Orlando - Travel Deals

It’s not too early to start planning your fall vacation at Disney World Resort. The kids will have a blast and you’ll save money on the vacation package! Book a flight on Southwest Airlines and hotel package at one of the Disney World Resort hotels and save up to $149 per night on accommodation.

Book your package by August 13, 2011 for travel between August 14 and October 1, 2011. Advance purchase required.

Summer is definitely here and with it, the scorching temperatures. If you want to spend a vacation in a place where you can mix relaxing by the pool with spending time checking out different rides, then you should book a vacation package in Orlando. The flight is offered by JetBlue and the hotels have excellent deals available.

Here’s what you can choose from, all prices being per night per person, based on a 3 night package:

• Sheraton Safari Hotel and Suites $309, flight from New York
• Holiday Inn Maingate East $225, flight from New York
• Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort $245, flight from New York, complimentary breakfast
• Holiday Inn Express and Suites Lake Buena Vista East $249, flight from New York

There are also hotels where you can get various bonuses when you purchase a package from JetBlue:

Make sure to book your package the soonest possible.

Make sure to check the airline’s Official site and remember to follow them to get the latest deals on Twitter.

View more JetBlue Flight Deals

Mardi Gras or the Carnival Season is a series of celebrations which are directly related to the Christian celebrations of Epiphany and Easter. Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday falls on March 8, 2011, so you still have time to plan your getaway.

Although the most popular place in the USA to spend Mardi Gras is New Orleans, Orlando is also part of the celebrations. At Universal Studios every Saturday and on selected nights from February 12th to April 23rd you can catch one of the live concerts and of course, the popular parade.

But if you want to be there, you have to act fast. Book a flight and hotel package for 3 or more nights and save up to 20% when you stay at one of the three onsite Universal Orlando Resort hotels.

The sale ends on March 31, 2011 and the travel period is between February 2 and April 23, 2011. Advance purchase required (7 days).

The customized vacation package includes:

• roundtrip flight via Southwest Airlines to Orlando
• hotel accommodation
• Universal’s U-Select theme park ticket
• Early Park Admission to Universal’s Islands of Adventure and skip the regular lines at participating attractions in both Universal Orlando theme parks
• Complimentary resort-wide transportation for onsite hotel guests
• first and second checked bags fly free

The following packages are available:

• Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $199 per person per night
• Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $225 per person per night
• Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, 5 nights hotel + flight + 4-day Park to Park Acess ticket from $230 per person per night

Don’t forget to read the Southwest Airlines Vacations Current Deals

Read more Southwest Flight Deals.

If you were thinking about booking a fun vacation in Florida, now it’s the time to do it. Book the flight and 5-night or longer hotel stay by January 6, 2011 and save $150 per reservation when using promotion code MCO150 at the time of booking!

The travel period is between February 1 and April 30, 2011. Package prices start at $62 per person per night.

The hotels you can choose from are:

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, 7-night + flight, from $98 per person, per night
• Caribe Royale-Suites and Villas, 7-night + flight, from $85 per person, per night
• Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®, 7-night + flight, from $136 per person, per night
• DoubleTree Hotel at Entrance to Universal Orlando, 7 night + flight, from $62 per person, per night
• Nickelodeon Suites Resort, 7-night + flight, from $150 per person, per night
• Walt Disney World® Dolphin Hotel, 7-night + flight, from $139 per person, per night
• Sheraton Safari Hotel & Suites, 7-night + flight, from $66 per person, per night
• Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, 7-night + flight, from $105 per person, per night

The package includes:

• roundtrip flight on Southwest Airlines to Orlando
• hotel accommodation
• first an second checked bags fly free

Don’t forget to read more details about the Southwest Airlines Vacations Current Deals.

Read more Southwest Flight Deals.

Beginning on August 19, 2010, Virgin America is offering two new great services: San Francisco to Orlando and Los Angeles to Orlando.

During your flight you can enjoy free wi-fi and satellite TV. Of course, the fares are on sale and are excellent. All are one-way fares and require 21 days in advance purchase. Tickets must be purchased by March 25, 2010 and the travel period is between August 19 and November 17, 2010. Blackout dates do apply (Sept 3 to Sept 6, 2010)

The fares for the new services are:

• San Francisco to Orlando, from $199 on Tue, Wed, Thu
• San Francisco to Orlando, from $219 on Mon, Fri, Sat, Sun
• Los Angles to Orlando, from $149 on Tue, Wed, Thu
• Los Angeles to Orlando, from $169 on Mon, Fri, Sat, Sun

You can find more details about the sale on airline’s official website

Read more Virgin America Flight Deals

Having grown up within spitting distance of Central Florida’s theme parks, I can tell you straight up that if you like heart pounding rides Universal Studios kicks Disney’s ass six ways to Sunday. Disney is fun for the little ones and might just be the happiest place on earth if you avoid the lines, but Universal’s rides are better. It is plain and simple.

Both theme parks cost a bundle these days so outside of climbing over the fence and sneaking in, you should look around for ways to save money of entrance fees. At this very moment, Universal Studios is offering a discount on tickets to both its Orlando theme park and its Hollywood park. Save $10 now so you can spend it later at the park buying a hot dog that will make your tummy feel funny on the Back to the Future ride.

Truth be told, I grew up mere minutes from the Happiest Place on Earth so I know a thing or two about Disney World. While I would personally never choose to spend my vacation days with Pluto, Goofy and the gang, I’m quite aware that lots of other people feel otherwise. The thing about Disney World is that you can almost always find a good deal on flights and accommodations there. Spirit Airlines has one in the works right now that isn’t bad and I’m sure you could track down others if you try. The one bit of valuable information I can give to you as an Orlando insider is how to avoid long lines while you are at the Magic Kingdom and the associated parks. Here are some tips:

1. Consider the time of year before booking your trip. Disney is the least crowded during January. Everyone is back in school, the holidays are over and spring break is still a few weeks away.
2. Start your day early. It takes awhile for families to get their butts into gear so if you get to the park right when it opens you’ll have a couple of hours of line-free fun.
3. Use your kids to your advantage. It probably won’t be greeted too well if you sneak into line, but if you send your kids to do the dirty work first and then meet up with them, you are less likely to get tossed out of the park.
4. Wheelchairs. I hope you never need to use one, but consider renting one for your Disney vacation. People in wheelchairs always get whisked to the front of the line, no question asked.
5. Don’t go. If you never step foot in Disney World you will never have to deal with the crowds. Read the truth about Disney while you vacation elsewhere.

It is as simple as that.