Welcome to our Florida Guide. Your one-stop shop for vacation planning for that trip of a lifetime to Florida! http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/ en-us Copyright 2013, Orlando Villas Ltd. All Rights Reserved. info@orlandovillas.com http://www.orlandovillas.com/pictures/rss/logo.gif http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/ 75 50 http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/five-guys-restaurant.aspx For those of you who love (or hate) McDonalds or any other burger joint, you just have to visit Five Guys on your next trip to Orlando (don’t go if you have a peanut allergy). These little gems have started popping up all over the place and are the new “place to try”. Following the history below it is nice to know that Five Guys is still a privately owned company and as yet has no plans to go public! Five Guys started out in Washington in 1986 by four brothers (yes four not five, but be patient all will become clear). They cooked the fresh ground beef ready to order into juicy hand-formed burgers (there are no freezers in the Five Guy restaurants, nothing is ever frozen) with all the toppings and fresh but fries, fried only in peanut oil. During the latter of the 1980s and the 1990’s the brothers perfected their system and a fifth brother was born (told you to be patient). During this time they opened up another four restaurants this time with seating options. I... Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/-where-to-go-what-to-do-and-where-to-eat-quot.aspx Central Florida is a delightful place to vacation as most of the World knows. Much can be read from many different forums and sources about places to go, things to see and where to eat out to name but a few. My short article is a personal view after many years of home ownership, experience of places visited and my recommendation on a sound knowledge of most. For the shopaholic not only are there the many Shopping Malls but the outlets too, not to be missed are the Lake Buena Vista and amp; Premiere outlets on Vinelands and International Drive . Florida Mall on Orange Blossom Trail and Millenium Mall off I4 near Kirkman Drive. Good, recommended Restaurants are usually high on the list of priorities for most families. After over 30 trips to Orlando and the area especially around Disney, I can only suggest some of My favourites. Try Thai food at the Thai Thani at Celebration and International drive, this food is the closest I have ever tasted to authentic Thai fo... Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/a-quick-visit-to-the-florida-mall.aspx In the first few years that we visited Orlando we used to spend most of a day at the Florida Mall delighted with the goods on sale and their competitive prices. This was before the outlet malls had really got established and these days although we still shop at the Mall we usually just go there for a couple of hours so we usually go to a quieter part of the car park where we can quickly go to our favourite shops and also have something to eat in the Food Court. We enter the Mall via JC Penneys we love this store and if you buy any goods and complete an on line survey afterwards you get a discount off your next purchase. You enter near the customer service entrance and you will find the whole of the store well signposted to their various departments. As you exit Penneys to the Mall there is a seating area my Father usually goes to the Radio Shack near here then has a rest in this seating area while we have a quick run round to the various shops. By this seating area is a ver... Sat, 15 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/discount-vouchers.aspx For extra offers and deals why not subscribe to Groupon USA for Orlando (you can unsubscribe after your time in Orlando). A lot of vouchers have good future expire dates, so you can buy now and use when you go. They have a good mixture of deals for activities, shopping, food and drink, beauty and spa, fitness and health and home. Activities: By signing up you may find other activities you may not have thought of doing during your trip. They have so far Groupon have had offers for activities such as:- • Air boat rides – a Florida favourite, see Alligators in their natural habitat and other wild life whilst zooming along with the wind in your hair (don’t forget to hold on to your hats). • Indoor sky diving • Spa/massage packages, what better way to relax and refresh yourself after busy days at the parks. • Dune Buggy experience – go off road and feel the speed. • Horse trail ride – ride and explore woods the good ole American way. • Sports, Concert and Thea... Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/new-bahama-breeze-on-highway-192.aspx Bahama Breeze is a new restaurant in the chain which opened this year on Highway 192 near Marker 4. Unlike its sister restaurant in Lake Buena Vista it does not have quite the same glamour or feel of the Bahamas. However it is a very clean and well appointed restaurant. The tables are all highly polished wood and the seating is plush and comfortable in the booths. The menu is the same and is extremely varied and interesting. They have 2 menus, one for lunch and one for dinner plus a children’s menu. There are many choices of fish, chicken, burgers, salads and pasta. There is a separate portion of the menu for each selection. On the entrees menu there are 2 choices of steak, filet or sirloin and 2 cajun chicken dishes plus baby back ribs all cooked on a wood smoked grill. On the seafood section there are such dishes as seafood paella, lobster and shrimp linguine and a wonderful wood smoked swordfish. There is an interesting shrimp curry dish and a pan seared salmon pas... Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/winter-park.aspx For a wonderful day out in a quaint America town, why not head to Winter Park. It is located north of Orlando (about 35 minute drive from Disney area (east on I95)). Winter Park with its shops, restaurants, parks, lake and museum is now an art and culture place, varied in contrast with its old purpose of a winter retreat. It also hosts a weekly Farmers Market every Saturday from 7am to 1pm. Why not start your day with a trip to the cute little eatery “Briar Patch” located at 252 North Park Avenue. Its breakfasts are outstanding and will definitely prepare you for the day ahead (can highly recommend the blueberry pancakes). The location is on the main street and the outside seating gives you chance to sit outside and watch the world go by, people watch and enjoy the procession of visitors of different ages from all over the world. If you don’t get chance for breakfast try their fantastic ice cream or something sweet from their bakery. Don’t worry there are plenty of sh... Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/bike-rental-at-disney.aspx Fancy doing something a little bit different? Something that will let you explore a little bit more of the Disney area? Something fun? Something relaxing? Something that is not going to break the bank? Something which is actually good for you? Why not have a go at renting a bike around Disney even if you are not a guest? What better way to take in the ambience, get some sun (yet have the breeze in you face), see nature and get your heart working! ! Disney rents bikes suitable for all sizes and you can choose from the traditional push bike for one to the more leisurely four-seater surreys, which look like old fashioned carriages with a welcome covered top that provides shade. Although, unfortunately you can not just ride a bike around the whole Disney area (although with all that traffic would you want to), but you can ride down specially designed (and more importantly quiet), scenic nature trails, round pathways, resorts and waterfront walkways. There are severa... Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/transforming-fantasyland-part-1.aspx For the past couple of years Fantasyland has been undergoing an amazing transformation which will not be completely finished until 2014. When it is finished it looks as though it will be fantastic and in true Disney fashion they aim to keep visitors fully aware of how the transformation is going and what to expect in the future. On our last visit despite there being a lot of crowds at Magic Kingdom we decided to go to see how the work was getting on and how the new Fantasyland was intermingling with the old. Disney as ever was doing a very good job of causing minimum disruption to the old site whilst making much progress on the new site. We started our venture into Fantasyland by queuing for drinks at the Cheshire Cat where there is plenty of outdoor seating. The current building work is surrounded by multi-coloured screens and you can see the cranes behind this. Along the boarding Disney tries to give you as much information as possible heralding “New Fantasyland Dreams... Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/transforming-fantasyland-part-2.aspx The Fantasyland Storybook Circus with its colourful big top tents should now be open. When we were there Dumbo the Flying Elephant was just opening and since then Barnstormer and the new water attraction Casey’s Splash and Soak have opened. After looking at all the future attractions for Fantasyland we went to Storybook Treats to get our ice creams before going to Winnie the Pooh as it was our Fastpass return time. Although this is really for younger ones we like this slow moving ride where the four of us can sit in one car in Pooh’s Honey Pot. When we left here we spent sometime in the 100 Acres Wood Toy Shop where one of the girls eventually decided that Tigger must come home with us! As we had heard that Snow Whites ride was closing to make way for the Fairytale Princess Hall we decided we could not visit Fantasyland without riding on it one last time. It was very busy with a wait time of forty minutes perhaps everyone else had the same idea but undaunted we joined the q... Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/carrabba-rsquo-s-restaurant.aspx If you would like to try an Italian dinner for a change, Carrabba’s are a family owned (originally) restaurant chain. The one I tried was on Highway 192, 4 miles from the junction of Highway 27 near marker 4. The décor and atmosphere as you would expect is very Italian. Many of the photos on the walls depict the original Carrabba family when they first emigrated to America. Their greatest asset is a proper pizza oven which gives such an authentic Italian taste to their pizzas. These pizzas are sold at different prices depending on what and how many toppings you choose. Do try one of these if you get the chance, they are delicious, but it may put you off other restaurant’s pizza for life! They have a very varied menu to suit all tastes and not just pasta lovers. There are nine different pasta dishes to choose from, such as Spaghetti with meat sauce or meat balls, linguine pescatore for fish lovers and pasta carrabba which is basically Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and mush... Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/red-lobster-restaurants.aspx If you are a little tired of steaks, chicken and burgers, how about trying a fish dinner tonight. More particularly a lobster dinner at one of the Red Lobster chain of restaurants (not to be confused with the Boston Lobster chain, which in our opinion, was tatty, dirty and no better than a grubby transport café when we visited one of them on Highway 192). As you enter the restaurant you will be greeted by vast fish tanks containing lobsters and some containing tropical fish. I think only the lobsters are on the menu! At the Red Lobster, their obvious speciality is lobster, but they have a very large and varied menu that caters for all tastes, even if one of your party is not tired of steaks, chicken and burgers. As well as varied choices of lobster dishes they have a large selection of fish; tilapia, salmon, shrimp, mau mau to name just a few. There are even pasta dishes which are mainly fish based but really gorgeous. They also cater for smaller appetites by asking, when y... Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/cruisin-rsquo-at-old-town.aspx On a Friday and Saturday at Old Town in Kissimmee, vintage motor bikes (on Friday) and vintage cars on Saturday arrive for Cruisin’ through the streets. By vintage, I mean cars and motor bikes from the 50’s and 60’s era. These cars and bikes are kept in absolute pristine condition and usually arrive on trailers rather than being driven, if you look at the shining silver engines you will see why. I would think their owners spend all their spare time polishing and lovingly tending to them, they are immaculate. They start arriving at Old Town from 1pm onwards and they park up in a designated street for the owners to show off their “pride and joys”. The music playing is all 50’s and 60’s too and the owners often dress in period style (some I suspect always have done, particularly the Harley Davison riders). The public can view the cars and bikes, photograph them and talk to the owners about them. It is great to see all the old gas guzzlers back on the roads if even for just one day. ... Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/menchies-frozen-yoghurt-at-the-loop.aspx As villa owners it has always been a chore to try to persuade the children to shop – there are always things that need replacing, so a trip to ‘house’ stores is always necessary but not their idea of fun. Now I finally have the answer, and no longer have the arguments when I need to go to The Loop for towels, linens or anything! The Loop is a shopping mall that is great for household items (J C Penney, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kohls and more), but also clothing and shoes (American Eagle, Ross, Old Navy, Famous Footwear etc), and there is also a huge cinema and numerous restaurants (Johnny Rockets, Bonefish Grill etc etc). While browsing in the book shop, Books a Million one day, the children were as usual bored with shopping, so I decided to treat them to a Menchies Frozen Yoghurt , thinking it would be a healthy treat. Firstly you decide which size cup you would like – buyer beware, the price is by weight! ! You then choose which flavour, or flavours of frozen yoghurt y... Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/florida-crazy-golf.aspx Previous visitors to Orlando are bound to be familiar with the landmark on the 192 which is Bonanza Golf. There is a large ‘mountain’ with cascading fountains, making it hard to miss but even though we have been going to Florida for many years we have never got round to playing crazy golf there. During the run up to tropical storm Isaac we had a free afternoon when it was a little dull for lying by the pool so we decided to play the course. It cost about $8 per person so was a little cheaper than some of the others, particularly the Disney ones. There are 18 holes on each of two alternative courses – Prospector and Golden Nugget, both similar with holes over three floors, some include drops where the ball comes on a lower level, most of the holes are Par 2 or 3 which we found reasonably fair – only one of our party of eight managed a hole in one! On the whole the course is looking a little tired with some graffiti but in general the waterfalls are very picturesque and avoiding ... Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/all-change-at-christmas.aspx After Thanksgiving everything changes in Orlando – Christmas is on its way. And what a superb effort everyone makes. In the shops you are serenaded with continual Christmas music and smells of Christmas spices. Summer goods make way for departments full of Christmas decorations and Christmas presents. Santa arrives at the shopping malls and everybody is full of Christmas cheer – even though the temperature is still in the 70’s. In the large supermarkets and DIY stores they move all their sun loungers and sun umbrellas to make way for nodding reindeers and inflatable Father Christmases. All the residents in the suburban streets compete to have the most lavish lights and decorations on their houses and front lawns. (I would hate to have their electricity bills)! At the theme parks it’s all change too. At Seaworld the waterskiing show is replaced by an ice skating show and at Disneys Hollywood