In This Issue Welcome Advantages of staying at the Walt Disney World Resort Fodor's Florida 2006 Book review Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations in Florida December events Weather forecast

Hi subscriber, welcome to the December newsletter of the Florida Review & Travel Guide.

Luckily November turned out to be a quiet month for hurricanes, at least in Florida with only two tropical storms forming during the month.

In theory the hurricane season has now ended for another year but to check for all the latest news on tropical storms and hurricanes, read our latest weather pages.

With the passing of the Thanksgiving weekend, we are now into one of the busiest periods of the year in Florida. The holiday season starts in earnest with the approach of Christmas and First Night, New Year's Eve. Whilst large parts of the USA and Europe have already experienced the first snows of winter, how I envy everyone in Florida at this time of year.

I'd like to take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt Christmas greeting to everyone who reads the Florida Review & Travel Guide newsletter and wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.

If you simply compare room rates, then it is more expensive to stay at a Walt Disney World Resort than an equivalent resort hotel outside of the Walt Disney World Resort.

However there are a number of factors to take into account when comparing prices. It all depends on how much time you intend to spend of your vacation in the Walt Disney World Resort, whether you have a car and whether you want to live the Disney dream 24 hours a day!!

Benefits of staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel include:

• free parking which saves you $8 per day to park at the four main theme parks
• complimentary transportation which is especially useful if you do not have a rental car to get around
• because you are so close to your hotel you can take a mid-day break back at your resort when you start to flag and then return to the parks when you feel refreshed knowing you have extra evening hours
• each day one of the theme parks opens one hour early for Disney Resort guests which means less queuing and more time on the rides. Each evening one of the parks stays open for up to three extra hours for Disney Resort guests. Not all attractions remain open but again you can ride those that are open with very little wait time
• special unlimited passes for the duration of your stay giving you access to the parks and attractions every day of your vacation
• complimentary parcel service which means anything you purchase in the park can be delivered to your hotel room for free saving you having to carry it around with you
• resort ID card which allows you to charge things to your room wherever you are in the Walt Disney World Resort
• guaranteed admission even when the parks are full during busy times of year like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. Even if other people are being turned away, you are guaranteed admission
• complimentary airport shuttle will take you to and from the Orlando International Airport without having to worry about your bags. The Disney's Magical Express takes care of luggage delivery and airline check-in
• Disney Dining Plan helps with your dining budget. By purchasing a Disney Dining Plan you have access to 100 participating restaurants and the plan entitles you to two meals and one snack each day

Click here to read more about staying at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Fodor's Florida 2006 (Gold Guide), ISBN 1400015421 is published by Fodor's Editions (September 2005).

The 2006 edition of Fodor's Florida (Gold Guide) describes the whole of Florida and is split into ten convenient regions starting with The Panhandle (including Tallahassee, Pensacola and the Gulf Coast) and then travelling in a clockwise direction covering Northeast Florida (St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Daytona and the Space Coast), Walt Disney World & the Orlando Area, Palm Beach & the Treasure Coast (including Boca Raton), Fort Lauderdale & Broward County, Miami & Miami Beach, The Florida Keys (Upper, Lower and Middle Keys plus Key West), The Everglades (including the National Parks of the Everglades, Biscayne and Big Cypress), The Lower Gulf Coast (including Fort Myers, Naples and the coastal islands) and ending with The Tampa Bay Area (including the Manatee Coast).

The introductory sections of Fodor's Florida 2006 include a series of itineraries ranging from a couple of days up to a whole fortnight with driving maps and suggested stopovers for a range of interests including the natural wonders of Florida, major highlights and the best beaches.

Fodor's Florida 2006 also has sections on the best times of the year to travel, what is on each month plus hotel and restaurant options to suit all tastes and budgets.

Click here for more guide book reviews and details of where you can buy this book .

All the major theme parks in Florida put on special shows and events for the holiday season of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Most of the Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations are free or included in the standard ticket admission, others are by separate ticket; you should check with the venue before visiting.

The Walt Disney World Resort bills itself as the "Merriest Place on Earth" and there is certainly plenty of holiday seasonal fun between November 14 and January 8.

The Walt Disney World Resort offers everything from the millions of lights at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney-MGM Studios, to the Candlelight Processionals at EPCOT, the new fireworks spectacular and parade at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom and the special seasonal parade at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

All the other central Florida theme parks like SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens and Cypress Gardens put on special events for Christmas and the New Year.

SeaWorld features special Shamu shows whilst over at Universal Studios you can witness a Macy's New York style Thanksgiving parade and at Islands of Adventure you can meet the Grinch.

All the parks put on special New Year's Eve firework displays but for the ultimate New Year's Eve celebration then Pleasure Island and Universal CityWalk take some beating. Both events are by special ticket only and you must be 21 to enter.

You can read more about the Christmas and New Year's Eve events in our Seasonal Celebrations section of the web site.

Apart from all the holiday season celebrations, there are a number of other events taking place in December.

In Fort Lauderdale, the Seminole Hard Rock Boat Parade is a unique event. It takes place on December 17 and this years theme is "JEWEL OF THE NILE" Celebrating The Holiday with King Tut (www.winterfestparade.com for more details).

In Orlando, the Gaylord Palms Resort presents ICE! which runs from November 19 to January 2. Here you can explore an icy winter wonderland where the temperature stays at a very cool 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

The entire exhibit is made from nearly 2 million pounds of ice and includes massive ice sculptures including a Victorian holiday scene, Santa's Toyland, a majestic Church in the Woods, an illuminated ICE! bridge that you can walk over, a life size nativity and three ice slides.

Best to wear closed toe shoes and long trousers/pants but hooded parkas are provided. Admission and parking charges apply (gaylordhotels.com for more details).

Enjoy a Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa Bay Hotel in Tampa. The whole museum is decorated with Christmas trees, beautifully wrapped presents and seasonal greenery in every room to capture the spirit of a Victorian Christmas. Open daily from December 2 to December 23 (www.plantmuseum.com for more details).

The hurricane season is now officially over after what has been another bad year for Florida and the southern States.

Temperatures are expected to be a little lower than normal during December but a freeze is not anticipated. In the north, the temperature forecast is for mid to high 60s, with low 70s in the central region and high 70s in Miami and the Keys.

The month will start sunny with some showers during the middle of the month and then brightening up again towards the end of the year.

Check out the rest of the Florida weather including monthly temperature and rainfall charts across the State and the latest hurricane news.

Once again, wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, until next month... Stephen Downs

We plan to bring you a newsletter on the first day of each month with details of upcoming events and news from across Florida.

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