Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Discount Orlando Vacations’ Category

Surf’s up. And you won’t even have to go to the beach to find the perfect wave! That’s because indoor surfing is coming to the Orlando area this fall.

It’s all part of the excitement at Fantasy Surf, an all-new, indoor aquatic recreation facility currently under construction at FantasyWorld Resort in Kissimmeee, FL.

The new water park venue will utilize a FlowRider system to provide a controlled surfing style environment. When completed, the Fantasy Surf system will be 32 feet wide by 49 feet long. It will also included padded walls a 3-inch sheet of water will create the surf conditions.

The 14,000 square-foot surfing center is tentatively scheduled to open in October, 2010.

For more information on Orlando area hotels, water parks and theme parks, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or go to www.WestgateReservations.com to find discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando tickets.

Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade returns to Orlando’s Magic Kingdom this weekend.

The parade, which last ran in Florida in 2001, is returning from Disney’s California Adventure Park as the highlight of Disney’s Summer Nightastic! celebration. A longtime favorite at Magic Kingdom, the parade returns with a variety of enhancements including new floats.

All in all, the Main Street Electrical Parade offers 23 floats and 500,000 lights, led by a new Tinker Bell Pixie Hollow float at the front of the parade. Tinker Bell’s magic pixie dust will be a constant throughout the parade as seen through special effects that offer lighting swoops down the sides of the floats.

Also new to the parade is a float featuring Pinocchio and the bad boys from Pleasure Island.

The parade which runs approximately 45 minutes is scheduled to begin its summer run Sunday June 6 through August 14. However, a preview parade is scheduled for Saturday June 5.

For more on Walt Disney World Resort and discount Orlando vacation packages, to go www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Last chance. This weekend marks the end of the 2010 version of Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL.

It’s your last opportunity to see the dramatic topiaries such as the American Gothic Mickey and Minnie near the entrance to World Showcase. It’s your last chance to see the Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden and Butterfly House with Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. And it’s your final chance to see the green wall, a large wall featuring a fountain and a variety of greenery.

The weekend festivities also conclude this year’s Flower Power Concert Series. The final musical guest artist is Chubby Checker who performs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 pm in the American Gardens outdoor theatre.

For more highlights of Epcot and Walt Disney World Resort, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or go to www.WestgateReservations.com for details on discount Orlando vacation packages and resort lodging at Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa.

One of the nation’s longest-running and most popular game shows is coming to Orlando.

Family Feud, famous for the phrase, “survey says…” is moving its production studio from Las Angeles to a new home at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. In addition to the change in venue, the show will also welcome a new host in entertainer Steve Harvey.

The game show will tape 165 episodes from July thru September on Sound Stage 19 at Universal Orlando Resort. The episodes will be staged on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Family Feud will produce four to eight episodes a day.

You don’t have to be a theme park guest to watch the tapings. Currently, there are 22 taping dates scheduled between July and September, 2010. Access to the studio will be available through Universal CityWalk for those not visiting the theme park.

Family Feud is one of the most familiar game shows since Richard Dawson originally hosted it in the 1970s. The current version of the show has been running 11 years in syndication and airs weekdays at 10 a.m. ET.

Universal Orlando will play up Family Feud in promotions to bring more guests to the resort, said Pamela Tuscany, vice president of production.

For more information on Family Feud, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com. For details on the Universal theme parks and discount Orlando vacation packages and tickets, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

The Original Wailers, featuring Al Anderson and Junior Marvin, will perform at Universal CityWalk during its annual reggae celebration Saturday, May 15 in Orlando, FL.

The late Bob Marley and the Wailers sold more than 250 million albums worldwide with such hit songs such as “Get Up, Stand Up” and “One Love.”

Saturday’s reggae party, A Tribute to Freedom, at Bob Marley’s within Universal Orlando CityWalk is scheduled to run from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and includes live music and authentic Jamaican food.

Admission to Bob Marley’s is free before 6 p.m., but a $15 cover charge will be assessed after that point. There’s also a $25 VIP ticket available that includes upstairs access, drink specials, an appetizer buffet from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. and free admission to other select CityWalk clubs.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for details on Universal Orlando theme park, Universal CityWalk and discount Orlando vacation packages.

Join the fun at Orlando’s Gatorland this weekend (Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m.-9 p.m.) for an after-hours event called Swamp Sunset Celebrations.