Studios the Osbourne lights arrive. This is a most impressive and spectacular ... Wed, 14 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part-6.aspx What’s so Magical about Magic Kingdom Part 6 Well I have covered most of the areas of the Orlando Magic Kingdom Park in my last few articles but for the finale I move onto the area called Adventure Land and my number one favourite ride of all time in Magic Kingdom is the Pirates of the Caribbean I can remember the very first time we rode on this brilliant ride it was long before the Pirates of the Caribbean films starring Jonny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow, and It was still very much like the ride today but with the advent of the ever successful films it has been updated to incorporate the characters we all know and love You will still hear the classic ' Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirates Life for Me, ' song and the eerie “dead Man tell no tales” voic , the kids always loved this ride and I have to admit it is still as good today as all those years ago and all time favourite. Another big favourite of mine is the classic Jungle Cruise which is a river boat safari through the jungle... Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/mini-golf-at-universal.aspx Did you know that there is mini golf at Universal? well, there is! This new facility has opened under the escalators and has 2 themed courses to choose from (or you can play both for a discounted price) Naturally, the themimg for both of these courses are based on what Universal is famous for: the movies. One is called The Haunting of Ghostly Green and the other is Invaders from Planet Putt. Of course, since this is Universal this is an immersive experience that calls on all their illustrious experience to make it as bright, brash and imaginative as it is possible to be. The Haunting of Ghostly Green is packed with gravestones, spiders and coffins not to mention body shaped bumps in the earth and feet sticking out of the ground. They have let their imaginations go wild without being so spooky that your little ones will run away screaming. Now on to Invaders from Planet Put and here the imagineers have used every special effect in the book. C... Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/eat-to-the-beat-at-epcot.aspx Epcot is holding a music festival for the entire run of its Epcot Food and Wine Festival. This is called ' Eat to the Beat' and runs from september the 28th to november the 12th. They kick off this event with The American rock band called Night Ranger. These are a typical 80s band and their run is from september 28th to 30th. From the 1st to 3rd of oct there is music from Sugar Ray. His best known hit was ' Fly' We go back again to the 80s with Mickey Thomas and Starship. They will be on from the 4th to the 7th of october. Next here is one for the girls of a cetain age as Boyz2Men are on from the 8th to 10th. Best known for ' Walking on the Sun' is Smash Mouth. You can see them from the 11th to 12th of oct. The winner of the American version of ' The Voice' was Javier Colon he is performing on the 13th and 14th of october. On the 15th through to the 17th are Air Supply. Their music is in the genre of soft rock and they hail from Australia... Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part-4.aspx What’s so Magical about Magic Kingdom Part 4 In my last article I mostly talked about Fantasy Land, Liberty Square and Frontier Land but have not mentioned Tommorowland which although moves away from the traditional Disney Characters from my era is still one of the most exciting places in Magic Kingdom Tomorrow land Speedway is always a big hit with the boys and their dads although this ride is showing signs of its age now there is no young lad (or girl) that doesn’t Driving for us boys is a must and you will no doubt have to visit this attraction, get in the queue be patient and soon you will be in your own little racing car complete with its own little petrol engine, soon your kids are steering around what is a very long track in the perfect safety of Disney and they will love it If you’re looking for a gentle ride maybe for the older/younger persons in your party then you can’t beat the Tommorowland transit authority people mover, which is essentially a monorail type ride... Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part-5.aspx What’s so Magical about Magic Kingdom Part 5 We are still in frontier land and the next attraction has to be Buzz Lightyear space Ranger Spin now this is a great ride for the kids and adults too although it can be very popular and quite often a sizable queue so you need to be careful about when you want to visit You have full control of your very own Space Cruiser and have to help buzz defeat the evil emperor Zurg , soon you are blasting away with your space ranger lasers stopping Zurg from stealing batteries from helpless toys to power his weapons of destruction You can spin the space cruiser rapidly in any direction and this really adds to the fun it is a really good laugh and has an element of competition to see who can get the most points and attain the highest rank, of course Dads won’t want to score more than the kids will he he he Now it’s on to Stitches Great Escape, now I have been visiting Disney long enough to remember when this ride was about an Alien escape b... Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part2.aspx In my last article I told everyone how special the initial view of the high street and castle was as you entered Disney’s Magic Kingdom especially in the evening when the firework show was on and how not to forget your camera to capture the look on the kids or grandkids faces Well there is a whole lot more to Magic Kingdom that just the castle, I have always felt that there is something very special about Magic Kingdom maybe because it was the first park they ever built at Florida after Walt Disney first flew over the land or should I say swamp and thought that would make a great place to build the new Disney land It could also be that there are more rides and features in Magic Kingdom that I as a child of the 60’s attached to the words Walt Disney; I know that now in 2012 that Disney produces a whole range of ultra successful films based on lots of different stories and Characters But to me Disney means great classic characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck , Goofy, Sno... Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part3.aspx Right, so we are in Fantasy Land we have been on Small world and have just been in Peter Pans Flights so what next? Well there is Dream Along with Mickey, this is a musical stage show featuring lots of the characters we all know and love Ride in mad hatters tea party - never a good choice for me as they make me feel queasy but great for the little kids along with Dumbo the Flying elephant. Take a magical ride on the old fashioned merry go round carousel, on the brightly painted horses, always a favourite for all the family. Next I like to visit Frontier Land I don’t know why but for some reason I really like this part of Magic Kingdom, if you have little children you need to make sure that you visit the country bear jamboree which is an audio visual show with animatronics the kids love this although as an adult it can’t get a little repetitive but if the kids are having a good time then you are too Tow Sawyers Island always seems something special and we all love to see the ... Tue, 04 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/what-s-so-magical-about-magic-kingdom-part1.aspx Magic Kingdom is the oldest of the parks at Disney Land Florida and in my view still the one with the Magic, if you have never ever been before then I would suggest that you visit Magic Kingdom first and if you have kids just take a look on their faces when you arrive at the entrance, Magical, my kids are now grown up but I still remember that first time they saw it amazing, it is something that you will never forget! When you arrive at the car park for Magic Kingdom you’re faced with a choice of how to get to the actual park either by mono rail or by steamer boat, we usually choose the monorail as it seems quicker but either way it’s a fun way to travel Soon your off and through the security checks and through the entrance gates and this is it your first view of the castle- looking up the high street you see Cinderella’s castle, this is the view of Disney everyone can remember as a child from the films and Christmas specials that we have all watched as kids or with your kids a... Sun, 02 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/honeymoon-island.aspx Honeymoon Island State Park, Florida Whilst staying in a villa at New Port Richey, on the Gulf Coast in Florida, we went out driving to explore the local area. We stumbled across Honeymoon Island State Park, paid $8 to enter and were so pleased we did! Located at the end of the Highway 586, head towards Dunedin Causeway and drive right to the end following the signposts to Honeymoon Island. Honeymoon Island was named the Honeymoon Isle in 1939 by a New York developer who built 50 palm thatched bungalows for honeymooners on a deserved coast line. What an absolutely fantastic place, miles and miles of sandy beaches, shallow and exceptionally warm waters and hardly any people around – idyllic! Provided for visitors are wooden double swings and picnic tables, not too many but just enough. The wooden swings are of great sentimental value, donated in memory of members of family who have visited Honeymoon Island in their past life. There are also a couple of beach side ... Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://www.orlandovillarentals.com/orlando_guide/florida-guide-epcot-united-kingdom-pavilion.aspx It’s time for castles and thatched roofs, Tudor timber houses and cobblestones, in fact it’s time to through together as many different themes as can be imagined! The United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot draws on the rich history and variety of traditions which can be found in the United Kingdom. Like many of the pavilions it is difficult to appreciate just how much space that the pavilion takes up as you look at it from the front. On the lake side of the main road around the lagoon is the Rose and Crown pub and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. The Rose and Crown is popular eating place and features traditional British pub food and several UK Ales, including Bass, Harp and Guiness. Surprisingly Stella Artois is features as well, which is a Belgian beer, but perhaps that reflects upon its popularity in the UK. The one thing that guests often are recommended to do for the Rose and Crown pub is to try to arrange seating on the patio to coincide with the evening fireworks, it has a tremen... Sat, 11 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT