5 Reasons Why Orlando is the Hub of Spring Break

Orlando is the entertainment epicenter of Florida and it knows how to have a good time. Whether you're traveling down here with your family, significant other, or just getting a group of friends together there is plenty of options

1) Centrally located to some of Florida's most beautiful coastlines and popular beaches.

• Space Coast The Space Coast offers the closest beaches to Disney World and Orlando's attractions. Visit well preserved and breathtaking beaches such as the Canaveral National Seashore or enjoy shopping and the energy of tourist popular beaches such as  Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Jetty Park, and the Indialantic Beach. 
• Nature Coast If you're looking to avoid the crowds especially found in the neighboring Sun Coast beaches, Nature Coast offers a laid back alternative. Beaches such as Pine Island Park have often been called "laid-back local country beaches". 
• Sun Coast Home to the thriving and popular St.Pete and Clearwater Beaches, known for their sugar white beach sand and crystal clear turquoise water. Your visit will bring you close to the Tampa metropolitan area and Busch Gardens. 

2) Orlando is world renowned for its family-friendly theme and water park attractions. This is how they're celebrating Spring Break.

• Universal Studios Mardi Gras Orlando's longest (50 days) Mardi Gras party goes from February 4th- March 25th, Enjoy great Cajun food, live music from popular artists, spectacular street performances, and a nightly street parade. 
• Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival goes from March 1- May 29th. Enjoy topiary and flower gardens, outdoor kitchens, outdoor music venues, and great food at the iconic Epcot World Showcase.
• Seven Seas Food Festival runs from February 11th through May 16th at Sea World Orlando and features live music, craft beer, and culinary options from across the world. 

3) Florida has a wild and wonderful natural side.

• Wekiva Island Located north or Orlando, Wekiva Island is a great destination by itself with fun cultural events and live events or as a place to embark on a canoe, kayak, paddleboard down the beautiful Wekiva River.
• Blue Springs State Park is an hour and a half (and well worth the journey) from Reunion Resort. Blue Springs State Park covers 2,600 acres and has the largest spring of the St.John's River and a designated manatee refuge. Boating activity during Manatee Season lasts from mid-November through March and water activity is restricted during this time. During the swimming season, which covers the remaining part of the year, swimmers, boaters, and fishers are attracted to the springs 73F temperature, natural beauty, and recreational opportunities. 
• Little Manatee River State Park Explore sand pine, oak scrub, and oxbow wetlands on foot, horseback, or lazily floating down the 4.5-mile long Little Manatee River in a canoe. Little Manatee River State Park is a nice little secret tucked in Hillsborough County. This park is located an hour and a half from Reunion Resort.
• Ichetucknee Springs State Park Spot white-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, wood ducks and great blue heron as you float across 6 miles of shaded hammocks and wetlands. Inchetucknee Springs State Park is a popular attraction for picnickers, snorkelers, cave certified scuba divers, canoers, and swimmers. 
• Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park boasts 20 distinct biological communities and is the perfect place to spot alligators, wild bison, horses, and 270 species of bird. 

4) Downtown Orlando is a cultural and entertainment destination. Think of it as Spring Break Base Camp.

• Orlando Caribbean Festival - Saturday, March 18, 2017.  Helicopter rides, horseback rides, great Caribbean food, and reggae music. Great for the entire family.
• Downtown Food and Wine Festival - Takes place around Lake Eola and goes from February 25-26th and features exquisite dishes from 30 local Orlando restaurants. 
• Orlando Jazz Festival will be held at the stunning Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, located in Downtown Orlando, on March 10-11 and will feature jazz greats. Check out the line-up here.

      

5) Extreme and unique adventures for the brave and bold

• Gator Land- is home to thousands of gators (including four rare albinos) free flight aviary and a petting zoo. Other activities include Gator Feedings, Rookie Gator Wrestling, a Gator Night Shine, and Trainer-for-a-Day programs. 
• Zipline Safari at Forever Florida - two and a half hour zipline safari adventure at Forever Florida, a 4,700-acre wildlife conservation area.
• iFly Indoor Skydiving Indoor skydiving simulates true freefall conditions in a vertical wind tunnel and is suitable for beginners and competitors alike with expert trainers on staff.
• Orlando Tree Trek "aerial adventure park is an elevated obstacle course" located close to Disney World and is a popular spot for dates, families, and corporate group.
• Wallaby Ranch is a place where you can experience tandem hang gliding instruction for all ability levels and flights. 

