When you think about taking a Florida travel vacation, Orlando and Miami come to mind as desirable places to visit. The reason for this is that these cities have so much to offer with very exciting theme parks, entertaining nightlife and gorgeous white sand beaches. These two cities by far have become two of Florida’s most visited leisure destinations. But in 2009, Forbes list of the top 25 most visited tourist destinations in America included Orlando and Tampa. (photo courtesy: wikipedia)

Let’s face it, Orlando has a lot to offer with the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom loaded with theme parks for the whole family to enjoy, SeaWorld, Islands of Adventure, and in Tampa Bay you have the magnificent Bush Gardens. These are places that are not only enjoyable to children but adults as well. So when planning a vacation, most families want to visit Orlando and Tampa. If a Florida vacation is in the horizon for you, there are things you can do to make it affordable and here are some tips to get you started.

Book Airfare Early

Unless you are planning to drive to Florida, it is a good idea to book your flights many months in advance of your desired trip date. Like everything else, you have to shop around for the cheapest airfares available especially if you have a large family. Check out Orbitz online as they charge no booking fees and offer price assurance on your purchase. Also check out cheapoair for guaranteed low prices.

Lodging

If you have family members or friends living in Florida and can stay with them that is great. If not, do some research on the Internet and start comparing lodging rates. One of my favorite places to do this is HotelsCombined. It is the world’s leading hotel search engine visited by over 6 million people each month. Their website streamlines the largest number of deals into one simple format and includes prices from prominent online travel agents and hotel chains like Hotels.com, Expedia.com, Priceline.com, Travelocity.com, Hilton Hotels, and many more. In essence, HotelsCombined is a search engine that combines all hotel deals into one free and quick search to get you the cheapest hotel rates available.

Ask about Freebies

Lots of hotel chains offer free breakfast and “kids eat free” programs. Take advantage of these freebies and save lots of money on food. If you use the Internet, stay at hotels that offer free Internet access. Some hotels also offer complimentary shuttle service from and to the airport so find out about this and take advantage of it. You can also find out if the hotel you are staying in offers complimentary shuttle service to all the theme parks or wherever you want to go.

Get your theme park tickets Online

You can actually purchase all theme park tickets way ahead of your vacation departure date. What I normally do is go to “The Official Ticket Center” and purchase online. This is Florida’s most recommended discount attraction ticket agency. All of the tickets they sell are discounted and include taxes. There are no hidden fees! This agency has been in business for over 10 years and do offer the lowest prices on tickets to all theme parks.

Membership discount Programs

There is a wealth of membership benefits for AARP and AAA members. Simply show your membership card and you can save on hotel rates, car rentals, sports events, dining and many more. If you contact The Official Ticket Center to buy your theme park tickets, do mention that you belong to AARP or AAA and see if you can get even more discounts.

There you have it! With the tips mentioned above, you should be able to plan a dream Florida vacation that is actually affordable for the whole family. So go ahead, start planning now and pack your bags heading for the Sunshine State of Florida.

The Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa Florida is planning to open a Sesame Street family friendly Safari in March 2010. This will be lots of fun for the whole family and it includes a child’s first coaster ride called Air Grove. It features a friendly blue character wearing a World War 1 pilot outfit and the rear of the coaster features a camel character. This coaster is for children but it maxes out at 23 mile per hour for a thrilling ride and it will be perfect for children and parents to ride together. (photo courtesy: Bush Gardens)

This will be Busch Garden’s newest kid size rides and lots of cool water fun for a memorable experience. Have your children climb in Elmo’s Tree House, fly through the desert with Grover, have a splash in Bert and Ernie’s watering hole or you and your children can have dinner with furry friends. On selected days, the whole family can share breakfast and lunch with Elmo and friends. Let your imagination run wild as you experience the Sesame Street Safari of Fun.

There will be lots of interaction with Sesame Street characters in the new Bush gardens area and ten of these characters will be present all the time. The Cookie Monster, Elmo and the Count will be walking through the Safari of fun at least five times a day and will end the day with a very entertaining stage show. Don’t forget to take pictures with Big Bird who will be stationed in the meet and greet building called Smile with Me. And your child will love new areas called Elmo’s Safari Go-Round, Snuffy’s Elephant Romp, the Count’s Zambezi Rally and Zoe Patra and the Hippos of the Nile. Be sure to take your children to a fun movie called Sesame Street Presents Lights, Camera and Imagination. (photo courtesy: Bush Gardens)

Start planning your Florida travel vacation now and be sure to visit this incredible Sesame Street family friendly Safari that is due to open its doors in March 2010. There will be so much to do at Bush Gardens that it will truly be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.