We are off to Florida for the first time this Summer and wondering if any CDers have any must do's and must avoid's !
Thanks in advance.

Tis a big state. Where you visiting? What are your interests?

Hi , what month are you going ? we went in sept last year and the only thing we would do differently was to take a rain mack with us , as when it rains it really really rains ! with lightning and everthing ! :) and we unfortunatley at the time was in the middle of magic kingdom and we ended up paying something like 35 dollars each for a rain mack !
Also do pack a few long sleve tops as it can get quite chilly during the night time especially if u are hanging around for the light parade in magic kingdom and also the epcot display. Other than that just enjoy it its an amazing holiday :) xxx

Assuming this means WDW, then there is one bit of advise from me and that is make  a schedule for the days you are there, perhaps Monday magic kingdom    Tuesday universal studios.  Make certain to factor in rest days too as it is quite tiring.
I am the least organised person in the world and it is key to a good trip.

Karen :)

Don't go in July, the crowds are horrendous, and the heat and humidity unbearable. May be too late for this tip though ;-)

In Disney, for the big rides, use the FASTPASS.  I've taken the below from Disney's website to explain how it works.

Disney's FASTPASS Service saves your place in line for an attraction while you enjoy the rest of the theme park.

To Use Disney's FASTPASS Service:
* Look for the "Disney's FASTPASS Distribution" sign near the entrance of an attraction.
* Check the "Return Time" displayed on the sign.
o The sign will indicate the time you would return to enjoy the attraction using a FASTPASS ticket.
o For attractions, the return time is a one-hour window (e.g., 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m.), so you don't have to be there exactly at a given time. For shows, your return time will be for a specific performance.
* If the return time is one that works for you, just insert your admission ticket into the Disney's FASTPASS Service machine. (You may use your Walt Disney World Resort admission ticket, readmission ticket, Disney Resort Hotel keycard or Annual Passport.)
* A FASTPASS ticket will emerge with your return time printed on it. Now you're free to go and enjoy the rest of the theme park!
* Go back to the FASTPASS ticketholder entrance when your return time rolls around, show your ticket to the Cast Member and enjoy the attraction with a minimal wait.

Keep in mind:
* FASTPASS tickets are only valid on the day of issue.
* Everyone in your party using the FASTPASS ticketholder entrance must have a FASTPASS ticket.
* There's a limit to the number of FASTPASS tickets you may have at one time. On your ticket will be printed the time at which you can get your next one. Disney's FASTPASS Service machines won't issue another ticket until the time stated on your current one.

Currently, the following attractions offer Disney's FASTPASS Service:

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park:
* Primeval Whirl
* Kilimanjaro Safaris
* DINOSAUR
* Kali River Rapids
* Expedition Everest

Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park:
* Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
* Toy Story Mania!
* Star Tours - The Adventures Continue
* The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Magic Kingdom Theme Park:
* Space Mountain
* Splash Mountain
* Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
* Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
* Jungle Cruise
* The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
* Peter Pan's Flight

Epcot Theme Park:
* Mission: SPACE Pavilion
* Test Track
* Captain EO starring Michael Jackson
* Maelstrom
* Soarin'

Do buy your park passes before you go, we bought some from a roadside booth that had expired!

Do pick up some of the discount booklets that you get for free in the boxes at the side of the road, you get great breakfast vouchers etc in them.

Do go to the IHOP, t bone steak and pancakes for breakfast - yummm

If you're near Kissimee do go to the rodeo, it's a great night out.

Do hire an airboat if you're near the everglades, or even the little ones just off the 192 near Kissimee - they're fabulous fun.

If you're over on the West Coast Busch gardens is fabulous, I wouldn't bother with the Clearwater marine rescue place. Don't get lost in down town Tampa, coz even the sheriffs car won't stop to help you!

Get out on the water, take a yacht trip or hire a speedboat to see the dolphins.

Disney, Seaworld and Universal are all brilliant, not just for those who like thrill rides but all amazing places to just wander round and do the 'tame' rides :-) As the poster above says use the pastpasses.

