Walt Disney World Florida

Flying elephants, gravity-defying water slides and giant mice - it can only be Disney World...

After a couple of very successful trips to Disneyland Paris, we decided it was time to head to Walt Disney World Florida and see how it all compared.

In my experience, small boys aren't great at road trips, and we took two of them on a journey that took in Atlanta (Georgia) and Beaufort (South Carolina), ending up in Orlando (Florida). So by the time we arrived at the Key West Resort, after the seven-hour drive from Beaufort, tempers were somewhat frayed. However, a couple of hours later we were all relaxing by the pool and planning our first day at Walt Disney World.

It's all in the planning

Planning was to play a large part in our five-day stay here, as indeed it should for anyone. A well-planned trip is fun for kids and grown-ups alike, but if you don't do your groundwork you'll be in for some disappointment and frustration. And if you have children with large age-gaps (we had an eight-year-old and a four-year-old) be prepared to split up for some of the day (single parents at Disney World - I salute you!).

If you're on a short visit (less than one week), don't attempt to do everything. Pick the things you really don't want to miss, and have a reserve list of rides and attractions you can do if time permits.

The Magic Kingdom

Almost everyone on Day 1 of their visit heads to the Magic Kingdom, and it really is charming. We split up almost immediately so that Charlie (8) could head straight to Space Mountain with his Dad, while Louis (4) and I enjoyed the less heady thrills of Peter Pan's Flight and Dumbo the Flying Elephant, in Fantasyland.

The team met up during the day to try out some rides en masse, with varying success. Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain got a big thumbs up from most (although they were on the scary end of Louis' thrill barometer), but the unanimous hit of the day was Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Zapping aliens with a laser from your space cruiser to defeat the evil Captain Zurg was declared 'Wicked!' (Charlie, aged 8), 'Again, again!' (Louis, aged 4) and 'Excellent!' (Bob, aged 43).

A word of warning about Stitch's Great Escape, billed as 'mild but wild': we missed the small print which says it 'may be frightening for small children'. Louis was hysterical - definitely not one for the under-fives!

One of the best attractions for kids of all ages is meeting the characters. You can see them around the park, but we had breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and his friends at The Crystal Palace, which was a big hit. And don't miss the Disney Dreams Come True Parade at 3pm every day.

Epcot and Animal Kingdom

Epcot, we discovered, is best for older children, (although it does have the utterly charming The Seas with Nemo & Friends) and the thrill-seekers absolutely loved Mission: Space ('The most mega ride in the universe ever', according to Charlie).

Animal Kingdom had a slightly more relaxed feel about it, and we loved the Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safari. Although it's the largest park by area, it was certainly the least busy when we were there.

Must-see shows here are Finding Nemo - the Musical, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade and the wonderful Festival of the Lion King.