Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Family Vacation’ Category

With music, parades and the biggest street party imaginable, Mardi Gras celebrates its 15^th year in Orlando, FL with an amazing concert lineup featuring some of the biggest names in pop, rock, R&B, country, and hip-hop performing live in the Universal Music Plaza.

KC & the Sunshine Band get the party rolling on Feb. 6 - the first of 13 nights of concerts and Mardi Gras good times. Experience the fun, the colorful costumes, live street musicians and performers, dazzling floats and the delicious and authentic Cajun food. And let’s not forget about the beads…lots of beads!

Mardi Gras is part of your regular admission to Universal Studios. Visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for information on discount Universal Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages. Or see www.WestgateReservations.com for discount hotel and resort accommodations near Universal Studios.

There will be plenty of music, food, beverages and fun across Central Florida when SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay presents their annual Bands, Brew & BBQ 2010 - weekends throughout February.

This feel-good music festival and live concert series offers fabulous concerts, great BBQ food and ice-cold beer. It’s your chance to kick back, enjoy the music of your favorite bands, and experience the fun-filled attractions of the theme parks.

Bands, Brew & BBQ 2010 kicks off at SeaWorld on Feb. 6 with special guest performer LeAnn Rimes. The fun moves to Busch Gardens on Feb. 7 with a concert starring Dennis DeYoung featuring the music of STYX.

For more information on central Florida’s theme parks, details on discount tickets and savings on accommodations, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

Sports fans get ready. ESPN The Weekend returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, February 25-28, 2010.

Highlights of this popular sports fest include the ESPN Interactive Sports Zone, Fan Q&A with Athletes, Celebrity Game Shows, Athlete Motorcades, ESPN Live TV Telecasts and ESPN Radio Live Broadcasts of Mike & Mike in the Morning, NFL Live, Baseball Tonight and more.

Athletes scheduled to appear at ESPN The Weekend 2010 include Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts, retired major league baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, champion beach volleyball player Misty May Treanor, Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams, U.S. women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain, former NFL star Darrell Green, former NBA player Scottie Pippen, University of South Carolina football head coach Steve Spurrier, gymnast Shawn Johnson and NFL legend Thurman Thomas.

A variety of ESPN personalities are also scheduled to appear at ESPN The Weekend, including Mike Golic, Karl Ravech, Mark Schlereth, Skip Bayless, Mike Greenberg, Ron Jaworski, Tedy Bruschi, Trey Wingo, Dana Jacobson, John Kruk and others.

For details on great discount Orlando hotels and accommodations, go to www.WestgateReservations.com. Or for discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

Five. Only five space shuttle missions remain on NASA’s schedule, with Endeavour getting prepared now for a planned February 7, 2010 flight from Central Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

Commander George Zamka will lead the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station - a scheduled 13-day mission designed to increase the interior space for the ISS. The Endeavour crew will deliver the Italian-built Tranquility node, to provide space for crew members and the space station’s life support and environmental control systems.

They will also deliver a 7-windowed cupola, which will be used as a control room for robotics. The cupola offers a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The mission will also incorporate three spacewalks.

While there is plenty of work to be done in space over the final five space shuttle missions, much of the excitement for Central Florida visitors is geared around the remaining launches.

The Endeavour launch on Feb. 7 is targeted for 4:39 am EST, meaning the night skies will be lit up with a brilliant glow seen from as far away as Orlando and beyond.

For more information on the STS-130 mission, visit www.NASA.gov. Or for details on the Kennedy Space Center and discount Orlando vacation packages and discount Orlando accommodations, please visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

The Muppets are coming. The Muppets are coming.

Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa, FL is preparing to open a new Sesame Street Safari of Fun area, featuring a kid-sized roller coaster, water playelements, a playground and lots of opportunities to take your photo with the ever popular Muppets!

Schedule to open in March, 2010, the new theme park area will boast Air Grover - a new family friendly roller coaster. Geared for children, the coaster will offer big thrills for the little ones, with a 23-foot high hill and hitting speeds up to 23 miles per hour.

Another key attraction to the Sesame Street area includes Bert & Ernie’s Water Hole where kids will enjoy a variety of water jets, dumping buckets and geysers designed for some cool, “splash zone” fun on a hot Central Florida day.

Of course, no Sesame Street attraction would be complete without the Muppets and there will be plenty of potential for meeting and greeting your favorite characters from Big Bird and Elmo to The Count, Bert & Ernie, Cookie Monster and more.

From Busch Gardens and SeaWorld Orlando to Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando, you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com to find discount theme park tickets, discount Orlando hotels and discount Orlando vacation packages.

Ready to escape the winter chill? There’s no better time than now to visit Orlando, FL where sunshine and family fun awaits you.

From world class theme parks like Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Resort to a wide variety of fast paced water parks and other attractions, Orlando offers fun for the entire family, regardless of age.

