Florida Holidays

EPCOT Centre

First of all – do you know what EPCOT is an Acronym for?  There are a lot bandied about – my favourite being  Every Person Comes Out Tired!
EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.  This park was something Walt Disney had envisioned but sadly didn’t get to see before he died.

Our Top Tips for visiting EPCOT Centre!
On entering the park make sure that you grab a map, and a show schedule, remember to mark off any shows you want to see, and make a mental note of the time for the Fireworks and laser show.  The park is split into two distinct areas ‘Future world’ and ‘World Showcase.’    The World Showcase area  tends to open a little later than ‘Future World’
The big iconic Globe is home to the slow moving journey of communication through time from the Stone Age, the Egyptians and Romans and on through to the creation of the Printing Press and modern technology.  If when you approach ‘Spaceship Earth’ the line is short ride it right away.

Future World

Usually best to head off towards the more white knuckle of the EPCOT Attractions Test Track and Mission Space and check the lines or get a Fast Pass.  Next head over to Universe of Energy – look out for the Dinosaurs! 
Don’t forget to check out the Living Seas, where you can had a chat with Crush the Turtle from the Disney Movie – ‘Finding Nemo.’
 The Land Pavillion is home to ‘Listen to the Land’ a great little boat ride where you can find out about how NASA is working on growing food in Space as well as learn about hydroponics.  Within the Land pavillion you will find ‘Soarin’ even the line for this ride is a lot of fun.
There are lots of places to eat in EPCOT but The Land, foodcourt is great as there is so much choice everyone can get what they like.
You might want to make a reservation for Dinner later at the unique revolving restaurant.
After Lunch head over to the big glass pyramid that houses ‘Imagination.’  On the way there look out for the Water ‘up’ and the jumping fountains.

World Showcase

Next head over to the World Showcase, start at Canada and work your way around. anti clockwise.  Each country funds its own showcase and is staffed by it’s nationals.  Great Britain features a pub and a Fish and Chip Restaurant.  Beware the price for a pint is far more than in your local! 
You will find each country has some form of entertainment from 360 cinemas to street theatre and performers as well as Norway and Mexico having very different river rides.

We reccommend that you get a spot ready for the firework and laser show about an hour before it is due to start.  Great viewing spots are opposite the American Pavillion on the Future World side of Seven Seas Lagoon, or on the bridge as you approach or leave Paris.  Depending on the size of your party, you might want to set up ‘base camp’ and take it in turns to revisit attractions in Future World or any you might have missed.

Enjoy the Firework and Laser show it really is a fantastic spectacle.

If you have anything to add or a comment to make we would really love to hear from you!

Tips

*Thirsty and hot?  Why not take a time out in the Coca Cola sponsored pavillion where you can try out soft drinks from all over the world.

*It is possible to book a boat cruise in the evening to take you onto the water and watch the firework and laser spectacular.  The launches leave from Disney’s Yacht Club and must be booked well in advance.

*Make sure you keep an eye on the display boards around the park for the latest wait times for rides, and attractions, as well as the scheduled times for the shows.

The Magic Kingdom

During busy periods be sure to arrive early at the park we advise having a good breakfast either at your villa or go all out at one of the many places that offer fantastic value ‘Buffet Breakfasts’ such as Sizzler or Ponderosa.

Parking and Entry

As you drive in to the car park make sure you ask the attendant what time the Parade is and what time the Fireworks are as times can vary. They will probably be able to give you a leaflet with a schedule of all the shows etc for the day you are visiting.

Make sure that all the party remember where you are parked. This is easy to do as all the areas are named and all the rows numbered. So remembering a character name and number eg – Donald row 30 or Pluto 55
You might want to write it down just in case.
Once you know the times make a note to get a spot along the parade route about an hour (or at the very least 30 mins) before the parade begins.

For the Fireworks you really need to make sure you get a spot about an hour before the display. (A great place we have found to be is on the bridge that you went over to get to ‘Adventureland,’ from the area in front of Cinderella Castle)

At the main ‘Ticket and Transportation Centre’ you have the choice of taking the Ferry boat or the Monorail across to the Magic Kingdom main entrance. Both take the same amount of time to make the short journey to the main entrance. Our top tip is to head straight for the Ferry Boat and head as far forward as you can. (Avoid the temptation to go upstairs the view is just as good from downstairs)
Have your camera ready to get great shots of one of the 3 mountains in the Magic Kingdom ‘Space Mountain’ and of course of Cinderella’s Castle.
Once in the main gate if you do not need to rent a stroller (buggy) or wheelchair then proceed straight on and up ‘Main Street USA.’
At the top of ‘Main Street USA’ in the Castle Terrace bear left and head on in to ‘Adventureland’ go straight to the most popular rides in this area ‘The Jungle Cruise’ and ‘Priates of the Carribbean’ – Johnny Depp fans keep an eagle eye out and see how many times you can spot ‘Captain Jack Sparrow.’
Continue round the park in an anti clockwise direction. Head for all the major rides first.
From Adventureland you will continue on to Frontierland. (NOTE where these 2 ‘lands’ meet you will notice ‘Pecos Bill’s Cafe’ – this comes highly recommended for a late lunch.

