Recently in Orlando Category

Lucy Williams is an Orlando-based writer for Starwood Vacation Ownership and thelobby.com's expert on the subject.

The Travelocity Roaming Gnome is on another adventure, and this time he has been seen at several different Starwood Vacation Ownership resorts. When you stay at one of these resorts in 2008, you can go on a Roaming Gnome scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes. Roaming Gnomes will be hidden in secret spots around the resorts. Participants will receive a clue sheet with hints as to where they are hiding. Once you complete your clue sheet, you can redeem it for a prize at the resort. You will also be entered into a grand prize drawing to win a five-day, four-night resort stay, plus two airline tickets worth up to $750 each. The contest began on May 1 and will continue through the end of 2008. The grand prize winner will be chosen at the end of the year.

Participating Starwood Vacation Ownership resorts are: Sheraton Vistana Villages and Sheraton Vistana Resort in Orlando, Florida; The Westin St. John Resort & Villas in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, Hawai'i; The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas in Kaua'i, Hawai'i; The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas in Rancho Mirage, California; Sheraton Desert Oasis and The Westin Kierland Villas in Scottsdale, Arizona; Sheraton Mountain Vista in Avon, Colorado; Sheraton Broadway Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Sheraton PGA Vacation Resort in Port St. Lucie, Florida; and Vistana's Beach Club in Jensen Beach, Florida.

Orlando is one of the vacation capitals of North America because it has just about everything a person could want, from theme parks and family attractions to fine dining and upscale nightlife. So if you haven't been to Orlando in a while, you might want to pay a visit to see a town that's grown far beyond the mouse that made it famous. Well, there's no time like the present for a trip to this central Florida classic. That's because the Four Points by Sheraton Orlando Studio City is one of this week's participating Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next six weeks. With savings like that, you'll have plenty left over to take in some of the city's greatest attractions, from nearby Universal Orlando, with its giant-sized tributes to movie and TV history, to Gatorland, the "alligator capital of the world," with hundreds of the creepy critters who are happy to smile for the camera. At the end of the day, you'll be glad to return to the comfort of the hotel, with more than 300 art deco guest rooms featuring elegant furnishings, comfortable beds, and the latest amenities. Of course, Orlando is just one of dozens of Starpicks destinations this week, so check the list to find the getaway that's right for you.

Lucy Williams is an Orlando-based writer for Starwood Vacation Ownership and thelobby.com's expert on the subject.

This summer, Central Florida's theme parks are unleashing an array of new thrills that promise to entertain and delight. Fans of "The Simpsons" animated TV show will want to head to Universal Studios® Florida to check out The Simpsons RideTM, a roller coaster simulator. Tag along with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie at Krustyland, Krusty the Clown's fictitious theme park. The ride commences with a safety short featuring Itchy and Scratchy. But things go awry when Sideshow Bob takes over Krustyland to wreak havoc on the cartoon family. Expect heart-pumping action, including what the park calls "the first 360-degree barrel role ever attempted in a simulator."

Or, head to Walt Disney World® for Toy Story Mania!, the new 3-D ride modeled after the "Toy Story" movies. Enter the world of Andy, the cartoon boy whose toys come to life when humans aren't in sight. Giant dice, checkers and other toys line the ride queue to make guests feel toy-sized. Aboard the ride, you can launch darts, rings and pies at animated targets by using a spring-action shooter.

Lucy Williams is an Orlando-based writer for Starwood Vacation Ownership and thelobby.com's expert on the subject.

Sunny Central Florida offers an array of ways to cool off when the heat rises. For serene or extreme aquatic encounters that are certain to help you keep your cool, head to SeaWorld Orlando. Through the Beluga Interaction Program, you can enter the environment of beluga whales and enjoy a hands-on meeting with the beautiful white mammals. Participants learn about the beluga whales, then change into wetsuits and get into the water for animal interactions that include touching and feeding the whales, as well as helping trainers communicate with the animals using hand signals.

If you want to get closer to a variety of aquatic life, check out the Marine Mammal Keeper Experience. During this 8-hour program, you may work alongside marine mammal experts to prepare daily diets and learn husbandry behaviors for a variety of mammals in the park, including manatees, dolphins and beluga whales.

Orlando is about to get even more exciting with the opening of the Westin Imagine Orlando. The only Westin property in Orlando, the Westin Imagine Orlando is the area's newest Florida art-deco style hotel, located by the Orlando Orange County Convention Center in the city's Convention Corridor. This innovative new property features the best of everything, with 315 guest rooms and suites (complete with kitchenettes), state-of-the-art conference space and meeting facilities, and professionally catered banquet events where award-winning chefs create culinary masterpieces to delight every palate. But don't worry about getting flabby while on the road. You can stay in tip-top shape thanks to WestinWORKOUT, the hotel's cutting-edge fitness center, which boasts the finest equipment and a comfortable space to refresh and rejuvenate your body. And to refresh your spirit, take part in unwind ... a westin evening ritual in the Lobby or poolside tiki bar, and mingle with other guests while enjoying your favorite cocktail and distinctive local flavors. It's a pleasant way to usher in an evening of excitement in Florida's capital of fun. The hotel is now taking reservations for stays on or after April 10, 2008.