Florida Real Estate, Tourism and Immigration News

570 Room Radisson Hotel For Sale Near Disney

We don’t normally circulate Florida resort properties to our residential real estate investors but we happen to have a little inside scoop into the recent availability of a world-class hotel here on Disney’s door-step – The Radisson WorldGate Resort Orlando!

www.WorldGateResort.com

And this spectacular, ideally-located hotel priced to sell quickly!

Amenities include:

· 1 mile from Walt Disney World® Resort off Highway 192
· 570 spacious guest rooms and 4 Executive Suites
· Ample and complimentary On-Site Parking
· Banquet and Catering Service
· Fully-Equipped Fitness Center
· Full Business Center (over 25,000 square feet of meeting space)
· Two outdoor heated palm-draped Swimming Pools and Whirlpool
· Poolside Dining and Lounge
· Grille Restaurant & Bar with Special Children’s Menus
· Scheduled Shuttle Service to Walt Disney World® Resort
· Sports Court (Basketball and Tennis)
· Wireless Internet in Guest Rooms and some Public Areas

If you or any of your hospitality industry associates are interested in this unusual investment opportunity here in our “Sunshine State” please contact me personally, info@britishhomesgroup.com – as soon as possible!

Sincerely,

Bill Cowie, President

www.BritishHomesGroup.com

Orlando, Florida

From today’s:

ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Disney selling new dreams – homes

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced June 23 it will sell 30 single-family luxury home lots this year in a new residential community on Disney property near the Four Seasons Resort Orlando.

Homes at Golden Oak, a 450-home gated residential resort development, will be priced from $1.5 million to $8 million, said a news release. Three types of homes will be available: village homes on one-fourth-acre lots, estate homes on half-acre lots and grand estate homes on three-fourths-acre lots, the release said. The first homes are expected to be completed in 2011.

The resort community will include a private clubhouse, concierge services and Walt Disney World Resort benefits, the release said. It also features conservation areas taking up almost half of the development’s 980-acre footprint. “Golden Oak is something totally new: a residential resort community, right in the heart of the magic,” said Matt Kelly, vice president of Disney Resort Real Estate Development, in a prepared statement.

Disney Resort Real Estate Development began site work nearly two years ago on the site and the main road and gatehouse have been completed, said Marilyn Waters, spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Business Development. Disney is finalizing its list of custom homebuilders for the community, which will be made up of seven experienced builders from Florida, Waters said. Home construction could begin later this year, depending on how quickly buyers are able to work with builders and architects on designing their homes, Waters said.

Golden Oak also will include the previously-announced 445-room Four Seasons Hotel Resort at Walt Disney World Resort. Community residents will likely be offered access to select Four Seasons’ future amenities, such as the spa, restaurants, golf course and event space, the release said.

The development isn’t the first residential real estate development for Disney (NYSE: DIS) in Central Florida. The company developed Celebration in the mid-1990s, a town that is now home to more than 9,000 residents. Those wanting to purchase homes must pay a $25,000 refundable deposit and sign a lot release priority agreement to secure a spot on the community’s priority reservation list, the release said.
 
The Dream Continues!

Why not let us help yours come true?

Sincerely,

Bill Cowie  President

Member: British-American Chamber of Commerce

“The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” will give you a renewed appreciation of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Susan Veness’ new Disney book “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” is reviewed by Jim Hill Media, a website that is one of THE most authoritative voices on Disney and all things to do with the House of Mouse anywhere in the world.

It is read by Disney execs and fans alike. It is a glorious, glowing review from one of the most knowledgeable people in the business and it is a superb testament to all Susan’s work on this.

“The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” will give you a renewed appreciation of the WDW Resort…Jim Hill reviews Susan Veness’ new paperback, which features over 600 seldom-told tales about the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom .

“30 years ago this month, I made my very first trip to Walt Disney World. And for 25 years now, I’ve been writing about Central Florida’s Vacation Kingdom.”

“I offer this info up not because I want to impress JHM readers with my advanced age. But – rather – to give you some idea of how long I’ve actually been studying the history of WDW. The decades that I’ve devoted to talking with the Imagineers who actually designed the Resort’s theme parks and hotels, the many longtime cast members that I’ve quizzed over the years to get a sense of how this place really runs.”

“And over these past three decades, I have literally collected tens of thousands of tales about the Walt Disney World Resort. I mean, I thought that I had heard and read it all. Which is why Susan Veness’ “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom ” (Adams Media, June 2009) is such a delightful surprise.”

Read the full review…
 
LINK: http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2009/06/10/the-hidden-magic-of-walt-disney-world-allows-you-to-see-the-resort-through-a-new-set-of-eyes.aspx

Susan also helps co-author the very popular ‘A British Guide to Orlando’.

Congratulations Susan!

Will you be in Florida for Christmas?

We recently found a great travel site http://www.uptake.com/ where Barbara Weibel suggests some great things to do in and around Florida for Christmas…

In addition to Disney World, check out these other fabulous Christmas events around Florida:

At Disney’s sister attraction, Epcot Center, Holidays Around The World showcases holiday traditions from different countries and includes a nightly tree-lighting, special IllumiNations laser light and fireworks show, and the Candlelight Processional, featuring a Christmas storyteller with music by a choir and 50-piece orchestra.

