Trifter

       We have all grown up with Disney, right?  That lovable mouse and his “goofy” friends are something that will live on in our hearts forever.  Nestled right smack in the middle of Central Florida is what some would call, “The Ruler of Everything.”  Walt Disney World!!!  Don’t get me wrong.  I love Walt Disney World, but I’ve heard so many people make it out to be the best thing in Orlando.  First of all, it’s massive.  With 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, numerous lodging choices, a Marketplace and a place for nightlife, Disney definitely beats out anything in Florida as far as “stuff.”  They boast over 40 square miles of space.  That’s huge.  While all that’s good and wonderful, there are other things to do while staying in the Sunshine State.  There is Sea World, Busch Gardens, and my favorite, Universal Orlando.  Universal is pretty much Disney’s main competition.  While Disney has the, “make you feel like a kid again” feeling, Universal is for the more grown up ride enthusiast.  Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990 with a handful of rides that let you “Ride the Movies.”  Jaws, Earthquake, Back to the Future, and King Kong were among some of the first.  Over the years, rides have been added and changed and live shows have made their way right into the 21st Century.  In the late 90’s, Universal opened it’s second park next door, “Island’s of Adventure.”  It has been called the most technologically advanced theme park in the world.  It has rides like “The Incredible Hulk” roller coaster, “Spiderman,” which is my favorite, and the brand new Harry Potter island that is soon to open sometime in 2010.  There’s 3D, live stunt shows, thrills, chills, laughs, and screams that can be heard all over the resort.  They have a City Walk that has amazing shops, the best nightlife in Orlando, and 3 first class hotels.  Universal Orlando, in my opinion, gives Disney a run for it’s money. 

        Now what does all this mean?  There is something for everyone.  Disneyhas it’s fan base and Universal has theirs.  Orlando has so many things to do, it would take a long time for me to go through it all.  I love Disney, but my problem with them is that they try to be the top dog because they know they can be.  I’m not downing them at all, but there are a lot of forum posters out there that hate on the other things to do in Orlando.  I’m gonna tell you something right now.  Give yourself some variety.  If all you want to do is stay on-site at Disney and do nothing but Disney your whole vacation, then be my guest.  But if you want to shake things up, try different things.  There is Indoor Skydiving, The Pirate Dinner Show, Arabian Nights, swimming with dolphins, etc…There is not a shortage of things to do, but if you only do Disney, you are shorting yourself out of a choice.  Disneytends to be a little more on the expensive side than other places.  They have a deal that if you stay on-site, the more you stay, the less you pay.  That’s good and great, but what about us that aren’t staying on-site at Disney?  It’s 70 something dollars to get in for one day at one park.  Universalhas a great deal that I have used for many years.  They have an unlimited 2 park pass for 7 days for just around 100 dollars.  Yep, you heard right.  Right around 100 dollars.  There is no catch.  The thing is you have to buy them off of their website.  That’s not hard.  We all have the internet.  Just go over to www.universalorlando.com and check it out for yourself.  But I’m not just telling you to go to Universalin this article.  I will do that in another…lol…Go to Disney, too.  Go to Sea World.  Go to Busch Gardens.  There is virtually too much to do in one trip.  I love Orlando.  The feeling I get when I step off the plane is magical.  I truly feel like a kid again when I’m there.  All I really want to say to all of you that have never been and hear nothing other than Mickey Mouse, then I want to help you make the decision to broaden your horizons.  Maybe all you want to do is see Mickey.  Or maybe you want to play with dolphins.  Maybe you just want to eat at the finest restaurants. Or maybe you want to take a wild ride with Shrek and Donkey in Shrek 4D.  I would love that myself.  But I’m just telling you that there is so much to do there and you can get bargains.  This economy stinks, but you can still have a good time on vacation.  There are deals.  Don’t let coupons pass you by.  Coupons are not just for your Grandma anymore.  Use them and save money.  Go to www.universalorlando.com and check out the ticket deals.  You will be glad you did.  And just to be fair, go to www.waltdisneyworld.com and check them out, too.  I love that place as well.  I hope this helps you plan your trip better.  God bless and have a wonderful vacation.