Orlando Travel Guide

Of orange groves and lush farmland that is what Orlando was before a mouse changed the way the world saw this sleepy town of Orlando. A mouse you ask? Yes, Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney put this laid-back town on the map of the world in 1971. Orlando has never been the same since the opening of Disney World. Did you know that more than 44 million people visit Orlando every single year? This is how popular Orlando is.
This is how it all started: in 1964, a man named Walt Disney had a plan. He started acquiring pieces of land and slowly had property that was twice as big as Manhattan. In 1965, he announced to the world his grand plan of Walt Disney World, but quite unfortunately in 1966 he passed away. But even though he couldn’t live to see his dream, it did come true when in 1971 Walt Disney World opened its gates. Though tourists come to Orlando to have a gay old time, they are often plagued with questions like Where to go? What to do? Where to stay? And what to eat? This is because Orlando has so much to offer, the choices can often be mind-boggling.
Orlando is a timeless yet vigorous city. It seems to be always growing and changing, but still manages to hold on to some of its old world charm. The theme parks and tourist attractions are in a league of their own but that doesn’t mean that Orlando is just a destination for kids, there is all kinds of fun in Orlando. Disney has four parks, Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom and EPCOT. And Universal has also made its mark on Orlando with Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. And how can we forget Sea World, a park that is every kids dream come true with dolphins and penguins all around.
And if you are looking for a cultural and learning experience, you need not even venture out of Orlando, because you can find world-class museums and parks here. The Winter Park with its works by Tiffany at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum and the Loch Park with its American art at the Orlando Museum of Art can appease any culture-lovers appetite.
This beautiful city is quite aptly called "The City Beautiful", and it’s a name well earned, what with its verdant views, lakes, river and wildlife preserves and parks. You can also enjoy a relaxing day with a picnic at any of the public spaces and gardens. And for a lesson on flora and fauna the Harry P. Leu Gardens are the place to be with more than 50 acres of sprawling lands.
Dinning options and restaurants are a plenty hotel in Orlando. There are a number of economical to upscale restaurants in Orlando. There is everything from fine dinning to fast food chains and gourmet restaurants to eateries and cafes. You will find plenty of these at International Drive and sand lake road and Downtown Disney is a great place to catch some grub. And the nightlife is as vibrant as the bustling Theme parks. The main places to enjoy some great nightlife are at Downtown Disney Westside, Downtown Disney, Pleasure Island, Universal Studios Citywalk and of course the ever-popular Orange Grove. You can choose to salsa the night away at Universal’s Latin quarter or enjoy the club scene at Tabu Night club or enjoy some foot tapping music at Disney’s La Nouba of Cirque du Soleil fame.
And Orlando isn’t just fun and games, it is considered to be one of fastest growing cities. It has a population of almost 2 million and is a great place for business. Tourism is the main industry in Orlando and do you wonder why? With more than 95 attractions, 110,000 hotel rooms and easy access…the answer is quite obvious!

