If you are looking for something to do on the 4th of July? There are plenty of activities to enjoy; if you are heading out to the parks you will definitely have a great view of all the wonderful fireworks. There are other events that you can enjoy such as the Flashback 4th event between U.S. Highway 192 and Interstate 4 near Disney World on Friday, there will be a July 4th parade at 9 a.m. and events open at 5p.m, there will be a DJ and live performances with fireworks at 9 p.m. - for more information call (407) 566-2200, free shuttle service is also available. You can also visit Downtown Orlando’s Wall Street Plaza for the 4th of July Block Party, the largest cookout with live shows events start at 5 p.m. and admission is free. Looking for an Old-Fashioned 4th of July Celebration; visit the Kissimmee Lakefront Park for live entertainment on three stages with tribute to Eagles; food and beverages will be available. There will be free shuttle services from 4:30 – 10:30 p.m. events begin at 5 p.m. followed by fireworks call (407) 933-8368 for more information. Click here for more information and events. Florida Spirit Vacation Homes wishes you a safe and Happy 4th of July!!!

The Orlando Premium Outlet is the perfect place for fashion conscious shoppers who are looking for designer labels at a great price. Located off Interstate 4 (exit 68) just minutes from our vacation homes; the Orlando Premium Outlet opened in June 2000 and is home to 110 shops, each individually owned and operated by leading designers and manufacturers. Shoppers can find a variety of outlet stores offering everyday savings of 25% to 65% off their favorite brands. Currently the outlet is undergoing an expansion that will add more stores; the outlet is said to be adding up to 30 new shops. The expansion is schedule to be finished in November 2008. The very popular outlet has recently added an additional parking structure to make room for the numerous amounts of visitors it receives every day. With the new additions that are being developed, shoppers will have more space and even more selection of stores to find their favorite brands.

Florida Spirit Vacation Homes has partnered with the Orlando Premium Outlet and is offering a Simon®|Chelsea Premium Outlets® Visa Gift Card to visitors staying in any of our vacation homes. The Girls Getaway promotion is valid for new reservations, staying from June 23rd through December 15, 2008. Stay for 3 or 4 nights and receive a $50.00 Visa card or stay for 5 nights or more and receive a $100.00 Visa card, not only will you have a little extra to spend but you will also receive a free VIP Coupon Book from Orlando Premium Outlets. Just call in and mention the “Girls Getaway” promotion or you can book online, just go to our specials page and click on the Girls Getaway promotion.

If you are looking for a place to spend quality time with your family, Cypress Gardens is the place to start. Located in Winter Haven on U.S Highway 27 south of Interstate 4, Cypress Gardens is a family oriented theme park offering a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy; with over 40 rides, kids of all ages can enjoy six roller coasters and the world’s tallest spinning rapids ride! Walk through the historical botanical gardens or cool off at the Splash Island Water Park and don’t miss the famous Cypress Gardens Water Ski show!

Cypress Gardens also offers a variety of dining experiences, indoor restaurants offering everything from an all-you-can-eat buffet, BBQ favorites and pizza pies made to order with your choice of toppings. Enjoy your favorite off the grill food at the parks Picnic-styled restaurants; juicy burgers, hot dogs, fries and more…

If you are planning a group outing, Cypress Gardens have their very own group sales team who are dedicated to making your event “the talk of the town!” You can plan a Wedding, corporate events, park tours and special group events for Schools. Visit www.cypressgardens.com for additional information and to plan your family trip or group outing today.

Brought to you by Florida Spirit Vacation Homes

Over 40 rare and vintage aircrafts are housed in the beautiful art deco facility, located in Polk City, FL (Polk County). Some of the aircraft found at Fantasy of Flights have been restored to flyable condition. An assortment of guided tours is offered daily including a visit to their restoration and maintenance areas. Daily activities include Biplane and Balloon rides, passengers can experience the feeling of flying in an open cockpit or enjoy the view in a balloon ride, a 3 hours experience including 1 hour in flight. Special rates apply to the Biplane and Air Balloon rides. Other activities included in general admission are: Immersion, Environments Experience, Fightertown, Sheet Metal and Aircraft Assembly Tour, Engine Bay and Machine shop tour, Tram Tour, Video Presentations and Aircraft of the Day.

