Here’s our guide to how to get the most out of your Orlando vacation during March.
The Theme Parks
Early March is still a great time to visit the parks without having to deal with crowds or long lines.
However, on those years that Easter falls early (like this one!) the latter part of the month can be amongst some of the busiest as spring breakers and families taking Easter holidays head to the parks.
Mardi Gras at Universal and the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival are still drawing in the crowds. Epcot’s Flower and Garden festival is a riot of spring colour and family-friendly activities ideal for budding green fingers. Do expect it to be busy – make use of your Fast Pass and do make restaurant reservations if you plan on eating there.
The Weather
By March, typically, you can expect temperatures to be climbing back up to the seventies and low eighties, so you’re probably going to need to pack the sun screen. Don’t let the cooler starts to the mornings catch you out!
Wider Central Florida
It’s a great month to explore some of Florida’s other wonderful public gardens, beyond the Epcot festival. March through April is peak bloom season for local gardener’s paradise Bok Tower gardens in Lake Wales (towards Legoland Florida from Kissimmee). Or, a bit further out in the opposite direction, try Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.
The Water Parks start opening around now too. Temperatures in the seventies and low eighties aren’t at the highs you can expect at mid-Summer but it’s comfortable enough and the lack of bugs around in March is a bonus.
Since it is Spring Break season, some of the beaches will be busy – Daytona in particular is one to avoid unless rowdy partying is what you’re looking for!
If deserted tropical sands are more to your taste, you will still find there are plenty of wonderful locations to discover, explore and find a beach to call your own along Florida’s more than 1,350 miles of coastline (not counting the many beautiful spots alongside the state’s natural springs and waterways).
Whatever tickles your fancy, remember to get your tickets for the theme parks, dinner show or other attractions through us for specially discounted rates which come with a low-price guarantee.
Book tickets through Ellis Exclusive Villas before you go
Your vacation home
Even in March, if you want to use the pool at your vacation home, I do recommend that you add pool heat to your package. My number one tip for pool heat is to let us know your preferred times (it only operates eight hours a day) before you go and I also strongly recommend you use the pool blanket if one is provided in your property. Although average March temperatures are in the seventies during the day, temperatures can fall rapidly over night – so you want to keep the heat you’ve paid for in!
We do get a lot of families over the Easter holidays; it a great time for Brits to take advantage of the school holidays and find some late winter sun. If it is your first time in Orlando as a family then I can’t speak highly enough of our car rental partner, Car on the Drive. Instead of you having to navigate through the Orlando traffic after a long trans-Atlantic flight, Car on the Drive will pick you up from the airport and deliver you to your vacation home where your hire car will be waiting for you.
You might also like to book one of our special Easter packages – we can deliver an egg hunt basket to your vacation home, or perhaps you’d like to treat yourselves to one of or other special packages, such as booking spa treatments in your vacation home or maybe booking a personal chef for the night?
And, most of all, if there is anything we can help with while you are away to ensure you enjoy your vacation, please call.
I like to work with people who share my ideas about delivering excellent customer service in order to ensure long-term success.
One business that certainly operates with this ethos is Kissimmee Guest Services, a local events business. I partner with KSG so I can offer guests discounted rates on theme park tickets.
But what makes KSG’s service so special?
“Park tickets are expensive and it can quickly get confusing,” explains Tim Justynski, KSG’s Director of Business Relations. “We aim to give personal service that ensures the customer has exactly what they need. We don’t oversell – none of our staff works on commission. That way we can ensure everyone gets the tickets they need – and only what they need.”
KSG sells tickets for all of the main attractions in and around Orlando plus many other smaller attractions. All of the tickets they sell are discounted.
“Whatever you want to do, we are going to be able to offer you a discount on the gate price,” says Tim.
The company is so confident about the prices it can offer that it gives all its customers a low price guarantee. Tim explains: “If customers can find the tickets on sale cheaper anywhere else then we will refund the difference in price. We are very confident about our low prices. We even offer this refund up to seven days after the customer has used them – we’re that confident we have the best deals.”
“The only time we’ll be beaten is if there is something not right about the deal,” says Tim. some companies in Orlando that offer huge discounts on park tickets but these are usually in exchange for attending some kind of sales pitch. Tim does offer a warning about thinking you’re going to get a deal with an offer like this: “If you are offered very cheap park tickets then be wary. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Some local timeshare operators will offer discounted park tickets in exchange for attending one of their timeshare presentations. Even if you are happy to spend three or four hours of your vacation at a timeshare presentation, you need to be prepared for some high pressure selling. You will get the tickets eventually, but be prepared.”
