Over the last few weeks we have had lots of enquiries as to how to book and why we as a couple book our Florida breaks. It’s simply personal choice! We LOVE a villa and all that it offers, but due to the time of year that we are going in 2020 we’ve decided to go a different route.
As we mentioned we love our villa’s, and we have stayed in some crackers all along Route 27 in or near Davenport. Every one had its own little unique charm. The one on Highlands Reserve, for example, backed into the golf course, it was a lovely way to spend breakfast watching the players trundle past laughing and joking…or not. Depending on what sort of round they were having??
The villa at Hampton Lakes was another great find, we were with 2 other couples and even with 6 adults (well, if you ask the ladies there was 3 adults and 3 men…) there was room aplenty. This house was also equipped with a games room as well as a pool and jacuzzi. So as you can imagine after a day at the parks it’s quick lap of the pool to cool off and sit in the jacuzzi to go over everything that we had seen and experienced during the day. A very pleasant way to spend an hour we can assure you, even better with friends!
The villa we had last year was simply Amazing. Fact. 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and pool, jacuzzi and a rather large games room, oh and it was so big there was a fuzball table on the 1st floor landing that didn’t even take up any room! We had this villa as it was a special occasion, we were getting married and wanted to make the whole holiday extra special with the surroundings. The gardens were spectacular, we took loads of wedding photos with the villa and the gardens as the backdrop, we could not have asked for a better base for that holiday.
The next trip we have planned for 2020 will be way different to what we normally book, this time we are staying in a hotel, The Holiday Inn at Disney Springs to be exact. We chose this as the villas we normally rent are exceptionally high in price for the weeks we have to travel, so we decided to investigate the hotel route for several reasons. Firstly it allowed us to book fastpasses 60 days before we travel – just a little more planning needed than normal but that’s all part of the excitement! The second reason is the free Disney transport service to the parks from the hotel. This will a real boon to us as we won’t have to pay the $27 parking every time we visit. We will also get early and late park hours which will allow us a bit more flexibility as we are travelling at a much busier time of year than usual.
We have opted for a pool room view with king bed, this gives us a sofa and table for working on our social media stuff (yes, we WILL be blogging whilst on holiday!) The room also come with a balcony with table and chairs outside. Lovely for watching the sun come up with a brew as Mr Oh Orlando loves to do while on holiday.
Another benefit of staying in the Holiday Inn @ Disney Springs is it’s only 700 meters or a ten minute walk to the center of Disney Springs itself. The place is full of shops, bars and restaurants so it’ll be a daily stop for us either going to or coming back from the parks. You can also get transportation to all Disney parks from here as well. So a bit of shopping and a bite to eat and away we go!
One of the fun things about Disney Springs is the different modes of transport you can use to get around. There are the buses or a ‘Mini-van’ (a people mover painted to match Minnie Mouse’s dress obviously) or if you fancy a gentle trip to another resort you can get a boat, yup a boat. Just amble on down to the dockside and away you go. If you are feeling a bit adventurous you can have a drive/sail in an amphi car. You are driven down the ramp and straight into the water and off for a little trip around the lagoon.
We are also looking forward to eating in the other Disney resorts, and using the Disney transportation will be a real aid to this, just for the simplicity of not having to stop at security and explain what we are doing as the bus will take right to the resort front door! There are some real restaurant hidden gems ‘on property’ and having quick access will be great.
The hotel is only a few minutes drive from the I-4 which is the main route that goes right down the middle of Orlando, so when we go to Universal Studios for example it’s a quick drive there and the outlet malls and the fabulous Mall at Millenia, home to the ubiquitous Cheesecake Factory. Happy happy days!
We will also ideally situated for our little expeditions, we love to drive about and see if we can spot something unusual or new, that’s the beauty of the area, there is so much just off the main roads it sometimes is worth taking a wrong turn just to see what’s about. Next year we are looking at heading North up the coast to St Augustine and Daytona beach, and stopping off wherever the mood takes us.
We are really excited for this holiday, for the park hopping, the new rides and the weather although we do know at this time of year (July/August) the weather can be a bit ‘tricky’ as it is Florida and it’s the summer so it WILL rain at some point – that’s how tropical climates work. That won’t stop us in the least. You have to embrace the weather in these periods and be able to adapt and change plans, the beauty of Orlando though is that you will never be short of something to do whatever the weather!
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