Orlando just gets better and better...

My son and I would probably both agree that Orlando is top of our list of favourite places to holiday together. It has the sunshine, the theme parks and even the shops! It's somewhere we can go and both find things we want to do together so it was no surprise we found ourselves back here!

We have visited many times before but we still find new places to visit and things to do each time we go - as well as repeating a lot of the stuff we've done lots of times before!

We flew into Orlando International airport overnight from Los Angeles and checked in at our first stop - the Crowne Plaza Universal. We had stayed here a few years ago and I am pleased to say it is still as good. The rooms are spacious with big, comfy beds. We stayed on the Executive floor which gave us access to the lounge that served complimentary breakfast each morning as well as snacks and drinks in the evening during the week. There's a nice pool area too for the days you just want to chill out.

The hotel is conveniently located just off International Drive and close to Universal Studios. The bus stop is right outside and the hotel offered complimentary shuttles to both Universal Studios and Walt Disney World.

We spent three days here before moving over to check out Loews Royal Pacific hotel at Universal Studios. This is one of three onsite Loews hotels. Last time we stayed at Portofino (see my previous blog!) and decided to try Royal Pacific this time.

The hotel was lovely and spacious, the pool area was fabulous for kids with water cannons and lots of spray and the restaurant was also very good. The rooms seemed quite small after Portofino but I think that may be because the Portofino rooms are so big! I also went over to the third onsite hotel - The Hard Rock - to have a tour. The rooms there were bigger than Royal Pacific, but smaller than Portofino and overall all three hotels are of a great standard.

Staying onsite has its benefits! There's complimentary transport to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure - by boat or bus - and all guests get a pass that allows them to skip the lines on most of the rides at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We made good use of the passes on the busier rides such as Despicable Me, the new Transformers 3D ride and our favourites - The Simpsons and Spiderman. Harry Potter World is just amazing and has to be seen to be believed!

We stayed late one night to watch the new light and water show at Universal Studios and we tried the Cinematic Spectacular Dining package at Lombard's Seafood Grille. Not only do you get a gorgeous two course dinner, you then get reserved seating outside for the show along with coffee and a dessert buffet. Highly recommended!

Whilst in Orlando we also spent a couple of nights at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites on International Drive. I was very impressed with this hotel. We got a great rate and I thought it was exceptional value for money. Our second floor room was quiet and comfortable with free wifi. The pool area was fine and the staff were really helpful. The hotel also offers a free shuttle to the parks. I would highly recommend this for anyone on a budget looking for a good hotel!

This time we didn't do Walt Disney World, but we did manage to do a spot of shopping. The Premium Outlets on International Drive were as good as ever and we also had a trip out to the Florida Mall - which is huge!

The new crazy golf at Universal was good fun and we even managed a night at the cinema at Pointe Orlando.

We then set off down south to discover what else Florida had to offer. Please read my next blog to see what we found!