posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 28
Authors Mike and Julie Neal recently announced a new edition of their award winning Disney World guidebook series entitled “The Complete Walt Disney World 2010” which is published by Coconut Press.
The Complete Walt Disney World 2010
Julie and Mike are proud of some of the new features of the book which particularly help parents in touring the Walt Disney World® Parks. This includes child-focused “fear factors”, height requirements for attractions, and estimated wait times for every ride. These practical tips also help any parent plan the details of their magical getaway including new ticket tables, touring plans and important keys for saving time and money. Mike and Julie have also doubled the book’s color photos, increased the size of the Animal Kingdom section and as mentioned above, added many money saving and practical tips to the book.
We recommend any Disney traveler purchase this guide if you are planning a Disney World® vacation in 2010 or beyond. The money you spend on this guide is a great investment. For more information on purchasing The Complete Walt Disney World 2010 guide online, please BUY IT HERE.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Nov 9
The Children’s Miracle Network® Classic Professional Golf charity tournament at Disney World’s Palm and Magnolia courses begins November 12 and runs through November 15, 2009. This is a PGA tour event wth a purse of $4.7 million.
Past winners of this tournament have included such current and former players as Jack Nicklaus, Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and Tiger Woods. This year’s field is stronger than it has been in recent years and includes Davis Love III, David Toms, Justin Leonard and Mark Calcavecchia. If you have ever attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational, these pro golf events are a lot of fun.
As a special attraction, the Walt Disney culinarians will offer unique food offerings on the back Nine of the Magnolia course. These will be gourmet food pairings with wine or craft brewed beers from around the world. Tickets for the food and beverage portion of the event are $10 for a one day pass or $20 for a week long food and beverage ticket.
All of the week’s fun events benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and its 170 non-profit local children’s hospitals. The Children’s Miracle Network® Hospitals in Florida include the All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Miami Children’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida, and the Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville.
Make plans to attend this very special Disney sports event, and support a great cause as well.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 23
We get e-mails periodically regarding recommendations for the best “Walt Disney World travel guide books” and the best tips for Walt Disney world vacations. Although this is highly subjective, we thought we would do a little research to answer that question. According to Amazon.com sales rank figures, and assuming sales is a barometer of quality, the top Walt Disney World guide books are:
* The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2009, by Bob Sehlinger. Ranked #1 in Travel - North America and #275 books overall by the website
* The Complete Walt Disney World, by Julie Neal. Ranked #2 in Travel - Florida and #549 books overall
* Birnbaum Travel Guides: Birnbaum Travel Guides, Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World 2009. Ranked #6 in Travel Books - Reference and Tips and #5608 overall by Amazon
* Passporter’s Walt Disney World 2009, by Jennifer Marx. Ranked #33 in Travel books United States by Amazon
* The Hassle Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2008, by Steven M. Barrett. Ranked #97 in Travel books United States
Although none of these guide books typically recommend nor cover Orlando vacation rentals, they are nonetheless useful planning tools for your next Disney vacation. Orlando vacation homes are a great alternative to area hotels when you consider amenities such as pools, self-catering kitchens, multiple bathrooms and bedrooms and other living rooms all for typically the price of a hotel room.
We have personally met Julie Neal (#2 on the list). Julie and her husband spend most of the year in the Disney parks. The beginning of their book always starts with all of the latest and greatest new additions to the Disney parks over the last year. We highly recommend the book which is covered in a newer post - click here.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Apr 19
Disney will be an imminent sponsor of various Earth Day events and activities. The Disney store will unveil new eco-friendly t-shirts and tote bags for sale in gift shops. These commercial items will be made of recycled water bottles and other plastic items. According to the website, free commemorative Earth Day water bottles will be exchanged for every three plastic bottles brought in by park guests. Several Disney parks including Animal Kingdom® will be passing out Earth Day buttons and have conservation storytellers for the kids. Some of the Disney lodging facilities will also be planting trees to mark the occasion.
Disney has announced a partnership with USA Today that anyone who buys a ticket during the first week to the Disneynature ”EARTH” film narrated by James Earl Jones will get a tree planted in their honor. The film will chronicle the amazing journey of polar bears, elephants and whales across the globe and will debut on April 22nd. Existing Disney attraction such as Expedition Everest® and Rafiki’s Planet Watch® already reinforce the precocious message that we must have for saving our planet.
