Welcome to our Florida Attraction Guide. A guide to all there is to do in Florida. http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/ en-us Copyright 2026, Orlando Villas Ltd. All Rights Reserved. info@orlandovillas.com http://www.orlandovillas.com/pictures/rss/logo.gif http://www.orlandovillas.com/ 75 50 http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/escapeology-orlando-escape-room.aspx Are you looking for something different to do when you are in Orlando? If you like a good challenge then this is the place for you. The concept is to “escape” from a room within 60 minutes. You need to figure out how to open safes, look for keys and find unique clues and codes that will help you find your way out. br / br / You must make reservations as there is a designated time slot for you and your group. Each room is private for your group so you don’t share with strangers. Check- in is quick and efficient. The facility was clean, modern and professionally done. The comfortable waiting room has some brain teasers and puzzles you can work on while you wait. br / br / When you first enter your room your “game master” will explain how things work. You can receive three clues during the game and you can ask for them at any time. Our game master really helped us out and gave us the little push we needed. The staff was super friendly and helped us get through some of the chal... Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/old-town-kissimmee-florida.aspx Old Town has had a lot of money spent on it in the past couple of years. It’s now a lot more professional and the car parking has been improved enormously. It’s now a large tarmacced area at the bottom end of the area. Note:- whenever a cruise is being run they do make a $10 charge. Also, don’t think about parking across US192 from the main entrance behind the restaurants as they do have warning signs about being towed if not one of their customers. We’ve seen this happen, so don’t risk it. br / br / The main entrance (see photo) now has an entrance arch which is well lite at night. Generally the area is split, between the Funspot fair type rides, including a ferris wheel on the left when going thru the main entrance and the right which is the Old Town street. br / br / Old Town is “famous” for it’s Saturday and Sunday night car cruises. These feature old cars driving down the main street. Friday is for muscle cars and Saturday nights is for Hot rods and antique cars. We pr... Mon, 26 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/celebration-at-christmas.aspx One of my favourite places in Central Florida is Celebration. I like the peaceful atmosphere. The houses look like they came from the early 19th or 20th Century, with their verandas and pillars. One can imagine the families with their rocking chairs sitting outside. I often spend a few hours just driving round to see the lovely estates of large and lovely houses. The parks and lakes are so picturesque and the swimming pool is so inviting. br / br / I visited last in late October and walked all round the main lake which has been carefully kept with wooden bridges and well-kept paths around the perimeter. On that occasion, my brother, his wife and daughter and my eldest granddaughter were with and we made half way round before there was a downpour. The ‘drowning’ didn’t spoil the day though and we all said we would love to see the town of Celebration at Christmas. br / br / So when I was visiting our villa again a few weeks later I took the opportunity to pay a visit, having ... Tue, 13 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/fun-facts-about-mickey-rsquo-s-friends.aspx Just for fun and who knows when the subject may come up in your local pub quiz! br / br / Mickey is not married but his long term girlfriend is Minnie Mouse. br / br / He has a pet dog called Pluto and one of his best friends is Donald Duck, so let' s check out a few facts about the characters who surround Mickey. br / br / Minnie is a shortened version of her full length name - Minerva. br / br / Minnie was created at the same time as Mickey Mouse and she too was originally voiced by Walt Disney, although after the first 12 months female actresses took over this role. br / br / Like Mickey, Minnie made her film debut in the short film Steamboat Willie. br / br / Minnie' s traditional attire is a red and white spotted dress (replicas of which are often worn by young visitors to the parks) with a matching red and white spotted bow between her ears. Like Mickey she wears yellow oversized shoes although hers have heels and are trimmed with red bows. Als... Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/busch-gardens-with-an-alzheimers-sufferer.aspx Taking an elderly relative with Alzheimer’s disease to a theme park is never an easy option. br / br / Considering the price of a ticket for them and their carer, it is not something to take lightly. However why should he/she and the person looking after them have to miss out – especially if they are holidaying with other relatives. They have as much right to enjoy the experience (even if one of them won’t be able to remember it! ) br / br / When we visited our villa on Highlands Reserve this October we took my Mum with us and she was desperate to join in all the activities so our party of 9 decided to give Busch Gardens a go due to the apparent natural habitat there. br / br / It wasn’t long before the conversation of how my mother had come ‘last week’ and seen the same people doing the exact same