Why pay a ton of money on a small hotel room over multiple nights when you can rent a beautiful vacation property that will fit your budget and give you room to breathe? Reunion Vacation Homes has what you're looking for, so you get the most out of your vacation at the best price. Properties are booking quickly, make your reservation now for the best rates. 

Five Things to Do in Orlando Valentine's Day

Orlando is full of fun and unusual things to do Valentine's Day. 

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and if you're in the area and making last-minute plans you're in luck. Orlando is for Lovers. Your options are boundless. Whether you're a traditionalist or more receptive to trying something outside the "tried and true" you're bound to find something that will work its magic. You will need to make your reservations soon- as you can imagine the demand.

Here are 5 easy ideas to get you thinking and hopefully planning. 

# 5 Melting Pot Valentine's Day

The Melting Pot is a staple found in many cities and fashions itself as a place where "interactive fun meets casually upscale dining". What does this mean? Fondue. Sitting around a large pot of bubbling cheese, or chocolate, savory or sweet morsels to skewer and "take the plunge". The first course is a pot of their signature cheese fondue of your choice, followed by one of their signature salads. Choose one of their aptly named Valentine's Day menu items: the Cupid's Feast (filet mignon, scallops, garlic & herb chicken, Key West shrimp, chicken potstickers and teriyaki-marinated sirloin), and the Lover's Delight (cold water lobster tail, filet mignon, garlic & herb chicken, teriyaki-marinated sirloin, Key West shrimp & wild mushroom sacchetti). End your sumptuous meal on a sweet note with their amazing chocolate fondue. Vegetarian? They will accommodate. To make things a little more romantic you can pay a little extra for candles and rose petals. 

#4 Exclusive Singles Valentine's Day Speed Dating Mixer

Valentine's Day seems to be biased against those whom might be single during the holiday. There are options available, however, which reveals that it can be a little more inclusive. Speed dating might not be for everyone but it can be an interesting and inviting experience for the bold. This is the way they describe it "Our speed dating experience will bring together attractive, intelligent, successful, like-minded Orlando singles in one unforgettable night." So drink specials, briefly meeting new people (though there is a mini date option), and an email with Exclusive Matches, and Dating Feedback, so you will know how well things turned out. 

You will have a chance to win tickets for you and your lucky date to ride the Orlando Eye.

#3 Running For Love

Valentine's Day doesn't have to involve sitting and talking. Love is an action word and for some, that might involve a nice run contributing to a worthy cause. The Running Heart is a virtual event (you can run wherever you like) that is celebrating its second anniversary. The $20 entrance fee covers the cost of a custom medal set and two bibs for you and your running partner. You will be running for love while raising money (15% of the proceeds) towards Heart to Heart International an organization that "strengthens communities through improving health access, providing humanitarian development, and administering crisis relief worldwide". 

#2 Rustic Valendine

Share the beauty of the natural world with your date as you sit and relax under the stars by a warm fire. Before dinner, take a stroll around the wild and wonderful trails of Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge and talk with their guest wildlife ambassadors. Be comforted by the soft ambient lighting and decor as you listen to live violin music played by local musician Brianna Shirin. Enjoy specialty hors d'ouevres and a gourmet buffet by Local Chef Catering.

#1 The Great Escape Room

The Great Escape Room is a huge departure from your typical Valentine's Day routine and will certainly create an experience that will leave a lasting impression. Part scavenger hunt and part problem-solving challenge, you will hone your deductive reasoning and your teamwork abilities while making your way through one of three themed rooms based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mystery series. 

Top 10 Things to Do in Orlando NYE 2016

2017 is just around the corner. If you're going to be in the Orlando area, you might be overwhelmed with the options available to you. Sit back and relax we have done some of the hard work for you. Here are our Top 10 Things to Do in Orlando NYE 2016.

