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

Disney’s contemporary Christian music event, “Night of Joy,” will celebrate its 28th year by presenting an unprecedented lineup of Christian music artists. After two years at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the event will again be held at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

Performances will take place at several stage locations between 7:00 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. each evening following the regular closing of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Popular attractions will also be available for guests to enjoy during Night of Joy hours. The 2010 lineup features a host of inspirational bands, including these headlining artists:

Friday, September 10

• Chris Tomlin
• David Crowder Band
• Casting Crowns

Saturday, September 11

• MercyMe
• Third Day
• Family Force

Information & Tickets

Night of Joy special ticket provides admission to the Magic Kingdom from 4:00 p.m. until until 1:00 a.m.. The park is regularly open until 6:00 p.m., but Night of Joy ticket holders will be issued a special wrist band allowing them access to the extended hours and concerts.

Prices for the special one-night advance tickets purchased online are $49.95, plus tax ($57.95, plus tax if available on night of event). Tickets for both nights — September 10 & 11 — are $89.95, plus tax. For more information or to purchase tickets for Night of Joy, call 407-W-DISNEY or go online and check out www.disneyworld.com/nightofjoy

Halloween Horror Nights is the premiere Halloween event annually held at the Universal Orlando theme park. Hundreds of thousands of horror fans from all over the globe look forward to this event every year and it is the largest event of its kind on the planet. The event features haunted houses, “scarezones” and live entertainment, many of which utilize Universal’s classic monsters (Wolf Man, Frankenstein), exclusive characters (Jack, The Director), and other licensed properties (Saw, Freddy, Jason).

Initially the event featured just one haunted house but as the event has grown; up to eight haunted houses have been used in conjunction with the ever popular “scarezones” which feature costumed characters, including the World famous Chainsaw Drill Team, and superb themes, costumes and makeup effects to scare people who walk from one area of the park to the next.

Halloween Horror Nights officially launched in Florida in 1991 under the name “Fright Nights.” It was renamed “Halloween Horror Nights” in 1992 and initially began as a three night event but is now a 24 night “horrible” extravaganza that has grown bigger and bigger every year.

The event was held at Universal Studios Florida from 1991 to 2001, but then moved to Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 2002. In 2004, Universal experimented with a dual-park format, which connected and utilized parts of both parks but in 2006, the event made its return to Universal Studios.

The first unofficial icon was Crypt Keeper, from the TV series Tales from the Crypt and since then some of the other icons have been Jack the Clown, The Caretaker, The Director, The Storyteller, Bloody Mary, The Usher and Fear.

2010 marks the 20th installment of the event at the Orlando park, titled “Twenty Years of Fear”, and features the embodiment of Fear itself as the event’s icon.

It’s a lot of fun so why not take yourself along for a day at Universal Studios Florida® theme park this September / October and watch as the park is transformed by day into Halloween Horror Nights at night and see why this is event is always crowned “The Best Haunted Attraction.” There are many ways to enjoy the event, with Frequent Fear Passes for non-peak nights and also VIP Unmasking the Horror tours as well. Our concierge department will be only too happy to help you decide how to enjoy the maximum amount of fear.

International Drive, otherwise known as I-Drive, is the main tourist strip in the Orlando area. It is located southwest of Downtown Orlando and stretches approximately 15 miles over two counties, Orange and Osceola. It is home to many tourist attractions, restaurants and shopping areas.

If you have your own transport then you’ll find it easy to navigate your way from one venue to another but if you’re on foot you’ll want to utilize the I-Ride trolley that runs along I-Drive at regular intervals.

The north end of I-Drive is where the action starts or finishes, depending which direction you are going and its the home of Prime Outlets Orlando. Just south of there are other outlet malls as well as the increasingly popular Festival Bay Mall. As you journey south you’ll come across such attractions as Fun Spot, Titanic – the Experience, Wet and Wild, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, WonderWorks, Congo River Golf, Train Land International, as well as over 485 designer, brand name and outlet stores.