things, started. For those who live with this every day it is easier and less stressful for the person to agree with them – and hope they don’t grab the people and say how lo... Thu, 13 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/bush-gardens-ride-accessibility-programme.aspx The Ride Accessibility Programme is designed to help anybody with a condition or disability which could affect their enjoyment of Busch Gardens theme park. Anyone who would benefit from the programme should visit Guest Services on entrance to the park. Here they will be asked a few questions regarding their condition, such as ability to stand for long periods, ability to support oneself etc. In just a few minutes a personalised yellow certificate will be issued to you which has details of all rides on the park and any special conditions which must be adhered to eg if guests must be accompanied by a supervising companion. The certificate also shows the number of people in the party. br / br / All written and verbal safety warnings obviously still apply and guests still have to fulfill the relevant height restrictions. I have a condition which makes it difficult to stand in line or walk for long periods and therefore use a wheelchair when out for a day. I was asked a few questions ... Thu, 13 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/discovery-cove-with-elderly-relatives.aspx It was in 2004 that we last visited Discovery Cove when my niece was six. In 2015 we were visiting Florida in September where we were due to celebrate her eighteenth birthday and she was given the choice of where she wanted a day out. Her response was quickly “Discovery Cove! ’ We haven’t been for years! ” The only thing that was worrying us slightly was that we had my 85 year old mother with us this time and she suffers from poor mobility and memory loss. Anyway, we decided to go ahead anyway and made a booking for the date of the birthday. It wasn’t too difficult to get our chosen date as unlike on our previous visit it wasn’t in the school holidays. br / br / There was my sister and brother in law, eighteen and twenty six year old daughters and myself and my mother. We decided that we would book four places to swim with dolphins so I could stay with her while the others swam. We were considering booking a cabana so that we would have had a place to base ourselves but as it hap... Tue, 14 Jun 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/locker-rental-at-walt-disney-world.aspx Locker rental is useful and easy in all of the Walt Disney World theme parks, but why exactly would you need a locker? What about that pair of flip flops just in case your feet become hot and uncomfortable in your trainers or for when your feet get wet on water rides. . . . . . . . or even a change of clothes after those soaking episodes. What about the waterproof Mac or poncho when the weather forecast is changeable. You may need a sweatshirt in the evening during the colder months and if you are visiting with children a locker comes in handy for just about everything. Lockers are also useful for gifts and souvenirs that you may accumulate throughout the day. br / br / It may be a nuisance to trek back to your locker to add or retrieve items buts it' s much further and will take far longer to return to your car. br / br / When visiting Walt Disney World there is no mandatory requirement to use lockers when riding any attractions (this is necessary in some of the other park... Sat, 16 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/how-far-to-disney.aspx One of the most frequent questions potential guests often ask villa owners is, ' How far is it to Disney? ' Some first time guests have even been known to ask if a property is within walking distance of Disney! This is a huge generalization and a difficult question to answer accurately. br / br / The question is tantamount to asking someone living in say, Windsor, ' How far is it to London? ' Their answer would probably quote a distance to the outskirts of West London (their nearest point) which would be totally different to the distance to say, the O2 arena in east London. The answer depends on your exact destination. br / br / Walt Disney World covers an area of approximately forty three square miles, about the size of San Francisco. It is home to twenty seven Disney Resort Hotels, nine non Disney Hotels, four theme parks, two water parks and four golf courses. It' s massive! Your traveling distance to Walt Disney World will be dependent on where exactly you are traveling... Thu, 14 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/disney-parks.aspx When visiting Orlando, no visit would ever be complete without a visit to Disneyland and their theme parks. In this review I will concentrate on their 4 main theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom), although there are others of note, these being Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, Blizzard Beach and Disney World of Sports. br / br / The most famous and the oldest of the parks is Magic Kingdom. Here the park is built around the large Cinderella Castle and has probably some of the oldest rides in Florida. Magic Kingdom has many different areas, these are, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Adventureland and Main street USA. Each area has a theme and immerses the guest in the full Disney experience. Most recently Fantasyland was built that houses the new 7 Dwarfs Mine train coaster. Our favourite ride at Magic Kingdom is the Buzz Lightyear shot em