You’ll also find championship golf, nearby beaches, lots of amazing shopping and dining options and much more.  Why wait? Now’s the time to book your Orlando fun vacation. Check out the discounts today at www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com.

The New Year is just around the corner and there’s plenty of New Years Eve excitement brewing in Orlando, FL!

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and all of Disney’s favorite characters are set to help ring in 2010 throughout Walt Disney World® Resort. The Disney parks are decked out in all their holiday glory as we reach one of the resort’s busiest and merriest times of the year.

The Disney parks will offer extended hours on New Years Eve and there will be plenty of year end fireworks to light up the night sky throughout Orlando.

At Disney’s Epcot, the park will remain open til 1:00 am while featuring a special version of the Illuminations at 11:40 pm.

Magic Kingdom Theme Park will also remain open til 1:00 am with a special showing of the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks taking place at 11:50 pm. Meanwhile at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, New Years Eve guest can stick around until midnight and enjoy the Lights! Cameras! Fireworks show starting at 11:50 pm.

Across town at Universal Orlando Resort, there’s also plenty of New Years activity on the horizon. Islands of Adventure theme park will offer extended hours til 10:00 pm while its sister park, Universal Studios Florida remains open for late night fun til 1:00 am. Best of all, Universal CityWalk will help rock in 2010 with a separate ticket event that offers live entertainment in every club, gourmet cuisine and a fabulous concert featuring the legendary music of The Temptations and The Four Tops and a midnight champagne toast!

Not to be outdone, SeaWorld® Orlando offers up its own special New Years Eve memories by staying open til 1:00 am. From 9:00 pm til 12:30 am, SeaWorld will offer continuous entertainment, music and an amazing midnight fireworks display.

Of course, the fun in Orlando rolls right on thru to New Years Day where the parks will again be filled with thrills and adventure. And sports fans will be delighted with a trip to Orlando’s nearby Citrus Bowl stadium where Penn State University is set to battle Louisiana State University in the annual Capital One Bowl. This high profile football game pits two of the most prominent and storied collegiate programs in a battle of highly ranked teams.

For discount Orlando theme park tickets, check out the deals currently available at www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for great rates on discount Orlando resort and Orlando vacation packages, visit www.WestgateReservations.com today.

Tis the season to be jolly in Orlando. Central Florida’s fun-filled theme parks are a popular destination throughout the holiday season and this year is no different. And the parks are sure to provide plenty of opportunity to put you in the holiday spirit!

 SeaWorld Orlando has created a winter wonderland throughout its park with holiday decorations and festive holiday music, not to mention a wide variety of holiday entertainment.

 Youngsters will be delighted with the newest SeaWorld show: A Sesame Street Christmas, a 25-minute funfest featuring favorite characters like Cookie Monster, the Count, Bert & Ernie, Elmo and Big Bird.

 The show celebrates the holiday season as Big Bird and friends teach Abby Cadabby about the joys of Christmas while creating a feeling of good will the year ‘round.

Another new show at SeaWorld is the sea lion comedy adventure: Clyde & Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas. Those visitors who arrive for the show early will be treated by a short performance by a SeaWorld mime.

There may not be any snow in Orlando, but you will find some ice at SeaWorld as the park’s Winter Wonderland on Ice offers up a real outdoor ice rink complete with a graceful ice skating show. Immediately following the show, SeaWorld lights up the night sky with a fireworks spectacular.

Of course, even Shamu gets in on the Christmas fun with the killer whale show: Shamu Christmas…Miracles. Last but not least, SeaWorld Orlando also brings back its highly popular ride: The Polar Express Experience, based on the best-selling children’s book.

For details on discount SeaWorld tickets, discount attraction tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com or www.FloridaVacationStore.com.

Explore Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando with magical Disney vacation deals.  FloridaVacationStore.com offers ultimate theme park vacation packages that include park tickets and hotel accommodations at a discounted rate.  With four major Disney theme parks and twoDisney water parks the fun will never seem to end.  Disney has something for everyone, pleasing children and adults alike and making Orlando the ultimate family vacation destination.  From the storybook fantasies that come to life in the Magic Kingdom to the adventurous film production sets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find excitement for every member of the family. Online discount offers are limited to one package per family and cannot be combined with other offers.

Looking for a new vacation idea or already planning a trip to Florida for your next vacation?  You can’t visit central Florida without exploring the adventurous attractions of Orlando – the theme park capital of the world.  Between Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld and Universal Studios, the whole family will be entertained.  Let your vacation get magical at Disney, meet Mickey and take a tour of the Magic Kingdom. Explore the marine life at SeaWorld where you can also meet Shamu and ride the epic new Manta coaster. Or jump into the action of a movie production set at Universal Studios and ride the all-new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster.  Florida vacation packages ensure non-stop fun at an affordable price.