| Discover a different side of Orlando at the Orlando Science Center
Vacation destinations tend to say a lot about the individuals who choose them. A trip hiking through a national park says something different than a shopping trip in New York City. While both sound like great trips to me, my mood (and my wallet) often decides where I end up. For many families, summer means a trip to Disney World in Orlando. I am not one of those people who hate Disney World. I loved it as a kid and look forward to taking my nieces and nephews there. However, I am one of those people who hate Orlando. It's congested, perpetually under construction and there's not really any balance. It's not like Miami where the congestion is balanced by a great beach. It just happens to be the city that's closest to theme parks, or so I thought until a recent trip.Orlando vacation resorts
Disney Deluxe '08
For families planning an upscale vacation, amusement parks don't generally top the list. But Disney delivers the luxury goods. See our slideshow of Insider's Deluxe: Disney World. "Disney is the only brand of theme parks that live up to the five-star service experience," says Hiapo Cockett of McCoy Custom Travel. With the kids clamoring to try new rides like Toy Story Mania at Disney World and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland, there's no reason that the adults in a family shouldn't have their own vacation indulgences as well.
And, unlike at some resorts, there are plenty of options. "Disney offers something for every vacation type," says Disney spokesman Charles Stovall. "Guests wanting to indulge will find lots of opportunities, including one-of-a-kind experiences that only Disney could create."
While the children enjoy a supervised kids-only pirate cruise, or having tea with Cinderella and the princesses, or just being entertained by a Disney babysitter, parents can plan their own itineraries - including spas, horse-drawn carriage ride and championship-caliber golf courses. Orlando vacation resorts
Hotels suffer as vacationers turn thrifty
The tough US economy will force most Americans to cut vacation costs this summer which could be bad news for hoteliers. About 57 per cent of the nearly 6,700 respondents to the online poll said they have less money to spend this year on summer vacations than they did last year and are looking to save costs. Jitters about the US economy and record average gasoline prices of $3.60 a gallon are forcing Americans to cut vacation costs, said Jim Kovarik, the general manager for AOL Travel, which commissioned the poll. Nearly 20 per cent of people said they planned to rent a house so they could save money by cooking their meals, rather than stay in a hotel, the poll showed. And nearly a third planned to stay with friends or family to save money. Orlando vacation resorts
Georgetown to Participate in 2008 Old Spice Classic
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown University men's basketball team will be one of eight schools playing in the 2008 Old Spice Classic, announced on Tuesday by ESPN Regional Television, Inc. (ERT). The 2008 Old Spice Classic will be held on Thanksgiving weekend at the Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex near Orlando, Fla. The field for the third annual Old Spice Classic is loaded with current and traditional college basketball powerhouses. In addition to the Hoyas, the field includes Gonzaga, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena, Tennessee and Wichita State. Seven of those eight teams qualified for postseason play in 2007-08, including five in the NCAA Tournament and two in the Sweet 16. Michigan State and Tennessee advanced to the Sweet 16, Siena and Georgetown advanced to the second round and Gonzaga also made the NCAA Tournament. Orlando vacation resorts
Explosion in the number of inexpensive vacation home and apartment rentals
With even modest hotels charging from $200 to $300 a room all over the world (and sometimes more), the smart traveler is frequently turning to the rental of lower-cost vacation homes or apartments. We have learned that it is rather easy to find, say, a perfectly acceptable $139-a-night apartment in Manhattan to substitute for a Manhattan hotel room costing -- according to American Express -- an average of $325 a night in 2007. So many large new companies now offer the rental of vacation homes and apartments worldwide that it's hard to keep up. Starting some 12 years ago, there was VRBO.com (Vacation Rental by Owner), followed by several similar but smaller firms, then followed last year by the big EVRentals.com (owned by the immense Wyndham Hotels corporation) and then Rentalo.com.Orlando vacation resorts
|
