Family Guide Florida

Family Guide Florida – Where to play, what to see, where to stay
Eyewitness Travel
From DK Canada

About the book

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Florida will lead you straight to the best attractions the Sunshine State has to offer.

Explore the state's history, architecture, wildlife, beaches, and scenic walks. This in-depth guidebook covers all the major cities and sights, from Miami Beach and the Florida Keys to the Everglades, the Gulf Coast, and more. It provides the insider travel tips you need, whether you are making the most of the nightlife or discovering historic towns.

Discover DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Florida.

+ Detailed itineraries and "don't-miss" destination highlights at a glance.
+ Illustrated cutaway 3-D drawings of important sights.
+ Floor plans and guided visitor information for major museums.
+ Guided walking tours, local drink and dining specialties to try, things to do, and places to eat, drink, and shop by area.
+ Area maps marked with sights and restaurants.
+ Insights into history and culture to help you understand the stories behind the sights.
+ Suggested day trips and itineraries to explore beyond the cities and towns.
+ Hotel and restaurant listings highlight DK Choice special recommendations.

With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Florida truly shows you this state as no one else can.

My Thoughts

This year we have decided to bring our four kids to Florida.  It might be the last “official” family trip we are making – the kids are growing and one is finishing high school next year – and we have decided to bring the kids there for an extended period of time.  My husband and I will also be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary this coming June and for us it will be a trip to go back where we had our honeymoon.  Needless to say we are excited about the trip and look forward for our kids to discover Florida and Walt Disney World.

Planning is also a big part of my gifs and for a good plan you need good books.  That’s why I was very interested in reviewing the Family Guide Florida, a book in the Eyewitness Travel series from DK.   This guide will help me to plan a stress-free vacation so I can enjoy the time with my family when we are there.  Oh in case you are wondering we will be driving with our RV in order to save money on the stay portion of the trip.   We have decided to stay at some state parks which are very reasonable price wise even though they are not close to WDW. 

The inside of the book has a map of Florida with color coded sections on it.   Each color correspond to a section of Florida which can be quickly found in the book.  For example, Orlando and the Park is in light orange color while Miami area is in pink.   When you look at the side of the book, you can easily find the Orlando and the Parks section by the color light orange. 

As I mentioned above the book is divided into sections – Miami, The Gold and Treasure Coasts, Orlando and the Parks, The Space Coast, The Northeast, The Panhandle, The Gulf Coast, The Lowed Gulf Coast/Everglades/Keys.  Each section will have an introduction as well as the best things for families to see and do.   A regional map will also indicate where the cities are located.  Each section features a number of destination that will be fun to do with the family.  Each sightseeing page also possess a Kid’s Corner section which highlight special information for them.  The Kid’s Corner sections have been designed to involve children with games, cartoons and fun facts.  You can also find places to stay at the end of each section of the book.   However, I would have very liked to see some campsites that are reasonable in prices as well as maybe highlighting the state parks option.   Finally at the end of the book a whole section can be found with maps from all the areas of Florida.

This book will definitively found it’s place in our luggage when we pack our RV.   I am not leaving our home without it.   It contains a ton of information about the places we are planning to visit – whether beaches or parks. 

Family Guide Florida is available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote these books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Walt Disney World

Complete Idiot’s Guide to Walt Disney World – 2013 edition
By Doug Ingersoll
Published at DK Canada

I will admit that I have never went to Walt Disney World with kids.   I went as a kid when I was 8 or 9 years old and I went during our honeymoon but so far we have not brought our kids to WDW.   Part of me is looking forward to it while part of me is a little bit anxious about what to expect.  Don’t take me wrong, we have brought the kids to places like the zoo and museums but haven’t explore the theme parks option yet.    And knowing that WDW has changed quite a bit since our last trip there in 1998 – well I know that not only my own kids will be in awe with the magic we will find there.

So as I dream and slowly consider this a possibility for 2014, my husband thought it would be a great idea to plan in advance.  We know what we want to see and where we would stay.   But having books and such helps us to determine what options we could incorporate in our trip.   Today I would like to present you a book written by a lifelong Disney fan who has visited the WDW over 100 times during the last 40 years.   You could say that he is somewhat of an expert on the subject don’t you think?

As soon as you open the book, you are introduced to the symbols found throughout it as you explore the various options of your trip at WDW.   From the pages of this book you can discover the most magical place on earth if you have never been there or simply plan your family trip when it’s the first time you bring the kids.   From what I have gleaned so far I find that the book is very useful in guiding you to be wise in the expenses linked to such a trip.  It provides expert advice and information for people of all ages, gives you tools to plan your trip, provides amazing tips on getting the most of your experience at WDW and  even includes updates on the Magic Kingdom Fantasyland expansion.