Disney-Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) in Lake Buena Vista offers the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is made up of 5 million twinkling lights surrounded by nightly ’snow.’

At Universal Studios in Orlando, join in the fun of the Macy’s Holiday Parade, featuring larger than life balloons from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Continue the celebration with Grinchmas at Islands of Adventure (the only time all year the Grinch makes an appearance), Barney’s Christmas Show, and Blues Brothers Christmas Show.

On various dates in late November and throughout December, Silver Springs Park in Ocala presents Festival of Lights, featuring a maze of illuminated gardens strung with more than a million sparklling lights, dozens of neon displays, local choirs, strolling carolers, musical stage shows, a lighted boat parade, shopping, a Holiday Buffet with all the trimmings, and Santa.

Florida’s oldest city, St. Augustine, is magical during their grand holiday celebration of lights. The Nights of Lights features over two million lights that illuminate the colonial buildings, downtown parks, and historic bayfront.

In Kissimmee, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center stages ICE!, an indoor winter wonderland carved from two million pounds of ice. A team of 40 artisans from Harbin, China that spends more than a month in Kissimmee sculpting the display. The three-dimensional hand-carved ice monuments and sculptures include the ICE! castle and slides, which celebrate Santa’s Christmas Eve flight, reindeer and all. The attraction’s signature scene is a life-size Nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice.

Santa’s Enchanted Forest in Miami features half a mile of light displays, carnival attractions, over 100 rides, a petting zoo, a 92 foot tall Christmas tree, pony rides, over 3,000,000 lights, and visits with Santa.

Fort Lauderdale’s Winterfest Boat Parade on the Intercoastal Waterway is billed as “The World’s Most Watched Boat Parade.” See scores of boats festooned with lights along the 12-mile parade route. The event is scheduled for December 13th this year.

Dunedin, a small town just north of Clearwater on the Gulf Coast, does it up right for Christmas. They kick off the season with An Old Fashioned Christmas in downtown Dunedin on December 5th, and follow it up with a boat parade and tree lighting on December 6th and a holiday parade and concert on December 12th.

Thank you Barbara! See the full article with links here: http://attractions.uptake.com/blog/top-ten-christmas-parades-and-events-across-florida-922.html

If you know of any other events and things to do around Florida this Christmas, please add them in the comments area for others to see!

The Orlando tourism marketplace claims an annual 48 million visitors.  Although Disney attracts a large part of those tourists, it is not Orlando’s only attraction – Universal Studios, Sea World, myriad golf opportunities, dining, hotels and other entertainment, the opportunities are endless!  This of course has created the perfect environment for second home sales to flourish.  Orlando real estate buyers are also tempted with the idea of short term rental income.  With such a healthy stream of visitors, the rental market is strong. 

Right now the strongest pull to the Orlando real estate market is affordability.  Many of the communities surrounding Disney are now much more attainable.  Celebration and Windermere are two communities with close proximity to the theme parks that offer buyers many options.  In Windermere you can find everything from a three bedroom townhouse in a non-gated community to a palatial single family retreat in a private, gated neighborhood.

Neighborhood Spotlight:

Reunion by Ginn Resorts - November 8th Reunion Real Estate Auction
Just six miles from Disney World, Reunion is a 2,300 acre master planned community.  This gated community features more than 2,000 units (including single family homes, condos and townhomes), three golf courses, a water park, delectable restaurants, plus luxurious spa and fitness facilities.

Call British Homes Group Today for help with purchasing or financing your Orlando area dream home!

Orlando Area MLS Search 

Disney announces plans for two new timeshare resorts.

Bay Lake Tower will be at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the Treehouse Villas will be at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa near the Magic Kingdom.

Disney’s Vacation Club has now grown to nine resorts with over 350,000 members!

The 15 storey,  300-unit Bay Lake Tower, will have a fifth-floor pedestrian bridge linked to the Contemporary Resort and will be within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom.

Bay Lake Tower will begin at $18,000 (about £10,000).

The 60 elevated homes comprising the Treehouse Villas will be built as a new phase of the Saratoga Springs resort near Downtown Disney. A sales date and prices haven’t yet been set.

Sales will begin on Sunday at Bay Lake Tower, with the first offers going to existing Vacation Club owners.

The Mid Atlantic East Group, parent company of the the British Homes Group Florida has been offering zero down, 100% financing at the Disney Vacation Club for British buyers for over 15 years. The unsecured loan is through a British based bank and has grown in popularity over that time to cover most of the top Resorts in the Orlando theme park areas.

More information on the Resorts covered and financing programme can be found here:

100% British financing for Disney Vacation Club or call 0800 096 5989 and ask for Tammy.

