Universal Studio Orlando Citywalk entertainment spot

Okay, today I’m going to talk about Universal Studio’s CityWalk. CityWalk is a big mixed entertainment type of place located right in between the two Universal parks and right at the entrance. It has nightclubs, a giant movie theater, a dozen or so dining and restaurant places, shops and fun things to do. The shops, movie theater and most restaurants are open all day, while the nightclubs only open at night.

CityWalk is Universal’s nightspot, a place to go to party the night away, have some drinks and dance to some good live music. They have some great dining establishments too, although I find the prices to be a bit high. But then again that’s what you find at any tourist area. They have plenty to choose from so you can find just the type of food your looking for.

Universal Cineplex – CityWalk Movie Theater is a state of the art, 20 room movie theater that features the latest movies. It has wall to wall screens, digital sound and stadium-style seating with high backed rocking chairs. In short, it’s really nice! Normally it’s open at 12:30 PM or so. I recommend trying it out and taking in a movie. [Read more…]

More about Orlando Inside, vacation guide

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…]

Orlando Disney holiday season still light this year

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…]

Merry Christmas from Orlando, Florida!

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…]

Orlando Holiday season light this year

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…]

What is Orlando Inside all about?

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.

A little about Orlando, Florida

Orlando palm tree

Well I guess the best way to start off my new Orlando vacation site is to tell you a little about,,, Orlando! Orlando is located almost in the center of Florida. It’s about 60 miles to the east coast at Daytona beach and around 80 miles to the west coast at Tampa. Interstate 4, or I4 as the locals call it, runs right through it. It travels from Tampa to Daytona clear across the state.

The Florida turnpike also runs through Orlando, which takes you all the way down to Miami, about 250 miles away! So just about anywhere you want to go in the state of Florida, there is a major highway leading to it from Orlando. Sometimes I’m not sure that’s a good thing, as it’s getting a bit crowded here!

The main source of income in Orlando is the tourism trade. Orlando is home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and many other theme parks, fun parks, water parks and more. Orlando is also home to The University Of Central Florida, a large college. Orlando has many shopping malls, discount outlets and other places to buy just about anything.

The weather in Orlando is on the hot side, at least for most people. Summer’s are normally in the high 80’s to 90’s Fahrenheit, with nights in the 70’s and 80’s. It gets very humid, and almost every day you have a quick thunderstorm, followed by sunshine right after, drying it up within an hour. Winters are dry, in the 70’s in the day and 50’s at night with almost no rain until spring.

The people that live in Orlando are a wide variety, coming from all over the world. You can hear many languages being spoken and colors of all kinds. There is a large population of Puerto Ricans that live in Orlando, as well as just about every other types. Most people here are friendly and understanding toward tourist who may be a bit overwhelmed with cultural shock!

All in all Orlando is a fast moving, fast growing city that has tourism at it’s center. Anything you could want on your vacation you can find here. From the cheapest motels and fast food joins to premiere resorts and $100.00 dollar steak meals, Orlando has what your looking for in a vacation!