Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

One of the top automobile auctions heads back to Kissimmee in January as over 1750 vehicles hit the auction block. The event is scheduled to run from 24 to 29 January 2012 at Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, just a short drive from Florida Leisure’s vacation rental homes.

Some of the highlights of the event will be:

A Special Offering of 6 Corvettes

A special offering of 6 Fifties-era Corvettes tracks the car’s evolution from stylish “image-maker” and boulevard cruiser to SCCA National Champion, Le Mans class-winner and American cultural symbol in the span of 8 short years. Four of these jewels have been awarded with prestigious NCRS and/or Bloomington Gold honors; all are premier examples of their kind, with unique and interesting features that set them apart and demonstrate the styling and technical advances that defined the first-generation Corvette.

One Man’s Lifelong Collection

One Man’s Lifelong Collection comprises six high-caliber collector cars that reflect the widely varying tastes of a lifelong private collector, whose hobby stretches back to the 1929 Ford (Lot F264) the gentleman built while still in highschool in the 1950s. He is known by his friends and family as an adventurous, flamboyant personality with a taste for quality and the unique, and this collection is just such a mixture, from the 1950 Packard he discovered with just 1,500 miles on the odometer, to a 1959 Plymouth driven a mere 396 miles; a classic ’32 Highboy, a showroom stock 1937 Pontiac and a rare AAR Cuda 340 Six Pack 4-speed. All are fresh and ready to enjoy, the legacy of one man, reflecting the individualist in each of us.

From the Heller Collection

Dan Heller was born into the thick of the Chevy vs. Ford rivalry, coming of age when the competition reached its peak in the muscle car era of the late Sixties. His father Gene, a successful Ford dealer, raised Dan on the virtues of good business and customer service, and in doing so passed on his reverence for the cars of the Blue Oval. Not only has Dan followed in his father’s footsteps in the family business; he has fed his passion by collecting and restoring the machines that first caught his youthful imagination. Each one was, at various points in Dan’s life, THE car to have. From a 1963 Falcon Sprint convertible like the one he drove in high school to the 1969 Shelby GT350 convertible he describes as the car of his dreams, each one has been restored to be the best. “We didn’t start on any car unless we knew we could do it right”, says Dan, “and every one is the best it can be. Now it’s time for new owners to be able to appreciate and enjoy them as I have.”

The 2011 event saw five days of high-energy crowds and eager bidding. Mecum Auctions announced that total gross sales (excluding buyer’s premium) for its 2011 Kissimmee Auction reached an impressive $39.9 million.

Nearly 1,500 cars went up for bid during the auction and the auction had a 73% sell-through rate. Mecum’s top seller ($975,000) was a rare wooden boat known as “The Last Riva” – a 1996 Riva Aquarama Special Hull #774 that was the last Riva hand-built wooden boat sold to the public.

“Our Kissimmee Auction continues to evolve each year into a larger and larger event with increased sales, greater attendance and enthusiasm, and more collectible vehicles crossing the auction block,” said President Dana Mecum. “We offered a wide variety of classic cars, motorcycles, wooden boats as well as automotive memorabilia. The collector world has definitely expanded into new markets, and the Mecum Auctions team is excited and prepared to lead the charge with our popular events that deliver something for everyone’s taste and budget.”

The Top 10 Kissimmee Auction Sales (all sales reflect hammer prices) were:
1. 1996 Riva Aquarama Special Hull #774 (Lot S182) at $975,000
2. 1963 Shelby Cobra DragonSnake (Lot S121.1) at $875,000
3. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster (Lot F211.1) at $550,000
4. 1970 Riva Aquarama Series III Hull #416 (Lot S183) at $325,000
5. 1957 Ford Thunderbird DF Phase 1 (Lot F209) at $250,000
6. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible Ram Air III (Lot S233) at $225,000
7. 1940 Packard Darrin Convertible (Lot S97) at $205,000
8. 2007 Chevrolet Budweiser #8 NASCAR (Lot S201) at $200,000
9. 1932 Ford Hi Boy Roadster (Lot S228) at $180,000
10. 1964 Mercury A/FX Comet (Lot F163) at $175,000

Today’s my birthday and I’ve just been given a very nice present. Someone just sent me the list of the Top 25 Vacation Rental Pages on Facebook… and we are third on the list!

