Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Discount Orlando Vacations’ Category

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.

The party goes on and on at Universal Studios Florida as the popular Mardi Gras celebration continues through mid-April. This week’s musical guest is Akon, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter and one of the music industry’s fastest-rising stars.

Akon’s special mix of hip-hop, R&B and rap includes a number of chart-topping hits like Lonely, I Wanna Love You, Don’t Matter and Dangerous. He’s the first artist to accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

A frequent guest on TV’s American Idol, Akon brings his act to Universal’s Mardi Gras at 8:30 pm on March 6, 2010.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on Universal Studios, Mardi Gras and other Orlando area theme parks and attractions, as well as details on discount theme park tickets and Orlando vacation packages. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm for information on discount Orlando resort and hotel lodging.

Spring is in the air as the annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival kicks off at Disney World on March 3 and runs thru May 16, 2010,

This year’s event features more than 100 colorful and fun topiaries ranging from a 14-foot tall Goofy fishing to Lion King characters and, of course, Mickey and Minnie. Enjoy millions of blooms, hundreds of butterflies in the butterfly garden, and more. There’s also experts ready to provide gardening tips and demonstrations, and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the festival, you can also enjoy the Flower Power Concert Series featuring music from the 1960s and 1970s.

For more information about Disney World, Epcot and other Orlando theme parks, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. You’ll find discount tickets, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando hotel and resort accommodations.

ESPN’s annual fan-fest continues this weekend (Feb. 26-27-28) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL.

 With 35 superstar athletes, two dozen sportscasters, live shows, special motorcades, interactive sports zone and more, it’s sure to be a fun-filled weekend for sports fans of all ages.

Don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal with stars from the NBA, NFL, major league baseball, golf and more. Plus look for all of your favorite ESPN personalities.

Of course, you’ll also enjoy a full day of fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park which offers a wide range of thrill rides, shows and other attractions.

For information on Disney’s Hollywood Studios, discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando resort and hotel accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

Universal Orlando is promoting vacation packages featuring the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction at Islands of Adventure. Deals are valid for travel beginning May 28, 2010, meaning the long awaited Harry Potter adventure should be open no later than late May.

The $200 million theme park expansion project is taking shape with Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village as the central attractions.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com. For details on discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando, Florida vacation packages and more, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.westgatereservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.

The classic Main Street Electrical Parade is slated to return to Disney’s Magic Kingdom in June and run throughout the summer as part of a Summertime Nightastic! promotion.

The longtime favorite originally found its way down Main Street U.S.A. back in 1977 and ran until 1991 when Disney introduced the SpectroMagic parade. The Electrical Parade returned again from 1999-2001 but has been part of the fun at Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim the last few years.

As part of the return to Disney World, the classic parade will feature a new Tinker Bell presentation at the start of the parade. Also new to the Main Street Electrical Parade will be Snow White and Pinocchio floats.

In Disney’s ongoing effort to “go green,” the thousands of lights in the parade have all been replaced with LED bulbs.

Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on all the Disney parks as well as discount Orlando vacation packages and discount theme park tickets. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com for discount Orlando hotels, resorts and accommodations for the entire family.

The Mardi Gras celebration is in full swing at Universal Studios Orlando Resort. With weekly parades and concerts, lots of great food and plenty of beads, there’s a definite taste of New Orleans in the air.

The party amps up on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Pat O’Brien’s within Universal CityWalk. The restaurant/club will be hosting a Fat Tuesday celebration to kick off the Lenten season.

From 4pm til close, you can enjoy a live party band, special drink discounts, New Orleans style food specials, stilt walkers, bead girls and plenty of other fun and entertainment.

Admission is free until 7 pm. After 7, admission is $8 per person or $20 for a VIP ticket offering private balcony access, light appetizers from 4-8 pm and free admission to select CityWalk clubs.

For additional information on Mardi Gras events at Universal Orlando or discount Orlando vacation packages and theme park tickets, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or to register for a free resort getaway sweepstakes, go to www.WestgateReservations.com/sweepstakes.cfm.