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

ORLANDO VACATION ON A REDUCED BUDGET

by Nigel G. Worrall

Do you want to take a vacation in Orlando but are worried about the cost? Well, an Orlando Vacation on a reduced budget is not such the unobtainable goal that you might think. Want to know why? Read on.

A vacation in Orlando always seems like a perfect dream come true. Unfortunately so many times in our lives our dreams do seem completely dependent on money which then makes the dream vacation not quite so perfect. Of course, a perfect dream would be an Orlando vacation where money wasn’t always an issue but even so, it is possible to have a great time in Orlando even if you are on a reduced budget. To have an Orlando vacation on a reduced budget takes a lot of planning and here are a few tips on how to get more for less.

Orlando Vacation on a Reduced Budget – Tip #1.

Walt Disney World is the major attraction in Orlando and the best time to visit happens twice a year, in May and September. The reason is simple; fewer folks travel in those two months and that means it is easier to get really good deals at those times of year.

Orlando vacation on a reduced budget – Tip #2.

Instead of staying in an expensive hotel room try a vacation home rental instead. You get far more for your money and you’ll enjoy the extra space. Vacation rental homes have nice sized living rooms, several bedrooms, a full sized kitchen, and a private swimming pool. You can save money by buying groceries from a local store rather than dining out every meal time and you’ll also save because you won’t feel the need to go out all the time like you do in a cramped hotel room. 

Orlando vacation on a reduced budget – Tip #3.

Go as a larger group. Yes, if you team up with your friends and family you can save big style. Large vacation homes and villas are available for rental at low costs. If you travel in a large group, with friends, relatives and family, costs definitely come down giving the phrase “the more the merrier” a very pertinent meaning.

Orlando vacation on a reduced budget – Tip #4.

One thing that hinders the concept of an Orlando vacation on a reduced budget is the expense incurred visiting the various attraction parks. The theme parks can prove to be very expensive and the savings you made in the accommodation will be spent here if you’re not careful. Orlando is not just about the Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World theme parks,  there are many other parks, lakes, camping and hiking spots to enjoy, completely free of cost. Of course, you should enjoy a great day at one of the major attractions but mix in a few of these low or no cost attractions and you’ll soon see how you can save on your budget.

Orlando vacation on a reduced budget – Tip #5.

Travel is always a major cost so make sure you check out the major travel web sites to get the best flight prices. Check out the low fare airlines such as Jet Blue, Southwest, Air Tran, Spirit and Frontier to get the lowest prices. Renting a car is the cheapest way to get around and this makes it much easier to get to those great low or no cost places.

Orlando is the place to go for the most fun per square foot and if you follow these simple steps you will get the biggest bang for your buck. An Orlando vacation on a reduced budget is very attainable and you can have the time of your life while saving money. It can indeed be the vacation you always dreamed of.

About Nigel G. Worrall:

Nigel Worrall is President / CEO of Florida Leisure Vacation Homes & Total Real Estate Solutions. He is regularly sought by the media as a vacation home and real estate expert and has featured on NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS. He has also featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Newsweek, Chicago Sun Times, Washington Post, Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Business Journal and several other publications. Nigel is also the best selling author of “Big Ideas For Your Business” (Advantage Media)

Nigel serves many clients around the world as a Realtor®, Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Investor, Mortgage Broker and Real Estate Trainer.

About Florida Leisure:

Florida Leisure Vacation Homes is the leading vacation home company in the Orlando, Fla. – Disney area, offering 3-7 bedroom private vacation homes near to all the Orlando area attractions. Each home has it’s own fully equipped kitchen, 3-7 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, laundry, 2 car garage and best of all, private swimming pool. http://www.FloridaLeisure.com

The Festival of Chocolate, the chocolate tasting, shopping, and interactive experience that began last year is back for an encore. This time they’ve partnered with the Orlando Science Center to bring you four floors of creamy, dreamy cocoa-flavored fun. The event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this weekend, March 6 and 7, 2010.

Local chocolate and confection companies will be selling tastes of everything chocolate – truffles, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pastry, ice creams, chocolate drinks and even chocolate body products.

The Science Center comes into play with live experiments and interactive presentations. Pastry chefs and professional chocolatiers will share techniques and host “try-this-at-home” demonstrations and classes. Guests can enjoy a tour through a unique chocolate-themed museum showcasing chocolate in production, health, history and more.

For the littlest chocoholics, there is a Kids-4-Chocolate craft area where they can create their own edible masterpieces and learn about the journey that the cacao bean takes to turn into their favorite chocolate bar.

There will be a live competition of the “Best of” Chocolate Indulgences in Central Florida judged by panels of pastry experts, celebrities and self-named chocoholics.

