Maybe you have had enough of the 100-degree heat or the 2-hour lines.  Maybe your trying to avoid the rain.  Orlando has more than theme parks to offer.  There’s so much to do that won’t break your bank and provide you with a full day of excitement.

World Class Shopping

OrlandoOutletMall

Orlando has some of the best shopping anywhere.  You don’t have to break the bank.  Orlando boasts 2 main factory outlet malls.  Everything from Polo, Coach, Michael Kors and Nike.  The malls are huge and can take an entire day to walk.  Great deals can be found at all stores.  An insider’s tip is stop by the guest services desk, they usually have some great discount books.  Sometimes there’s a small fee and sometimes free.  You can walk and shop all day.  When you get hungry there are food courts and restaurants nearby.  Conveniently there is one outlet mall on each end (north and south) of International drive.

The Orlando Eye

OrlandoEye

Relatively new to the International Drive Area is I-Drive 360.  Take a moment to escape and see the magic and wonder Orlando offers. The Coca-Cola Orlando Eye offers a new and unique way to experience the beauty of Orlando, also known as the ‘City Beautiful’, and see it in a way you’ve never seen it before. Be effortlessly lifted to 400 feet and experience breathtaking 360-degree views of surrounding Central Florida.

Located at I-Drive 360, the heart of International Drive, the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye is the tallest observation wheel on the east coast of the USA. The gradual rotation in one of the 30 high-tech capsules gives you an ever-changing perspective. Each capsule contains Apple iPad Air tablets which allow you to explore and learn more about the landmarks and surroundings in several languages and effectively see beyond what the eye can see.

A flight on the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye will lift you high enough to see the sights of downtown Orlando’s skyline, nearby theme parks, beautiful lakes and lush landscapes, with views all the way to Cape Canaveral on Florida’s east coast.

In addition to the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye, guests can also experience the Madame Tussauds, the world’s most famous celebrity wax attraction, and SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, the immersive underwater experience, rounding out three of the top global brands in Merlin Entertainments’ portfolio of exciting attractions.

I-Drive 360 also boast many restaurants and night clubs.  They also offer free covered parking and is very close to all I-drive Trolley stops.

Wonder Works

WonderWorks

An indoor amusement park for the mind combining education and entertainment with more than 100 hands – on exhibits for all ages.

Wonder Works began as a Top-Secret research laboratory, led by Professor Wonder, on a remote island in the Bermuda Triangle. During an experiment gone awry, a manmade tornado unleashed through the laboratory and created a swirling vortex that carried the building thousands of miles away, landing it upside-down on top of a brick warehouse on International Drive in Orlando, Florida. Remarkably, all the experiments remained intact and functional.

As you enter the upside-down attraction, the ceiling will be under your feet and the ground will be above your head, making it impossible to explore what’s inside. To begin your adventure, pass through the inversion tunnel and defy gravity as you are properly aligned!

Once inside, you will be able to explore six Wonder Zones: Natural Disasters, Physical Challenges, Light and Sound, Imagination Lab, Space Discovery and the Far-Out Art Gallery.

Journey through each zone, testing your knowledge, physical capacities and creativity! Become a human lightning rod by touching 10,000 volts of electricity or experience hurricane force winds! Gather up your strength to lift your weight using a pulley system or build up courage to lie down on a bed of 3,500 rising nails. Navigate through space on a mission to Mars and design and ride your own roller coaster!

Make your way up to the basement where you’ll find more thrilling adventures, including an XD Theater 4D motion simulated thrill ride, 3-story indoor ropes challenge course and laser tag.

While visiting, upgrade to a combo package and stay for the Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show. Expect to be impressed with the combination of magic, impersonations and high-energy, improvisational comedy. Unlimited pizza, salad, popcorn, beer, wine, soda and dessert will be served.

Main Event Orlando

MainEventOrlando

Main Event Entertainment, the fastest growing entertainment destination is an ideal place for groups to get together and let their fun out.  Main Event combines dining, virtual and interactive game play, high ropes adventure courses, billiards, 61 big screen TVs and state-of-the-art bowling in nearly 50,000 square feet.

Their Eat.Bowl.Play experience features a chef-inspired menu featuring innovative American fare and handcrafted cocktails in a high-energy bar and grill atmosphere and signature-style artisan pizza at LaBella’s, the center’s fast casual café.  Main Event also offers full-service catering with private rooms, free Wi-Fi and the latest audiovisual technology for private events such as holiday parties, company meetings, birthday parties, and social gatherings.

In addition to its unique Eat.Bowl.Play experience, Main Event offers full-service catering with private rooms, free Wi-Fi and the latest audiovisual technology for company meetings, team-building exercises, holiday parties, social gatherings and large group events.  Additionally, Main Event consistently is ranked the “best place for parties,” offering a variety of party packages to entertain guests of all ages.
Main Event centers serve more than 500,000 guests annually and bring nearly 150 full- and part-time positions to their local communities.

Americas Escape Game

AmericasEscapeGame

America’s Escape Game offers a new and exciting amusement! Real-life room escape games are a type of physical adventure game in which people are locked in a room with other participants and must use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within a set time limit.
At America’s Escape Game people are teamed up in groups of 2-10 and locked in a room. They have 60 minutes to work together, solve the riddles, solve the puzzles and escape. We currently have 4 experiences to choose from, each with their very different challenges.

This is great fun for a date, a family night or a team building experience as working together is required to succeed!

They currently have the five (5) rooms below to choose from.
“Pandemic: Project Hephaestus” Your Team needs to find the cure before the Red Death takes its toll!
“Lost Tomb of Monthu” Find the mysterious red ruby and escape while there is still time!
“Crisis at 1600” Secure the White House and stop a missile attack while you still can!
“The Caretaker” Save the hermit caretaker from the wolves while there is still time!
“Face Off” Face Off is a high energy race against time AND your opponents!

This is an experience like no other. Be warned, only 10% of their guests escape! You and your friends will work together, cheer each other on and compete to escape the rooms fastest.

IFly Orlando

iFlyOrlando

Discover the dream of flight at iFly Oralndo. Experience the true free fall conditions of skydiving without jumping from an airplane. iFly’s vertical wind tunnel technology creates a wall-to-wall cushion of air on which you can safely float. There’s no parachute, no jumping and nothing attaching you to planet Earth. It’s just you and the air. Super fun, super safe, and super cool!

Children as young as three, to adults as old (or young at heart) as 103 can fly. It’s safe for kids, challenging for adults and realistic for skydivers. They provide all the gear and a personal instructor will guide you through your flight

 

From mild to wild there’s so much to see and do in Orlando.  We’ve named just a few things here and there is so much more coming to the International Drive Area and the theme parks.

 

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Disney Springs, previously known as Downtown Disney, is an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex located at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. It was recently expanded to include many new stores, such as Pandora, Anthropologie, and the Coca-Cola Store. It also has a wide variety of delicious dining experiences. Walt Disney Imagineering took inspiration for the look and feel of Disney Springs from real coastal towns found throughout the state of Florida, such as St. Augustine and Coral Gables.

See La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs before it’s gone!

Earlier this year Cirque du Soleil announced that La Nouba will be ending it’s 19-year run in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida on December 31st, 2017. La Nouba’s classic performance transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary and stimulates the imagination from beginning to end with amazing acrobatics and whimsical characters. Disney Springs is the only location where you will be able to see this unbelievably amazing show, and not for much longer. Tickets to the show are still available, and seeing the show before it’s gone is worth the trip.

