As a man who likes a quiet holiday sitting on a beach, Dave Horsley throws caution to the wind with a white-knuckle experience at Walt Disney World in Florida

AS a rule, I'm a Greek island sort of guy.

I like rustic scenes, quiet beaches, the sense that there's no one else around.

For a change, I thought we'd give Walt Disney World in Florida a try. My wife was typically understanding.

"You're 46. The kids, well, they're not kids anymore.

Why go to Disney now?"

She had a point. Walt Disney World can be an overwhelming experience. It's big, it's a spectacle of sight and sound - at times it's jaw-dropping.

The resort covers 47 square miles - that's the same size as Greater Manchester - and on any given day there'll be around 250,000 people, visitors and staff, in the resort.

When you are trying to cram as much as you can into a week, Walt Disney World is all about prioritising.

We made not one, but two, lists for our seven days: the "must do" and the "will if we can".

The "must do" list is headed by the four major theme parks: Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and the signature Magic Kingdom.

Each needs at least a day. Then there are the water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and the two shopping and dining districts, Downtown Disney and Disney's Boardwalk.

Even deciding where to stay in Walt Disney World is a feat of planning. There are 32 resort hotels (22 operated by Walt Disney World), all situated near the four theme parks, each with its own themed restaurants and leisure facilities, each as well-equipped and luxuriously furnished as the next.

We opt for the natural rustic charm of a log cabin on Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, a "home from home" set in 700 acres of woodland.

Despite the scale of things, getting around Walt Disney World could not be easier. All hotels and resorts are within quick and easy reach of the theme parks, water parks and entertainment districts via Disney's complementary transport system, which consists of a monorail, buses and watercraft.

In this respect, Fort Wilderness proves an inspired choice. Our cabin, 30 yards from the Settlement Trading Post (supermarket), is equally close to the lakeside beach and marina, from where we take a boat trip at the start of several outings.

The two-bedroomed log cabin is comfortable, well equipped - and each day maids transformed our clean towels into animal shapes, ranging from crocodiles and elephants to puppy dogs.

We didn't have to chase live racoons from our veranda each morning (as promised), but one misty morning we did catch sight of red deer emerging like mythical beasts from the treeline, and we saw many exotic birds, including hummingbirds.

The campground offered watersports, fishing, tennis courts, two heated pools, cycle hire, a petting zoo and an arcade games room, but, apart from one pool, where we soaked our tired bodies on an evening, we kept to a rigid daily itinerary of a theme or water park and a dining experience.

DAY ONE: Magic Kingdom Park, with its iconic 190ft Cinderella Castle, provides a storybook start. With Disney characters at every turn, it's perfect for families. Young children delight at attractions like It's a Small World, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan's Flight and Dumbo the Flying Elephant; but for us the memorable moments are the big rides - Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion - and Mickey's Philharmonic, a hilarious 3D stage show. Today's dining experience is Tony's, an Italian restaurant, where my wife and I share meatballs and spaghetti, Lady And The Tramp-style. The day ends with Jiminy Cricket narrating the most spectacular fireworks show - repeated every night at Magic Kingdom.

DAY TWO: At Typhoon Lagoon, a water park set in the aftermath of a tropical storm, you can find a palm tree, arm yourself with a drink and a good book and laze the day away. On the other hand, you can drive yourself to the brink of exhaustion bodysurfing in the pool or crashing down whitewater rides and chutes and then top it off by swimming with sharks (literally).

Florida is hot all year round, so a good tip at the water parks is to buy a Disney drinking beaker, for about $10, which you can then top-up at refill stations as many times as you want.

DAY THREE: After the flight and two energetic days, we take a leisurely breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe (our day's dining experience), where to request a bottle of ketchup sees bemused fellow diners send bottles from every table. After that, we leave Walt Disney World and shop for cut-price brandname jeans and trainers at Premium Outlets, a shopping paradise near Downtown Disney. We spend the evening at Downtown Disney, in the world's largest Disney merchandise store, an equally enormous Virgin record store and DisneyQuest, an indoor interactive theme park where we design and then ride our own virtual rollercoaster ride.

DAY FOUR: Queuing, I'm afraid to say, is a fact of life at Walt Disney World. The wait on some rides can run into hours. FastPass, a virtual queuing system invented by Disney, allows you to book a ride in advance. Our visit to the Hollywoodthemed Disney-MGM Studios begins with a spot prize of FastPass tokens for each of us for every big ride in the theme park, including the Rockn'Roller Coaster, starring Aerosmith, which is quite simply the most exhilarating whiteknuckle ride ever. Usually, I baulk at the prospect of roller-coaster rides. At Walt Disney World, I have absolute confidence in even the most terrifying experience.

Disney-MGM Studios is, of course, all about showbiz and the extreme stunts show, Lights, Motors, Action, and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which recruits actors from the audience, are among the must-do's. The dining experience, Artist Point, is an elegant and expensive (upwards of $50 a head) American restaurant, where grilled buffalo is the highlight of a menu with a Pacific Northwest flavour.

DAY FIVE: Epcot, Walt Disney World's celebration of human achievement and discovery, provides a lull in the proceedings. Futuristic, it lacks the character of the other parks and our visit coincides with the hottest and, typical of Florida, wettest day of the week. Mission: Space, a thrilling mission to Mars, and the less-thrilling but equally enjoyable The Seas with Nemo and Friends, are the pick of the rides, but the best moment is Living With The Land, a relaxing boat trip through amazing greenhouses and fish farms where Disney World Resorts surprises us with evidence of its scientific research involving universities around the world. The dining experience today is English pub-style, courtesy of the Rose and Crown, in Epcot's World Showcase.

Bangers and mash never tasted so good.

DAY SIX: Blizzard Beach, a water park created by a fictional freak snowstorm, offers a one-acre bobbing wave pool complete with giant rubber rings - the ultimate in relaxation - and the Summit Plummet, a 120ft vertical (and I mean vertical) free-fall body slide. I am clocked plummeting at 62mph, my son at 59mph (less bodyweight, dad, he tells me), but legend has it that an American footballer slid at a mindboggling 82mph wearing only the briefest of swimming trunks.

DAY SEVEN: The Kilimanjaro Safari offers a ride in an open-air vehicle through Disney's Animal Kingdom at a stately pace, with lions, giraffes, wildebeest, hippos and crocodiles only yards away. Ride-wise, the Kali River Rapids and Expedition Everest (a roller-coaster train ride which goes backwards at breakneck speed, albeit briefly, and forwards even faster) crank up the excitement a notch or two. As if by planning, we leave the best dining experience until last as we feast on seafood and meat infused with the fragrant spices and vibrant flavours of Africa at the oddly named "Jiko - The Cooking Place".

Again, prices for starters and main meals at this stylish restaurant were over $50 dollars a head.

Walt Disney World is not a cheap place to visit, but with more cost-minded eating habits and controlled casual spending, it certainly can be affordable for most families thanks to packages available through travel companies such as First Choice.

And you won't be disappointed - whatever your age. At Disney, they really know how to help you "have a nice day".

TRAVEL FACTS

Dave Horsley and his family flew to Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, courtesy of First Choice Holidays.

For a January 2, 2008, departure from London Gatwick, First Choice (www.firstchoice.co.uk/florida) offers seven nights at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground from £969 an adult, based on two adults sharing, £189 for the first child and £339 for the second child, on a room only basis. This price includes return flights on First Choice Airways, accommodation, fuel levies, car hire and air passenger duty. First Choice's "Disney in the Sky" in-flight service, provided by Disney Star Class crew, includes a complimentary Disney itinerary planner, the opportunity to purchase Disney tickets on board, a Holiday Choice channel with more Disney information and a video introducing all the Disney attractions. First Choice also flies to Orlando from Nottingham East Midlands, Manchester, Glasgow and Bristol.

Disney's Premium Tickets are ideal for those working against the deadline of the return flight home. The seven-day ticket, starting from £179 for an adult and £156 for a child, gives unlimited access to the four main theme parks and a half-hour early access to selected parks.

Bought in advance, they save a lot of time and effort.

10:24am Saturday 22nd December 2007

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