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[luckylady]

We have been in Florida at Christmas and Easter. We have enjoyed both,although they are both different. Easter is definitely hotter than at Christmastime. But the parks and the shops at Chistmas are wonderful very festive and the parades and shows are fantastic.

Christmas or Easter whichever you decide I am sure you will have a memorable experience. [xmas1][easter1]

[Lyn]

I have never been for Christmas itself, only the run up, the decorations are well worth the trip. The weather is cooler than Easter, our 1st (once in a lifetime[clap]) visit was Easter and the weather was great during the day but could get chilly after dark. We have now been 15 times to Florida at all times of year and love them all, so whichever you choose I am sure you will have a grreat time. Booking everything yourself is so easy these days with the help of the internet, I would not do it any other way now. Everyone on this site loves Florida and we all enjoy answering any questions so just keep asking away. I can say from experience that the car hire and the park tickets from this site are the best value you will find and the people are very helpful.

[ellie]

Christmas in Orlando is certainly different, but there are still many traditional features - Father Christmas at the Mall at Millenia, for instance. There are wonderful Christmas decorations and people decorate their houses fantastically. It is way cheaper to go out for a decent Christmas meal than it is in the UK. We always have Christmas lunch in an hotel (Peabody the last time) and we really enjoy the experience. The sales start on Boxing Day (all the shops open the day after Christmas) and there are normally some amazing bargains to be had. Christmas decorations, too, are reduced to a fraction of their original cost. Walmart is only shut on one day a year - Christmas Day - but it is business as usual for them and most shops the next day. Most restaurants also stay open on Christmas Day. Disney is usually packed - but that is to be expected. We normally leave it a day or so and have found it to be fine.

We have spent many Christmases in Orlando - we love it. We have generally experienced sunny clear days (low humidity) and 2 years ago flew from Orlando to New York a couple of days before Christmas and left temperatures of 80 degrees(minus 10 at JFK![msnscared]). I cannot comment from experience on last Christmas, only previous ones, and we did have one very cold day in the Disney parks about 4 years ago - but it was sunny and crisp so it was bearable. This cold snap only lasted a day, too.

We have walked round Universal in short sleeves and no jackets or cardigans, but you would be sensible to pack a couple of sweaters and a jacket for the evenings, which do chill down. This is particularly sensible if you are visiting the parks in the evenings for the firework/laser shows.

One of the things we have enjoyed at Christmas time is seeing the Manatees at Blue Springs National Park - quite amazing - and you cannot do that in the summer. We also like to go and pick oranges straight off the tree - great for children to see that they actually DO grow rather than just appearing in Tescos! [msnwink]

Easter is more likely to be warmer, but it is a very popular time. Again, evenings may need sweaters as the temperatures could drop, but there will be lower humidity and rainfall than in August, for instance.

It really depends what you are going for. Is it just for sunshine, or do you want to experience a Florida Christmas?

I am sure you will have a great time, whatever you decide.

[msncool]

[hacoates]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:
IMO if you are staying in a villa you will have to use a car/taxi for virtually every journey.
[/quote]

On the contrary Robert, all the villas in Clear Creek are within a mile of the shops and restaurants. There is also a Starbucks and an English Pub. There is a gym, a nail bar and a Doctors office. All are within a 1 mile walking distance. We can go out to dinner in the evening and not worry about drinking and driving as we can walk there and back.

[brownm]

We have been for Christmas atleast 3 times and its great but if the Weather is important then Easter is far warmer.

Mark.