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Friends Don’t Let Friends … Stay in Hotels!
It’s time to enter our Summer Sweepstakes and win a 4 Night Orlando Vacation in a Florida Leisure Vacation Home. It’s dead easy to enter and all you have to do to enter is go to www.Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure and hit the “Like” button and then the “Sweepstakes” tab to enter our competition. You could then be the lucky winner of a fabulous 4 night Orlando vacation.
I popped down to Clearwater Beach last week to check out how the Gulf oil crisis was affecting the area. I’d received several calls from reporters at various news outlets all wanting to know if it was affecting our business in any way so I decided it was worth the trip to find out what was happening. My last update was a month or so ago and I was further south in the Naples to St Petersburg area so I decided to head closer to home and check out what conditions were like for those folks wanting a quick day trip to the beach from their Orlando vacation home.
I arrived early in the morning as dawn was breaking and visited the famous Pier 60 area. Pier 60 is a great place for families as there is a fabulous play ground area for small kids, several exciting places to dine and of course, the wonderful white sand beach to enjoy.
Clearwater is a great place to visit for the day. You can enjoy plenty of time at the beach, have some marvelous meals for lunch or dinner, celebrate as you watch the sun go down in the evening and then head back to your vacation home and get ready to go again!
And…of course… there is no problem with oil in the Clearwater area!
I sent my eldest daughter, Rebecca, out to take a look at some of the going’s on at the theme parks just recently and she reported back to say that most parks still seem to have a lot of people in them. So much for the economic downturn.
It’s interesting that years ago in economic depressions we used to have food stamps and lines after lines just to get the basic necessities yet today the lines we see are for I-pads! At the end of the day, money is important but so is living life to the fullest and that seems to be the major mind shift I see . In the past people would scrimp and save to be able to afford a vacation whereas today, folks seem entitled to one and often run up their credit cards to do so. It worries me and I want to help do something about it… and you can help me by suggesting some things we can do at Florida Leisure to make sure you still enjoy your vacation but you don’t put yourself in economic jeopardy. Just leave a comment after this blog post with your ideas.
Back to Animal Kingdom. if you haven’t been then you are missing a treat. The park opened on 22 April 1998 and is actually the largest Disney theme park in the world coming in at around 500 acres. The park is themed around animal conservation and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. If you don’t know, it means they have met and exceeded the standards in education, conservation and research.
The Tree of Life is the center piece of the park and everything leads from that. The tree is 14 stories high at 145ft tall and 50 feet wide and the park is made up of seven themed areas; Oasis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia and DinoLand USA.
To enter the park you go through Oasis and it’s here you’ll encounter spoonbills, ducks, muntjacs, wallabies and giant anteaters. The Rainforest Cafe is also located near the entrance but be careful if you decide to eat here because you’ll need to present your ticket again to go back into the park.
Discovery Island is located at the center of the park and it’s here you’ll find the Tree of Life. The parks biggest gift shops and largest restaurants are located here and each has a different design theme. Also at Discovery Island is “It’s Tough To Be A Bug!” , a comical 4-D film featuring appearances by Flik and Hopper from “A Bug’s Life”.
Camp Mickey is a themed rustic summer camp and it’s here you can meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and many others. The live stage show “Festival of the Lion King” is also located here.
Africa is my favorite area of the park. It is set in the fictional east African village of Harambe and this is where you’ll find some of the fabulous animal exhibits. The village is the namesake of the Harambe Wildlife Preserve which is the fictional home of Africa’s main attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris and you’ll get a fabulous tour of that by clicking on the video down below. On the Kilimanjaro Safari you climb aboard an open sided safari vehicle and you set out on expedition to see numerous African animals as they freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers and rocky hills. You’ll see giraffes, hippos, African elephants and lions. Once you’ve done the safari you can then explore the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and trek into the forest in search of gorillas. It’s really quite amazing.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch is actually the one section of the park that isn’t connected to Discovery Island. It is instead connected to Africa and it’s here that you can board the Wildlife Express Train to visit Habitat Habit, Conservation Station and Affection Section. All great areas to learn more about efforts to protect endangered primates, conservation efforts supported by the Walt Disney Company and animal care facilities.
Asia is home to Maharajah Jungle Trek, where you can visit Komodo dragons, fruit bats, tapirs and tigers. It is also home to the Kali River Rapids and you will get soaked if you venture onto this fabulous ride. Expedition Everest is also located here and its a nerve wracking roller coaster ride through the Himalayas.