Vacations on a Budget

A very wise man whose identity remains unknown once said, "The rainy days a man saves for usually seem to arrive during his vacation." Who can disagree? It often seems like the greatest cause of stress for many people are exactly those days that are supposed to relieve them of the mundaneness and madness of daily life. And for most of us, the stress stems from the expenditure that is incurred while on a vacation. The travel, the stay, the activities, shopping for knickknacks, and souvenirs to carry back home, all cost a pretty penny. While there are some costs that are hard to avoid, planning vacations on a budget can allow you that all important getaway without the misery of an empty bank account.
Tips for Vacations on a Budget
Dreams of a five star luxury vacation are all fine but the truth of the matter is that in the economy we are in, it is important that we count our pennies, but at the same time a holiday is necessary to rejuvenate our batteries as we live our pretty much automated lives. In order to plan vacations on a budget, all you need to do is a keep a few ideas for budget travel in mind. Here are our top tips for planning a vacation that you don't have to wipe out your savings for.
Travel Cheap
One of the biggest expenses while planning a vacation is on travel, especially if you are traveling with your family. Book your airline tickets much in advance. The more time you wait for booking your tickets, the more you are going to have to spend on them. Log on to different travel and ticket booking websites as most of these have competitive pricing and holiday discounts that you can avail of. Also if you are planning a vacation to a tourist hub, then look up sale price tickets that many airlines have on offer for tourist hot-spots. Taking flights that include stop-overs, or opting for less traveled routes can also get you tickets for prices that are much lower than normal. If you are going on a vacation to a place that is not very far from your hometown, then it may be a good idea to drive it down in your own car. This will save you the cost of car rentals for your holiday and leave you scope for changing schedule if need be. This is one of the best ideas for family vacations on a budget.
Hotel Bookings
When planning vacations on a budget another key thing that you will need to plan for well in advance are your hotel bookings. During vacation time, many hotels have special discounts. If you are traveling with your family, then inquire about special pricing while making your bookings. In the travel industry, families are an important target audience, and they are always eager to please this demographic. Look out for family-friendly organizations which offer discounted rates. If you are a member of an organization that makes you eligible for discounts, then use this to qualify for lower prices at hotels. Family vacations on a budget will also need you to focus on your meal expenditure. There are many hotels that offer complimentary meals. Check these offers out before you make your bookings at a hotel. While traveling with kids, check out hotels that offer per person discounts in case you share your room with your kids. There are also hotels that allow you to rent out sleeping bags and place them in the same room. They will charge you nominally for this and allow you to save a huge amount on a second room.
Off Season Travel
One of the top ten ideas for cheap vacations is to not travel during peak season. While this may rob you off the chance at vacation discounts, the fact is that most holiday spots are much cheaper off season and will let you save a lot of money. When planning romantic vacations on a budget, travel to beaches during the monsoons or other such places (but not in tourist season). This way the place will not be packed to the hilt with tourists and you will have a lot of alone time with your partner.
Mini Vacations
Instead of opting for holidays that are a month long, opt for mini vacations that are a weeklong. Choose from mini vacation destinations like a friend's cabin in the mountains. If you and your family love the outdoors, go hiking or camping. Introduce your kids to a lifestyle away from televisions and the Internet. This will not only save you a lot of money but also allow you and your family to connect.
Places to Visit on a Budget
While zeroing in on the places you can go to for vacations on a budget, there are some places that will spring to your mind instantaneously because of the fame they have garnered for being inexpensive vacation spots. Most of these places listed here offer huge vacation discounts that can be availed of. While you may use the tips given above to make a trip to even the most expensive place on the planet for a budget vacation, the places listed out below will ensure that your vacation fund is not wiped out.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The capital of Honduras tops the list of cheapest places to visit while planning vacations on a budget, with hotel charges starting at as low as USD 13 for a night. Taxis are cheap and rides to your destination may cost you as less as USD 1. Negotiate the rates beforehand to avoid an argument when you reach your destination. The nightlife and restaurants are pretty light on your pocket as well.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Looking for a place to travel to near America? Book your tickets for Vancouver, Canada which has hotels that will charge you as little as USD 9 per night. The cost of living is really low and you can travel pretty much everywhere on foot. The city has an expansive variety of international cuisine at reasonable rates. Also nearby places like Whistler Mountain allow you to indulge in activities like skiing.
Margarita Island, Venezuela
Probably one of the cheapest vacation destinations on the planet with hotels that charge as low as USD 13, beer at USD 1 and an appetizing seafood meal at USD 7. The exchange rate at Venezuela ensures that you save a lot of money and the sheer beauty of the place makes for one of the best vacation spots in the world.
Florida
If you want to stick to domestic travel, head to Florida while planning vacations on a budget. Avail of cheap hotel in Orlando during off season and tickets at a discount at Disney World when on a Florida vacation. You can take part in walking tours which are extremely cheap or just laze around on one of the many beaches. What could be better?
Las Vegas
Think fun and the first spot that springs to mind is Las Vegas. Okay so maybe you will have to spend big bucks on the stay but you will definitely save money on food by just gorging on buffets that most hotels have a spread of. Plan a trip in off season and you are sure to have a trip of a lifetime without burning a hole in your pocket.
Other than these places, you can also plan trips to vacation spots like Carolinas, Grand Canyon, Belize, Western Ireland, all of which are cheap places to visit. These are just some of the ideas that you can use while traveling, whether you are planning cheap family vacations or planning a solo trip. Great vacations on a budget are easy to prepare for. All you need to ensure is that you make all your bookings in advance. One you have your holiday plan all figured out, just travel to the place of your choice and have unadulterated fun without worrying about your finances.

Kissimmee Vacation Homes

What is the best deal when planning a vacation to Disney World. I would have to say it is in the nightly rental rates found for new Kissimmee Vacation Homes.

Almost all vacation pool homes in the greater Orlando area are actually situated in the town of Kissimmee, FL. Matter of fact, most people are not aware that a huge portion of the Disney World theme park complex is actually situated in Kissimmee.

I guess the first question that needs to be answered is what is a "private vacation pool home"?  These are private homes that have been purchased by investors who desire to make money off of the rental income generated by his or her investment. Each home has a living area, a dining area, a great room and a number of bedrooms and baths depending on the rental needs of the vacationer. Oh yes, each of the homes have their own private screened in lanai and swimming pool.

As J. Avery of Springfield, IL said.... "We were looking at booking a hotel for our family of five that is until we found out about the prices of the vacation pool homes." The idea of having our own full size private swimming pool close to Disney World is what attracted us to book our home.  What a fabulous Disney vacation this was."

The attraction of Kissimmee vacation homes by Disney is the low nightly rates. Years ago when there were not many short term rental homes in the market, the rates were significantly higher. With the over building due to the cheap mortgage money, this segment of the lodging industry grew far faster than demand. Today, because it is a "buyers" market, homes which sold for over $500,000 a few years back are now carrying rents of only $125 and $175 per night depending upon season. These nightly rates are unheard of. It is one of the reasons that many are checking out the possibilities of renting a private pool home close to Walt Disney World.

When a person is looking to find the best value for his Disney World vacation, he will look long and hard. Attraction theme park ticket prices are set by the parks. But, the one area which offers the absolute best deal is the Kissimmee Vacation Homes where nightly rental rates are down somewhere between 30 and 40% from a few years back.

Here is a valuable tip for those looking to find deals in Orlando, check out the vacation pool homes in Kissimmee... you will be impressed with fabulous rates! Don't miss out.

If you are planning to visit Orlando and would like to get the best rates on Kissimmee Hotels, then be sure to visit our site.

If you would like to read a testimonial and get more information, take a look at our Squidoo lense about Hotels in Orlando Near Disney.