by Jackie Perrin
For families traveling with children, a trip to Orlando is a dream. Ask just about any child where she would like to go on the vacation of a lifetime, and she will inevitably reply "Walt Disney World!" In fact, Orlando, home of Universal Studios theme parks and Sea World and its neighbor, Lake Buena Vista -- home to Walt Disney World Resort -- are the destination of 43.3 million visitors per year. Read the first page of this article here.
Money saving secret No. 4
Buy in advance. Take advantage of Disney's new Advance Purchase Savings
Program and save up to $12 per person on four-day and up Park Hopper passes.
While still at home, guests can purchase multi-day tickets online at http://disneyworld.com or by
calling (407)W-DISNEY, at participating Disney Stores or through a travel
agent. In addition, purchasing at least one multiple day park-hopper pass in
advance entitles you to an unlimited parking pass. For non-WDW resort
guests, it costs $8 to park at each theme park.
Where we like to sleep
The single greatest factor that can make our break your vacation to Orlando
is choice of accommodations. Due to Orlando's ever-growing hospitality
industry, even the best-intentioned guidebook writers fail in giving the big
picture on Orlando area accommodations.
Quality and cost of lodgings vary widely in the area, and you don't always
get what you pay for. The best advice that we can offer is to choose your
ideal accommodations wisely based upon your needs and budget, and then to
seek related discounts. In general, if you are staying offsite, avoid
lodgings in the crowded Kissimmee area and be wary of all but the most
pristine accommodations on International Drive (these will be easy to spot).
Our favorites in the Best Value for Your Dollar category are:
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
900 Cayman Way
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000
(407) W-DISNEY
http://disneyworld.com
Our favorite moderate-priced lodging, this fun beach playground offers
numerous pools, a great food court, and spacious grounds. Compared to the
All-Star Resorts, Caribbean Beach is not quite so noisy and has larger rooms
(314 vs. 260 sq. feet). In our opinion, the extra $20 per night is well
worth it! Regular rates are from $133 to $219 per night, although recent
specials advertised much lower rates.
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
901 Timberline Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-1000
(407) W-DISNEY
http://disneyworld.com
Disney's Wilderness Lodge is a great deluxe category choice for families
traveling with small children. Reminiscent of a Roosevelt era National Parks
lodge, this deluxe resort has a stunning lobby atrium featuring a free-form
pool that snakes throughout. Special features include the Cub's Den program
for children ages four to 12, optional bunk beds in guestrooms, and
behind-the-scenes "lodge wonders" and "taste of the lodge" tours. Nightly
rates range from $194 for a standard 350 sq. foot room to $1,100 for the
1000 sq. foot Presidential Suite (aptly named the "Yellowstone").
Walt Disney World Vacation Villas
(407) W-DISNEY
http://disneyworld.com
If money were no object, this would be our first onsite lodging choice at
Walt Disney World. For large families wishing to stay together, this is the
only onsite lodging option. Nightly rates at Disney Home Away From Home
Vacation Club Properties, which accommodate four adults in a 376 sq. foot
studio to twelve adults in a 2,265 sq. foot three bedroom Grand Villa, range
from the high $200's to the high $1,200's. One bedroom and larger villas are
equipped with a full kitchen and washer and dryer. Walt Disney World
currently has four such properties: Disney's Old Key West Resort, Disney'
BoardWalk Villas and the newer Disney's Beach Club Villas and Disney's
Villas at the Wilderness Lodge.
Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center
8701 World Center Drive
Orlando, FL 32821
(800) 621-0638
www.marriottworldcenter.com
A fantastic choice for the business traveler who wants to take the family to
Orlando. Having recently undergone a $100 million renovation and expansion,
this mega-Marriott located on 200 tropical acres is a local favorite. It is
also the home-away-from home of the Atlanta Braves professional baseball
team during Spring Training. My sister, who lives one hour from Orlando, has
been known to check her family in for a weekend at this virtual playground!
Parents as well as kids are invited to enjoy the facilities at the Children'
s Activity Center, where books and games are also available for loan.
Complete concierge services, including local babysitting arrangements, are
provided at the desk in the Main Lobby.
