We hope you find this Guide to Orlando and the rest of Florida both informative and useful. We aim to provide answers to all the questions you might have regarding Orlando, Miami,The Gulf (Clearwater Beach, St. Petersburg and Atlantic Coasts (Space Coast, Daytona) as well as South Florida such as Naples and Fort Myers and all places in between. This guide was created out of our love for Florida we hope if you’re not already a “Florida Lover” you soon will be. Don’t forget to visit our Orlando and Florida Forums. where all sorts of info will be available. We need as many people as possible to join so we can build a Florida Interest Community.
Check out our Orlando map section which will give you an idea of where things are located. They will cover the villa locations on the hwy 27 and hwy 192 areas, showing restaurants and shops running from Davenport to Kissimmee. They will take some time to complete so check back later. We will include the popular International Drive Orlando and we will try to include up to date maps of all the Orlando theme parks too. If you would like to get hold of some useful book on Florida and Orlando then go to our Guide Book Page.
There will be a section where you can add your trip reports and any advice you feel we should all know about. It can be tips on where to eat, where to shop, maybe some time saving tips at Walt Disney World, what ever you like.
We at Perfect Florida Guide fell in Love with the “Sunshine State” on our first visit back in 1990 and have been visiting regularly ever since. We will try through this site to make it as easy and as cheaply as possible for others to visit one of the World’s most wonderful vacation destinations.
Visit our sister site Orlando Villas for rent for the best collection best value vacation homes available.
Orlando is one of those destinations that has something for everyone. Once you visit, you will surely want to return again and again. If you are looking for a convenient way to secure cost-effective lodgings year after year, consider purchasing a Florida timeshare. And because it's such a beloved vacation destination, you can find hundreds of Orlando timeshares for sale.
Florida is located on a large strip of land between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida (Known as the pan handle). It is bordered on the north by the states of Alabama and Georgia, and on the west, at the end of the panhandle, by Alabama. It is close to the Caribbean, in particular the Bahamas and Cuba.
Most of the state has a humid subtropical climate, with the Florida Keys bordering on a true tropical climate. Cold fronts can occasionally bring cool to cold temperatures to the entire state during late Fall/Autumn and winter. Florida averages 300 days of full sunshine a year. The seasons in Florida are actually determined more by rainfall than by temperature with mild to cool, relatively dry winters and autumns (the dry season) and hot, wet springs and summers (the wet season). Florida does have a Hurricane season that runs from April to the end of November. Although the hurricanes (4) of 2004 that crossed over Central Florida, caused considerable damage, it is quite rare to have this many hurricanes directly hit Florida. It has never been hit by 4 in one year before and the last time it was hit by 3 was back in the 1900’s. In all the years we have been going we have not had much disruption from them at all.
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Avg High F C
72 22
73 22
77 25
83 28
88 31
91 32
92 33
92 33
89 31
84 28
77 25
73 22
83 28
Avg low F C
50 10
51 10
55 12
61 16
67 19
71 21
73 22
73 22
72 22
65 18
56 13
51 10
62 16
Rain Fall In cm
2.1 5
3.1 7
3.5 8
2.6 6
3.0 7
6.5 16
8.1 20
7.2 18
6.8 17
3.9 9
1.7 4
2.1 5
50.01 128
Average Daily Temperatures and Rainfall.
Thunderstorms and lightning are common summer occurrences in Florida. They are exciting to watch... from inside. At the first rumbles of thunder, seek shelter immediately. Never stay in the water during a thunderstorm. They are frequent in July August but generally don’t last long.
The sun can be quite fierce during most of the year in Florida and great care should be taken to get adequate protection especially for the young. The humidity is quite high in the summer and it can feel even hotter than it really is, 100 degrees is quite common in the summer.
Most of the year, except for the months of December through to March, there is warm air even at night. When you come outside from an air conditioned building the warm air hits you and it feels lovely! Sometimes, some of the building have the AC too high and it feels cold inside. Talking of AC it is essential in cars!! Opening the windows whilst driving along does not solve the problem, in fact it makes it worse. You just feel the hot air rushing in. It is not recommended to leave pets or children in the car, even for a short time. The climate seems to suit so many people. I know of people who suffer with asthma in the UK but they breathe better and never get attacks over there. It may be wise when dining out to take something to slip on inside the restaurants just to take the chill off the air conditioning.
When thinking of sun lotions it is worth getting a high factor for initial use then if you wish you can go for a lower factor after a few days. You can get all the different types of sun screen in the super markets and they work out cheaper than the UK prices so it may pay to just get one in the UK and buy the rest when you arrive. Don’t forget sun block for the kids.
Another thing to think of is fluid intake. The water is perfectly safe to drink in Florida. However, it has much the same problem as the UK, it doesn’t taste that nice. Most people drink bottled water when traveling around the parks. It is quite cheap to buy from the super markets but it’s obviously more expensive at the parks. The drink fountains around the parks are filtered and some are cooled so make use of those. We buy the gallon containers of water for hot drinks in the villa. These work out at less than a dollar each.
Florida’s easy going, warm lifestyle translates to casual, informal clothing, both day and night. Shorts and sandals are the norm. Restaurants range from simple outdoor cafes to elegant candlelit dining rooms, none of which requires jackets or ties. Most places generally request shirts and shoes.
