Orlando, Helpful Tips

If you are visiting Florida and your stay includes Orlando you may find some of these tips helpful when considering your plans! Car Hire -You MUST have a credit card in the name of the driver to rent a car in Florida. When you take out a car rental agreement some car hire companies may try and add on extras that you neither want or need - make sure you know what insurance you have for your vehicle BEFORE you leave the United Kingdom. Never sign the agreement until you are satisfied with the charges proposed. Tickets and Pass Collection -Your e tickets for Disney and Universal will each be sent on a separate email. REMEMBER though, when you first collect your tickets you MUST take ID with you otherwise they won't give the tickets to you. ID would normally require a photo so a passport is ideal! FASTPASS - Why not consider purchasing a FASTPASS if you are keen to avoid the normal queues. They cost more but can help you to enhance your experience particularly if you are on a tight schedule! First Day - When you arrive, try and stay up for as long as possible otherwise you will wake up far too early the next morning with the time change. So why not make the most of your visit and head off to one of the parks. The parks all normally open between 9 and 10 am and don’t start getting really busy until 11 o’clock on-wards. One of the smaller parks to get you in the swing of things is Disney Hollywood Studios, which is more compact and allows you to become acclimatised. Some clients prefer to head straight to the castle at The Magic Kingdom. Disney Pin Trading - At all Disney parks you can trade official Disney badges which you can purchase together with a lanyard usually from the outlet stores. The children can then trade them with other guests and Disney Cast Members who carry pins. Many have what they call hidden Mickey's which you can only get in the park. This trading can keep your children happy for hours especially in the queues. Downside is that you end up spending a fortune on badges! Car Parking - Car parking at all parks is payable locally and if you park hop you only pay parking once per day at Disney. Average car park is £10 per day. Shopping -The premium outlet mall down by Disney is a must, great brands and usually some brilliant bargains. This is the one I always go to as many of the other malls are just like UK shopping centres -  for example Bluewater in the south or Trafford Centre in the North. Eating Out - There are many dining options ranging from top restaurants, buffet type restaurants, food courts and large supermarkets. Universal have what they call City Walk; this is a busy area in the evening with lots going on, restaurants like Hard Rock; definitely worth a night out here. Disney has Downtown Disney with lots of restaurants like Rainforest Cafe and T Rex plus lots of shops too. It is a nice area to walk around in an evening in a safe traffic free environment.  Contact us for a full list of Dining ideas in the area. Last Day - If you are flying with Virgin you can check in at Downtown Disney on your last day which means you get all day without cases etc, great if you are planning more park visits but it does cost approximately 20 dollars each. Otherwise you might just decide to chill on your last day.