what to do in Orlando on vacation

November 16th, 2010

Most people visiting Orlando are coming to visit the theme parks. It is estimated there are over 55 million visitors each year who visit Central Florida and most of them spend some or all of their vacation either at Walt Disney World, SeaWorld or Universal Studios theme parks. There are seven big theme parks and numerous water parks in the area.

When people look to Orlando, they initially think of Disney World for back in the early 1970’s this region was nothing but orange groves. Today because of the popularity of the attractions, it is the second fastest big city in the United States.

But Disney World is not located in Orlando. No, actually Disney and its neighbor theme parks….SeaWorld and Universal Studios are located to the south of the city.

Disney World could actually be a city unto itself for it is home to 58,000 workers and encompasses some 30,500 acres or 47 square miles.

Two cities actually claim parts of the “magic”. Lake Buena Vista has the northern portion of the park and to the south and east of the park, Kissimmee claims the larger portion.

Most all of the tourist attractions….theme parks, exhibits, as well as shows are located around Walt Disney World. Orlando is actually some 45 minute drive from the theme parks and because of it’s out of the way location does not house much in the way of attractions. If you are coming to Orlando we suggest you look for Disney World Good Neighbor hotels or Lake Buena Vista hotels.

Holiday Inn near Disney World

October 21st, 2010

The Orlando Holiday Inn near Disney World is one of the many hotels in the area that can live up to what it’s showing in its promotional pictures. Recently refurbished this February 2010, Holiday Inn retained all its luxurious amenities while giving the guests a taste of real opulence and comfortable accommodations perfect for enjoying all the magical experiences Disney World has to offer. There is a number of overlooking pools with ample sized balconies. Each room is equipped with a personal safe, a fridge, and all the amenities any guest can need to make their stay as comfortable as they want it to be. All beds are comfortably made and guests can have their own choice between hard or soft pillows.

If you are planning to tour all the theme parks in Orlando, Florida including the world famous Disney World Resort, it is best to obtain an accommodation that is as comfortable as the accommodation offered at Holiday Inn. This makes an excellent base to tour all the attractions in Florida where you can have a comfortable room to stay in after a day full of adventure and excitement.

The Holiday Inn located in Orlando, Florida is one of the best hotels you can ever have if you have plans to enjoy a wonderful holiday vacation. The good thing about this hotel is that it is ideally located near various tourist hot spots in the state. This means that you can have a fantastic time exploring all the wonderful things Orlando can offer without boosting your transportation expenses. A short walk will allow you to visit the world famous Disney World, where there are numerous rides to enjoy. You can also have time to visit and have fun at Sea World and Universal Studios which is in close proximity to Holiday Inn, Orlando.

Best Orlando hotel swimming pools

October 18th, 2010

There are quite a number of interesting Orlando Hotel swimming pools in Florida where you can book an accommodation on your next visit to Orlando. But if you want to have a luxurious experience while in the area, you need to choose the best Orlando hotel swimming pools that offer more character and more than just a typical place to spend the night in. there are several Orlando hotel resorts you can choose from where you can enjoy not only the swimming pools they have onsite, but other world class amenities as well.

Water slides at many Orlando hotels are becoming very popular

If you want to have an all Florida inspired accommodation, you can consider booking a room at Gaylord Palms which is one big resort hotel with its glass atrium, containing five hotel restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a man made Florida creek, all complete with authentic Florida wildlife. The hotel also boasts four onsite swimming pools with two pools specially designed for families. It’s well known giant octopus themed waterslide and fantastic water fountains are a major draw-in for children. They also have a separate for – adults – only pool where you can have a relaxing moment away from the excitement of children frolicking in the water.

You can also have an exciting stay at Peabody Hotel in Orlando, which is only one among several Peabody Hotels in the country. This hotel boasts an Olympic outdoor swimming pool, not to mention the world famous March of the Peabody Ducks. For families on a holiday with all their kids, it is worth staying at the Nickelodeon Hotel specially designed to cater to kids and kids at heart. The entire hotel is themed Nickelodeon style and kids will surely love it, for they will certainly recognize many of the famous cartoon characters that have been featured on Nickelodeon. The main attraction in this hotel is the colossal outdoor water park where children can enjoy water slides and it also has its own play areas.

Best Orlando hotel amenities

October 5th, 2010

When choosing a hotel to book an accommodation, it is inevitable to expect that the hotel room has all the standard amenities in it that can make your stay comfortable. You may even expect to see the common rooms fitted with all the necessary furniture and equipment you do not normally see at your home. Although your expectations may differ from the standards of other hotel visitors, there are some of the best hotel amenities to look for which will determine whether or not your stay will be a comfortable one. Most Orlando hotels have the basic amenities, including comfortable seating, well made beds with quality linens, bath towels, complementary toiletries, and other hotel supplies.

