Orlando Vacation

Tips for keeping up with your Children at Disney World

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:53:50 +0000

Last Sunday I was sitting in church and our minister talked about losing one of his children at Disney World. I can only imagine how terrifying this experience was for him and his child. So I thought it would be a good idea to write a few tips for keeping up with your child at Disney World:
1. The entire family should dress in bright colors. This way if do lose your child you can scan a large area looking for a certain color. It sure is easier to spot a bright yellow shirt as compared to a white shirt.
2. Plan a rendezvous place; for example at the Magic Kingdom you might want to make this place in front of Cinderella’s Castle. This way if you do get separated everybody knows where to go to meet up.
3. Give your kids a cell phone. I know this sounds a little crazy but if they have a cell phone on them then you could simply give them call on the phone or possibly even text them.
4. Put a note in their pocket and instruct them to give it to a Disney representative if they should get separated. On this note should be your child’s name, the parents name, parents cell phone number, and the hotel you are staying in.

Disney is a really safe place for families, but it is always nice to have a plan in place should you get separated.

What age is the best age to bring a child to Disney World

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:58:29 +0000

I can’t tell you how many times we get asked “what age is the best age to bring a child to Disney World?” Obviously, this is a personal preference, and Disney World really does have something for children of all ages. I did read something a few weeks ago which made really good sense…to have the best time at Disney World limit your visit to one hour longer than the age of your child. So if you child is 3 years old you might want to break your day up into multiple visits which last 4 hours or less. So you might want to the parks around 9am and then return back to your hotel at 1pm. At the hotel your child might want to take a nap or you might want to swim in the pool, then return back to the Disney World parks for another four hours of fun.

Kids of all ages love Disney

Keep this in mind when planning your next Disney World vacation, the parks are the least busy between 5pm and 7pm. A lot of the park goers are just worn out come 5pm and they head back to their hotel room while another large group of park goers are eating at one of the many restaurants located throughout all the theme parks. So if you decide to go back to your room and rest during the afternoon hours, if you can make it back to the parks around 5pm the wait time for most rides should be less than at any other time during the day.

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:37:33 +0000

If you are flying to Orlando then you will want to fly into Orlando International Airport. The airport three digit code is MCO. Orlando does have another international airport which located in Sandford. Often times you can find flights into this airport 5% to 10% cheaper but the Sandford Airport is almost an hour away from Disney World. So the extra money you saved on the flights will be ate up in transportation cost to the Disney World area.

At the Orlando International Airport, most domestic flights utilize the A and B concourse. Once you get off the flight take the tram over to the main hub area and proceed down to level two…this is where the baggage claim area is located. Once you get your bags you will want to proceed down another level to level 1, this is where most rental car companies are located. If you are not renting a car and you need a shuttle bus ride to the Disney World area on level one you will see a Mear’s Shuttle attendant. Here in Orlando, Mear’s is the largest cab and transportation company. All you have to do is tell the attendant where you are going and they will direct to the correct cab or shuttle bus.

Please note, if you are staying at a vacation homes near Disney World or one of our Disney World condos you should rent a car. None of the vacation home communities offer free shuttle service and the cost of a cab to the Disney World parks everyday will get quite expensive.

Unknown activities at Disney World

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:03:28 +0000

There are a lot of activities at Disney World for you and your family to do. Most guest know of the obvious ones such as: going to the theme parks, golfing, tennis, swimming. Here are a couple of activities I bet you did not know that you could do at Disney World.

Boating in front of the Grand Floridian

1. Bass Fishing- Disney World has quite a few really large lakes and the bass fishing is some of the best in the entire world. In fact, there are quite a few professional bassmasters and guides who fish everyday on these lakes.

2. Boating- For a small fee you and your family may rent large pontoon boat to putter around in or you may rent a smaller more nimble jet boat. Now keep in mind these smaller boats only have a 25 or 30 horse power motor on them so they are more quick than they are fast.