up style ride, where you travel through different areas trying to zap aliens with your r... Wed, 23 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/star-tours-hollywood-studios.aspx With the latest Star Wars release (the Force Awakens) being released in cinemas, Disney are keen to push the Star Wars brand as much as they can (not that they really need to push it all that hard! ). Until the new Star Wars Zone is built at Magic Kingdom, people will have to make do with Star Tours at Disney Hollywood Studios. Star Tours area is located at the back of Hollywood Studios and Is based on a space port offering transportation to other galaxies. br / br / The theme of the area is very well done and gives the feel you are on the forest moon of Endor. Outside is a large AT-AT which offers plenty of shade when you are queuing up for the ride. While waiting there are many artefacts that are in tune to the films and this continues inside. As a general rule wait times for the ride can vary from 30 – 90 minutes depending on the time of year. Like most Disney rides there is a fastpass option that can be used and this is well recommended if the park is very busy. If you don’t ... Wed, 23 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/heritage-eco-river-tour.aspx When visiting Crystal River many people take commercial boat trips to swim with the manatees, but if you are looking for something a little different, why not try a Heritage -Eco River tour? br / br / These tours leave The Crystal River Preserve State Park Visitor Centre at 10. 30 and 1. 30 on Mondays, Wednesday' s and Friday' s and cost $15 for adults, $10 for under 12' s whilst children under 6 ride free. Tickets can be purchased, cash only, from the Visitor Centre one hour before departure and are available on a ' first come first served' basis. (Information correct as of Nov 2015. Call 352-536-0450 for up to date information and sailing schedules). br / br / You can find the Visitor Centre just North of Crystal River centre by taking North Sailboat Ave off route 19- the main route through town. br / br / The tour embarks from the dock just outside the visitor centre, it is a pontoon style boat with bench seats accommodating rows of four people and their are binocul... Wed, 18 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/bubba-gump-s-at-universal-florida.aspx Well we have eaten at many places in Orlando on our many holidays but have never eaten in the Citiwalk area of Universal Studios main due to the fact that it tends to get very busy in the evening with people out for the evening going to the bars and restaurants it has a more grown up feeling to it and in many previous years our kids had been much younger but as everyone was now over the age of 21 and could therefore legally have a beer we decided to try to find some where to eat. br / br / Will and Karlie were with us and Karlie can be a little choosy about her food she is not as adventurous as the rest of us so we had a good long look at the menu to see if there was anything she would like. For us the choice was just which shrimp dish to have because unless you have been living on the moon you have seen the film Forest Gump with Tom Hanks you will know Bubba Gump and shrimps feature heavily in the film. br / br / I opted for the Jambalaya, Shirley went for the and quot;I’m ... Thu, 17 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/orlando-for-adults-without-children.aspx This article is a follow up to the articles I wrote ' The Conversion of a Florida Holiday Sceptic ' parts one and two. br / br / The article was written by the aforementioned sceptics Sue and Paul and has been submitted for publication with their full permission. br / br / Orlando For Adults Without Children. br / br / One would think Orlando is all about theme parks and is a destination primarily for families with children, but as 2 fifty year olds visiting twice within 18 months I can assure you there is plenty to keep us adults entertained. br / br / To start with, our good friends have a beautiful villa, we have been their personal guests on one occasion and have rented their home on the second, the pool is private with lush vegetation behind, it' s incredibly quiet without being isolated and a wonderful place to spend some lazy hours. br / br / The supermarket is 5 minutes drive down the road and the quality of the food there is superb. There are love... Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/visit-san-francisco-universal-studios.aspx When we visit Universal Studios we usually go to the San Francisco area either before of after our ride on Jaws or at lunchtime when we are ready for a sit down and something to eat. br / br / If you want to relax and eat here there is plenty of choice. If you have decide before your visit to the park that you would like a full service restaurant make a reservation before your visit at Lombard’s Seafood Grille at Fisherman’s Wharf. This has proved to be a very popular restaurant since Universal Studios first opened. It serves both lunch and dinner last time we ate here we had pre-booked a table for lunch. Unusually we all ordered the same courses of New England Clam Chowder and Bay Shrimp Cobb Salad, they were both delicious. br / br / If you are paying a mid afternoon visit you may just want a drink and a pastry if so I can recommend the San Francisco Pastry Company which is located across from the entrance to Lombards. br / br / Situated close to Lombard’s is Chef A... Fri, 26 