OrlandoVacationHotels.com

What lures thousands of visitors to the Orlando area each February? The weather! Visit Orlando in February and you can expect mild to warm days and cool but comfortable nights. Depending on where you stay, you may even be able to swim or play in a water park. Plan your Orlando vacation for February if:

• You want to escape the chilly days experienced by most of the US (and many places overseas as well).
• You want to visit the theme parks when they are not crowded.
• You want a laid back, relaxing vacation.
• You want to save some money on your trip.

Weather:

Expect temperatures in the low to mid 70s during the day, and pack a jacket or sweatshirt for chilly mornings and evenings. While the weather will vary, most days will be warm enough to wear shorts — and you should bring your bathing suit, as many resort pools and water park rides are heated to a comfy 80 degrees.

Crowds:

You’ll find low crowd levels and short wait times if you visit the theme parks in early February. Attendance will grow in the parks and resorts as the month progresses, peaking during the popular President’s Day weekend. US schools and many employers have a long weekend at this time, so more people will visit the parks.

Tips:

Due to lower attendance, park hours may be reduced at Universal, Disney and Sea World. While most parks are open into the evening, don’t expect a lot of super late nights.

This is a popular time for ride refurbishment. Expect some rides to be closed and to see some construction during February.

Look for deals on your resort, theme park tickets, or both when you travel in February. Your Orlando Hotel Vacation specialist can help you find the best deals when you travel this (or any) month.

Titanic: The Experience rolled out 100 new artifacts from the doomed vessel this week, expanding and adding to one of the area’s most historic collections. The addition of extra artifacts and a large chunk of the ship’s hull comes just in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Whether you are a history buff, want to add an educational activity to your Orlando vacation or are simply curious about the famous ship and her passengers, you will find plenty to see and do at Titanic: The Experience. With the second largest piece ever recovered and 30 artifacts that have never been seen before, there has never been a better time to explore the Titanic.

Visitors to the exhibition will see pieces of  the doomed ship, passenger possessions, recovered artifacts and other interesting objects on display. Titanic: The Experience offers intriguing displays, room recreations, and footage and details of various recovery missions (the exhibition group has made several recovery attempts in recent years, yielding new finds and discoveries).

Titanic: The Experience offers a dinner event as well as general admission. Conveniently located on International Drive in Orlando, the exhibition is a great place to spend a hot summer day–or while away a rainy afternoon any time of year. Admission to Titanic: The Experience is $12.95 for kids and $21.95 for adults as of 2012. Kids under 3 visit for free.

The exhibit is open from 9am to 9pm every day of the week, with tickets available for advance purchase. You can’t bring outside food and drinks to Titanic: The Experience, and strollers are prohibited. Plan on spending a few hours touring the exhibit, and allow extra time for crowds, particularly in 2012, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship.

If visions of Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the gang are dancing in your head, and you are ready to plan your 2012 (0r 2013) Orlando vacation, there are a few things you can do to save money. You can start saving on your vacation before you even arrive; making good choices once you get to Orlando will help you stretch your vacation dollars to the max.

Make reservations. Booking a great hotel room or home in advance and finding the best deal possible on your theme park tickets will save you the largest amount of money on your Orlando vacation. If you just show up at a hotel, you will likely end up paying rack rate–or the highest price for your room. Simply booking in advance allows you to personalize your vacation, and to shop around a bit as well.

Buy tickets early: Purchasing theme park tickets in advance will save you money on each ticket you buy; the larger your family, the more tickets you’ll need, so saving in this category is a big budget helper. Buy your tickets online, over the phone or as part of a package. No matter how you buy, purchasing up front will help you save.

Cut food costs: Rent a house, condo or villa with a kitchen to save–even if you just dine in for lunch and stock drinks and snacks you’ll save a bundle on food.

Skip the rental car: If you are heading to Disney World, consider bypassing the rental car; you can take the Magical Express bus for free, and rental cars are more expensive in Orlando than almost anywhere else in the country. Use onsite transportation instead of renting a car and save hundreds on your trip.

Limit souvenirs: Choose one nice souvenir per family member, or you risk spending a fortune–Disney and Universal items items really add up quickly! Not only are souvenirs costly, but hauling them home can get expensive as well, if you end up taking extra luggage on the plane. Streamline your souvenirs by setting a budget per person and sticking to it.

January is a pleasant, uncrowded time to visit the Orlando area once the holiday visitors depart–usually just after the new year begins. If you are heading to Orlando this month, expect nice, moderate weather and low crowd levels; this is an ideal month for a romantic getaway or quiet family trip.

Crowds: January is one of the least busy times of year for Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World so you won’t have to spend much time waiting in line for your favorite attractions. You may also luck into an upgrade at your resort, as hotels may not fill all the way up this month.

Weather: Expect mild temperatures in the day time and chilly mornings and evenings. Save wet, watery rides like the Kali River Rapids at the Animal Kingdom for the warmest part of the day to avoid getting overly chilled. If you stay in a hotel, the pool may be heated (all Disney resort pools are heated to a comfy 80 degrees), but the air may make it too cold to swim. Pack your swimsuit, but you may or may not actually use it.

Tips:

• You won’t need to pay extra for Universal’s Front of the Line pass this month, lines should be manageable for most attractions.
• This is a great time to visit the normally crowded Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, or ride popular attractions like Toy Story Mania or Star Tours (both at Hollywood Studios).
• Pack a lightweight jacket or sweater for mornings and evenings — you may find you need it!
• You may still need to make dining reservations to secure a table at popular restaurants, if you want to be sure you can dine at your favorite spots.

Universal Orlando announced the closing of one of the park’s original and enduring rides, Jaws. Jaws and the entire Amity area will be closing this week–and news and rumors of a possible replacement have already hit the net.

Jaws still offered plenty of thrills, but the ride had been showing signs of age in recent years, with outdated technology and effects. You may have missed your chance to ride Jaws before the closure, but details are emerging about an exciting new replacement for this area.

The Orlando Sentinel and the Theme Park Insider are reporting news of a new Harry Potter-themed ride and expanded attraction area in this location. The detailed report includes news of a Gringott’s bank-themed ride, which would replace Jaws, and an expansion of the popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

While Universal Orlando has not yet confirmed the report of the new Harry Potter themed rides and attraction area, the Orlando Sentinel and Theme Park Insider have both provided sound information in the past. The closure of Jaws clears up a large enough area within the park to hold something as large as a Gringotts-themed indoor ride, and the Wizarding World has been a huge hit. Expanding it with another thrill ride seems like a good plan, particularly since the Dueling Dragons lost a bit of their bite earlier this year.

Since Universal Orlando offers some of the most thrilling rides in town, they are an essential part of any Orlando vacation. We’ll be following the story closely, and post details about the park’s plans for this area as they emerge.