"I took the family on an amazing holiday to Florida!"

Frances Hancock from Croydon has been entering competitions for five years, winning a stream of great prizes including a weekend break to Paris and an activity holiday at Centre Parcs from a Daily Mail competition. Recently she  won her best prize yet: A HOLIDAY TO FLORIDA!

"I took the family on an amazing holiday to the Disney Resort, Florida  - through comping!"

"I’ve been entering competitions for five years, winning a stream of great prizes including a weekend break to Paris and an activity holiday at Centre Parcs from a Daily Mail competition. Recently I won my best prize yet: A HOLIDAY TO FLORIDA!

I picked up an entry form in the Disney Store in Croydon in December last year. The competition was run in conjunction with Oral B.

PJ Promotions were handling the competition – and it was them that called my home phone number on 12 February to tell me that out of the 1,000 entries, I’d won first prize in their competition: five-nights for two adults and two children to the Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida. I honestly did not believe the voice on the end of the phone, I thought it was a dodgy sales man trying to con me into taking a timeshare!  Then I remembered entering the competition – I really had won! I was absolutely thrilled!

The prize also included a goody box of Incredibles toys and Oral B electric toothbrushes – and as soon as they arrived through the door it all hit home and the kids got excited - we really were going to Disneyland!

We could choose when we wanted to take the prize so decided on October – when the weather would be less hot and humid. We had £200 spending money thrown in – which we spent on staying an extra night in the hotel! – Our 4-star luxury rooms actually on the 47 acres Disney Resort.

The flight over to America was smooth and trouble free – which was a good job as I’m terrified of flying- but I could just sit back and read my book (I picked up a copy of Terry Ryan’s The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio from a charity shop before we left- very fitting!)

We arrived to beautiful sun on the Saturday and spend all of Sunday in the fabulous Animal Kingdom - there were tiny lizards everywhere, which Amber, my daughter loved.

You may recall that a hurricane was due to hit Florida in October… well you’ve guessed it, it hit the week we chose to go! Monday morning we were in darkness as the clouds moved over. With luxurious facilities in the hotel, gorgeous food and Fox TV to entertain the kids it wasn’t a bad day at all! The clouds moved over and we were back in the Magical Kingdom by the afternoon.

Oh the tropical plants in the grounds of the Resort were fabulous, with a semi-tropical climate it was wonderful to see plants I’d normally y buy for the greenhouse flourishing outside!

The whole resort was magical, the guys who work there are brilliant, and everything runs so smoothly.

We have just moved house (which as you may know is always more stressful than you imagine) so a relaxing on holiday was just what we needed! And that’s the perfect thing about winning a prize- all the travel arrangements and accommodation are made for you- so you have none of the worry! Plus when you have won a prize you feel you can take everything in your stride, and don’t have to pack in a million and one things to get your money’s worth. We definitely made the most of the Disney Resort, but took it all at our own pace!

There was no way at the start of 2005 I could have imagined that we’d be on holiday at Disney in Florida before the year was out. That’s what I love about this hobby - the unexpected has to be expected!

Best wishes and good luck comping."

Frances Hancock

Croydon