A Penny-pincher's Orlando Vacaction!

The weather in Florida is fantastic, with daytime temperatures between 75°F and 90°F degrees in March. The long-term weather forecast included scattered showers our whole trip, and it only rained in the middle of the night once!

Quick Tips:

Don't go to Magic Kingdom the Monday after Easter. It is the busiest day of the year, so there are wall-to-wall people waiting to get on the rides and into the shows.

Best Way To Get Around:

Rental car! If you want to see it all, you'll have to put up with all of those crazy drivers and horrid roads.

Sometimes when you get all of the information, study the travel forums, decide exactly what kind of amenities that you need, and are traveling on a budget, then Masters Inn Main Gate may be the place that you are looking for.

Given two-stars by AAA, the Masters Inn is basic. It is not a resort... there is no hot tub, no restaurant on the premises, no terry bathrobe or scented lotions, but what you get for the money makes Disney travel affordable for the middle class American family. For less than $50 a night you can get a clean, nice-sized room, nice-sized television, table and chairs, desk, two double beds, microwave, and small refrigerator.

Even though our room faced I-192, it was surprisingly quiet because it was set back behind some businesses. The quaint green tile roof, stucco exterior and colorful gardens helped to give this motel a neat and well-groomed appearance. It didn’t feel like we were on a busy Kissimmee highway but rather a peaceful country lane.

A breakfast buffet was included. I read the travel forums so I knew that the buffet would be coffee, tea, a variety of juices, and muffins and danishes. There are no eggs, toast, or bacon, so if you need a big breakfast you will need to eat elsewhere. I was happy with a daily dose of two danish and a cup of coffee-the perfect excuse to satisfy my sugar cravings!

The pool was comfortably warm! I only had a chance to use it once but was delighted to see that there was only one other person was in it. There was no jumping, screaming, running kids, what a wonderful thing! I love kids but when you are traveling without any you tend to appreciate the quiet time.

An elevator is available for handicapped travelers or those tired from the long day at the parks. Those small soaps are provided--I always take my own soap and shampoo. The room that we had was newly remodeled due to damage from the big storms last years so the walls were freshly painted, the carpet and the bed spreads were new. Now compared to the All Star Resorts, the rooms were larger and quieter. The savings from the cost of the room, the included breakfast buffet, refrigerator and microwave will allow more money to be spent on fun. A vacation in the Orlando area won’t allow time for hanging around the motel much anyway.

We had a light with a bad bulb in the vanity area and after bringing it to their attention, the maintenance man fixed it right away. The staff was extremely friendly and eager to please. The only complaints were the sheets not staying secured to the mattress. My favorite attribute was the shower- it had extreme-massaging water pressure, even better that at home!

The Masters Inn Main Gate is a bargain for those wanting to be close to Disney(1.5 miles) but not wanting to fall into Disney’s money pit.

Located at the Holiday Inn Nikki Bird, Angel’s Seafood Buffet is one of my all-time favorite places to indulge. It is obvious that the other people in the area feel the same, because the line of people waiting to get into Angel’s was very long. There is an early-bird special of $20 from 4 to 6pm, then it’s $27 after 6pm. If you look in the travel-discount books, you can find coupons for $3 off the regular price.

There is nothing worse than a buffet that has cold, soggy food that has sat around for hours - this was nothing like that! The turn-around was so great that everything was hot and fresh.

And what was on the buffet you may ask - all of the good stuff! There was whole lobster, crab legs, prime rib, scallops, shrimp prepared in several ways, a variety of potatoes, salads, sushi, soups, and even hot dogs for the kids. Don’t forget dessert, which included pies (the pecan one was great), cookies, and ice cream.

You can only have one lobster per trip to the food bar, but careful placement of the food on your plate can really provide enough of the favorites from one trip, though you can wait in the line for as many trips as you please. The food is great, so getting your money's worth is effortless!

If you happen to get Gary for a waiter, you will be doubly blessed. He will go out of his way to be helpful.

The decor of the Angel’s Seafood buffet is "doo-wop," with mirrors and neon statues of the Blues Brothers, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and other stars. It is not a fancy place, but there is nowhere I have found where so many fantastic foods can be found to be so delicious at such a reasonable price.