Guests can enjoy a train ride, turkey dogs to feed the alligators, a sangria outlet and, of course, plenty of opportunity to see the park’s massive gators up close and personal.

When  you’re not looking into the marsh at the gators, be sure to look overhead as hundreds of egret and other bird nests sit in the trees above the alligator breeding marsh.

For more information about Gatorland and other popular Orlando area theme parks and attractions, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or go to www.WestgateReservations for discount Orlando tickets, hotels, resorts and family vacation packages.

With summer temperatures arriving in Orlando, it’s time to start seeking options to cool off when you need a break from the sun. With four major water parks - Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Aquatica by SeaWorld and Wet ‘n’ Wild - the options are plentiful.

But now there’s a new water park option in Orlando called the CoCo Key Water Resort located near International Drive and I-4 in the midst of the attractions area.

While the colorful water slides and other water attractions are part of the newly remodeled resort, the water fun is also open to those who are not staying at the resort.

The watery attractions at CoCo Key offer wet fun for all ages. The youngest will enjoy Minnow Lagoon, a zero depth entry pool with mushroom style water fountains, soaker cannons and age appropriate slides. The area is also under a canopy, offering youngsters a respite from the hot Florida sun. Parents can watch from the comfort of the Wet Rooster Tiki Bar.

Older kids will appreciate the Coral Reef Cove which offers up water volleyball and the faster paced, Cyclone slide. There’s also a large arcade area filled with games and fun. Nearby is Parrot’s Perch where you’ll find additional slides, water cannons and a giant bucket that dumps 400 gallons of water every 30 minutes.

For the biggest thrills, check out the biggest slides. Over the Falls is a curve-filled body slide while Surfer Splash offers 1- and 2-person tubes. The Boomerango features 2-person tubes that depart from the top of a 60-foot tower.

Free to resort guests, the park is open to non-guests for $19.95 while Florida residents pay just $14.95.

For more information on all of Orlando’s water parks and attractions and other discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

The popular spring music concerts continue at Orlando’s big theme parks this weekend. At Disney’s Epcot, the annual International Flower & Garden Festival offers up Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone as this week’s musical guest.

The headliner for the Flower Power Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre is yet another popular performer from years gone by as the Hermits bring back their sounds from the mid-60s.

The group performs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. and performances are included with regular Epcot admission.

Meanwhile at Universal Studios, Mardi Gras fans can enjoy a double dose of parades and fun. An added Friday night Mardi Gras event features musical guest Sheryl Crow while Flo Rida takes the Mardi Gras stage on Saturday night.

For information on all the Orlando theme parks and concert events, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or for discount Orlando family vacation packages, go to www.WestgateReservations.com.

Spring Break is here and there’s plenty of warm sunshine ahead in Orlando. What better way celebrate than with a little surf music!

Mardi Gras continues at Universal Orlando and this week’s special musical guest features the Beach Boys, live in concert on April 3 at 9:30 pm. Since their debut album in 1961, the group was originally comprised of the Wilson brothers - Brian, Dennis and Carl - plus cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. Together they combined to create hit after hit with their extraordinary harmonies and popular surf music.

The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and have produced 36 top 40 hits and four Number One singles, including “Good Vibrations.”

 Mardi Gras continues at Universal Orlando through April 17. For additional details, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com or for details on discount Orlando vacation packages, to go www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Spring is in the air and Major League Baseball is back in Central Florida. Orlando might be the theme park capital of the world, but when it comes to Spring Training baseball, there’s no better place to catch all the Grapefruit League action.

Fourteen different major league teams call Central Florida their home for spring training. As a result, baseball fans don’t have to look far for the next game throughout the month of March.

Two teams - the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros - have training camps right in the middle of the greater Orlando area. The Braves play at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista while the Astros take the field just down the road in Kissimmee.

From there, just a short drive down I-4 takes you to Lakeland, spring training home of the Detroit Tigers. And farther west along the Gulf coast, you’ll find the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, the New York Yankees in Tampa, the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.

On the Atlantic coast side of Florida’s peninsula, you can catch spring training games and workouts for the Florida Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter and the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

There’s no better way to see and interact with your favorite MLB stars up close than at a highly affordable spring training game. For spring training schedules of your favorite team, or for any of the Grapefruit League teams, visit www.MLB.com.  

For details on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation package specials, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. For discount resort or hotel packages, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.