If you stand beside Interstate 4, you swear everyone drives to Orlando. If you stand in the middle of Orlando International Airport, you swear everyone flies. If you stand in front of the Auto-train station, you swear everyone arrives by rail – and that they’re 70-years old. But at least you’ve got options. If coming [...] Read more...
Once people arrive in Orlando for a vacation or business, many rent a car, and Orlando dealers have a huge inventory. A car offers two benefits: One, it’s the cheapest deal if you plan to see several non-related theme parks or attractions and maybe go to the beach. Two – and most important to instant-gratification [...] Read more...
October 2011: Business travelers know how to book an airline flight, but many Orlando visitors book flights rarely, if at all. In the olden days, you booked through a travel agent and she tracked down the lowest fare possible. In the here-and-now, a travel agent may find the lowest fare, but most then tack a [...] Read more...
A handful of car rental companies say “located at the Orlando airport,” meaning they have a rental booth within the terminal. Some, but not all, also have rental cars within walking distance. In general, it doesn’t matter too much, and all offsite rental companies offer a free transfer from Orlando International or the nearby Sanford [...] Read more...
Is travel insurance a good idea? Maybe, maybe not. First, crunch some numbers. A tour package may have set cancellation penalties in the back of the brochure, but hotels can usually be cancelled within 24 hours. If you’re not traveling for four months, why take out insurance that covers a hotel? Make sure you know [...] Read more...
In years gone by, this decision was simple. If you wanted the total Disney experience, convenient access to parks and entertainment, and all resort amenities, you stayed at a Disney hotel. If you wanted to save money – a lot of it – you stayed somewhere else. (Note: Disney doesn’t have hotels. They have “resorts,” [...] Read more...
Many people visiting for the second, third, or tenth time may include a Disney day in their vacation itinerary; but otherwise, they plan to see other things in Orlando. Off-site hotels can be less expensive and offer easier access to non-Disney destinations – and Orlando boasts a mind-boggling number of them. Major Hotel Areas “Outside [...] Read more...
Questions to ask when booking an off-site hotel 1. Is that your least expensive room? To obtain the lowest possible rate, scour online travel sites and also call the hotel directly. Most hotels are franchised, meaning that local reservation agents can offer lower rates than those quoted online or by the corporate chain. If you [...] Read more...
What’s the best Disney hotel? Or, for many visitors: “What’s the best Disney hotel I can afford?” Assuming you already made a decision to stay within Walt Disney World (See “Should you stay at a Disney hotel (resort)?”), how do you pick a specific property? First, the fifty-foot view: Disney has three general levels for [...] Read more...
Universal Studios has three hotels that offer park perks, free transportation, and other on-site amenities. Unlike Disney, Universal leaves hotel operations to other professionals, however. One hotel/resort is a Hard Rock, while Loews operates the other two. In general, Universal’s themed hotels don’t have quite as much follow-through on their respective themes as Disney resorts. [...] Read more...
