Orlando Vacation Homes INSIDER

A Night on The Town

I left Windsor Hills around 5 o’clock for Pleasure Island and arrived a quick 10 minutes later.  I found a parking spot very easily which I was pleasantly surprised about – I had no game plan for Pleasure Island and simply walked around aimlessly until I found a restaurant that looked interesting. 

After about 20 minutes of walking, I found an authentic Italian looking restaurant called Portobello’s Yacht Club and decided I would try it out.  I had an excellent dinner at Portobello’s – the chicken parmesan was fantastic and they carried my favorite wine, so all in all, great experience.  After dinner I decided to check out the nightlife I had heard so much about. 

There are a variety of different themed bars and clubs in Pleasure Island – the first I visited being 8 Trax.  8 Trax is a 70’s and 80’s dance club that plays all the retro favorites including the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and the Village People.  I spent all of my time while at 8 Trax people-watching and laughing at the tourists busting a move on the dance floor and letting loose on their vacations.  Very amusing for me!

After, spending a few hours exploring Pleasure Island I decided to jump ship and head to Universal’s City Walk – an area similar to Pleasure Island that has dining, nightlife and entertainment.  The main reason why I decided to do this was because I knew Jimmy Buffett owned a restaurant in City Walk called Magaritaville.

I am a huge Buffett fan so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out Margaritaville.  Margaritaville is the ultimate tropical paradise – there are several different bars within the restaurant including a tiki bar and, my personal favorite, the Volcano Bar which has a giant exploding margarita!  The outdoor dining area, The Porch of Indecision, is a place where guests can sing along to Buffett tunes and enjoy a relaxing meal with friends.  As the evening turns to night, the restaurant transitions into a nightclub where live bands perform each night of the week.  I sat outside and drank, you guessed it, margaritas and listened to a cover band attempt to replicate Buffett classics. 

I could have easily continued my night and ventured in and out of the dozens of other bars City Walk has to offer, but it was getting late and I decided to call it a night.  I had a blast checking out the nightlife at Pleasure Island and City Walk and was incredibly impressed with the variety and amount of entertainment in each respective area.  There is literally something for everyone.  I arrived back at my Orlando vacation home a little after midnight and immediately turned in for the night.  I needed my rest as I planned to conquer Disney World the next day!

Jordan

Add comment March 28th, 2008

Tommy Bahamas Cafe

Before I get started, let me take a minute to introduce myself.  My name is Robyn Bouchard and I am the Vice President of Global Resort Homes were we manage and represent the best of Orlando Vacation Rentals.  Living in Orlando, we are always looking for new dining ideas so we decided to have a night out at Pointe Orlando.  With the great, relaxed atmosphere of Tommy Bahamas, we decided to have dinner there.

We had been to Tommy Bahamas a few times for an appetizer and a glass of wine before going to the movies, but this would be the first time we sat at a table and had a full dinner.  And after dining there for the first time, I can confidently say it will NOT be the last time we sit down for a full dinner at Tommy Bahamas.  That is right, the same Tommy Bahama that makes shirts, has a restaurant and believe it or not, unbelievable food! 

We invited our friends from the UK we hadn’t seen in awhile to join us for dinner. Our server, Nichole, and the entire staff along with the atmosphere was fantastic.  The times we had been before, we had sat in the bar area and were always extremely impressed by the service.  Dinner was NO exception!  Nichole was incredible and went over and above with everything.  All 4 of us really enjoyed our dinners - the steak and fish entrees were unbelievably tasty!  I strongly suggest, trying the tuna tower and goat cheese appetizers – those alone are worth the trip to Tommy Bahamas!
 
After dinner we headed upstairs to BB Kings Blues club.  I am not exactly sure why they call it a blues bar because if you go expecting to hear some blues you will be VERY disappointed.  However, the band (Motown and a Bit of Rock) was surprisingly talented and over all it was an enjoyable and fun show and venue.  BB Kings Blues Club is a good place to dance and have a drink, but certainly not the place to go hear blues (unless of course it was just a Saturday night thing).
 
Tommy Bahama Cafe is open for lunch and dinner.  It is a great place to just hang out and enjoy the relaxing surroundings accompanied with great food, drinks and service.  So while you are vacationing and staying in one of Global Resorts Orlando Vacation Homes, be sure to set aside a night to dine at Tommy Bahamas Café!

Add comment March 24th, 2008

Am I in the Truman Show?

My third day in Orlando, I decided to check out the town of Celebration that I had heard so much about from locals and tourists alike.  It was a short drive from Windsor Hills Resort and I arrived around 11am, just in time for lunch. 

As I drove around Celebration, a town built by Disney, looking for a parking space I began thinking that I had somehow stepped into the Truman Show.  My immediate impression was that Celebration is the quintessential American town and is pretty close to perfection, very similar to the town Jim Carey grows up in the movie the Truman Show.  Celebration taps into the American frontier spirit and all the homes are designed in neo-traditionalist style.  It is a charming American town of the past, complete with an ice cream parlor and an AMC movie theatre in the town’s center. 

