Sea World’s Spooktacular Halloween!

My family had the most amazing day at Seaworld’s Spooktacular Halloween event.  I wasn’t even aware that SeaWorld offered this incredible Halloween event,  I was already familiar with Disney’s “Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween”, and Universal’s “Halloween Horror Night”s and many of our guests come down at this time of year to take part in those events.  But SeaWorld’s Spooktacular Event was an unexpected surprise.

I’ve been to SeaWorld in the past, and have always loved this theme park.  I love the interactive aspect of SeaWorld.  The opportunity to feed dolphins and stingrays.   Children and adults alike experience such a thrill having  a hands-on-approach with nature.   The shows at SeaWorld are a combination of Broadway-meets-Cirque de Soliel–meets-Animal Kingdom.  We have always been enthralled by the acrobatic skills of the performers, as they dive from platforms high above our heads, and by dolphins that jump, flip, and spin to music,  while watching beautiful tropical birds in harmonious synchronized flight  all at the command of their trainers.

The Spooktacular event was just as enthralling .  The park was filled with children dressed as pirates,  superheros,  princesses, I even saw one child dressed as a cloud with rain!! The performers were a colorful array of customed mermaids,  sea fairies, octopuses , giant fish, and other sea creatures.  The children picked up candy bags at the park and could trick-or-treat at designated locations.  My 3 and 4 year old daughters were in complete awe with all the music and dancing, and of course, the unlimited candy.  My 10 and 12 year old, had just as much fun, filling their bags with candy and joining in the dances with the cast members.  At the end of the day,  we decided, that the SeaWorld Spooktacular would be part of our family’s Halloween tradition. 

For more information visit Seaworld’s Spooktacular Halloween page!

The Origins of Halloween

October signifies to me the beginning of the official “Holiday” season.   Halloween has become synonymous with everything autumn, such as pumpkins, red and orange colors and harvest time.  But it is sometimes viewed as a controversial holiday.  A holiday that glorifies evil and darkness.  I used to be one such proponent of boycotting this holiday.  In fact, as a sophomore in college, I decided to write an entire thesis paper on the origins of the Halloween traditions, it’s associations with Druid worship and witchcraft.  My paper was well written, thoroughly researched and extremely biased, and so was I.

I carried my biased opinion throughout my early adulthood.  I refused to participate in the office Halloween party, would not eat any Halloween candy, and on Halloween nights I turned off my lights and hung a big sign on my front door that read “WE DON’T CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN.  Not surprisingly, my home and car were targeted on more than one occasion for an occasional egg washing with a toilet paper accent.

I was adamant in my “anti-Halloween” sentiment, until I had children.  For the first five years of child rearing, it was easy, until that one fall afternoon when my 5 year old daughter returned home from school, with a wild look of excitement in her eyes as she declared she was going to be a “Princess Angel” for Halloween.  Her three year old younger sister piped in that she too was going to be an angel.  Then they looked at me with innocent, thought provoked eyes and asked the question I feared would be asked, “What’s Halloween?”

Suddenly, my thesis on the evils of Halloween seemed so inappropriate and totally irrelevant.  Certainly, my children weren’t evil, nor their classmates, nor teachers, nor MOST of my neighbors.  We weren’t going to draw a circle of fire in the backyard, recite ancient incantations, and sacrifice our puppy. 

“What’s Halloween?”  I realized it’s a time of imagination, pure fun, and an excuse to eat an unbelievable amount of candy in one day.  It’s also an American tradition, as American as apple pie, baseball, and Thanksgiving.

My personal convictions, still keep me opposed to the ideas of blood and gore, I won’t purchase the “hatchet in the back” costume, nor do I enjoy an “Angel of Death” wielding a bloody knife chasing me down a corridor.  For me, life is full of things to be afraid of, natural disasters, diseases, Wall Street needing government assistance, and my bank going bankrupt?!!!…. So to willingly make myself afraid isn’t my idea of a good time.  But that’s my personal choice and I understand now that other people have the right and freedom to think and feel otherwise.

I’ve also discovered that there are local churches that offer alternative options for celebrating Halloween minus the fright.  One such church is Real Life in Clermont FL.  This Halloween, the church will have a “Fall Festival” where children can dress up like Biblical or Historical characters, enjoy hay rides, roast marshmallows, listen to live music, and yes partake in eating immeasurable amounts of sweets.  This church is one of many in the Central Florida region that offer fright-free Halloween fun.  Next week, I’m taking my family to “SeaWorld’s Spooktacular” which is a month-long celebration of Halloween, and another fun and safe alternative.  I will be sure to write about that experience, from a child and adult’s perspective.  Happy Halloween!

Training Day

According to NBC Universal, 114 million viewers tuned in for at least some Olympic action on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA, Oxygen, Bravo or Telemundo during the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Being a part of the reality television “voyeuristic generation”, I was immersed in the Olympics.  But, truth be told, I know that true “reality shows” are perfectly scripted, not always perfectly acted, usually contrived, edited, and re-edited, all for the purpose of tantalizing it’s viewers and increasing ratings.  But, the Olympics for me was true “reality” tv.  I was holding my breath at the moment Michael Phelps captured his eighth gold medal and garnered the title of holding the most gold medals won at a single Olympics.  I watched history made and witnessed the pure joy and pride of a nation celebrating such physical prowess and stamina.  I also witnessed a national disappointment when the USA Women’s track team dropped the baton in the relay and failed to win the sprint title at the Olympics. For me, athleticism is such an admirable quality.  To watch the strength, agility, and stamina of athletes who train and excel, whether it’s in sports, competitions, meets, or a game is such an incredible thrill.

The National Training Center in Clermont is a campus designed for athletes, teams, and individuals looking to train at a state-of the-art facility.  It is a 300-acre, sports, health, fitness and education campus with a  37,000 square foot training center. It features an aquatic center, fitness center, track and field complex, cross country course, multi-purpose athletic fields and softball/baseball quadraplex.  This complex hosts a variety of events, from triathlon camps and clinics, track and field meets and a variety of children’s events and programs.  The National Training Center combines sports and athletic facilities with a hospital, medical office building, community college, and a four-year university.  It is an amazing concept and attracts athletes from all over the world.

The Glenbrook Resort is a private pool vacation home property and only 10 minutes from the NTC, located in Clermont.  If you are in the Clermont area, why not sign up for one of the many classes offered at the NTC.  If you are a visiting athlete or team and want to experience a training facility like none other, feel free to contact the NTC.

The Global Family

One of my favorite songs growing up was the 1979 funk classic, “We are Family” by the Sister’s Sledge.  It’s an urban anthem proclaiming the pride, joy, and values of family.  There has been a lot of debate over the years about what constitutes a family, but one of the definitions I have found and that I believe best describes the Global family is: a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals.  That is why at Global we feel that we are not just a management company, but we are truly a family. 

At Global, our family is made up of our professional staff, our homeowners, and our guests.  Our goal as a staff is to provide superior customer service for our guests and our homeowners.  We want our guests to experience the “vacation of a lifetime”, when staying at one of our luxuriously furnished Orlando vacation homes in one of our many resort communities.  We also want our homeowners to be assured that we are dedicated to maximizing their property potential.

For our homeowner “‘family members”, we have decided to add a more personal touch.  Our Guest Relations Manager, Valerie Morgan, has recently began calling all of our homeowners to introduce herself, find out any needs or concerns they might have, and to establish a close rapport with them.

Valerie has an extensive background in customer service.  She started her career at 18 years old as a hostess in a restaurant, she was later promoted to a server, and eventually became a Corporate Trainer for newly hired employees of three different restaurants.   Although she has only been at a Global for a short period of time, she has already made an indelible mark in our Guest Relations Department.  She has implemented and established new procedures for our front-office personnel to make our guests’ check-in process even more efficient. She has updated the guest directories that are found in our Orlando vacation rentals, in order to make them current and provide more pertinent information, and she has begun taking owner surveys, in order to gain honest feedback.

Besides all her accomplishments here at Global, she is a sweet down to earth person.  A native of Chicago, she loves the Red Sox, College football (Auburn), and NASCAR.  She loves spending time with her nieces and nephew, her brothers, and her twin.  Valerie brings the personal touch to our Guest Relations Department, and wants our homeowners  and our guests to see her as a good friend, who is always willing to help and to listen.

If you are a past, present, or prospective guest, know that Global is committed to providing you with personalized service.  If you are a present or prospective homeowner, you haven’t found just an amazing property management company, but a “family” that truly cares about your valuable asset - your home.

The Center of Hospitality

The upcoming elections has made “convention watching” the new American pastime. Millions of Americans have been glued to the television these past few weeks enjoying a different type of spectator sport, “Battle of the Conventions”. These conventions have everything; drama, intrigue, vocal sparring, and even a little politics.   However, as the camera spans the thousands in assembly, I am overwhelmed with such national pride and political awareness, knowing that I have the privilege to live in a country where freedom of opinion, public speech, and even the freedom to disagree, is not only allowed, but celebrated.  Whether it’s a meeting of the delegates of a political party, or the assembling of hundreds of surgeons discussing world health issues, or even a popular television evangelist hosting an annual healing conference, conventions are one of our country’s greatest expressions of freedom.

Orlando is home to the Orange County Convention Center, which is now the nation’s second largest convention center. The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is located 11 miles from downtown Orlando, and is known as  “The Center of Hospitality”.  Since 1983, the OCCC has been a venue for trade shows, assemblies and meetings.  Every year the Orange County Convention Center attracts over one million attendees and generates $1.4 billion in annual economic impact and supports over 1,000 local businesses.  The surrounding area, called Pointe Orlando located on International Drive, is a master planned development with an inviting collection of outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment.  It was designed not only as a destination for vacationing families but also as romantic getaway for couples, an amazing nightlife for singles (and maybe some retirees as well) and for business travelers and convention attendees.

In the center of all this excitement is Vista Cay.  Vista Cay is an upscale luxury resort, with lush landscaping and Tuscan decor. A Romanesque-style fountain and a meticulously manicured flower garden, greet you as you drive through the gates of this incredible resort, seemingly transporting you into a charming village on the Mediterranean.  The resort clubhouse features a “vanishing edge” pool and hot tub overlooking beautiful Lake Cay, and also offers a variety of amenities, such as a state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary business center with high-speed internet, a basketball court, game room, and a concierge desk, and even a movie theater. 

The accommodations are equally impressive, with oversized suites and townhomes ranging from 1800 to 2300 square feet. Many of the homes have open floor plans, fully -equipped gourmet kitchens designed with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, big screen or plasma HDTV’s, located in large family rooms, and private balconies, overlooking scenic landscapes.

Global Resort Homes is currently offering a 25% discount on all our Vista Cay properties.  If you are planning on attending a convention in the future, at the Orlando County Convention center, Vista Cay is the perfect vacation destination for you.  If you would like to experience an extraordinary luxury vacation, Vista Cay is for you.   Not only will you enjoy the convenience of this resort’s proximity to the OCCC, but you can also enjoy a world-class vacation, close to all the major attractions, dining, and shopping, located right next to “The Center of Hospitality”, the Orange County Convention Center!!

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