Florida Vacation Blog

Archive for the ‘Orlando Discount Vacation Packages’ 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.

SeaWorld Orlando began its annual summer celebration over the Memorial Day weekend by welcoming back its popular SeaWorld AfterDark activities and shows.

Back for another fun-filled summer season are the killer whale show “Shamu Rocks,” the comedic “Sea Lions Tonite” as well as “Reflections,” a fireworks-and-fountains finale, which is best seen from seats at Bayside Stadium.

There is one difference in this year’s “Shamu Rocks” show as it will be presented without trainers being in the water with the whales.

SeaWorld AfterDark festivities are scheduled to run through Aug. 15 and all AfterDark shows are included with regular park admission.

For more on SeaWorld Orlando and discount Orlando vacation packages, go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com. Or for discount Orlando hotel and resort information, visit www.WestgateReservations.com.

From Big Bird to Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, all of your favorite Sesame Street characters can be found at Busch Gardens’ newest area, Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

Featuring some new elements along with some repurposed attractions from its Land of Dragons area, the Safari of Fun fits perfectly with the theme park’s African theme. One of the most popular new rides is the all new Air Grover, a junior sized roller coaster that allows children and parents to ride together. The ride takes youngsters on a “flight” over the Saraha Desert, with captain Grover in the front seat in full aviator gear.

Designed to be a child’s first roller coaster experience, Air Grover includes a 23-foot lift hill and two gentle loops designed to add just enough thrill for the little ones.

Another sure-to-be-fun new adventure is Bert & Ernie’s Watering Hole, a colorful water-play area and the perfect spot to cool off on a warm day.

You’ll also find two new Sesame Street shows at Busch Gardens. “A is for Africa” is a high energy stage show while “Lights, Camera, Imagination” is a 4-D movie with special effects.

Sesame Street Safari of Fun is included with regular Busch Gardens park admission. And children aged 3-5 can get in FREE throughout 2010 if they first register at www.SesameStreetSafariofFun.com.

Go to www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on central Florida theme parks and Orlando family discount vacation packages.

Time is winding down on the long-running Universal Mardi Gras celebration in Orlando. The weekly party which started back on Feb. 6, continues this weekend with not one but two live concerts. The first is a Mardi Gras bonus night on Friday, April 9 featuring special musical guest Sheryl Crow.

 The second concert, starring Flo Rida is scheduled for the regular Saturday night Mardi Gras party slot on April 10. Both musical celebrations will go hand-in-hand with the usual fun-filled Mardi Gras revelry consisting of Cajun foods, street performers, an epic parade and more.

The final Mardi Gras event of 2010 happens a week later when musical guest Chicago plays at Universal Studios Orlando on Sat. April 17.

The bold and free-spirited Crowe uniquely blends her smooth mix of rock, country and pop into one contemporary mainstream sound that has produced a steady stream of hits and nine Grammy Awards.

For more information regarding Mardi Gras, go to www.UniversalOrlando.com or www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com where you’ll also find Orlando discount vacation packages, theme park tickets and accommodations including the 5-Star Westgate Lakes Resort and Spa.

At 6:21 am on April 5, Space Shuttle Discovery thundered off the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the early morning sky and sailing effortlessly toward the International Space Station.

This spectacular sight has become something of a central Florida tradition for nearly 30 years since the first space shuttle launch in 1981. Yet it’s also a tradition that is quickly drawing to a close. With the launch of STS-131 Discovery, only three additional shuttle flights remain scheduled before the amazing shuttle fleet is retired by NASA. Those final shuttle flights will truly mark the end of an era.

Discovery is carrying seven astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) as well as a multi-purpose logistics module that is designed to be used as a large storage unit filled with racks for the ISS laboratories. This 13-day mission also has three planned space walks, with work to include replacing an ammonia tank, retrieving a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior, and switching out a gyro.

The launch also marks the second to last mission for Space Shuttle Discovery which is slated to fly the final shuttle mission tentatively scheduled for a Sept. 16, 2010 launch.

The day is set. June 18, 2010 is the official grand opening date for the highly anticipated Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park.

The new $200 million addition that spans 20 acres will include a myriad of familiar sights from the best-selling book series written by J.K. Rowling. Some of the most prominent pieces of the Wizarding World include Hogsmeade Village, Hogwarts Castle and the Hogwarts Express Train.

A soft opening prior to the official launch could occur as early as May 28.

For more information on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Orlando discount vacation packages, visit www.universalorlando.com or www.WestgateReservations.com.

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.

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.

Legoland® Florida, slated to open in the fall of 2011 on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park, will feature a unique mix of attractions. The largest Legoland park in the world, the Central Florida version will feature more than 50 rides, shows, attractions as well as spectacular LEGO models and other interactive elements for the entire family.

For information about the new park and the LEGOLAND sister park already open in California, please visit www.legolandfloridaresort.com. Or you can visit www.OrlandoThemeParkVacations.com for more information on all the Orlando area theme parks and attractions as well as discount Orlando theme park tickets and discount Orlando hotels and resorts.

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.