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Where to Stay In Kissimmee: Westgate Vacation Villas

February 14, 2013 By Momstart 2 Comments

Westgate Vacation Villas – A Home Away from Home While in Kissimmee

By: Ashley

Are you planning a trip to Kissimmee or the Orlando area? Do you need a place to stay that can accommodate your whole family? Have you entered the Decade of Memories Contest and want to know where you could stay? I had the chance to stay at the Westgate Resorts Vacation Villas recently and I can definitely see how the location and amenities make it a great accommodation option for anyone traveling to Kissimmee.

The number one selling point to me on any family accommodations is the actual living space. The extra amenities are wonderful, but usually when you are planning a vacation, you need your sleeping and eating space to be just right. Especially when traveling with kids, sleeping arrangements can always be tricky, and having to eat out every meal can be extremely expensive. The kitchenette in the Westgate Villas is the perfect option to help keep meals healthier and more affordable. I wanted to make sure you knew what the room was like, so here is a video!

After staying with Westgate Resorts, I am also impressed by their list of special amenities. I was trying to figure out a way to summarize them, but the list is so long! Some on site dining options, shuttles to theme parks, complimentary parking, and they are even pet friendly! During my stay, I had a few trips to Drafts Sports Bar and Grill, one of the on-site restaurants. I was impressed with the fresh taste and quality of the ingredients for the dinner menu. They also offer a very affordable breakfast buffet (only about $6 a person).

Here was dinner from Drafts (chicken quesadilla, club sandwich):

What else does Westgate have to offer?

- Fourteen Outdoor Heated Pools

- Fourteen Hot Tubs

- Playground

- Game Room

- Fitness Center

- Lakeside Marina and Dock

- Disney Movie Theater

- 24 Hour Front Desk and Security

- Complimentary Shuttle Service to Area Restaurants

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.

About Ashley – Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: Florida, hotel, Kissimmee, review, travel, Westgate Vacation Villas

The Gator Capital of America and Florida Family Fun Stop: Gatorland #Kiss10

February 13, 2013 By Momstart 2 Comments

Gatorland – The Gator Capital of America and Family Fun Stop in Orlando #Kiss10

By: Ashley

Gatorland, also known as the gator capital of America, is an amazing wildlife park in Orlando, Florida. You can find alligators, crocodiles, majestic white alligators, snakes, and a breathtaking array of birds. What’s even more amazing is the sense of family you can’t help but feel as you stroll through the park.

If you’re planning a trip to Orlando or anywhere in the Kissimmee area, one of the big questions you might have is “Should I go to Gatorland?” I can honestly say I would take my family there. Admission to Gatorland is about $25.00 for adults and $17 for kids 3 and up (Florida residents are eligible for a discount). With the number of attractions, shows, and exhibits in the park, you could easily spend the entire day outside with your family at a reasonable price.

If you’re now wondering what there is to do in Gatorland, let me help you out! Gatorland is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles, an aviary, a boardwalk through a breathtaking marsh area, a petting zoo, a kids splash zone, and amazing one-of-a-kind reptilian shows. All of this is included with regular park admission.

If you’re interested in adding even more to your gator adventure, Gatorland has a ton of add on special packages. They’ve even added on a Screamin’ Gator Zip Line which takes you over seven stories high with an amazing view above the trees.

As is the case with pretty much any attraction that features live animals, you may wonder what kind of care the animals receive. At Gatorland, many of the animals are actually rescued. Chester the alligator was actually rescued after he got kicked out of his home because he was eating too many dogs! Gatorland has also adopted animals rescued from animal hoarders like several Pythons found in the park. Even the white leucistic alligators wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. While not all of the animals in Gatorland are rescues, the family feel that is around every corner leaves me thinking they’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. The staff at Gatorland obviously cares about each other, loves wildlife, and wants to share their joy with you.

Gatorland is actually one of the oldest, continually running attractions in Central Florida establish in 1949. The iconic jaws in front of the main entrance were at one time the official entrance into the park. After surviving a massive fire, the gator jaws are still there ready for photo ops, and a great landmark letting you know exactly where you are – Gatorland!

