Orlando Area Tourism & Travel Archives - Page 23 of 31 - Orlando vacation home rentals near Disney. Orlando vacation rentals

We engaged a small, yet highly informed group of Orlando vacation rental guests to poll them on the top rollercoaster rides in Orlando. Although we did not hire a CPA firm to calculate the votes, we did come up with the following democratic results in the order of votes received:

* Incredible Hulk, Universal Islands of Adventure

* Space Mountain, Walt Disney World®

* Walhalla Wave, Aquatica

* The Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride, Universal Studios

* Journey to Atlantis, SeaWorld Orlando

* The Simpsons Ride, Universal Studios

* Dueling Dragons, Universal Islands of Adventure

* Kraken, Sea World

* Test Track, Epcot

* The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Universal Islands of Adventure

In a related note, the new “Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit” is expected to debut at Universal in June. High tech features of the new ride include rider selection of soundtrack while on the thrill ride, and the ability to send personal videos of the experience to friends and family members. The Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is projected to be the tallest and largest “X-car” style rollercoaster in the world. The X-car style coasters are more maneuverable and have fewer passenger restraints giving the riders a maximized exhilirating experience. Area vacation home rental guests are sure to enjoy this thrill ride in the coming years at Universal.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that cumulative expenditures by international visitors in February, 2009 were down 13% when compared to this same period last year. Cumulatively year-to-date, this represents a 10% period over period drop for international visitor spending in the United States. Passenger airfare receipts were down 11% for the month when compared to the same monthly period one year ago. As we turn our attention to when this down streak can be snapped, there were some positive comps as well.

Bright spots for international travel to the United States include Brazil and Argentina. Brasilian travel to the US was up 26% vs. the same period one year ago, Argentinian tourism to America was up 10%, and French travel was up 4%. In fact, for Brazil and Argentina, this represents a continuing 2 1/2 year period for increasing tourism to the United States.

Based on feedback, international tourism may be down to the city, but it appears that market share trends for Orlando vacation home rentals in the overall accommodations market may be favorable. As we have indicated in prior posts, staying in a vacation rental has become more accepted by the American public in general, and this product has begun to rapidly gain market share over hotels. If properly marketed to consumers in developing markets, vacation rentals can be the accommodation of choice for these travelers.

Our site aims to provide independent consumer information which gives a prospective Orlando traveler a sense of confidence in the quality of the vacation home community based on their expectations.