For meals, you can go to the Compass Rose diner, a “short-order menu served up with an aviation spin” restaurant where the environment replicates the characteristics of diners associated with airports during the 1930’s and early 40’s: High-ceilinged windows, multi-colored floors and the inescapable curved architectural lines. Stop by the gift shop for a wide selection of aviation memorabilia and gifts. Fantasy of Flight also offers a wide variety of books and videos documenting many of the most notable moments in aviation history and aviation themed clothing for both adults and children.

Don’t forget that with your Central Florida play pass, you can visit Fantasy of Flight as many times as you would like and other great local attractions and Museums.

Polk county attractions have joined forces and are offering Florida residents a Play Pass. You receive seven consecutive days of unlimited visits to all Polk County Attractions and Museums. This is great opportunity to “enjoy shorter lines, less stress and more time to connect with family and friends.” The participating attractions include Cypress Gardens, Fantasy of Flight, Bok Tower Gardens, Explorations V Children’s Museum, Florida Air Museum, Polk Museum of Art and Water Ski Museum; pass holders can also enjoy 50% off admission at Westgate River Ranch Rodeo for their Saturday night Rodeo.

The Florida residents’ special is active through September 30, 2008 for one low price of $69.95 + tax for adults and $39.95 + tax for children ages 3 to 9. The pass is valid for 7 consecutive days from the day of first use and can be used all day and any day at participating attractions. For more information about the attractions and to purchase tickets online, visit www.visitcentralflorida.org. Tickets can also be purchased at Central Florida’s Polk County Visitors Information Center on Hwy 27, ½ mile South of Interstate 4 at exit 55 and at any AAA travel office; tickets are not available at Attractions or Museums.

Planning a family reunion can be overwhelming; trying to come up with ideas, the perfect location and time for everyone can become very stressful. Simple details can help your family reunion to run smoothly and be a lot of fun. Finding out how many people are going to the reunion is the first step, whether there are a lot of children or elderly will help you to make your decision on things such as location and accommodation for the entire family. Next is time, when will everyone be available to take this exciting vacation. Knowing when everyone is available can help you a lot with the next step. Once you know how many people, the dates for your reunion and have an idea of what you would like to do during the reunion, picking the location will be a breeze and choosing Orlando is a no-brainer. Anytime is the perfect time! With all the theme parks and the wonderful selection of vacation homes, how could you pass it up?

Florida Spirit Vacation Homes has beautiful homes located within 15 minutes from Disney. You can take the whole family to the parks or stay home and have a Barbeque at one of our vacation homes. We have communities with homes that are walking distance or maybe even next to each other. Just let us know what you are looking for and we will find it for you. Renting vacation homes can make things so much easier; bathrooms galore so no fighting over who is going first or having to sit around waiting for that last person to get ready. There is enough space for everyone to have a little private time and every home has a pool, perfect for just hanging out and reminiscing about old times or even catching up on what’s new with everyone. Having the space to just hang out and not be locked away in a room gives you the chance to mingle with a family member you’ve never met before. And to make things better and affordable for everyone, Florida Spirit will offer you a discount for each home that you book as a group. This will save you money on the homes and having all the family there with all those good recipes you will save even more by preparing your own meals in a fully equipped kitchen. You’ll not only leave with good memories but you will also have some new recipes when you get home. Don’t forget the T-shirts for when you go to the parks and the cameras because you don’t want to miss all those special and candid moments that will last even longer than your vacation. So don’t pack everyone in cramped hotel rooms, choose a beautiful vacation home and make it your “home away from home” with everyone in your family just a couple doors down.

There are so many hotels, resorts and timeshares out there and you might be thinking… “Why should I rent a vacation home?” – Well, in addition to all the privacy and freedom you will have, you can also benefit from vacationing on your own terms. A vacation home gives you and your family the chance to take a healthy vacation, with a kitchen of your own and a private swimming pool on your back yard.

With a fully equipped kitchen, instead of eating out you can save money and prepare a good healthy meal for you and your family. At local supermarkets and grocery stores you can find a selection of organic and natural products, including fresh Sushi at the Publix supermarket in
ChampionsGate.

