Another hotel offering theme park proximity with resort-like amenities is the Hyatt Regency Grand Cy

For today s Destination of the Week , we asked TPG contributor Nick to take us through toby keith concert tour his hometown of Orlando while there s still time to squeeze in one last family summer vacation toby keith concert tour before school starts again.
Orlando toby keith concert tour International Airport ( MCO ), located 12 miles southeast of downtown toby keith concert tour and just 20 miles from Disney, toby keith concert tour is the primary gateway toby keith concert tour to the city. Over 35 million passengers come through the airport each year, arriving from or departing to one of 89 destinations throughout the U.S. or 27 international cities. toby keith concert tour Every major alliance has significant representation, with many airlines offering not only multiple flights per day to their hubs but also to other destinations as well:
Star Alliance:  United (Newark, Houston-IAH, Chicago-ORD, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington-IAD, plus Pensacola and Marsh Harbour, toby keith concert tour Bahamas), US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia, toby keith concert tour Phoenix, and Washington-DCA), Air Canada (Montreal and Toronto), Lufthansa (Frankfurt), TAM (Sao Paulo), and Copa Airlines (Panama City, Panama).
Orlando also serves as a key city for both Southwest (35 nonstop destinations) and JetBlue (23 nonstop destinations, including many smaller airports in the northeast like Syracuse toby keith concert tour and Burlington, VT). AirTran also has a significant presence there, toby keith concert tour though it will be interesting to see how their route network will be impacted as their merger with Southwest progresses.
toby keith concert tour Keep in mind that summer can bring lots of tour groups and families with small children to the Orlando area, and as a result, security lines can get quite long, and the airport does not offer any preferred security lanes for premium passengers. They do, however, offer TSA's new Pre-Check for Delta passengers (the furthest lane to the right when facing the checkpoint for gates 60-129) as well as CLEAR .
It's no secret that theme parks rule the roost in Orlando, and Disneyworld is the king of the pack. Even though the park opened over 16 years after Disneyland in California, it quickly overtook its West Coast sibling in size, attendance, and grandeur. Walt Disney first envisioned opening a second Disney amusement park free of the space confines that limited Disneyland's expansion in Southern California, eventually choosing Orlando for its year-round warm temperatures and land availability toby keith concert tour that wouldn't restrict future growth. The park  consists of four separate theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios) along with two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach). There are a variety of ticket options, and not surprisingly, longer stays lead to cheaper daily costs. Be sure to select the "Park Hopper" option toby keith concert tour if you don't want to be restricted to one theme park per day. Details on the various options can be found on Disney's website.
toby keith concert tour For more adrenaline-filled fun, consider a trip to Universal toby keith concert tour Studios Orlando . Though originally catering to movie buffs, Universal added a separate toby keith concert tour park (Islands of Adventure) with thrill-seeking rides such as the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Dr. Doom's Fearfall. Islands of Adventure is also home to the Wizarding toby keith concert tour World of Harry Potter toby keith concert tour (included in admission). toby keith concert tour Fans of the J.K. Rowling toby keith concert tour series can visit Hogsmeade for a cup of butterbeer, stop by Olivander's Wand Shop for a custom fitting, take a virtual spin around Hogwarts, and pick up some tasty treats and souvenirs at Honeydukes and Zonko's Joke Shop. Afterwards, guests holding two-park passes can head over to the original Universal Studios for a variety of cinematic adventures. Details on ticket options and events are available online.
A third option for theme-park goers is SeaWorld Orlando , with a variety of marine-themed shows and attractions. A single-day ticket at the park actually toby keith concert tour includes a free second visit, offering a great value for those with short stays. Consider visiting Aquatica , SeaWorld's separate water park, to beat the summer heat, or add in a swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove . Discounted tickets and additional park information are available online.
In case kids don't have enough to do with these options, consider a visit to International Drive . While the southern end of "I-Drive" caters to convention goers (and is also home to The Peabody and its famous parade of ducks), head north to find numerous family-friendly hotels, restaurants, and activities such as Ripley's Believe It Or Not , putt-putt golf, and Wonderworks . Shoppers can also get their fix at the Premium Outlets , located at the north end of I-Drive. This area also offers easy access to Universal as well as the three SeaWorld parks.
If theme parks (and the inevitable summer crowds and long lines) aren't your style, toby keith concert tour Orlando still has much to offer visitors. The sports enthusiast can take advantage of the city's vast number of terrific golf courses for all levels of play, while travelers looking for a true Central Florida experience can visit Boggy Creek Airboat Rides for a tour of the swampland that eventually flows south to the Everglades. The downtown area is an up-and-coming scene for arts, culture, cuisine, and nightlife, including the sparkling new Amway Arena , the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, and numerous art galleries.
