Revisiting Your Favorite Orlando Theme Park

What makes a theme park a place that you can visit again and again? When I see a movie for the first time, I always have criteria in my mind- somewhat of a rating scale. I never sat down and wrote it out, or spent much time contemplating it. It just sort of happens automatically. When people ask how I liked the movie I tell them things like “It was good. It was okay, etc.” But the ultimate criticism from me is if I would a) see the movie again and b) buy the movie. Buying a movie is the ultimate acclaim that I could ever give to a film, because that means I liked it so much that I could see myself watching it over and over.

The theme parks of Orlando are like that. Think about it. Have you ever heard of anyone coming back from Universal Studios Orlando or Disney World saying, “Ohhh, it was okay, but I wouldn’t want to go there again.”? I haven’t. There is so much to do at each park that one visit is never enough. Even people who spend several days in a row at a park still have things that they did not get to or that they can’t wait to do again.

The last time I was at Universal, I loved the Hulk ride so much, I went on it at least three times in the same day! Just because you’ve experienced something doesn’t mean you have had your fill and never need or want to do it again. If that were the case, there would be no McDonald’s, no ice cream shops, and no CD or DVD industry at all! If something is truly exciting, truly fun, or simply put- an experience, you want to enjoy it again and again. Of course, the parks work hard to add new rides and exhibits so that each time you come, you find something new. That is one more reason that people love visiting the theme parks again and again.

So Much to do on Your Orlando Vacation

There are so many things to do on your Orlando vacation. The area is known for having the world's best theme parks and they alone are enough of a reason to come to the Central Florida area year after year. Park hopping can fill up a vacation by itself. One of the many other fantastic things about Orlando is the shopping!

The locals know this little secret, but not unlike Disney and the other theme parks, most of the people you will encounter enjoying Orlando's outlet malls are foreigners. The discounts are good by anyone's standards, but when your currency is worth two of ours, imagine the savings and the large amounts of goods they scoop up.

Many people who travel to Orlando intent on shopping, bring extra suitcases just to carry home all of their bargains. Those are the serious shoppers- the ones who have been here before. Many others just browse and pick up a few special gifts or souvenirs. But with over a thousand stores to choose from, you can get almost anything in Orlando.

Make sure to bring comfortable shoes because between Orlando Premium Outlets, Prime Outlets, Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, and hundreds of malls and specialty shops, you will likely walk miles each day. Add those miles to the miles you will walk if you do visit any theme parks, and you could consider your vacation an exercise plan. How’s that for an excellent excuse to take a vacation to Orlando? Save money, lose weight - it’s a win-win!

If you want to stay at quality Lake Buena Vista hotels at discount prices, be sure to search the hotels in the above search box. Lake Buena Vista hotels are just minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort.

Golfing on Your Orlando Vacation

As if you needed another reason to head for a warmer climate from the colder parts of the country, here is yet another- golf! For avid golfers, the long winters of the north can be excruciating waits to get back on the course. You can only go to the indoor driving range so many times before you just “need” to get out there for nine or eighteen holes of the real thing.

That is why winter is such a good time to vacation in Orlando, Florida. There are plenty of public and private golf courses to choose from and they are all open 365 days a year. If you dream of green fairways, you can find them in Orlando and the surrounding areas.

Most hotels and resorts offer golf packages to make it easy for you to plan and enjoy your golf vacation. Call around and ask about all of the options you are interested in. Waiting until you arrive removes some of the motivation from the hotel or resort. While you are still shopping around, they will be more likely to offer you specials and discounts. For example, you may get them to throw in use of a golf cart, club rental, a lesson with a pro, etc.

So, don’t suffer trying to stick it out all winter long. Orlando has lush, open golf courses waiting for you! Have family to bring along? They will be satisfied to let you go play golf while they do the theme park tour. Everyone will be happy with your choice to book an Orlando golf vacation.

Orlando Vacation - SeaWorld After Dark - Extended Hours

If you are wanting some late night fun on your Orlando vacation, check out SeaWorld After Dark which features extended hours for the entire SeaWorld park and concludes the evening with late night fireworks. If you want to make the most of your time SeaWorld Orlando then this Labor Day weekend is the best time to go. This weekend SeaWorld Orlando will be open until either 9PM or 10PM each night.

Here are the park hours for Labor Day weekend:

Friday 9 AM - 9 PM
Saturday 9 AM - 10 PM
Sunday 9 AM - 10 PM
Monday 9 AM - 9 PM

Some of the cool shows at SeaWorld this weekend include "Shamu Rocks" that features killer whales set to music and a great light show, "Reflections" that displays fireworks and water fountains, and "Sea Lions Tonight" which exhibits large Sea Lions as comedians. You won't want to miss this hilarious event.

As the Summer comes to close, be sure to get the most of your Orlando Vacation with an unforgettable time at SeaWorld Orlando.

Universal Studios Orlando follows Disney's Ticket Increase

Recently, Walt Disney World increased their ticket prices across the board for their theme parks for the forth year in a row. This move surprised many because Disney chose to do this among a staggering economy. Disney tickets rose by about an average of 4%. The children's ticket, which is for ages three to nine, rose 7.9%. This was the highest increase for any of the Disney Tickets. Disney sells plenty of multi-day passes and these received the lowest price increase.

There over 50 attractions alone in the Orlando area competing with Disney for their part of the Florida Tourism Dollar. Disney is certainly the leader in the Orlando Vacation market by far. So, when Disney makes a change the rest of the parks follow.

Universal Studios Orlando is no different. So, when Disney raised their prices on the first Sunday in August, Universal studios was set to soon follow but with a twist. Single day ticket prices have gone from $73 to $79 at the gate, but rather than increase their prices for all of their ticket options, their online tickets and multi-day passes have remained unchanged at least for now.

Universal has stated that their most popular and best selling ticket prices did not receive a price increase. Those ticket prices remain the same.

I guess that the only question to ask at this point. Is Seaworld next?