Frontierland is home to the other 2 Mountains in the Magic Kingdom ‘Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’ and ‘Splash Mountain’ if the park is starting to busy up it might be an idea to grab a fast pass for these rides and head on to ‘The Haunted Mansion’ This is a continuous attraction and the queue tends to look big but move quickly.

Fantasyland and is the next stop on your adventure through ‘The Magic Kingdom’ this area is generall suited to younger guests with ‘It’s a Small World’ ‘Peter Pan’s Flight’ ‘Dumbo’ and a wealth of other rides and shows including the fabulous centrepiece caroussel that under 10’s will love.
Rides here can get busy but this is a good place for a snack and a rest as well as the best place in the park to soak up the atmosphere of ‘The Magic Kingdom’

Tomorrowland follows with one of Disney’s first white knuckle thrill rides and the 3rd mountain in ‘The Magic Kingdom’ mountain range. ‘Space Mountain’ the ‘Astro Orbiters’ are another very popular attraction in this area. It is also worth taking a trip around ‘Tomorrowland’ on the ride below the ‘Astro Orbiters’ and taking in the rest of the area.

Next head over to ‘Mickey’s Starland’ this area was constructed as part of celebrations for Mickey Mouse’s 60th Birthday. This area is ideal for younger guests with plenty for them to see and do. We think it is a great idea to take the Steam train from here back to Main Street USA Station and enjoy the sights and sounds along the way as well as giving your feet a well earned rest!

On the way out of the park take the opportunity to use the Monorail. If you are fast / if you don’t mind waiting a while ask the attendant on duty if there is a chance you can ‘Ride up front’ Sitting up front with the driver is great fun and offers fabulous views.

Our other tips would be – :
*Hang on to any bottles of water and refill them at the plentiful water fountains throughout the park

*Look out for the ‘Kodak Picture Spots’ throughout the park that should give wonderful shots of various areas.

*Don’t forget sunscreen, even on a cloudy day the sun is very strong and you can burn quickly.

*Make sure you arrange a place to meet should you get seperated from your party.

*If you are a ‘Magic Kingdom Regular’ did you know that there some great behind the scenes tours available that let you in on the Disney Magic?

*Keep an eye out for your favourite Disney Characters in various places and if you want to get a picture with them head over to them straight away and don’t be shy!

Finally throughout the Disney Properties during construction the architects and imagineers ‘planted’ various Hidden Mickeys throughout the park – How many can you spot in the Magic Kingdom?
Here’s one we found – Take a look at the scrollwork outside the ‘Mainstreet USA Train Station’

We’ll be back with more Tips and Hints on the other parks soon.

DJW Flights and Rental have been selling Virgin Atlantic flights for more than 11 years and has access to the cheapest Virgin Atlantic flights to Florida in Economy, Premium Economy and Upperclass. With direct flights from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow (seasonal) to Orlando International and London Heathrow to Miami. DJW Flights and Rental also offers great discounted rates on  fully inclusive car hire.  Which makes booking easy as well as being the most cost effective way to travel to Florida.

DJW Flights and Rental has some Fantastic Virgin Atlantic Special offers !
Call NOW for latest availability. 01954 200222

From £349 Economy* including tax and fees

From £765 Premium Economy* including tax and fees

From London Gatwick or Manchester to Orlando International for outbound travel dates between -:
1st November 2009 – 9th December 2009 
and
5th January 2010 and 4th February 2010

Book by Mid September. 

N.B – Only pay a deposit now and pay the remainder 10 weeks before travel! (unless travel date is within 10 weeks of travel)

*Subject to availability in the correct booking class

We are pleased to be able to offer a fabulous two week holiday, 9 nights in the Disney area and 5 nights on the beach at Treasure Island for an amazing price.

You can choose to stay in either our new resort  ‘The Mona Lisa’ within the Disney ‘Village’ of Celebration.  Recently voted  ‘An American Dream Town’

The Mona Lisa

Facilites at The Mona Lisa include, a vanishing edge pool and whirlpool, Spa privileges at the Celebration Day Spa, Golf Privilieges at Celebration Golf Club, Free Transport to all the area theme parks, bicycle rentals.

Accommodation is a 2 bedroom  suite with sumptuosly furnished living areas, fully equipped kitchen and in suite washer and dryer.  With a furnished balcony overlooking hte stunning infinity pool or the lush florida landscape.

Or

3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Villa

In one of our fabulous 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villas conveniently located along the 192 corridor with easy access to all the areas theme parks.
All the villas have their own pools with space to sunbathe, that is if you have got time, with all the great theme parks and shopping close by!

