Sea World’s annual fun fall fun festival, the Halloween Spooktacular begins this week in Orlando. This sweet and not scary Halloween festival is ideal for families with small children and runs every weekend through Halloween nights.
The Halloween Spooktacular offers plenty to see and do and is the perfect place to spend a weekend afternoon if you have small children. Sea World offers plenty of whimsical strolling characters and a Halloween experience that is centered on fun, not scares. Choose this event if you want to enjoy the season without seeing a lot of scary or gory sites; the focus here is on fall and fun.
Guests visiting Sea World’s Halloween Spooktacular can expect to visit plenty of dedicated Trick or Treating stations featuring different kid friendly candies, including Airheads, Mentos and assorted chocolates. Arts and crafts, sand art and even caramel apple decorating stations are available at different Spoooktacular locations as well.
Part of the fun of visiting Sea World is seeing Shamu and his watery pals. October is a great time to visit Sea World, with fewer lines and great weather, so you’ll be able to spend plenty of time visiting with the park’s marine inhabitants while you explore the party.
Little ones will enjoy the Sesame Street themed Countdown to Halloween, featuring Count Von Count and the opportunity to meet Elmo and pals. Kids are welcome to show up in costume for this event.
The Halloween Spooktacular is included with your regular park admission; there is no additional charge for attending the Halloween events. Make the Halloween Spooktacular part of your fall Orlando vacation plans by visiting Sea World any weekend in October. The event runs on both Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month, and on Friday, October 28th as well.
Don’t forget to check out our great deals on Sea World vacation packages to Orlando. Right now, if you purchase a Sea World package deal complete with hotel, we will give you $20.00 off on your tickets as compared to the gate price. This offer is valid until December 31, 2011.
If your idea of the ideal Orlando vacation includes a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios, you won’t want to miss the special events scheduled for mid-November 2011. Timed to coincide with the 11-11-11 DVD release of the final chapter of the saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2, the event spans three days and features plenty of special perks for Potter fans.
This event, titled “A Celebration of the Harry Potter Films at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter” promises visitors some exclusive perks and an inside look at the films and filming. Cast interviews, behind the scenes looks at the films and the building of the Harry Potter theme park and a set of blue-ray movies await those who sign up for this exclusive package.
There are a limited number of Universal Studios Orlando packages available for the event, which runs from November 11-13 and features perks like early admission to the Wizarding World and commemorative pins. The premier packages have already sold out, but some spots remain for the “Celebration” package. Celebration event packages include a 4 night stay at a Universal Partner Hotel, Orlando, a 3 day park ticket and plenty of Harry Potter themed extras.
The AMC theater at Universal will be screening all eight Harry Potter films during this event, so if you missed out on one when it was in the theater, you’ll have another chance to catch it on the big screen.
Even if you don’t make it to the official celebration, you can make a visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter a part of any Orlando vacation. The village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts school and a host of Harry Potter themed rides and attractions await visitors to the Islands of Adventure theme park each day of the year, making this a don’t miss part of your Orlando vacation.
With October just around the corner, most families are beginning to think about Halloween parties and costumes. The event staff at the Magic Kingdom has been hard at work for weeks, putting the finishing touches on one of the year’s most popular events — Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Cheerful Jack-O-Lanterns adorn the Magic Kingdom for the Halloween party.
This sweet and not very scary event is ideal for all members of the family, with trick or treating, rare character sightings and a special Halloween parade. This kid-friendly event requires special tickets, and takes place after hours in the Magic Kingdom. Most rides and attractions are open for the party, making it an ideal time to ride favorites like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight without waiting in long lines.
You’ll need to secure your tickets in advance, then show up on the day of the party to get your trick or treat bag and wristband. Guests without wristbands will be asked to leave the park prior to the party kickoff time. Once you check in, you’ll also receive a special party park map, which details trick or treating stations, dance party locations and the night’s schedule.
Kids and adults are encouraged to wear costumes for the party, and should expect to see plenty of Disney characters roaming the park. The 2010 event featured plenty of strolling Disney villains, from Lady Tremaine (Cinderella’s wicked stepmother) to the Queen of Hearts. The longest line of the night was to greet Snow White and all Seven Dwarfs.
Bring your camera to capture all of the special decorations Disney puts out for the evening; from live performances outside the Haunted Mansion to an interactive play area (complete with prizes) outside Pirates of the Caribbean.