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Escape to Reunion Retreat: The Quintessential Orlando Luxury Vacation Home

The Holidays Have Arrived

Season's Greetings! After the constant reminders crowding your inbox, tv, radio, and your general field of vision, the holiday season is finally here. This is the time of year when the term 'busy' takes on a whole new meaning. It's a trade-off - with the stress comes excitement, and with all the planning, the happy anticipation of a joyful reunion with friends, family, and loved ones. 

A Holiday Dilemma with a Wonderful Solution 

Family and friends are coming to visit and they will see and explore your home. Perhaps adding to the excitement - they may choose to spend a few days... and saying 'no' becomes so difficult this time of year. You have your options: you might have a spare bedroom or two, or you can reconfigure your den, have them potentially sleep on your floors. Your guests can sleep on spare inflatable mattresses, your couch, or you can choose to think outside your 4 walls and bring them all comfortably together in 14,500 square feet luxury mansion. This spacious and elegant luxury villa is one of Orlando's most premier vacation rentals and has something to offer everyone. Each guest can have their own peaceful escape this season and still share moments together for entertainment and relaxation. 

A Vacation Rental With Something for Everyone in the Family

This villa home comes extraordinarily well-appointed and includes a home theater with a 100" projector screen and a 1080p HD projector, a private swimming pool, a spillover spa, a bbq, a fire pit, and a large patio perfect for an evening of relaxation after a long day at the parks. There's a 50' flatscreen tv in every bedroom, and wifi is complimentary. There's even Minecraft and a Hello Kitty themed bedrooms that are certain to be a hit with the kids. If there are new parents in the mix there is a pack 'n' play and a high chair available for your use. Do the kids have a little extra energy at the end of the day? Are they tired just sitting around? There's a full arcade room with a DiscGlo Shuffle Table, Skee-Ball®, 60-in-1 Multi-Arcade Machine, Arcade Legends 3, Pac-Man’s Arcade Party, Bumper Pool Table, and of course a Foosball Table to keep them busy and happy. 

Reunion, Florida is at the Center of Everything

The property is situated in Reunion, Florida, and it's close to everything. Disney World is a short six miles away and Universal Studios 19 miles away, and of course, there is plenty of shopping around the corner at the Orlando International Premium Outlets and the Florida Mall. Enjoy all the culture, dining, and entertainment that the downtown Orlando area has to offer. There's a magical balance of things to do to keep you busy. If relaxation is in the cards, this great holiday getaway has it in spades. 

Holiday With Business in Mind

This home is also the perfect place for a company or business holiday retreat. The dining and conference room has a large table with seating for 32, the ideal setting for meetings. Need to make a presentation or conduct a training? The theater room has a comfortable and professional setting with its large projection screen and ample seating. There are several areas where your company can entertain groups, clients, or colleagues in a relaxing atmosphere.

Take the Virtual Tour

Find Out More or Take a Tour

If you're interested in having a look around, why not have a "test drive" and go on a virtual tour? Interested in booking, but need to know the finer details? Visit our vacation rental page or give us a call us toll-free at 1-855-453-5400. Don't wait until the last minute. Book your luxury holiday before its too late! 

Enjoy a Most Festive Holiday Dinner at a Top Recommended Orlando Restaurant This Season

Image courtesy of Emeril's Orlando

Emeril’s Orlando

The atmosphere at Emeril’s in Orlando is always festive and located at the epicenter of Universal’s CityWalk. Its trendy modern interior is spacious and jovial. The thirty-foot ceiling adds to the energy of the room, and you can view skillful chefs at work in the open kitchen. Dine on the second floor for greater privacy.

Bold and exciting Creole-based flavors are served with contemporary flair. On the menu you’ll find traditional New Orleans cuisine with added delish: Fried Green Tomatoes, Chicken + Andouille Gumbo or New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp for lunch. If you are a pizza connoisseur, try a wood-oven baked Duck Pizza with brie, arugula and honey crisp apples, or perhaps a Prosciutto Pizza with smoked tomato sauce, Maytag bleu and baby arugula. Entrees include Shrimp & Grits, Sweet Barbecue Salmon, and Grilled Pork Chop celebrity chef style. Match your mouthwatering choice with a unique wine from their 10,000 bottle wine gallery, or enjoy one of the restaurant’s creative specialty cocktails to top off your culinary experience.

