Hi Loates123, Welcome to the UK DIS!
Can't help with the hotels as I've not stayed in them, but I can comment on some of the other stuff.
I agree with Tim, towncars are the way to go, though I must admit, I'm not 100% sure they can fit 5 in a regular towncar, but they will advise you on other options if they can't. I've used Tiffany a number of times now and happily recommend them
You can book via their website, and when they send your confirmation email, you can then reply and ask them for a half hour grocery stop which is included free. We always load up with beer, Coke, bottled water and crisps for those end of the day chill outs and it saves a fortune on Disney, Goodings or 7-11 prices which is the only place you can buy stuff unless you've a car! Another thing that counteracts the cost of a towncar transfer
Also, don't forget to print out the $5 discount voucher from their website, and don't forget you'll need to include a tip for the driver each way in the cost.
As Tim said, there is the I-Ride Trolley which takes you up and down I-drive plus it takes you to Belz and the Premium Factory outlets at either end for that all important shopping - that is where you'll find the best shopping, not in the neon tourist traps on I-drive. There are some <i>great</i> restaurants to choose from though
(Tony Romas for ribs, Perkins for budget, Olive Garden is supposed to be nice too) It also takes you to Seaworld. If you are going to use the I-ride a lot, ask at your hotel reception if they sell I-ride passes - if they don't, they'll tell you where you can buy them (we got ours at Walgreens) It really saves money plus saves having to have the exact change for your fare all the time.
You can also check out the
Lynx buses - this is the public transport system for the area. If you are on a budget then you can get the Lynx for $1.10 (the 10cents buys you a tranfer ticket so you can change buses up to 3 times on your journey) to WDW and Universal - plus you can get to the Florida Mall, another big shopping place. It's not neccessarily the quickest way to do it as to go to WDW and Universal both require a change of bus, but it IS the cheapest.
Failing that, if your hotel doesn't run it's own shuttles, Mears run shuttles from most hotels (so if not yours, it will most likely be a neighbouring hotel) to all the parks - I haven't checked the prices recently but I think it runs at about $12 per person return. I know they also offer a trip 2-3 times a week to the Kennedy Space Centre (around $25 each I think), I don't know if they do one to Clearwater though.
Ummm...what next. Ok Virgin. Well, some people have reported a few little hiccups with them, but I've personally not had any problems. Given the choice, they are always my first choice of Airline...of course, the FF miles help too
Finally, Ticketmania (they are .com not .co.uk) I have bought from them in the past and have had no problems...as have countless other DIS'ers and are a reputable company. They have always had very competitive prices and with the free shipping they cannot be beat as long as the exchange rate is good - which it currently is.
Hope that helps - any other questions, just fire away