3. Horse Back Riding- Disney sits on 26 square miles and there are quite a few horse back riding trails. It is funny, once you get on these trails it almost seems like nobody is around; however, in reality there are usually hundreds of thousands of people with in just a short mile or two distance from you.

4. Hot Air Ballooning- The Central Florida area is home to some of the best hot air ballooning in the entire world. If you want to go we suggest going early in the morning, it does not seem that it would be much fun to be up in the hot air balloon during one of our afternoon storms.

5. Running- Disney host a marathon every January and a couple of biathlons and triathlons during the year. If you want to do some exercise while on vacation Disney is a great place to run.

We hope these five activities opened your eyes to all that you may be able to do while on a Disney World vacation. If we can assist you in making your travel plans please give us a call at 1-800-641-4008.

Gulf Oil Spill Effects on Orlando Tourism

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:42:07 +0000

Funny as it may seem…there was a lady…first name Barabara who called in the other day and asked if the oil from that well had reached Orlando yet? I explained as nice as I could that we are in Central Florida and that the Gulf of Mexico is some 90 miles away. I don’t she quite heard my response for her next question was…..Oh… so
it hasn’t gotten there yet? I said yes mam, you are right it hasn’t gotten here yet.

What Barbara is telling us is what happens to any part of Florida effects all of us in tourism throughout the state. Whether you aced your final exam in geography or not…people are not visiting Florida this year.

But cheer up…if you desire to have a great vacation, you want to visit Disney World, you want no lines at the theme parks, you want great rates on hotels both inside and at the main entrance to Disney World, then the place and time is right here, right now. Rates on most hotels have not been this low in 15 years. Attraction ticket promotions are everywhere…why… simply because tourism in Orlando is way off. The only way for businesses to survive is to get cash flow and that comes through sales. To get you to buy, those offering lodging and theme park tickets have figured out they have to make deals!

Yesterday on orlandovacation.com I helped a lady with a first-class hotel inside Disney World for her party of 2 adults and 1 child along with a 7 day theme park ticket to all of the Disney World parks for the unheard of price of $1,025…now that is dealing!

Disney Raising Ticket Prices

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:13:31 +0000

Just released this morning that Disney World is going to be raising their 1 day ticket to Disney World from $79 to $82, this is a $3 increase or roughly 4%. This raise in ticket prices was actually a blessing to most Orlando travel companies as the increase was expect to be much larger than just the $3.

The new rate will take effect on August 5, 2010. There has been rumors of ticket prices going up on the multiple day passes but those increase typically take effect 30 to 45 days after the single day price increases.

Romantic Disney World Vacation

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:10:21 +0000

One of the most romantic trips you can plan for you and your loved one is a trip to Walt Disney World. Whether you’re celebrating your wedding anniversary, the holidays or any other special occasion, your loved one will never forget a long weekend or a week’s worth of touring Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World and all of the other great attractions in the Orlando area.
To put a romantic exclamation point to the end of an adventurous day around Disney World, you can surprise your wife or girlfriend with a fresh bouquet from a local florist.
Winter Park, located approximately 25-30 minutes northeast of Disney, is a great place to take your date for fine dining, shopping and entertainment. There’s a romantic boat ride available via the scenic boat tour down Winter Park’s canals. Other romantic areas near Disney include Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, where you can take a horse carriage tour around the incredible wildlife.When you return from your romantic night out, you can end the night with a gift of flowers. The closest florist to Terrace Ridge Disney Vacation homes is Flower Power Florist, which accepts check?s?, traveler’s check??, invoice??, American Express??, Discover and other credit cards.
Flower Power sells full bouquets, balloon bouquets. The cheapest flower arrangement is the handbag of blooms, for $39.99, and the designers choice arrangement
Candy Bouquet, offers a unique alternative to the traditional florist. For the girl with a serious sweet tooth, a gift from Candy Bouquet could be the perfect ending to the day. Instead of handing your special lady the cliche bouquet of roses, you can give her a bouquet with the appearance of a beautiful flower but the ingredients of high-quality signature candies and chocolates.If your loved one has a strict diet that requires sugar-free candy, the florist can cater to other dietary needs. Candy Boquet is located at 4807 W. irlo Bronson Mem. Hwy, Kissimmee, FL. Their phone number is (407) 397-0093?
If you’re near the Orlando International Airport, you should consider calling Heredia Flowers of Orlando, located on 3332 South Semoran Boulevard, Suite 6. Popular arrangements at Heredia Flowers include Sweet Georgia Peach, Casa Blanca Lilies, Make a Splash Boquet, Celebrate the Day, Rainbow of Blooms, Summer Style, classic dozen roses,Fruit Cocktail and Summer Style. Prices range from $45 to $100, depending on the arrangement.