Many Orlando hotels are adding putt putt to their amenities

In the cutthroat business of the hotel industry, amenities are the determining factors that set apart one hotel from another. Hotel amenities also have the power to instantly impress prospective visitors in choosing their hotel. But among the best hotel amenities to look for, you need to consider whether or not they have excellent guest rooms, conference rooms for business travelers, fitness centers for the health enthusiasts and other facilities that can enhance the level of comfort you can experience from a particular hotel. Other simple hotel amenities you can consider also include an in – bedroom entertainment system, air conditioning, hair dryer, and personal safe, among many others.
The fact is, if you are willing to spend top dollars, you can certainly have the best hotel amenities because only top hotels can offer you the luxury you are looking for. But for those who are on a tight budget, there are two and three star hotels that offer top of the line amenities at half the price for an accommodation you can get from five star hotels. It will all come down to how much you are willing to spend to enjoy a comfortable accommodation with all the excellent amenities and facilities the hotel can offer.

Shuttle from the Orlando International Airport

September 28th, 2010

If you are flying into Orlando, our suggestion to all our clients is to rent a car. It cost around $17 per person to take a shuttle bus from the Orlando International Airport to one of the Disney World area hotels. If we run the math on this a family of four will pay $68 to get the hotel and another $68 to get back to the airport. This is $136 in shuttle bus fees, an economy sized rental car would not cost you much more for a weekly rental.

Here is another thing to think about…why does Disney offer free shuttle service to guests who are staying in a Disney owned hotel? Simple, MONEY! Disney knows if they get you to their property without a car you are going to eat all your meals at Disney restaurants and do all your shopping at Disney shops. The merchandise is huge business for Disney, and almost everything is marked up if you buy it through Disney or on Disney World property. Food is 25% more expensive and anything you buy at a store is marked up quite a bit.

Now if you have your own car, you can save a lot of money on your Disney World vacation by simply driving a mile or two off  Disney World property. Just look at the hotels, look at how much cheaper a hotel off Disney World property is as compared to a hotel on Disney World property. The same principal applies with restaurants and shops…everybody is competing with Disney World and they need to give the guests a reason to drive the mile or two off property. Saving money is a great motivator!

Orlando Hotels Check In Times

September 24th, 2010

Most of our guests want to check in as soon as possible, but the hotels also need time to allow the previous guests to checkout. Then they need time to have their cleaning staff and head housekeeper inspect the rooms prior to allowing another guests to check-in. The standard check-in time for the Orlando hotels near Disney is 4pm.

What do you do if are arriving early? If you are traveling during low season and the hotel has plenty of rooms available then you should have no problem checking in early. If you are traveling during high season, most hotels offer an early check-in for a small fee…usually around $25 to $35. If you are wanting to check-in early and you are traveling during high season, it is best to call the hotel and let them know you are desiring an early check-in.

Here is our suggestion if you are getting to Orlando early. Most guests who are staying in one of the hotels we represent are more than likely going to be visiting one of the three major theme parks in Orlando. Our suggestion is to go to the hotel and pre-register for your room, once you have registered have the hotel store your luggage with the bell hop and then head to the theme park. Go to the parks and enjoy yourself, since you have already pre-registered once you return to your hotel the check-in process should only take a few minutes. This will not only save you money, but it also keeps you  from being annoyed by having to sit around in the lobby for a couple of hours. Another idea is that you could use the restroom in the lobby to change into your swim trunks and enjoy the pool until your room is ready.

We hope this little tip helps you, and we look forward to having you in town.

Pet Friendly hotels near Disney World

August 31st, 2010

If your idea of family vacation to Disney World includes even the family dog or family cat, you’ll need to find a pet friendly hotel in the Orlando area. To assist your search, we’ve created a list of pet friendly hotels and their respective fees. Remember, the only alternative is boarding  your pet at the kennel at Walt Disney World, which is more expensive than most hotel fees.
Pet friendly hotels in Orlando include:
•    Best Western inside Walt Disney Word. Guests at Best Western in Walt Disney World can bring a max 2 pets, no more than 80 pounds each, for a small fee $10.00 per day.
•    Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort in Lake Buena Vista allow pets of a smaller size, with their max weight at 30 pounds per pet. Sunspree charges $40 per night for a maximum of two pets and a seven night maximum stay.
•    Holiday Inn Maingate East in Kissimmee has new property that  allow pets 40 pounds and smaller in its standard double rooms, for a fee of $10.
•    Seralago hotel in Kissimee allows pets in its standard deluxe rooms, for a fee of $40 per pet, per stay.
If you’re considering a vacation home in Orlando but you’re wondering which ones allow pets, Emerald Isle Resorts in Kissimmee allows certain pets, just call ahead to check before you make your reservation. Remember, if you plan on traveling with a pet, your airline will likely charge you extra, and be sure to pick up after your pet when you’re walking them on the property of any vacation resort area.



