Visit Orlando Blog

Orlando Welcomes Record-Breaking 51.455 Million Visitors in 2010

It's official! Orlando welcomed a record-breaking 51.455 million visitors in 2010, making us the first destination to top 50 million visitors and keeping our ranking as the No. 1 most visited spot in the U.S.

But we couldn't do it without you! Thank you to all the travelers that choose Orlando as your meeting or vacation spot.

Our president and CEO of Visit Orlando, Gary Sain (pictured), announced the news yesterday at a press conference in San Francisco. Here's a fun video from the announcement.

The Montgomery Family Vacation Makeover

For Jerome Montgomery, being a single parent has its own challenges, so planning a weeklong vacation with the kids tends to fall to the bottom of the priority list.

As one of the entrants who won our Vacation Makeover contest earlier this year, Jerome wanted to show his kids that there was a "whole world" of adventure outside of their hometown in Ohio. But he had one special request -- that his mom could come along since they hadn't been on vacation since he was a little boy.

With that, the Visit Orlando team and Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, set out to create a dream Vacation Makeover for this multi-generational family. See how their Orlando adventure unfolds with high-flying fun, up-close animal encounters, swashbuckling pirates and more. To see all the Vacation Makeover videos and to learn more about the featured activities, click here. 

The Winowich Family Orlando Vacation Makeover

Ask any mom. On vacation, it's a challenge to keep twin 4-year-old girls, a 6-year-old boy and a 10-year-old boy all together (and happy, too!).

As the second family who won our Orlando Vacation Makeover contest earlier this year, the Winowichs have struggled with "things to do" during their past vacation experiences. And when you have six mouths to feed on the road, sometimes you have to give up that extra activity to stay within the budget.

See how the Visit Orlando team and Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, made over their vacation experience in Orlando with family-fun activities and entertaining dining options that had the whole family smiling. To see all the Vacation Makeover videos and to learn more about the featured activities, click here. 

The Hutchins Family Orlando Vacation Makeover

The Hutchins' vacation to Orlando was far from their typical "drive to the beach." As one of the families who won our Vacation Makeover contest earlier this year, they had plenty of past vacation mishaps that needed some making over.

From crowded hotel stays to different interests, this family from Virginia was looking for a vacation that could make the whole family -- a whopping family of five -- happy. Mom Krista Hutchins even recalls a date night with her husband in the halls of their hotel to escape the kids (complete with candy bars from a nearby vending machine and burgers).

With help from Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, we created a customized dream vacation to Orlando that even turned their past vacation "date night" of burgers and candy in the hallway into wine and a private dinner by the pool.

To see all the Vacation Makeover videos and to learn more about the featured activities, click here. 

Float, Fly and Soar Above Orlando

If you're vacationing in Orlando this week and want to experience something truly special, think big. Really big. Then imagine floating. Flying. And soaring. Can you picture it? Well, you'll be able to if you book a flight on the Farmers Airship, the largest passenger airship - please don't call it a "blimp" - in the United States. Technically, it's a Zeppelin and 15-feet longer than a Boeing 747 or 50-feet longer than a blimp. We're talking huge.

The Farmers Airship is docking at the Orlando Executive Airport as part of a 24-state "Covering Communities Tour." The public is invited May 11-12 - weather permitting - for tours aboard the airship. These tours range from 45-minutes to 90-minutes and offer a panoramic view of the Orlando area and the surrounding attractions. And get your cameras ready, as you're bound to shoot some of the most unique Orlando photos.

The cost is $375-750 per person, plus taxes. Corporate and private charters, as well as custom routes, are also available. To book your tour, call Airship Ventures at 650-969-8100 ext. 111 or send an email to reservations@airshipventures.com. You can also track the Farmers Airship as she arrives and flies above Orlando.

Celebrate Mother’s Day in Orlando

Looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift for this weekend? Here's a list of relaxing, entertaining and thoughtful Mother's Day events and specials in the Orlando area for all different types of moms.

For the "I need a break!" mom
Enjoy a lakeside Mother's Day Tea May 7 at 10 a.m. at the Waterhouse Residence Museum at the Art & History Museums - Maitland. The tea time experience will include a tour of the museum followed by tea and assorted pastries served lakeside. Mothers will also receive a special gift. Reservations are required. Prices are $20 for adults and $15 for children under 16.

Get breakfast in bed at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek with their special package May 7-8. The package allows children to help create and plate a special breakfast for mom, including heart-shaped pancakes, with the assistance of the chefs at Harvest Bistro. The breakfast, served in the guestroom, will include a freshly-cut floral bouquet assembled by the children.

Just relax at The Spa at The Peabody (pictured) with their Mother's Day packages including "Sweet as Sugar" and "Bee Pampered" manicure/pedicure packages and the "Tranquility" and "Sweet Retreat" massage packages. Other packages include body treatments and facials. Package prices range from $125-$205. 

For the adventure-seeking mom
See life from a different perspective with the Bohemian Hotel Celebration's "Adventure in the Sky" package. Starting at $549, the package includes one night accommodations, two tickets for a hot air balloon ride plus transportation to and from the balloon ride landing zone. 

Kick up the adrenaline a notch with a free captain's package upgrade on Mauiva Air Tours through May 15. The package allows moms to actually take the controls and become the co-pilot during a flight.

For the thrifty mom
Moms experience Dinosaur World for free May 8 with a paid child's admission.

Play a round of golf "fore" free at Falcon's Fire Golf Club with a paying guest May 8. All women's apparel in the pro shop is 35 percent off.

Medieval Times is offering free admission and a free flower for all mothers on May 8 with one paid admission. In addition, a special Mother's Day package is available May 6-8, which includes a remembrance photo, one glass of champagne, a crystal heart, star or crown necklace, and a cheering flag to support her favorite knight. The package price is $30.

For the "show"-stopping mom
Enzian is hosting a Mother's Day brunch and a showing of "The Sound of Music" May 8. The event starts with a brunch buffet at 11 a.m. that includes mimosas and a carving station followed by the film at noon. Admission is $35 per person. Table reservations ranging from $100-$200 are also available, which include the buffet, film, and unlimited champagne and mimosas.

For the "let's do brunch" mom
Here are some of the spots serving special Mother's Day brunches: The Boheme at Grand Bohemian Hotel, La Coquina at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Rosen Centre's Café Gauguin, Rosen Shingle Creek's Café Osceola and Rosen Plaza Hotel.

Planning a Dream Vacation Makeover

Fans of "The Sound of Music" will know that one should always "start at the very beginning, a very good place to start," so that's what we did to create Orlando vacations of a lifetime for five winners of our Vacation Makeover contest.

Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, talked with each family about their past vacation challenges and family dynamics, so she could put together a one-of-a-kind vacation itinerary in Orlando.

The five families were chosen out of 4,000 entrants, who submitted stories of past vacation challenges for the chance to win one of our dream Vacation Makeovers.

Here's a look into Emily's process of creating a customized vacation for each winning family.