Orlando vacation package - what's included?

For anyone planning an Orlando vacation package, whether you've visited the area previously or whether it's your first trip, you should understand that the tourist industry in Central Florida is big business and you have an enormous number of choices. It's a highly competitive industry and according to the Orlando Tourist Information Bureau website:

Orlando is one of the world's premier travel destinations. More than 50 million people visit our area every year, enjoying the many attractions, beaches, and events that make Central Florida a great place to visit and live.

So the biggest problem is frequently which of the many available options you should go for. Often it is very difficult to figure out what represents the best value for money. Do you want to spend the least amount possible but risk family disappointment on what should be the holiday of a lifetime? Or should you go for the luxury options - but how do you know they will live up to expectations?

Let's begin by setting the scene and giving you information so that you can begin to make informed choices about where to visit, where to stay and even how to travel here.

It's important to realize that the term "package" means different things to different people, so bear in mind that any advertisements you see may include all of the following or just one or two - it's up to you to do your research and be clear about what you're buying:

1. Accommodation: The About.com website shows that Orlando has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the USA (27.2 million, beaten only by Las Vegas with 40 million). The difference is probably far smaller than that and in fact Orlando may have more visitor accommodation than "Sin City": one phenomenon virtually unique to Central Florida is the "vacation home" concept, where single family homes and condos are rented out on a short-term basis (which could be from just a couple of days up to weeks or even months).
   
   Some estimates put the number of short term rental homes at more than 10,000, each property with at least two (and in some cases up to seven) bedrooms. Opting for a short-term rental home as part of your Orlando vacation has many advantages, as well as some potential pitfalls, so we'll be covering this in more detail.
   
   But just to finish off this Accommodation section by getting back to Orlando hotels and motels, let's just make it clear that you can find every sort of standard of accommodations you've ever imagined and more besides, and price is not always a guide to quality - so you need careful research before picking the one that's right for you.



2. Air Travel: US travelers represent approximately 95% of the 50 million annual visitors and the majority of those arrive by plane using either Orlando International Airport (34.2 million in 2007) or Sanford (0.4 million). International traffic added 2.7 million and 0.4 million respectively. That's an enormous number of flights and it indicates the choice you have - even without considering flying into Tampa, Miami, Daytona, Fort Lauderdale and even Melbourne (the Florida one, that is!).



3. Airport to Hotel / Motel transfer: every Orlando vacation package we've seen that combines air travel with local accommodation provides basic transport (bus, minivan or even taxi) to get the weary travelers to their hired rooms. There may be exceptions, though!



4. Car Hire: Public transport is not an option in Orlando, so if you don't want to limit your flexibility, make sure you have a hire car. If you're staying at one of the Disney World Orlando vacation places and you're happy to spend all your time there, that's fine - and there's always a taxi for the occasional excursion. Otherwise, bring your driving license!



5. Theme Park Tickets: for most Orlando visitors, a lot of days will be spent at one or more theme parks. Some packages include tickets (or ticket discounts) but check on ticket limitations and expiry dates.



6. Discount vouchers: there are some highly creative schemes with all sorts of discounts, some worthwhile and some with too many strings attached for most people's liking, but if what's on offer is useful to you, go for it!



7. Sea Cruises: As the number of cruises has expanded, Disney and other companies have combined local accommodation and theme park entry fees with a short cruise leaving from Port Canaveral, not far from the Kennedy Space Center. We've had reports of excellent value for money and wonderfully enjoyable cruises, often low cost last minute bargains, so if seafaring is your thing, maybe you can find what you're looking for.
   

Ok - so there's the basic menu for your Orlando vacation package and we'll cover each one in more detail in future postings, so please check back later.