All New Dining Options

Disney Springs

Disney Springs is host to 52 unique and different dining options to choose from. Whether you want exotic food or something a little more domestic, Disney Springs has got it all. The new Town Center district of Disney Springs has recently opened with a plethora of dining options that are sure to delight. Grab a burger at D-Luxe Burger or a barbeque sandwich at The Polite Pig and try one of the delicious cupcake options at Sprinkles for dessert. The Marketplace district of Disney Springs includes the Rainforest Café and its sister restaurant T-Rex, which are a delight to families visiting Disney Springs with animatronic animals and dinosaurs that move and speak during your meal. T-Rex also features Build-a-Dino, a franchise of Build-a-Bear where kids can build and dress their very own dinosaurs. The West Side District includes Crossroads at House of Blues, where there’s always good music to go with good food, Splitsville Luxury lanes, where you can bowl and eat in luxury, Bongos Cuban Café and the newly redesigned Planet Hollywood location. The Landing District, previously known as Pleasure Island, has opened several new, unique locations. It boasts nautical-themed restaurants and shops, including Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, and the Boathouse, which also serves as the port for amphibious, vintage automobiles that offer cruises of lake Buena Vista. Even if you don’t take a cruise you can still watch these amazing cars take a swim while you eat.

Family-friendly Nightly Entertainment

Free Nighty Music

Not ready to head back to your room after a day in the parks? Take a stroll around Disney Springs. Free and family-friendly entertainment is available nightly throughout the Springs until 11pm. Check out the Waterside Stage located in the Marketplace district of Disney Spring most nights of the year— the Waterside Stage is host to all-types of performers from full band concerts to a nightly DJ Kids Dance Party. Pop-up live music is also available throughout the Landing, Westside and Town Center Districts – just take a stroll around and listen to the sweet sounds of fun.

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Valentine’s Day is one we always look forward to. Don’t blame us, everyone loves romantic moments, and we’re not left out. Staying in Central Florida, Valentine’s Day presents lots of romantic options, making a choice becomes confusing. A Valentine’s Day trip to Central Florida could easily become one of your best vacations ever, if well planned. Here, we try identifying 10 ideal locations to make this Valentine’s a romantic and amorous experience, you wouldn’t want to forget in a hurry.

  1. Visit Lake Monroe: Just north of Orlando in Sanford, lays Lake Monroe. Enjoy a light romantic cruise across the Lake alongside your partner. Feel the heat of the sun, or sway to the moonlight as you enjoy a lunch or dinner dance cruise.
  2. Explore Art: With a sizeable number of robust art institutions available in Orlando, you might want to consider exploring the art world on a romantic visit. The Orlando Arts Museum, and the Mennello Museum of American Art are two amongst a vast array of options for art lovers.
  3. A trip through Forever Florida Park: It’s hard to think of romantic settings in the heart of central Florida without reverting to nature. Beginning with a trip through a traditional Florida ranch, which features a living museum, and Florida’s unique Cracker Horses, your Forever Florida journey takes you through a Safari Adventure which covers a 4,700-acre Wildlife Conservation Area, preserved in its natural state. The open Safari coaches will give you a fantastic view of everything on the ground.
  4. A visit to EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow): This miniature Future World is now synonymous with both Orlando and Disney. With technological advancements well-showcased, –from energy up to space travels–EPCOT is a fusion of both entertainment and education, into a wonderful theme park. The presence of one of the world’s largest artificial Islands only serves to improve this already impressive park.
  5. A visit to the Orlando Eye: The Orlando Eye is a 400-ft tall giant Ferris wheel, which is about 90-ft taller than the Statue of Liberty. Passengers in its climate-controlled capsules could see all the way to Florida’s Atlantic coast. While each capsule holds up to 15 people – for a 30-minute circuit around the wheel, you can book a private capsule for a special evening. Romantic, eh?
  6. Reunion Wyndham Grand Golf & Spa Resort: Six miles away from Walt Disney World, and tucked away amid three golf courses designed by legends of the game, lies Reunion. An onsite water park, a multitude of dining options, a tennis camp, and several oasis-like pools for relaxation, are just some of its attractions.
  7. A visit to Gatorland: “Orlando’s best half-day attraction” – As implied by its name, Gatorland plays host to a park devoted to Florida’s most famous native inhabitants – Gators. Spend time soaring over live alligators and crocodiles, at a speed just under 30 m.p.h using the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line. Enjoy various into-the swamp outings for close-up alligator action, and enjoy a cold beverage by a pool of gators.
  8. Valentine’s Balloon Flight over Orlando: Orange Blossom Balloons offers an opportunity for a one hour flight, with champagne toast. Soaring in the sky with your love sounds very romantic.
  9. Central Florida Zoo FL Sex and the ZOO: This Valentine’s special on offer from Central Florida Zoo, includes two shows – a Dinner Show and Late Night Show – and is adult-oriented, with its mantra – Experience the wild side of Romance! Notwithstanding, a visit to Central Florida Zoo away from the Valentine’s Day special, is easily an exhilarating experience.
  10. Picnic on the Beach: Living in Central Florida, there’s no shortage of water bodies. Affordable, without being any less romantic, the age-old picnic on the beach might just be your ideal Valentine’s Day choice.