It’s a far cry from KSG’s customer-centric approach. Tim says: “We’ll organise for your tickets to be delivered to your vacation home if you like or you can stop by and collect your tickets from our office where you can also pick up some brochures and additional advice from our team.”
The advice the KSG team offers ranges from which tickets offer the best deals, through traffic tips, to the best times to see particular attractions. This personal service and the care and attention they give to every customer is probably the most important reason the Ellis Exclusive Villas team are so pleased to work with KSG.
Another advantage is the company’s convenient location. The KSG office in Celebration is the only third-party ticket service on Disney property. The team are rightly proud of this fact. The Celebration location is also incredibly convenient for all our homes in Davenport – not just the homes in Kissimmee.
“We’re are just down World Drive, just off the Interstate so we can be easily reached by any Ellis Exclusive Villas guest,” says Tim. “Your homes are in either Kissimmee or Davenport and you can call in to our offices from either location on your way to the parks. We’re really close to Disney and just another ten or fifteen minutes away from Universal or SeaWorld.”
I think the service the KSG team offer is really top notch and the fact that it is backed up by their low price guarantee means that sourcing our guests’ tickets through them is a no-brainer.
From my point of view, it’s nice to know that we share the same values about building a successful business through keeping guests happy.
As Tim says: “A happy guest is more likely to come back to us and to recommend us to their family and friends. That’s good for us. But, most importantly, we want the guests to get the vacation they want.”
We couldn’t agree with you more Tim.
To speak with Tim or his team, please contact them direct or via me on the usual numbers. For more information, see our attractions tickets page.
One question we get asked a lot is when is the best time to visit Orlando. The great thing about running a vacation letting business in Central Florida is that Orlando really is a year-round vacation destination. But each month has its own challenges and advantages. Here’s our guide on to how to get the most out of your Orlando vacation during February.
The Theme Parks
February can be one of the quieter months in Orlando’s theme parks, although it can get busier around the third weekend of the month when Americans enjoy a long weekend courtesy of the President’s Day federal holiday which honours George Washington, the first President of the United States.
The third weekend is also the weekend of the Princess-themed half-Marathon around Disney World, so do expect it to be a little busier – although nowhere near the huge crowds of Christmas/ Holidays or Easter/ Spring Break.
The good thing about the parks being a bit quieter is the lack of crowds and the shorter queues. It also means you are more likely to be able to book special events such as dining with your favourite Disney characters. However, we do still recommend you book these in advance to ensure you aren’t disappointed. It is also worth bearing in mind that some of the attractions might not be open and the parks will close a little earlier than in peak season.
The Weather
Florida is renown as a winter sun destination and, typically, you can expect temperatures in the low seventies during the day. However, it can start off cool and will get cooler earlier in the evening, thanks to the shorter days, so I definitely advise packing a warm sweater to take you through the day. It is probably also worth investing in a lightweight packable rain jacket too, as you may get occasional showers.
On the whole though, you can enjoy the winter sun and should be able to enjoy lunchtime picnics and al fresco dining without any discomfort!
Wider Central Florida
The parks may not have major events in February – Mardi Gras at Universal and the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival are on the horizon for March – but don’t let that fool you into thinking there will be nothing to do!
Orlando and Tampa have vibrant Arts scenes and it is definitely worth exploring your options in both cities. Getting a flavour of traditional Floridian life is well worth doing while you’re in the state – there are some fascinating traditions: from ‘gator wrestling to bluegrass festivals. I also highly recommend you venturing out to visit a few local nature reserves. Florida is blessed with numerous state parks and you can enjoy activities like kayaking and guided walks at many – or simply check out the local wildlife.
The ice hockey season and the basketball season run through February so you may be able to catch an Orlando Magic or Orlando Solar Bears home fixture if you are lucky (book tickets through Ellis Exclusive Villas before you go!).
Your vacation home
If you want to use the pool at your vacation home, you will definitely need pool heat and we strongly recommend you use the pool blanket if one is provided in your property. Although average February temperatures are in the low seventies during the day, temperatures can fall rapidly over night – so you want to keep the heat in!
