Lets first have a quick look why Florida as a whole has become such a popular holiday destination for the Brits. First off the weather. Florida bakes in year round sunshine something that cannot be said about any of the short haul holidays available in the UK. Add to that the beautiful beaches, the attractions of Orlando, friendly English speaking (mostly!) locals and you perhaps have one of the worlds ideal holiday locations. Its not just touristy though. Its easy to get off the beaten track to natural springs and pretty rivers. This guide however deals mainly with Orlando rather than Florida as a whole so lets have a quick glimpse at what Orlando has to offer....
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Its probably true that for most people Orlando is Walt Disney World or more precisely Mickey Mouse and his Magic Kingdom. But theres a lot more to it than that - not just Orlando but Disney World as well. The Magic Kingdom, the EPCOT center, MGM studios, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country..... and then Orlando. Wet N Wild, Universal Studios, Sea World... in fact an attraction for every day of the year (and don't forget the nights!). So read on and enjoy!
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As you will soon find we do not speak quite the same language!
UK US
with reference to people...
canuck Canadian
hick bumpkin
limey English (as we would use yank)
redneck ignorant yocal
yankee someone from the Northern states
the money...
Cash point auto teller
restaurant bill check
ten cent coin dime
five cent coin nickel
one cent coin penny
twenty five cent coin quarter
dollar note buck / greenback
telephones...
reverse charges call collect
phone box telephone booth
driving...
dual carriageway divided highway
motorway freeway
car bonnet hood
car boot trunk
food...
grilled broiled
sweets candy
bill check
crisps chips
chips french fries
jam jelly
prawn shrimp (should see the 'prawns'!)
steak with seafood surf 'n' turf
This should just about keep you going!
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Max Min Rain
JAN 71 50 2.3
FEB 72 51 3
MAR 76 56 3.5
APR 82 61 2.7
MAY 87 66 2.9
JUN 89 71 7.1
JUL 90 73 8.3
AUG 90 74 6.7
SEP 88 72 7.7
OCT 83 66 4.1
NOV 76 57 1.6
DEC 72 52 1.9
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Anytime. Florida should be sunny all year round despite the odd frost that wipes out the Orange crops. Peak season is Christmas until April for Americans then an off peak and then the Brits come... Possibly the best months are the off peak months May and June and September until December. The weather is great at these times of year (not humid like the summer months) and the cue cutting at the parks is incredible compared with the peak months. It is easy to do twice as much in the theme parks at this time of year. The only drawbacks are the earlier closing hours of the parks. In the summer months you will get rain nearly every day normally at the same time in the shape of short fast burst. An hour later you wont remember that it rained.
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When getting your holiday spending money make sure you get some US cash in small denominations for tipping on arrival. Tipping really is a way of life in the States. On arrival you will find yourself tipping the baggage porter at the airport ($1 per bag) and continue doing the same for the rest of your holiday. Taxi drivers and waiters will expect 15% of the total and you should leave $1 per day to hotel maids
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You should make sure you take US dollar traveller cheques with you on holiday with some useful denominations of cash as well. Unlike other destinations you will not need to cash your cheques as they are accepted as notes with change given from them. Nearly all shops etc. take credit cards and you will find it hard to do without one when picking up a hire car.
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If you are a British citizen you generally no longer need a full visa to enter the United States. You merely fill in a 'visa' on the plane, known as the Visa waiver scheme. A full passport is required. Make sure you havent a stamp in it from a previous holiday in Cuba...
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If you are worried about driving in Florida then quite simply don't be. Recently there has been a lot of sad stories in the press about the killing of tourists in cars and the various dangers in your hire car. Don't forget though that Florida is the size of England and we are hardly a crime free country ourselves. It boils down to using your common sense. Orlando cannot be described as the most crime ridden city in Florida and you will as a tourist be hard pressed to find it. One sensible rule is to make sure you are not tired when you pick up your hire car from the plane. Try get a sleep on the plane, don't drink on the plane and if you are still tired pick up your hire car the next day. This should not be to hard to organise. Most of the major hire car companies are located an easy trip to the main hotels. On receiving your car (don't forget to be 21 or over, have a driving licence and credit card) you will be given a quick guide to using your automatic (you will wonder how you do without it after a couple of days) and a map guiding you to your hotel. Driving in generally relaxing, 55 mph on roads we would class as motorways, sometimes going to 65 mph. On International drive itself you wont be going faster than 30. Petrol is dirt cheap and seems to go a long way. On the same note hire cars do not carry there plates showing thats what they are anymore.
Happy cruising!
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As long as you have a hire car it shouldn't really be to much of a problem where you stay in the Orlando area but if you are without a car then some areas are rather inappropriate. International drive is the main Motel strip in Orlando as is quite good if you are without a car as you can walk to shops and food spots from your Motel which should also be able organise shuttles buses to the theme parks. For this reason other areas of Orlando cannot really be recommended if you haven't a car. Down the road from Orlando is Kissimmee which is nearer to Walt Disney World and tends to be slightly cheaper than International Drive. Finally you could always stay at one of the Disney resorts in which case you might not even have to visit Orlando as there would properly be enough to keep anyone going for at least a week in just the Disney complex.
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Staying in any of these hotels it has to be said is not by any means your cheapest option. However if you want to be in fantasyland for the whole of your holiday and make it that bit more magic then he are your options...
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If you take the monorail while visiting Disney World you should find yourself going through the lobby of the hotel. The resort has 1052 rooms and houses shops and restaurants.
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Grand Floridian Beach Resort
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| Has Victorian verandas, gabled roofs. Inside you will find 900 rooms and crystal chandeliers. |
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