OrlandoVacationHotels.com

If you’re heading to Disney World, Universal or Sea Word this summer, you’ll need to know what to pack. Airlines impose strict guidelines on luggage, and if you go over your allotted amount, you’ll pay a hefty baggage fee. There are a few things you can do to streamline your packing, and still have everything you need.

When you are visiting Florida in the summer, you will only need hot weather gear and possibly a compact, lightweight poncho. You can pick up disposable plastic ponchos at most dollar stores—these are very thin and cheap, but they’ll keep the rain off of you, and they take up next to no space in your luggage.
Must haves: Include the following in your summer travel bag:
• Bathing suit
• Comfortable clothing suitable for hot, humid weather
• 1 outfit that Is “resort casual” if you plan on dining at a fine restaurant
• COMFORTABLE walking shoes
• Prescription or over the counter medications you regularly take
• Glasses or contacts and supplies
• Makeup and hair products you can’t live without in mini or travel sizes (you’ll find shampoo and related items in your room, but you may prefer to bring familiar products.
• Camera and memory card
• Phone and charger
• Other items you use daily and can’t live without.
• sunglasses/sun hat
• cash/credit cards/debit cards
Possibles: Bring these if you have room:
• Sunblock : This will be cheaper to bring from home, but only if you aren’t adding an additional bag to haul it. Sunblock can be found just about anywhere in the resorts and parks, its just more pricey than it would be at home.
• Water shoes for the water park
• A second bathing suit (if you plan to spend a lot of time swimming
Don’t bother: Leave these items home
• Mutiple dresses or outfit changes: bring one good staple instead
• Fine jewelry that you don’t wear daily: risk of losing pieces is high
• Winter coat or sweater : it will be hot even at night
• Full size products; these take up too much room and may not be allowed on the plane

An Orlando vacation can be a fun time for everyone, even the youngest member of the family, provided you choose the right place to stay and the right time to visit. Read on for some of our favorite baby friendly tips for visiting the Orlando area:

Watch the weather: If you are traveling with an infant, be aware that the heat and the bright Florida sun may affect your little one before it bothers you. Use sunblock, a sun hat and keep baby well hydrated for best results.

Rides: While you won’t want to take your baby on a roller coaster, there are plenty of rides and attractions that are baby friendly. Sea World, Epcot and the Magic Kingdom offer plenty of baby friendly shows, attractions and rides, and may be the best bets for your first visit.

Baby swap: If you want to ride a coaster like Space Mountain, you can still do so, provided you have another adult along for the trip. Disney offers a child switch program, allowing one parent to ride while the other stays with the baby. Once mom waits in line and rides, dad can use the child switch pass to go right to the front of the line. Ask for the cast member at the ride entrance for this pass at any Disney theme park ride.

In your room: Most Orlando hotel and resort rooms offer pack and play baby cribs for sleeping and playtime. Even the smallest resort room will fit one, and these are usually provided free of charge. Select a villa, condo or rental home if you need a lot of room, or if you want a kitchen to prepare meals for your little one–and the rest of the family.

Getting around: You can rent strollers in any theme park, from a service or bring your own from home.

Car rentals are different in Orlando–rates are much higher, insurance requirements are more convoluted and parking and gas prices are expensive. Whether or not you need a rental car depends largely on where you want to go and how much you want to spend.

Get a rental car if:
You plan on visiting a lot of different Orlando destinations. If you want to go to a Disney theme park in the morning, then go off-site to miniature golf in the afternoon, then head to the outlets to shop, then a rental car is the fastest and easiest way to get around the city.
You choose a private luxury home or condo. One of the nicest perks of renting an executive or luxury home is private, free parking. Since you can park right at your door you won’t have any difficulty locating a parking spot, and you won’t have to trek a mile with a grumpy toddler when you get home each evening.

Skip the rental car if:
You are staying on Disney property, and plan to go to mostly Disney owned properties. Disney has an excellent transportation system, and while a rental car may be a convenience, it is not a necessity. Skip the car and take the monorail, bus or boat instead.

You are staying in a large resort and plan on heading to major destinations. Most hotels offer shuttles to the major theme parks and water parks. You can get a ride–free–to Disney, Universal, Sea World and more if you stay in one of Orlando’s big resorts.

After your resort or condo, dining is the biggest part of an Orlando vacation budget. If you can trim your dining costs, you can significantly cut the cost of your entire vacation. There are a few things you can do to cut your dining costs without sacrificing any of the fun of your vacation.

Have one meal in your room: You can cut your budget by quite a bit by simply dining once a day in your room. For many families, the easiest meal of the day for this is breakfast—you can stock some pastries, cereals and more and grab a quick bite before you go. Having breakfast in your room also allows you to get a jumpstart on your day—a traditional table service meal will take you much longer and generally make you miss the park opening. Look for a room with a refrigerator—or get a home or condo with a full kitchen to make this option even easier.
Have lunch instead of dinner: Many of the theme park restaurants offer the same menu at lunch and dinner, so booking a lunch can yield you the same great meal at a significantly reduced price. Some Disney restaurants, like Le Cellier at Epcot may be easier to reserve at lunch; dinner reservations are notoriously difficult to come by.
Pack snacks to go: If you drive to Orlando, pack some snacks from your local grocery store. The pre-portioned snacks made for school lunches are perfect for keeping in your room and cutting your costs. While you can’t bring a lot of food or entire meals into the theme parks, you can enjoy snacks on the monorail or transportation, and can bring small, single items for kids or toddlers along with you.

Why do you need to know about construction and refurbishments in the Orlando theme parks? To improve your vacation experience and avoid disappointment.

Knowing which attractions are closed or experiencing delays will help you plan your trip—if you go to Epcot simply because you can’t miss Test Track, you’ll be disappointed to find it closed this summer. On the other hand, you could miss out entirely on the new Turtle Trek at Sea World if you don’t realize it has finally opened this week. Save yourself some time and worry by checking the list below for the latest construction and refurbishment news.
Disney World
Jan. 8-April 27, 2012: Tutto Italia Ristorante at Epcot
Jan. 9-May 27, 2012: Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom
April 16-May 20, 2012: Liberty Square Riverboat at the Magic Kingdom
April 16-Nov. 1, 2012: Test Track at Epcot
April 29-May 2, 2012: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
June 27-28, 2012: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom
July 9-Aug. 4, 2012: Cape May Café at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
Universal Orlando:
Despicable Me/Minion Mayhem new attraction under construction, ongoing
Wet n’Wild:
New Kid zone under construction ,ongoing with summer opening
Sea World:
Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin is under construction, opening 2013
Turtle Trek construction is complete, opening today