I have been itching to go to Florida for a long time so I have been frugal with my budget for a while, saving for my next holiday, and after doing my research I was seduced by the prospect of Florida holidays. There are many advantages for choosing a villa:
- More space: In a hotel, you are usually just assigned one room for you and your party. With a villa, there are more rooms to circulate in.
- More privacy: When you feel like a drink or something to eat, it’s nice to do that with just your family or friends. In a hotel, you are obliged to do this with varying numbers of strangers in the same space. The same point applies to the pool! A Florida villa holiday comes with a pool just for you and your family or friends to enjoy!
- Some villas, like the Orlando villa I have chosen to rent have the luxurious option of the use of a BBQ! I can’t wait to sample al fresco breakfasts and suppers whilst watching the sun go down!
- Laundry facilities: No more packing a months-worth of clothes and letting the dirty washing pile up as the holiday progresses (and paying extra for going over my luggage allowance). This time I’m travelling light so I can wash and dry my clothes as I need to.
Whilst doing my research on the perfect holiday, I wanted to find out what Florida is renowned for. Here goes…
What is Florida famous for?
- Walt Disney World Resort: Disneyland first opened in 1955 and with help from a few creative people (dubbed “imaginers”) it started to expand from then. This team went searching for the ideal site to build Walt Disney’s vision of a ‘dream park’. His heart became set on the site in Central Florida that was 20,000 acre after seeing the lush forests and wetlands.
Walt was fascinated by technological advancements of this time period and he wanted a park built that would celebrate technologies. This was manifested in the plans for EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow).
Throughout the years, Disneyland has continued to expand at a rapid rate. We now have Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle, Walt Disney World Vacation Kingdom, Treasure Island, Disney-MGM Studios, Inaugural Walt Disney World Marathon, Blizzard Beach water Adventure Park, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings pavilion, Disney’s Animal Kingdom…just to name a very small fraction of the features it has! Apparently, Walt Disney World is now the size of San Francisco! Really!
Unfortunately, Walt passed away in 1966 so he didn’t get to see how his dream had developed. The Disney organisation is committed to making Walt Disney World a joyful and inspirational place; and this is in tribute to the life and spirit of Walt Disney himself.
- Universal Studios: Universal Studios opened in 1990 and its purpose is celebratory of the entertainment industry. There are 6 areas of the park, each with a different theme.
- Beaches: There is 1,200 miles of coastline in Florida. 700 miles of this are considered to be ‘sandy’.
- Sunshine: Florida is nicknamed the ‘Sunshine State’, named this because of the abundance of sunny days!
- Alligators: Everglades is the oldest alligator farm in South Florida and it is home to over 2,000 alligators! I can’t wait to go on one of their guided airboat tours where we’ll see them in their natural habitat.
- Oranges: Florida produces the second largest amount of oranges in the world.
- Fishing: Fishing is a thriving industry in Florida and it is part of its maritime heritage. Commercial fishing has been going on for 2,000 years.