Please also be aware you may feel cool around the pool – especially getting in and out – on cooler days. For Brits, for whom air temperatures of 70˚ feel like a balmy summer’s day, you should have no problems provided you pay the supplement for pool heat. However, given that highs in the summer can be around 90˚, if you are from more local climes you might not greet 70˚ with such enthusiasm!
Typically, we get a lot of South American guests during February but, since the BRIC economies aren’t performing so well of late, at the moment February can also be a great month to bag yourself a bargain!
Finally, we get a lot of bookings around Valentine’s day too… and, if you plan on treating your loved one to a break in the winter sun, then perhaps you might like to consider one of our romantic hampers or other special packages, such as a personal chef for the night or spa for the day? Perhaps you’d like a trail of rose petals and a bottle of champagne waiting for you on arrival? Simply email us or call us on the usual number before you go and we can make the necessary arrangements for you.
As if you needed another excuse! The Ellis team are SO excited by these great new attractions opening in 2016… it is shaping up to be a Super Spring here in Orlando! Have you booked your tickets and vacation property yet?
Be among the first to feel the Force in the Star Wars Launch Bay
The Force has awoken at Disney Hollywood Studios! A handful of new Star Wars experiences premièred in December 2015 in time to herald in the new movie. We’ve seen it and are huge fans – we expect this to be very big in 2016.
Let it go during your visit to Arendelle”
We’ve already trailed the exciting new Frozen ride coming to Epcot on our blog earlier this year. We think it is scheduled to open around April time, but exact dates are yet to be confirmed by Disney. We can’t wait!
See Disney’s Animal Kingdom in a whole new light
In Spring 2016 Disney will be opening the Animal Kingdom Park for longer so that visitors can experience the wonders of the natural world after dark. The centerpiece of this new experience is an amazing light show based around the park’s tree of life. Watch the video on the Disney blog here.
There’ll be even more to explore around Disney Springs
The revamp of downtown Disney is already well underway, with some fab new openings recently – there is a whole host of new restaurants, gift and souvenir stores and much-loved names to explore in Disney Springs already, including my personal favourite: the Ganchery. Throughout 2016 more stores and restaurants will be announced and opened so it looks like they’ll be plenty to explore over the course of the year.
The Orlando Lions get a new home
Just a block away from the Amway Centre, Orlando’s latest sports stadium is set to open its doors to 25,000+ soccer fans from Summer 2016. Orlando’s already got some great sports venues and teams and now the city’s Lions soccer team can host in style too. If you’re a visitor to the area and want to get a real taste of local life, then live sports is a great way to do that. Ellis Exclusive Villas can offer great rates on tickets too – please call us for details.
Are you brave enough to face the Cobra’s Curse?
Is there such a thing as an ordinary rollercoaster? If so, Busch Gardens is promising that Cobra’s Curse is not it! After ascending on a vertical lift, just like an elevator, riders will come face-to-face with an 80-foot snake icon and trek over the park’s Serengeti Plain. It is scheduled to open at the end of May 2016, but you can get a sneak preview here:
Universal creates Skull Island: The Reign of Kong
Universal is promising a larger than life experience on this hotly anticipated new ride – check out this launch trailer:
Due to open in summer 2016, it’s another exciting reason to book your 2016 trip to Orlando!
SeaWorld promises us Orlando’s fastest coaster
The Mako shark is one of the fastest in the ocean – and it provides the ideal inspiration and name for SeaWorld’s latest coaster which it promises will be Orlando’s fastest.
When it is launched in Spring 2016 it will be taking visitors on rides of up to 73mph. Hold tight for this one!
And there’s another supercharged thrill on its way
If you are still feeling the need for speed after Mako, then hold tight for another Spring unveiling – this time a 3D experience at Universal Studios, but just as fast and furious:
Fans of the movies should be prepared to be taken along on an immersive chase at speeds of 120mph!
Interact with heroes and legends
Finally, the Kennedy Space Centre is revamping its visitor complex with a view to opening a whole new interactive theatre show towards the end of 2016. The heroes and legends show will enable visitors to immerse themselves in the experiences of the early pioneers of space flight and learn about real-life superstars: the 91 all-American heroes and legends who’ve gone to space.
Excited? So are we! Book your vacation home for 2016 now and beat the January rush! Get your pick of our properties today for your chosen dates in 2016.