Most Popular Hotel Amenities

August 16th, 2010

We surveyed 435 guests coming through orlandovacation.com asking them this simple question: when looking for a hotel, what was the top three amenities you found to be attractive? The top 10 answers are listed below. Some will surprise you.

A picture of a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel Swimming Pool

1. Location…proximity to Disney World. This was mentioned by 44% of the respondents as one of the top three amenities they were seeking.

2. Free hot breakfast…21% of the respondents had this one selected in their top three top choices. Interesting…today, hotels are moving away from FREE food.

3. Free Shuttle Service to the theme parks…17% listed this in their top three choices. Again, somewhat amazing, our respondents want this service, but when it comes to going to the parks, you will find that the shuttle buses are running back and forth to the theme parks with only a handful of passengers.

4. Internet connectivity or wifi…Now, this is way up from former years when we did the study. This just goes to show how young families all want to stay connected.

5. Big screen television in the room….This wasn’t even mentioned five years ago. Now look at it, 9% of the respondents had it in the top three amenities they sought prior to making a reservation.

6. Number of swimming pools….With more and more Orlando Resorts spending big time especially in the pool area, there is no wonder this made the list. However as with big screen televisions this was not mentioned five years ago.

7. Refrigerator or Microwave in the room…This slipped a bit as many Disney Good Neighbor Hotels have either added such or have not hi-lighted them in there sales material.

8. FREE newspaper in the morning….This is where it has always appeared around the eight spot. People want the paper, but when you look at newspaper sales, the public gets most of their news from the internet or television.

9. Free Cable Movie Channels…HBO and Showtime were big draws five to ten years ago, now young families are more into their kids and television is not really that important to the family especially when they are on vacation.

10. On site Restaurant and Lounge….this slipped almost off the page. Back a number of years ago, families visiting Disney World wanted a full service hotel with the restaurant and lounge. This was for convenience. Today, younger families are more prone to venture from their hotel to get the bill of fare the family is custom to eating.

Well, there you go 435 people told us what they thought. How does this measure up to what you are looking for as you decide to visit Orlando this coming year?

Activities near Disney World Hotels

July 12th, 2010

If your family plans to spend more than a couple days in the Orlando area, they’ll be eager to explore exciting attractions besides the most popular parks at Disney. Fans of NASCAR or anyone who fills the need for speed will enjoy a day at Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World Speedway, part of the Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World. For packages starting at $110, you can experience the unforgettable thrill of traveling traveling at 130 miles pher hour in a 600 horsepower NASCAR-style stock car. Novices should consider the Ride-Along package, which includes three laps with a professional instructor. For those who are a little more bold, there’s the Rookie experience and the King’s experience. The Rookie Experience puts you in the driver’s seat for eight laps around the track, and the King’s experience includes two sessions, of eight laps and 10 laps, each.

Obviously, the Richard Petty Driving Experience appeals to thrill seekers and those old enough to drive, but there are plenty of other great attractions   In addition to the Richard Petty Driving Experience, other attractions that the entire family can enjoy, such as WonderWorks. Located in the heart of the world famous stretch of road known as International Drive, WonderWorks is an enormous, 82-foot tall museum designed to appear upside-down. Rainy days in Orlando are the perfect time to visit WonderWorks massive layout includes a lazer tag course, a virtual roller coaster, a 3 Story Indoor Ropes Challenge Course and a 4D extreme motion ride which features a flight simulator.

If your family enjoys outdoor adventures, there are several different airboat ride companies around the edges of Orange County, including Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, which is open every day of the year except Christmas, from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Airboat Rides are a great way to see Florida’s incredible wildlife up close and in person, including alligators.

Please give us a call if we can assist you in making reservations at a Disney World hotel.

Green hotels in Orlando

June 26th, 2010

Hotels are always trying to find a way to cut cost and with a huge green movement sweeping across America there are hotels which are offering discounts to clients if they want ‘green service’. What is green service? It is where the hotel will only clean your room once every three days, and they will only provide the guests clean towels.

This discount can be quite a bit of savings…a guest can save upwards to $20 a day. Now, I don’t know about you but this is a pretty good amount of savings for a service that is not really that great to begin with. Keep in mind, most guests staying in a Kissimmee hotel are traveling with kids and as you well know kids can mess up a hotel room in about 3 seconds flat. So I would expect this service to really catch fire in the Orlando area.

Kissimmee hotels are not offering this service on stays that are less than 3 nights. Obviously they do not want guests to use their room as party central and destroy it. The thinking is that when the cleaners go into a room they can keep an eye on it and make sure it is not being destroyed. The other thought is that most guests who are staying for four or more nights are typically not using the room to party in.