Adults: be sure to stop in at the
welcoming new lobby martini bar, where you can sample a dozen different
varieties of oysters. For a perfect night, follow with a meal at Ristorante
Tuscany, featuring the cuisine of chef Alessandro Betti and a view of the
fireworks from the patio of your guestroom. Ask for the special Sea World
package, which includes deluxe resort accommodations for two nights and two
one-day adult tickets to Sea World for $285 and up.
Marriott's Grande Vista
5925 Avenida Vista
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 238-7676
www.marriott.com
Consider this deluxe timeshare resort your vacation home away from home.
Open to the general public as well as to timeshare owners, the Grande Vista
has accommodations ranging from one bedroom studios to three-bedroom,
three-bath condos that sleep 12. With amenities including a fully-equipped
kitchen, washer and dryer, separate living room and Jacuzzi tub, and
extensive onsite recreational facilities, the Grande Vista is our hands-down
winner for Orlando vacation value.
Be sure to take advantage of the
trademarked Compass Kids Program, which offers all-day fun for the little
ones as well as the Teen Trips (such as outings to DisneyQuest and Sea
World). The Compass Kids Program also offers themed "Night Out" from 5 to 10
pm for kids ages five to 12. A recent theme was "Jurassic Journey", in which
kids got to hunt for fossils and create a dinosaur-themed craft. Dinner is
included in the evening, priced at $30 per child, with a discount for
additional children from the same family.
Nightly rates at the Grande Vista range from $87 for a 412 sq. foot studio
to $314 for a 1,710 sq. foot three-bedroom, three-bath condo. By taking
advantage of the "leisure rate" combined with a 10 percent AAA discount, we
paid $129/night for our deluxe 1,400 sq. foot two-bedroom, two-bath
accommodations!
Marriott Village at Little Lake Bryan
8623 Vineland Avenue
Orlando, FL 32821
(877) MVATLLB (682-8552)
www.marriottvillage.com
Another best-kept secret! The only Marriott resort combining three hotel
brands, this Disney good neighbor hotel complex consists of the Fairfield
Inn, Courtyard by Marriott and SpringHill Suites. Because of its
experimental status, everything here is a bigger and better than at the
traditional Marriott locations: the rooms are larger, the décor is nicer and
the facilities are better.
Located just one mile from Walt Disney World
theme parks and boasting a pool and interactive splash zone at each
property, complimentary transportation to the theme parks, a food court with
kid- friendly offerings and an exclusive on-site Disney Planning Center,
this property is hard to beat for the price!
After multiple fruitless
attempts via the Disney Dining hotline, we were able to procure reservations
for eight here for a coveted character breakfast. Check out the zero degree
entry pool at the Courtyard by Marriott, where parents can enjoy a sunset
cocktail while the little ones frolic. Rates range from $69 to $159/night.
Check for special promotions and seasonal discounts.
New and notable
Royal Pacific Resort
6300 Hollywood Way
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 503-3000
Royal Pacific Resort, a Loews Hotel at Universal Orlando, opened in June
2002. Young guests at this sprawling resort with a South Pacific theme can
take advantage of the Mariner's Club supervised children's program, the
lagoon-shaped swimming pool and an interactive water playground. The entire
family will enjoy Universal Express Ride Access privileges at all Universal
theme parks and Chef Emeril Lagesse's Tcoup Chop restaurant. For more on
Universal Orlando, call (407) 224-6222, or visit www.universalorlando.com.
Grand Lakes Orlando Resort
6649 Westwood Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32821
(407) 529-2250: J.W. Marriott Orlando
(407) 529-2255: The Ritz-Carlton Orlando
www.grandelakes.com
This combination J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton brand property, opening in
July 2003, will offer the ultimate in luxury accommodations. Included will
be the signature Ritz Kids Program, which offers supervised fun for children
ages five to 12, with activities such as Dive-in Movies, Culinary Creations
and environmental and nature programs.
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
(407) W-DISNEY
Scheduled for Spring 2004 opening, this Disney Vacation Club resort -- 184
town homes revamped from the former Disney Institute -- will be modeled
after the famous New York State summer retreat. Initial plans call for the
construction of four residential-style buildings with studio, one- and
two-bedroom villas, as well as Grand Villa units that sleep up to 12 guests.
Reservations for this property can be made starting in Spring 2003.
Coming up: Part II: Living it up in O-Town.
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