And that’s thanks to all of you that read this blog and follow us on Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure , YouTube.com/FloridaLeisure and Twitter.com/FloridaLeisure.

It’s quite an achievement when you look at some of the companies listed there. Most of the illustrious company we find ourselves among, spend millions of dollars a year on their marketing to attract guests and to feature prominently on the internet. In my opinion, most of them do it badly as they really fail to communicate with their audience and the people who matter most to them… their followers and their customers.

I suppose that’s the one thing we excel at more than most. We certainly aren’t the cheapest vacation home company in Orlando but neither do we want to manage homes that aren’t being kept up to the highest standards by owners scraping by to hold onto their homes. Our guests and our followers seem to appreciate us for what we are, a small family sized business doing their utmost to give everyone a fantastic experience when visiting Orlando.

Sure, we could just focus on what we do…namely, renting vacation homes, but we don’t… we want to know more about our friends, our guests and those that follow us. We want to make sure they have a great time visiting our City and seeing everything there is to do. That’s why I personally write this blog and it’s why I insist on the highest standards possible from everyone involved in our business. You see, it’s really more than a business, it’s a passion, and I think that’s really what comes home when you see us listed in 3rd place of the Top 25 Vacation Rental Pages on Facebook.

Thank you to everyone…you’ve sure made my day

Nigel

PS.

If you’re not already following us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or even on this blog…make sure you click the appropriate button below and “friend”, “like” or “follow” us.

PPS.

Here’s the full list of Top 25 Vacation Rental Pages on Facebook – click on it to open as a better image :

PPS. Because it’s my birthday, I’m going to do something special until 5pm tonight… I’m giving everyone a whooping 20% off a reservation in one of our vacation homes if you book today When you call my front desk staff on 1-800 – 760-1114 make sure you quote “Nigel’s Birthday! Or, you can email sales@floridaleisure.com and quote “Nigel’s Birthday!” in the title.

It's Nigel's Birthday and here he celebrates the news that Florida Leisure is placed 3rd on the Top 25 Vacation Rental Pages on Facebook!

Some great news was announced over the New Year period as the good folks at Fun Spot announced they are expanding their International Drive location. Here’s the announcement.

LOCAL AMUSEMENT PARK BECOMES “HUGE-ER”

Fun Spot Action Park, just off International Drive in Orlando, is growing. The 13 year-old, 5 acre park has just purchased an adjacent 10 acres to triple its size. Plans are being developed for the expansion of rides, tracks and jobs at the Orlando Park.

The new, expanded park will include more tracks, more rides, including some possible water rides, and a smaller version of the SkyCoaster thrill ride located in their Kissimmee Park. Paint Ball and batting cages have also been suggested but no commitment has been made.

With over a million visitors to its two parks, Fun Spot is becoming the largest of the second tier attractions in Central Florida. Known for their multi-level go-kart tracks, and value pricing, Fun Spot holds 4 U.S. patents on go-kart track design. It is locally-owned and family-owned. For several years, Fun Spot Action Park was named the “Best Budget Attraction” by the Orlando Sentinel.

In addition to the 5 acre park near Universal Studios, there is Fun Spot USA, a 10 acre park in Kissimmee near Walt Disney World. Fun Spot USA is expanding with a new Soaring Eagle Ride, Birthday/Meeting Room, and is planning on opening its first rollercoaster, a Wild Mouse ride, this March.

Exuberant owner and CEO, John Arie Sr stated “This dream of mine has grown far larger than I ever expected. I was set to retire but I wanted to do this for my family, for the employees, for the community.”

John Arie, Jr, the COO and television spokesperson said, “Everyone is talking about job creation, well we are doing it. We presently have 200+ employees. With this expansion we hope to add another 200. For us this expansion is Huge!”

