Silver Lake Resort

Best Things Nearby:
You could see Animal Kingdom from our resort. The I-192 was within walking distance, yet we were off the beaten track. WDW was an easy drive.

Best Things About the Resort:
Our unit had been recently renovated with a new tile flooring. The resort seemed mostly populated with those over 60, so it was pretty quiet.

Resort Experience:
The kitchen was spacious and well equipped. The rooms were large. There was a little bar sink and mirror and cupboard in the living room -- we used this as our sunscreen station -- lathering it on each morning before leaving. It was great to have a washer and dryer in our unit. I also enjoyed our screened balcony -- it was totally quiet, facing onto empty field.

The activities did leave something to be desired. There was one welcome evening with bands playing and an Elvis impersonator, which was entertaining, however the munchies were definitely lacking in inspiration.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Very Good

We very much enjoyed our supper at the Rainforest Cafe. At the end of January, the crowds are minimal in Orlando and although we had made a reservation, there seemed to be plenty of free tables when we arrived. We did eat early as we were attending Cirque de Soleil afterwards.

Kids would get such a big kick out of the place, which is decorated to look exactly as the name suggests. There are a variety of jungle animals which move and make noise and every 20 minutes there is a thunderstorm with thunder, lightning, and rain. I imagine small children might get frightened as we did see a few of the little ones huddling on a parent's lap.

Being Canadian with the exchange rate at $1.60 at the time, we decided to order one main dish and one entree for the two of us. My quesadillas were filling enough and my husband claimed his Mojo bones were delicious. I ordered the plantation punch, which I felt was overpriced at $6.75. We skipped dessert and coffee.

We made reservations for lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby, but arriving at the appointed hour, found the place pretty empty. (It was the end of January. Not really being big lunch eaters, we ordered an appetizer and a salad, which we shared. Our waiter seemed disappointed that we did not order wine and more food. My entree, a portobello mushroom with ravioli and tomato fennel sauce was absolutely to die for. My husband had chicken Caesar salad and found it to be very good also. Rolls were served and we ate them all.

We made priority seating reservations for the California Grille so that we could watch the Fireworks at Magic Kingdom from the dining room. Service was excellent and during the fireworks, your meal is delayed until the show was over. Everyone was encouraged to abandon their table to move outside onto the viewing balconies and the restaurant's lights were dimmed so that those who chose to stay at their tables could watch the display.

Our food was excellent but very expensive. We started with some tasty bread with an herb flavoured oil. Since we're Canadian with the exchange of 1.6, we ordered an apaetizer and entree to share. Both were excellent. When the dessert and coffee menu came, we ordered a trio of cream brulees and asked to order regular tea because the specialty teas were $5. Well the regular teas were also $5, so we skipped that.

Wekiwa Springs is an 8000 acre reserve relatively close to Orlando. We drove the distance in about 45 minutes. Our information indicated we could rent bikes there and were looking forward to doing so, however when we got there, they were no longer renting bikes as too many of them were ending up in the water and it was too costly a proposition.

The air temperature was about 55 F, a little too cold for us too swim, but we saw a number of people in the water. The water was very clear. The people turned out to be park rangers who were catching South American catfish who had no business being in Wekiwa Springs and upsetting the delicate natural balance. We came upon a whole canoe load of these moaning, bleeding, slapping catfish--it was rather creepy. The apparent destination was in the far reaches of the park to be used as bear food.

We did not see any bears or much other wildlife and were pleased not to be attacked by hordes of insects. We wandered down a few of the marked trails and did run into a few other people doing the same. I believe it would be a very nice spot for campers.

La Nouba is a feast for the eyes. On every part of the stage, something different is happening. The performers are all very flexible and athletic. It is a totally unique type of performance