Grocery store shopping on your Orlando Vacation

January 29, 2009 by

When your on an Orlando vacation, your going to spend a LOT on food and snacks. Eating just seems to be one of those things you do lots of while on vacation. Your walking around, seeing the sights and being more active than normal. Also because Orlando is hot you tend to drink a lot more fluids. Lucky for you there is a snack food store on every corner down here!

You also will eat at a lot of fast food joints and restaurants. But after a few days of all this junk food, you might want to do some real food shopping to eat at your hotel. Most hotels have a mini fridge and microwave, while suites can have full kitchens. If your not from around here, and most likely your not, your not familiar with the most common grocery stores here.

I’ve seen a lot of people buy lots of stuff at the 7-11’s down here. They are everywhere! But, anything you buy there is going to cost you a lot compared to a normal grocery store. I’ve seen poor tourist ring up 80 bucks worth of food that fit in one plastic bag at those 7-11’s. So where do you go to buy real food at a real grocery store? [Read more…]

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Living with the Orlando Florida lizards and wildlife

January 24, 2009 by

Hi everyone, it’s time for another post about some common wildlife you might see on your Orlando Florida vacation. Actually of all the things you might see, the little lizards we have will be the most common. Many people call them many different names. Gecko, lizards, chameleons and so on. There actually are around a dozen different lizards in Florida.

But the most common one your going to find on your Orlando Vacation is the green Anole and brown Anole. They both are small, around 8 inches long. The green Anole is more common, and often called a chameleon because it changes its color to match the color of whatever it’s standing on. So it can be different shades of green, brown, gray and white.

They are very common, often crawling around every shrub, tree and fence around your hotel, theme parks and houses. Often as you walk on the sidewalk you can notice a quick movement in the shrubs and grass close to where you are; those are the lizards hiding from you. They are harmless and do not bite, they have no teeth. [Read more…]

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Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Orlando Florida

January 22, 2009 by

Sometimes when you take an Orlando Florida vacation, too many only think of the big theme parks. There are actually a lot more attractions in the Orlando area, a lot! One of them is our own Ripley’s Believe it or not! museum in Orlando, Florida. It was built to look like it was sinking into the ground, it’s kind of cool when you go in.

Ripley’s Believe it or not! has 27 different museums around the country, all of them around 90% unique in what you see inside. You can see many weird, bizarre and just plain crazy exhibits, as well as some amazing and funny. The Orlando Florida Ripley’s Believe it or not! is open from 9:30 AM to midnight.
[Read more…]

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Alligator facts in Orlando Florida

January 17, 2009 by

Sometimes you hear so much on the news about alligators, snakes and bugs in Florida that it sounds like your going to a jungle on your Orlando Vacation! Well I can tell you to relax, as like all things the critter stories are mostly overblown. Yes, Florida is home to lots of exotic looking wildlife,,,, out in the woods and swamps.

But just like your not going to see a bear in NY city even though New York state does have bears, your not likely to see any alligators or snakes. For the sake of this post, let me talk about the Florida alligators. Now there are plenty of alligators in Florida, most of them small around 2 to 4 feet long. However they can grow up to 18 feet or more in the swamps.

Just about any place that has water will have an alligator. In fact it’s surprising how common they are in small ponds and streams. I jog along a lake each night, and I often see about 6 or so cruising the edges. Alligators main diet is fish, frogs, ducks and any type of small animal that gets too close. Yes that also means cats and dogs. [Read more…]

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Going to Universal Studios Orlando with friends

January 12, 2009 by

I’ve been having a very busy week, so sorry if I’m not posting each day. This Friday I’m going to Universal Studios Orlando for a full day with a friend of mine. It’s been a little while since I’ve been there, so I’m going to take lots of pictures to share with you all. Of course I should be doing that a lot now that I have a website devoted to the theme parks and Orlando.

That’s one of the perks you have when you live in Orlando is going to the theme parks. They have Florida residence annual passes that are a good deal so it becomes affordable to go every week if you want. Not too many people can just decide to go to Universal Studios at the last minute! However many people that live in Orlando hardly ever go.

Why not you may ask? Well, it’s just like anything else. Most people work very hard and deal with what life always throws at you. Florida is not what some think, that you move down and spend your time lying in the sand and going to theme parks every other day! You still have to work, deal with the kids and life’s curve balls. [Read more…]

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Dunkin donuts and Orlando vacations, great match!

January 10, 2009 by

You might think that talking about dunkin donuts in an Orlando vacation guide is a bit out of place. But, lots of people love them, and many tourist feel that getting their morning coffee from a dunkin donuts shop feels like home. Besides, it’s my site and I feel like talking about them, so there! I have very few bad habits (no really).

But one habit I do have, or maybe it’s addiction, is that dunkin donuts coffee! I started drinking it when I was in my teens and have never had more than a day or two without it ever since. I love it nice and sweet, in fact about 5 dunkin donuts shops around here know just what to give me when they see me; large coffee, 7 creams 7 sugars.

Yes that’s a lot of cream and sugar in a coffee, but that’s the way I want it. Sweet, like my disposition! I can’t stand that bitter, burned starbucks or any of those other places. The last time I counted there was around 3 dozen dunkin donuts shops around the major Orlando theme parks and attractions. So if you like them too, you’ll have one to go to. [Read more…]

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Orlando vacation outlook from now till Easter

January 2, 2009 by

Now that the new year is here, many are thinking about an Orlando Vacation. The winter months are when many from the northern part of the USA come down to Orlando. Some come down for the winter, others just for a week or two vacation. This year has been different than normal due to the bad economy.

Simply put, it’s been DEAD down here, at least compared to how it normally is at this time of year. Many are afraid to take an Orlando vacation, saving up their money in case they lose their job. Others are afraid if they do take a vacation from work they will have no job when they get back! Even the people from the UK, which makes up a big part of Orlando tourist, is light.

What that all means is that this actually is one of the BEST times to take an Orlando vacation if you can, or dare to. The crowds are light, prices are down for everything from hotels, car rentals and even dining. The holiday traffic is gone, so that leaves Orlando pretty crowd free. So just when do I think it will pick back up? [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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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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What is Orlando Inside all about?

December 12, 2008 by

If your here, you must have been looking for something about Orlando, Fl. Maybe you were looking for information on Walt Disney, or Universal Studios. Maybe it was the Orlando airport, or shopping in Orlando. So just what is this site all about? Well let me tell you who I am! My name is Bill, and I have lived in Orlando for over 17 years.

I worked for Walt Disney World for 2 years, and Universal Studios for 1 year. I have lots of friends who work at Sea World also. I worked at the Orlando International airport for 3 years, and was a courier driving throughout Orlando for 5 years. So, I think it’s safe to say I know a lot about Orlando! Through out all those jobs I always saw tourist making bad decisions and choices.

Now, I work from home making websites like this one. I decided to make this site to share all the inside secrets I know from my years of working and playing in Orlando’s theme parks, airport and the many hotels, rental shops, dining areas, resorts and shopping places. I want to help tourist who come here so they get the most out of their vacation and not the vacation from hell!

So this site is all about Orlando; how to get around it, how to get the best deal for your money, the best hotels to stay at, what to do and what NOT to do. An Orlando vacation guide that helps you make your Orlando vacation the best one ever. Best of all, all this information here is free for you to use! So browse around and get tips and tricks for your Walt Disney World, Universal Studios or other type of Orlando vacation.

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