When you're considering your family's next Orlando vacation, do you need to think carefully about which time of year is the best one to visit Florida? The Florida climate is friendly all the year round, so how do you decide the best time?

January and February are the months when may snowbirds and some families arrive to enjoy the days that are still warm but not excessively so. Snowbirds flee from the cold weather of their home states in the northern part of the USA and Canada. Families like it because of low prices and availability of hotel rooms and vacation rental homes plus the reduced time spent in line at the theme parks in this off-peak time.

March and April include the Easter break, which is just about the most popular time to travel to Florida. A lot of vacation homes are reserved for Easter and the surrounding weeks up to three years in advance, so it is crucial that, if you are restricted by school vacation schedules, you plan well in advance. Theme parks will be very busy, of course and you can expect long lines at many attractions.

May and June are a great deal quieter, following the Easter bustle. Theme parks are less crowded but the half term UK school break offsets some of this. Daytime temperatures really start to hot up now and June marks the official start of the rainy season. This is not as bad as it sounds - it is not unusual to have a short shower around mid afternoon but these last on average about 20 minutes before the sunshine returns.

July and August are peak months because most people take their annual leave. Orlando temperatures soar into the high nineties and beyond. It is a busy time for vacation home rentals and theme parks alike.

September slowly transitions to Fall and temperatures go down to a welcome 85 degrees. Humidity levels recede, as do the theme park crowds.

By October and November, temperatures fall to around 70 to 80 degrees throughout the day, but nights are noticeably cooler, although nothing more than a light jacket or sweatshirt is needed. This also is an excellent time to visit Orlando, because theme parks are a lot less crowded and it is ideal if you find the hotter temperatures unpleasant.

Last but definitely not least is December. Christmas and New Year are almost as busy as Easter, so roads are full, Disney's parks are crowded and prices are at their highest. Making up for this are the fantastic fireworks displays put on by Walt's team for the New Year. The first part of the month, though, can be a bargain time because many families are wrapped up in Christmas preparations, so flight and accommodation is often plentiful and less expensive. Look out for the displays of decorative lights in residential communities around Central Florida.

So choose the time of year that best suits your preferences. Some times are less expensive, some are hotter and some are busier. No matter what you decide, your Orlando vacation is guaranteed to excite the whole family.