Local Area

Central Florida is renowned for its entertainment with the world’s best theme parks, superb golf courses, tempting dining and of course..…sun! Here is a list which by no means is an attempt to sum up everything the area has to offer but will give you a flavor as to what to expect when you stay in the region.

If thrill-filled rides, parades and night-time spectaculars is what you are after there are many theme parks to choose from. Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld and Universal Resort are all no more than 25 minutes from the house.

When you need a breather from the parks, come back to our conveniently located villa during the heat of the day to cool off in the pool before returning for a full evening of entertainment. For water parks, you have the choice of Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World, Aquatica at Sea World and Wet n’ Wild (to close in December 2016). This will be replaced by Universal’s Volcano Bay in 2017. Just a little further afield Busch Gardens Adventure parks lies 1 hour to the west in Tampa, featuring a great theme park and Adventure Island next door, the water park.

Kennedy Space Centre can be reached within 45 minutes travelling east towards the coast. It has an excellent visitors attraction and whilst launches are more rare today, if you do happen to be at the house when there is one, do watch it from the back over the lake. A wonderful sight, especially at night! 

Orlando is a shoppers dream. From the boutiques of downtown Kissimmee to the designer bargains that can be found at the outlet stores and malls there is something for everyone in the Greater Orlando area. If mall shopping is your preference, the Florida Mall, (40 minutes) the area's largest major shopping Centre, offers nearly two million square feet of shopping paradise. 

Nearby to the house is Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores (15 minutes) offers a wide range of bargains of designer brand names. Additionally, the Mall at Millennia (past Universal Resort on I4 – 45 minutes) is a wonderful place to deal with retail therapy.

Disney's Downtown offers an exciting mix of shopping to enjoy at any time of day and night along with Universal's City Walk where shops and restaurants await you in abundance. Dining choices are unlimited. You can select a 5-star international restaurant or choose a fabulous dinner show.

If you are in the mood for something more relaxing and casual there are hundreds of possibilities all serving good food with great service and at great value. The 192 (just a minute from the house) features all the big names you can imagine from fast food to the best steakhouse chains in the USA. Too many to try for one vacation! 

If golf is your game... welcome to a golfers paradise. Within 50 miles there are countless golf courses for each day of your visit. Enjoy the luxury of those on Disney property and the abundance in the Central Florida area. Come back to the villa and enjoy a drink to wind down afterwards. Just perfect! For those who’d like to spend a little time at the beach, the more active waters of the Atlantic await you around 45 minutes to the East with Daytona being a popular hand out spot.

To the west lie St Petersburg and Clearwater (1 hour 15mins) offering idyllic spots to explore enjoy the sun and sand). Off the beaten track, swamp boat tours, gator farms and Florida Spring parks can be explored. Maybe think about, seeing the Manatees at Homosassa Springs Park (2 hours), it’s well worth the journey. Or for other theme parks/wildlife parks, Silver Springs (2 hours) is a great (full) day out with the family to see something of the ‘real’ Florida wildlife. Do enjoy your visit!