Orlando Florida Vacation

Your Orlando Florida vacation is exciting to plan and wonderful to experience.  Or it can be less than you hoped, if you didn't plan carefully.  I lived in Orlando for many years, and here are some tips for getting the most out of your Orlando Florida vacation.

Know your budget ahead of time, and what you want to do.  If you search the internet, you can find great deals on Orlando discount hotel rooms.  But a great price doesn't help if it's far from where you want to spend your vacation -- the Orlando traffic is pretty bad.

Orlando Discount Hotel Room

Where you choose to stay in Orlando can set the tone for the rest of your trip.  Do you want bare bones -- just a place to sleep at night?  Do you want a nice hotel room, but don't want to pay a lot?

How about one of the myriad resorts?  Or maybe a simple hotel room would do you just fine?  There are also timeshares, condos and vacation homes to choose from.

Rule of thumb -- the closer you get to Disney, Sea World and Universal, the more expensive the hotels become.  If you see an ad for one that is way lower than the others, beware.  There's usually a reason it's so inexpensive.

When looking for a hotel online, you will probably want to check out two or three places and compare prices. Different websites may have different prices for the same hotel and room type. Try a place like Trip Advisor to get some prices for several places at once.

If you have your heart set on a Disney World vacation, you may want to stay at one of the Walt Disney World resorts.  They are truly worth the price (which isn't necessarily more than staying off-site anyway).

See more tips for locating an Orlando discount hotel room.

Discount Orlando Attraction Tickets

Here's an idea if you'll be in Orlando for a few days an'd like some discount Orlando attraction tickets -- the GoCard (below).  Basically you buy "days" and then can use those "days" on any of the theme parks and attractions they partner with (sorry, no Disney, Universal or Sea World).

However, there are lots (and I do mean lots) of smaller attractions that are worth a morning or afternoon -- with the GoCard, you can visit both for cheaper than you could buy the tickets separately.  The more "days" you purchase, the better the discounts get (kind of like what Disney does with their tickets).

What Else to do on Your Orlando Florida Vacation?

Naturally, there are the top three attractions -- Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios.  If you've never been to Orlando before, I recommend visiting at least one of the three (and Disney World is my pick...if I had to choose).

If you like the beach, Daytona Beach isn't too very far away.  Lots to see and do there -- parasailing, surfing, visiting the boardwalk, or just soaking up the sun.

The Orlando area is great for canoeing, and my favorite run is at Wekiwa Springs State Park, just north of Orlando in Apopka.  Wekiwa Springs also has some wonderful hiking trails and camping.

Don't forget Cocoa Beach during your Orlando Florida vacation.  Cocoa is the closest beach to Orlando.  While you're there, visit Kennedy Space Center -- it's always been good, but this Central Florida attraction has gotten a lot better over the years.  Very much worth a trip!

If you like the great outdoors, check out your options for Central Florida campgrounds, too.

Check out more things to do in Orlando.

Weather and Packing

Your Orlando Florida vacation can have either gorgeous weather...or you could be miserable. You just need to know what to expect, and plan your vacation accordingly. Of course I have some Orlando weather information for you!

Okay, now what about packing for your Orlando vacation? The temperatures can vary quite a bit from season to season, so how about checking out the Florida vacation packing page for tips and ideas.

There you go -- just a few ideas to get you started on planning your very own Orlando Florida vacation!

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