Let’s take a sneak peak at the table of contents of the book.

Plan Your Walt Disney World Trip.

1) How to Plan Your Trip: When you should go, making big decision (reservations), daily planning
2) Establishing Your Budget: transportation, accommodations, tickets, dining, incidentals, cost-saving strategies
3) Getting there: Getting to Orlando, getting from the airport to WDW, rental cars,getting around WDW
4) Buying tickets: Magic Your Way Tickets and add-ons, other attraction tickets, special ticket packages
5) Vacation strategies: general trip-planning strategies, strategies for families, vacation strategies for adults

Choose Your Castle: Picking Your Resort Hotel.

6) Walt Disney Resorts: Introduction to Disney Hotels, Benefits of staying on property, understanding Disney Resorts, hotel comparison, other accommodations options in Orlando, The Disney Vacation Club
7) Deluxe Resorts:  What is a Deluxe Resorts, The Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts
8) Moderate Resorts: What is a Moderate Resorts, The Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts
9) Value Resorts: What is a Value Resort, The Walt Disney World Value Resorts
10) Deluxe Villa Resorts and The Disney Vacation Club: What is a Deluxe Villa Resort?, What is the Disney Vacation Club?, Deluxe Villa Resorts
11) Hotel Plaza Boulevard and Orlando Resorts: Hotel Plaza Boulevard, Other resorts on and near WDW property, Shades of Greeen

Feast Like Royalty: Dining at WDW

12) Dining at WDW: Making advance reservations, Disney Dining Plan, Comparing character meals, Kids and healthful dining, comparing dinner meals, author’s favorite
13) Dining in the Resorts: dining at Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Villas Resorts, Dining at Moderate Resorts, Dining at Value Resorts
14) Dining in the Parks: table-service dining in the Magic Kingdom, counter-service dining and snacks at the Magic Kingdom, table-service dining in Epcot, counter-service dining and snacks  in Epcot, table-service dining in Hollywood Studios, counter-service dining and snacks  in Hollywood Studios, table-service dining in Animal Kingdom, counter-service dining and snacks  in Animal Kingdom, dining at the water parks.
15) Other Dining Options at WDW: dining at Downtown Disney, dining at the BoardWalk

Bring on the Entertainment: The Theme Parks

16) The Disney Theme Park Primer: general park information, general park services, park tours
17) The Magic Kingdom: general park information, Main Street, USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasy Land, Tomorrowland
18) Epcot: park introduction, Future World Pavilions and attractions, World Showcase Pavilions
19) Hollywood Studios: park introduction, Hollywood Boulevard, Echo Lake, Streets of America, Pixar Place, Animation Courtyard, Sunset Boulevard
20) Animal Kingdom: park introduction, The Oasis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia, Dinoland, U.S.A.

The Rest of the Kingdom and Beyond

21) Disney Water Parks: general park information, Typhoon Lagoon Attractions, Blizzard Beach Attractions,  Kids Areas
22) Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk: General Downtown Disney Information,  Dining at Downtown Disney, Entertainment at Downtown Disney, Shopping at Downtown Disney
23) Other Activities at WDW: Sporting Activities, Outdoor Activities at WDW, Special Events and Adult Fun at WDW, Disney Cruise Line,
24) Other Orlando-Area Attractions: Theme Parks, International Drive

Appendixes: Itineraries, cards, WDW resort accommodations

The book contains numerous tidbits of information that is simply precious for a planner like me.  I can get a quick glance at the prices expected at a restaurant, I can plan our visit at the parks with the attractions we could do as a family and I can explore in advance what we will see and do.    The book doesn’t contain much photos or images.  You will see the park maps as well as some black and white photos from the some of the places you will visit.  However, don’t expect to see colorful images in this book.  After all it is a planning guide more than anything else.

One table that I appreciate having is the character meals and dinner shows that are open to the public.    I would love to bring my little girl to a Disney Princesses at the CInderella’s Royal Table or the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.   It would be a blast to see her reaction.   I haven’t realized that it was two of the most expensive one.   Okay… there are some that are more pricey like the Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, the Spirit of Aloha Show or the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review.   But my Jasmine simply loves princesses and would love to meet them.   I wonder how her brothers would react to one of these two character meals…  *grin*

I will admit that for our family trip we won’t even consider the Resort hotels and dining as we want to keep our cost as low as possible.  We do have a budget and have been saving for quite some time already.  We have found a RV Park which charges only 500$ per month and are planning to go down with our RV.   Having our RV will allow us to plan meals and come to rest.   Part of me would love to stay on site at the Disney campground but honestly the price is simply out of our budget.  Considering that we can booked a campground for a month, we plan to explore more than just WDW.  

If you had to get a planning guide for your upcoming trip to WDW, I would strongly suggest that you check out the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Walt Disney World – 2013 Edition as it contains numerous tips and tricks as well as wise budgeting ideas.  

