Orlando Park Break: Magic Kingdom and SeaWorld, 3 Nights

You are met at Orlando International and taken to your hotel, about half an hour away in the resort area. Spend the afternoon at the pool and the evening on International Drive, a long strip of restaurants, shops and small attractions that stays busy late. Pick up water, snacks and sunscreen tonight to save time and money at the parks tomorrow.

Make your own way to SeaWorld, a short taxi ride from most resort hotels. The park combines serious thrill rides, such as the Mako and Manta coasters, with aquariums, a penguin habitat kept at polar temperatures, and presentations with dolphins and sea lions. Look at the show times as you enter and plan the day around them. The water rides soak you properly, so bring a change of clothes or a poncho.

The best-loved of the four Walt Disney World parks. Get there before opening, walk up Main Street towards Cinderella Castle, and head first to the rides with the longest queues. The official app shows waiting times across the park. Summer afternoons are hot and often stormy, so take a break indoors and come back in the evening; the fireworks and projection show over the castle closes most nights.

Breakfast and check-out, then the driver takes you back to the airport at a time set by your flight. If the departure is late in the day, the hotel will generally hold your bags, and the outlet malls on International Drive and near Lake Buena Vista are a popular last stop for clothes and trainers.