Finish off your night by viewing the “Boo to You” parade, complete with Haunted Mansion-themed floats and the Headless Horseman, who kicks off the parade with a daring ride down Main Street USA. The dazzling “Hallowishes” fireworks spectacular finishes off the evening; hosted by your favorite Disney villains.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is available on select nights in September and October, and advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended.
The lush scenery and awe-inspiring landscapes of James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster Avatar will make a mark on Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2015. According to a recent announcement by the Disney Company, an entire land themed on the film is coming to the theme park, joining Asia, Africa and DinoLand U.S.A. Disney expects to break ground on the new land in 2013, and it will take about two years to complete.
The timing of the new Disney World land lines up with the planned releases of two Avatar sequels, currently in planning or production. “With two new Avatar films currently in development, we’ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” filmmaker James Cameron explained during the press briefing.
Disney fans may recall the original Animal Kingdom concept art included a land based on fantasy creatures, the Beastly Kingdom. Few signs remain of the Beastly Kingdom concept — sharp-eyed visitors will note that one parking lot is labeled “Unicorn” and a beast-themed boat landing can be found near the Winnie the Pooh greeting area.
The arrival of Avatar land may signal an embrace of the fantasy elements that gave the original Beastly Kingdom so much fan appeal. Guests can expect Avatar land to resemble Pandora, the lush landscape highlighted in the film; the Animal Kingdom’s strong conservation message goes well with Avatar’s eco-consious stance as well.
While there is no news yet on the actual rides or attractions planned for Avatar in Disney World, the success of the recently revamped Star Tours shows Disney’s expertise in combining movies and ride technology. Expect to hear more about Avatar and Disney World as plans progress; curious park visitors can start looking for signs of construction in early 2013.
Sea World announced today that they are going raise their ticket prices by $2. This is not a real shock as many of the theme parks in Orlando typically raise their prices during the Fall Season as this is usually when their fiscal year begins, and it is also considered low travel season. The adult price for 1 day admission to Sea World is now $81.99, the last time Sea World raised their ticket prices was November 2010 when they went from $78.99 to $79.99.
As a token of our appreciation to our guests we are offering Sea World tickets at $20 off the gate price if you purchase the tickets between now and December 31, 2011. In order to get this special discount you must stay at one of our participating hotels. Please check our our Sea World Orlando packages.
Sea World Orlando is an amazing value
Please note, in order to receive these tickets you DO NOT have to attend a time share presentation. We are able to offer these savings by taking some of the commission we make from selling the hotel room to offset the cost of the ticket.
The next time you visit Disney World be careful of who you order pizza through. I just saw on the news where con artist are putting flyers out at area Orlando hotels advertising great pizza specials. The guest, thinking it is a legitimate company, calls the company up and orders a couple of pizzas, but beside having the pizzas delivered to their rooms within a couple minutes these con artist rip the guests off by charging up their credit cards.
You know with the economy not getting any better, we are hearing about these types of scams more and more every day. Here are a few tips to protect yourself when you are here in Orlando:
1. Ask the hotel front desk if you receive a flyer advertising a good or service. If it is a reputable company the hotel employees should know something about them.
2. Use your debit card sparingly. It is much easier for you to dispute a charge and have the disputed amount added to your available funds. To have money returned to your checking account through a debit card can take up to 7 business days (more than likely by the time you have your money back in your checking account your vacation is already over with).
3. Use the safes in the hotel rooms to your advantage. Don’t go to the theme parks with all your money in your wallet. If you happen to lose your wallet or you get pick pocketed it could spell disaster. Carry only enough cash to cover the souvenirs and food you will need for that day, and also leave at least one major credit card in the safe along with your spare cash.
I thought it would be fun to rate the 4 best water parks in Orlando. Now let me say this is by no means a scientific study and I did not even survey other guests about which ones they like the best. This is just one mans opinion on the best water parks in Orlando.
1. Blizzard Beach- Whenever Disney decides to do something, they usually do it really well, and with Blizzard Beach it is no exception. This is a great water park with a lot of great rides.
2. Aquatica- Sea World out did themselves with this water park. It can be really crowded (yes even more crowded they Blizzard Beach) but it is a really great park to visit. My favorite attraction is lazy river. Now this lazy river is not like any other lazy river I have been on, you actually put on a life vest and jump in. Make sure to pick your feet up and current will wisk you away. Most lazy rivers include a raft or an inner tube but not this one.