Also on hand:
• Chocolate cookie stacking contests
• Chocolate cinema
• Historical presentations
• Book signings
• Chocolate percentage tastings
• Complimentary chocolate raffle
• Live music

Entrance into the Festival of Chocolate is included with a ticket to the Orlando Science Center. Each adult advance purchase ticket sold will receive $2 in chocolate coins to spend in the Festival. For tickets and more Information visit FestivalofChocolate.com

I’m all excited today… my tickets for the Arnold Palmer Invitational Bay Hill PGA event arrived yesterday. I’m going to the practice pro-am on Wednesday 24th March and then I’m going to try out the Wine and Dine on 9 on Friday 26th during the main tournament.

The special event pass is sold separately and will entitle me to try out appetizer and wine samples from such great local restaurants as Morton’s, Flemings, Timpano’s and The Capital Grille.  It’s a great idea and I’m sure it will be a great success!

Although it’s unlikely Tiger Woods will be there, player commitments for the Palmer Invitational continue to roll in. As of this date, player commitments include Retief Goosen, local resident Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, Kenny Perry, Vijah Singh, Bubba Watson and rising star Brandt Snedeker. Daily player pairings for the Arnold Palmer Invitational are announced on the event website. Tournament proceeds benefit the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

If you’re planning a trip to Orlando then this is a great event for all golf enthusiasts. The event starts on Monday 22 March with a pro-am tournament and youth day, meaning all those under 17 can get in free of charge. Tuesday is a practice day for the pros and then Wednesday sees the main Pro-Am before the main event begins on Thursday 25th running through four intense days of competition ending on Sunday 28 March.

If you are also looking to play a little golf in Orlando during the tournament, then check out our golf page on the main Florida Leisure web site or do a search on “golf” this blog using the the “search” button at the top right.  You’ll find lots of information on local courses and where to play.  Also, it’s important to note that all of our vacation home communities are located just 20-25 minutes away from the Palmer PGA tour event.

Hit them well.

Over the course of the week we’ve talked about some of the things to do in Orlando. Today, I want to take a quick look at some of the things you can do “Beyond Orlando”.

Down in Lake Wales you can find Bok Tower Gardens. This gorgeous 250 acre National Historic Landmark sits on the peninsular of Florida’s highest point. The sanctuary features Omsted-de-signed landscaped gardens crowned with a majestic 205 foot marble and coquina bell tower with a 60 bell carillon. Every hour you can hear angelic music ringing from the bells.

Daytona 500 Experience – now that the Daytona 500 is out of the way for another year don’t think that’s where the fun stops. The Daytona 500 Experience is a highly interactive motor sports attraction year round. It is designed to be fun for everyone and will entertain and educate all race fans.

It has 13 different attractions within the 60,000 square foot facility and you won’t want to miss the IMAX theater with its four story screen and high tech sound system. The admission price is between $19 and $24 but it does give you a guided track tour to boot.

Silver Springs are located about an hour and a half’s drive from Orlando. The theme park is surrounded by the beautiful Silver River and is home to plenty of wildlife. In the 350 acres guests can check out alligators, endangered bears and panthers  and explore the Kritter Koral petting zoo as well as watch an array of wildlife shows.

Weeki Wachee Springs is where you can see live mermaids perform in the spring. The mermaids have delighted visitors since 1947. Today, visitors can still witness the magic of the mermaids, take a river boat cruise and canoe or kayak on the Weeki Wachee River. The 538-acre park features a first magnitude spring and a 400-seat submerged theatre for watching the live mermaid show.

Buccaneer Bay offers a fun-filled flume ride for thrill seekers of all ages and the white sandy beach area and covered picnic pavilions provide a relaxing day for the entire family. Weeki Wachee’s animal shows also provide audiences with an entertaining and educational look at domesticated birds and reptiles. Located on U.S. 19 at the intersection of State Road 50, just north of Spring Hill and south of Homosassa Springs.

When you think of Orlando you immediately think of theme parks, sun and fun. However, Orlando has other wonderful things to do and there is a grown up side to the City that you may care to enjoy with that someone special this Valentine’s Day.

Lake Eola is a lovely centerpiece to the City with its footpaths and vintage fountain. For some fun you can take to the lake on a paddle boat elegantly decorated as a swan for around $15 for half an hour. Lake Eola Swan Boats can be found at 101 N. Rosalind Avenue.

While gliding across Lake Eola you can take in Orlando’s vibrant business area and like many Southern cities, Orlando has plenty of charming brick paved roads, bungalows and enormous oak trees draped in Spanish moss for you to enjoy.

From the north east corner of Lake Eola you come across Thornton Park which is home to many cafes, boutique stores and local watering holes that have lots of patio seating… great for people watching!

Orlando also has a great night life and if you wander over to South Orange Avenue you’ll stumble upon bars, concert halls and nightclubs lining the street.

