Hollywood Studios is one of my favourite Disney parks, not least because it has the wonderful 'Fantasmic' laser and lights show. But it wasn't always called Hollywood Studios. It opened with the name 'Disney-MGM-Studios' in 1989, the third of the Disney parks to debut in Orlando. Here are some of the interesting facts which I have discovered over the years.

Hollywood Studios covers around 135 acres, and its theming was based on the golden age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 40s, and of course the movie industry. It is amazingly popular and is the seventh most visited theme park in the world, and the third most visited in the USA. In 2009 it welcomed 9.7 million people through its doors.

Michael Eisner's dedication of 1989 really sums up what Hollywood Studios stands for, and what Disney had in mind when it opened:

'The world you have entered was created by The Walt Disney Company, and is dedicated to Hollywood - not a place on a map, but a state of mind that exists whenever people dream and wonder and imagine, a place where illusion and reality are fused by technological magic. We welcome you to a Hollywood that never was - and always will be.'

Each of the Disney parks has its own icon. At Epcot it is the huge Spaceship Earth at the entrance, at Magic Kingdom it is Cinderella's Castle, and for Animal Kingdom it is the wonderful Tree of Life. - for MGM Studios it was the Earful Tower, a copy of the water towers found in Hollywood studio backlots in the early 1900s. These water towers served an important purpose - that of safety, as should a fire have happened on set, the water from these towers would have been used to douse the flames. Mickey's ears could be found atop the Earful Tower, and these were lit by special lighting which outlined them at night. The Earful Tower was built by Caldwell Tanks of Louisville, Kentucky in 1988, and during the Christmas season a huge Father Christmas hat was placed over it. Indeed, during the Fourth of July festivities in 2001 Mickey's ears were decorated with the American flag. Of course, the name, Earful Tower is a pun on Eiffel Tower.

However, in 2001, as part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration, a new icon was unveiled - the huge Sorcerer's Hat which stands in front of the Great Movie Ride, and which originated in that much loved classic Disney animated film, Fantasia. It stands 122 ft high, and underneath the hat you can see Mickey Mouse's ears and hand emerging from the ground. In fact this huge fibreglass hat is completely empty as nothing has been built within its 60,000 ft of interior space.

After a rather rocky relationship with MGM it was eventually decided that they should go their separate ways, and this gave Disney the opportunity to re-invent this wonderful theme park as Disney felt that it should have a more modern image. In the words of Meg Crofton, the Walt Disney World President, the theme park would become Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the name would reflect how the park had grown 'from representing the golden age of movies, to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer - in music, television, movies and theatre.' Thus is was that the MGM name finally disappeared on January 7th, 2008, although it took several more months before they were able to complete all the changes to the signage that was necessary.

This name change actually resulted in a huge operation, as every single sign had to either be removed and replaced with a new sign, or it had to be painted over. The original logo of MGM Studios featured the iconic MGM lion roaring, with Mickey below it holding a clapboard. Every trace of the old logo had to be obliterated, and that included merchandise in the shops, on maps, and on such things as bus stops. It was a mammoth task, and one which took a huge amount of money to complete. The new Hollywood Studios logo shows the torso, arms and head of Mickey Mouse, holding a film-maker's clapboard, and it has a retro feel about it.

For more interesting facts about Hollywood Studios, read Part 2.

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

If you are travelling to the USA by air then you will only have a luggage allowance of one suitcase weighing  23 kg, in Economy, plus hand luggage (or 'carry on as the Americans call it), and nowadays they are very much more strict than they used to be about overweight luggage. If your suitcase weighs more than 23 kg then you will have to pay a considerable amount in excess baggage charges.

 
If you are like me, then you always pack too much when you go on holiday, but if you are going to a villa then there here are some tips to help you ensure that your suitcase is not bulging at the seams and overweight when you get to the check-in desk.

The one thing that you need to remember about holidaying in Florida is that it is very 'laid back.' You truly won't need a tie, or to dress for dinner - unless you are planning a special occasion meal at one of the top restaurants. Everyone dresses casually, and that means shorts and t-shirts for much of the time.  Of course jeans are fine - though you may find them too hot in the summer - so cut offs will probably be more appropriate.  In the winter, late autumn and early spring you may need a sweater or two, particularly for the evenings. Whilst you may well be revelling in temperatures in the   80s in December, it can also get quite chilly from time to time, so pack something warm so that if you stay for the amazing firework and laser shows at Disney you will have something to keep out the chill. Trousers of course are ideal for the cooler evenings, and a fleece is ideal.

