Non Theme Park Vacation

Best Things Nearby:
Sea World, Universal Studios, Island of Adventure, City Walk, Disney Market Place, Pleasure Island, MGM, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Church Street Station, and Belz Outlet Mall.

Best Things About the Resort:
Close to all the activites in the area, nice pool/hot tub area and quiet.

Resort Experience:
This resort is 20 miles from the airport on International Drive, close to Sea World. There are 3 pools/spas on the property. Most of the rooms are set up for families, 1 king/queen bed and 2 singles/daybed. The resort was clean and nicely landscaped with very friendly guests.

We had a room in building Q, 2nd floor. This was a great location at the back of the property. Our room had 1 king bed, TV and a bathroom the 2nd bedroom had a daybed, TV, in suite safe, and a connecting bathroom. The kitchen was small but had everything we needed for cooking. There were about 6 place servings and a dishwasher. The living room had a couch, 1 chair and a table with 4 chairs was nearby. Besides the TV it also had a 5 changer CD player. The patio looked out onto the parking lot and was very small. The washer and dryer was located in this area.

The pool area was very nice with a lot of chairs for sunbathers. We enjoyed the spa many nights and met some great people. There are restrooms in the pool area and also a foosball table with vending machines. Near the pool there is a BBQ grill. The only downside was that it was charcoal instead of gas. We cooked out 2 nights and then gave the rest of the charcoal to some people just checking in.

Housekeeping came 3 times, towel service on Sunday and Thursday and full service on Tuesday.

Parking and transportations was readily available. The resort provides a shuttle to Sea World, Universal Studios and Wet 'N Wild. There is also public transportation via the I-Ride Trolley. We did not use either of these since we had a car.

Overall we had a very positive experience at Leisure Resorts Orlando.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Fair
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

Located in CityWalk, $8 parking, after 6pm free (we got there at 5:30 and found about it the hard way).

We found Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville and spent a few minutes going through the gift shop where you can get everything Jimmy from t-shirts to Cheeseburger hats to mugs and margarita glasses. In the bar we had a Perfect Margarita, $7, and some chips and salsa. After a few minutes the song "I don't know" starts playing and soon the whole restaurant begins to shake and then a volcano erupts shooting margarita mix, which funnels into a giant blender. This happens every hour.

Stood in line to put our name in for a table for dinner. Sat outside listening to a guy playing guitar and drinking several frozen margaritas, $4 each, sold outside the restaurant. While you wait you can sit on brightly decorated Adirondack chairs. This was a very popular place, about an hour wait for the table. There are big screens showing scenes from his concerts and from some of his travels around the world. There is a plane hanging from the rafters and maps of south Florida on every table. We had hot wings and a Cuban meat loaf sandwich.

If you are a Jimmy Buffet fan, this is a must-see place to go. Even if you aren't, it is still a very entertaining place to dine and drink.

On Tuesday night we found a wonderful restaurant called Bahama Breeze. This restaurant had live steel drum music to entertain us as we waited for a table. We arrived around 8:30pm and we waited about 45 minutes for a table. Considering it was a Tuesday night this place was really hopping. Our first drinks were Bahama Mama's for $5.80. I would not recommend this drink, instead try the Bahamarita $4.90 or a bottle of beer for $2.80, or 20 oz. tap for $3.68.

The wait staff was very helpful in making suggestions and the service was very good. Our dinner consisted of Tostones con pollo-homefried plantains topped with spiced chicken, mushrooms and cheese and lightly broiled ($7.75), Alan's Calypso shrimp pasta lite (lite is a smaller portion) sautéed with garlic and scallions, Creole spices, and a touch of cream tossed with linguine pasta ($11.45), Jerk chicken pasta lite-Jamaican style marinated chicken with fresh asparagus and mushrooms in a cream sauce over bowtie pasta ($9.95), and Fire roasted jerk shrimp-fired in a stone hearth oven with spicy Jamaican jerk seasoning, butter, and beer, served with warm Cuban bread. The tostones and jerk shrimp are on the sampler menu but are enough food for us girls as a meal. Both of the men ordered the lite serving and there was plenty for them to eat.

Everyone raved about their meals and we left with a full stomach and happy hearts. The atmosphere in the dining area was very nice with fountains and other tropical foliage surrounding most tables to make it more intimate and easy to talk to each other.

Pirate's Cove-mini golf
Phone # 407.352.7378

There are two 18-hole courses available. If you have kids under age 10 I would recommend the easier course, otherwise try Black Beard's Challenge. This was a great mini golf experience and I may say it is second only to the course at the Mall of America in Minnesota. Besides being a challenging course of slopes, obstacles, and sand traps, the flora and fauna were exceptional.

On one hole we looked out onto a waterfall and saw a family of baby ducks (trying) to follow their mama up an embankment. After they failed several times they decided to take the easy route. . .over the falls! Later on we saw they had made it safely to their family. A lot of the flowers were in bloom and there was a lot of greenery that blocked out the noise of the highway.

OK, back to the golfing. There is a lot of stairs and walking. On hole #15 you get a break from the bright Florida sunshine by hitting through a cave. I'd also like to mention that I had a hole in one on this hole! As you are leaving the cave there is a little animated pirate poker game going on. Overall this was a very clean, well-kept course that offered a challenge. Go early like we did (10:00am) to avoid the crowds.

Box seats $15, reserved $12 Phone #407-933-5400
Practices at 9am daily
seating capacity 5225

The Astro's spring training baseball games are played at the newly remodeled Osceola County Stadium, located about 20 minutes from south Orlando in Kissimmee. They are a part of the Grapefruit League. We went to the stadium a day before the game, as they tend to sell out. Another option is to buy tickets online through Ticketmaster. Parking is $4. The tickets are $12 for reserved. We sat in Section 216, Row 18, seats 10-13, which were in the shade. We sat behind the Braves dugout (first base line), and since the Braves also are located in the Orlando area, we were outnumbered.

There really aren't any bad seats in the stadium. The games are fun to watch and you get to see a lot of players. They sign autographs in an area down the third base line after they are taken out of the game. The Astro's lost but Craig Biggio did hit a grand slam. This is a great option for families as it is low priced and the kids can get a chance to see the players up close.