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Orlando Deals for Cyber Monday!

It's not just TV's and toys on sale for Cyber Monday, many Orlando resorts are offering some great deals in honor of the big online shopping holiday. But hurry, these offers only last for today!

Marriott's Florida Resorts are joining together to offer up to 25% savings on Cyber Monday with nightly rates starting from $95 to $186. Available online on Monday, Nov. 28 only through the website, the savings can be applied on stays from Nov. 29, 2011 through Jan. 8, 2012 at two Orlando hotels: Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center and Renaissance Orlando Hotel at SeaWorld.

The AAA Four Diamond, Rosen Shingle Creek is offering a Cyber Monday Sale of buy one-night, get one-night free valid for any length of stay between Nov. 28, 2011 and June 30, 2012. With this deal you can book as many nights as you'd like. So book one night, get one free. Book a third night, get the fourth free.

The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek is having an "Extend Your Weekend" sale. For the 24 hours of Cyber Monday, book a Friday and Saturday night stay and receive Sunday night free. Rates start at $209 and the offer is available for travel Nov. 28, 2011 through Jan. 30, 2012, based on availability.

Guest Blog: A Break for Moms During Orlando Vacations

Enjoy this special post by syndicated travel writer and mom, Eileen Ogintz:

We moms know the dirty little secret of family vacations: They're no vacation for us, especially when young kids are part of the equation.

Here's how to make sure you get a much deserved vacation break:

1. Go off on your own for a few days with friends. Come to Orlando for spa, shopping and good eats. (Pictured below: The Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain)

2. Invite grandparents along so you have extra hands-and eyes-on the kids. But if you're planning a trip with the in-laws, discuss beforehand exactly how much they're willing to baby-sit and who is paying for what.

3. Join forces with another family. Not only can you share costs for that vacation condo or cottage and food but you can share child care chores and the kids have built-in friends. This is an especially good bet for single moms.

4. Bring along your favorite sitter. Let her (or him) entertain them while you steal an hour to yourself!

5. Hire a sitter for a few hours or evening. See if the resort or hotel has an employee list of approved babysitters. If you have friends in the area, ask for their recommendations. Sign the kids up for the hotel's kids' program (even several Disney hotels have them). Even if you only go so far as the hotel restaurant or the adult pool, you will still get a break.

6. Negotiate "just me" time with your significant other: you get an hour to sleep in while they get the kids fed; you watch the kids at the pool while he plays golf.

Most important, let go of the guilt! It's your vacation too.

To read more family travel tips from Eileen, visit takingthekids.com.

Cool Pools in Orlando

Summer time is heatin' up in Orlando as we're taking on a second round of summer Aug. 15-Sept. 30. That's 45 extra days to soak up the sun at one of these cool pools and get the best deals of the entire year.

From tropical oases and lazy rivers to adventurous water slides and rockin' underwater sound systems, these 10 Orlando pools will have you cooling off in style. Check out our slideshow below! (Pictured above is the Orlando World Center Marriott's pool, voted one of the world's coolest pools by Forbes!)

To see a description of each pool, follow these easy steps: press play button on slideshow below, expand the slideshow (bottom right icon), then press "Show Info" (top right).

Click here for more information about our "Second Summer" and special savings.

Best Deals in Orlando

Just when you think summer is coming to an end, think again! In Orlando, you can experience a second summer with the best deals of the entire year.

Orlando's deal season, running from Aug. 15 - Sept. 30 (that's 45 days!), features the cream of crop of savings, including up to 65% off on accommodations and special offers on theme parks, dining, golf and more.

