Orlando Magic and Madness! How to Handle the Sunny City of Attractions and Tourists

You plan your whole vacation, ready to do everything and meet everyone and see all the theme parks. You've promised the kids you'll ride all the Walt Disney World rides, see all the Universal attractions, and pet every animal at Sea World. Everything seems to be going just fine until you get in your car to go to the attractions. You are stopped in the road, you look around you and realize that everyone else, (in the whole world, it seems) had the exact same idea as you.

Not a good position to be in on your first day of a long vacation with your entire family, anxious kids and all. So, what do you do to prepare for the madness so you can get to the magic of Orlando that it is so well known for?

Here are a few tips to help you out before you venture to Central Florida:

o Call the Orlando Visitor's Bureau before you plan your trip to Kissimmee, Davenport, and Orlando, Florida. Be sure to include these questions in your list of things to ask:

1. What is the least busy time of year?

2. When can I get the most discounts?

3. When will I get the best prices?

4. Where can I get the most and best discount – hotels, accommodations, lodging, restaurants, resorts, villas?

5. Tell me a shortcut to get to the Disney attractions, different from the normal way.

6. What is a “fast pass�?

7. How many days should I leave for each attraction?

8. What is the best time to visit Orlando and Central Florida in the summer months?

o Prepare yourself so you know how it will be, going in. Call the Walt Disney World hotline. Ask them how many people they expect at their theme parks during the time period that you are going to be there. Ask them how long the normal wait is for a ride. Ask them about their prices at each attraction for food and souvenirs. Not so you can blast them for the high prices, but just so you can know and be ready when the credit card bill comes. As long as you know that there is a price to the fun, it seems a little bit easier to swallow.

o Allow more time. Don't think that you are going to do an entire theme park in one day, and that's all right. The great thing about the Orlando, Florida area is that it's not going anywhere! So when you come back next year, it will all be here waiting -- everything that you didn't get to see this time. Too many tourists try to see everything in too short of an amount of time and get stressed, frustrated, and angry. If you are simply out to have a great time with your family while enjoying the attractions, just simply do that! Don't stress yourself and your family out if you can't make it to every single attraction, character, and show there is to see.

o Plan ahead as much as you can before you go! Call Walt Disneyworld about booking reservations to eat with the characters. Booking your rental car reservations early so that you can get the car that you want. Pack snacks and treats to keep the kids happy in lines and in the car. Research the low cost and close-by restaurants you think look like a great night out. Find out if you want to visit any area of Florida's other sights that are around your resort and bring a road map so you know how to get there. Find out what fireworks shows are the best at different theme parks and attractions. Think about each day before you leave and have a rough schedule before you go. With kids, this makes things a whole lot easier and everyone seems to be a lot happier, as well.

o Find cheap deals – they are out there! Don't be discouraged with the last minute high prices that you find in brochures or on the phone. Research on the Internet for the lowest prices, call little tourist places that sell for hotels, call hotels and offer them YOUR price. Keep your eye out for discounts, deals, cheap rooms, low prices, specials, and vacation packages. Don't think that you can't afford a vacation to Central Florida, you can make it work!

o Don't settle for less than best! Instead of thinking all you can afford for lodging is a cheap, tiny hotel room for you and your three or four kids, look into town house rentals, villas, time shares and townhouses that are housed in resorts. You would be surprised at the prices for a home away from home. This way you can relax in a bit of luxury and have a nice amount of space at the same time.

Now that the madness of the tourist season of Orlando has been covered, make room for the fun stuff! The magic of Orlando will be able to be felt the minute you walk off that plane or on the mile that takes you into the Central Florida area. So enjoy it!

Here are some tips on how to enjoy the magic of Orlando, Florida:

o Let the kids be in charge sometimes! Try not to micromanage every moment of your holiday for your kids. Though you want them to experience everything that Disney, Universal, and Sea World have to offer, a lot of times they are so happy just to play near the hotel or resort pool for the day. So let them! Instead of rushing around the theme parks to ride every ride and see everything, if they want to go on a ride 5 times in a row, let them! They will not only enjoy themselves a lot more, but so will you. No pressure, just fun.

o Document! Bring your camera and video camera and have it around and close-by at all times. Not only will you be making life-long memories that you will want to keep forever, the kids will have a blast watching it again and again and showing their friends when they get home. This trip will be one they will remember when they are adults and to have pictures and video will make it that much more special.

o Take advantage of everything! The world of Disneyworld is a huge one. There are so many things that you can do, don't just settle for the theme parks! Check out Downtown Disney, Disney's Wide World of Sports, Disney's Racetrack, Celebration (Disney town), and so much more! Universal offers City Walk, a nightspot of restaurants and dancing areas and downtown Orlando hosts a number of fun nightspots to eat and enjoy company.

o Promise the kids that you will return! Many families have a wonderful family tradition of visiting Central Florida and Orlando's Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World on a yearly basis. It's something that the kids look forward to and it also takes the pressure off to have to do everything in one trip, and allows you to relax and enjoy yourself more each time you come.

Though the madness of Orlando can be scary at times with tourists just like you with the same great idea and intentions of seeing and doing everything, the magic of Orlando, Florida far outweighs it. The madness can be prepared for and overlooked, the magic is here to stay and meant to enjoy to the fullest extent. Come to Orlando, Florida and enjoy the magic of the Central Florida area. Make sure to follow these tips and you'll have no trouble conquering the madness right away!

Art McCarty
Orlando florida lodging expert
http://www.islandhideaway.net