OrlandoVacationHotels.com

In yesterday’s Tourism and Travel section of The Orlando Sentinel it was reported that first quarter tourism numbers were down at Disney World and those on an Orlando Vacation. Even though the heavy Christmas week (December 25 through January 2nd were robust, the results were down 2% this year verses last.

According to the article Disney World theme park revenues were close to matching last year’s numbers. But part of that swing came as the weeks for the year fell in favor of 1st quarter 2010 verses 2009. When you take the year’s largest ten days of park revenue and put it in one quarter, it will make that quarter look mighty good. But the results are only temporary for the next quarter will look anemic in comparison.

The bottom line tourism in Orlando is down. Occupancy at most hotels are down 10% this year verses last. The economy and the weather are two of the main culprits. It has been cold this winter. Where the months of January and February are great for in-state travel, this season this year has had to deal with one blast of arctic air after another. Floridians like nice weather and are not coming to enjoy the magic.

What does all of this mean…well, the economic recovery looks to be slow moving at best. People are focused on paying off debt and are still worried about their jobs. All of this spells a pretty poor year for those looking to do an Orlando Vacation.

The good news is rates for hotels and food will be cheaper. Lines at the theme parks will not be as big an issue, and deals will be offered during the slower travel months when the kids are in school. This is an ideal time to consider coming to Orlando and enjoy a fabulous vacation and do it cheaper than most other times.

I went to my favorite airline vacation package site to check out how their prices stacked up to ours as it related to an Orlando vacation. I was shocked! The amount of money being charged was considerable and that was without their airfare included. No wonder so many people tell us day in and day out how impressive our low nightly rates and theme park tickets are compared to others.

I went so far as to find theme park tickets on the site. Those were the same as gate prices with no discounts being offered. All I could say is WOW!

Now I know this airline is one of the largest carriers to Orlando. They advertise they are the most competitive when it comes to their cost of air service….very few if any beat them at their game. However, I thought it interesting that philosophy did not channel over to their vacation package department.

We all know that the economy is in the dumps. Times are difficult and a Disney World Vacation at the prices they are charging is indeed a luxury.

To truly save money take the test…do the math…go to your favorite airline site look for packages. Then select Orlando as your destination. Put in the dates of travel, if you have to put in the airfare, list it and then go back and do the flights separately without the theme park tickets and hotel stay. You will then have a net price for the Orlando vacation package without air. Then go to www.orlandovacationhotels.com and check out a package with a similar hotel.

You will be impressed with the startling difference!

I constantly answer a querry by guests as to what is the best of Orlando Florida Hotels. The answer varies…to one guest it is a low rate, to another it is a five star castle dripping in amenities. It is hard to put your thumb on what is best for all. As soon as you do it squishes this way then that. Let’s look at some criteria…

Nightly rate… It is generally understood that a Disney World Vacation is quite expensive at least compared to most trips. The high cost of daily theme park tickets is what drives the budget. To combat that many have tried to find attractive nightly rates on their accommodations. A few of the choices we would recommend where there is good quality rooms at reasonable prices would be: Holiday Inn Maingate East Resort, Radisson Worldgate Resort, Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort and Hawthorn Suites Resort.

Extra Amenities….Here a guest is looking for something out of the ordinary that he may have to pay for at a hotel, but that comes FREE somewhere else. A classic would be a free breakfast. Here a family of four could eat at the hotel and save the cost of the meal generally saving as much as $40 daily. Some properties to consider would be the Baymont Inn and Suites Maingate West or the Hawthorn Suites Resort.

Larger space…Lets say you have a family of five or even six and you are looking for nice accommodations. Most people would like to have them all stay in one room or suite. This is a way to save money. Some of the best lodging values where space is important in the Disney World market are: Hawthorn Suites which accommodates up to five people. The Fountains two bedroom Suites handle very nicely six guests and the Windwood Bay condos and SeraLago Suites provide bedding for up to eight guests.

Whatever the need, if one searches www.orlandovacation.com they will find exceptional accommodations providing outstanding values from those demanding a five star hotel to those on a tight budget.

If for some reason you missed it, much of Universal Studios in 2010 will convert to the popular Harry Potter theme. At a cost of over $300 million this is no small undertaking. The scope of the project has been under construction for years. Now the unveiling is almost upon us.

The question is…will it produce the numbers. The answer is a resounding “yes”. Universal Studios has always basked in the shadow of Mickey, Minnie and the gang down the street. They were thought of as a “me too” park. Something had to give, and Harry Potter seems the right ingredient to make it work.

Harry Potter hits a home run for it addresses the target age for Orlando vacation prospects. Those 6 to 10 year olds are the ideal ages for a trip to Disney World and Universal Studios. Since Disney has virtually had the market to itself, no doubt this move, and for that matter, any move will bring more guests to return to Orlando. The more guests in the city, the more they will take in the Harry Potter rides but they will also sample the treats awaiting them down the street at Disney World. And as the tourists flock to Orlando in 2010, many will want to sample SeaWorld as well.

The best way to sample all that Orlando has to offer is through a package deal where you get super value, some FREE tickets to attractions while staying at a first class hotel or private vacation pool home. Why not take a look at the deals that await you at orlandovacationhotels.com…you will be glad you did.

I recently caught up with a GM of three hotels here in Orlando. I said Bill what is your prognostication for the lodging business for Orlando FL Hotels for 2010. His response was like most that I have queried.

They all believe that 2010 will start off on a high note. They state the first quarter will actually show significant improvement (up 10%) over the corresponding period of 2009. They also believe that nightly rates will inch up by as much as 5% as more leisure travelers escape to the warmer weather of Florida.

As Bill said, the domestic market is what we are concentrating on. Americans are more resilient in difficult times. They still like to vacation with the family and will spend reasonable money to have a good time. He said he envisioned much less competition from foreign travel due to the sagging dollar.

“As a people we are conditioned in the states to look for a good deal….”value” is the name of the game and that will be the case for 2010. There will be significant leisure travel for Florida and in particular in Orlando we are forecasting a greater demand than last year. However, we are making these statements based on the economy inching its way out of the recession and no major terrorist threats on the home front”….he said.

Major climatic weather is not figured in our equation either. Bill has read as most prognosticators that the hurricane season for 2010 maybe more troubling in the late summer and fall this year over last. If this be the case, the Orlando lodging market will be hurt in the third quarter.

All in all…what he said that might effect the leisure travel for you in 2010: the first quarter (January through March) will be up 10% with rates up at least 5%. The remainder of the year will depend to a great extent on the overall economy, the climate and the threats to our society.