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

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.

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