DinoLand USA is the place to learn more about dinosaurs and it is also home to “Finding Nemo – The Musical” that is located in the “Theater in the Wild” as well as DINOSAUR, a thrill ride taking you back through time to the late Cretaceous period. There’s also a great playground for the kids called Boneyard.
All in all, Animal Kingdom is a great place to visit and to enjoy. It has a lot of fun stuff but it’s also an educational experience and you can’t help but marvel at all this planet really has to offer when you stop to think about it. Enjoy the video:
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.
7 Step Guide to a Walt Disney World Vacation
By Nigel G. Worrall
If you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation this Summer or Fall you’ll need to start planning and preparing like no other vacation before. Walt Disney World covers 47 square miles (think twice as large as Manhattan and you’ll get the idea!) and has so many things to do that even those of us who live here struggle to keep up with it all.
In short, here’s just SOME of the available offerings at Walt Disney World:
So with all this choice, just where do you begin?
1. When.
Deciding when to go will be top of your list. Much will depend on your budget, kids’ school schedules and other factors such as what you like to do individually and as a family, will heavily influence your decision.
Tip #1: Visit Disney when the kids are in school to enjoy the quieter theme parks more. Lines will be shorter and more comfortable
2. What.
This is a critical step in the planning. There is so much to do that you’ll want to plan out what everyone wants to see and do.
Tip #2: List the “Must Do’s” and then do a secondary list of “Maybe’s”. Involve everyone in this process and you’ll have a more enjoyable trip.
3. How Long?
There’s never enough time to see it all, so armed with your list in #2 you can now chart out how long it will take you to visit the “Must Do’s” and how long it will take you to do the “Maybe’s.” Be warned, even if you visit for a month, you simply can’t see it all.
Tip #3: If you want to visit all four theme parks and actually experience the majority of the attractions, parades and shows, you will need at least 5 full days! (Epcot can easily take 2 days all by itself as it is split into two sections; Future World and World Showcase. You might also find you need a day and a half at Magic Kingdom to enjoy everything there is on offer.)
If you then find you would like to do some of the “extras,” like Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon water parks or a trip to DisneyQuest you will need to allow more days. If you are visiting for a first time, I believe you need at least 7 to 10 days to do all the major theme parks and sample some of the other delights.
4. Transportation.
Depending where you live you’ll need to decide whether to travel by plane or automobile. If you’re flying, do you then want to rent a vehicle so you can see other things in the Orlando area?
Tip #4: Hire a car and stay off site to save money. There are some great places to stay that will help you save way more than the cost of vehicle hire.
5. Theme Park Tickets.
A big expense when visiting Walt Disney World is the cost of entry to the parks. It is important to look over your itinerary, get out the calculator, take a look at all the prices and available deals to figure out which tickets make most sense for your situation.
Tip #5: There are many ticket companies offering great deals. Check each one out and don’t be tempted by the deal that seems to be too good. Go with a reputable and approved Disney ticket agency.
6. Where To Stay.
Here’s another big decision. Stay on Disney property or stay off site? If you take the advice in Tip #4 you’ll stay off site and save $$$’s but if you are seriously considering an on site resort stay then make sure you check out all of Disney’s resorts by searching for photo’s and details on the internet. Each resort is themed differently and some are very expensive.
Tip #6 : Rent a Vacation Home. Renting a vacation home off site makes a lot of sense for most families. A fully equipped vacation home has 3 to 7 bedrooms (enough room for all the family at one nightly rate rather than multiple rooms at a hotel), a fully equipped kitchen (prepare meals at home rather than eat in expensive restaurants), large lounge and living areas (with flat screen TV’s, DVD’s VCR’s, games machines) and your own private heated swimming pool.
You’ll not only save money but you can keep all the family together and create some great memories.
7. Relax and Enjoy.
Don’t forget to take some time out to do absolutely nothing. The temptation with a Disney vacation is to always be on the go. It’s important to allow time to recharge your batteries and to go home refreshed.
Tip #7: Allow one rest day for every two days of theme parks.
That’s it! Everything else is “gravy.” You can make reservations for meals, book special events and do all kinds of other planning but these are the seven basic steps to enjoy a great Disney vacation. Have fun!
