Featured Vacation Rental
News and Updates from Florida Pool Homes on Orlando, Florida
Coming to Discovery Cove in June 211 - The Grand Reef
Discovery Cove takes immersion to new depths when it opens an all-new area -- The Grand Reef -- in June 2011. The new reef features multiple levels of exploration, from shallow waters to deeper swimming adventures, from white sandy beaches and hammocks swaying in the breeze, to snorkeling among canyons inspired by reefs from around the world
“The Grand Reef takes Discovery Cove’s world-class animal encounters to an all new level -- several, actually,” said Stewart Clark, the park’s vice president. “It’s what our guests expect from us, unforgettable connections with the sea and making memories that will last forever. This could only be created by Discovery Cove.”
Visitors just need to get their feet wet to enjoy The Grand Reef, or they can choose to go deep. They can step into tranquil, shallow waters to discover a below-the-surface world teeming with sea life, or they can snorkel in deeper waters as thousands of exotic fish and graceful rays swim around them. Those looking for an even more exhilarating adventure can take part in The Grand Reef’s innovative experience, SeaVenture, an underwater walking tour. Wearing dive helmets, guests find up-close excitement around every corner, each step yielding a new discovery
The Grand Reef is the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation, a fully immersive tropical escape, new to discover in Orlando in 2011.
When booking your Florida Pool Home remember to ask about getting your Florida Pool Homes discount on tickets for The Grand Reef.
To learn more about the attraction visit www.DiscoveryCove.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Hallowe'en Party
For those of you not up to the scary factor of Halloween in Orlando, check out one of our favorite places at Disney to visit during Halloween - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! It's lots of fun for the little ones (even those of us who are not so little anymore!) and enjoyable in true Disney style.
During Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes. Even better, you can collect delicious candy as you trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom theme park. In addition to many favorite Disney attractions, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is filled with special entertainment. Check out more details here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Busch Gardens Tampa, we have Howl O’ Scream!
This fall, Howl-O-Scream takes sweet revenge on its most devoted fans at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. For 18 select nights in September and October, the Gulf coast’s premiere adventure park transforms into Florida’s top-rated Halloween event – a park-wide nightmare of seductive surprises that will rock your world.
Devious creatures infest Busch Gardens’ 335 acres with dark, sinister, adult-targeted fun, including more haunted houses than ever before, all-new spine-tingling scare zones and thrilling live stage shows. Even the streets themselves aren’t safe from the wandering hoards and other terrors of the night, and bone-chilling roller coasters keep your pulse pounding all night long. Howl-O-Scream 2010 will leave you begging for mercy… and screaming for more.
For more information visit www.HowlOScream.com/tampa
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At SeaWorld Orlando we have SeaWorld Spooktacular!
Halloween meets the sea during SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular, featuring an underwater "fantasea" where children can trick-or-treat, meet amazing sea creatures, catch silly and spooky shows and help Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby through an amazing adventure to find her magic wand.
SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular takes place October 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, and 29-31. The daytime event begins at 12 p.m., leaving the littlest of trick-or-treaters wide-eyed for the fun-filled activities. Visit SeaWorldSpooktacular.com for more details.
Spooktacular Highlights Include:
Trick-or-Treat Sea Sweets
Offering more than 3 million pieces of trick-or-treat sweets, costumed youngsters can search for hidden “sea” treasures using their Spooktacular maps at more than a dozen different locations. Each station features an array of sweet treats, including a variety of candies and healthy choice options like Peanut Butter snack and Chiquita® Mini’s ™ - a sweeter tasting banana that's just the right size!
Abby Cadabby’s Halloween Adventure
Filled with interactive puzzles, sights and sounds, Abby Cadabby’s Halloween Adventure is a 4,000-square-foot outdoor pathway where trick-or-treaters can help Sesame Street’s Abby Caddaby search for her magic wand. Plus, Abby Cadabby is available for photo opportunities.
Count Von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast
Another one of Sesame Street’s favorite residents, The Count, along with his friends from Sesame Street, get into the Halloween spirit, at Count Von Count’s Spooktacular Breakfast. Little ones will sing, groove and mingle side-by-side with Sesame Street characters, while listening to Halloween-themed music and enjoying a special breakfast “boo”-ffet.* Following the breakfast, kids can get their photos taken with the characters for memories that will last forever.
Cookie Decorating Station
Kids and parents alike can create their own Halloween-themed cookies at a special decorating station decked out with Spooktacular loot. The kit -- available for a small charge -- includes a souvenir lunch box filled with a jumbo sugar cookie, toppings ranging from icing and sprinkles to M&M’S®, and milk or apple juice to wash it all down.
Frozen Fun Zone
A DJ will “melt the ice” during a celebration sure to warm up the area with interactive games and activities at Wild Arctic Plaza.
Strolling Entertainment
Gummy Worm Wanda, Salt Water Taffy, and Swedish Fish Suzy are among the 35 fanciful sea creatures that will join the “Spook-tastic” fun welcoming trick-or-treaters as they stroll through colorful, playful schools of pumpkin fish.