One of the joys of staying in a villa is that you don't need to pack so much, as your home will undoubtedly have a washing machine and tumble drier (though everything dries very rapidly if you hang it up in the garage) for your use. These are generally much larger than the ones we are used to in the UK, and in my experience they are very quick - they don't tend to have heaters in them, taking in hot water directly from the hot tank, so that makes the cycles shorter. It makes it very easy to wash out anything you desperately want to wear again - although of course, I don't recommend anyone spends too much time doing the washing - it's your holiday, after all!

Now as any woman will know, shoes are a very important part of a ladies wardrobe. However, if you are going to visit lots of the parks then you really do need to pack at least one comfortable pair of shoes as there is a lot of walking and there is nothing worse than limping around with blisters. Some ladies prefer flip flops - but make sure they really are comfy. Sandals are great as they will keep your feet cool, but trainers can be very comfortable too. You certainly won't needs lots of different pairs of shoes, so don't waste valuable space in your suitcase as you will, no doubt, want to buy some things to bring home - and shoes and clothes can be much cheaper than in the UK.  Jeans and trainers in particular, are often considerably cheaper than at home.

So what about toiletries etc? Well, believe it or not, they DO sell shampoo and deodorant in the USA, and you will recognise many brands from home. But if you are very sensitive then do bring some with you - there is nothing worse than finding your skin is irritated and uncomfortable due to a new and previously untried product. But if you run out then you will definitely be able to find something to suit, either at Wal-Mart or Target. We have also found that sun tan lotion is much cheaper in Florida - and shops like Target do their own generic ones, which are identical to named products but considerably less expensive.

We are often asked if guests need to bring towels. Well, no, there will be towels for you to use in the bathroom, but it is always sensible to ask your own villa owner if they supply pool towels. We certainly do, and we are happy for guests to use these round the pool. You can hire towels at the water parks, but some people like to bring a couple of towels for this. However, towels are very cheap in Florida, and if you don't want to pack any then just buy a couple from Wal-Mart or Target and then leave them behind if you don't have room for them - it will certainly be cheaper to do this than to hire them.

Most villas will supply hair dryers, and in any case, UK ones will not work well, even with an adaptor plug, as the voltage is quite different, so don't bother to pack one to take to Orlando. However, my daughter, who uses ceramic hair straighteners, will not travel anywhere without them as she has difficult hair to tame, so if yours are multi-voltage then this might be one item you should make sure you pack - and she will only carry them in her hand luggage in case they go astray, as they are very expensive.

It us usual for there to be some toilet paper, a couple of dishwasher tablets,  and some kitchen roll in the kitchen, and soap in the bathrooms ready for your arrival. We also like to make sure there are basics such as cling film, foil, washing up liquid etc ready for our guests, and we also provide cotton wool balls, 'q' tips and small toiletries, but each villa differs, so do ask what your villa owner provides. Please don't bring toilet paper from home as it is too thick for the plumbing in the USA  to cope with due to its very small pipes, and it will block the toilet very easily and cause it to overflow, so don't waste luggage space on it as it is easy to obtain in the shops. However, one handy thing to pack is some tea bags for you to use on arrival (you will need to pick up some milk on the way, of course) if you have a favourite brand, as not many recognisable brands of tea bags are available in Orlando. However, you can buy Liptons, which is similar to our tea, or Orange Pekoe. We always make sure there is tea and coffee for our guests' arrival as there is nothing like a cup of tea after a long flight.

Don't forget that your villa owner will be pleased to give you any help and advice you need.
Now all you have to do is enjoy a wonderful vacation in Orlando, the theme park capital of the world!

For hints on hand luggage see Part 2

written by “ellie” an Orlando villa owner. You can see her property  here http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

Here is an article from one of our owners about Logan’s Roadhouse

We actually stumbled across Logan's Roadhouse the last time we were visiting our villa in Orlando.  I was over with my children and we wanted to find somewhere to eat lunch, before going shopping. We drove to one of our favourite restaurants, Bennigans, on the 192 near to marker 8, but unfortunately it looked very run down, as it had only recently re-opened after financial difficulties.  So we looked around and there, just a few yards down the road was Logan's Roadhouse. Being pretty ravenous by that time we decided to give it a try.

There was a sign outside offering two entrees for $13.99, which seemed an amazing offer - but we thought we had better look inside before making a decision to stay, as it seemed too good to be true. So I parked the car and made our way inside.
Well, what a shock we got! It was nothing like we expected. We walked inside and it was quite dark, and a bit like a barn - and there, in front of us, was a huge barrel of guess what - PEANUTS! We were approached by a very pleasant server who escorted us to a table round the corner, but we had to crunch our way over empty peanut shells which littered the floor. We couldn't believe it!