Food wise you’re absolutely spoilt for choice as there are over 150 fabulous restaurants as well as two dinner shows at Pirates and Sleuths to enjoy.

There’s so much to see and do, I thought I’d just make a  list of the Top 25 for you to pick from:

25. Visit Monkey Joe’s where kids can let loose and bounce around like a Monkey.

24. Beat the heat in the Iceberg Room while discovering treasures of a sunken ship at Titanic – the Experience.

23. Enjoy a cold, swirly, Twistee Treat with sprinkles on top on a hot summer day or night.

22. Sit back, relax and experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the Caribbean while watching the Junkanoo dancers and musicians perform at Kafe Kalik.

21. Have your picture taken in front of a 1934 replica Ford Woody at Ron Jon’s Surf Park at Festival Bay Mall.

20. Take a ride from the air in an Air Florida Helicopter Charters and see world famous attractions.

19. Learn to Belly Dance or just fill your belly with authentic Greek food at Taverna Opa.

18. Experience an explosion of dynamic effects on the all new BLACK HOLE; The Next Generation at Wet ‘n Wild.

17. Satisfy your inner pirate at the giant galleon at Pirate’s Dinner Adventure.

16. Eat a burger and fries in the world’s largest McDonald’s Play Place!

15. Sing pop classics at Howl at the Moon.

14. Enjoy dinner while listing to the Great Blues of yesterday and today at B B Kings.

13. Watch live European sports via satellite at a British pub, Cricketers Arms Pub, at Festival Bay Mall.

12. Be serenaded by singing waiters at Bergamo’s Italian Restaurant at Festival Bay Mall.

11. Escape the ordinary at Ripley’s Believe it or Not with its Orlando Odditorium filled with the unusual.

10. Let your imagination run wild at WonderWorks, Orlando’s only upside-down building! Land the space shuttle. Design a roller coaster. Fly a fighter jet.

9. Been bowling lately?  Check out the 32-lane bowling alley right in the heart of the I-Drive area, the World Bowling Center.  The wacky decor features murals of astronauts bowling, among other whimsical touches.

8. Enjoy nonstop recreation at Vans Skate Park at Festival Bay Mall, Orlando’s premier skateboard park.

7. Skydive in a wind tunnel at iFLY Orlando.

6. Golf under a waterfall at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf.

5. Solve a murder mystery at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater

4. Catch a movie at Regal Cinemas Stadium 20+ IMAX.

3. Have an elegant dinner in the highly acclaimed Capital Grille at Pointe Orlando.

2. Check out the nation’s second largest convention center, Orange County Convention Center.

1. Shop for bargains at designer outlets ( Prime Outlets Orlando, Festival Bay at International Drive, Orlando Premium Outlets and Pointe Orlando)!

Here’s a video tour of the I-Drive area:

The 5th Star Wars Celebration starts tomorrow at  the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL and is the official Lucasfilm event celebrating all things Star Wars, produced by fans for fans. This is where you will find the largest Star Wars parties, featuring cast and crew celebrities, fans, costumes, music, live entertainment, autographs, collectibles, and panels — but mainly friends who gather to have fun and celebrate their love for the saga.

From fans who first experienced A New Hope in theaters to kids just discovering Star Wars through Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Celebration touches on anything and everything connected with that galaxy far, far away.

The first event took place back in 1999 and it doesn’t have a permanent home. Instead, it travels around the world to avoid Imperial detection — and to bring Star Wars to as many fans as possible. The event runs from August 12 – 15, 2010, and commemorates the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, celebrates the continuing televised adventures of the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and looks forward to exciting new Star Wars projects to come.

Opening times are:

Some of the stars who will appear are Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill while George Lucas will be interviewed by Jon Stewart onstage Saturday morning. The field of folks signing autographs includes Anthony Daniels, Ray Park, Warwick Davis, Peter Mayhew, Daniel Logan,  Julian Glover and Temuera Morrison.