Here’s some video of how the Orlando parks look today:

It’s not often that you’ll find me thinking Disney has got things wrong but their recent agreement to list their hotels on cut rate price negotiator “Priceline” has me thinking exactly that. I’ll even stick my neck out and say this is nothing more than sheer stupidity. A brilliant way to devalue the product. So the face of Disney is no longer a mouse… but Captain Kirk… “to boldly go”… well, it can now be said, Disney is guilty of following instead of leading. I can’t help but wonder what Walt would make of it?

If you haven’t heard much about it then let me fill you in. Just recently Disney announced that Walt Disney World hotel rooms will become part of Priceline’s inventory in November. Disney rooms will only be available through the site’s conventional booking engine they state and  guests looking to use Priceline’s “Name Your Own Price,” will need to stay elsewhere.  “We are not participating in Priceline.com’s ‘Name Your Own’ service,” said Disney spokesperson Andrea Finger, “and we have no plans to do so.”

The move represents a strategic shift in attitude by Disney, which has always claimed it has refused to utilize Priceline for room sales, even while making inventory available on other online travel sites.  Guests have been able to search for Disney rooms on Expedia and Travelocity, for instance, since 2002.

However, it now turns out that Disney has experimented with the “Name Your Own Price” option in the past.  During 2006, Disney briefly made rooms at the All-Star Sports and All-Star Music, both value resorts, available through Priceline’s auction engine…something they’d like to keep pretty quiet.   The rooms sold for as low as $35 per night, less than half the price of Disney’s cheapest rate for the resort rooms.

It is also interesting to note that the Disney-Priceline agreement does not include making rooms available on Booking.com, Priceline’s European subsidiary.  The detail is significant, because Booking.com is Europe’s biggest online travel site, and as such, has obviously contributed heavily to Priceline’s growth.

The concern for Disney seems to be about image; that listing hotel rooms on Priceline would then cheapen the company’s premium-brand reputation, which allows it to command higher rates than competitors with similar rooms.  But, in the current economy, it’s clear that Disney has been rethinking their approach.  Average occupancy in Disney hotels fell 8.8 percent from the same period last year, to 83 percent during the company’s fiscal third quarter, which ended July 3.

To me this is a ridiculous and stupid move by Disney and one that will ultimately harm them in the long term. This is nothing more than short term thinking and a great company selling themselves short. If you go back 100 years and find a list of the top 100 companies around then, you’ll find that today very few exist and that speaks volumes about some of the thinking going on inside the Boardroom. It seems that these corporate executives never learn. Like lemmings they line up to cut prices and give their product away. For a short time the guests benefit but slowly but surely these companies start cutting back in areas they shouldn’t…areas that interact with the customer and affect that customers experience.

For me, it gives folks even more of a reason not to stay at Disney when they visit Orlando. Why take the risk of staying at a place that’s cutting corners and costs in every conceivable place ? And, more to the point, and this may be controversial, why stay at a place that now becomes more attractive to the wrong type of people?

Personally, when I go on vacation, I like it to feel special. I don’t want party goers or, putting it frankly, yobs, ruining my vacation. Vegas has spent years trying to overcome their reputation for seediness before finally giving in and embracing “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” and all that Disney is doing is cheapening what was once a great vacation experience at their resorts.

For me, this move is one that should see Disney CEO Robert Iger fired. It’s a clear indication the man is dealing in short term-ism and worrying about his next quarter numbers. It’s everything that’s wrong with America today.

What do you think? Leave me your comments…

Just recently I made a trip to a place that is offering a once in a lifetime opportunity… your chance to actually live on Disney property!

As legend goes, a young Walt Disney would lie underneath the expansive branches of his ‘dreaming tree‘ in Missouri. It was here that Walt developed his passion for storytelling and it was also the birth place for some of the worlds most beloved Disney characters.

Many years later, Disney’s scenic Placerita Canyon ranch served as the backdrop for segments of The Mickey Mouse Club TV show. The reserve of more than 900 acres was purchased by Disney in 1959 to serve as a quiet vista for TV and movie productions. Walt and his family also spent time relaxing and playing on the ranch. What was the name of this ranch?