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Walt Disney World 2013 edition is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Kindle

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Florida

Florida – a destination for numerous snow birds (i.e. Canadians) during the winter time. For us the name represent a dream – bringing our kids for an extended field trip experience in Orlando. But Florida is much more than just Orlando and Theme Parks. It’s a state to discover and to experience. I wish we could stay for six months when we are there because there is so much I would like to do. But we have to be realistic and one month is more in our budget.

But what can you visit while in Florida. Well to get a better idea of the things to do, the places to stay, and the restaurants to visit, I decided to check out the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Florida. This book will highlight all the fun places to visit and much more. The book is divided in four sections – each of them dedicated to a specific aspect of Florida.

• Introducing Florida: Discovering Florida, Putting Florida on the Map, A Portrait of Florida, Florida through the year, The History of Florida.
• Miami Area by Area: Downtown and Little Havana, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, Farther Afield, Shopping in Miami, Miami Street Finder.
• Florida Area by Area: Florida at a Glance, The Gold and Treasure Coasts, Orlando and the Space Coast, The Northeast, The Panhandle, The Gulf Coast, The Everglades and the Keys.
• Travelers’ Needs: Where to stay, Where to eat, Shopping in Florida, Entertainment in Florida, Sports and Outdoor Activities, Weddings in Florida.
• Survival Guide: Practical information and Travel Information.

I particularly like the fact that there is a section about the history of the state. This will be interesting to read to my family while we are driving to our destination when we go there. It would be a perfect opportunity to grasp the history of the state where we will be for an extended period of time. The history is packed with interesting information from the discovery of Florida to the more recent years.

Miami being a popular destination for snow birds, you will find a whole section about this region. Then you can explore the other regions depending on where you want to go. Each section of the book which is dedicated to a specific region is packed with information and stunning colored photos. One area I would love to go visit would be The Everglades so that we can observe the nature in a natural habitat. In this book, I also discovered the Florida’s Coral Reef and saw amazing pictures from the animals living in the sea.

This book is a great planning book to have if you are scheduling a trip to Florida for your family. It contains plenty of information on the different regions of Florida and would be a great tool to bring if you plan to move from one area to another as you explore this popular state.

There is so much to do and see in Florida that I think this book would be perfect for new visitors as well as experienced visitors. The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Florida is a great investment to explore the places you would like to go before actually being there. As a planner, I like to have a book like this before going on a trip. This book is definitively a gem to have as reference before and during a trip in Florida - wherever you are going within the state.

The DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Florida is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

DK Eyewitness Travel Walt Disney World Resort and Orlando

I love books and I love planning. So it’s no wonder that I am preparing myself in advance for a trip to Florida with our family. Having a great relationship with some publishers, I have approached one of them to see if I could review some titles related to Florida and Walt Disney World.

So the first title that I would present you is the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Walt Disney World and Orlando. This book is thin in size and could easily be carried wherever you go while visit the area or the theme parks around Orlando.

In the first section of the book, you will be introduced to Walt Disney World and Orlando as a whole. Specific days are pre-planned for you in order to enjoy some of the must-see attractions in the area. It will also present you the geographical aspect Florida, give you a small history of the state and how to enjoy Central Florida through the year.

The next section is the one that highly interest me when planning comes. In this section, I can go through Walt Disney World and identify which attractions we would like to do as a family. I can also discover more information about other theme parks (Sea World, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, Universal Orlando, Wet ‘n Wild, and more) that can be found in Orlando as well as other activities to do in Orlando or Central Florida. As I flipped through the pages to discover other fun places to visit, I stumbled on one called WonderWorks which design is unique – an upside down façade. Just this picture itself has picked my curiosity to the point that I would like to go check it out. But reading the description of the place I think it will be a wonderful place to visit as well especially when you can experience hurricane-force winds, an earthquake and have the opportunity to land a space shuttle. Talk about learning on the road…

The following two sections will present all the information a traveler need to know when it comes to stay, food, shopping, entertainment, weddings, sports as well as where to find travel information as well as practical information for your trip.

The book is visually appealing with numerous photographs, maps, and illustrations that will bring make the place even more real for your eyes. I love seeing tables like the Rides & Shows checklist where I can easily determine which rides would be okay for my kids and so on. The information contained in this book will help you to make wise decisions when it comes to which section of a park to visit with kids and which ones are better for couples. Also, having a list of popular restaurants and shopping suggestions is always nice when you want to have fun with your family eating out (yes even RVers will choose to eat out every once in a while) and bring some souvenirs home.

If you are planning to trip in the Orlando area, this book is definitively one that would be interesting to have because it will inform you on everything that can be seen, eaten or bought in that city.

The book is available at your favourite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.