A Brief Orlando Dining Guide

If you are coming to Orlando Florida and want to know the top three places to go and dine at, where you will receive only the best cuisine and top quality service then you have come to the right place. Below you will find a brief Orlando dining guide highlighting the best gourmet dining Orlando options:

Chatham's Place

This restaurant was voted one of the top 10 in central Florida with a gourmet cuisine focusing on continental foods and fine wines. The menu from Chef Tony Lopez includes Filet Mignon, Breast of Duck, Florida Black Grouper, or the Rack of Lamb (which was rated the best in the country) and the desserts consist of mouth watering Zuccoto cake, key lime pie, and crème brulee. Chatham's Place opened in 1988 and has since then been included in every Orlando dining guide, with their high quality cuisine and an array of impressive liqueurs and wines including imported beer. They offer a full sound system with live music every night to entertain guests. This first restaurant on our Orlando dining guide is located on Dr. Phillips Boulevard.

Cedars of Orlando

The next top restaurant on our Orlando dining guide is the Lebanese themed Cedars also located on Dr. Phillips Boulevard and Sand Lake Road and offers a distinctly eastern fine dining experience. With stylish interior and top quality service, Cedars of Orlando provides an ideal culinary sensation. This was voted the Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in 2007 by the people of Orlando, making it a must for any dinner or lunch. Their menu specialties include the Kibbeh Bilsanieh, Kibbeh Bi Laban, Moloukhieh, and the Bemieh. For entertainment, Cedars offers belly dancing every Saturday night.

Maison et Jardin

Next on the Orlando dining guide is an elegant French restaurant that has been around since 1958 and known as one of the premier dining establishments in central Florida. With tons of awards to its name, Maison et Jardin is founded on the strong principals of French cuisine served in a traditional neoclassical setting. This restaurant is perfect for events such as weddings as they offer a state of the art dining room as well as outdoor venues. The menu is seasonal and the impressive villa also contains a wine cellar boasting over 1200 wines to choose from to have with your meal.

Christini's Ristorante Italiano

For a relaxed, yet stylish dining experience that might leave you a bit star struck, the last and most famous restaurant on our Orlando dining guide is none other than Christini's. A throw back to the glamour and charm of old world Italy, Christini's oozes with friendly, caring Italian hospitality that celebrities have come to enjoy. The food is some of the best in the city and the service you receive cannot be beaten. At Christini's, a family run establishment, owned by Chris Christini, there are roaming musicians, and a choice of some of the top wines from all over the world. This is the best Italian restaurant in Florida and definitely a top choice on our Orlando dining guide.

Orlando, Florida - An Ideal Business Travel Destination

Orlando, Florida is an extremely popular destination for business travel. It has world class facilities for meetings and conventions as well as being a popular destination for families. This is a bonus for business people who travel away from home often and enjoy the opportunities to bring their families with them. Orlando is the perfect location for a "business mini-vacation."

The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (CVB) reports that Orlando is the second largest business meeting destination in the world, with business and pleasure travel estimated at $31 billion each year. And, even in this down economy, the future of business travel to this city looks bright. The Orlando Convention Center is growing to meet the needs of the business conference and convention markets. Furthermore, major hotels are investing in upgrades to their facilities, ensuring that they are equipped to host businesses and that rooms are equipped with amenities aplenty to attract those who love mixing business with pleasure.

The city is able to accommodate many business conferences and conventions concurrently because in addition to the fabulous convention center, most of the hotels also have rooms to accommodate smaller meetings and conferences.

With over 115,000 rooms available, groups travel to the Orange County area to take advantage of the warm climate, exciting attractions, full-service meeting accommodations and exhibit space. The Orlando International Airport services just about all national and international cities, with more than 72 domestic and 19 international destinations offering nonstop flights.

Aside from the many wonderful attractions including Disney World, Universal Studios and more, Central Florida has many other activities that draw companies from all over the world. The local golf experience is one not to be missed for men and women golfing enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, Orlando was recently voted "North American Golf Destination of the Year 2010" by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

The area hosts many challenging courses designed for both novice and professional golfers and gladly accommodates golf groups. Since business is frequently conducted during a round of golf, this enhances Orlando's allure as a business destination.

Shopping is also a popular and often necessary attraction for business travelers. There are countless shopping venues in the area, including the nearly two million square foot Florida Mall. Business travelers frequently forget to pack something needed, or find clothing or accessories are required for an event not anticipated. There are even shopping tours available. The options are limitless from outlet malls for bargain hunters to plush boutiques that cater to discerning shoppers.

Imagine holding your next retreat, meeting or reunion in Orlando -- the city that has theme parks, fabulous restaurants, great places to stay and state-of-the art meeting accommodations. Orange County takes business seriously and has all the advantages to make any business trip a success. In turn, businesses like being able to arrange business meetings at resort type areas. Often business meetings are held, not just to conduct business, but as a thank you to hard working employees.