Here are some of the sunny savings* available:
      • 5-star Waldorf Astoria Orlando - rates from $141 per night
      • 4-star Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress - rates from $118 per night
      • 3-star CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort - rates from $85 per night
      • 3-star The Wyndham Orlando Resort - rates from $63 per night
      • Walt Disney World Resort - get a free dining plan when you buy the New
        Memories Vacation Package (restrictions apply)
      • Universal Orlando Resort - save up to 30% at an on-site hotel, plus stay 3
        nights or longer and receive $150 in resort savings
      • SeaWorld Orlando - adult tickets at kids prices, plus a second day free

The month of September is also Visit Orlando's Magical Dining Month when more than 65 of the best Orlando-area restaurants offer three-course dinners for just $30.

So don't store those summer shorts just yet and enjoy a second summer in Orlando! Find more details on rates and offers at VisitOrlando.com/deals.

*Subject to change and availability

Fourth of July Deals in Orlando

From patriotic packages to "spa-tacular" specials, Orlando offers dazzling deals for Independence Day celebrations.

Things to do:
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is offering free admission July 4 from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
407-645-5311

Orlando Balloon Rides is offering discounted hot air balloon rides at $150 per person for bookings made July 1-8, and with each paying adult, one child (ages 4-10) rides free. The sunrise adventure includes a one-hour flight, champagne toast and buffet breakfast after the flight. 407-894-5040

Orlando Premium Outlets is hosting a "July 4th Summer Sale" June 30-July 4 at both the International Drive and Vineland Avenue locations. Enjoy extra savings on top of already low prices at stores like Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. 407-238-7787 (Vineland Avenue); 407-352-9600 (International Drive)

The Spa at The Peabody is offering a "Spa-tacular" special July 4 that features select 50-minute facial and massage treatments for $99 each. Spa treatments include the Deep Tissue Massage, Gentle Swedish Massage, Hydra Memory Moisture Facial and Anti-Aging Collagen Facial. 407-345-4431

Places to stay:
CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort Orlando is offering a special package for stays July 1-3 that includes a one-night stay, $10 food/beverage credit, free parking and up to four water park passes for $149. 407-351-2626

At Hapimag-Lake Berkley Resort, stay two nights and get the third consecutive night at 50 percent off for stays July 1-8. Mention promo code "4th of July 2011" when booking. 866-694-2746

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is hosting an old-fashioned cookout celebration July 2 from 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. featuring an all-you-can eat barbeque, live music and carnival games with prizes. Tickets are $45 for adults and $25 for children ages 3-9. 800-227-1500

For a list of special July Fourth events, including the Independence Day celebration at SeaWorld Orlando (pictured), check out our calendar of events.

Summer Deals in Orlando

If you're visiting Orlando this summer, heat up the fun and cool down the spending with these deals for accommodations, attractions, arts and culture and more.

Celebrate and save:
In honor of Orlando drawing more than 50 million visitors in 2010, Orlando's three Marriott Resorts are offering a limited-time "Nifty Fifty" package featuring savings of up to 50 percent, a $50 resort credit and a 50-minute spa treatment of choice. The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, Orlando World Center Marriott (pictured) and JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes are offering this nifty package for a minimum of two-night reservations made by June 30 (valid for travel through December 31). Use rate code ZJL at time of booking.
1-800-MARRIOTT

Save where you stay:
Orlando Vista Hotel is offering summer rates from $49.99 per night for dates June 6 - Aug. 31 (based on availability). This offer can be booked using code LSSS1 now through Aug. 31. 407-239-4646

Sky Hotels & Resorts is offering a "Splash & Scream" package that includes a one-bedroom suite (upgrades to multi-bedroom suites available), complimentary four-pack of tickets to both Universal Orlando Resort and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon, beach towels and pizza party. Nightly rates start at $255 for a family of four through Aug. 31. 866-455-4062

Star Island Resort & Club is offering 20 percent off reserved two-night stays and 30 percent off reserved three-night stays June 27 - Aug. 31. 407-513-2820

Staybridge Suites of Orlando is offering up to two nights free when you book a "Disney Theme Park Package." The package includes suite accommodations, theme park tickets, breakfast buffet and scheduled shuttle to Walt Disney World Resort. The package is available at both the International Drive and Lake Buena Vista locations. 800-866-4549

