Orlando 101: Tips for a safe and sane Central Florida vacation
— -- When you're in a planning mode, Orlando seems like a fantasy about to come true; and why not? This is a city sprinkled with Disney dust, a magical place where dreams come true. But it's also a landing zone that can break your bank, cramp you with crowds and drive a wedge between the closest of family and friends.
Truth is, this can be a stressful destination, especially if you insist on doing it all, and at warp-speed pace. There are ways, however, to ease the hassles and make all your memories happy ones.
Money matters:Daily expenses (attractions, hotel and three squares) can cost a family of four up to $600, so most of us look for ways to curb them. You can save some though not a lot with multiple-day passes to the theme parks. You can save more by spending some of your time at free or low-cost attractions, such as the twice-daily March of the Peabody Ducks (www.peabodyorlando.com; 9801 International Dr., Orlando 32819; 407-352-4000), meeting the flock at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey (http://www.audubonofflorida.org; 1101 Audubon Way, Maitland, Fla. 32751; 407-644-0190), seeing Winter Park's finest on the Scenic Boat Tour (www.scenicboattours.com; 312 E. Morse Blvd., Winter Park, Fla. 32789; 407-644-4066), or people watching at Downtown Disney (www.downtowndisney.com; E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 32830; 407-824-4321). Also, when going to the parks, consider packing lunch. Theme park food is overpriced and sub-par.
Ducking the crowds:Have you ever seen so many people? Well, maybe you have if you live in New York, L.A. or another megalopolis, but Disney and Universal masses and lines can challenge your patience if you don't cut corners. This is a worldwide destination, but if you can go against the American school calendar you can blunt the impact. That means coming the week after Labor Day until the week before Christmas, except Thanksgiving, and mid January through mid May, except spring break. (Summer, thanks to crowds and heat, is the worst time to come.) In the Disney parks, you also will find shorter lines if you use the free FASTPASS.
