Before
you head off to the Airport, make sure that you have your
Passports, Tickets, Driving Licence, Credit Cards, Traveller's
Cheques, Currency and Travel Insurance
Keep a written
record of numbers, dates ands details relating to your Passports,
Tickets, Driving Licence, Credit Cards, Traveller's Cheques,
Currency and Travel Insurance. Keep one record at hand,
and have a copy at home.
Make sure
that you buy U.S Dollar Traveller's Cheques, and not British
Sterling.
Take a few
dollars loose currency with you, as the journey from the
Airport will require you to travel on Toll Roads.
Make sure you have the Keys,
the address and directions of how to get to the apartment.
Make sure you have a 10 year passport
that is valid for an absolute minimum of 6 months beyond
your return date.
Make sure all children over 16 years of age, or those
younger, who are not already included on a valid 10 year
passport, have their own passport.
Make sure you book your Flight tickets in the same names
as on your passports, otherwise you just may not be allowed
to travel.
If you are planning to upgrade the size of you rental
car, then do this before you go, as it will be cheaper.
If you are planning to buy a whole new wardrobe for your
holiday before you go, then don't. Wait until you get to
Florida, as prices are around a third cheaper, depending
on the exchange rates.
Place the written address of where you are staying, on
a piece of paper somewhere in your suitcase, in case your
case is lost, or taken by mistake.
If you plan to take a hairdryer away with you, then make
sure that you take an electrical adapter, as the electricity
supply in the U.S is only 110 volts.
You must
check in for your flight 3 hours before the stated departure
time, or 2 hours if you have pre-booked your seats.
Your baggage
allowance is indicated on your flight tickets, any excess
will be charged for. Hand luggage is also weighed.
When you
arrive at the airport, check that you have all your luggage
from the taxi, and find yourself a trolley to transport
it to the check-in desk.
On entering
the airport terminal, check the Departure screens for your
flight number and which Zone to find your check-in desk.
Ensure that
your tickets, passports, insurance, driving licence, traveller's
cheques, currency and credit cards are all safely on your
person or in your hand luggage.
Please take
care to listen to the instructions you are given about departure
gates and times they will be seating passengers. Once inside
the departure lounge you must be aware of the screens, as
there are no announcements.
If you wish
to shop in the Duty Free, please be aware of the time you
are spending, and don't leave it too late to arrive at your
departure gate.
The check-in
at Orlando Airport does not open much more than 3 hours
before your departure time.
Sanford Airport
opens at 10am and you may check-in as soon as you wish.
You can park your rental car in the public car park, whilst
you check your luggage in, and then take off for a meal
or to the shops. Return your car to the rental firm approximately
one hour before your flight, and you will not have to spend
hours in the departure lounge.
Please check
your flight departure time when checking in, as there can
be changes to the flight schedule.
Do not forget
that you are only allowed one piece of hand luggage, besides
your luggage allowance on your ticket. Infants do not qualify
for a separate allowance unless they have been booked their
own seat on the plane.
Every kilogram
over the allowance will be charged for, so be prepared financially
to fund any excess.
The basic
car rental package includes an Economy sized car. If you
have more than 2 people and a lot of luggage, then do consider
upgrading. If you do need to upgrade then do it from home,
as it will be cheaper than once you are in Florida.
Make sure
you have a valid UK/European Driving Licence. Do not take
photocopies, as these will not be accepted.
If you require
any additional drivers, this will cost you extra, so budget
for it.
If any of the drivers are
under the age of 25, then you will have to pay a hefty daily
surcharge. Be aware.
Child seats are compulsory for children
under 4 years of age, or 40 lbs. These are available from
the Car rental at an additional daily charge, so please
budget for this.
You will receive you Car with a full tank of fuel. You
have paid for this in the cost of the rental. Make sure
you take the car back on empty, as you do not receive any
refund.
In Florida, they drive on the right hand side of the
road. Please do not forget this!
Keep your rental agreement easily accessible in the glove
compartment.
Before starting, take sufficient time to familiarise
yourself with the vehicle, and plan your route to the apartment.
You are likely to pass through tollbooths on your travels.
Always carry some loose currency with you.
Some tollbooths do not accept notes larger than $20.
Buy your
tickets from the local Ticket Booths before you go to the
Parks. You can save a couple of dollars per ticket, which
over the course of your holiday can add up to significant
savings. Also, it eradicates the need to queue in long lines
for tickets at the park.
Avoid visiting
the parks on Saturdays if you can, as surveys have shown
that this is the busiest day. Wednesday to Friday are relatively
quite days.
Dress for
comfort. The day will be long, with a lot of walking and
standing, so good comfortable shoes/trainers are a must.
Loose, lightweight clothing, a hat and sunglasses are advisable.
Most parks have rides where
you will get wet, so wear something that will dry quickly,
or take a change of clothes.
Enjoy a large breakfast before visiting
the theme parks, as you'll benefit from increased energy.
Arrive early and stay late, as these are the parks quietest
periods, and the best to ride all of the popular rides.
Arrive at the gates when they open at 9 a.m. You'll have
a head start on the crowd, which usually appears around
10 a.m.
Plan you day. Upon entering any of the Parks, be sure
to pick up any Guide maps, schedules, and daily entertainment
guides.
If you drive to the Theme Parks, take a pencil and paper.
The best way to remember where you parked is to write it
down.
Check the "tip boards" at each of the Parks for show
times and estimated wait times.
