rlando-buzz

Stay in Orlando from as little as £7 per person per night with Complete Orlando!

Heading to Orlando and looking for accommodation? Look no further and book a villa with Complete Orlando! With prices from as little as £7 per person, per night for an Orlando villa, there is no better value for money for large groups and families than staying in one of these fantastic holiday homes.

Located mainly in the Kissimmee area, the private villas, townhouses and condos are within a 20-30 minute drive of Walt Disney World Resort. All properties are fully furnished and many include their own private swimming pools! These homes are perfect for if you’re on a budget but still looking to splash your hard-earned cash elsewhere on a fun-filled Orlando adventure.

14 nights in Orlando Villa for a total of £568
14-nights accommodation in a special Disney Area standard home with private pool from only £7 per person. The package is based on six adults sharing a three-bedroom villa on 20th August 2011. Car hire is available from £19 per day. To book visit www.CompleteOrlando.com or call 0800 294 8844.

Make Christmas Magical with Complete Orlando Holidays

There’s no better way to get into the spirit of Christmas than by visiting Orlando during the festive season. For those of you spending the holidays in Orlando, the parks are offering plenty to see, do and hear, so there’s everything you need to get into the Christmas cheer.

From November to December 2010, Mickey’s Very Merry Disney Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom is the ultimate Christmas party, with live entertainment, spectacular fireworks and an extra special holiday parade. Munch on complimentary cookies and cocoa whilst watching the snow fall on Main Street USA or admire Cinderella’s Castle Dream Lights.

Head to SeaWorld Orlando where you can journey to the North Pole on the Polar Express Experience or take a walk through the enchanting Sea of Trees. SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebrations start from November 26th until January 2nd and include special seasonal shows such as Shamu Christmas Miracles performance and Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas.

Throughout December, don’t miss out on Grinchmas™ at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®, where The Grinch and friends perform in their very own musical rendition of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Head to Universal Studios where you can watch the fabulous Macy’s Holiday Parade which includes giant balloons, clowns, floats, marching bands and of course Santa and his reindeers.

Book you park tickets and Orlando accommodation today with Complete Orlando Holidays!

Discovery Cove – Trainer For The Day

So you’re on holiday in Orlando and you fancy taking some time out from the theme parks? Then a day at Discovery Cove is just what you’re looking for and a must-do on any Orlando holiday. It’s the perfect opportunity to have a rest from all the action and get up close and personal with some of nature’s friendliest creatures. Located just off International Drive, Discovery Cove is a haven of calm in the midst of bustling Orlando and the perfect way to round off any Orlando holiday.

If you want to immerse yourself in the total Discovery Cove experience, then Trainer for the Day is for you.

The day starts by the group being met by one of the very experienced Dolphin trainers who will be our guide throughout. After the initial very smooth check in at reception at around 8am, breakfast is the first thing on the agenda, helping to start the day well. Breakfast and lunch is included and snacks and beverages are available during the whole day (which ends around 5.30pm). We are then equipped with wet suits or jackets and are given a snorkel, dolphin friendly sun protection lotion along with goggles, a Tshirt and waterproof camera. Towels and lockers are also supplied.

Following breakfast, time to visit the Explorer’s Aviary to feed and enjoy the hundreds of colourful birds within, as well as to observe some not so very obvious owls! Next it’s time to stroke one of the many sharks that are bred there; the ones you can stroke are small and there is a trainer on hand to ensure all goes well. We are then escorted to an area of shallow water to feed the Stingrays which swarm around our legs eagerly knowing that food is on offer. They have had their sting removed so there is no chance of anything untoward happening during this very enjoyable experience.

Finally the moment comes when we can interact and have a swim with the dolphins! We are gathered together in a covered area prior to entering the water and supplied with some interesting dolphin facts. It takes 3-5 years to train a dolphin and the age of the dolphins at Discovery Cove range between 6 months and 42 years old! Our dolphin was named Capricorn and was one of the oldest, extremely friendly and very well trained! It does not matter what time of day the swim with the Dolphins takes place as they do all participate throughout the day and are changed around frequently. Once in the water, we get the opportunity to see how a dolphin reacts to various hand commands; these commands can produce various reactions from the dolphins, either a physical or a vocal reaction. If deep water is not your thing, then it is possible to remain in the shallow water when having the swim.