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: Florida, gator capital, Gatorland, Kissimmee, Orlando, travel

Experience Kissimmee Yourself with a Decade of Memories #Kiss10 @VisitKissimmee – #Contest

February 7, 2013 By Momstart 1 Comment

Experience Kissimmee Yourself with a Decade of Memories #Kiss10 @VisitKissimmee – #Contest

By: Ashley

How would you like to win a trip to Kissimmee, Florida? That’s a trip including airfare, accommodations, and a rental car. How would you like be able to bring along your entire family (up to 5 additional people)? If you think that sounds like a great prize, just wait until you hear the rest. Experience Kissimmee is giving away an entire Decade of Memories with Kissimmee Vacations. By entering their Decade of Memories contest, you could win one trip a year to Kissimmee, Florida for ten years! That’s an entire decade of fun, adventure filled, sunny Florida memories for you and your family!

After getting to spend some time in Kissimmee, I have seen firsthand that there is NO WAY you can do everything you want to do in a single trip. I’m not even sure you can really squeeze it into ten years, but it’s worth a shot!

When you hear Kissimmee, you might automatically think Disney, but the truthfully there is SO much more to do! Kissimmee is home to airboat excursions, zipline adventures, wonderful wildlife, gorgeous golfing, premier shopping, dining, and entertainment! Do you think you could spend a little time over the next ten years in Kissimmee? I do!

So how do you enter the Decade of Memories contest?

1. Submit a story telling how you would spend your time during your Decade of Memories in Kissimmee by February 28, 2013.

2. If you’re selected as one of 25 finalists, make a short video that brings your story to life.

3. The public votes on the winner using the Experience Kissimmee Facebook page. (A great page to check out anyway if you’re planning a trip of your own!)

4. WIN the Grand Prize of ten years worth of Kissimmee vacations!

So what exactly is included in this grand prize package?

- 10 trips for the winner (and 5 guests per trip) to visit Kissimmee, Florida for 7 days, 6 nights.

- Roundtrip, economy class airfare.

- Accommodations at Westgate Resorts.

- A rental car during your stay.

- PLUS $25,000 cash!

*Make sure you checkout Decade of Memories for official rules, entry information and more.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get busy writing so you can enter to win this amazing vacation package! Time is ticking and you’ve only got until February 28!

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: contest, decade of memories, experience kissimmee, Florida, Kissimmee, travel

Arabian Nights in Kissimmee, FL: A Heartwarming, Patriotic Horseshow @ArabianNightsFL #Kiss10

February 5, 2013 By Momstart 1 Comment

Arabian Nights in Kissimmee, FL – A Heartwarming, Patriotic Horseshow (@ArabianNightsFL)

By: Ashley

Arabian Nights is a dinner show where horses are the stars of the show. In the current production, an all American girl celebrates her 21^st birthday, only to discover she is actually Princess Scheherazade in need of a prince! A magical genie enters the story to help her travel the world to find her true love – a prince who loves horses as much as she does.

I would best describe the show as good, old fashioned, family fun. There are plenty of one-liners to make you chuckle, music to make you move and even sing along, and a storyline that is safe for young children. The horse trainers are extremely talented and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat during some of their heart stopping stunts. Have you ever seen a man jump through fire?

The menu at Arabian Nights is pretty limited. Honestly, I don’t think people come here for the food though. There are enough options that anyone should be able to have a good meal, but the show is really what Arabian Nights is all about.

The family at Arabian Nights takes great pride in the care of their horses. That was a big question I had, so you might be wondering the same thing. The horses are exercised and/or turned out to play every day and their stalls are cleaned 3 times a day. The horses are mostly voice trained and never touched with a whip.

If you’re planning to visit Arabian Nights, you should know that the fun can start even before you take your seat. The doors open about an hour and 45 minutes before the start of the show. You can shop in the gift shop, enjoy an appetizer buffet (when I went it was tortilla chips and salsa – tasty!), and even visit the cash bar. There are also Henna Tattoos and caricatures. I was a little disappointed that I missed the belly dancer though. I did see her in costume and would have LOVED to see her dance!

Arabian Nights has several different add on options. Everything from stable tours, to drink packages, and even a performer for a day option! The group I was with actually had the VIP Experience which included a stable tour and special preferred seating.

This can be a pretty pricey night, so I would definitely make sure it’s a special occasion and something that your family really wants to do. General admission tickets with the online 25% discount are about $50 each. You do need to remember though, that you do get dinner included with the price of your ticket.

A heartwarming, patriotic show starring gorgeous horses – THAT is what Arabian Nights is all about.

Experience Kissimmee brought me to Florida to experience Kissimmee in person. All opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: travel Tagged With: Arabian Nights, Dinner show, Florida, Kissimmee, travel

Florida’s 500 Years of Adventure: 50 Different Vacation Packages Giveaway #Kiss10

February 1, 2013 By Momstart 2 Comments

If you’re following the hashtag #kiss10 on twitter then you’ll know Ashley is in Kissimmee Florida right now representing MomStart. I’ve been to Kissimmee twice last year and I loved it. There is so much to do in Kissimmee and the surrounding areas. You have Disney, Gatorland, Forever Florida and Boggy Creek Airboat rides, and that’s just to name a few of the adventures. I experienced plenty of firsts and I expect the same for Ashley. I also can’t wait until I have the opportunity to go back with my two adorable children. They are going to love it there as will you.

This year marks Florida’s 500^th anniversary of when Ponce de Leon discovered the Sunshine State. In celebration of this milestone, VISIT FLORIDA is making it easier for adventurous families to explore Florida.

Starting this month, prospective travelers have chances to win 50 different vacations to Florida – adventures that evoke the state’s heritage of discovery and exploration. “Florida’s 500 Years of Adventure” sweepstakes gives away 50 vacation prize packages, one per week through Dec. 29, 2013. Enter at win.VISITFLORIDA.com. Participants may enter every day for chances to win. Prize packages will include trips to destinations around the state where travelers can participate in everything from manatee snorkel tours in the Crystal River to rounds of golf at the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course in Orlando.

In addition, throughout the month of March, the third-largest ship in the world, the Juan Sebastian Elcano, will dock in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Cape Canaveral. This sail training ship of the Royal Spanish Navy will then travel to St. Augustine in April for the opening of a two-acre living history museum, The Colonial Quarter. This permanent addition to the St. Augustine visitor experience will provide historically accurate portrayals of the initial arrival of European culture on Florida’s shores with exhibits, shows, hands-on interactive activities, taverns, restaurants and more.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: personal, travel Tagged With: Florida, giveaway, Kiss10, Kissimmee, sweepstakes, travel

Photography: Palms Up

January 5, 2013 By Momstart 8 Comments

I love taking photos and there isn’t an angle I’m afraid of. As I was looking up a palm tree I thought, I would just take the shot.

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Filed Under: photos Tagged With: Florida, photography

Photography: Sea World Florida Sunset

May 2, 2012 By Momstart 20 Comments

This photo was taken by Global Resort Homes a great home rental place to stay while on vacation in Kissimmee at Sea World. If you want to see more photos like this one follow Global Resort Homes on Facebook. You can also follow Kissimmee CVB on Facebook or just book a stay and see for yourself.

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Filed Under: photos Tagged With: Florida, Global Resort Homes, Kissimmee, photography

Pancake Night At Global Resort Homes

April 27, 2012 By Momstart 17 Comments

When you’re away from home for a week and cramped in a hotel you probably eat out a lot. If you have a fridge in your room you might also have a microwave then you’re still probably eating unhealthy and that kind of eating can be a burden on your wallet. You also miss out on the fun times you could be having cooking and eating at the dinner table as a family.

My most recent stay with Global Resort Homes was with 20 others most of them were woman for Disneynature’s Chimpanzee Red Carpet Premiere. You know when you get that many girls together, you have drama, and arguments, and absolute fun! Nothing takes away the fun factor!

We had a pancake night one night. We made pancakes, eggs and bacon for 22 people and you can’t do that in a hotel. As we were cooking we got a little silly in the kitchen as you can tell from the photo above. It was so much fun hanging out with so many of my blogging friends. On another night we had a pizza night and did Jell-o shots. And the very first night we had a fabulous dinner made for us by Chef Linda. These are all things you just cant do staying at a resort or hotel. I mean, yeah I supposed you could have a pizza night but can you cram 22 people into your hotel room? Nope, you would have to rent a conference room to have group fun. Plus at the end of every night we were able to sleep in our own rooms.

Global Resort Homes is not a time share. You don’t have to sit through any meetings, or listen to any talk about the homes. You just pick one out to stay in, pay for your stay and you’re left alone. The only thing you get is if you have a problem someone will come fix it.

Houses are different sizes and you have a fridge, washing machine and dryer and a kitchen to save money while you’re in Kissimmee. It’s so much cheaper to be able to cook your own food and drink a pot of coffee rather than going out for every drink and meal. Also, the kitchen facilities in these homes are worth bragging about. They come stocked with plates and cooking necessities. Some even have basic spices salt and pepper. And if you don’t want to cook, just remember the in home chef option.

