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

It’s been a very hectic Christmas here at Florida Leisure Vacation Homes but we’re now able to sit back a little and proudly announce our “MY DREAMS COME TRUE” CLUB.

The idea of the club is to provide all of our past guests and members unique opportunities and experiences when visiting the Orlando area. It’s taken us around eight months to be able to put all the component parts together and we always had 1st January 2009 as our goal to launch the club. Well that date is almost here and we’re giving you a sneak peak via our blog.

The idea initially came about when we were having one of weekly staff meetings and someone said that it was about time someone did something unique in the Orlando area. We all looked at each other and said “sounds like a challenge!”.

We like challenges so we started to lay out our plans. Plans to give vacationers something different, something unique and after a lot of hard work we’re now at the point where we can offer some unique lifestyle choices and experiences.

For instance, how many people have wondered how Magic Kingdom really works? Or how many people have asked questions about how Disney looks after the animals at Animal Kingdom? Or how about learning more about the space program when visiting Kennedy Space Center?

Well, we’re pleased to announce that we are now able to give people those unique experiences. We have three backstage Walt Disney World tours where you can learn the backstage secrets at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We’ve even managed to get a look at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where you can see behind the scenes at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, otherwise known as The Twilight Tower of Terror.

Additionally we are also able to offer private tours of Kennedy Space Center with an astronaut or put you in a day long astronaut training program where you can taste the experience of space flight. There’s also a once in a lifetime opportunity to fly like Superman as you board G-Force One and experience zero gravity.

If motorsport is your thing, then we can fly you to our private motorsport venue where you can drive a race or rally car. You can learn to drive an ATV over a 3 mile safari course or you can learn “high performance” driving techniques.

The “My Dreams Come True” Club is exclusive to Florida Leisure Vacation Homes members and guests. Each experience will be planned by our concierge and will be unique to each member and guest. Nothing else exists like it and we’re proud to launch it.

That’s right, “no room at the Inn” at Florida Leisure Vacation Homes this Christmas…we’re full and we’re turning people away.

Apparently the economy is in a bad way and people are cutting back. Either we’re bucking the trend or what we are seeing is indeed normal. It can’t be both.

It’s my contention that this is normal. People who have worked hard all year deserve their vacation with their families this Christmas and they are going to take it. Yes, they’ll delay buying some luxuries like a new car or a new watch but not a vacation. A vacation is a time to relax, to chill out and particularly at this time of year, a chance to spend some time with family.

It’s nice to know that when times get tough that people still want to be with each other. That’s the spirit of the holiday season and long may it continue.

A friend sent me this:

So I just had to share!

Every year around the start of December there is an event that is pretty much kept quiet. It’s not that it’s not publicised in the community whatsoever but it is kept pretty much a secret if you happen to come from elsewhere. And, while it’s true that there are folks in the audience who come from several different countries, they really only get to learn and enjoy the “secret” event from friends and family who invite them along.

I am, of course (to locals) talking about the wonderful Singing Christmas Trees performance that First Baptist Church of Orlando entrals us with. This is an event like no other. Believe me.

The performance had run for twenty five years before the church decided to call time on it after the 2005 show. A big mistake. Members of my family treat this as the official start of Christmas and it is certainly one we have all looked forward to. So it was a big relief to us all to learn that the show was back on again this year and last Sunday we all trotted off to see another great show.

The Singing Christmas Trees are an amazing spectacle of lights, music and pageantry presented  to tell the miraculous story of Christmas!  They feature the amazing talent of more than 400 local musicians, dozens of dancers and dramatists, TWO 45-foot tall trees (each holding 125 to 150 people), 250,000 lights and production elements that rival broadway. It takes 2,500 man hours to assemble the trees and they are usually erected in November by weekday volunteers and staff members.

After the structures are set in place, pre-wired panels containing the 250,000 lights are secured and the miles of wires and cables are connected to computers that synchronize the brilliant display to the music. Each tree contains about 60 panels and they all must be independently tested after they are attached to the tree structure. This is performed by plugging each color of each panel into a power source and checking every bulb. If an individual bulb is burned out, it can be replaced, however, there are times when an entire string of lights need to be restrung. It is these meticulous efforts that help to create this spectacular event.