Outside the city, guests flock to Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center for an up-close visit to the heart of the U.S. space program, toby keith concert tour which offers tours, an IMAX theatre, and a shuttle launch experience. Just south of the Kennedy Space Center lies Port Canaveral , a busy cargo hub for Central Florida and the origination point of numerous cruises. Test your luck on a sunset cruise with Victory Casino , or set sail for the Bahamas, Mexico, or other Caribbean locales with cruises on Disney, Carnival , and Royal Caribbean .
The city is filled with on- and off-brand hotels and resorts. Since the various activities mentioned above are spread out over a large area, you should decide how you want to spend your time before making lodging arrangements. Once you have a game plan, though, Orlando offers many choices for redeeming your hard-earned points.
1) If a hotel or resort advertises "complimentary transportation" toby keith concert tour to any of the theme parks, be sure to verify exactly what that transportation toby keith concert tour consists of. Many hotels share vans with other nearby properties and run set schedules to and from the parks, and if you miss a shuttle back, you may wind up waiting close to an hour or be forced toby keith concert tour to shell out for a cab, neither of which is a welcome occurrence after a tiring day in the parks.
2) Make sure and check for "resort fees" when booking rooms. Many properties that have no business classifying themselves as "resorts" nevertheless add up to $25 per day as a mandatory charge for each room. This typically includes WiFi, bottled water, or other amenities on property, but it often isn't worth the additional expense.
For those of you who got in on Club Carlson's big point bonuses, you have three Radisson and four Country Inn Suites properties to choose from in the Orlando toby keith concert tour area. The Radisson Hotel Orlando – International toby keith concert tour Drive offers a convenient toby keith concert tour location on I-Drive with complimentary transportation to all three major theme parks. The property has a pool and on-site restaurant, and the $10 daily resort fee includes parking as well as full access to the adjacent YMCA gym and Olympic size pool. Rates in August start at $89/night ; Club Carlson members can redeem 9,000 points or 5,000 points + $53.40 for a free night .
Other Club Carlson properties include the Country Inn Suites Universal , the Country Inn Suites Orlando Airport , the Radisson Hotel Lake Buena Vista , the Country Inn Suites Orlando Maingate , and the Radisson Resort Orlando – Celebration .
The Hilton Orlando toby keith concert tour Bonnet Creek is the closest Hilton property to the Disney parks (only 1 mile) and offers complimentary transportation for guests wishing to visit the parks. Kids stay free, and Hilton HHonors Gold Diamond members can take advantage of the executive lounge. August rates start at $143/night . As a Category 6 hotel, free night redemptions start at 40,000 points/night or 20,000 points + $70 if you can find Cash + Points availability.
Other Hilton HHonors properties in the city include the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista , the Doubletree Suites Lake Buena Vista , the Hilton Garden Inn SeaWorld , the Homewood toby keith concert tour Suites Orlando International Drive , the Hilton Orlando , the Hampton Inn Suites International Drive North , the Doubletree Universal , the Embassy Suites Orlando Downtown , and numerous airport and suburban properties as well. There are also two new properties opening this fall: the Embassy toby keith concert tour Suites Lake Buena Vista South opens in October, while the Hampton Inn Suites Orlando Airport/Gateway Village opens in September. Another new airport hotel, the Homewood Suites Orlando Gateway , plans to open in January 2013.
Another hotel offering theme park proximity with resort-like amenities is the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress . This recently renovated 1500-acre resort provides toby keith concert tour complimentary transportation to Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and the outlet mall, giving guests a variety of activity choices. Many may never find a reason to leave the property at all, with on-site golf and water sports. August rates start at $169 ; if you prefer to redeem your Hyatt Gold Passport points, a standard room would set you back 18,000 points/night , while a Regency Club room goes for 22,000 points/night . This resort is also a part of American Express' Fine Hotels Resorts.
For fellow airplane geeks or for added convenience with early morning flights, consider the Hyatt Regency toby keith concert tour Orlando Airport . Physically inside the Orlando International Airport, the hotel is accessed from the main lobby. Atrium rooms allow you to monitor security lines, while outside rooms offer terrific views of the tarmac. The hotel also has day use rooms for long layovers or delays. August rates start at $179 or 15,000 per night .
For a completely different experience, consider the Grand Bohemian Hotel Orlan