Have you ever dreamed of spending your vacation in a paradise where everything around is smothered in flowers and foliage, and there's no place for cloudy weather and bad thoughts? If you want your life to turn into a colorful fairy tale and an eternal holiday for some time, then welcome to Florida!
Florida is a gorgeous state located on the peninsula that bears the same name. This state has a lot to offer for all tastes, from vibrant nightlife to total relaxation on endless beaches. Whether you're traveling solo, with friends, or as a family, Florida is sure to please. The main thing here is to choose the right accommodation and create the program in such a way to suit your area of interest and comfortable rhythm of life.
Obviously, the ideal program for a group of friends and for a family of four will look different. In this article, we want to help you find out what places are must visits if you're going to Florida with children.
Walt Disney World Resort
Once a small provincial town, today's Orlando is known for being one of the most popular centers for family recreation and entertainment on the planet. What is its secret? It's not about the rich history or the monuments of antiquity, which are practically non-existent here. The secret, first of all, is in the huge recreation and entertainment complexes created on an American scale.
Walt Disney World Resort is one of them. This huge entertainment complex consists of 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 32 resorts and themed hotels, countless restaurants, shops, cafes, and golf courses. This is a place that not only children but also adults dream of. Multiple slides and carousels, pools, and fountains make you feel like you get into a fairy-tale world where everyone feels happy and carefree.
Address: 1375 E Buena Vista Dr Orlando FL 32830.
Working hours: check-in is available 24 hours a day. Magic Kingdom Park - from 8:00-9:00 AM to 6:00-10:00 PM, Epcot - from 9:00-11:00 AM to 9:00-10:00 PM, Disney's Hollywood Studios - from 9:00-10:00 AM to 8:00-10:00 PM, Disney's Animal Kingdom - from 8:00 AM to 6:00-9:00 PM.
Entrance fee: For 1 day - $109-159 (for an adult), $ 104-154 (for children between 3 and 9 years old). Children under 3 years old can enter it for free.
Where to Stay Nearby?
Although Walt Disney World Resort already includes 32 resorts and hotels, the accommodation cost there can be quite high. For example, one night in Disney's Polynesian Resort 4* will cost you nearly $585 for a family of four. As a reasonable alternative, you can consider staying in a hotel located in Kissimmee, which is about 25 minutes from Walt Disney World. Here are some accommodation options available there:
The Berkley, Orlando 4* (from $198 per night for a family of four)
TownePlace Suites Orlando at Flamingo Crossings 3* (from $119 per night for a family of four)
Magic Moment Resort and Kids Club 3* (from $39 per night for a family of four)
Jungle Island
Jungle Island is an island of adventure, entertainment, tropical plants, and amazing animals. Here you can swim in the ocean, sunbathe on the beach, enjoy the view of a lake with pink flamingos, and even hang with a sloth. More than 300 species of birds, as well as all kinds of reptiles, huge wild cats, and primates, live here.
Jungle Island has created gorgeous conditions for animals that are as close as possible to their natural habitat. Many inhabitants of the interactive park can be touched and fed by hand. Food is sold in special vending machines. A portion costs $0.25.
Address: 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, Florida
How to get there: by using bus number 119. You need to get to the Macarthur Cy & Watson Island bus stop.
Working hours: daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Entrance fee: for adults - $44.99, for children from 3 to 10 years old - $33.94.
Website
Where to Stay Nearby?
InterContinental Miami 5* (from $504 per night for a family of four)
EAST Miami 4* (from $649 per night for a family of four)
Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Wynwood Design District 3* (from $224 per night for a family of four)
Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Brickell 2* (from $130 per night for a family of four)
Universal Studios Florida Theme Park
The huge Universal Studio Park is one of the most interesting, bright, and colorful clusters of all kinds of attractions in the country. As you might guess, it bears such a name thanks to the famous American film studio Universal Pictures. This amazing park was opened back in 1990 and is entirely dedicated to the wonderful and enticing world of cinema. Visitors will be able to plunge into the magical and exciting atmosphere of their favorite films, watch the process of creating a movie, and someone may even be lucky enough to take part in extras when shooting a film.
You can also star in a movie yourself and get it as a keepsake on DVD. Also, Universal Studios Florida Park visitors will discover the secrets of mind-blowing stunts from popular action movies.
Address: 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
Working hours: daily from 9:00-10:00 AM to 6:00-8:00 PM, depending on the season. As a rule, the park always closes later on weekends.
How to get there: the easiest way to get there is by metro or bus (the nearest station is called Universal / Studio City Station, red metro line). You can use a free shuttle bus that awaits visitors 7 days a week opposite the bus stop and the subway exit. It delivers you to the main entrance to Universal Park and to the beginning of the Citywalk (departures every 10-15 minutes). Parking costs $23 per day. Privileged parking costs $30 per day.