Golden Oak, in honor of a storied tree there which was said to have had actual golden nuggets found at its base in 1842.

Golden Oak at Disney, Florida is going to be a magical place with a unique address (Golden Oak, Florida) that comes with exclusive access and privilege. The community will eventually include some 450 homesites on 980 acres within the Walt Disney World resort situated near Bay Lake.

Walt Disney Imagineering handled the master planning for Golden Oak in conjunction with aclaimed design firms. Great efforts were taken to provide areas of sanctuary within the community to provide homes to the native songbirds, osprey and wood storks.

Golden Oak will initially be divided into 3 arranged neighborhoods. Each one designed to complement the Golden Oak community and the names include Carolwood, Silverbrook and Kimball Trace. Within these three neighborhoods are 81 homesites. Kimble Trace – “The Village”,  has 37  1/4 acre lots and prices will range from $1.5M to $2M in this area. Over at Silverbrook are 19 “Estate” homesites featuring 1/2 acre lots at a price range of $2M to $3.5M while Carolwood sees 25 “Grand Estate” homesites with approximately 3/4 acre each. Prices here will begin in the $3.5M range.

Luxury Homes

Here are some of the proposed home styles that will be available to build at Golden Oak:

Village Courtyard Style Home

Italianate Style Home

Tuscan Village Style Home

Venetian Style House

A Special Kind of Disney:

An abundance of pleasures and pastimes will be yours at Golden Oak. There’s nothing quite like a day in the theme parks at Walt Disney World® Resort but adding an even more magical dimension to your Disney experience will be the privileges created expressly for families at Golden Oak:

• Private VIP transportation
• A suite of in-park benefits
• Access to select special-event tickets
• Community-hosted activities throughout the year

Your Golden Oak Concierge
There’s something rather delightful about being able to hand over your “Want To’s” and “Must Do’s” to someone who can orchestrate them into “Well Done’s.” And here, that special someone is your Golden Oak Concierge, just a call or click away. It will be their pleasure to take care of such arrangements as:

• Move-in services
• Travel and private transportation
• Disney parks and special-event tickets
• Golf tee-times
• Dinner reservations
• Private VIP tours
• At-home dinners and parties
• Holiday home decorating
• Grocery shopping and errands
• Pre-arrival and post-departure home maintenance services

Summerhouse Private Clubhouse

Summerhouse, a Private Proposed Clubhouse
A destination experience close to home, the Summerhouse is envisioned to be a casually elegant gathering place for families and friends. Imagine the possibilities for finding your ideal blend of social, leisure and quality time enjoying:

• Fine dining
• A spacious veranda, the perfect spot for sipping refreshments
• State-of-the-art fitness facility
• Yoga studio or workout area
• Culinary adventures, such as guest chef appearances and wine tastings

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort
Also to be located at Golden Oak is a proposed 445-room Four Seasons hotel. Residents of Golden Oak will have access to select amenities at the proposed Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort including:

• An 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Fazio
• Superlative restaurants
• Facilities for private events
• A tranquil spa, offering a complete array of services, for body, mind and soul

Here’s a clip from local news about the new community:

Here’s a short video I made on my visit… it’s short as Disney won’t allow us to show too much just yet!

What is the first step?

Get on the list! The first step is to get on the Priority Reservation List. A limited amount of home sites are being released in 2010 so timing is everything. 25  deposits have already been placed since the opening announcement a couple of months ago and your place will be secured upon receipt of a fully executed Lot Release Priority Agreement and a refundable $25,000 deposit.  If you are interested then Florida Leisure Vacation Homes and it’s sister real estate company, Total Real Estate Solutions will be pleased to assist in lot and builder selection. Do note, however, vacation rentals are not allowed in the community but long term lets are permitted.

Fresh on top of the announcements by Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove comes news that a group of developers want to build a new amusement park complete with towering thrill rides, on an undeveloped piece of land on the north end of International Drive.