Florida is impressively stocked to make your Valentine’s Day retreat a special one. Theatres, restaurants, theme parks, spas and resorts all add up to make Central Florida ideal for the Best Vacation Ever. Whether this be as a family, or as a couple.

The Benefits and Savings of Traveling With Best Vacations Ever


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Everyone in the family will have a blast while you save hundreds of dollars off your travel budget with a Best Vacation Ever getaway to a variety of destinations.
Everyone in the family will have a blast while you save hundreds of dollars off your travel budget with a Best Vacations Ever getaway to a variety of destinations.

Everyone needs – and wants – a vacation. Money is what usually gets in the way or limits what you can do on vacation. Well it’s time to close up that computer and plug into a much-needed, low-cost, low-stress vacation. The glory of Best Vacations Ever (BVE) promotional vacation packages provided by Preferred Guest Resorts (PGR) is that you can save hundreds of dollars off your travel budget with typically included complimentary accommodations (minus taxes, resort fees, incidentals and any other extraneous expenses; see BVE’s terms and conditions on bestvacationsever.com). Imagine seeing places and experiencing phenomenal destinations, traveling at your own pace with

Cheap Tricks Part 2: Top Travel Budget Savings Tips:


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Nothing beats a family or cohabitating couple's dream vacation, especially when you are saving so much travel money!
Nothing beats a family or cohabiting couple’s dream vacation, especially when you are saving so much travel money!

Oh, the glory and true cultural experiences of traveling! There’s really not words to truly describe the personal feelings and emotions of experiencing dream-come-true adventures , though as a write,r I can often find too many, as with this blog. Let me tell yo,u every place I have visited is way better than its pictures or an amateur  video on many social outlets.  though between the bestvacationsever.com website and You Tube, it can find that it really gets the juices and desires to travel flowinl. As mentioned in Part 1 of the two-part series, Cheap Tricks Part 1; A Dream Vacation on a Fixed Travel Budget, money is the biggest issue when traveling and just how fast they

OUTSTANDING ORLANDO SUMMER 2014 TRAVEL ADVENTURES


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There is a ton of family fun at Walt Disney World Resort and all the major theme parks and many Orlando attractions and outstanding new summer 2014 events, rides and activities you’ll enjoy on your Best Vacations Ever adventure.

It’s practically summer year round in Florida, which is always color-coated with casts of characters, travelers from all over the world, and of all travel types for a variety of reasons. The sun rises every morning over the Central Florida region, baking the pavements and beaches, and firing up the theme parks, spas, attractions and restaurant grills for locals and visiting guests. What may seem like an ordinary day in Orlando actually finds the surprises of new and undiscovered adventures every day, during every visit to the Sunshine State. This summer 2014, Orlando is not only kicking up its extra adventures and attractions list, its full of special events, grand openings and anniversaries that are drawing out even more locals and traveling visitors. Summer, of course includes Independence Day for the U.S. and brilliant July 4th fireworks displays at the theme parks and all over Central Florida so check out one of my personal, legendary alternative favorites below in a short list of outstanding Orlando summer 2014 events.