Entrance fee: adult - $129, children (from 3 to 9 years old) - $99, children under 2 years old can enter for free. Ticket prices for various programs may differ and vary depending on the season.
Website
Where to Stay Nearby?
Universal's Hard Rock Hotel 4* (from $904 per night for a family of four)
DoubleTree by Hilton at the Entrance to Universal Orlando 4* (from $241 per night for a family of four)
Clarion Inn & Suites Across From Universal Orlando Resort 2* (from $119 per night for a family of four)
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Disney Typhoon Lagoon is the place to raft down winding mountain rivers, explore countless canyons, and venture into dangerous rapids or battle waves and mighty currents. It was based on the idea of a terrible catastrophe that suddenly hit an amazing azure lagoon in some tropical paradise. The park is filled with multiple amazing curiosities. For example, there is a mountain here that reaches 328 feet high. And what about the outdoor pool where the waves reach an impressive 6.5 feet high? Your children will definitely enjoy it!
Address: 1145 Buena Vista Drive, Orlando, FL 32830.
Working hours: approximately 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM from January to September. Depending on the month, it may open and close at other times, so you need to specify this in advance.
Entrance fee: 109 USD (children from 10 years old).
Where to Stay Nearby?
Waldorf Astoria Orlando 5* (from $685 per night for a family of four)
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress 4* (from $270 per night for a family of four)
Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas 4* (from $244 per night for a family of four)
Orlando World Center Marriott 4* (from $618 (the price includes two rooms) per night for a family of four)
AC Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista 2* (from $174 per night for a family of four)
Fairfield Inn & Suites Orlando Lake Buena Vista in the Marriott Village 2* (from $129 per night for a family of four)
The Wizard World of Harry Potter
This is one of the brightest and most fascinating parks to visit in the huge entertainment region of Orlando. It will not leave any fan of the series of books and movies about the boy who survived indifferent. We are talking about a huge park, where the world of Harry Potter is recreated almost in the original and with the smallest details.
The area of this self-sufficient mini-world is nearly 20 acres. It was opened in 2010, so it's not a surprise that the latest technologies were used while creating the park. In addition to the latest technologies and achievements of science, there were also the artists and designers who participated in the film's epic creation. And of course, the author of Harry Potter, Joanne Rowling, took part in it too.
The journey will begin with boarding a real Hogwarts Express, which is heading for the village of Hogsmeade. You will have a unique chance to taste Butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, purchase a magic wand at Ollivanders Store, and much more.
Address: 6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819.
Working hours: different parts and attractions of the park are open at different times, depending on the season. On average, it works from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, but it is better to check before visiting.
How to get there: the easiest way to get there is by metro or bus (the nearest station is called Universal / Studio City Station, red metro line). This way, you can save money on parking. You can use a free shuttle bus that awaits visitors 7 days a week opposite the bus stop and the subway exit. It delivers you to the main entrance to Universal Park and on to the World of Harry Potter. The parking cost is $20 per day. Privileged parking cost is $25 per day.
Entrance fee: to enter the park, they offer a whole lot of subscriptions for several days and one-time tickets. The easiest and most convenient option for tourists is to buy a ticket for 1 day for 109 USD (does not include the Hogwarts Express ticket).
Website
Where to Stay Nearby?
Universal's Loews Sapphire Falls Resort 4* (from $250 per night for a family of four)
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Orlando Universal area 2* (from $130 per night for a family of four)
Comfort Inn & Suites Near Universal Orlando Resort 2* (from $89 per night for a family of four)
Econo Lodge International Drive 2* (from $69 per night for a family of four)
The Miami-Dade Zoological Park
The Miami-Dade Zoological Park, formerly MetroZoo, is not just the largest and oldest in Florida. Its unique feature is that it is the only tropical zoo in the United States. In addition to this, it's the place where you can see an impressive variety of animals, including some of them that can't be found anywhere else in the country.
The entire zoo territory is divided into four main zones: Asia, Africa, Amazonia, and Australia. Each zone is represented by the brightest biological species of these continents.
Address: 1 Zoo Boulevard 12400 SW 152 street.
Working hours: the zoo is open 365 days a year, on weekdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on weekends from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Individual exhibitions may open later and close earlier.
Entrance fee: for adults over 13 years old - $22.95. For children over 3 years old - $18.95.
Additional Costs
In addition to accommodation and theme park visiting, you should also consider additional expenses that you will face during the trip. They include transportation costs, city taxes, food, shopping, and also flight. Summing up, the average cost of a one-week trip to Florida for a family of four starts from $5,600. However, this figure can deviate both up and down. Everything depends on how rich your tour program will be, as well as how much you spend on souvenirs.