3. Typhoon Lagoon- I really had a hard time ranking Typhoon Lagoon third on the list because it is a really nice park. It is a little smaller than Blizzard Beach but bigger than Aquatica.
4. Wet and Wild- In any other city Wet and Wild would be the hottest attraction around; however, Orlando has some really tough competition. This park has a lot of fun rides but it’s location and not being directly tide to a major theme parks is the reason of the low rankings.
Please feel free to post a comment about your favorite Orlando water park.
Since most people who visit the Disney World Theme Parks live in Florida…it only makes sense that the Florida Resident Specials are going to be the biggest discounts which Disney offers. If you have not noticed, Disney World tickets increased a couple of weeks ago and while many sites have posted the new ticket prices online, not many of them have published the new Florida Resident discount ticket prices (below you will see we have done this for you).
New Disney Florida Resident Ticket Prices for 2011.
3 Day Base Ticket $138 Adult $127 Child
4 Day Base Ticket $172 Adult $ 158 Child
5 Day Base Ticket $ 214 Adult $197 Child
As you can see, a three day Florida resident base ticket is $138 while the 3 day base ticket to non-Florida residents is $232 so the savings is quite substantial. In order to qualify for the Florida resident specials we can order the tickets online for you but you will have to pick them up at the Will Call desk near the parks. Disney has guests pick these tickets up at will call to prevent non-Florida residents from purchasing them and trying to use them at the parks. If a guests should go to the will call window and they cannot produce a Florida drivers license or a Florida issued ID then they will not be able to pick the tickets up. It is important that if you are going to use Florida resident tickets that you will need to bring your Florida ID with you…this is the only way Disney can know for sure that you are a Florida resident.
In addition to getting great discounts on theme park tickets we also offer great hotel deals to Florida residents. If you come during the slow season such as
Recently I went to Canada for a quick weekend getaway with one of my good friends and it was a total adventure and not in a good way. The flights were never on time and the delay on one flight caused us to miss another flight and the whole trip just snowballed from there.
Often times we are asked by guests who we recommend for an airline and we are usually very reluctant to give any of them our recommendation. However, I read a report recently that Airtran, which is based in Orlando, and SouthWest Airlines were ranked number one in both customer service and percentage of on time flights. The ironic thing about this news is that Southwest is in the process of purchasing Airtran Airlines and the sale should be completed the first few months of 2012. These two airlines are also two of the largest and least expensive carriers which service the Orlando International Airport, so I would check their prices first.
Here are a few tips if you are looking to fly into Orlando:
Fly direct if you can…the more layovers you have the more chance for the airlines to lose your luggage or for delays.
Remember, almost all the airlines are charging for bags so pack as lightly as possible.
Orlando is probably going to be hotter than where you are traveling from. It would be a good idea to wear a short sleeve shirt and a jacket when leaving your hometown this way you can shed the jacket when you get here.
Get to the airport at least 90 minutes before you are scheduled to depart.
Make sure you have proper ID and check-in online. This way you can print your boarding passes the night before and have everything ready prior to leaving for the airport.
Plan for transportation from the Orlando Airport to your lodging destination prior to leaving your hometown. Remember, if you are planning on taking a taxi from the airport to a hotel near Disney World it will cost you around $40 or more.
Wear comfortable, side on shoes when flying. Remember you need to take them off to go through security.
I was reading the other day about the progess they are making at Lego Land and I am super excited about this new park opening up. If you are not familiar with LegoLand let me bring you quickly up to speed. Legoland is going to operate on the same parcel of land that Cypress Gardens used to sit on and this theme park is really targeting people of all ages but it is mainly geared towards children 11 years old and younger.
Lego Land is Coming Soon to Orlando!
From what I hear, they are really having to do a lot of renovation to the old Cypress Gardens facilities to bring them up to code. In fact, they are actually tearing down more buildings as they have found that it is going to be cheaper to rebuild them then it will be for them to actually bring them to current codes. The target date for the theme park to open is October 2011; however, as with most large construction projects I think it will probably open in January 2012.
I was just thinking the other day with the addition to Legoland, parents are going to have to spend at least a week here in Orlando to see everything (and at that I’m not sure you can fit it all in). Not only does Orlando have Disney World with it’s four major theme parks, but you also have Universal Studios with two major theme parks, SeaWorld, and now Legoland. What a great time to be offering travel deals to Orlando…with all these great products Orlando is in great position to keep their status as the World’s #1 Family Destination.
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