Visit Orlando Blog

Spring Break in Orlando 2011

This year, we wanted to know where we could find the most smiles in Orlando during spring break, so we asked our Facebook fans to vote for their top 10 spots out of 10 different categories. Whoever received the most votes in each category was the next stop on our hunt to search for spring break smiles. Check out our video below highlighting all 10 spots.

 

Here are the spots our fans voted that we'd find the most smiles during spring break:

1. Outdoors: Florida EcoSafaris (pictured)
2. International Drive: Orlando Premium Outlets - International Dr
3. Kissimmee: Boggy Creek Airboat Rides
4. Downtown: Orlando Science Center
5. SeaWorld Orlando: Riding Manta
6. Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom Theme Park
7. Water Parks: Wet ‘n Wild
8. Golf: Shingle Creek Golf Club
9. Winter Park: The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
10. Universal Orlando Resort: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Honorable Mention: Gatorland

Great American Pie Festival

This past weekend, we learned how to conquer a never-ending pie buffet. The key is making sure your sweet tooth knows how to party.

Over the course of two filling days, pie lovers, tasters and bakers celebrated America's pie heritage at the American Pie Council's Great American Pie Festival in Celebration, Fla.

With an 83,000-slice pie buffet, entertainment, pie decorating, baking demonstrations and so much more, thousands of pie lovers indulged in the sweet life of family fun.

Here's our video of the pie-tastic smorgasbord at this year's pie fest, including the never-ending pie buffet. We're already starting to make room for next year!

Easter Activities in Orlando

If you'll be hoppin' around Orlando at the end of this month during the Easter holiday, here are some special places where you can spot the Easter Bunny, hunt for Easter eggs or nestle in for an Easter Sunday meal.

Egg-static about Easter
The Mall at Millenia invites families to meet the Easter Bunny daily at the Orangerie Café (pictured) during normal mall hours through April 23.

The 47th annual Ron Jon Surf Shop Easter Surfing Festival will take place April 22-24. Enjoy the sun, surf and sand along beautiful Cocoa Beach, just one hour east of Orlando, as you watch championship surfers compete. An Easter egg hunt and surf demonstrations are part of the fun. Admission is free.

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens presents "Hippity Hop Adventure" (pictured below) April 23-24 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Guests will have a chance to win candy and prizes at Bunny Stops along the adventure trail as they hunt for the Easter Bunny. Kids will receive free bunny tails to wear, enjoy crafts, a bounce house and more. Event is included with regular zoo admission, which is $11.95 for adults and $7.95 for kids 3-12.

Egg-traordinary Dining
At Downtown Disney: Fulton's Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Café are offering special Easter Sunday menus.

Forever Florida is hosting an Easter dinner at Cypress Restaurant on April 24. Safaris are available throughout the day and dinner seating is available from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Rosen Hotels: Start the morning with a special brunch buffet on Easter Sunday at Rosen Centre's Café Gauguin, Rosen Plaza's Café Matisse or Rosen Shingle Creek's Café Osceola.

Orlando Rewards Travelers With Vacation Makeovers

Earlier this year, we were on the hunt to find five travelers* who desperately needed a "vacation makeover," and we asked them to share their stories of their most challenging vacation planning issues. In return, we'd award them a dream trip to Orlando that solved their previous vacation challenges, complete with tailored expert advice from Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom.

After two months of searching and reading more than 4,000 entries, we found our lucky Vacation Makeover winners, who will be embarking on their one-of-a-kind Orlando vacations soon. Stay tuned to see how their experience unfolds. 

Congrats to the following winners! We're looking forward to making over your vacation.

Roberta Davidson: Sisters from Gilbert, Arizona, whose husbands have a different idea of what's a fun vacation for their families.

Iris Renoux: A group of girlfriends from Santa Monica, California, with varying interests that can't find the time to get away as a group and want to have one last hurrah before settling down.

Jerome Montgomery: A single father from Dayton, Ohio, whose kids haven't been on a real vacation.

Michelle Winowich: A family of six from Troy, Michigan, including twin girls that have different interests.

Krista Hutchins: A family of five from Chester, Virginia, who've grown tired of their annual drive to the beach trip.

Want to win an Orlando Vacation Makeover*? Tell us your story at VisitOrlando.com/Makeover by May 26. Or create your own customized Orlando vacation with our newly enhanced planning tools.

*Entrants must be at least 21 years old and be a legal resident of USA or Canada.