I found a parking space after circling many times and decided to try out the Columbia Restaurant, which had been strongly recommended to me by several locals.  Columbia is a quaint and elegant restaurant located in the center of town — and Russ was correct when he said “the 1905 salad is the bomb.”  It was my first experience trying Cuban food, and I must say I am all for trying it again.    

After lunch, I made a quick stop at Kilwins, a confectionery chocolate and ice cream shop, for some fudge.  I am a sucker for chocolate, especially fudge, and I couldn’t resist as I walked by Kilwins and saw (and smelled) all the delightful and tempting chocolate treats in the window. 

Once I got my chocolate fix, I began walking the brick-lined streets of Celebration bouncing in and out of the boutiques and specialty shops I discovered along the way.  I found there were only a handful of clothing stores which was disappointing to me as I was ready to shop!  There are a variety of specialty shops however, that embody the small town charm that the town of Celebration prides itself on.  From a new and used booked store to a dog bakery to a custom frame shop, Celebration has an eclectic mix of boutiques and shops that you could easily spend hours exploring. 

I returned to Windsor Hills empty handed other than a half eaten box of fudge.  It was late afternoon and I was already hungry again for dinner.  I was dying to check out Pleasure Island so I decided to get ready and head out for a night on the town!

Jordan

Add comment March 21st, 2008

Pricing: Orlando Hotels versus Orlando Vacation Homes

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, my name is Russ and I have been the General Manager for Global Resort Homes for the past three years   I absolutely love the hospitality industry and truly feel as though we offer the best prices on Orlando Vacation rentals in the Orlando/Kissimmee area.

Recently, I went on Google and researched the cost to stay at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel for the month of March (peak season).  The average rate was $314.50 per night.  Please bear in mind that this price is for a hotel room that measures approximately 325 square feet.  We all know what a hotel room looks like and let’s face it; they are all basically the same – two double beds in one room with one bathroom that everyone shares.

For comparison purposes, I looked at what our rates are in peak season (March).  Our finest resort is Windsor Hills in Kissimmee, located only 1.5 miles from the gates of Disney World.  This community boasts an impressive amount of resort amenities including a lagoon style pool with a huge water slide and hot tub, fitness center, Kid’s play ground, 50+ seat movie theatre, tennis/volleyball and basketball courts, game room, billiards and more.

Our largest home in Windsor Hills is a 6-bedroom home that measures between 2400-2800 square feet depending on the floor plan with an additional private screened-in swimming pool and spa.  Our peak season rate for our 6-bedroom home, believe it or not, is only $329 per night.

For slightly more than you would pay for a hotel room, you can instead rent a gorgeous 6-bedroom home with plenty of bathrooms, a fully furnished kitchen, a spacious living room with a large screen TV, game room and your own private pool and spa.  If you were to share the cost of your Orlando family vacation with another family, the cost of the rental home would drastically decrease.  Additionally, since our homes come with fully equipped kitchens you can save money by eating at home versus eating breakfast, lunch and dinner out at restaurants, which we all know can get extremely pricey.

So, if you’re planning on visiting the Orlando/Kissimmee area, check out www.globalresorthomes.com for some great deals.

Add comment March 17th, 2008

Seamore & Clyde Take Pirate Island

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was told that Shamu’s “Believe” was one of the best shows currently performing at SeaWorld.  Unfortunately my schedule did not allow for me to take in this show, so instead I chose to see “Seamore and Clyde Take Pirate Island.” 

My suggestion is to arrive around 15 minutes early to the show to be entertained by SeaWorld’s mime and to avoid becoming one of his victims!  The SeaWorld mime mimics and mocks the steady flow of people arriving to the show and provides incredibly humorous entertainment in the moments before Seamore and Clyde, the sea lions, take the stage. 

The plot involves Seamore and Clyde’s search for treasure and the pirates (and a treacherous otter) they encounter along the way.  I had a hard time paying attention to the story line as I was far more amused by watching the sea lions parade around the multilevel stage and the pool that lines the front of the set. 

Of course, as with any good SeaWorld show, there is an opportunity for audience participation.  Audience members are pulled up and get to “high five” the sea lions as part of the script.  The actors provide additional amusement often having to adlib due to the unpredictability of the animals.  If you remember, sea lions are one of my favorite animals so I may be a bit biased, however Seamore and Clyde perform trick after trick in an impressive sequence that aligns with the script and plot of the show.  

“Seamore and Clyde Take Pirate Island” was one of my favorite experiences at SeaWorld and is good family fun, appealing and entertaining for all ages.  It’s perfect for the end of the day when you are tired and worn out from hours spent exploring and walking the park. 

After the show, I headed back to Windsor Hills Resort and began planning out what I would do the following day.  I decided to take a break from the parks and check out Celebration and see what kind of shopping Orlando has to offer!

Jordan

Add comment March 14th, 2008