Been dreaming of taking a fun-filled family vacation in an amazing place with sunny skies and white sand beach? The fact of the matter is that a vacation in Orlando with the whole family remains a sure way of having a fun-packed vacation that will please everyone. Here are the top tips that I find most useful when planning a big family vacation in Florida.

Plan in advance.

Just by looking at the brochures, you are building expectations among your family members and they are already having fun. Making a small book with pictures (of their favorite characters) taken from traveling brochures will only take you a couple of minutes yet it will give your children (and yourself) the opportunity to dream about their future vacation.

What to do upon your arrival.

If you rent a car, place a distinctive ribbon on your antenna. This little trick will prove of great value during your big Florida vacation when you are looking for your car in the huge parking lot at the end of your day in a theme park. I also recommend that you mark down the parking row where your car is. After, a couple of days of visiting, you will appreciate not having to look around or try to remember if you are parked on Mickey5 or Donald 12!

Settling in.

Once you have unpacked and taken a refreshing leak in your private pool, pack your whole family in the car and get to the nearest shopping center. The first stop will be at the nearest Wall Mart or souvenir shops. There, you will find for at least half the price, the same items sold in the parks and you will have saved big bucks. This way, your children will either not bother you for those expensive items sold in the park or understand when you answer they already have something. Next, you want to stop at a grocery store and stock up on healthy foods and bottled water. This way again, you will not spend your week eating unhealthy and very expensive food in the parks.

Make a schedule.

In your Florida vacation planning, do not get carried away and add too much to your schedule. Orlando offers so much family vacation fun that it is impossible to see everything in one vacation. You will just have to come back and take another big vacation! I highly recommend that you plan one day of rest in the middle of your vacation, doing almost nothing or very little that day- a dinner show, miniature golf, shopping or just a quiet day at the beach. This way, your whole family will be ready and anxious to continue their visits of the theme parks and enjoy the rest of their big Florida vacation.

Visiting theme parks.

When visiting theme parks, start at the back of the park, the lines are usually much shorter. There is almost no wait in the lines for very small children rides after 4:00 p.m. because most parents have ran out of the park with their tired and crying children. You then just have to get there and enjoy the rides. I did the ride "Small World" four times in a row upon visiting Disney World with my daughter one time because there was absolutely no waiting. Pure bliss!

Make your restaurant and shows bookings in advance so you don't have to wait upon your arrival. I highly recommend you book one of the "Dine with the Characters" at Disney World. This way, your children get to see and touch their favorite characters and you get the greatest souvenir pictures.

Resist the temptation to stop at all those booths promising you cheap or free tickets. These are all Timesharing sales tactics and you might end-up wasting a whole day of being pressure-sold. Your time is way more valuable than this.

Enjoy yourself and allow yourself to be a child again. Take time to really enjoy your big Florida vacation and realize that this vacation is also for your pleasure. Everything does not have to be perfect this time, just fun!

Where to stay?

Strongly consider renting a Florida house near the parks instead of crowding yourself and your loved ones into a hotel room. Many Florida vacation houses offer the comfort of a full-kitchen, a backyard pool and a room for every child for the price of a hotel room.