We learned more about next years opening of Legoland Florida yesterday and it promises to be a fun filled park with lots to see and do with many of the highlights being similar to the ones featured in the Southern California park.
For a start there will be the Fun Town Fire Academy, a driving school, a Duplo play area for younger guests, and a medieval-themed Legoland Castle. The emphasis will be on interactive amusements for young children as they explore the Land of Adventure, with is dinosaur-themed wooden roller coaster and the Factory Tour, which will show how Lego plastic building blocks are actually made. Lego said the park will feature more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including thousands of large Lego models.
The park, scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, is being built in Winter Haven on the former Cypress Gardens site. The park is counting on its predecessor’s most-famous features — such as its botanical gardens and water-ski shows — to give Legoland Florida a unique flavor.
Legoland has projected that 2 million people will attend the park in its first year of operation. But it is hoping that annual figure grows to 3 million eventually.
Thousands of people attended the community open house yesterday at the Winter Haven Orange Dome. Those who turned up were mainly curious about the new theme park and the status of the old gardens. There was also a lot of interest in the 1,000 jobs that Legoland is expected to generate although no employment applications were taken at Thursday’s event.
During the open house, members of the crowd learned about the planned preservation of the gardens and some of the other traditional entertainment that has featured in previous years when the park was known as Cypress Gardens. Features such as the well renowned ski shows will continue but will get a Lego-like makeover. Unfortunately though, one of Cypress Gardens’ newer additions, the wooden Starliner roller coaster, relocated to the park in 2007 from Panama City, won’t make the cut when Legoland Florida opens.
Orlando … For FREE!
Traveling anywhere in the world can be an expensive proposition. If you decide to visit Orlando there’s lot of great places to see and fun things to do, but not all of them have to cost an arm and a leg. Here’s 5 things you can do without spending a fortune or if the rain decides to come out to play;
#1. Orlando Malls and Shopping Area
Go shopping! Orlando is a shopper’s paradise and has an eclectic mix of luxury department stores, upscale boutiques antique shops, farmers markets as well as more than twenty major malls to choose from. You can get the perfect gift or souvenir to remember your trip by and you’ll be amazed at some of the bargains you can almost steal. Orlando has some truly great shopping so don’t miss out on a trip to places like Florida Mall, Mall of Millenia, Altamonte Mall, Orlando Fashion Square, Prime Outlets Orlando and Orlando Premium Outlets.
Aside from the malls you can also find numerous smaller boutiques and department stores. A visit to places like Winter Park, Downtown Disney and Sand Lake Road will add to the fun and you’ll truly remember Orlando as being a spectacular destination for some of the finest shopping you will ever experience.
#2. The Orlando Museums
It’s always fun to learn new things and to find out about something you normally wouldn’t have thought about. Orlando has some fabulous museums and besides being a great place to shelter when the rain comes down, they are also great places to inspire your brain cells and get your creativity buds flowing.
Among the places you’ll want to visit is the Orlando Science Center with its 10 exhibit halls on 4 levels. A place that has something for every member of the family. NatureWorks will get you up close and personal with some of nature’s most fascinating reptiles while DinoDigs will take you back to the prehistoric age. Science Park is the place where you can explore such concepts as electricity, magnetism, lasers, sound waves and nature’s forces while KidsTown has something to amuse the smallest members of the family.
The Orlando Science Center also houses Florida’s largest publicly accessible refractor telescope and a giant screen domed theater for films and planetarium shows.
Orlando Museum of Art is also a fabulous place to visit and you’ll be sure to enjoy its numerous exhibitions on site as well as award winning art enrichment programs and unlimited gallery tours, while another fine museum to visit is the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, which features 6,000 objects with the oldest collection in the state of European and American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.
#3. The Public Libraries
Orlando is also home to many fine public libraries and these are open for everyone to enjoy. The Orlando Public Library is the largest public library building in the state at 290,000 square feet. Library Central is located on the first floor and carries popular items like bestsellers, fiction, DVD’s, music and books on tape or CD. The Children’s Library has large areas for reading, computers and story rooms. The children’s collection includes picture books, kids fiction, Braille books and more.
#4. The Theaters
Orlando is home to many theaters and many productions. Some of them are free and others require a small entrance fee but be sure to check out Orlando Orchestra Symphony and Ballet, The Garden Theater in Winter Garden, Broadway Series at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, the Mad Cow Theater, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Film Festival and Orlando Shakespeare Theater.