One of the unknown, behind the scenes roles, is the role of the “Tree Rat”. “Tree Rats” play a very important part in the program. Primarily young and gymnastically-energized, these “rats” crawl through the maze of pipes and platforms to help make the choir feel comfortable and safe. They will tap on a choir member’s foot and massage their legs if they want this done to keep blood circulating during the 90 minute performance. Along with a tag pasted on the member’s ankle that indicates the position number and name, they may also choose to tape a tasty piece of candy for the tree rat in appreciation. One year, however, a choir member taped a bag of M&Ms to her leg and when the rat opened the bag, the candy pieces dropped several rows bouncing and pinging off the pipes on the descent. That form of reward was subsequently banned.

The tree “rats” also move the wooden boxes into place before each choir member assumes his or her position. These boxes are custom made and allow the appearance of a more uniform height for each member. For example, if a member is five-foot three, the box would be nine inches tall making the appeared height as six feet.

The trees are loaded from a series of ramps and ladders that cannot be seen by the audience. Some choir members take their positions from the ground level while those in the higher section load from the second level behind the trees. This process is engineered to keep the weight properly distributed filling the lower levels first. The final position, the “star” of the tree, is the last one to assume her post hovering forty-five feet over the Worship Center stage.

The 2008 performance followed a different format than the previous years. The program opened with the children, students, drama and dance segments including the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, a “stomp” version of The Little Drummer Boy. The program also draws audience participation , inviting those in attendance to join the choir singing “Adore Hymn” and “O Come Let Us Adore Him.” So…next year don’t miss it! You’ve been forewarned. The show sold out in record time this year and is sure to do so again next time.

The very beautiful Carrie Underwood visited UCF, Orlando last night and she gave everyone a fantastic show. The 25 year old from Muskogee, Oklahoma has certainly come along way since she became the fourth winner of American Idol on 25th May 2005.

Little Big Town opened the evening, a band I’d never heard before and they were an extremely good choice as they soon had the UCF arena rocking with their brand of country music. It has to be said that I’m not a great fan of country music in general but I did enjoy their energy and the fact that there didn’t appear to be a lead singer, as they simply rotated the lead role amongst themselves. A nice change and that kept it nice and fresh. So the band who have charted eleven singles on the Billboard Hot Charts gave us the perfect start.

After a short delay it was time for the main act… Carrie. Her entry was different as she arose from below the stage to a raised platform at the rear. Cute. And she then preceded to work her audience to maximum effect as she belted out some of her more famous hits; hits like “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, “Don’t Forget To Remember Me”, “Before He Cheats” and an amusing “American Girl” sung with an overwhelmed 6 year old grabbed from the audience.

Carrie’s career to date  has been pretty amazing. I can still recall the evening when Simon Cowell made the prediction that Carrie would not only win American Idol that year but also go onto sell more records than any other Idol winner. The man knows his music.

So far Carrie has picked up over 70 awards in just three years and these include some of the most distinguished awards there are in the music industry. For a start there’s Best New Artist – MTV Video Awards, Female Vocalist of the Year – Academy of Country Music Awards, Grammy Awards for Best New Female Artist and then there’s a whole host of awards for her singles and her videos alone!

Her albums “Some Hearts” and “Carnival Ride” have both been phenomenal successes. The large first week sales of “Some Hearts” made it #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and the biggest debut of any country artist since the advent of the SoundScan system in 1991. Some Hearts has since been certified septuple Platinum by the RIAA, and is the fastest-selling debut country album in the history of the SoundScan era. Not only that but it also received four Grammy nominations.

“Carnival Ride” was certified double platinum as of December 14, 2007 and three songs from the album have reached #1 on the Country Music Chart. To date, Carrie has had seven #1’s and six consecutive #1 on the Hot Country Chart. An astonishing record.

Here’s a brief video I did of what was a very enjoyable evening:

Carrie Underwood visits Orlando 

The city of Kissimmee will hold its Festival of Lights parade on December 13th at 6pm. The theme this year is a “Storybook Christmas”.

The parade, featuring a line of illuminated displays from area businesses and youth groups, will begin at the Osceola County Courthouse and eventually make its way down Broadway Avenue. Before this, the city will have a Santa Social at Toho Square from 4pm to 6pm. If you are in town, feel free to take your children along to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Food booths will also be available.

After the devastating events in India last week I was somewhat bemused to see the news on NBC on Saturday night asking the question about safety and security in hotels throughout the world. The report gave us some information we already knew about the events at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower hotel and in south Mumba but then started to focus closer to home in New York.

