Brit Guide to Orlando - Simon Veness & Susan Veness

Before I go on holiday I delight in researching where I am going. I love to know lots about my destination and I feel I get a lot more out of my holiday if I am well-informed. My family always tease me about the fact I like to be so ultra organised but really they agree that our holidays are usually interesting and fun as a result. When we decided to visit Orlando several years ago my planning went into overdrive. I thought that it was somewhere ...
..."do" as much as we could. Little did I know that we would return several times as we love it -but thats another review!

I began looking around for a good guide book that particularly focused on the Orlando area. There are several books which cover the whole of Florida but since we had young children we did not want to do much travelling and knew our mainstay of the holiday would be Walt Disney World (WDW). I spotted the ... more

Before I go on holiday I delight in researching where I am going. I love to know lots about my destination and I feel I get a lot more out of my holiday if I am well-informed. My family always tease me about the fact I like to be so ultra organised but really they agree that our holidays are usually interesting and fun as a result. When we decided to visit Orlando several years ago my planning went into overdrive. I thought that it was somewhere we would only visit once and knew I wanted to "do" as much as we could. Little did I know that we would return several times as we love it -but thats another review!

I began looking around for a good guide book that particularly focused on the Orlando area. There are several books which cover the whole of Florida but since we had young children we did not want to do much travelling and knew our mainstay of the holiday would be Walt Disney World (WDW). I spotted the Brits Guide in my local bookshop. It appealed because several books that I had glanced at were obviously aimed at an american market and I thought that this would be better. The guide was not pocket sized by any imagination but would fit ok in a backpack if we were out for the day.

As soon as I got home I started reading. I ended up reading it cover-to-cover whilst reading snippets out to my family about all the excitement we were to experience. The book is written in a very easy to read format. It is clearly laid out with chapter headings in bold print on the top of each page. There are lots of colour photographs of the attractions as well. Each chapter is clearly broken down into sub-headings and "Brit Tips" are extra useful pieces of information that are dotted around the page in boxes. The layout is extremely easy to follow and feels very logical.

Introduction

This gives an overview of what is available in Orlando, the parks and the tickets on sale. There is a little general advice on when is the best time to travel, travel requirements and the dreaded tipping which is part of the American way of life.

Planning and Practicalities

This gives great detail about when to avoid Orlando if possible (info on American holidays), the Travel companies serving the area, the basics of where about to stay and how long you should give yourself for a holiday of a lifetime. There is also advice on money and safety although I must say I have probably felt safer in Orlando than in many places I have visited and a lot of the information I think is just common sense!

Driving and Car Hire

I think the majority of people visiting the area hire a car to get around. Driving on the other side of the road, with jetlag and excited children in the back is a challenge so it is great to know lots before you go. I read and digested everything relating to the road network and the rules of driving which proved useful as you can turn right at a red light if the road is clear and if you don't you soon get a queue of angry drivers behind you! It suggests sites to download maps and also discussed taxis and car-free ways of doing the area.

Accommodation

This gives quite a lot of detail about the range of accommodation in the area, from top Disney resorts to very basic motels. A guide to the expense rating and what to expect from American rooms is useful. There are lots of weblinks.

The Theme parks

The chapters relating to the major themeparks are all laid out in the same manner so makes the guide very easy to use. There is lots of general information about the park followed by a map and then details of each attraction including height requirements and suitability for particular ages. There is always good advice on how to manage each park, hidden gems that you might miss and prices of merchandise to help you budget. I read these so much I think I commited them to memory. However although my family frequently had to chase me to keep up we never missed a thing and were never tired and irritable as I had planned suitable quiet things (like Disneys-Its a small world) inbetween busy spells of thrill rides. I also knew where to sit for the best views of the parades and how best to manage getting in and out of the parks at the begining and end of the day.

===The Other Attractions==

This chapter highlights the others major attractions in the area after Disney and Universal. I read all about The Kennedy Space Centre and although my husband has always been a space-travel anorak I was still able to direct us around the huge complex better than him! There are lots of attractions listed as well as the water parks.

===Off The Beaten Track===

If you have the time and energy there are lots of fantastic places to explore once you get away from the theme-park mania. This chapter gives lots of details of the more peaceful side of Orlando. There are recommendations for beaches and natural areas. We found this section useful when we needed a break and all the directions were clear and very easy to follow. We never got lost and were never disappointed with where we went as the descriptions were so accurate.

Orlando by Night

Here you will find information on Dinner Shows, clubs, bars etc. I must say I have no idea how accurate the information is as although it looks clear and well laid out we were always so shattered from being up early that we didn't venture out much at night except to view the fireworks!

Dining Out

Everyone knows the Americans love their food but it is great to know the different dining options available. This chapter gives a very comprehensive list of the local restaurants and also a guide to the prices which we found very useful. We knew that we were quite happy with cheap and cheerful so we could find the sort of places that would suit our budget. However if you were a couple wanted better dining experiences there were lots to choose from.

Shopping

Many people love the shopping in Orlando but since the dollar is now stronger the bargains are not quite so great. This guide gives you a brilliant overview of what each shopping centre specialises in. Some are normal shopping outlets and some are discount stores so its great to know which one you are looking for. There is also information on more traditional shopping and markets in the area.

===Going Home==

How to deposit you car and get back to the airport with no problems except grumpy children!

===Holiday Planner===

This is fantastic at making you focus on how to get the best from your holiday. There is a busy day guide from all the major theme parks. We followed the advice to the letter and never found a park horribly busy ( although they are always somewhat busy!). The authors offer a planning service that costs which you can buy over the internet although if you read the book I can't think you would need it. There is also a link to their update pages which are very helpful.

In Conclusion

Overall this book was godsend. It helped me organise a fantastic holiday that was so good we just keep returning! We have used this book everytime and I believe it has saved us a fortune with is moneysaving tips and ways to avoid being taken for a ride! I recommend it to everyone I know who visits the area and they have all agreed that it deserves the title of "Holiday Bible".

Information:
ISBN 0-572-03157-2 (2006 version--someones borrowed my 2008 one!)
Foulsham Publishing
Simon and Susan Veness

(previously on Dooyoo under the same name) 

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