#5. Disney’s BoardWalk
Located near to the Swan and Dolphin hotels is Disney’s BoardWalk. It’s reminiscent of Atlantic City’s own famous wooden pathway and you can sit on benches, stroll along the BoardWalk or just simply enjoy people watching. On any given night you may see a sword swallower, a tarot card reader, a New Orleans style jazz band…you just never know.
It took a little extra time thanks to a 90 minute rain delay and a 20 minute red flag for a 20 car crash, but Kevin Harvick was able to survive a wild NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 for victory around midnight last night at Daytona International Speedway.
Nineteen cars were involved in a late-lap wreck but Harvick held off Kasey Kahne on a green-white-checkered finish in to win by .092 seconds to score his fifth win at Daytona and his second of the season.
“This has been a great place for us,” said Harvick, who also became the eighth driver to win the race from the pole at Daytona.
“Daytona has been one of those magical places for us since we started coming here,” added Harvick who became the last driver to win on the current asphalt. Daytona International Speedway will be repaved for only the second time in history beginning Monday, July 5. “I don’t really care about the trophy. I want some of that pavement from the start/finish line out there. This is pretty cool.”
Rounding out the top five were Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton.
Happy 4th July !
It’s Independence Day and today, families will come together for good food and fellowship, folks will dress in red, white and blue, and all Americans will proudly wave their national flag and let off fireworks to celebrate their freedom.
Today is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress way back on July 4, 1776. The day they announced to the world that the 13 colonies no longer belonged to Great Britain.
It’s a day all Americans look forward to as they consume over 150 million hot dogs and spend over $211 million on fireworks.
Here at Florida Leisure Vacation Homes we wish everyone a HAPPY & SAFE 4th July.
Rain is a worry for tonight’s Coke Zero 400 over at Daytona International Speedway so hopefully we won’t see the same sort of issues we had for the Daytona 500 when the track seemed to fall to pieces.
Tonight’s race is a 160 lap, 400 miles NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race will be the third year that Coca-Cola have been involved. The race was previously known at the Pepsi 400 but Coca-Cola became the sponsor in 2008.
For most of its history, the race normally started in the morning (10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. eastern) to avoid hot summer temperatures and the frequent mid-afternoon thunderstorms that we get in Florida. During live ESPN telecasts, the term “Breakfast at Daytona” was used, a gesture to NBC’s popular “Breakfast at Wimbledon”, taking place the same weekend.
In July 1997, Daytona International Speedway announced a massive lighting project to be done by MUSCO lighting and plans called for the 1998 Pepsi 400 to be held under the lights in primetime. At the time, it was the longest track with a night race and the first restrictor plate race held at night.
On July 4, 1998, however, the race had to be postponed. Wildfires in Florida consumed the surrounding areas, and the track was converted into a firefighters’ staging area. Track officials rescheduled the race for October that year.
In 2007, perhaps the greatest finish in the race’s history came in a ferocious scramble over the event’s final seven laps, the final laps run at Daytona before the debut of the Car of Tomorrow. Jeff Gordon had the lead on the restart; teammate Kyle Busch jumped from seventh spot with six to go but Jamie McMurray, rallying from a penalty for passing below the line earlier, jumped in front of him and stormed past Gordon at the stripe; Busch then jumped to the low side and tho two were locked in a ferocious side draft with the rest of the field stacked behind them; McMurray stormed into a clear lead with three to go but Busch caught back up and stormed ahead with two to go, but the two sidedrafted all the way to the stripe and McMurray squeezed ahead by inches, his first Winston Cup win since 2002.
In last years event, on the final lap, going into the tri-oval, 2008 winner Kyle Busch pulled a blocking maneuver on Tony Stewart that caused Busch to crash into the wall hard. Busch’s car was then hit by the car Kasey Kahne at an estimated 180 mph, sending the rear of the car airborne. After crossing the start finish line, Busch suffered a third hit from teammate Joey Logono. Busch walked away from the car uninjured, but contends to this day that Stewart, the race winner and a former teammate of Busch, intentionally wrecked him.
In the battle of manufacturers,Ford has 15 wins, Chevrolet 14, Mercury 7 , Pontiac and Dodge 5, Buick 4 while Toyota has just one solitary win.
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