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/christmas-in-orlando.aspx If you are about to spend Christmas in Orlando, there are a few tips I can offer you. First, do not be surprised if people wish you happy holiday, they are not commenting on your trip to America, but wishing you Merry Christmas, they just seem to have forgotten how to say it. I always reply with Merry Christmas. br / br / The amount of decorations everywhere put ours to shame, they go absolutely mad with them, but it does all look so very pretty. If you get the chance, do try and have a drive around a suburban area and look at some of the houses that are decorated with lights. Lights everywhere, on the roof, on the lawn. on the front doors on the fences and in the windows. Inflatable Santa’s and snowmen, even nativity scenes are all lit up and laid out on their lawns, they really do go to town. If you have ever seen the film, National Lampoons Christmas you will get the idea. br / br / Christmas is magical at Disney World. All the parades take on a Christmas theme and at th... Sat, 20 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/animal-kingdom-whats-new.aspx Animal Kingdom is one of the newest, comparatively, of the Disney theme parks within Walt Disney World and is about to undergo a massive change with a new Avatar based land. br / br / Construction of the new “Pandora: The World of Avatar” land started on Jan. 8, 2014. It is the largest expansion in Animal Kingdom history, the new land will invite visitors to meet Pandora and experience flying with the banshees, encounter the Na’vi and explore a magical environment with mountains that float and interactive plants that glow at night. There will be roller coasters, rides and amazing shows including a possible day time parade. Unfortunately the land is not due for completion until 2017. However all the press releases show it as being a fantastic addition to Animal Kingdom. br / br / Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade finished on the last day of May this year as the route it used has now been taken over by building works for the Avatar land. We do not yet know if a new parade will b... Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/rides-and-shows-at-animal-kingdom.aspx span style="font-weight: bold;" AFRICA /span br / br / The biggest attraction in this area is The Kilimanjaro Safari. It is taken in a safari vehicle which drives you slowly through the jungle to see all the wild animals in their natural habitat. I would advise you to go on this trek before lunch in the early morning, as after lunch the animals have all been fed and they go to sleep, so not much to see. You will see lions, tigers, giraffes and many other animals indigenous to Africa. br / br / span style="font-weight: bold;" DISCOVERY LAND /span br / br / A Bugs Life is a 3D show, featuring Flik and Hopper. See life through a bugs eyes. A favourite with all children and adults alike. br / br / span style="font-weight: bold;" CAMP MINNIE - MICKEY /span br / br / Pocahontas and her Forest Friends is a children’s show featuring Pocahontas and her grand mother, a delightful show for all ages br / br / span style="font-weight: bold;" HARAMBE /span br /... Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/an-evening-visit-to-the-flower-and-garden-festival.aspx We love visiting Epcot and although we only had a few hours to spare on the last night of our holiday we decided to spend those hours visiting their Flower and Garden Festival which we had not managed to go to on that particular holiday. br / br / For me the excitement of an Epcot visit begins as soon as I see Spaceship Earth before we even enter the park. During the festival there was a brilliant topiary of Mickey Mouse at the entrance greeting all the visitors. On this visit he was also joined by sculptures of Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger. Close by we came upon Mickey and Minnie sculptures sitting in a bed of flowers and welcoming the visitors with a cheery wave. There was also a lovely Winnie the Pooh story book made out of flowers and greenery br / br / Just before we crossed the bridge on this hot evening the girls stopped to cool down by dashing in and out of the water fountains. Barrels of flowers were floating on the water and under the bridge turtles and fish ... Mon, 03 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/the-dolphins-at-discovery-cove.aspx One of the highlights of everyone’s visit to Seaworld has to be either feeding the dolphins themselves or watching whilst others feed them. br / br / Friends of our decided to treat their family to an Up Close Tour with the Dolphins and they loved every minute of it as well as learning a lot. The cost was approx. $50 each adult and $30 per child under 10 years old and they said it was well worth the money. I am not sure if you can book on the day but I know they pre-booked theirs on line. br / br / They met at the Dolphin Nursery and the guides gave them some facts about dolphins as well as answering any questions they had they then went to watch a training session with the dolphins. Then down at the pool they were taught how to attract the dolphins with hand signals which they then practised with their own dolphins while photographers on the far side took photos of them. After the tour as a family they decided to go to Blue Horizon especially to watch the show and see how ... Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/magic-kingdom-holiday-parade-and-mickey-s-very-merry-christmas-party.aspx Magic Kingdom holiday Parade and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party br / br / The Christmas holiday celebrations are special, even more so when you are lucky enough to spend them at Disney world in Florida! br / br / We love Christmas and love to spend time in Florida for the holiday season. Disney parades are always spectacular, but the evening Christmas holiday parades are just out of this world. The children love them, but it’s sometimes difficult to keep the little ones awake to see the parade, so it’s a good idea to visit one of Mickey’s special Christmas parties. br / br / Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party requires a separate admission ticket and is held on selected nights in November and December, it is a little extra cost but I have to say it is worth every penny. You arrive late afternoon to see all the wonders of the holiday parade and if you can get the little ones to rest during the day then they are able to stay awake for the party. br / br / I lo... Thu, 28 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/the-bibbidi-bobbidi-boutique.aspx Whilst it may be cliched and not quite true to say that every little girl dreams of being coming to Disney princess for many it really is a thrill. br / br / The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique provides this unique opportunity to become just such a princess, and if that doesn' t suit your little one' s character there is the chance of being a Disney Diva, a pop princess, or a colour star instead. br / br / There are two locations for the Bibbidi Bobbidi experience, Downtown Disney inside the Disney store on inside Cinderellas castle at the Magic Kingdom. Please note that if the Magic Kingdom location is chosen then entry to the park is also required and is not included in your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique package. br / br / As with the majority of Walt Disney World activities, reservations are essential and can be made up to 180 days in advance by calling Walt Disney World on 407- 939 - 7895. The further in advance you call the greater your choice of appointments will be. Appoin... Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/our-bibbidi-bobbidi-experience-pt-1.aspx The location for our Bibbidi Bobbidi experience was within the Magic Kingdom. We had been asked to arrive 15 minutes before our appointment time and to bring our own hair brush (in the event this was not required as we were given a comb). It was requested that our ' princess' had clean fingernails as she was having her nails painted, she was actually being thoroughly spoilt with the castle package but that' s the grandparents prerogative! br / br / When we approached the podium and gave our name, our granddaughter was given a personalised invitation inviting ' Princess Leah' to meet with her very godmother for her makeover. She was also given a leaflet to choose her hairstyle, there were four choices, ' the fairytale princess' , a traditional up-do with a sparkly tiara and Mickey shaped hair slide. The pop princess included colourful hair pieces and dazzling Mickey clips and the ' Disney Diva' was an up-do with a colourful coordinating ponytail hairpiece and lots of sparkly pins.... Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/our-bibbidi-bobbidi-experience-pt-2.aspx On completion of the makeover Leah was given both of the make up palettes, both of the nail varnish' s, the face jewels that had not been used and a pink princess comb, everything was wrapped carefully in tissue and put into a Disney carrier bag. However, when we went to the cash register Leah was given her pink, princess tote (which along with the princess sash is included in all the packages) so everything was transferred into that. At this point she was also given the tiara which coordinated with Princess Tianas dress and a wand which lit up and flashed, great for the night time parade! Everyone made a fuss as she left the salon area, clapping and courtseying to her. br / br / We were directed out of the castle and across the courtyard for the ' official photos' , there was a small line of children and the photographer was happy to photograph any little princesses including any who had not had an official makeover, but were merely dressed in their finest! When it was our turn ... Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://www.park-tickets.com/florida-attraction-guide/park-hopping-part-1.aspx When people know we are going to Orlando for our holidays the next question is invariably, ' Will you be visiting Mickey? ' or, ' You' ll be doing all the theme parks then? ' . There is usually an abject look of horror when we reply in the negative! br / br / Having travelled regularly to Orlando for more than twenty years we have ' Done Disney to death' and trips to Walt Disney World are usually reserved for special Disney experiences - we have done Back Stage Magic, Around the World at Epcot Segway tour, the fireworks desert party at Magic Kingdom, Mickeys Not so scary Halloween Party and Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party. Then there are also the special trips with grandchildren and friends who are first timers. br / br / All that having been said, there is, now and again, that need for a Disney fix and we satisfy that with a ' park hopping day' usually just us girls, the men don' t ' do' Mickey Mouse! br / br / To hop between more than one park on the same day you... Fri, 06 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT