Orlando Vacation Homes INSIDER

Lunch at Planet Hollywood

After searching fruitlessly for a Starbucks in the area for several hours, it was now approaching lunch time and I was getting very hungry.  I remembered when I was in Downtown Disney having seen a Planet Hollywood and really wanted to check it out. 

I headed to Planet Hollywood, which is only about 10 minutes from Cypress Pointe Resort , and was able to easily find a parking spot and was sitting down before I knew it.  When I first walked in I was overwhelmed by all the “decorations” hanging on the walls throughout the restaurant.  I grabbed a table in the bar and sat back, trying to take in my environment. 

My waitress came over quickly after I sat down, but I could barely hear her because the music was playing so loudly throughout the restaurant.  There were TVs everywhere showing clips of movies and other entertainment pieces, but again, I couldn’t focus on them due to the blarring music. 

I ordered a burger and a margarita and ate as quickly as I could.  Planet Hollywood, in my opinion, is a cool concept but just slightly missed the mark for me.  Now that being said, I am a fairly young girl, and enjoy high-energy places as much as any other 27 year old.  But, Planet Hollywood just didn’t do it for me.  There was WAY too much going on within the restaurant and the music was deafening.  I will say that the food was good and the service quick and friendly, but not a place I would choose to go back to. 

So, if you are looking to grab a quiet lunch with your family on your next Orlando vacation, Plane Hollywood is not the place to go!!!

Add comment June 13th, 2008

The True Cost of a Vacation

Continued…

Did you know at the Glenbrook Resort a 7 bedroom home with a pool, if three couples decided to vacation together, has an average nightly rate (before taxes) of just $65 per couple?  At Windsor Hills, that rate per couple would be about $86 a night. Also many of the homes have private pools and spas so you and your friends can enjoy countless hours of swimming without “pool hours” to adhere to.  If you chose a home with a private recreation room, you could enjoy a relaxing game of pool, hours of Poker, and if it gets late, you can send the children to bed and not even have to hire a babysitter!  Imagine watching the “Big Game” on a 50′ inch flat screen!  How about taking all the kids to the resort’s on-site movie theatre for a movie day?  Eating at home is not only a less expensive alternative, it can also be lots of fun - you could have a ” make your own pizza and tacos night” and if there was a night you just didn’t feel like cooking, you could contact a vacation chef to prepare an incredible meal, like shrimp and artichoke linguine, chicken curry, or a roasted vegetable meatloaf for less than $5.50 per person.

 Orlando has some of the best attractions in the world and I’m certainly not suggesting avoiding them all together, but instead of going to a different attraction every day, choose just one or two, and make them the highlight of the week.  If you have children, have your children contribute to the cost of their ticket before you go on vacation.  Mousavers.com gives some excellent suggestions on how children can help you save for a vacation. One suggestion was, all “found” money goes in a vacation fund which could be a glass jar on little Suzie’s dresser.  If an average attraction ticket is about $70, a child could purchase their own ticket by saving just $12 a month for six months.  How special would that trip to Disney feel for a child who knows the value of hard work and the reward of saving ?

In these hard economic times, yes we have to make changes to our lifestyles and to our way of thinking, but sacrificing a quality vacation isn’t the answer and it certainly won’t bring relief. So, ask yourself?  What is the true cost of a vacation?  It’s not just money, gas, food and tickets - the value isn’t monetary.  In fact, it will cost you not to take one.

Add comment June 9th, 2008

Where are all the Starbucks in Orlando?

I grew up (and currently live) in the mid-west and have become accustomed to having a Starbucks on pretty much every corner  - now that might be a bit exaggerated, but where I am from there is an excessive amount of Starbucks coffee shops in my neighborhood alone, not to mention the city of Cleveland itself. 

Having become so used to having a Starbucks planted on every corner in my neighborhood, I have also become a Starbucks addict.  My morning ritual includes, and has included for years now, a daily stop at the nearest Starbucks to my apartment (which is literally a block away) where the friendly employees know my name and what I am drinking.  And if for some reason I am unable to grab a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, I make sure that I allot time during my day to make an emergency Starbucks run. 

Now, seeing as though I am on “vacation” and have been for a week or two, I have temporarily abandoned my morning ritual I cherish so much and have substituted my coffee addiction for a more convenient Diet Coke addiction.  That being said, I must admit that I could EASILY make coffee for myself at my Orlando vacation rental as (mentioned before) all of Global’s resort properties (including Cypress Point Resort) come with fully equipped kitchens, including a coffee maker.  But making coffee at home just isn’t the same as a grande dark roast (with room for cream) from Starbucks!

