Archives for December 2008

New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World Orlando

December 31, 2008 by

Well it’s New Year’s eve, and I’m a little late telling you what’s going on at Walt Disney World Orlando for the big new year’s blow out parties. But what the heck, I’ll tell you anyway in case your trying to figure out what to do. All of Disney World Orlando parks will have fireworks except Animal Kingdom, with some extra parades and shows. The weather is looking great, maybe in the 50’s at night. Bring a sweater or light coat.

I recommend picking just ONE Disney park and staying there all day until you leave. It’s going to be very crowded, and the parks may reach capacity. Once that happens they will not let anyone else in. So it would really suck to leave one park to find you can’t get into the other one after spending 30 minutes getting out of the first one!

At the Magic Kingdom there will be Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade, with Spectromagic shows two times in the early evening. Then at 11:50pm Fantasy in the Sky fireworks will begin, a very big fireworks show shooting up from behind the castle. It’s a great show with many very big firework displays. [Read more…]

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Sea World of Orlando, Florida raises prices

December 28, 2008 by

Well I see just in time for the New Year Sea World of Orlando, Florida has raised it’s basic one day ticket price up $5.00 for next month. The new cost of a standard one day ticket for an adult at Sea World will now be $74.95. All three big parks in Orlando; Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, almost always raise prices once a year, if not more.

Of course most people never pay that price for a normal one day ticket. That’s because they want you to buy their multi-day tickets. I admit the multi-day tickets are a good deal. Or at least, they look like a good deal compared to the cost of a single day ticket. 😉 But that’s really the point of the cost increase, to make you get a multi-day ticket.

Now with Disney having four main parks, and Universal Studios having two, a multi-day ticket is the way to go. You’ll never see everything in a day, even at Universal. Plus kids always want to go back and do the rides again, they never get tired of them! So now Sea World is playing that game, but there’s one problem. [Read more…]

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More about Orlando Inside, vacation guide

December 27, 2008 by

After reading the post I have made so far, I realized I still have not said too much about myself. Why should you take my advice about how to plan your Orlando Disney vacation? What makes me so smart? Why am I doing this, out of the goodness of my heart? Well, let me fill you in some. My name is William, but I really prefer to be called Bill.

I live in Orlando, about 8 miles from Walt Disney World. I’m originally from Vermont, but have been in Florida for 16 years. I’m single and between 30 and 50 yrs. old! Yes, if your a woman and single by all means drop me a note! I love the theme parks and have worked at both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. I have annual passes to both of those parks, plus Sea World.

The two years I worked at Disney I was a third shift maintenance man. “cast member” is what they call people that work at Disney. Because of my job I got to go into all the buildings, rides, back areas and so on. I worked in secure areas and places most don’t ever see. I worked in all three Disney parks, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was not open yet. [Read more…]

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Orlando Disney holiday season still light this year

December 26, 2008 by

Well I hope everyone had a great Christmas day! I myself roasted a whole chicken and watched some movies on my computer, fun fun! I also took a drive out to Disney, but I did not actually go into the parks. In hindsight I think I should have, because it was very light crowds, at least for the holiday season.

I took a look at the parking spots and a few other ways I know of to peek into the parks without actually going in. (sorry, can’t tell you how) 😉 It is DEAD around Disney for a holiday season! I see that last month the hotels had only a 53% occupancy according to the local results that keep track of those things.

That pretty much mirrored what I’ve been saying and seeing. So that means the other parks like Universal Studios and Sea World also had light Christmas day crowds. The ones that are here are really having a good time with no crowds and low prices. I have to wonder if they know how lucky they are to be here this year. [Read more…]

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Merry Christmas from Orlando, Florida!

December 25, 2008 by

Well today is Christmas day, 2008! It’s nice and warm out here in Orlando, Fl. I wanted to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year’s. This year will be one of the more tougher ones for a lot of people. Everyone seems to have cut back and many are having a hard time making ends meet.

Of course the real spirit of Christmas is being with your family and friends, even if the kids think it’s all about the toys! I’ll spend most of my day by myself, then see some friends later today. I’m baking a whole chicken and got some cool videos to watch, so I’m all set! Walt Disney World will have their big Christmas day parade going on, I’m sure I’ll watch that. [Read more…]

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Youtube video of Sea World water park, Aquatica

December 23, 2008 by

Many people who have been to Orlando’s Sea World in the past might be surprised to know that they now have a full water park! It’s actually just across the street from the main Sea World park. I always thought that Sea World should have a water park, and now they do. I feel ripped off somehow, it was MY idea!

Sea World’s water park is called Aquatica, and it has many water flumes, shoots, rivers and wave pools. Since they have done so much work around water they really knew what to make when they made this water park. They even have a slide where you go right under water and see dolphins above you, is that cool or what!

I’ll have more detailed info on this park, as well as all the others once I really get this site going. But for right now enjoy the youtube video of Sea World’s Aquatica water park. To find out more about it right now, go to the Sea World’s Aquatica water park website here! It’s a fun water park that is state of the art, you’ll love it!

