We've been to Florida a number of times over the years - most often d.i.y. but in summer 2005 we went with a package provided by Travel City Direct. We stayed at the Parkway International resort at 6200 Safari Trail, Kissimmee. (001 407 238 0007 if dialled from UK, fax on 001 407 396 6165)
This is part of the Island One resorts - Liki Tiki is another member.
The Parkway International resport is very well positioned; it's off Parkway Boulevard which is immed. opposite the main entrance to Disney's Celebration area and very close to Water Mania. The resport is a 100 yds away from the main junction of the I-4 and the Irlo Bronson Highway - route 192 - the main "drag" in Kissimmee. So access to the parks is quite easy - Disney being 5-15 minutes drive depending on which theme/water park you visit. Universal is probably 30-40 minutes drive depending upon times/traffic on the I-4.
The rooms at this resort are spacious and feature a full kitchen. It's almost like having a small, private villa but with the social benefits of being with other people. We once rented a villa and felt somewhat isolated.
I'm no great fan of TCD - we had a major complaint that trip re. late dep. from Manchester. However, the hotel was fantastic and I'd stay at either this or the Liki Tiki (further away from Kissimmee) anytime.
You might try contacting the resort directly and negotiate a rate - bargain as there's sometimes some movement in prices.
Scheduled flights are not necessarily expensive compared to a package and you do usually suffer less delays and hassle. I've just flown Man-Newark-Fort Lauderdale and back with Continental and it went like clockwork. Continental have connections to lots of places from Newark, New York. You might also find that spending a couple of days in N.Y. costs no more than the room cost.
Car-hire can be booked in advance in this country. Check out the complains section of this site and look for the car-hire info. provided by fwh who was active in that industry and shares his knowledge on h.t. to help avoid being under or over-insured on car-hire.
One thing to bear in mind if you d.i.y. - you'll not have the protection of the Package Tour rules. Delays by a scheduled airline causing lost days holiday and car-hire cannot easily be reclaimed. Ensure you have a firm reservation with the hotel. Pay where possible with credit cards even if there's a percentage fee - you get cover under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
Look to buy your own insurance - even if you go with a package. Insure and Go have provide our annual couples cover (about £80) including travel to the U.S. Make sure you have $5,000,000 or so medical insurance cover.
Remember, there's an increased APD (Air Passenger Duty) applying now to long-haul flights, make sure your scheduled airfare quotes include ALL taxes and duties.
Beware with US hotel rates - they do NOT include the local taxes with can add a further 12 or so percent to the nightly rate. Clarify the inclusion or otherwise before booking. Get confirmations faxed back to you rather than emailed where possible.
d.i.y. gives you flexibility. You might think of a few days in Orlando doing the parks, then perhaps a trip to the gulf coast for a few nights, or the Keys. You could even fly into Orland (or Sanford) and out of some other airport often at little or no extra flight cost. If you do this check if one-way rental costs on the car apply.
Park tickets, especially for Universal can be purchased here in the UK, often online and using a credit card. We've done this a couple of times and saved money on the Universal. But BEWARE - you MUST take your credit card that you used to purchase such tickets with you the States as you'll need to insert into an automated ticket machine at the park entrance and after validation, your entry tickets are printed.
I mention this as you might have a replacement credit card provided by your issuer for any number of reasons - the original card number will differ from the replacement.
Whilst I also remember, pay as you go top-up facilities for mobiles tied into your credit card will also fail if you forget to update your records. I had my cr. cards stolen and replaced a week before travelling to the states - my top-up couldn't work.
You MUST take your driving licence if you are driving the rental car. I once forgot and realised mid-atlantic at 36,000 ft. It was no fun.
Enjoy
Pippy*