Single-day admission is $48 for adults, $27 for children; four-day passes are $128 adults, $54 for children.

Want something to do during an Orlando afternoon storm? Then go ten pin bowling!

I’ve always had something of a love / hate relationship with this game. For a start it was one of the first dates my wife and I went on and for me, there’s always been something not quite right about a game that amuses so many by hurling a ball down an ally to knock ten pins down. I can’t get my head around what it is but I suppose others don’t understand golf either.

As a family we hadn’t been bowling for some time but my daughter requested it as a birthday treat so it was off to Kissimmee Lanes at 4140 W Vine Street to have some fun. The afternoon didn’t start out so well as when we got there they had no record of our reservation for a lane but all was sorted out smoothly after a short time. Tip: If you call ahead to make a reservation …ask for the person’s name at the other end!

Our game only lasted an hour…that’s about as much frustration that I can take, and was punctured with pins actually being hit…occasionally. I’ve attached a short video of the venue…and of my youngest’s bowling style! At least she had fun

Hotels vs. Vacation Home Rentals

By Nigel G. Worrall

America is a nation of hotel lovers. When we’re planning a trip the first thing that comes to mind is “Where are we going to stay?” Usually we want somewhere comfortable, somewhere clean and somewhere where all the family can relax. We imagine the perfect vacation or business trip and hope that the hotel can provide us with a nice room and a quick and easy check in / check out process.

Reality is though, that it rarely happens that way. Even when staying at the top hotels in the country something always seems to go wrong whether it be with the hotel itself or with the accommodation. Relaxing it isn’t. Stressful it is. From the time you arrive there is always potential for disaster. From lengthy lines at check in, to actually arriving at your room and finding things not as you planned. It might even be something else around the hotel, like a restaurant, fitness center or the swimming pool being understaffed or worse, closed.

Imagine this scenario; you’re having a large family reunion in Orlando and you’ve tried several hotels in the hope of accommodating you all. You eventually find a hotel that can provide accommodation but you arrive to find that you are spread out all over the place as the hotel couldn’t guarantee to locate you in the same part of the hotel complex let alone on the same floor. It’s a mess and getting everyone together proves impossible.

Traveling as a small family can be just as bad, as many hotels only offer a choice of a room with two Queen sized beds or one King. If you’re taking the kids that means there’s not much privacy for Mom & Pop and then there’s always the constant fights as everyone gets to argue about what to watch on television. It’s even worse when it comes to bedtime as some folks want to sleep and others want to catch the late night movie. In the end someone ends up being frustrated or annoyed.

There is a stress free option though and one that more and more families are finding out about and coming to enjoy experiencing; vacation home rentals.

For around the same money that you would pay at a hotel, you can actually rent a luxurious vacation home that comes equipped with everything you need to make you feel at home. Homes are typically available with anywhere from three to seven separate bedrooms meaning everyone gets their own space to do as they want.  Some homes, particularly in the warmer climates, even have a private heated swimming pool while some homes may have a hot tub or Jacuzzi as well.

Many vacation homes have other great amenities such as large screen TV’s, Xbox or PS2 gaming consoles and even dedicated games rooms with pool, foosball or ping pong tables. All of this means that after a fun filled day out, you can actually enjoy returning home to rest and relax while the kids find plenty to do.

Another major advantage of a vacation rental home is the fact they all come equipped with a full size kitchen. No longer are you dependent on when the restaurant is open or what is on the menu, now you get to pick what you want to eat and when you want to eat it. On occasion dining out is  a nice treat but not everyone wants to go out every meal time and a vacation home gives the option to have a quiet night in and enjoy some home cooking as well as save some cash.

Maybe it’s time to try something different on your next vacation? Vacation rentals are great value and once you’ve stayed in one, you’ll think twice about staying in a hotel again.

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.

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.

Visiting Orlando or Central Florida in July? It’s a wonderful month to be in Florida as there’s so much to do. Apart from everything going on at Walt Disney World, Sea World and Universal Orlando there’s all kinds of other events happening to capture your interest. Here’s a look at some of them:

1st July – 1st Thursdays.