Tips on Finding the Best Place to Stay in Orlando

Orlando has a number of major attractions all positioned conveniently along the I-4 corridoor. These major attractions include Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World. Disney World can be conveniently accessed anywhere along Route 192. There are a number of really nice places to stay. I have stayed in a number of these places and recommend Disney hotels strongly. They are clean, reasonably priced and within a couple of miles from all the Disney attractions. Areas near Disney are really Kissimmee, Clermont and Davenport and they are just southwest of Orlando.

However, you should consider a number of other options, especially if you are traveling with your family. On a recent trip, I visited some amazing vacation homes. We are talking about homes with anywhere from 3 bedrooms to 7 bedrooms that cost between $150-$300/night. Many of these homes have their own swimming pool, which is really neat for kids and a lot more hygenic than public hotel pools. For those of you who want a more budget option, consider condos. I visited several condos and they were very well appointed - with flat screen TV's, king size beds, a porch, common swimming pool area, barbeque grills and more. The only downside in staying close to US 192 is that this road has a tremendous amount of traffic during the peak seasons.

Another area to consider is the area near Universal Studios and the Orange County Convention Center. These areas have a lot of well appointed condos and executive suites that are far less expensive than the JW Marriott right across. I rented a suite at the JW Marriot for a tradeshow at about $600/night. The suite was really nice and perfect for the tradeshow, but the condos I saw during my visit far exceeded what the suite could provide in terms of space and amenities.

I would suggest that these are the absolute prime areas to stay if you are on vacation. Don't stay in downtown Orlando. It is are crowded and 30-45 minutes from Disney based on local traffic. Besides staying close to Universal Studios and Disney World gives you easy access to Busch Gardens in Tampa and Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg. You can also visit Edison's winter home in Fort Myers, Florida as well as enjoy the beautiful Florida Gulf Coast.

Golfing at Walt Disney World in Orlando

If you plan on taking a golfing trip to Florida, then you should make an attempt to head over to Walt Disney World and play on some of their world-class courses. Palm and Magnolia have hosted PGA tournaments and when you play there you will get a chance to see some of the high-quality shots that the pros have to make when they are playing from the back tees.

Take time to get to the course early and hit the driving range to loosen up before you play, because you are then need your game when you play these two challenging 18 hole golf courses. Make sure you putt on the practice greens, since these are some of the fastest greens in all of Florida, and you will easily drop a few shots if you are not aware of the speed of the greens.

When you arrive at the golf courses, you will be greeted with the world class Walt Disney World type hospitality, the norm is that they will take your clubs and clean them before they put them on the golf carts. The cards have a very nice GPS system on them that makes matching up the distance to the pin very convenient. The time you can expect to play is about 4 1/2 to 5 hours for an 18 hole course. This is about normal or slightly longer than normal which is not hard to believe since the courses are usually very busy, and if you have not played them before they are very attractive but at the same time difficult for the high handicap golfer.

Lake Buena Vista is considered the most forgiving and easier to play of the four 18 hole courses that Disney offers. This is the original golf course that was built in 1971 when the Walt Disney World complex first open to the public and was host to the PGA tour before the Disney tournament was moved over to the Palm and Magnolia

Osprey Ridge is another beautiful 18 hole course that Disney that is for the long hitters and should not be taken lightly because of the hazards and the quick greens. If you are flying the front tees at Osprey Ridge it is possible to have a low score since the greens seem to hold onto the ball when you approach. This is the newest 18 hole course and for some reason seems to get the least play all the courses.

The Oak Trail is a nine hole walking course that is a very forgiving course and is more fun to play for the beginner golfer or someone who wants more wide open course that allows them to enjoy the game of golf and to get a nice help you walk at the same time. This is the least expensive of the courses and is a favorite among many players who only have a chance to get in a quick nine every other day while they are going to the theme park on the other days.

All the courses offer somewhere to eat and drink and they offer an after 2 PM discount rate. For Disney vacation club members there is a 50% off card that you can purchase and use each year if you plan on playing a lot of golf this can save you some money and should be considered if you are a DVC member.

Family Holidays on a Budget - Cheap Orlando Holidays

Cheap Orlando Holidays can offer a fun filled family break on a small budget, a quick internet search will throw up a whole host of options for cheap holidays in Orlando.

Something for Everyone:

Fun for the kids is usually the main objective on a cheap Orlando holiday. With Disney world resort offering a number of fantastic theme parks with attractions for kids of all ages there is never a dull moment. A day or two at Disney world resort will also give your kids the chance to meet their favourite Disney characters.

