As mentioned, there are SEVEN main theme parks around which you need to build your battle-plan, EIGHT if go as far afield as Tampa. Even given two weeks, it’s tough to fit everything in – unless you want to come home in need of another holiday! So, work out your priorities in advance; rather than trying to ‘Do it all’ (simply not possible in Central Florida) it is far better to enjoy what you do thoroughly.

In summer months, the heat (above 35ºC at times), high humidity (approaching 100%) and crowds (with queue times topping an hour for many of the main attractions) make it doubly difficult to negotiate the parks; restaurants often need to be booked in advance at main meal-times; and some of the roads can get horribly congested. Patience, plenty of water and lots of sun-block are your best defences here (as well as a good Plan!).

In addition to summer (from late June to mid-August), the other busiest times of the year are Easter, Thanksgiving (the big American holiday at the end of November) and Christmas/New Year. In fact, the festive period is easily THE most hectic and congested time of the year. It is great fun but be prepared for crowds EVERYWHERE! For the dates of all America’s public holidays and important dates in 2006, click HERE!

The other key to a memorable holiday is your ticket choice. With so many parks, there are just as many types of individual and multi-day ticket, so, again, you need to do your planning BEFORE you shell out. The most popular tickets are Disney's 5 and 7-Day Premium Tickets (which provide either 5 or 7 days’ unlimited entry to all the four main Disney parks, plus 4 or 6 extra visits to the two water parks, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest and Disney's Wide World of Sports) and the 14 and 21-Day Ultimate Tickets (which provide either two or three weeks' access to ALL the Disney fun), plus the Orlando FlexTicket (in two varieties), which covers Universal’s parks, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and the Wet ‘n Wild water park. However, the parks do change things from time to time, so be sure to check our essential up-dates pages regularly for the latest news.

Finally, WHERE you decide to stay is also essential to your Plan. If you stay in a Disney hotel, you benefit from their Extra Magic Hour programme, which allows their resort guests into one park a day either an hour before official opening time or three hours after the regular closing time. There is also much greater convenience (and fun!) from being on-site with Mickey and Co. If you choose a Universal hotel, as well as easy access to their park, you also have the bonus of Universal Express – a front-of-the-line access to most of the main rides. However, if you choose to stay outside the main resorts – in places like International Drive, Highway 192 in Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista or in one of the many vacation home developments along Highway 27 to the west and south of Disney – then you will usually find things much cheaper.