Hi - thanks fireman sam, Emdia 43. I think it might be best, from what you have said, that we do Disney the first week, maybe in a Hotel and then move on for a more beachy holiday, perhaps staying in a house with a pool. Where do you think the nicest places are for beach holidays - we will probably stay for about 17/18 days I reckon, 14 days doesn't seem like it will be long enough !!!!

Thanks

Joo

14 days is definately not enough! We did 9 parks, plus a visit to Kennedy, and we didn't see half of it!

We decided beforehand that we would do a little bit of everything, as it was the holiday of a lifetime, and we'd never go back. I have to admit to being a tad cynical before we went.

That was before we went... now saving up for the return trip!

Have a look at http://www.visitflorida.com/destinations and see if you like the look of Clearwater Beach- St Pete area. Not sure if you want busy beach resort area or a hideaway type of quiet vacation. How far do you want to travel?
I prefer the Gulf Coast resorts,that coast has much nicer beaches, white powdery sands, than say Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic coast.

Hi Joo9,

emdia43 & lainey have thrown in some good ideas which is what this site is good for.
We are going to Naples on the Gulf Coast in August of next year and yes the beaches are good on that side, and the sea tends to be quite calm most of the time. Deciding which beach resort to stay at depends on how far you wish to travel after your stay at the parks Clearwater would not be far then Sarasota is nice with a travelling time of about two and half hours from Orlando and after that Naples/Fort Myers is about four hours.
We have been going to Florida on and off since the 90's and have spent most of our time in the Gulf Coast region as the people are friendly and helpfull which is not always the case in Orlando

Regarding the amount of time you go for really amounts to how many times you wish to visit Florida? If this is a one off visit then 3 weeks would probably be the minimum as there is alot to see. But if you plan on going back then you do not have to get everything in on the first trip.
I would advise a second trip as trying to do everything in one holiday leaves you tired at the end of it, and in need of another holiday when you get back!
I was like lainey on my first trip to Disney in that I was abit sceptical and I thought it was all geared to children. But this is not the case and there is plenty for all ages to do.
Staying in a Disney Hotel at the parks has some nice perks and takes some of the hazzle out of visiting as the transport is laid on for you within the resort area throughout the opening times and beyond as Disney guests get to use the parks earlier and later then the general public.
One handy thing we found was that if you buy things in the parks they will deliver it back to your hotel for you so no need to travel around with extra baggage. Disney Resort is a pretty big place and planning what you want to visit and taking breaks in between is ideal especially if you have young children. I would compare it to a decent size city, if not bigger!!
If you plan on going for longer then 2 weeks then Travel City Direct will not be that helpfull as they cater for 2 week stays? Strange I know when alot of people go for longer due to the distance travelling there.
They will give quotes on stays for longer through a scheduled flight with the American Airlines, but are giving nothing special on prices on just flights at the moment. I phoned them earlier for a quote on a flight only package for 4 Adults and 1 Child and they quoted me £4,500 for the Premium Upgrade Cabin (Sunshine Premium) and £3,305 for Economy seats I had asked them for a quote a couple of weeks ago with a 7 seater people carrier included with the flight package and the price was virtualy the same. When I mentioned this to the TCD Rep on the phone she admitted that unless we book alot of things with them (i.e. car, accommodation, etc) they do not give any discounts.
If you do arrange your holiday yourself, then a good place we have found for car hire is http://www.usrentacar.co.uk/ as thay quoted a 7 seater people carrier for two weeks in Aug 08 about £200 cheaper then TCD.
Hope some of this helps
All the best and if you need anymore info, then throw a question as somebody on the site usually knows.