Of course, you can spend the most romantic day of the year at one of Walt Disney World’s six parks, Universal Orlando or Sea World but for a really wonderful treat why not visit Discovery Cove and enjoy the Valentine’s Sweetheart Package where you can present your lover with a box of chocolates, a dozen red roses, champagne served in a private cabana and a love note delivered by a real dolphin.

Daytona 500,  the Great American Race comes round again this weekend. If you’re not into NASCAR, I should explain that it is a cornucopia of noise and speed, from pre-race music to high-powered engines, with colored flags waving on the track and the American flag all around.

It’s the home of people like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick.

Sunday’s 500-mile, 200-lap race starts at 1 p.m but this blog will first address some of the most popular questions that people ask.

What Does NASCAR Stand For?

National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, formed in December 1947 with the help of Daytona Beach’s Bill France Sr., who ran a local service station and promote local races.

There are three divisions: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck series.

Sprint Cup is the top tier. The other two are developmental series.

Why is the Daytona 500 arguably NASCAR’s biggest race of the year?

The sport was founded in Daytona and the race has always been first on the schedule. It’s a combination of tradition, history, weather and marketing that makes it the great race it has become today.

What is the big deal with Danica Patrick?

Popularized by GoDaddy.com commercials, Patrick is an accomplished Indy Racing League driver. (She is the only woman to lead the Indianapolis 500 and owns the highest finish by a woman, fourth in 2005). But she’ll make her NASCAR debut when she drives in Saturday’s Nationwide race (the DRIVE4COPD 300).

What happens if drivers have to go to the bathroom during a race?

That’s the No. 1 question fans ask, drivers said. And, yep, they go in their suits.

“I have only done it a couple of times in my career,” said Casey Mears, who has driven 252 Sprint Cup races. “You don’t get out and go to the bathroom. It doesn’t happen frequently.”

Veteran driver Jeff Burton agreed.

“If you’ve got to pee,” Burton said, “you just pee.”

What’s the deal with the cars?

Top drivers drive only only a Chevrolet Impala, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion or Toyota Camry.

They typically weight  3,450 pounds without the driver.

Top speed is 200 mph.

Transmission is 4-speed.

What do the colored flags means?

Green flag: Go. It comes out at the start of the race and when caution period is over.

Yellow flag: Caution. Cars must slow to near-minimal speed. This comes out because of a hazard or a crash.

Black flag: Get off the track. It’s used when a driver breaks the rules or is driving a dangerous car.

White flag: One lap to go.

Checkered flag: The race is over … and we have a winner.

What is Bump Drafting?

Drafting = when two or more cars race nose-to-tail and the first car breaks the air, giving the second and third cars less resistance and making them all go faster than a single car.

Bump drafting occurs when one race car taps the back end of another car in front. That propels the first car ahead and the draft pulls the second car along, too. Done right, it’s racing at its most skillful. Done wrong, it’s an accident waiting to happen.

NASCAR instituted a no-bump-draft rule to make racing safer. But drivers and fans complained about how it made the races major snooze fests.

Last month, NASCAR lifted the regulation against bump drafting. It should make for more fun. And more wrecks.

“If you don’t bump draft the guy straight in front of you, it will cause a wreck. If he has his wheel turned to the left and you hit him, he can spin out,” said driver Elliott Sadler, a 12-year Sprint Cup veteran.

So that’s a brief round up… sit back and enjoy the race… and here’s Chris Rea’s “Daytona” to get you in the mood.

Well, today’s the day that the 21st Winter Olympics begin and they run all the way through to 28 February. The Winter Olympics feature many winter sports held on snow or ice, such as alpine sking, cross country skiing, figure skating, bobsledding and ice hockey.  Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating have been competed at every Winter Olympics since 1924. Other athletic events have been added as the Games have progressed. Some of these events, such as luge, short track speed skating and freestyle skiing have earned a permanent spot on the Olympic programme. Others, like speed skiing, bandy and skijoring  have been demonstration sports  but never incorporated officially as an Olympic sport.

With a population of more than 2.5 million people, Vancouver will be the largest metropolitan area to ever host a Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver is a beautiful low-altitude, seaport city with a perfect climate to host the games. Most of the venues will be located in the Vancouver metropolitan area, with the exception of the alpine, Nordic, and sliding events, which will be held in Whistler…a truly wonderful place. 

The big news ahead of the events is the news that American ski star Lindsey Vonn is injured and may not compete in the  first test of the women’s downhill run.

Vonn, who stunned fans and media alike by announcing she had picked up a shin injury during training in Austria last week, was left grimacing in agony after pulling her ski boots on for the first time in days.

The 25-year-old two-time World Cup champion had harboured hopes of winning at least one, and at most three gold medals here in Whistler.

However, after gingerly walking past onlookers as her coach carried her skis to the lift, a dejected looking Vonn looked a million miles away from the top step of the Olympic podium.