To learn more about Global Resort Homes:

Visit the Global Resort Homes
Follow them on Twitter
“Like” them on Facebook

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: review Tagged With: Florida, Florida Vacation homes, Global Resort Homes, house, Kissimmee, vacation home

Four New Major Adventures at Florida Eco Safaris

April 19, 2012 By Momstart 26 Comments

Florida Eco Safaris is all about adventure. You step foot on this amazing property of protected land with hogs, alligators, horses and cows all around. Of course they’re all separated and the alligators aren’t allowed anywhere near the people. They had issues with one alligator a few years ago, he really wanted to be included in the safari, coming back no matter how many times they removed him, so they just made him a home inside Florida Eco Safaris and you can wave hello to him as you zipline or do the Cyprus canopy cycle over him.

I just did three of the four new exhibits and WOW that was the adventure of my life. I never knew how scared I could be until I did the Panther Pounce. You go up stairs until you’re 70 feet up and then they hook you to a harness and you’re supposed to walk off the ledge. UM yeah…..that took me a while to work up the courage. The more I thought about it the more scared I was. In fact, I was next to hyperventilating. I asked a lot of questions and finally I just did it. I took the plunge and dropped. The drop that was easy and almost relaxing, it was trusting myself to take that step that scared the *hit out of me. And yes, I have to admit that I cussed the whole way down, I never cuss, never except I did then, even though it was the easy part, I couldn’t believe I just did that. I’m not sure I would do it again. It’s hard to make yourself step off into nothingness. When I was done, I thought I was going to pass out, that could have been due to the almost hyperventilating in fear, and the fact that we had already done two of the other new adventures and I didn’t have water for over 2.5 hours. So I’m no pansy I tell you that! Watch!!!!

I also did the zipline roller-coaster Rattlesnake and loved it. I want to go again and again. I do have a love of the thrill of rollercoasters. I love them so much, I remember being a kid and terrified and my parents forced me and I was still terrified and when I became a teenager suddenly I loved them. So whenever I hear the word rollercoaster I have to try it. I Loved the zipline roller-coaster, you go up and down and swing side to side and you hit a palm tree and it’s amazing. I thought I was going to run into the metal bar and then I dropped down and it was an amazing thrill.

We also did the Superman Zipline and it was such a smooth ride. I wasn’t afraid I just glided off and flew to the other end. It’s awesome. The final new adventure isn’t open yet. They were in testing stage and we were out of time. Otherwise I probably would have tried it too because I like to try new things. I’d hate to miss the opportunity and regret it later never having the chance to do it again.

Thank you goes to Disney as part of the exciting Premiere of Chimpanzee, Global Resort Homes for a place to stay, Kissimmee CVB and Florida Eco Safaris.

Check out the 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

Filed Under: personal, travel Tagged With: cypus canopy cycle, eco safaris, Florida, Kissimmee, panter pounce video, panther pounce, Rattlesnake zipline rollercoaster, travel

Florida Boggy Creek Airboat Rids Revisited

April 19, 2012 By Momstart 17 Comments

I was here back in December and did the Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and it was fun then (Finding Alligators In Florida Wetlands Boggy Creek Airboat Rides), and it was even better now. The weather was warmer the sun was out and it felt great. I loved the feeling of the sun and wind going through my hair. Living in Seattle is not my favorite aspect of my life. I miss the sunshine for at least 9 out of 12 months of the year so today was a refreshing soothing bask in the sun on an air boat.

The marsh was lower than it was back in December, Florida could use a little rain but the alligators didn’t seem to mind. We found on of the mommy alligators not too far from her babies. She was giving them some time to play unsupervised, well partially unsupervised. She was close enough to come scare away a predator, but she was far enough away they probably felt some independence. (not that I’m an alligator expert though, who knows that they were doing) Maybe they had a fight and mom needed a time out. I often need a time out myself when it comes to parenting. Parenting is HARD stuff!

Mostly since I’ve done this before I enjoyed the company of my friends, seeing the birds flying around and the thrill of finding alligators that never gets old. I’ve been trying to tell my friends at home that I work on these trips but they keep telling me yeah right, you can’t convince us of that. Well look at this, this is the bloggers sitting down at the picnic table working away as we’re trying to make our twitter goal. We do really work.

Of course they were also waiting on the little alligator to make an appearance. Thank you goes to Disney Global Resort Homes, Kissimmee CVB and Boggy Creek Airboat Rids.