A Fury Is About to Hit Central Florida


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Rendering of the new Falcon's Fury in the new Pantopia section is causing a fury at Bush Gardens Tampa -- a wild ride for Best Vacation's Ever Orlando visitors, just 90 minutes away
Rendering of the new Falcon’s Fury in Pantopia is causing a fury at Bush Gardens Tampa — a wild ride for Best Vacation’s Ever Orlando visitors, just 90 minutes away.

A fury has been simmering, sizzling and nesting in Central Florida for a long time has now hit the area, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Now preying on Central Florida theme-park visitors is Falcon’s Fury™: The Ride at Busch Gardens® Tampa, and it’s creating quite a buzz amid the current theme-park wars, attraction lovers, thrill riders and Central Florida visitors, with daytrippers heading 90 minutes away from Orlando to Tampa to enjoy Bush Gardens, the sister parks at SeaWorld Orlando®. One thing’s for sure: This fury is bound to scare the hats, shorts and sandals off nervous riders and super thrill

Wine Tasting Tips for Napa Valley Newbie Trips


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The brightly colored yellow mustard seed blanket the Napa Valley region in the spring in Napa Valley.
The brightly colored yellow mustard seeds of the rolling vineyard vistas blanket the Napa Valley region in the spring in Napa Valley.

Napa Valley is the largest, most beautiful and most copious wine-producing regions in the United States. Wine Country, as Napa Valley, California is dubiously known. It has a reputation as being an adult or couple’s destination, but it could not be further than the truth. Napa Valley is family friendly with plentiful attractions, activities and both family and adult

All-New Walt Disney World Experiences & Tips from Repeat Visitors


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Enjoy all the parks and new excitement and experiences at Walt Disney Resort with low-cost custom packages provided by Best Vacations Ever.
Enjoy all the parks and new excitement and experiences at Walt Disney World Resort with a low-cost promotional vacation package provided by Best Vacations Ever.

There’s no place like home, especially when it is the ever-growing Orlando, Florida. My 43-year-old friend Jay grew up in suburb of Orlando, graduating from local public schools with high honors and also from the University of Florida where he met and eventually married his wife, Carrie, many years ago. It wasn’t long before incredible work options drove them off to live amid the west coast of United States. Jay and Carrie have always been avid travelers, even with their eventual two kids in tow since your ages but who are now teenagers – a bubbly girl, Abby, and bottle-of-lightening tween boy named Jonah, both of which share their parents joy of travel and adventure. Growing up in the Orlando area, with family still here, Jay and Carrie and are well versed with Orlando and Walt Disney World® Resort, knowing and experiencing the parks many times since near inception as young ones and as adults with their children since they were all but 2 years old – their last visit to the theme parks being 5 years ago.

SeaWorld Makes Big Waves with an 18-Month Celebration


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Take a Best Vacations Ever promotional vacation to enjoy the celebrations, prizes, surprises, special events and shows, and fun festivities of its 18-Month 50th Anniversary Party.
Take a Best Vacations Ever promotional vacation to enjoy the celebrations, prizes, surprises, special shows, and fun festivities of its 18-Month 50th Anniversary Party.

Get out your birthday hats, horns and balloons because one of Orlando’s big three theme parks, SeaWorld Orlando®, turned 50 in March 2014. One thing’s for sure, Orlando theme parks really know how to throw a party in grand style, and SeaWorld Orlando has already begun its whale-sized event. SeaWorld debuted 5 decades ago in San Diego, California followed by SeaWorld Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio, which all have already begun SeaWorld’s 18-month “Sea of Surprises” celebration for visitors. You and your family (up to four) can visit Orlando and join all the birthday special events without all the high-cost retail travel expenses when you book one of Best Vacations Ever’s (BVE) low-cost, traveler-