Save where you play:
Putting Edge Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf is offering a summer "Fun Pass" at a 20 percent discounted rate. For $59.99, the pass can be used for up to four people at a time (one play each). The pass, which can be redeemed for up to nine plays, is valid for one year. 407-248-0700

Marriott's Grande Pines Golf Club is offering a $39 one-week rental. Rent golf clubs on your first day and use them for the rest of the week at no additional cost. 407-239-6909

Orange County Regional History Center is offering free admission for up to four children (ages 12 and under) with one paid adult admission every Monday as part of "Mondays at the Museum" June 13 - Aug. 8. Adult admission is $9.
407-836-8580

Richard Petty Driving Experience is offering "Buy One Ride-Along, Get a Second Ride-Along" free at the Walt Disney World Speedway through August 31. Visit Walt Disney World Speedway during business hours and mention "Visit Orlando" to take advantage of this offer. 800-237-3889

Girlfriends Getaway in Orlando

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, but for Iris Renoux and her friends from California, even planning one girls night out was challenging. With city-life schedules and different personalities, these 20-something ladies needed a vacation makeover.

To create the ultimate girlfriends getaway for this Orlando Vacation Makeover winner, the Visit Orlando team and Emily Kaufman, The Travel Mom, went all out with the most luxurious, indulgent and exhilarating itinerary yet.

See how we turned these girlfriends' stress into serenity in our final Vacation Makeover video. To see all the Vacation Makeover videos and to learn more about the featured activities, click here. 

Top 10 Things to Do This Summer in Orlando

With the help of our Facebook fans, here's our list of the hottest summer "must-dos" in the Orlando area.

1. Our Facebook fan Tiffany N. suggests Gatorland, and starting this month, experience 1,200 feet of high-flying adventure on the new Screamin' Gator Zip Line.

2. Explore The Grand Reef, opening June 10 at Discovery Cove. For a more exhilarating adventure, try the underwater walking tour, SeaVenture, which offers up-close encounters with schools of fish and rays. Don't forget to swim with the dolphins while you're there (from Facebook fan Allison W.).

3. Cycle through the treetops on the Cypress Canopy Cycle, a new ecotourism experience at Forever Florida that's the first of its kind in the U.S.

4. Spend your summer nights swaying to the tunes of live concerts at the Amway Center, House of Blues, Hard Rock Live Orlando or check out the summer concert series at Universal Studios (Saturday nights June 11-July 16) and Epcot (June 12 - July 30).

5. As our Facebook fan Constanze N. suggests, indulge in some retail therapy in Orlando's ever-growing shopping options, including The Mall at Millenia and Orlando Premium Outlets.

6. The summer must-do from Facebook fan Amanda P.? "EAT!" Well, treat your taste buds at one of Orlando's newest eateries like Pine 22 and Chico's Dirty Tacos and Tequila in downtown Orlando or Cocina 214 in Winter Park.

7. Beat the summer heat at Orlando's coolest water parks, including Aquatica - SeaWorld's Waterpark, Wet ‘n Wild - Orlando (from Facebook fan Justin E.), Disney's Typhoon Lagoon or Disney's Blizzard Beach.

8. If kicking back at cool pool is a must for your resort stay, check out the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Nickelodeon Suites Resort, Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa or Orlando World Center Marriott (editor's note: their pool was voted one of the World's Coolest Hotel Pools by Forbes!).

9. Celebrate Independence Day at SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World Resort or Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando for the Fireworks at the Fountain event.

10. Keep the family cool at one of Orlando's indoor museums like the Orlando Science Center, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art or even Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium (from Facebook fans Joe K. and Christi S.).

For more vacation ideas, check out our YouTube channel featuring videos from our Orlando Vacation Makeovers and our Smile Ambassadors Kyle and Stacey, who spent 67 days experiencing all that Orlando has to offer.

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.