If you make it all the way down to Key West (which is an amazing drive) then you MUST eat at Loueys backyard at sunset.

Go back year after year because you'll need at least 4 or 5 visits to see everything you want to see.

I love Boca Raton and the coast line down to Miami - That is beautiful there.
The Everglades are brilliant - but mozzies galore in the humidity - so pretty bad in the summer months.
I love the Keys and worth travelling around them if time allows
The Gulf Coast is lovely and perfect to while away the hours. Sunset in Clearwater a must.
If you can get up to Pensacola then do, brilliant beach resort up there.
Forget Daytona unless you really want motor racing.

I used to work for Virgin and have spent a lot of time out in the States, so can also recommend many places to eat and visit off the beaten track too.
If its Orlando and the parks you're visiting and you're going in peak summer time then buy the past passes as Earl has mentioned otherwise the queues for many rides will be roughly 2hrs plus and in the soaring heat its not nice.

Oh I forgot the most important tip.... don't under any circumstances think that doing the American experience should involve going to a baseball game... I almost died of boredom, in fact if it wasn't for the fear of actually getting hit by a baseball I would have slept through it :-)

Chaumsong, to that I would add the Kennedy Space Centre (although not everyone would agree), was a completely wasted day for me and I was soooooo bored.  Don't even get me started on the 'man on the moon' conspiracy!  :)

I hated it too, I just sat and snoozed under the shuttle but the people I went with loved it so it is obviously an acquired taste :-)

Never even bothered. While others went on that I spent the day at the beach - lovely it was there too, the pier and also the shops nearby, much better day. The others came back from the Space Centre wishing they'd spent the day with me too :-) Don't know anyone who's enjoyed themselves there.

I loved the space centre - must be the engineer in me :-) but don't do the long tour! I would second the air boat trip - fantastic fun! If you are on the gulf coast visit Sarasota - white sand that stays cool in even the hottest sun - just amazing. Have a shot on the Pirates Cove crazy golf in the evening - lots of bug spray first - very funny if your family are as nutty as mine. When going to WDW watch out for all the Mickey Mouse Ears - especially the pylons :-D There is a great antiques market in Mount Dora (renningers) if you are into antiques (my parents wanted to go but we had fun too). Not been for a while so don't know what the best parks are now but whichever ones you go to just suspend your disbelief and go with the flow :-) . If you are in the Magic Kingdom then stay for the late electric parade it used to be fabulous. Don't do a park every day or you will need another holiday when you get home. For some of the parks we went in the morning, went back to our villa at lunchtime and then went back in the afternoon when it was cooler and stayed really late - we went in July usually so everything was open til 11pm or later.

Have fun!

> in the Magic Kingdom then stay for the late electric parade

Oh yes, I can hear that weird music now just thinking about it, great fun! There was also a really good laser/light show and of course the fireworks.

Edited to say, I found it on youtube :-))

I dare you not to fall in love with Florida, you'll have a fab time, we've been 6 times and nowhere else seems to compare, so much to do, so much beautiful scenery,  Americans are sooooooooo.......... lovely and friendly. Don't forget to tip, tip, tip, always have tip money. As mentioned already if you are going in the summer, the heat will knock you for six, the minute you step outside it can be like being in a sauna, so the refill cups are a good idea if you are in the parks. It's also so much busier. We try to avoid the summer now due to this, it's plenty hot at other times of the year.

We also found Kennedy Space Centre - boring!

If you get the chance the evening meal shows are brilliant fun, away from the parks, we love Gator land too.

I always come home from Florida and other parts of America feeling fresh and happy, trouble is you get so used to people being nice and happy it really hits you when you come home and walk into a shop here. :-D

> trouble is you get so used to people being nice and happy it really hits you when you come home and walk into a shop here.

Too true... People think i'm insane when I talk about wanting to move out there, well Cali anyway.. Customer Service out there is brilliant and can't be faulted...