Lunch is served from around 1130 am and we are given an hour to enjoy a leisurely meal and drink of choice.

The afternoon offers other experiences which are very enlightening; how the trainers establish how much each dolphin can eat in a day and a remarkable timetable for both feeding times and dolphin interaction with Discovery Cove visitors participating in a swim. The amount each dolphin is allowed to eat is all based on their weight and is very finely tuned.

We are then treated to more interaction, not with dolphins this time but with a tropical bird, small mamal and a couple of armadillos. The icing on the cake later in the afternoon is the enhanced deep water dolphin interaction, which constitutes a toe push and riding on Capricorn’s belly to the shore. There are photographers on hand to capture each dolphin experience, and these photos can be purchased before departing this haven in Orlando.

All in all a very memorable day and experience, which we can all highly recommend.

Orlando Holiday staying in Lake Buena Vista

Meaning ‘good view’ Lake Buena Vista definitely offers that for anyone wanting to stay in the area (you can see Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror and Tree of Life from Walt Disney World). It is south-west Orlando and seconds from the Walt Disney World parks and resorts. Making it perfect for those wanting to be in the heart of the action and spend plenty of times in the parks.

Lake Buena Vista is the home to a range of hotels, most of which are slightly more high-end properties, including Embassy Suites and Hyatt Regency, all of which are great- don’t believe us? Take a look at Lake Buena Vista Palace and Spa:

Lake Buena Vista also has a number of great condo resorts, such as Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa, which are great for families or couples wanting a little more flexibility. It means that you needn’t eat out every night, as each condo has its own kitchen, and there is more space for a family travelling with kids.

One more very good aspect of Lake Buena Vista, is without doubt the ‘Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores’- ideal for those wanting to grab some bargains whilst in the States. There are loads of outlet stores, full of deals for those wanting to pick up some designer threads. On top of all this it is really easy to get there, with a free shuttle bus that runs to-and-from the shops to participating Orlando Hotels!

If hitting the shops doesn’t do it for you, there is always Walt Disney World’s Golf Course in Lake Buena Vista, where they can practice there swing. Check out the fly over map:

More often than not, a free game is included with your Disney Tickets, but more on that later…..

Orlando Holidays staying on International Drive

So once you have completed your ‘COOL’ form and you have figured out what you want from your Orlando Holiday, the best bet is start planning whereabouts you would like to stay in Orlando and which type of accommodation you want. Now this isn’t always an easy decision, Complete Orlando alone offers in excess of 100 properties, ranging from on resort hotels to villas, across all of Orlando.

For first-timer, theme-park fanatic, one of the best areas to stay in is definitely International Drive, see the map below to see where Complete Orlando Holidays offer hotels:

As the map shows, I-Drive (the red line) is perfectly located amongst the parks, with Walt Disney World, just a little way on from this. There are lots of hotels on I-Drive, catering for all budgets, ranging from the Orlando Metropolitan Resort to the 5* Peabody Resort. There are brilliant shops and restaurants along International Drive so there is plenty to do and see, including nightlife if you fancy painting I-Drive red!!

Psst…if you do decide to stay on International Drive, make sure you check out the ‘Hot Deals’ section of their website where you can get your hands on meal discounts and vouchers: HERE

There is also the I-ride trolley, making it perfect for those not hiring a car to get about or if you are planning on having a drink. The trolley runs from 08:30- 22.30 and a one day pass costs just $4.

This isn’t the area however, for those who are looking to stay in Villas or Condos…that’s in next week’s instalment!

Complete Orlando Holidays also offers further help with their quiz ‘Orlando Made Simple’ which will let you know the exact property best suited to your needs: Orlando Made Simple

More News on Wizarding World of Harry Potter….

Universal Orlando Resorts has sent us a sneaky peak of ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’ and have let us know that the official launch date is going to be announced on the 25th March at 12:00 Eastern Standard Time (USA).  So watch this space…..

SeaWorld Tragedy

We sell Seaworld and feel they are a responsible company. This is tragic news and our thoughts are with the trainer’s family.

We will endeavor to keep all of our customers informed of the situation and will continue to post any updates on re-opening and schedules.

Information can also be found here

When it comes to a Holiday in Orlando it’s all in the Planning….. and in bite size chunks

Here at Complete Orlando Holidays, we think that half the fun of your Orlando holiday is in the planning! Not only is it absolutely key in making sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun, but it helps you make sure that you get the most out of your money during your Orlando holiday.

First-things-first; sit down with the whole family/ holiday buddies and talk about what you all want from the holiday. This will help you work out the focus of your trip; which parks do you all want to visit, how long are you going to stay, do you think this will be the only trip you will make to Orlando & Disney World or do you intend/hope to return many times?

The answers to these questions will make it easier for you to decide which type of accommodation you would like to stay in; a villa, an apartment, on-site Disney hotel, an International Drive hotel, whether you will need car hire, whether you want to spend all your time at the theme parks or mix it up with some shopping as well, do you want to pre-book Orlando Dinner Shows or your Disney Dining Plan before you go.

To help you along, we have created the ‘Complete Orlando Holidays Organised Laugh’ sheet (aka COOL) which you can find on the page called ‘COOL’ on the navigation bar. Print this off and call a get-together and let the fun begin!

Check this out….
This family obviously planned brilliantly and managed to see so much while they were in Orlando.

Hot off the press…

News as it’s in, here’s the first official image of Hogwarts castle at Universal Orlando Resort’s new Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which is due to open in Spring this year…

Take a look at this video. It gives a great insight to what we can all expect from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter…….

Winter or summer it’s never a bummer…good times always!

So when is the best time to visit Orlando? When will you get the most for your money?

The most popular times to visit Orlando with the family are without doubt Easter, summer, October half term and of course Christmas! Although if you are able to travel outside these timeframes, you may well be able to bag yourself a bargain and the parks won’t be as busy, as Frankie (from The Saturdays) and her boyfriend Dougie (from McFly) found when they were there last week….

Orlando is sunny and warm throughout the year and although there is no coastline, there is always time to top up that tan and take a dip in the pool!

Orlando at Easter
Avg temperature: 25oc
Avg Humidity: 50%

Easter is an ideal time of year to visit, before it begins to get too hot. Although it is also one of the more expensive times of year to travel, it is very buzzy and plenty of things to do. This is such a popular time to go – book early!

Orlando in the Summer Holidays
Avg Temperature: 32oc
Avg Humidity: 85%

Obviously the temperature and humidity is higher in the summer, but who cares with all those water parks and wet rides right?!

Orlando during October Half Term
Avg Temperature: 30oc
Avg Humidity: 55%

October is a great time to head over to Orlando if you just fancy a week there, plus all of the parks will be in full swing for Halloween so it’s vital you don’t lose your nerve! Universal Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay often go all out to scare you silly, while Walt Disney World Resort has a more child friendly approach to your Orlando holiday. Complete Orlando’s top secret tip:

Orlando during November
Avg Temperature:25 oc
Avg Humidity:56%

November is a great time to visit Orlando if you can get away; not only is it a great temperature, but the airfares are also pretty cheap, with plenty of availability. You will also benefit from less crowded parks, which means less time queuing and more time on the rollercoasters! Halloween events will still be going on at the beginning of the month, with Thanksgiving and Christmas events taking place towards the end. It’s also the perfect time to head down to the Malls in Orlando for a spot of Christmas shopping.

The further in advance you book your Orlando holiday the better, especially when it comes to flights, which get more and more expensive the closer you get to the travel date. The days of bagging a cheap last minute flight have gone! It’s easy to do with Complete Orlando, as we offer really deposits, no hidden extras or credit card fees and you can pay the total amount in instalments or closer to your departure date.

Most Orlando holidaymakers book about a year in advance, which may seem a lot but it really does fly by (especially when you are counting down the days!). This gives you enough time to research, plan and save, there is so much to do and see whilst you are there….six Walt Disney World parks, SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando, Universal Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Discovery Cove and much much more. It’s important you don’t miss out on anything, after all this is a once-in-a-lifetime-holiday we’re talking about here!

Universal Orlando Resort