As mentioned above, when you talk of cheap Orlando holidays most people automatically think of theme parks and Disney characters, all focused around entertainment for the younger generation. Although there is also a huge amount of options for adults going on holiday in Orlando, whether you want to go for a round of golf on one of the many world class courses or simply relax and be pampered in a luxury spa.

A holiday to Orlando also offers a fantastic and unique dining experience, with a number of themed restaurants and cafes. Head to Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney for a wild experience among animated jungle animals, waterfalls and volcanoes! Or sample the fine dining aboard a turn of the century riverboat at Fulton's Crab House, offering some of the best seafood in Orlando.

So as you can see cheap Orlando holidays offer so much more than theme parks and kids entertainment, and with the availability of some great deals on offer it really is the ultimate destination for a fantastic family holiday.

Budget Guide to an Orlando Honeymoon

Planning a honeymoon to Orlando is generally fun and exciting. However, trying to narrow down where to stay at and which attractions to visit out of seemingly limitless choices can also be stressful and overwhelming. This is often particularly true if you are on somewhat of a tight budget. There is no need to worry though as I will be more than happy to assist you with this!

The first step is to figure out what the two of you are going to do for lodging. One great thing about staying in Orlando is that there are lots of nice places to stay at that are also very reasonably priced. Sleep Inn Maingate would be an excellent choice. They offer excellent accommodations such as a mini-fridge, a microwave, a coffee maker and high speed internet just to name a few! What is even better is that they are located right next to all of the various Walt Disney attractions, and Sleep Inn Maingate even offers free shuttle service to these attractions!

Speaking of Disney attractions, I would definitely recommend that you spend some time visiting Walt Disney World while on your Orlando honeymoon. The reason for this is that are just so many fun things for you and your sweetheart to experience together there! While visiting Walt Disney World can sometimes be really expensive, even those on a tight budget can still manage to have a fabulous time there! One way to save money at while there is by buying your snacks and beverages ahead of time at a local grocery store in Orlando. You can then bring your food and drinks with you in to the park by carrying them in a backpack. This alone will save you a lot of money since the food sold at Walt Disney World is usually quite pricey. You may also want to check out some of the restaurants in Orlando, as there quite a few of them that are excellent but very reasonably priced.

Another way to save on money at Walt Disney World during your Orlando honeymoon is to be sure to make sure you either dress in layers or bring a change of clothes with you. For example, in case it starts pouring while you're there, you'll want to have a poncho or at the very least a sweatshirt with you. Otherwise, you will end up having to purchase an overpriced sweatshirt or poncho from one of the vendors at the resorts in order to stay dry, and I'm sure that you probably don't want to have to do that.

While you're in Orlando, you may also want to take a short trip over to Miami as Miami also has a lot of wonderful things to offer honeymooners! For example, if the two of you are animal lovers, then I would highly recommend that you check out the Miami Metro Zoo. There is practically every animal imaginable here, and they even have camel rides that you can go on!

I wish you and your soon to be new spouse the best of luck, and I hope that you both have a wonderful, fun-filled time on your Orlando honeymoon!

Central Disney - Orlando Vacation Rentals

Families and free-spirited couples will not be disappointed by a visit to the spiritual home of the Magic Kingdom and the Walt Disney culture. Central Disney-Orlando is a great vacation rental location in which to base yourselves for a Disney World and experience other theme parks throughout central Florida.
Orlando's Disney World complex is America's largest entertainment homage to the Walt Disney brand and with four theme parks and two water parks, there is much to enchant both children and adults aplenty.
The excitement of the Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World theme parks is almost guaranteed to be enjoyed in the summer with unbroken sunshine. Its central position is perfect to rent a holiday home or villa for families, who wish to remain entrenched in the Disney lifestyle for days on end.
Naturally with a vast turnover of tourists on a weekly basis, there is a wide variety of food and dining options available. Typical fast food can be obtained as well as themed, regional cuisines throughout the complex.
The atmosphere and style of the area is largely family orientated, but don't let that put you off if spectacular rides, relaxing water parks and non-stop activity tick the right boxes.
Many of the Central Disney-Orlando vacation rentals come fully equipped with the latest mod-cons, with free internet access, top-of-the-range kitchen and bathroom facilities and entertainment features such as games consoles and even luxurious swimming pools.
If you plan on hiring a car to cover the area and take in as many sights as possible you are only ever 30 minutes away from some of Orlando's finest leisure activities from golf courses and spas to the helter-skelter of the theme park world.
Should you wish to venture further out from your Central Disney-Orlando vacation rental then such national institutions as the NASA Kennedy Space Centre are reachable within 90 minutes and can provide a different dimension to your Florida visit.

For a great selection of Disney vacation rentals in Florida visit vacationrentalpeople.com, the vacation home specialists.