Florida Spirit Vacation Homes offers private heated swimming pools in every home. Take advantage of the many activities you can enjoy in the pool that will provide you with a fun workout. Some of the homes come with fitness equipment and some communities even have gyms that are available to the guests.

If you are looking to get a full workout with a licensed trainer, you can visit Anytime Fitness, a local gym - Open 24 hours/7 days a week - that welcomes vacationers.
Have fun and stay healthy!

We all want to visit the theme parks when we’re on vacation but sometimes we spend half the day trying to find shade and running for the AC. Well, this summer get out of the sun and stay late at SeaWorld for SeaWorld’s after dark rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza! There are shows that are just as exciting as if it were the middle of the day but even better. Shows such as Shamu Rocks that offers live music from the rock ‘n’ roll band in the background and spectacular visual effects. You can enjoy great food at the Shamu Rocks dinner buffet, where you enjoy poolside seating in the outdoor dining pavilion, then get escorted to reserved seats at Shamu Stadium for the exciting show. Bayside Ski Jam is an all new nighttime show located in Bayside Stadium, described as a “concert where the performers are skiers and the water is the stage.” Take in the performance of fast-moving wave runners pulling stunt kites and performing maneuvers as fireworks light up the sky in the background. The Mistify show that is inspired by the majesty of the sea immerses guest into an underwater adventure with amazing special effects. Don’t forget the sea lions, you will laugh out loud as the talented sea lions, otters and walrus parody other SeaWorld shows.

If you are looking for other dining you can also enjoy the Rockin’ dinner deal, where you enjoy great food, a good time, fun and entertainment. For a taste of the Pacific Islands visit Makahiki Luau dinner and show, you will see authentic costumes, hear rhythmic music and enjoy authentic cuisine. If you are 21 or older you can opt for the SeaWorld Night Adventure tour which is a 5 hour tour, take advantage of front of the line access to Kraken and Journey to Atlantis. You also receive reserved seating at two shows and a visit to the Brewmaster’s club to sample Anheuser-Busch beers. The tour is for the older crowd but everyone can enjoy the amazing shows.

You plan your vacation, you’re excited and your thinking about all the new vacation clothes you get to buy and all the things you need to do before you leave for all that fun in the sun. Time comes around and you realize that poor Fluffy has to stay home, you think “maybe we could bring him” but your hotel does not allow pets. Well, next time you can bring your pet because let’s face it he’s a part of the family and I’m sure he probably needs a vacation too. Florida Spirit and many other progressive vacation home rental companies are thinking about the entire family when helping you to plan your vacation. You can bring everyone in the family including your little furry family members that you feel so bad about leaving behind.

Instead of leaving your pet behind and staying in a hotel you can rent a pet friendly vacation home where your pets can run free as if they were still at home. Florida spirit will give you a chance to bring your pet(s) to select pet friendly homes for an additional one time non-refundable pet fee of $150, which goes towards extra cleaning precautions to prevent any type of reactions that other guest might have towards animals. You can visit our pet friendly page to see the select homes that are available, find information on places to take your pets while on vacation and also information on animal hospitals in the area in case of an emergency. Next time don’t leave anyone behind because everyone is welcome!

In an attempt to stir things up Wet ‘n Wild has added new features to the newly revamped Black Hole: The Next Generation water ride. The Black Hole always had twist and turns, but now it returns with “color explosions and sounds that will shock the sense.” The ride is a 500-foot drop that boasts a number of surprises for its thrill seekers. Along the way riders may encounter strobes, lasers, a shimmering water wall and sudden changes in temperature before splashing down.

The exciting part of the ride is not just going down the twist and turns of the tubes one time but going down many times after, even after returning immediately to the top riders are not likely to see the same sequence of strobes and lasers. The special effects occur in random sequence tempting riders to go back again and again to see what happens next. Many theme parks are adding new rides, new feature even adding on an entire new section. Wet n’ Wild is focusing on its repeat visitor, getting them to come back again and again and with new technology they are able to do that by adding new feature to your favorite rides.