The park could feature as many as 15 rides, according to a rendering provided to the city of Orlando as part of an application for zoning and land-use changes. The documents also include photos of extreme-design roller coasters, with interlocking loops and vertical, “top-hat” drops.

The tallest ride, according to the sketch, would be 425 feet tall, just shy of the 441-foot-tall SunTrust Center office tower in downtown Orlando. Developers of what’s being called “Orlando Thrill Park” would need the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration for a structure of that height, the application states.

The park would be built on 77.7 acres owned by I-Drive Investors LLC. OTP Group LLC,  a company that has ties to longtime Central Florida hospitality company Baker Leisure Group, is a partner in the development.

The property, at 5001 Vanguard St., is bordered on the north by Festival Bay Mall and on the south by the residential neighborhood of Tangelo Park. The proposed amusement park does not fall under approved uses for the property, which means land-use changes would have to be approved by the city.

The developers acknowledged Tuesday that the park could lead to an increase in traffic, noise and light pollution in the area but also noted that it could generate additional jobs as well.

“Although we are in the early stages of development, we will eventually generate several thousand jobs during construction and operations,” Jorge Ortega, manager of I-Drive Investors, said in a written statement. “We are reaching out to the community to assure that we have taken all of their concerns into consideration.”

Yesterday Walt Disney World announced that they saw slight declines in park attendance over the past few months. Theme park attendance at the company’s domestic parks fell 3 percent overall in the three months ending on July 3, the Walt Disney Company said as it announced third quarter financial results. Walt Disney World attendance dropped 2 percent while Disneyland saw a 4 percent decrease in visitors.

Disney said the fall in park attendance was in part due to a shift in timing of the Easter holiday in relation to the company’s financial reporting periods. Disney estimated that park attendance only fell one percent from year-to-year after the holiday period is taken into account.Park guests did spend 5 percent more in Q3, which the company attributed to higher average ticket prices.Revenue from Disney’s parks and resorts increased 3 percent to $2.8 billion in the quarter, while operating income decreased 8 percent to $477 million.

Over the past few months, Disney has attempted to scale back promotional offers for theme park visitors, a strategy the company reiterated during Tuesday’s earnings conference call. Jay Rasulo, Disney’s chief financial officer, said the company expected to see fewer visitors as discounts were scaled back.In May, Rasulo pointed to more guest spending in exchange for lower attendance.

In the second quarter, Disney said occupancy rates at the company’s hotels fell 8 percent, but both guest and room spending increased by the same amount. Rasulo said the company expected to be back at “normalized” pricing by 2011.One year ago, Disney reported that occupancy at its Orlando hotels was 91 percent, which it attributed in part to promotional discounts. In the past two quarters, occupancy has been 81 percent.Walt Disney World saw a slight increase in hotel occupancy in the most recent three months, to 83 percent.

Overall, Disney’s revenue grew 16 percent from last year to $10 billion.Disney credited its success in large part to the success of film releases “Toy Story 3”, “Iron Man 2” and “Alice in Wonderland”. Studio entertainment revenue grew 30 percent from year-to-year in the third quarter.Disney’s largest segment of growth was interactive media, which grew 74 percent from a year ago.

So, now would appear to be the right time to make a trip to Orlando and Disney World. The parks will be more enjoyable as lines are less and Disney are still offering some promotional offers. There hotel figures are interesting and maybe it’s a sign that people don’t want to stay at overpriced hotels, no matter how convenient, when there’s a better option just 5 to 10 minutes from the parks in the form of a vacation home?

Disney & Universal Orlando have both announced their theme park ticket prices are rising a few dollars. Disney announced their price increase first and two days later Universal followed suit. A one day, one park ticket has now gone from $79 to $82, a 3.8 percent raise.

Annual ticket price increases have been a normal occurrence for all the theme parks in Central Florida during the last several years. Traditionally Disney is usually the first to announce increases and they are then followed by Universal and SeaWorld, although both claim their ticket increases aren’t tied to what Disney does. Yeah right!

