Top 10 Orlando Travel tips
1. Travel Off Season — Even January and February are much warmer in Orlando than they are “Up North.” Not only will you benefit from lower air fares and hotel rates, but the crowds will be lighter too.
2. Book Orlando hotel rooms online — Hotels frequently offer their most favorable rates online, sometimes as part of weekend package deals.
3. Share the expense of accommodations — If you are traveling with (or meeting up with) extended family, split the bill on a rental condo or vacation house to defray the costs for everyone.
4. Skip the rental car — Choose hotels that provide free shuttle service to the places you want to go. Some Disney resorts take care of all your transportation needs from the moment you arrive at the airport, while some International Drive hotels have free shuttles to SeaWorld and Universal Studios.
5. Skip the rental stroller — Rental strollers are convenient, but they aren’t free, and the hard plastic rental strollers aren’t as comfortable as the folding strollers your baby or toddler is used to.
6. Eat outside the theme parks — While you wouldn’t want to miss out on all of the fabulous dining that the attractions have to offer, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the theme parks is very expensive. Take advantage of the free continental breakfasts that most hotels offer, and consider a couple of nights eating take-out food in your hotel room.
7. Bring drinks and snacks to the theme parks — Stock up on these supplies at the local supermarket; there are many grocery stores that are a short drive, or even a short walk, from the hotels on International Drive and Universal Boulevard.
8. Purchase Disney and Universal multiday passes — All of the major theme parks offer multiple day passes. It usually means you’ll have to “commit” to one company for the duration of your vacation—Disney, Universal or Anheuser-Busch (SeaWorld/Discovery Cove)—but you can spend a week at any one of these attractions and still want to catch anything you’ve missed on your next Orlando vacation.
9. Cut out those coupons — From your hotel lobby to the outlet malls on I-Drive, you will find dozens of brochures offering discount coupons and other special deals. Tear out the coupons you think you might use and keep them in your wallet for the duration of your trip.
10. Spend one or two days doing non-theme park activities — Spend a day at the pool, take a stroll down International Drive, or if you did go ahead and rent that car, spend a day at the beach. And be sure to pack your own lunch.