At Disney try visiting the most popular attractions during
parades and fireworks to take advantage of shorter lines.
Check out if the Park has a fast pass scheme. This service
lets you spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying
the Parks. You just check in at some of your favourite attractions
and receive a designated ride time and quickly get on.
Check out if the Park has a single riders scheme. This
service will significantly reduce queuing times, and is
great if you don't mind the possibility of having to all
ride separately.
If you get separated from your fellow travellers while
visiting any of the Theme Parks, leave a message for them
at any Guest Relations location within the Park.
If your party decides to split up, remember to set a
meeting place and time.
If your child is too young to ride an attraction with
age or height restrictions, try this. One parent may wait
with the child while the other parent rides the attraction,
then switch at the end of the ride. There's no additional
waiting in line.
Video cameras can be rented at the camera shops in some
Theme Parks.
You will find as you visit the parks, they have already
worked out the best angle for those great photos, so look
out for the "Photo Points." It will save you a lot of time
and effort!
When visiting Disney make sure you bring an autograph
book and a pen, to get all your favourite characters signatures.
At Disney if you purchase one of the multi-day park hopper
passes, take advantage of journeying from one park to the
other, or taking a break around lunchtime to go back for
a swim, returning in the evening when it's cooler. Don't
forget to have your hand stamped, for same day re-entry.
If you need a stroller or wheelchair, plan to pick it
up early as rental supplies are limited.
Most parks have Baby-care centres located on-site and
offer feeding, changing, and nursing facilities, along with
supplies at a nominal charge.
Take a siesta during the hot midday sun. Get your handstamped
for same day re-entry, and go for a swim, or shopping, rather
than standing in line becoming irritable and tired.
If you plan to return to the park the same day then make
sure you get your hand stamped, otherwise you will be refused
re-admission.
When visiting Florida, especially for the first time,
the first thing most people want to do is visit Disney World
as soon as they can. Our advice is - don't! After a long
flight from the UK and a 5 - hour time difference it takes
a couple of days to adjust. We would suggest having a really
lazy first day getting used to the heat and surroundings.
If you want to go to one of the main attractions on perhaps
your second day we suggest going to Sea World. It is not
far to travel and it is much less crowded than Disney or
EPCOT. The show schedules are well spaced out and repeat
themselves during the day, concluding with a laser and fireworks
show in the evening. Children will love the whales, dolphins
etc., and you will have a great day out and at a quieter
pace than Disney World or EPCOT.
A 4 or 5-day pass is recommended if you wish to see Disney
World, EPCOT, MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom in full. Our
advice would be to spread out your visits to these attractions
and intersperse them with visits to quieter places like
Silver Springs, Cypress Gardens or Wet'n'Wild.
Pick up the
free Orientation Magazine, the Best Read Guide and any of
the coupon books that you will see outside of supermarkets,
restaurants or shopping malls. You will find discount coupons
for some of the shops in these books.
Take only
enough cash with you for the day. Most of the shops have
a "lay away" so you can return later to purchase that item
you couldn't quite afford.
It's a good
idea to wear a "bum bag" when you go shopping, for security
purposes as well as to leave your hands free to sort through
clothes rails etc.
Shopping
between 12-3p.m. gives you something to do when the sun
is at it's hottest, and you need to get out of it.
You will
find that most of the tourist areas accept major credit
cards, however you might be asked for ID when using them,
or even $50/100 travellers cheques.
The Supermarkets
usually have special offer leaflets and coupons around the
store, which helps a lot with your budget.
Most shops
stay open until 9p.m., Walmart and Kash 'n' Karry are open
for 24 hours.
The Flea
Market on the 192 boasts of over 400 booths, selling gifts,
Disney souvenirs, T-shirts, shoes, clothes, jewellery, luggage,
electronics, cosmetics and many, many more items. Open every
day rain or shine.
Do not get
too carried away when you are shopping, and forget that
you have to transport all these extra items back to England.
Excess baggage has to be paid for!
As with shopping
make sure you have picked up the coupon books. It's surprising
what you can save with these books.
It is customary
to tip in the United States for most services. Most of the
time the tipping is optional, but in larger parties the
tip is automatically added. In restaurants the tip is usually
15-20% of the bill, so you will find if you use the coupons,
it's covered your tip.
When paying
a restaurant bill by credit card, please remember they leave
it to you to fill in the gratuity section.
If you are
on a tight budget, use the Buffet style restaurants, like
the Ponderosa, Sizzler, and Golden Corral etc.
Most restaurants
offer reductions for children and children's menus and there
are some eating places where the kids can eat free.
Highchairs
and booster seats are available and usually books and crayons
to keep the children entertained 'til the meal arrives.
It's quite
advisable to keep a sweater in the car, so that you can
pop out and get it, should you find when eating out, the
air-conditioning in the restaurant is too cool.
Sun Care
Sunscreen
with a high SPF is a must, make sure it protects from UVA
and UVB rays.
Always apply
sunscreen when you are going out, even if it is overcast,
as the Florida sun burns!!
Take great
care with young children - wearing an old T-shirt in the
pool will give them better protection.
Make sure
everyone drinks plenty of liquids, especially when sunbathing.
Protect your
eyes with sunglasses and wear a hat and loose lightweight
clothing.
If you are
having a lazy day round the pool, pop to the shops around
mid-day, when the sun is at it's strongest, returning mid-afternoon
to enjoy the rest of the day, in comfort.
