic Kingdom Park, performances by Cirque du Soleil or you can even unleash your inner "Tiger" on one of five championship golf courses. For something a little different, shop ‘til your credit card cries at the Orlando Premium Outlet or jet ski on Lake Bryan. After dark, the fun continues at Downtown Disney and Disney’s BoardWalk where there’s heaps of eateries and entertainment.

Hit the Sights
If you don’t want to go it alone, let us do the legwork by booking one of our tours. We’ve got all the top attractions ticked off…

Retail Therapy
This is a day of serious shopping, so before we go anywhere you’ll tuck into a huge American brekkie with all the trimmings. Then its time to hit the malls. You’ll work your way around Wal-Mart®, the Mall at Millenia and Orlando Premium Outlets®. Look forward to glitz, glamour and great bargains.
(itinerary subject to change).

Prices from approx. £23pp (adult); £16pp (child 3-9 yrs)

Wet ‘n’ Wild® Orlando
What you can’t find at this waterpark isn’t worth sliding down. You can see what it really feels like to go down the plug hole on The Storm – it’s like riding a cyclone. Or experience the ultimate free-fall on Bomb Bay, a kamikaze slide with a trap door launch. You can even be hypnotised by lights, sounds and video as you take on the 53-foot drop of Brain Wash™. Add rides like Disco H²0 and Mach 5 and it’s no wonder this place was voted America’s number one waterpark.

Prices from approx. £21pp (adult); £15pp (child 3-9 yrs)

Clearwater Beach – Boat, Thrill & Fish
You’ll soon see why this beach got its name - the sea here is crystal clear and on a par with the Caribbean. And your kids will love the bucket-and-spade-friendly sands. You could, of course, decide to do nothing more than relax here. But you can also cruise along the Pinellas coastline or try your luck catching a big one on a deep sea fishing trip. Or if you can’t get enough of white-knuckle thrills there are high-speed boat rides from Sea Screamer - America’s largest speed boat.

Prices from approx. £56pp (adult); £43pp (child 3-12 yrs)

Gatorland®
Step through the huge jaws of Gatorland® if you dare. Known as the Alligator Capital of the World, this one-of-a-kind 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve is home to thousands of big-toothed reptiles. You’ll meet Alf, the 15-foot croc, watch fun shows and you can visit the petting zoo, too. There’s also a breeding marsh with a boardwalk and lookout tower and a swamp walk. Adventures lurk around every corner.

Prices from approx. £11pp (adult); £7pp (child 3-9 yrs)

Please note: for further details, please speak to your Representative in resort. This is an example guide only and excursions and prices will be subject to change according to season, availability and demand.

Highlights

Walt Disney World Resort

Stepping into a fairytale at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, a major attraction of Florida holidays, with themed rides, shows and parades inspired by Disney’s stories

Seeing Disney’s characters brought to life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with its high-speed coasters, amazing rides, jungle themed parades and fabulous Lion King show

Feeling like you’re in the movies on your Florida holiday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with stunt shows, movie rides and Broadway-style shows

Experiencing rides based on the future at Epcot, blasting off in Mission: SPACE and travelling around the globe in World Showcase

Plunging down America’s highest waterslide, Summit Plummet, at Disney’s waterparks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, full of thrills and fast slides

Universal Orlando®

Soaking up the movie magic at Universal Studios®, a real film and TV studios where you can take a tram around famous filmsets, watch stunt shows and go on rides based on the flicks

Meeting your heroes at Universal Islands of Adventure®, a real highlight on your Florida holiday, with five exciting lands and rides based on comic books and super heroes

Other adventures

Having an adventure at dolphin shows at SeaWorld®, speed slides at Wet'n Wild® and fast rollercoasters at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay, some of Florida’s other holiday attractions

Spotting alligators and exotic birds in the Everglades National Park, the US’s largest subtropical wilderness

Meeting an astronaut at Kennedy Space Center, where you can tour launch areas, see giant rockets, train in space flight simulators, and even view a launch

Grabbing your clubs for a round of golf on your Florida holiday, with courses including Falcon’s Fire Golf Club, Kissimmee and five championship courses within Walt Disney World Resort

Food and drink

Florida holidays are known for their amazing choice of food. You’ll find themed restaurants like Rainforest Café, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Hard Rock Café throughout Orlando and the theme parks. Ribs and burgers are big favourites here, as is seafood, with Red Lobster a popular restaurant chain.

IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is a much-loved breakfast place, where you can fill up on everything, from a full-on American breakfast to pancake stacks smothered in syrup.

Dinner shows make a great night out, including a three-course dinner and show of amazing special effects, action and adventure. The famous ones are Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Medieval Times, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede and Arabian Knights, and they’re all within a short drive of Kissimmee and International Drive.

Evening Flavour

Magical days and exciting nights fill your Florida holiday. You can head to Walt Disney World Resort for nightclubs, comedy shows, bars and restaurants, from Fulton’s Crab House to Bongos Cuban Café. Disney’s BoardWalk is dedicated to themed restaurants, and Universal’s CityWalk® has the world’s largest Hard Rock Café.

Within Disney’s parks, there are firework shows including Wishes™ Nighttime Spectacular at Magic Kingdom and the SpectroMagic Parade, an amazing character procession with coaches and floats illuminated in fairy lights. Times vary throughout the year.

Shopping

You can pick up designer brand clothes and trainers for half their UK price on Florida holidays, perfect for presents. Here are some of the best places to try:

Orlando Premium Outlets® (exit 68 off Interstate 4, Orlando) is a Mediterranean style village with 110 stores.

Florida Mall (on the corner of South Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road, Orlando) has a whopping 270 fashion, accessories, gift and department stores.

Festival Bay Mall, International Drive, is a shopping and entertainment centre with stores including Nine West.

Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlets has famous names at amazing prices, from Gap to Sony.

Dates for the Diary

There’s always something special going on at Walt Disney World Resort so check before you go. The parks are always spectacularly decorated during Christmas, Easter and other special occasions.

Remember

US ESTA Visa Waiver Programme Notice

Heading for the USA under the Visa Waiver Programme? Don’t forget everyone travelling needs to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation – or ESTA - 72 hours before flying. Just visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov and fill out the form. Most people get a response saying they’re authorised to travel to the US in seconds. But bear in mind it can take up to 72 hours for a response. If you want more info about the ESTA and the kinds of questions you’ll need to answer, log on to the US Customs and Border Protections at www.cbp.gov

For the Family

Get into the swing of things at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, International Drive, where there’s pirate-themed fun for the whole family.

Go star-spotting at Universal Studios® - a real-life, working film set. Not only can you catch a tram around famous filmsets and watch stunt shows, but there are rides based on movies.

Head to Universal Orlando® and little ones can have fun at Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone®. For them, there are themed ball pools, playgrounds and even a mini rollercoaster.

Local weather

Information

Language: English. Currency: US Dollar. US Embassy & Consulate: 24/31 Grosvenor Sq, London W1A 1AE. Tel. 020 7499 9000. www.usembassy.org.uk

Travel money

US Dollar

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.