Image courtesy of Emeril's Orlando

Spend Christmas at Emeril’s Orlando

Chef Doug's team at Emeril's Orlando has crafted the following Christmas Special served from noon – 9 p.m. on December 25.

·      Blue Crab Avocado Salad with herb buttermilk dressing & fried green tomato

·      Confit Duck Salad with kale, candied pecans & cranberry balsamic vinaigrette

·      Crab Crusted Trout with lyonnaise potatoes, meunière sauce & green beans

·      Smoked Holiday Ham Chop with a pineapple glaze and gulf oyster dressing

·      16oz Prime Rib with roasted potatoes & broccoli gratin au jus

You can also spend a spectacular New Years Eve at Emeril’s Orlando.

Call 407-224-2424 to make a reservation or visit EmerilsRestaurants.com

Mitchell’s Fish Market, Winter Park

The Italians celebrate their Christmas *Feast of the Seven Fishes, and so can you when you choose to dine at Mitchell’s Fish Market this holiday. Obsessed with freshness, from the market catch of the day to freshly squeezed drinks, this restaurant is an up-treat for every seafood lover. While the menu offers a vast array of seafood goodies, you can safely bring along a meat lover for a filet mignon or rib eye.

Mitchell’s Fishmarket is serving a special menu both Christmas Eve (11am-9pm) & Christmas Day (noon-9pm). How does this sound? Chef’s Lobster & Shrimp Stuffed Sea Bass with roasted tomato hollandaise, sautéed asparagus & smashed redskins, or a Holiday Surf & Turf – 6oz filet mignon, crab-stuffed shrimp, white wine garlic sauce, smashed redskins, sautéed asparagus & hollandaise.

Call 407-339-3474 or reserve a table online at mitchellsfishmarket.com.

Columbia Restaurant, Celebration

Dine authentic Spanish-Cuban cuisine at this historic restaurant only minutes from Disney.  From Cuban sandwiches to Spanish Tapas, this restaurant successfully serves unique dishes in old-world-style dining rooms. Sip wine from a splendid wine list before Celebration’s picturesque lake and savor every bite made from century-old family recipes.

Columbia Restaurant is open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & New Years Eve. A special menu with traditional Christmas features is offered on Christmas Day as soon as they open 11am.

Call 407-566-1505 or visit ColumbiaRestaurant.com to reserve a table.

Rent a luxury vacation property to extend your Holiday experience this season. Call 1-855-453-5400 or visit us online at ReunionVacationHomes.com to book now.

*The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration.

How to experience the Spookiest Halloween in Orlando Florida

No other city offers world-class year-round entertainment like Orlando. Each season or holiday inspires new innovative opportunities to thrill, and Halloween may be the most exciting time for thrill seekers to visit “O-Town”. The big theme parks offer incredible experiences, but they are not the only ghastly events taking place. The entire city becomes haunted with ghouls, zombies, and mutants in festive horror.

Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights

Sept 16 – Oct 31

The most infamous of all Halloween events is no doubt the Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights. Get your tickets in advance if you wish to hang with the most badass maniacs around. This years’ horrifying events include: The Exorcist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, American Horror Story, The Living Dead Halloween – Hell Comes to Haddonfield, Krampus, Lunatics Playground 3D – You Won’t Stand a Chance, Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch, and Tomb of the Ancients. Phew! Let me take a breath before my next paragraph…

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Sept 2 – Oct 31

If you are traveling with little ones Walt Disney World offers Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Disney After Dark is more magical than haunting, but the thrill-o-meter still hits the top notch. This is the time when all the villains come out to celebrate in The Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular. The habitants of the Haunted Mansion come out to play in the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade. Shake it loose with Mike and Sulley from Monstropolis when you attend the Scream-o-Ween Dance Party, and don’t forget to dress in your finest Halloween costume to Trick-or-Treat Throughout the Park.

SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular

Oct 1 – Oct 30

SeaWorld offers park-wide Trick-or-Treat Sea Sweets along with other Spooktacular Highlights such as the Cookie Decorating Station and the Frozen Fun Zone. Strolling Entertainment will accompany the Trick-or-Treaters: Gummy Worm Wanda, Swedish Fish Suzy, Salt Water Taffy and many more.

Other Boo-Town Scares

At Legoland you can Brick-or-Treat, and if you didn’t think there was anything scary about Lego, check out the largest LEGO Jack-O-Lantern in the world and other scary Lego creatures.

The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Zoo Boo Bash is a great family event that includes a haunted hayride to a Pumpkin Patch.

The Spooky Empire Horror Convention takes place October 7 – 9 and includes celebrity guests Millie Brown from the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” and Weird Al Yankovic.

A Petrified Forest takes you on two outdoor scare trails along with live music and food.

If you are looking for more traditional Haunted Houses you can visit The Haunt at Old Town in Kissimmee, (close to Reunion Vacation Homes properties). The event includes five haunted zones, two haunted mazes, and Zombie Tag along with entertainment performances, decorating contest, Halloween costume contest and more.

So, are you ready to bask in the sunlight while ghoul hunting in the moonlight?

Orlando is the place! From sunny & lazy days at the pool to thrills in the theme parks and extravagant entertainment at night, O-Town has it all. Come on over – we’ll hook you up with a not-so-scary-but-sweet-pad.

Many more Haunted Houses, Halloween parties, performances and events can be found throughout the Orlando and Disney areas. Check out our social media for additional updates and insights.

Stay in Fall of 2016 and Save!

Get 20% off when you stay at a select Reunion Vacation Homes property within Fall 2016. Must meet a 4-night minimum stay. Valid on NEW reservations ONLY. Only Applies to reservations departing before Dec 17th, 2016. Cannot be combined with other promotional discounts. Subject to availability.

BROWSE PARTICIPATING PROPERTIES

Increase Your Vacation Property Bookings: Theme and Game Rooms Edition

 

We often receive the question “How can I get more bookings?” We understand that increasing your rental revenue is an important part of your investment. As your business partner, this is also an important aspect for us! Our motto has always been “if you are successful, we are successful”. So how can we both succeed in bringing more guests to your rental home?

With increased competition from new inventory coming into the market it is more important now than ever to stand out from the crowd by making your property memorable. One thing to keep in mind is that a great majority of our guests are families with kids traveling to theme parks, and Disney is one of the top destinations. Your rental property is in short proximity of these parks, so you are already on the right track of your investment plan! What’s next? To attract more families, why not make your rental property kid friendly? Here are a few things that could help:

Theme Rooms

As you may know, kids influence vacation planning. Theme rooms with the kids’ favorite characters would make their dreams come true and they would beg their parents to stay in one of those homes. We do not recommend wall stickers as they easily peel off. Instead, local artists can design and paint artwork that will stay on the wall for the years to come. Whether you own a condo or a large home, a theme room could help you make a statement!

Game Rooms/Areas

Families with kids do not always go out. Therefore, in-house activities are always a big plus. Here is where game rooms come into play. Air hockey, pool and Ping-Pong tables would keep the whole family entertained. Even if you don’t have a whole room to spare, sometimes adding games to a loft or a den can make great impact. 

Do you own a condo or townhouse and don’t have much space? A games console, such as PlayStation or Xbox can be a great addition. We will add this to the description of your property and advertise it. 

Already have a games room? How about adding a theme to it! Kids would have the best of both worlds when you combine their action characters with their vacation playground. 

Added bonus: Having kids play in the games room instead of the main part of the house could help you reduce wear and tear of the home! #justsaying

Can’t decide on what which theme to create? 

Star Wars is here to stay! Disney is creating a Star Wars themed land that will attract fans and get everyone into the galaxy battle hype. Want to keep it less adventurous? You can’t go wrong with the classic Mickey, Minnie or the now-trending Frozen theme. 

Ready to stand out and get more bookings? 

We truly feel that theme and game rooms will help your rental revenue, it has proven time and time again to increase rental activity and revenue. Feel free to reach out to us and give us your thoughts and plans. We have some portfolio ideas that can share with you.  We can also assist you with quotes from local artists and interior designers who could turn your home into an attractive family adventure!