8 Ways to Save on Your Orlando Vacation

Orlando, Florida is synonymous with family fun. Home to some of the best theme parks in the world, Orlando offers exciting thrills, close encounters with your favorite cartoon characters and amazing ways to spend your summer days with your family. This summer season money is tight for many families and some are struggling to ensure their families can still have an unforgettable, deserved vacation. Look no further than Orlando, Florida for the one-stop, do-it-all destination you and your family have been searching for. Even though budgets are tight and gas prices are high, Central Florida is a vacation destination offering discounts and cheap things to do in Orlando making it easy for any family to enjoy some summer fun.

Here are 8 ways to save on your Orlando Vacation:

1) Purchase a Go Orlando Card for discounts on over 50 Orlando attractions, including Cypress Gardens, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, Kennedy Space Center, Wonderworks and more. Do as much as you like each day for one low, affordable price. The Go Orlando Card is easy to use....simply present the card. Visit as many attractions as you want in a day! Admission to all listed attractions is included with the card. It comes in 1, 2, 3, 5 & 7 day increments and is activated the first time you use it. Days do not have to be used consecutively, and you can take up to 2 weeks to use it.

2) Discover our Orlando Direct Deals page on ReserveOrlando.com. There are great deals on Orlando tickets and discounts for Orlando attractions. A few of the discounted Orlando activities include Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show, Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Tours, Wet ‘n Wild and Arabian Nights Dinner Show to name a few.

3) Orlando vacation packages are another great way to save in Orlando. On ReserveOrlando.com there are packages available featuring Universal Studios, Disney World, Gatorland, Cypress Gardens and Wet ‘n Wild. They are a great way to save money and still have fun!

4) Your won’t find Cheap Disney Tickets anywhere, but you’ll certainly find the best Discount Disney Tickets and Park Hopper Passes on ReserveOrlando.com. There are special deals offering free days at Disney World or you can get a great low price ticket for a 1-3 day pass. The deals are available, are you?

5) Universal Studios Orlando discounts are also available on ReserveOrlando.com. We are proud to offer the some of the best discount Universal Studios tickets around, with deals the whole family will enjoy. Our prices are way lower than gate prices, and offerings include a 2 park unlimited admission pass and a CityWalk Party Pass ticket.

6) There are plenty of Free Things to do in Orlando. Spend some time at Lake Eola Park, visit a museum like the Cornell Fine Arts Museum or explore Old Town, where every Saturday night free rock-n-roll concert and a parade of 300 vintage cars. There are plenty of outdoor activities for families and historical sites to visit, so be sure to check out all of the Free activities in Orlando.

7) Get a Central Florida Play Pass. This 7-day pass features unlimited admission to seven unique and out of the ordinary attractions and museums, including Cypress Gardens, Fantasy of Flight and Bok Tower Gardens. The pass is flexible, you can come and go as much as you like at each location, plus it’s a great value for families!

8) Take a short trip to the beach. Orlando may be in central Florida, but a trip to the beach is just a short drive away. Cocoa Beach is the closest beach to Orlando, with about an hour drive time on SR-528 to the east. Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach are about an hour and a half away, and are located east on I-4. A trip to the beach is cheap, fun and family friendly!

Orlando Theme Parks Add New Elements for Repeat Fun

High above International Drive, Wet 'n Wild patrons prepare to slide down the water park's newly revamped Black Hole attraction. Along its 500-foot plummet, they might encounter strobes, lasers, a shimmering water wall and sudden changes in temperature before splashing down.


But even if those riders immediately return to the top, they're not likely to have the same experience. That's because the ride's special effects now occur in random sequences, one of the newest techniques used by theme parks and attractions to lure customers back for a second -- or third -- round.


"Theme parks have figured out that the real money is in the repeat visitors -- getting people to come back and do the ride again and again," said Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, a Web site devoted to theme parks. "The way to do that is either create something that's just so incredible and amazing that people can't ever get enough of it -- or change it around so that it's different next time," he said.


The forerunner of the ever-changing rides is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Built in 1994, it entered multiple-personality mode five years ago when random sequencing was introduced to its 13-story plunges.Variable factors include ride time, drop length and air time. Since then, advances in technology have encouraged theme-park companies to create more attractions with user options and fluid features.


At the Wet 'n Wild ride -- now called The Black Hole: The Next Generation -- riders select one of two slides, each with different effects and sequences. Technology developed since Black Hole debuted 10 years ago can help keep it fresh, said David Wright, director of marketing for the park. "We have the ability to continually program the lights and the effects," he said. "We could change the sequencing [again]."


Toy Story Mania, a computerized shooting-gallery-style attraction now in previews at Disney's Hollywood Studios, was designed with repeat business in mind, said Imagineer Chrissie Allen, a producer for the ride.In the new 3-D ride, players launch virtual objects (darts, baseballs, cream pies) toward targets that appear on screens. It makes guests feel as though they've been shrunk to toy size to play five pint-sized arcade games.

The scoring system appears, but a video-game staple known as Easter eggs -- hidden or secret bonus targets -- can catapult a player's score. "You'll discover things each time you play," Allen said. "It gives you a higher level of challenge each time you come back and play. We have team members who haven't found all of them yet, and they've been riding hundreds of times," she said. "We think that's going to be a really big selling point for the ride."


"The way we amuse ourselves is in flux", said Niles of Theme Park Insider. "The consumer-entertainment model has changed over the past generation from passive entertainment such as movies and TV to more active entertainment like video games and the Web," he said. "So it makes sense that the theme-park industry would react to that and start introducing rides that incorporate a little bit more active technology."


