The Orange Lake Experience

Best Things Nearby:
A "world" of things to do in Kissimmee/Orlando from Disney World to Universal Studios; outlet malls to Wet andWild; and of course all of the wonderful restaurants and night spots.

Best Things About the Resort:
The units are beautifully decorated and very spacious, and the grounds are wonderful and well maintained. And of course, the golf courses are the best. Add to that the very friendly staff and ease of getting around, and this makes Orange Lake Resort a top notch resort.

Resort Experience:
From the moment you enter the Orange Lake grounds, you know you are somewhere special. The winding roads lead past wonderfully landscaped lawns and flower beds. There are small ponds with fountains flowing and of course, the lakes surrounding the golf courses.

The main guest and registration building is very nice and houses two restaurants, a general store, theatre, arcade, and various member/guest services. Our two bedroom unit was wonderful! Decorated in Key West tropical colors, it featured a king size bed, full bath with jacuzzi, and tv in the master bedroom; two double beds with bath and tv in the second bedroom; full kitchen, screened in sun room off the living/dining area; and a large sectional sofa that has a pull out bed. The living room also has a very large tv/vcr.

Our unit was ground floor and opened out onto the fourth hole of the Legends Walk Par three course. The swimming pools are wonderful with lots of deck area, chairs, and overall tropical atmosphere. This is a resort that I will visit again in the future!

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

If you have never been to Walt Disney World, you need to experience it at least once. We have been going since our children were very small and continue to go and enjoy it just as much as ever. It is a fun family experience with lots to see and do for all ages. We took our parents (in their 70''s) with us and they had just as much fun as we did. Although, I have to say that they have been season pass holders since they winter in Florida! This last year and continuing on into 2003, they are celebrating 100 years of Disney, so there are special parades, light shows, and lots of extra activities.

Paradise Island is the Disney owned nightlife area. It is comprised of various clubs from the BET Night Club, to Manniquins, the Adventurers Club, 8Traxx, and Motion, to name a few. Since this is a Disney area, all but two of the places allow persons under 21 to enter as long as they are with an adult. This can be a problem as the music is loud, there is a lot of smoke, and these places are really for children. We had our 19 year old daughter with us and she was able to go in the clubs but not have alcohol.

There is also an area called Westside which has a House of Blues, a night club owned by Gloria Estefan, and various places to eat. Everything is very colorful and lively and really comes alive after dark. There is an admission to Pleasure Island which once paid, allows you to come and go only on that evening.

Just down US Highway 192 toward Kissimmee is the town of Celebration, Florida. It started out as a Disney-based prototype community and has become a wonderful place to live or just visit for an evening!

We visited one evening, out of curiosity, and were delighted at what we found: a beautiful town with its own schools, fire and police department, churches, and hospital. The homes are beautiful and very well maintained, some with white picket fences. The "Market Place" downtown area is really inviting, with several restaurants (some with outdoor seating), cafes that serve espresso and pastries, an English tea room with Sherlock Holmes collectibles, many clothing and gift shops, and even a cinema.

There are white lights in the trees and carriage rides on the weekends. One of the best features were the rocking chairs on the walkways surrounding the lake in the Market Place area. They sit there inviting guests and residents to take a seat and enjoy the surrounding activity. There is also an interactive fountain at the Market Place that kids of all ages can walk through to cool off on a hot day.

The people that live there seem to be very friendly and love being there. As one shop keeper told me while I was visiting her store, "I wouldn't live anywhere else!" It almost seems too perfect a place but one I would love to live in! They do have a website that tells all about their community.