Anyway, we sat down and noticed a large silver bucket of peanuts on the table - what we used to call 'monkey nuts' - in their shells. Of course we couldn't resist. We were a bit circumspect at first, politely taking a peanut shell and delicately cracking it open before eating the contents. Then, of course, we courteously put the shells on our napkins. But it didn't last long. Looking around we could see that that was NOT the way to behave. Our neighbours were happily shelling nuts and hurling them onto the floor and no-one was batting an eyelid. So, feeling a little like a naughty child I cracked open my next monkey nut and threw it onto the floor. Well, did I get a ticking off from my children! But undeterred I got into my stride and soon I was cracking, hurling and eating peanuts with the best of them. Well, you have to join in don't you?  Isn't it funny that, as you get older, your children start treating YOU as a child.

Anyway, our server came to take our order and there was plenty to choose from. We couldn't believe that it could be so reasonable - we thought there must be a catch in it. On the special menu they were offering a wide range of dishes, including chicken, pork, meatloaf, 6 oz sirloin, tilapia and mesquite grilled salmon, which my daughter ordered. I decided to order the chicken as did my son, and while we were waiting we were brought a large basket of piping hot rolls, coated with a sort of sweet shiny syrup. Absolutely delicious with a nice big blob of butter on them. Well, its no use worrying about the diet when you are on holiday, is it?

The food came quite quickly and we were amazed at how good it was. It was very hot, freshly cooked and quite delicious. My daughter's salmon was particularly good, and a huge portion. We were given a refill of the rolls and our server was most attentive.
Sadly, we didn't have enough room left to try the lovely little desserts that were also on the menu. They actually do three mini desserts for just $5 and they come in a dinky little metal peanut bucket which you can take home. You can choose from Strawberry Cheesecake, Nutter Butter Fudgeslide or Chocolate Brownie. Yummy!

We can certainly recommend Logans Roadhouse. The service was excellent, the food well cooked and piping hot, and the peanuts - well, they are a most unusual addition. Only problem we found is that you get so engrossed in shelling, tossing and eating peanuts that you may well fill yourself up before your meal comes - its just so tempting and such fun, in a naughty kind of way! 

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:
 http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

Winter Park
Winter Park is a city of about 28,486 residents located just north of Orlando in Orange County, Florida. One of Florida's finest cities, it is famous for its stately trees, abundant parks, brick-lined streets, spectacular homes, museums, vibrant lakes and fine shops along Park Avenue.
Chartered in 1887, the city was originally developed as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners seeking refuge from the harsh winters and a tranquil place to rest and relax. Fortunately, the city has maintained its natural beauty throughout the years.
The city was originally named Lakeview in 1858 and re-named Osceola in 1870. Eleven years later, the name Winter Park was chosen by its founders. Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman, who during an informal discussion, decided they wanted the name to be something about a park in winter - thus the name Winter Park
Tourists came to the city originally to enjoy Winter Park's beautiful lakes, warm temperatures and natural surroundings. Today they can enjoy these same amenities in addition to great restaurants, museums, entertainment, theater, outdoor activities, festivals and much more.

Farmers Market
The Winter Park Farmers’ Market is held at the old train depot, located at 200 West New England Avenue that has been restored into an historical landmark that hosts this NUMBER ONE produce and plant market in Central Florida. The market takes place every Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is a popular community gathering place that provides fine produce, plants, baked goods and so much more.