Your 2nd week – spent at Treasure Island at the fabulous Sunset Vista Resort on beautiful Treasure Island.  A great idea to relax and enjoy the beaches away from the theme parks.

Treasure Island Beach at Sunset Vista Resort

We have a special offer available to all our guests.

For Friday Arrivals combining The Mona Lisa and Sunset Vista we have a fabulous rate of £945 for a total of 14 nights.
NB – there is a $6 per day charge per unit at The Mona Lisa

For Friday Arrivals combining on of our fabulous 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Villas and Sunset Vista Resort we have an amazing rate of £765 for a total of 14 nights.

(Restrictions and Supplements apply)

Go to www.djwrental.com  to contact us for more details.

Thoughts are now well and truly with  Summer Holidays.  Certainly here in Cambridge we have been experiencing Thunderstorms rather like we would expect at this time of the year in Florida!

However we have just taken delivery of our Calendars for 2010!

As all regular DJW Guests know, they expect their annual Calendar from www.djwrental.com around Mid December.  Well this year we are really organised.  Do let us know if we missed sending you one last year and we’ll make sure you are top of the list for 2010!

As we are looking ahead at 2010 we thought we would let you know that there is now limited availablity of our Gulf Coast Villas for February and March.  Give us a call and we will happily check and see if we can squeeze you in.
We still have availability for February 1/2 term and for Easter Holidays 2010 in Kissimmee.

Enjoy the Summer break one and all!

ATOL – Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing – Which is operated by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority provides financial protection to over 28 Million consumers who book air holidays and flights with tour operators and travel organisers every year.

So why should you book with an ATOL agent?  Does it Matter if you don’t book with an ATOL agent?

When you book a holiday you should always find out if the tour operator  you are booking with is ATOL protected.  It is easy to tell as the ATOL logo with the ATOL number must be displayed on advertisements, websites and brochures.  Once you have booked you will get a holiday confirmation invoice showing the operators ATOL number.
A travel agent should tell you which ATOL tour operator is protecting your holiday, your reciept should show the relevant ATOL number.

Did you know? – If you book your holiday direct with an airline including budget airlines you will NOT be ATOL protected.
You may be covered by your credit card if you spend over £100 check with your credit card company.
Neither are you protected if you book through an airline ticketing agent and recieve a ticket within 24 hours.  You should consider taking out insurance that will cover you against airline failure.
If you book your holiday on the internet and shop around booking your flight with 1 company and your accommodation with another and your car hire with yet another.  If the company you booked with in this instance is ATOL protected only your flights will be protected meaning if the other companies collapse you could be left out of pocket for extra hotel accommodation, car hire and other components you might have booked.

Booking all the components for your holiday with an ATOL agent makes sense. You will be fully protected if any element of the holiday goes wrong.  Either before you travel or while you are away if there is a problem your ATOL agent must sort it out and provide you with help and assistance.

You can check www.atol.org.uk or call 0207 4536430  DJW Flights and Rental’s ATOL number is 5100

As promised in our first blog post we can now tell you about the new destinations and resorts that we are able to offer.

We have a fabulous new resort available at Abaco, Bahamas.  With rates from as low as £595 per week we think this is a great deal and all the information about the resort and all the rates are now available on our website.

We also have a third resort now available at Treasure Island, right by the famous St John’s Pass.  The Sunset Vista resort is set right on the beach and has fabulous recreational facilites including a great pool area.
Rates will start at just £625 per week and all the details will be available on the DJw Flights and Rental website very soon.

A BIG thank you to all of you who have sent in drawings for the Blog.  We will be adding these to the Kids Gallery shortly.

Soon to be added to the blog, by popular demand will be tips on the Kissimmee and Gulf Coast areas as well as general travel tips.

Hello to all our guests. 

DJW is pleased to be able to announce it’s new blog.  We are very excited to be able to bring you up to date news on new resorts, accommodation and developments as and when we launch them.  Sometimes these new properties get missed on our website and can take a little while for us to get  them loaded on to it.

So this is the ideal place to get sneak peak at what is in the pipeline.

We have some exciting developments taking  place and  look forward to being able to share upcoming news with you about some new locations and new resorts in current locations.

At the moment we can tell you that we will be able to offer further accommodation in Treasure Island, as well as in the Kissimmee area.  So for those of you that don’t want to rent a beautiful villa, but still want self catering accommodation in Kissimmee or on the Gulf Coast watch this space.

As for something new and different, we are working with a resort in the Bahamas and hope to bring you news of what will be available in the not too distant future – so watch this space.

We  also want to be able to share with you, our travel experiences.  Any great attractions we might have stumbled upon or even any great restaurants we think are worth a visit.  Or even things that our guests have told us about.

A – special note to our younger guests.  If you have done a drawing of something in Florida we would love to see it and perhaps add it to the blog.

Minnie Mouse - By Chloe age 6