Merry Christmas from Global Resort Homes

From all the staff at Global Resort Homes, we would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. This year Global is making a donation to Seeds Of Hope Brazil, an organization that helps children living on the streets and in the orphanages of Sao Paulo Brazil. An e-card just went out to all of our owners and friends. To see what was sent click HERE.

As we enter our busiest time of the year, we wish safe travels to all incoming guests. Staying in an vacation home for the holidays can be a very special experience and we hope that all of our guests have the very best time possible.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

1st annual New Years Eve in Celebration, FL.

I live in Celebration and am looking forward to the 1st annual New Years Eve Celebration. It will be nice to indulge a little and not have to worry about driving home - I have never been a fan of driving on New Years Eve. If you don’t want to worry about driving, there is a great boutique hotel located right in Celebration.

This year’s event will include great food, fireworks and some live music. The food in Celebration is awesome and the vendors will be out offering some of their tastiest dishes. They are saying that the last snowfall of 2007 will take place. If you haven’t seen this it is kind of fun and a little cheesy. The snow (soap) machines are on top of the lampposts and shoot out a mixture that resembles snow. Mostly the kids love the soapy snow as they immerse themselves with it, throw it at their buddies and slide around.

Hey, the event is free and will feature music by The Reflections Band Live and JR Richards.

This link has some information on the bands:

Below are the times of the events – it should be a fun time.

7:00 PM Event Starts

7:00 PM DJ Tami Begins

7:00-10:30 PM The Reflections Band

11:00 PM JR Richards (Dishwalla)

Midnight Fireworks

12:25 The Reflections Band

1:30 Events End

Russ

B52’s and Foreigner on New Years Eve at City Walk

It’s becoming sort of a tradition for my wife and I to spend New Years Eve at Universal. We intend to try Pleasure Island but the entertainment always seems lacking. Anyway, this year will be no different - we’ll ring in the New Year in style at City Walk. If you haven’t been to City Walk on New Years your in for a treat. When I was younger I do not think I would have gone out of my way to see the B52’s. Maybe Foreigner but it would have been a stretch! In any event, I haven’t been let down by Universal on New Years Eve yet so I’ll trust them again - I’ll just wince a little bit when Love Shack it played. Maybe next year they’ll get Whitesnake?

Starting from the entrance to Starbucks and ending at Margaritaville, the entire area is walled off for those willing to pay $119.00 + tax for a ‘private party’.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of crowds and I hate waiting in line for a meal but the spread that is put out is worth a little wait. The salmon filets that usually are outside of Buffet’s Margaritaville are worth the trip alone. Plus, in the past 3 years we have attended, the masses of people never seem to get that large. Sure, theres a gaggle of revelers around but there is still room to walk and move.

For complete details on the event vist the official Universal City Walk site. Last year there was an option to pay an additional fee ($40.00 I think) for unlimited top-shelf drinks. I didn’t see that option online so you may want to ask when purchasing your tickets.

Tip: Getting out of Universal on New Years (and the 4th of July) is a exercise in patience. You can easily spend 60 minutes leaving the garage. If your up for it, take in a movie after the midnight fireworks when everyone is trying to leave. Although the clubs are open till 2 a.m., most people start leaving once the fireworks have concluded. You’ll have an easy walk and exit once you leave the theater.

See you there!

–

Bill

Texting - Orlando vacation deals on the small screen

Since now everyone had a mobile phone (including my 92 year old grandfather) Global is testing a new way to communicate with its guests - text messaging. Although, technically, it’s not a ‘new’ way to communicate. I think we can all thank American Idol with bringing text voting to the masses and the concept into the main stream for the rest of us. By the ‘rest of us’, I mean non-teenage thumb bandits that can not type those magical 140 characters in 4 seconds while driving a car. So, how does it work?

Each week (or when necessary ) we will post a new special that is only available to those who text the word GRHSALE to 41411 - ask your kids, they will help. Once sent, you will get an immediate reply with that weeks special. If you don’t want to have to randomly check each week, text GRHSALE to 41411 and then text the letter ‘Y‘ in response to the first message we send you. At that point, you will automatically receive any new sales directly to your mobile phone. Text ‘UNSUB‘ at any time to remove yourself from the list.

Check with your mobile carrier to see if you have SMS messaging on your phone. Standard carrier SMS rates apply.