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Christmas in Orlando, Florida

December 22, 2008 by

So here it is, only a few days before Christmas, 2008 in Orlando Florida. To the tourist from the north used to snow Orlando at Christmas time looks very different than what they are use to, which is snow! But Orlando has many of the same things you find up north at Christmas. We have the holiday lights strung up all over the houses, but also wrapped around palm trees!

Those fake icicle lights seem to be everywhere, and those inflatable snowmen and reindeer show up everywhere. Many use that snow in a can for spraying on the windows to give a cool winter effect. Yes we buy Christmas trees, sold by the road from tree farmers up north. They cost a lot, and some put up a big tent to put the trees under so the hot sun does not dry them out.

I myself use the fake ones, seems more green to me than cutting down thousands of trees just for a week or two. Unfortunately we also have all the same holiday music blaring from the malls and radio stations. I’ve got a secret to combat that however, I’m 90% deaf! Yes sometimes a handicap comes in handy, lol. [Read more…]

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Many get the holiday blues at Christmas

December 21, 2008 by

Holiday blues

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season. But the truth is, many don’t look forward to the whole Christmas season. It’s not because of the actual reason for Christmas, it’s because of all the other stuff that gets shoved in your face during this time of year. Many travel to family for the Hoidays, and for some that’s reason enough to get the blues!

For those in big family’s, you get the whole “so are we going to your parents house or mine Christmas day” fight. Then when you get there you have to pretend you really look forward to cousin Larry and his darling 4 kids, or try to remember all the distant relatives who say hi and you don’t have a clue who they are.

This year is even more trying for most, as the economy crunch has really cut into people’s lives. Many who thought they were going to be celebrating Christmas in their new home are now crammed in a tiny apt. and looking for work. Never mind who’s at fault, the point is it can really get you down. Everyone wants to give their kids what they want for Christmas. [Read more…]

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Disney’s Christmas day parade

December 20, 2008 by

One thing that has been going on for a long time is the annual Walt Disney World Christmas day parade. Now Disney has a Christmas parade each day at Walt Disney World in Orlando during the Holidays. But the Christmas day parade is much bigger and is shown live on national TV, at least most of it is. Actually they show parts of both the one in California and Orlando.

This year’s Disney’s Christmas day parade will feature Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers, as well as other stars. The Hannah Montana star will kick off the parade with her version of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Then the Jonas Brothers will sing Joyful Kings before American Idol David Cook sings Have yourself a merry little Christmas. [Read more…]

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The joys of traveling Orlando airport single

December 19, 2008 by

Orlando International Airport is not anywhere near as big as some others are. JFK, Miami, Huston and all those airports make Orlando airport look small. But it’s still a major airport, and most of the people coming in are tourist. With the holidays here there are so many traveling at the same time. So it really creates a bottleneck at the check-in counters and luggage pickup.

This is where I find myself getting a bit smug. You see, I’m single, and so most often when I fly it’s by myself. The biggest hassle of flying is your luggage. In fact if not for luggage the whole flying experience would be pretty enjoyable,,,, almost! After a few dozen trips back and forth from Orlando to Vermont where I am from, I have my flying secret down. [Read more…]

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Walt Disney World Orlando holiday lights

December 17, 2008 by

Of all the times of the year, the Christmas Holiday season is the most fantastic for lights and fireworks at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I use to know a lot of the people who put up the Christmas lights and decorations around Disney. It was almost like a military operation! A long time before the decorations go up there is much planning and getting prepared.

Then on Thanksgiving night, crews all over the Walt Disney World resort go out all night long putting up all the holiday lights, trees, decorations and other holiday items. There are many Christmas trees that go up all over the resort. Most are fake ones, with limbs that stick into the main “trunk” of the tree. But they look real.

It’s amazing how much they do in that one night. People staying at the resort are in for a surprise when they wake up the next day to find everything decorated for Christmas. The Walt Disney World Castle has lights shined on it to give it a soft glow, and the lights change every few seconds. They make the fireworks display bigger, with more red, white and green colors for Christmas. [Read more…]

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Orlando Holiday season light this year

December 14, 2008 by

Normally right about now is when Orlando has one of the busiest tourist crowds. The Christmas Holiday season is normally very busy for Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. Or any place around Orlando for that matter. But not this year! I can’t believe how slow it is around here right now. I took a drive out around the hotels and tourist strips the past several days.

It is actually more slower than right after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. All the hotels are only around 1/2 full, if that. They are having great deals and really slashing prices. I’ve seen whole wings of hotels closed down. Normally they can charge MORE during the holiday season, but not this year. Even Disney is having sales on their hotels.

The smaller attractions and parks are really having a hard time keeping things going. I walked into a McDonalds on one of the busiest streets and had to wait for someone to come out from the back, must have been playing cards back there! The economy is really having an effect on the tourist, even the UK tourist, which is where a lot of holiday traffic comes from. [Read more…]

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