budget accommodation,budget accomodation,budget hotel,budget hotels,budget rooms,cheap accommodation,cheap accomodation,cheap b & b,cheap booking,cheap breakfast,cheap deals,cheap discounts,cheap guest houses,cheap hotel,cheap hotels,cheap house,cheap motel,cheap motels,cheap rates,cheap reservations,cheap rooms,cheap uk,city hotels,discount cheap,discount hotels,hotel deal,hotel deals,hotel net,last minute hotels,places to stay cheap,travel lodge,travel lodge hotels,lastminute.com.


 

Not taking the Mickey: Florida beyond Disney World

Hear Florida, think Disney holidays. If ever a destination were defined by one attraction, this is it. But there’s so much more to the sunshine state than just Mickey ears and Cinderella castles – there’s a wealth of things to see and do here, and not all of it requires children.

Disney World itself is made up of four separate theme parks. The Magic Kingdom is aimed squarely at families with its whimsical Fantasyland rides but over at EPCOT a more educational vibe prevails, and the Animal Kingdom offers visitors the chance to get close to some magnificent wildlife on an almost-real African safari. Thrill seekers will enjoy Disney Studios best, with its stomach-churning Tower of Terror lift drop ride and exhilarating Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and should also make time for Universal where the Universal Studios park offers the heart-racing Rip Ride Rockit rollercoaster and the Islands of Adventure wows with numerous twisting, themed coasters, including the all-new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a cutting-edge thrill ride at the heart of new “land” the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Most Orlando hotels sell themselves according to how close they are to Disney World and for those who want to spend as much time as possible in the theme parks, the obvious choice is to stay in one of Disney’s own on-site hotels. But these come at a price, and you’ll soon discover a telltale mark-up on food, beverage and merchandise prices too.

A better bet is to stay on International Drive, an area still close to the theme parks (especially Universal and the excellent water park Wet ‘n Wild) but removed enough to offer genuine value for money. The Quality Inn Plaza Orlando is in a great location just ten minutes from all the movie-themed action at Universal and offers free transportation to most of the parks. It also has three swimming pools and live entertainment four nights a week.

Orlando villas also offer great deals, sleeping larger groups and offering the chance to cater for yourselves. Most Florida villas even offer their own private swimming pools and there are villas located around Orlando and beyond, meaning you needn’t go near those Mickey ears if you don’t want to.

If you’re looking to relax, consider the Gulf coast resorts of Clearwater or St Pete Beach where the white sands stretch for miles and the sunsets are legendary, while if you’re seeking adventure, base yourselves in Kissimmee where numerous active attractions compete for your vacation time. Spend a day at Gatorland where you can take a walk through the alligator breeding marsh, or if you’re feeling really brave, sign up for the Trainer for a Day programme which involves basic behavioural animal training. Later, head out into the beautiful wetlands and swamps of the Everglades on an airboat ride or take in the live rodeo back in Kissimmee town. Whatever you’re looking for from your next holiday, Florida has it in spades, so just go with the flow and see where you end up – just don’t be surprised if it’s not where you expected.



Custom Search











image
 image