The Orlando Museum of Art has a themed happy hour on the first Thursday of each month and July is no exception. There is an admission charge and the museum is open from 6pm – 9pm. Listen to the jazz and classical sounds of the Brian Petras Trio while enjoying tasty bistro fare from Harmoni Market, a handcrafted beer from Shipyard and Seadog Brewing Co. or wine poured by Premier Beverage Co, which will be available for purchase throughout the evening.For more info: 407-896-4231

2nd July – Rockin Lake Eola

There’s no admission fee to enjoy live music, great food, and cold drinks (don’t forget your ID) every Friday 3 – 11pm till Sept. 3, 2010 at Lake Eola.
More info: 330-653-8130

3rd July – Party in the Park

Bring your lawn chair or blanket to a fun filled afternoon of activities, live music, children’s crafts and fireworks at Newton Park, Winter Garden. More info: 407 656 4111

3rd July – Red Hot & Bloom

Celebrate Independence Day with live entertainment, children’s activities, vendor booths, great food and a 25 minute fireworks display synchronized to patriotic music at Cranes Roost Park, Altamonte. More Info: 407 571 8180

Free July 4th Fireworks in Orlando!

Fireworks at the Fountain

Downtown Orlando, July 4th – Entertainment, games and food from 4 pm to 10 pm with fireworks starting at 9:30 pm at Lake Eola Park.

4th July Celebration at the Lakefront, St. Cloud – The Chamber of Commerce presents an all day celebration on the 4th of July. Festivities run from the opening ceremony at noon.  Fireworks will begin at 9:30pm.  This annual event that started in the 1930’s represents a community get-together culminating with a dynamic fireworks display. Festivities include local bands, games, contests, patriotic singing, and arts and craft displays.

July 4th Celebration at Avalon Park – Activities, bike parade, rides and much more! The celebration goes from 5 – 9 pm with fireworks starting at 9 pm.

A Flashback 4th of July – Celebration Town Center – Travel back in time for a Rockin’ July 4th celebration. The events start at 5:30 with fireworks beginning at 9:30pm.

July 4th Celebration – City of Kissimmee – From 5:00pm till 9:30 pm at Kissimmee’s Lakefront Park. A free concert starts the festivities. Coolers are permitted into the park, but no alcoholic beverages are allowed in. Food and Beverages can be purchased at the park. Call 407-518-2501 for more information.

July 10-11 – 13th Annual The Villages Craft Festival

A great opportunity to browse arts and crafts can be found at the Spanish Springs Town Square. For more information visit www.artfestival.com or call 954-472-3755.

July 15 – August 1 – Splash

The Orlando Shakespeare Theater presents a summer fun tale. Showing Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Visit www.orlandoshakes.org or call 407-447-1700.

July 16, 2010 – Cinema in the Park

Family movies on the third Friday of each month at 9th Street and Park Avenue in Sanford. Bring the family and a blanket or chairs for free admission to the 7:00pm showing of this month’s movie. More info: 407-688-5004

July 16, 2010 – Friday Night Live

Friday nights at Uptown Altamonte, from 7 – 9 pm enjoy free admission to outdoor entertainment in a beautiful setting. Local artists perform Jazz, Pop, Big Band and Contemporary music weekly. More info: 407-571-8180

July 16 – 25 – Joesph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theater presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical sensation in a brand new production of this timeless Old Testament story at Broward County Main Library Auditorium. www.flct.org or call: 954-566-7628

July 17 – 18 – 8th Annual Elvis Festival – Tampa

Come for all the Elvis fun, including Elvis tribute artists, Elvis memorabilia, food vendors, Elvis performances and shows throughout the day. Visit www.Elvistampatcb.com or call: 813-977-6011

July 25, 2010 – “Music at the Casa”

Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum in Winter Park, open house and live music on Sundays from 12 – 3pm.
More info: 407-628-8200