This site also applaudes Disney and their facilities and parks for their dedication to greening throughout the year. A quick scan of the Florida Green Lodging web page reveals that all 23 Disney lodging facilities have received a “one palm” certification designation to honor their environmental commitment from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Caribbean Beach, Contemporary and all others have received this distinction.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Mar 19
Walt Disney World® July 4th 2009 Celebrations / Events
For all events, be sure to call 407-W-Disney (407-934-7639) before you go, as some of these events can change schedule without notice. Firework displays in Central Florida are subject to several factors such as weather, so always call ahead and confirm.
All Fourth of July celebrations at the major parks - Magic Kingdom®, Epcot®, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios ™ are all great places for breathtaking and spectacular fireworks.
Downtown Disney®
Downtown Disney® is scheduled for it’s fireworks show at 10.30 PM. It is a great place to be after a little shopping and trying out some of the local restaurants in the area.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom®
The big show is called “Disney’s Celebrate America! - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky”, and scheduled to start at 9:00 PM and is arguably one of the best fireworks displays on the 4th of July in Central Florida. In addition, the park has a 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM “spectromagic” night time parade.
Epcot®
Epcot® on the 4th of July adds a spectacular display to its traditional fireworks show. If you go to the American Pavilion, there are various performances during the day in celebration of the event. For show times, check with the park directly at the phone number above.
Hollywood Studios™
At 9.00 PM on the 4th of July, Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ has a patriotic firework special. In addition, at 10:30PM the Hollywood Studios ™ traditional “Fantasmic” show will also commence.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 21
If you are planning on coming to Orlando on a vacation package in 2009, staying on-site in the major parks makes a lot of sense. These hotels have become as competitive as staying off-site. However, if you are in need of more than one room for your vacation in Orlando, privacy and some extra space, an Orlando vacation home rental is a logical alternative offering tremendous value.
The Walt Disney World Resorts ® in Orlando, as we mentioned before, have rolled out some stellar promotions for 2009 to attract guests.
Historically some of the big parks in Orlando have been slow to react to economic swings, but expert MBAs in the revenue management departments and seasoned sales teams are now getting it right.
The Walt Disney World ® parks and sunny weather are the main reasons tourists flock to Orlando. Universal Studios® , SeaWorld ® and the Orlando Convention Center all run a close second.
As a large theme park, Disney ® is able to offer promotions that make it very difficult for regular off-site hotels to compete. Programs that have been recently introduced include “buy 4 days/nights, get 3 free“ with spendable gift cards, various dining programs, free transportation and park tickets that make the on-site hotel experience extra appealing.
One realm that has yet to be explored by the major Orlando parks is the vacation home concept. This remains the domain of the individual and professional management companies.
If you are booking a hotel, take a serious look at staying on-site, but if you are in need of more than a room, some extra space and privacy, an Orlando vacation home makes great sense. For the benefits of staying in a nearby vacation home, check out a professional Orlando vacation home management company today.
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posted by orlandovacationhome on Dec 4
If you go to the Walt Disney World Resorts ® web site, they are running some stellar
promotions at the moment.
You can buy a hotel room and a ticket combination package with spendable gift cards included
or amazing values which make it tough for area hotels and other accommodations to compete. Although we don’t promote any company on this web site, this appears to be such a great deal it deserves to be mentioned.
As always, if in doubt, we advocate buying your tickets directly from any theme park you are attending.
Many metro Orlando area hotels we spoke to agree that the “Big Park” is offering some fantastic promotions making it difficult for them to compete even at the economy level. This may be due in part to the fact that the hotel industry in metro Orlando has seen some staggering drops in room revenue (RevPAR) recently. This may also be further evidence of the magnitude and nature of the global recession.
However, Orlando area vacation homes still remain a competitive alternative to all area hotels, as they affordably offer a family or group of people the benefits of an entire house for a little more than the price of a hotel room. We recommend you shop around, assess your needs, and make your own decision. As always, we will try to keep you informed.
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