Universal Studios will tap into the trend of personalized entertainment with a roller coaster set to open next spring. Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit will feature traditional hills and spills but also permit riders to pick their own soundtracks and create music videos of the experience. They'll be able to download those videos for use on their personal Web sites.


"It really came from the trend in youth culture of being able to customize their world -- whether it's music selections to what they watch on television to what they carry around with them for entertainment," said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative for Universal Parks & Resorts. "It's important, in our thinking, to be able to transform the ride experience to that next generation, really the YouTube generation," he said.


"Technology will improve. There's a reason why [video game] Grand Theft Auto IV looks, feels, acts and behaves much differently from Pong or Breakout or early-generation video games," Niles said. "You're going to see the same type of development within the theme-park industry," he said. "I don't know if it will happen quite as impressively, quite as quickly as it did with video games. But you're definitely going to see growth and change."


Information courtesy of Orlando Sentinel

Getaway for Labor Day in Orlando, FL

A getaway to Orlando, FL is a great way to celebrate the Labor Day Holiday. Orlando offers a great combination of exciting shows, attractions and unique adventures. There are also fantastic places to stay in Orlando, including luxury and family friendly resorts. The warm weather in Orlando creates several more options for visitors, including golf, zoos, parks and gardens

Attractions in Orlando range from the bigger than life attractions, such as Disney World Theme Park, to unique attractions, like Gatorland. There are numerous things to do in Orlando, and many of them have to do with embracing the kid we all have inside of us. At Disney World, visitors can visit four distinctly different theme parks, including the Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios. During the Labor Day Holiday, Disney will be celebrating with a Pirate and Princess Party as well as with theTom Joyner Family Reunion Special. Another great attraction is Cypress Gardens. This nostalgic theme park embraces the beauty of yesteryear along with the thrill rides of today. Their park will have Gretchen Wilson as a guest performer Sunday, September 2nd. Universal Orlando Resort is a great place for families. Universal Studios, Universal’s Island of Adventure and Universal CityWalk offer a myriad of activities for those of all ages.

There are several ways to see scenic Orlando. Take advantage of a Black Hammock Airboat Adventure, a cruise on the Rivership Romance, an airlifting experience on Thunderhawk Hot Air Balloon Adventures, or a stroll through Silver Springs Nature Park. All of these attractions provide a unique way to experience Orlando at its finest. Other unique things to do in Orlando include the Magical Midway, WonderWorks, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Orlando Shows are exciting too, with several dinner shows and theatrical performances available to choose from. Some of the favorite shows include Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show, Don Giovanni by Mozart and Pirates Dinner Adventure. The always popular Dixie Stampede Dinner Show is performed daily in Orlando as well.

During your Labor Day Getaway, you’ll want a nice place to stay in Orlando. Luckily, the lodging options in Orlando include everything from motels to luxury resorts, with bargain rates available. A few of the choice lodging options include Floridays Resort, Regal Palms Resort, Radisson Resort Orlando, Best Western Lake Buena Vista, Blue Tree Resort, Clarion Hotel Maingate and Meridian Palms Hotel. Orlando Vacation Homes are also a popular option. Advantage Vacation Homes, Sunsplash Vacation Homes, The Florida Store Vacation Rentals and #1 Dream Homes allow guests to have a home away from home while they enjoy all Orlando has to offer.

A quick trip to Orlando, Florida can revive any weary worker. This Labor Day Holiday, treat yourself to the Orlando Experience. You’ll be glad you did!

Summer Fun in Orlando, Florida

Summer fun and Orlando go hand in hand. The family friendly atmosphere combined with all of the wonderful things to do in Orlando create the perfect vacation destination. Orlando is known for its great theme parks, like Walt Disney World, but there’s a whole world of fun to discover in Orlando, Florida.

Entertainment in Orlando begins with family attractions like Walt Disney World, Cypress Gardens, Fun Spot Action Park, Magical Midway and Wet ‘n Wild Orlando. Walt Disney World, Florida’s premier family fun park, invites guests into a magical world where everyone can be a kid again. A trip to the Animal Kingdom, an enchanted journey through the Magic Kingdom, exploring Disney-MGM studios and the wonders of Epcot is all a part of the magical world of Disney. The rides, the characters and the experience are something you and your family will treasure for years to come. Other theme parks in Orlando, like Cypress Gardens, allow families to experience roller coasters, family shows, and animals and botanical gardens that make this a unique compliment to Walt Dinsey World. Both can be a part of your families summer vacation! If water rides are your favorite summer activity, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando is a cool way to cool down and have some fun! There rides, like Brain Wash, will give guests the splash of fun they need.

Summertime in Orlando is also a great time to discover Outdoor Orlando. There are several thrilling ways to view scenic Orlando, including Thunderhawk Aviation Hot Air Balloon Rides and Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, where you’ll see a different side this vacation destination. Several other attractions in Orlando allow guests to enjoy the history, beauty and excitement of Orlando. The Miami Everglades Adventure Tour takes guest on a discovery tour through the Everglades, complete with a stop in famous South Beach. Kennedy Space Center is also a great place for families, where education fun and history combine for a unique experience. Gatorland is another one of Orlando’s attractions that top visitors’ to do lists. This alligator theme park presents gators, exciting shows, nature area and a water park that’s unique, fun and exciting.

Families can enjoy many activities in Orlando, including Orlando shows. A family favorite is the Dixie Stampede and Dinner Show, where you’ll feast on a delicious four-course feast while enjoying a theatrical production complete with comedy, music and animals.

A vacation to Orlando is an easy summer getaway that will create memories that are treasured for years.