Call today to book a romantic Orlando hotel.

Best Dinner Shows near Disney World

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:07:19 +0000

To complete the Disney experience, your family should reserve a table for one of the dinner shows. These dinners offer all you can eat and an incredible atmosphere where your senses will be overloaded with entertainment.
One of the longest-running dinner shows at Walt Disney World is the Hawaiian-themed spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort. While you and your family are served generous portions of barbecued pork ribs,rice, roast chicken, fresh pineapple and other traditional dishes from the Pacific Islands. Throughout your meal,you’ll see entertainers dance and perform stunts on stage, including flame eaters and luau dancers. If you’re celebrating a birthday or special occasion, you can pre-order a celebratory cake. Shows begin at 5:15 p.m. and 8 p.m.
If your family craves a slow-cooked meal, Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort combines two American favorites- a buffet and classic Disney characters. The menu includes smoked ribs, smoked chicken, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and more.
After your kids finish their meal, they join along with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters who line dance to music from a country-western band. Other highlights of show include rope tricks and other kid-friendly fun,r. Reservations and re-payment are the show, which required. Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque is on Thursdays and Saturdays, from March to December. Prices are $44.69 for adults and $26.99 for kids, with tax and gratuity included.
One of the best deals for a Disney dinner show is the Fantasmic Dinner show at Hollywood Studios.
Kids ages 3-9 can eat for just $11.99
The main cost difference between the Fantasmic Dinner Show and the other Disney dinner shows is that Fantasmic requires you to already been in one of the Parks. Fantasmic is a nightly show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which features fireworks, lasers and stunning visual effects Meals are served before or after the show, depending on the time of the show’s beginning, and park visitors who opt for the dinner show package can choose between two restaurants: .Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano or Hollywood and Vine Dinner. Popular items at Mama Melrose’s include the wood-fired flat bread, stuffed chicken breast, linguini and filet mingon. Hollywood and Vine serves prime rib, citrus chicken,salmon, stir fry and more.

Orlando Vacation Military Discounts

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:14:03 +0000

Sometimes we need to stop and thank our men and woman in uniform for their courageous service to our country. Often times we do not think about them, but if it was not for our military we would not be able to enjoy the freedom we do today.

Orlandovacation.com would like to take $25 off the price of all military personnel vacation package deal to Orlando. This is an additional saving on our already low discounted prices.

It has also been brought to our attention that Disney World is offering all Military Personnel and their family members a deal we could not believe. All military personnel can get a 4 day Disney World Ticket for $99. This is a great deal, all military personnel are paying less than $25 a day to visit Disney.

Wizzarding World of Harry Potter

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:58:54 +0000

Last month Universal Studios opened the Wizzarding World of Harry Potter and I have waited a few months before I wrote a piece about the theme park. I will also admit I have not actually been to the park, but this is what I have heard from our guests.

1. The Island is themed really nice and if you are a big Harry Potter fan it is really fun.

2. The crowds and the lines to get anything are quite long.

3. There are not many rides on the island, it is primarily made up of gift shops and stores.

When Universal first said that they were opening the Harry Potter Theme Park I thought it was going to be a whole separate park, but in reality it is an island at Islands of Adventure. The crowds will more than likely die down once the newness of the attraction wheres off. I did here that the buttered beer is awesome.

If you would like to visit the Harry Potter Attraction we have quite a few nice hotels near Universal Studios.