Orlando Vacation Package Money Saving Tips

With all of the economic doom and gloom that's around, it may be more and more difficult for cash-constrained families to justify a trip to Florida - but maybe this is just the time that they need the morale boost that an Orlando vacation package can generate.

Unless the current wave of bail-out and stimulus mania is extended to include money for vacations, families will be forced to find their own ways ways to cut costs so that a vacation is affordable. So here's a few ideas:

• Compare the costs of a complete vacation package with the total expenses you would pay if you booked the flight, accommodation and car hire separately. Research may show you that booking the items separately will be less expensive - but make sure you take into account all of the inducements in the package including discounted tickets, free breakfasts or other meals in hotels and other vouchers. Remember that packages can also have severe restrictions (for example, party size or dates available) so time spent in careful reading can be a great investment!
  

• Are the "Fly Drive" packages that are popular with UK tourists really worthwhile? Some companies apparently offer cost savings by combining the air fare and car hire costs into one price that looks like it's a bargain. But check out the compulsory car hire insurance costs that come with the deal. Sometimes these are overpriced to claw back the low sticker price. We've seen some big company offerings where any apparent initial saving is more than eaten up by what looks like excessive insurance charges - so separate booking of flights and car hire would have been less expensive.
  

• And on the topic of car hire - if you're planning at least some of your vacation in a Disney hotel, with travel between theme parks already included, do you need a car for the entire vacation? You may be aware that surcharges apply for cars collected at Orlando International Airport, so you could make an additional saving by picking up your car in Kissimmee instead. Fewer days of car hire and no surcharge may add up to to a substantial saving.
  

• Shop around for your flights, using sites such as expedia.com, travelocity.com and sidestep.com. They can help with accommodation and car hire too. If you can book well ahead you can often secure the lowest prices, especially if you're prepared to be flexible about your departure times. Obviously, avoid peak times such as Easter and Christmas. Try early December or late April / May if your schedule permits it. Even if you are looking for a last minute deal, don’t despair because bargains may still be available - some companies buy seats in advance and then sell them on as last minute deals at prices well below the airline’s regular rates.
  

• Accommodation: if you've read any of the other posts on this site you will be aware that the growth of short-term rental homes close to Disney has transformed the market. You can still spend your well-earned rest with your friends or family in one or more hotel rooms if you prefer and there is an enormous choice. But you could also rent a single family home with private screened pool or condo (see Orlando holiday villas for more details). Due to intense competition, the price of a four or five bedroom home can often be little more expensive that that of a single hotel room, so give it some thought and especially if your family or party is large.

• Theme park tickets could actually be the most expensive part of your Orlando vacation package, especially for large parties. For example, the standard Disney World price is currently $75 per day plus sales tax - so a party of eight would pay $600 plus tax. By comparison, one night in a vacation home for that same party could be booked for around $100 plus tax. That should convince you that time spent in planning your theme park days in advance could give you some big savings - so think about how many days you plan to spend at the Disney theme parks and how much flexibility in "hopping" from one park to another you want and then invest some time on the Internet checking out the options.
  

So if you really want that Orlando vacation and you'd love to explore the Magic Kingdom but your budget is straining to keep up, shop around and look at the options available because you really can save a lot of money, and enjoy a great holiday.

Beyond The Theme Parks And Orlando Holiday Villas

Central Florida so well known for the Disney World, Sea World and other theme parks that these amazingly popular man-made entertainments attract millions of tourists each year to fill the countless hotels, motels and Orlando holiday villas.

And in between daily visits to the theme parks, taking a rest from the rigors of the Magic Kingdom and relaxing by their private screened pool is a welcome contrast for those families lucky enough to be renting Orlando holiday villas.

But some visitors who have explored the theme parks in previous vacations can become bored with Mickey Mouse. Hard to believe, but it does happen! They want ever more variety and they begin to think about other parts of Florida to explore.

After all, the climate is great all of the year round so what about the beaches, national parks and other areas? Well, if you're prepared to take a road trip for a couple of hours (or more in some cases) you have many great choices - for example:

• Gulf Coast beaches
  
  Some of my most favorite beaches are on the coast between St Petersburg Beach and Clearwater Beach. The journey from Orlando takes up to two hours, but it's completely worth it. I usually drive to St Petersburg Beach and head south along Gulf Boulevard - most of the beaches are private and therefore not accessible, but there are many public beaches with parking availability, rest rooms and nearby shops or restaurants. The sands are almost white, the Gulf of Mexico water is a gorgeous color and you will usually find pelicans, seagulls and other wildlife to amuse you. Take lots of sunscreen and something to give you some shade, or rent recliners and sunshades.
  