Vonn was set to start the first downhill training run for her first scheduled race, the super-combined on Sunday, with bib number 16. Let’s hope she recovers…the world deserves to see the best compete.

Injuries also seem to be dominating the world of men’s ice hockey as well.

The list of Olympic walking wounded grew this week with Canadian forward Ryan Getzlaf going down with an injured left ankle while playing for the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League.

Canadian general manager Steve Yzerman announced that Philadelphia Flyers forward Jeff Carter was put on standby in case Getzlaf can’t play in Canada’s first game against Norway next Tuesday.

“I talked to Ryan and his condition is improving. He will try to play this weekend. He needs to skate and see what he can tolerate. Healing is a slow process,” Yzerman said.

Doctors carried out a medical scan on Getzlaf Tuesday which revealled no broken bones.

Injuries are not just limited to Canada with defending champions Sweden also suffering.

Forward Tomas Holmstrom is listed as day-to-day with a leg injury and defenceman Niklas Kronwall is out with a knee injury.

Sweden was given a scare last month when Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson separated his shoulder and ended up missing 11 NHL games before making his return to the Senators line-up.

The United States is one of the hardest hit teams by injuries in the weeks leading up to the Games.

Team USA lost defenceman Mike Komisarek due to a season-ending shoulder injury that will need surgery while they are also without defenceman Paul Martin of the New Jersey Devils with a broken arm.

Ryan Whitney of Anaheim and Tim Gleason of the Carolina Hurricanes were named as replacements by American general manager Brian Burke.

Finnish goaltender Niklas Backstrom has been battling a sore back but he is expected to return to the Minnesota Wild lineup this week.

Forward Teemu Selanne also vows to be ready for Vancouver despite breaking his jaw in a January 13 game against Boston.

He will wear a protective face guard over the jaw area.

It was the second serious injury this season for the Ducks star Selanne, who will be competing in his fifth Olympic Games, after missing 17 games earlier this season with a badly broken hand.

Slovakia is still waiting word on the status of superstar forward Marian Gaborik who is out of the New York Rangers’ lineup after suffering a thigh laceration in practice on Tuesday.

The injury occurred when Gaborik collided with Swedish Olympic goaltender and Rangers’ teammate Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist’s skate sliced into Gaborik’s thigh causing a deep gash that required stitches.

Here’s a link to the schedule for the 16 day event and a video preview:

I’ve heard and seen very mixed reviews of The Who’s performance at the Miami Super Bowl but the bottom line is that in future years we’ll all look back and remember them for creating some great…no…change that….some fantastic music.

OK so Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend weren’t fantastic vocally…I’ll accept that…but this video shows the perspective from a fan point of view… I think you’ll enjoy it…

Just had some great pictures in from some members of our team who were lucky enough to get tickets to this years Super Bowl in Miami so I thought I’d share them with you.

And here’s the opening ceremony video…

More video’s will follow later…

Where is this year going already?

1st February already … and things are moving at a rapid pace here at Florida Leisure. We decided to move our blog to a new domain …so welcome to FloridaLeisureBlog.com and that’ll leave Florida Leisure Online for other things we have planned later in the year.

Our “Give A Day, Get A Vacation Day” campaign is going well and the response has been interesting! We’ve also got a few more things in the pipeline that I’ll be able to tell you about soon I hope…

So what is going on in Orlando this month?

Well for a start there’s going to be plenty of Super Bowl parties this weekend.  Miller’s Ale House, Friday’s Front Row and Bobby G’s Sports Bar & Grill are all great places to head for gourmet buffets and beer, wine and liqour.

Then there’s Valentine’s Day and you”ll find a whole host of events around then. Stuff like “Nude Nite” Fine Art in the Lake Ivanhoe Antique District from 11 to 13 Feb.  There’s also “Art in Bloom” Valentine’s weekend featuring floral designs enhancing artwork found in the Polasek residence.

If art’s not your thing then why not try one of the three Valentine’s Day packages at Discovery Cove? Swimming with the dolphins is one sure fire way to enjoy a great time together.

If you’d like to give a concert a try, then Leu Gardens hosts a Valentine’s Day concert under the stars where you can bring a picnic basket full of your favorite treats and enjoy the music of Michael Andrew with Swingerhead and Ricky and the Buzzcatz.

Of course the movies are always a great place to go on this special day of the year but we also have some great shows. Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group and Phantom of the Opera are all in town and you really should head to at least one of them.

The Osceola County Fair runs from 12 to 21 February at Osceola Heritage Park. Here you can enjoy midway rides and carnival games during the 10 day event meanwhile over at Central Florida Fairgrounds, the Central Florida Fair runs from 25 Feb to 7 March.

February is a big month…be sure to drop by this blog again as I’ll be updating you from time to time.