Real concerns were raised about some of New York’s more famous hotels…such as The Waldorf (have to say, I wasn’t too impressed with it when I stayed there anyway) and openly questioned whether the same style attacks could be seen in the USA before too long.

Now we all know the media need stories and they usually focus on the negative but this 5 minute segment started me wondering about which hotels could be targeted and in which cities. It’s pretty frightening when you think about it but certainly New York would be a target and I guess some of the fabulous hotels in Vegas…but what about closer to home…say Orlando or Disney?

The honest answer is yes, it could happen. What is to prevent some nutcase getting a gun and going loopy? Next to nothing… and while I know it’s in my interests to say what I’m about to say next, I’m somewhat forced to… in my opinion you are much safer in a vacation home. There…said it.

So, let’s just hope it doesn’t happen and that the hotels do tighten up their defences. I still stay in them when visiting other areas on business…I don’t really want to but until I see other areas with the type and quality of the homes we have here, then I’ll just have to put up with hotels. It still doesn’t stop me from promoting the use of vacation homes though… www.FriendsDontLetFriendsStayInHotels.com

Our Cruise Pics so far

As you can see we are on the Norwegian Jewel 9-day sailing to the Southern Caribbean. NCL have the other cruiselines beat, especially if you are traveling with a youngster who doesn’t understand the concepts of schedules.

I was a little apprehensive about having to pay extra for some of the restaurants on board, but the prices are little more than nominal and well worth it.  The Garden Cafe which is a free buffet style restaurant is so awesome that we have spent much of our time there … in the kid’s section.

The Kid’s Cluib is great and the staff all over the ship go that extra mile to help you.  The shows are amazing, especially the Secomd City comedy troupe and tonight we are going to the Cirque Bijoux.

All in all, and amazing experience, so contact kim@gocruiseplanner.com and get booked now,

Don’t know about you but I’ve really enjoyed watching “Top Chef”. I’m not a cook…never have been and if you asked me why I watch a cooking program I can’t really tell you but this show has me captured and it’s one of the first things my DVR records every week.

I’ve watched most epsiodes of seasons 1-4 and all of them have been interesting in as much as how the food has been prepared and to the thinking process behind creating the dish. It’s an interesting mix of brain and brawn with a little food splashed in there somewhere.

There have been some weird characters in the program, some you love to hate and some you love to love but the program always hits the right buttons mainly because of the mix of the lovely Padma Lakshmi , the always right on the button with his remarks Tom Colicchio and the ever astute Gail Simmons to bring the show together.

Episode 4 this week sees the 14 remaining chef’testants vie for a chance to display their skills on the nation’s highest-rated morning program, Today. The winner of a super fast food demonstration challenge will get the booking, with the chance to display their unique culinary expertise on live network television. Celebrity Chef and author Rocco DiSpirito serves as guest judge and if ever you get a chance to see his trials and tribulations in the NBC reality tv show “The Restaurant” do so. The program was centered around the opening of his new restaurant “Rocco’s 22nd Street”. I’ll say no more.

Top Chef is a cooking program with a difference. It has all the right ingredients (if you’ll forgive the pun) but the most important one is that it gets you asking “can I do that?”. In my case the answer is definitely “No” but I do have a solution. You see, when you stay in a Florida Leisure Vacation Home you can get a personal chef to come to the home and cook for you while you continue to enjoy your vacation! And you can bet I absolutely use this service as well… there’s nothing better than lazing around the pool with a good book and a glass of wine while someone else cooks a mouth watering meal for you.

A Top Chef I’m not…. but I know where to find one! You might want to try one as well.

Honoring St. Cloud’s centennial birthday in 2009, the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 100 Years of Christmas parade on Dec 6th at 10am. It will be St. Cloud’s 45th holiday parade.

So if you’re here and staying in one our Florida Leisure’s Vacation Homes then you’ll want to visit this FREE event that will feature floats that represent each decade from the last 100 years along with grand marshals for each decade by age. 16,000 to 19,000 people are expected to watch the parade this year and it will be an exciting day.

Parade begins at St Cloud Lakefront

The parade will begin at the lakeshore, head down Pennsylvania Avenue and then to Ninth Street in front of St. Cloud City Hall, where the floats will be judged. The floats will then continue to New York Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and then back to lakeshore.