A Florida Christmas

The obvious -- Disney, of course. Golf, if you must. Gatorland was fascinating. Old Town was a riot!

Quick Tips:

Buy your attraction tickets online or at least make arrangements to buy them before you go. We saved on our Gatorland passes and had even bigger savings with our Disney and Universal Studios passes.

Best Way To Get Around:

We drove there and having a vehicle was a must in my opinion.

Best Things Nearby:
Old Town, golf courses, and Disney World, of course!

Best Things About the Resort:
As the old saying goes, "Location, location, location!"

Resort Experience:
Our one-bedroom unit was very spacious -- the bedroom was as big as the living room! The "partial kitchen" left a lot to be desired, and I didn't even cook a meal (oh well, I was on holiday!). While it looked bright and cheerful on the outside, the place has not been well-maintained and that led to some grief -- being locked out of our unit for four hours, doors falling off their tracks, and quite a few bugs, among other things.

But the location was fabulous, particularly for people like us, travelling with two teenaged boys. Old Town is right across the street and there was always a party going on there. If you enjoy wandering the street with a bottle of Stella in your hands, people-watching, then this is the place to be! I visited Disney World during the days while my husband and the boys golfed. The kids spent a day at Universal Studios and we also went to Gatorland for the second time in as many years.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Fair
• Unit Satisfaction: Poor
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Poor

We've travelled a lot and eaten pizza all over the globe (in Cyprus, the Pizza Hut has bottles of ketchup on the tables -- things that make you go hmmm), and this has to rank as one of the best pizzas ever! Go there!

We ate in the restaurant twice and once even ordered a second pizza to take back to the resort with us for a late night snack. We stuck with our favourite (pepperoni and mushrooms), but I think it was the thin crust and tangy (but not overbearing) tomato sauce that made it so great.

The wait staff was friendly and didn't rush us either time, something that is very important to me. There were a lot of families there and many different languages being spoken by the customers, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. I would definitely go back and have recommended Flippers to friends heading to Orlando.

If I had to describe Gatorland in one word, I'd have to say something like, "amazing." Fortunately, I can have a few more words, so here goes!

From the time you walk through the gaping 'gator mouth at the entrance, until you leave the gift shop at the end of your visit, there's something to see. And honestly, I have no affiliation with the place! Alligator Island always makes me feel kind of squeamish, as I look at those huge creatures, many missing chunks of a leg or foot! In the breeding marsh, you can see the alligators in their nests, protecting their babies -- it's awe-inspiring. They have crocodiles there too, and flamingoes, and other animals, but it's the alligators that I found most interesting!

The Old Town rocks! That's what my kid would say anyway. It's not someplace I would take little kids, but for the two 16-year-old boys we had with us -- Old Town was very enjoyable for them. And my husband and I went there every night for a couple of beers and some people-watching.