Note: The Winter Park Farmers’ Market is closed each year on the third Saturday in March due to the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
We go every year on the first Saturday after we arrive in Florida, it’s such a lovely morning out. They sell freshly baked goods, lots of fruit and veg and unique stalls with quirky bits & pieces. Also there are lots of stalls selling plants, we purchased some for the pool deck and they are a bargain compared to the big stores. There’s an outside area where you can sit with a coffee and piece of cake and enjoy the ambience.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Adventuresome for the first time visitors seeking flora and fauna or savvy Orlando travellers
seeking an off-the-beaten-path vacation experience  won´t be disappointed when they discover the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour.
Located on Lake Osceola in the quiet suburb less than 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, the boat tour offers hour-long, guided cruises through three of the seven lakes and two, narrow manmade canals on the tranquil Winter Park chain.
On any given tour, participants may observe large cranes swooping waterside to snag a large fish or a lazy alligator languishing on a nearby bank. An occasional water skier or racing shell full of crew members from the areas private liberal arts college, Rollins, are also enjoyable sideshows for tour goers
For over 50 years, Winter Park´s world famous Scenic Boat Tour has given enjoyment to thousands. The relaxing, narrated, one hour cruise through the beautiful lakes and canals of historic Winter Park makes it a must on every person´s list. It´s really the only way to see the true beauty of Winter Park which includes Rollins College, Kraft Azalea Gardens, Isle of Sicily, tropical birds, plants, flowers and magnificent mansions.
Climb aboard an excursion boat and let your "Skipper" fascinate you for one hour as you cruise through beautiful lakes and canals for 12 miles. Scenic Boat Tour is not to be missed!.
Every tour, however, guarantees plenty of swaying palms, towering cypress trees, lush ferns and a variety of flourishing sub-tropical flowers. Breathtaking views of opulent private homes and exquisite estates sprawling along the shores are also a key feature of the scenic cruise.
The dock, less than 5 minutes from Park Avenue, Central Florida´s popular, upscale shopping district, is conveniently located on the East end of Morse Boulevard on Lake Osceola
The Scenic Boat Tour offers a fleet of six 18 passenger pontoon boats. Admission is $12.00 for adults and $6.00 for children (ages 2 through 11) under 2 are free. Operating hours are 10am to 4pm daily except Christmas.
In the height of summer it gets very hot on the boats and there is no shade at all, this is because during the tour you are taken under a very low bridge – so low in fact that everyone has to duck their heads!!
The guide tells you all about the history of Rollins College and the benefactors who made it what it is today. I believe, from memory, it’s $58,000 a year to be a student at the college although they do offer scholarships ….
The houses that back onto the lake are superb - one of them was built by the family who own Walgreens and as the name suggests they wintered in the warm climates to escape the harsh weather.

Submitted by Sandra, you can view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=349

Mrs McCullum and her husband, Ian from Edinburgh, Scotland had long dreamed of taking their family to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. She states that “Having 3 children, I had always thought that it would be too expensive” Then she started looking into doing the trip in an independent way instead of using a package holiday. “ I started searching for flights and found that they were much more expensive during the kids school holidays, so we managed to work it so that they would only miss one week of school, the prices were much better" By this time Ian’s Mother and Father had also indicated that they would love to go along too.

So the next step was to find somewhere to stay when she was getting prices for hotel rooms the cost started to get quite high. To be comfortable she didn’t want to cram her and her husband and 3 kids into a hotel room. “The youngest Chloe was 5, Joe was 12 and Janine was 14, so it would have been a bit cramped. This meant looking at 2 rooms for us and one for my in-laws. It was then that my mother-in-law suggested that we rent a villa. I did a search on Google and found Orlando Villas from Perfect Florida Villas. I am so glad that I did, I was able to browse through the large selection homes on offer, able to choose the location and amenities etc. We narrowed it down to a short list and ended up choosing a gorgeous villa on Calabay Parc. We had some great chats with the owner and she gave us tons of advice that proved very useful. It had a games room, PC and free international phone calls. The pool was marvellous and we had the sun most of the day. The kids loved it. The cost of the villa for the 2 weeks was much less than the hotels we were looking at working out to £900 for all 7 of us and we loved the comfort and freedom.

It was a great holiday and we hope to repeat it again next year and would not consider staying in a hotel room. Thank you Perfect Florida Villas!”

It’s been a very cold winter in Florida this year with some quite frosty mornings. They haven’t had one as cold as this for many years. The result is many dead or dying plants and lawns, however some new shoots are starting to show through now.

If it is your Birthday when you visit Walt Disney World in Florida next Year, you will get to celebrate your big day for free, yes, that's right you will be given free entry to the park. According to Fox news as long as you show a valid form of id there will be no charge for you.

 Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said that he hoped visitors would make the most of the opportunity. "Our goal is to mark the special moments in your life in a way that your family will remember forever," he added.

If you have already bought your ticket, you can either get a ticket for next year, get a fast pass for up to 6 people or spend the ticket equivalent on merchandise. So it seems worthwhile letting them know if you are visiting on your birthday

So the time is finally just about here when we set off for our next visit to Orlando Florida. I know most UK visitors go for 2 weeks and many US visitors for less but this is our first time for so short a visit. Well 15 days to be precise. It is niggling away at me that the time will just fly by. Circumstances are such that it is only possible to visit for this amount of time so we will have to make the most of it and cram everything in.

 We didn't visit last year instead we went to Jamaica which was a nice change but I must confess to missing my "Florida Fix". If we had been going for more time we probably would have gone to our favourite haunt of Ft Myers for some chill out time. Maybe next time. 

As it has been two years since visiting Orlando I expect to see quite a lot of changes as things move so fast there. We fly out on Tuesday with Virgin Atlantic. I am pleased we always fly Virgin and that they are one of the more stable airlines with a lot of cash behind them. I feel so sorry for those that have recently suffered losses through the collapse of the XL group.

Anyway when we get back I will write a trip report.