After spending several days enjoying the area attractions, theme parks, water parks, and shopping in Orlando, the time had finally come to get my Starbucks fix.  It suddenly dawned on me though, that with all the driving around and different areas of the city I had visited I had yet to see a Starbucks!!  Again – having a Starbucks on every corner at home it struck me as bizarre that I hadn’t noticed a single one since I have been here.  I just don’t believe that this observation could possibly be true and began wondering if I had simply just missed them caught up in the excitement of whatever activity I was off doing that particular day. 

So, I ask the people of Orlando – where are all the Starbucks???

Jordan

1 comment June 6th, 2008

The True Cost of a Vacation

The soaring gas prices, the surging cost of groceries, and a housing slump have been the continual topics of discussion lately.  We talk about it over breakfast, we debate about it at lunch with co-workers, and we hear about it as we watch the evening news at dinner.  Then, as we sit down to watch our favorite reality show, we see a commercial with a smiling family of four walking towards a magical castle - mom and dad holding hands, Johnny sitting on dad’s shoulders, little Suzie gazing with wonder at fireworks - and our hearts sink because the idea of a family vacation seems not just unlikely, but truly impossible.  As we reason to ourselves, we simply can’t afford it.

However, the reality is we can’t afford NOT to go. According to a report in the October/November issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, vacations are actually vital to our physical and mental health.  They protect our health by reducing stress. In fact, people tend to exercise and rest more while on vacations and they provide opportunities to interact with family and friends.

The Travel Industry Association of America has reported that the average American family of four plans on spending approximately $1000 dollars on their longest trip this summer, which is a 7% decrease from what they spent last year.  People are calling these vacations, stay-cations, and they are afraid to venture too far from home.  But, you don’t have to stay home this summer, it’s possible to still enjoy a wonderful vacation.

I can remember one of the best vacations my family and I ever enjoyed in Orlando was during a time we were on a limited budget, so we decided not to go to all the attractions that year and to stay on the resort property.  It was great!!!!  There was no rushing to get ready, no standing in line for hours with two tired toddlers, no spending $150 for hamburgers, cokes, and popcorn all in a day.  Instead, we slept in, my husband made his famous pancakes, and we ate our breakfast on our terrace.  We laughed, talked, and listened to one another.  We walked around the beautiful property, swam for hours in the pool, played family volleyball and challenged another family in an intense game of Ping-Pong.  We had friends over for dinner - everyone brought a dish, the kids watched movies, and the adults played cards. It was one of the best vacations and also one of the least expensive we’ve ever had.

Stay tuned for how Global Resort Homes can help you plan an affordable and memorable Orlando Vacation!

Dana

1 comment June 2nd, 2008

An Unexpected City for Shopping

As I have mentioned before, I am Italian and have fairly dark skin naturally so I thought that there was just no need to apply sunscreen before spending the entire day out in the sun at Wet N’ Wild.  Come to find out - I was wrong!  I woke up the next day burnt to a crisp and was in a severe amount of pain.  I cursed myself for being so stupid and my Mothers incessant lectures about wearing sunscreen and the importance of skincare kept replaying over and over in my head.  Hmmm, what could I possibly do in Orlando that didn’t require spending the day in the sun and would still allow me to leave the grounds of Cypress Pointe Resort?   Shopping of course!!!!

After a small amount of investigation on my part, I determined that there were 2 main sources of shopping in the Orlando Area – The Mall at Millenia and Prime Outlets International.  The Mall at Millenia appeared to be an extremely high-end mall, housing retailers such as Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, and Burberry just to name a few.  Knowing myself fairly well by this point, I thought I better NOT surround myself with the above mentioned stores as the temptation to buy will surely overpower my typically level-headed thinking and budget constraints.  SO, the decision was made – Prime Outlet International here I come!

After an incredibly painful shower and a massive amount of aloe applied, I drove up to the Outlet mall which was only minutes from my Orlando vacation home.  Prime Outlet International was huge and had a massive amount of stores – mainly name brand ranging from children’s apparel to luggage to home furnishings to health and beauty.  I stopped in at least 2 dozen stores before collapsing due to exhaustion.  I found a quaint-looking café and grabbed a seat and a snack – looking down I realized I had done a fair amount of damage and had bags from Banana Republic, COACH, Gap, and Nine West.  To be honest, I could have bought ALOT more and was pretty proud of myself for showing some self-restraint. 

The Prime Outlet Mall has a plethora of retailers all advertising and upholding their word of having unbelievable deals on name brand clothing and accessories.  I found some great deals and came away with a handful of items I couldn’t wait to sport.  Great day spent shopping in Orlando and best of all – I managed to keep myself out of the sun’s reach!!!

Jordan

Add comment May 30th, 2008