Save Money In Orlando!

Plan Ahead

Book your attraction tickets before you go on holiday. Not only will it save you having to carry a lot of cash with you but you'll get an online discount too! You can print out some tickets so you could book one day in advance for instance!

The Orlando FlexTicket can be a huge money saver. It gives you 14 days unlimited accrss to Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld Orlando, Wet 'n Wild Orlando and Aquatica. The Orlando FlexTicket Plus also offers unlimited bus travel to and from Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, as well as unlimited entry to the attraction.

Top Tip! We bought a pair of Orlando FlexTicket's from 365 Tickets and found them to be great value, especially as you can use them as often as you like. We would recommend you buy all your part tickets, the Orlando FlexTicket or the Orlando FlexTicket Plus from a company such as 365 Tickets a few weeks before you fly. You'll save time, hassle and money.

Several places sold park tickets on International Drive although the prices of these, whilst better than direct from the theme parks, were significantly more expensive than pre-booking on the Internet.

Watch Out For Orlando's Sales Tax

The state of Florida charges sales tax at the rate of 6% on most purchases. Orlando can then issue a local sales tax of up to 1.5%. Information is vague but it appears the total rate at the moment is 6.5%. Most prices are displayed excluding this tax. Bear this in mind when looking for bargains as some items may end up costing over the odds.

Don't Tip Twice

It is usual to tip between 15% and 20% of the total bill in bars and restaurants: that's between 15 and 20 cents for every dollar you spend. Some bars and restaurants automatically add this figure onto your receipt (plus the sales tax). Make sure you check your receipt for this else you could end up tipping twice. Very generous but a sure fire way to spend your cash quicker.

Discount Vouchers

Head on over to Orlando Travel & Visitors Bureau and either order or print a Magicard. This offers a number of discounts at attractions, food outlets, shopping malls and on entertainment. Savings depend on what it is you buy but most are for around 10% or $10 USD - not bad for a free card!

We didn't end up using this card as we found better discount vouchers contained within leaflets and brochures that you can find in most hotels.

Watch out for people trying to sell you discount booklets for around $5. Some of the shopping malls try to do this but if you grab a discount book at your hotel, you should find vouchers for free shopping mall discount voucher booklets.

All You Can Eat Buffets

These can be very lucrative as you can often find unlimited food and soft drinks (soda) for one fixed fee. If you have a large appettite and are on a budget, you'll love these :-) .

There's several up and down International Drive catering for all tastes from steak and pizza to salad, main courses to dessert.

Kids Eat Free

Head back over to Orlando Travel & Visitors Bureau for a list of restaurants where kids can eat for free! This alone could save you a lot of money if you have children under the age of 12. Kids can usually eat free when an adult meal is ordered but check the website for exact terms and conditions.

Car Hire Can Be Cheap But Do You Need One?

Instinct may tell you to hire a car but you really don't need to. I-Ride is a bus service along International Drive (where most of the attractions are) that costs $1 USD per person per journey. If you plan ahead, you can buy an unlimited ride pass. For $16 USD per person, you could get a 14 day unlimited ride pass. Given you could use the bus at least twice a day (there and back), you could save a minimum of $12 USD, more if you use the service more often.

We didn't hire a care opting for the I-Ride. We covered the cost of our pass after day 3. The service was reasonably reliable and the adage about waiting for one bus and then three turn up was so true! The most we had to wait was around 1/2 hour because we just missed the previous bus.

Besides the I-Ride, Lynx runs the bus network in Orlando. A one way ticket anywhere costs $1.75 USD which includes free transfers so long as they are within 90 minutes. That is extremely great value, leaving you more money to spend on more exciting things like souvenirs!

Avoid The Lure of Free Park Tickets or $100

You'll find an awful lot of so-called "tourist information" shops offering "free $100" or "free park tickets". This is a lure to get you to sit through a timeshare sales pitch that could last many hours.

Save time and money by avoiding these if timeshare is not your thing.

Prices correct in September 2008. Fast food image © petrr

Home | Links | Contact

http://www.orlandofloridaholiday.co.uk/ © David Fiske 2010 onwards. All rights reserved. E&OE.

By using this site, you agree to our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.