My hubby would move out there in a heart beat, he just wants to emigrate full stop. I keep us here with family and the boys with their friends and Uni etc, but who knows in the future, though I have a soft spot for Australia too. :-D

have to agree about the customer service - it hits you as soon as you land at the airport here and get a grumpy taxi/bus driver :-)

At the moment I can't find a legitimate way to move out there... I've been trying for a while and i'm in the lottery for a green card.
I'm not in the right job to transfer out there. I haven't found Mr Right - so marriage is not a current option(was proposed to, but after 5 mins this guy was annoying me, how could I live with him for 2yrs?) and I don't have millions stashed away either :-(
Canada maybe my next best option seeing as its so close.

Oohh my , I love the sunshine state ! have been several times,love it near Halloween ! have you got kids ? We always take a trip to Juniper springs and swim in the natural spring water,such a natural fun day!

When we were there in December 09 we bought a fortnight's unlimited pass to Disney which allowed us access to all parks.  Meant that we were able to go whenever we wanted, so we could go at night just to see the parade or fireworks if we wanted without having to spend the whole day there.  We also bought tickets for Seaworld, which gave us unlimited access to Seaworld and Aquatica.  When we weren't at a park or shopping, we'd use Aquatica like a beach (with the benefit of water flumes).  Our flight home was in the evening, so we spent the day in Aquatica and were able to shower and change for coming home.  Was also able to plug my hairdryer and straighteners in, so was a very happy bunny.  Oh you're making me want to do it all again.  :)

Interesting thread :) we are going to Florida in April...Space centre not my bag either, so will chill round the pool that day ;) can't wait.

It's a long time since we went as my kids were little and are now "responsible" adults :) so not sure if it's changed but I couldn't get over that you have to tip everyone!!! even in Dunkin doughnuts. We normally leave a tip for the maid at the end of the holiday and make sure they know this, as we didn't leave a tip in the hotel room the first day so they didn't make the beds!!

I do remember wonderful surf and turf at Wendys I believe, portion sizes are big!!!!!
Enjoy

We went last april and stayed in WDW ( and once your in Disney they dont let you leave ,lol their internet cafe had even blocked the city bus website ) So I can only advise on disney.
  The nightly fireworks at epcot are fantastic , I get a bit teary just thinking about them ,lol
The magic kingdom was always packed especially around the kiddie rides and worse on weekends.

Animal kingdom is nice but really only has about 4 rides with millions of shops in between so lots of walking.
The toy story ride in hollywood studio's always had a 10 hour wait even with fast pass and when I eventually got on it it was no different to the buzz lightyear ride in magic kingdom ( which has no queues)
Soarin in epcot was another that had a very long wait , its brilliant but not worth hanging around all day for.
Food in disney is very expensive ( though the french bakery in epcot was not too bad ) So maybe take something with you if you visit their parks

you can get a discount card from http://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/discounts-tickets/free-magicard-orlando-s-discount-card/

If you dont have a hire car the city buses are good , the drivers where all helpful and when we missed a bus the driver actually turned round and came back for us !!!

and disney now check all bags at the gates so dont take a backpack with lots of pockets and dont choose the shortest queue , choose the queue of people who have bags with less pockets ;)
Dont know about the othe parks but disney fingerprints everyone , so tickets are not transferable and must be used within a certain number of days of first use, so you cant keep them for later

and if anyone is staying in a disney hotel , Taxi's do NOT collect from their hotels (they drop off but do not collect) We where charged £15 per person for taxi transfers by travel city and when I arrived I was told that I would have to arrange myself for disney's magic express bus to pick us up. Luckily I knew this is a FREE service , made a fuss and got my money back eventually.
They tried to fob me off saying it was the same company and what did it matter as long as I got to the airport. But I paid for a taxi and was put on a bus already paid for by the hotel instead.

remember to tip the bus drivers,i know one who says the english are the stingiest,as they dont tip,it was explained to him that we are not stingy,its just that it wouldnt occur to us to tip,but apparently,they rely on tips as wages are low-who d have thought it!But he did say our children are lovely,and polite!