It looks like a friend of mine and his family are coming down for an Orlando vacation sometime in the late spring. Now this friend is not big on going anywhere, they’ve only been down here one other time. But they wanted to go one more time for their kids, who are around 16, 14 and 10. One of the main reasons they are going this year is because of the economy.
Now you might think wait a minute. If things are going so bad, and everyone is hurting for money, then why would they actually want to pick this time to spend their money and go on vacation? Well, not everyone is having a bad time with their jobs. This family happens to be doing okay and has money set aside and so on.
They also look for bargains and ways to save money with everything they do. That’s one of the reasons why they are doing okay! So it’s because this is a bad year that makes it appealing to them to take their last big Orlando vacation. They know prices for everything is low, and that not many will be in the theme parks. So, it makes sense to pick now to come down here.
So I thought I’d give you my take on how 2009 will be for taking an Orlando vacation, or coming down to see Disney World or Universal Studios. Nobody knows just when things will pick back up, but I think the Orlando area will take longer than other places to come out of this downturn. The reason is the glut of houses around here.
Orlando has seen a massive home building going on, up until the bubble burst last year. Many were owned by investors. So, it’s going to take longer for this area to come back out of the hole. Also, many jobs around here are service sector types, dependent on,,, you, the tourist! So again, until everyone starts taking vacations, we will suffer longer.
As I write this the job layoffs are getting worst, not better. So it’s going to take a damn long time before everything turns around and the vacation money is there. Indeed, when things get better people will have a list of priorities that they want to spend their money on, and I think a big ticket thing like an Orlando vacation will be dead last!
So, I’m here to tell you that the whole year of 2009 will be the best time to take an Orlando vacation, Disney World trip or Universal Studios visit. By best I mean prices will be low, many deals will be available and the crowds will not be as bad as normal. What could be the downside of this, anything that could be bad?
Yes, there is a few things that might be worst this year as far as visiting a theme park or seeing the sights in Orlando. If Disney World and the other parks are hurting with fewer crowds, they will not have as many special events, parades and shows. They might cut back on the fireworks shows, which cost a lot.
Some rides might get shut down and have maintenance done on them, since there are not as many people around. Some of the restaurants inside the theme parks might get closed, so you will not have as many options. Little things that they do to add entertainment like street shows and so on will be cut.
So you might see a little less if you take an Orlando vacation this year. Not much less, but a little. However the wait times for rides will be short, meaning you can go on more or take many rides on the same one. I don’t think the food prices will be any cheaper inside the theme parks, as your a captive audience there! 😉
However the outside fast food joints and restaurants should be cheaper. The airline tickets will be cheaper, the car rentals and hotels will be cheaper. Smaller attractions like mini golf, helicopter rides and so on will be cheaper. So it’s a great year for those who don’t want to spend a lot and hate crowds. Like my friends who are coming down!