When asked the reason for increased gate prices, Disney gives the same answer each time, “We continuously monitor the marketplace to ensure pricing that reflects a strong entertainment value.” They also say that nearly 9 out of 10 guests rate the value of the Disney parks as good, very good, or excellent.

Theme parks generally also raise their rates this time of year to ensure next year’s guidebooks and travel companies have the correct information.

Here’s a breakdown of the Disney price increases:
One day: $79 to $82
Two day: $156 to $162
Three day: $219 to $224
Four day: $225 to $232
Five day: $228 to $237
Six day: $231 to $242
Seven day: $234 to $247
Park hopper option: $52 to $54
Premium Annual Pass: $619 to $629
Regular Annual Pass: $489 to $499
Premium Annual Pass, Florida resident: $489 to $499
Regular Annual Pass, Florida resident: $369 to $379
Seasonal Annual Pass, Florida resident: $249 to $259

Universal Orlando announced most of their ticket prices are also going up today, Aug. 7, 2010. A one day, one park ticket is going from $79 to $82, the same as at Disney.

Similar to what a Disney spokesperson said, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel saying 94 percent of their guests tell them they deliver good to excellent value for their dollar.

Here’s a breakdown of Universal’s price increases:
One Park Tickets
One day: $79 to $82
Two day: $119.99 to $124.99
Three day: $134.99 to $139.99
Four day: $144.99 to $149.99

Park to Park Tickets
1-day: $109 to $112
2-day: $149.99 (unchanged)
3-day: $149.99 to $154.99
4-day: $154.99 to $159.99

Annual Pass ticket prices stayed the same. These are at the gate ticket prices. Universal offers special deals for most tickets if you order online. All of the major theme parks in Central Florida also offer special deals to Florida residents.

The question is, how long can the annual increases continue before attendance significantly drops? At this rate it won’t be too much longer before guests are asked to pay more than $100 per day for a day of fun.

I was just reading an article about foreign buyers literally invading the US to buy homes and I thought you’d like to see it if you haven’t already. It’s written by Steve Cook of Real Estate Economy Watch:

The number of American homes bought by foreign nationals has nearly doubled in the past year as falling property values and record numbers of distress sales encouraged immigrants and foreign investors to take advantage of affordable prices. With home purchases by American citizens plummeting in the wake of the tax credit, foreigners are now poised to gain an even larger ownership share of US properties.

Foreign purchases accounted for about four and a half percent of all USA sales between April 2009 and April 2010, according to a new study by the National Association of Realtors. For the twelve months ending April 2010, foreign purchases of U.S. residences totaled $64 billion. This is almost twice the $36 billion in foreign transactions that took place during the twelve months ending April 2009. The percent of dollar volume represented by foreign transactions increased from 4.3% in 2009 to 7.1% in 2010.

About half of foreign bought properties were purchased as primary residences, and the rest as vacation homes and investment properties.  Most bought properties in suburban locales and cities. Only 14 percent of foreign buyers bought in resort areas. Two factors important to international clients when purchasing property in the U.S. are proximity to their home country and the convenience of air transportation. Florida typically attracts European, Canadian and South American buyers while the East Coast draws Europeans. The West Coast brings Asian buyers and the Southwest attracts Mexicans.

The link to the original article is here.

It’s an interesting read and while it somewhat reflects what is happening here in Central Florida, the availability of money for loans and mortgages remains grim. Cash buyers are scoring some great deals at the moment and I expect that trend to continue for quite a while yet.

In my book “What You Must Know About Buying Your Vacation Home” I talk about why vacation properties are still great investments and it’s absolutely true about residential property still being a good way to build wealth providing you buy right.

The one thing I find  interesting is that most lenders have stopped lending to foreign nationals yet they still continue to buy in some volume. Imagine what might happen if one or two of lenders decided to lend again to foreigners instead of retreating into their Government sponsored safe hole. Maybe, just maybe, we’d see more distressed real estate purchased and that would then help values go up and the economy to recover faster? Just a thought.