For more information visit http://www.seaworldspooktacular.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wizarding World Insider Tip
When visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter the one thing that you must try is Butterbeer. It is a refreshing drink that can be ordered either cold or frozen and tastes a bit like cream soda and short bread. I have had it a few times already and it seems to just get better and better! There are a few places to purchase it once inside the park but the best is inside the Hogs Head. It will be much colder versus purchasing it from the Butterbeer cart outside and the lines may be shorter too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gator Gully Splash Park at Gatorland
If you haven't been to Gatorland lately, you need to go! Other than the wildlife and birds in their natural habitats, the park now boasts a fun water park for the kids. Gator Gully Splash Park is a very welcome respite from the Florida heat and the kids have lots of fun running through the water and cooling off.
Over a quarter- acre and ready to soak, Gator Gully Splash Park includes a row of giant egrets spilling water from their beaks; dueling water guns mounted on the backs of two giant gators lined up and waiting for a friendly squirtfest with your neighbor; an ol’ jalopy overrun with water and places to splash; a bucket tree that is just perfect for a slow dash and spray for the little ones; and Grandma’s Wet Shack, a veritable fountain of water-based fun for kids of all ages to splash, squirt and play in truckloads of cool H2O. Also incorporated in the new attraction are additional animal exhibits, changing stations, dry shade pavilions and a retail outlet featuring a whole mess of new characters and critters known as the Gator Gully Gang.
During your next stay in your Florida Pool Home, we highly recommend a trip to Gatorland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adorable Baby Flamingos Hatched at Busch Gardens
They’re not pink, but they are all leg. Since June 3, seven baby Caribbean flamingos have hatched at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The most recent was born on Sunday, July 25.
The baby flamingos join a flock of about 125 adults on display in the Bird Gardens area of the park. The young ones tend to stay in the middle, so the entire flock can keep on eye on them.
As these babies prove, newly hatched chicks are not pink, but in fact have gray or white down feathers. They eventually have a pink coloring that comes from the carotenoid pigments they consume as part of their diet. They won’t lose all of their darker feathers for a few years.
Flamingos’ bright color and gentle nature have made them a favorite of Busch Gardens guests for many years. Caribbean and Chilean flamingos also reside in Busch Gardens’ Jambo Junction. Some of that flock take part in a daily parade through the park, giving guests a chance to meet the beautiful pink birds up close. [End blog]
Florida Pool Homes Orlando vacation homes are just an hour away from Busch Gardens. While staying in your Florida vacation rental, you can access all of the wonderful parks of SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, Discovery Cove and Adventure Island. There's so much to see and do, you'll have to come back, rent another wonderful Orlando vacation home and spend more time enjoying yourself!
Choose a Florida vacation rental for your next Orlando area vacation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Treasure Tavern
Featuring comedians, acrobats and dancers themed to a Caribbean outpost for rum and good
times, Treasure Tavern is opening this summer in the heart of the International Drive tourist area.
The adventure begins as Gretta, the tavern’s outlandish bar maven, escorts guests through a twohour
show filled with excitement, entertainment, rum and a three-course dinner. Through the
night, guests are treated to artistic acrobats, singers, dancers and comedians from across the
globe, that have gathered in this unique location for fun.
“There is little in Orlando that offers adult travelers and locals an opportunity to escape the
ordinary and go on a dining adventure that’s not focused on entertaining the children,” says Imre
Baross, vice president & executive director of entertainment, for Treasure Tavern. “When guests
enter our facility, they enter a time gone by, when sailors and travelers would spend hours in
exotic ports-of-call.”
Get your tickets directly from the folks at Treasure Tavern - there is a special discount of 25% in place until July 31st. Or you can call our friends at Kissimmee Guest Services who will get you the best deal in town! Call 1-877-273-5636 and tell them that Florida Pool Homes sent you - you will get another discount.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SeaWorld after dark - through August 15th
This summer, stick around for SeaWorld's nightime rock and roll extravaganza featuring special attractions like Shamu rocks, and a mystifying fireworks finale plus Manta, a fly-face-first roller coaster experience that only SeaWorld could create.
With a Twilight Ticket you can experience thrilling rides, up-close animal encounters and awesome shows. Then stay for the fun at night with SeaWorld After Dark. The Twilight Ticket is valid from now through Labor Day.
We recommend you get all your park tickets from our partners Kissimmee Guest Services. You can call them at 1-877-273-5363 for the best ticket prices in Orlando. Be sure to mention Florida Pool Homes and you can get an extra 4% discount off your total order!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios
June 18th brought with it the grand opening of the long-awaited Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida at Universal Resorts. Thousands of fans lined up hours before the opening, some dressed as Hogwarts students, others as Florida tourists.
By all accounts, the day was a HUGE success and Universal Studios received high praise for the attention to detail and no compromise attitude to keeping to the Harry Potter theme. From wands at Ollivander's and fun toys from Zonkos, to butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, guests were thrilled with the aura of magic surrounding the park.
Anybody that is coming to Orlando, Florida on a vacation needs to include a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Resorts. All Florida Pool Homes guests will receive ticket information and personal recommendations on what to do on their Orlando vacation.
Click here to watch the video of the opening night celebrations!
|