• The Everglades National Park
  
  If you're prepared for a road trip of three to four hours, why not travel to south west Florida (Naples / Fort Myers) to explore the Everglades National Park. It covers more than 1.5 million acres and it a melting pot of nature and wildlife: it has more than seven hundred different tropical and temperate plants, about three hundred different species of birds plus alligators, turtles, manatees, fish, Florida panther, snakes and other animals. Take an airboat ride and skim across the sawgrass just like in the opening scenes of CSI Miami.
  

• Miami
  
  If you're looking for a city that's teeming with life and hustle and bustle, Miami is it. It is a four-hour journey down the Florida Turnpike, at the end of which you can explore the frantic activity on South Beach, enjoy the shops and restaurants in Coconut Grove or seek out other beaches such as Key Biscayne. Stick to these tourist areas and away from some of the less desirable localities. For something different, find Old Cutler Road and marvel at the glorious banyan tress along the road and in the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens.
  

• The Florida Keys
  
  Beyond Miami are the Keys, starting with Key Largo and going all the way along to Key West. From Miami to Key West will take two or three hours, depending on the volume of traffic. Each Key has it's own characteristics, starting with the John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo (snorkelling or scuba diving anyone?) through the developments in Islamorada and Marathon, over the Seven Mile Bridge and finally finishing at Key West. If you make it that far, enjoy the beaches and the swimming but you absolutely must explore Duval Street. Try the Hogs Breath Saloon marguerritas, enjoy the atmosphere in Sloppy Joe's but mainly just take in the sights and sounds of the laid back crowds who throng there.

So there you have it - the sea, beaches, nature and partying in Miami and the Keys. Don't go home from Florida and complain that there's only Mickey Mouse to see!

Orlando holiday villas or a hotel - the choice is yours

If you're starting to plan your vacation and one option is Orlando holiday villas as an alternative to hotels, how do you decide what to include in your vacation package? There are literally thousands of holiday villas and hundreds if not thousands of hotels and motels. How do you decide what type of accommodation is the best for you and your family or group of traveling companions? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each of these?

To begin with, let's look at hotels and particularly the costs and convenience of staying in one of the Disney World resort hotels. Some vacation packages offer theme park tickets as part of the deal. Also think about the extended hours and free transportation generally available from Disney if you stay at one of these hotels. And decide how much time you think you'll spend in the parks, because if it's a high proportion of your vacation time, this may be the best option for you. Then contrast prices with hotels outside Disney World - many offer free transportation to the parks (but not theme park tickets!).

Think also about motoring costs. By flying down to Florida and staying at a hotel that offers park transportation, you may avoid the need for a hired car. Even if you're driving down so you have no car hire cost, you can still avoid parking and gas charges if the hotel can provide you with the transportation you need.

Some families enjoy the opportunity that their children have to find playmates at a hotel pool and for some parents this takes the pressure off having to keep the kids amused all the time. It can often help to diffuse sibling rivalries and fights if there is someone else to play with. A lot of hotels also have other facilities such as video games or pool tables or ping pong and these can help to relieve some of the boredom that most children experience.

Selecting one of the most prominent hotel chains for your Orlando vacation - Marriott, Sheraton, Hilton or similar - means that you can probably count on the level of quality that you'll receive. And paying for your hotel bill with a credit card gives you some recourse if things are not as promised when you booked - you can always charge back the bill if you fail to reach a compromise.

In contrast with all of this, do Orlando holiday villas offer any advantages?

They certainly can. One big advantage with Orlando holiday villas is the cost benefit where your family or group is large. Most vacation home owners or management companies price their homes independently of the party size. So a 5 bedroom 4 bathroom home that sleeps up to 12 people could be far more economical than the equivalent number of hotel rooms. In addition, children sleep in their own bedrooms, leaving parents to get a good night's sleep in private just as they do in their own home.

Would you value some sort of eating-in facility while you're on vacation so that you're not forced to go to the fast food place or family diner whenever you want to eat or drink? Orlando holiday villas come complete with some level of dining area and a fully equipped kitchen so you can enjoy a snack or even a formal meal whenever you wish. Families with babies and toddlers can even find villas with a high chair to make eating-in more practical.

If the theme parks tire you out as much as they do most people, you will need some rest days days for relaxation. Most rental villas have a private screened swimming pool plus pool toys and towels for renters to use. Some owners of single family vacation homes have installed games rooms so that renters can play pool, darts or ping pong. And many villas contain multiple television sets and DVD players so different family groups can watch different programs at the same time. What more could you ask for?

So now you can decide for yourself and select the option that most closely matches your priorities - a hotel room or Orlando holiday villas.