The  Magic Kingdom really is quite magical isn’t it?  For those of you who have not revisited your childhood dreams in nearly two or three decades – the trip down memory lane is highly recommended.  Many of your favorite childhood Disney rides remain the same as they were thirty years ago and had your first visit been today, Disney’s secret would have been safe!  All those rides are just as appealing today as many have been updated and refreshed, but still maintain the same original charm.  Here are some tidbits for those of you who remember the wonderment:

Pirates of the Caribbean:  Still a favorite at Disney, this ride is exactly the same as you remember it with one addition – Johnny Depp!  That’s right, Mr. Depp is now a highlight, laughing and singing along with the rest of those swashbuckling fellers.  It’s a true delight (and for those of you wondering if the dangling hairy pirate’s leg is still hanging precipitously over the last bridge – you won’t be disappointed, it’s there!)

Swiss Family Robinson:  This one has not changed a bit – it’s still the same giant tree fort you remember, perhaps a little less "cool" from an adult perspective but the kids will love it. 

Jungle Cruise:  Another oldie but goodie, this ride is also exactly the same as you’d expect.  Your boat takes you down the river and through the jungle to the delight of your many animal onlookers.

It’s a Small World:  With a fresh coat of sprightly paint, the worlds within remain just as cheery and delightful as they were decades ago.  The mechanical dolls appear just as youthful and happy as ever! 

Splash Mountain:  The thrill, the rush, the wonder – still here and still creating knots in your stomach.  The fifty foot drop to the briar patch and big splash was just as scary and totally worth it! 

Big Thunder Mountain:  Another thriller, totally worth the build up.  This one was a barrel of laughs the whole way through!

There were also a few other events which added to the Disney fanfare – the fireworks were awesome, the nighttime lighted parade with floats that appeared to drive themselves was a real treat, and the fact that the park just seemed to stay open for as long as you wanted to be there was also a real surprise.  If you have the chance to get back to Orlando and visit the Magic Kingdom, it is well worth it. 

Relocating to Orlando?  Contact British Homes Group today for information about multi-currency mortgages or for more information about Orlando Real Estate.

Orlando Area MLS Search 

The top Internet destination for children’s entertainment is about to get another update.  This will be the second revision to Disney.com in the last few years.  Changes are focused on introducing more video and mobile content to the site, including full-length movies, free games and cell phone activities.  Kids will be able to create their own avatars in a virtual world which they can connect to through their cell phones. 

Designers are working hard to provide kids with familiar experiences such as those they’ve already experienced in YouTube.  Video search pages will be similar to the process found on the Internet giant’s site.  Revisions demonstrate the challenges of operating during a time when technologies are rapidly changing.

Disney.com sees millions of unique visitors each month ($28.4 million in May) – their new endeavors aim to keep visitors at their site longer.  Their current average is an astounding 44.9 minutes (which lags behind Nickelodean by almost 35 minutes).  Disney will be holding streaming video "events" such as free weekly full-length movies and special showings such as "Camp Rock", a Disney musical.

Bottom line?  Virtual Disney is getting more and more interactive.  The company aims to entertain more and "push" sales of their wares less.  Video appears to be what consumers are looking for.      

Can’t make it to Disney this year?  Get prepared for next year by touring the park in 3-D on Google Earth!  Disney’s four theme parks and 22 hotel locations are now available for a virtual excursion 24 hours a day.  Visitors will find 1,500 3D points of interest that allow them to click on images to get more information, purchase tickets, make reservations or map their upcoming vacation. 

The journey begins at the Seven Seas Lagoon in the Magic Kingdom – from here users can fly virtually just about anywhere in the park viewing streetscapes as they go.  To take advantage of this excellent new technology you’ll need to have Google Earth 4.3 installed on your local computer.  From there all you need to do is search for "Disney World". 

In the first phase of the virtual Disney project eight photographers worked for 10 days to shoot all of the surfaces in the Magic Kingdom.  Over 100,000 photos were taken to compile the 1,500 3D points of interest – a massive undertaking.   

Disney will use the 3-D technology as their primary online travel guide in the future combining elements into the online experience at disney.com.  They hope to make this the next best thing to actually being at the park. 

Please contact The British Homes Group if you are interested in purchasing Buy to Let properties in the Disney area.

Scott Mitchell, a software developer from Naples, recently developed Twisney.com – an application that allows Disney visitors to map their park vacation in realtime.  Visiting Disney?  Now your friends and family can tag along … virtually!  Mitchell’s website is a massive database allowing photo and text uploads from park visitors to map their excursions and share experiences with other visitors or family and friends back home. Using a combination of Twitter, Flickr and Microsoft Virtual Earth – Twisney users can post photo and text to the blog in realtime.  All that’s needed is either e-mail, text messaging, IM capability or a Twitter account.  If you have a mobile device you can send live reports directly from the park!

Mitchell hopes that users will share information helpful to other Disney visitors such as instant news about wait times for popular attractions.  Park visitors with mobile devices would then be able to check the status from anywhere.  All it takes is a quick email to twisney@twisney.com.

Will the idea catch fire?  Who knows, but for now Disney enthusiasts have a new technology tool to share their experiences with those who stayed home.

Take a look at Twisney.com for a demonstration and appendix of popular "virtual" Disney terms.

Relocating to the Orlando Area?  Visit BritishHomesGroup.com for an Orlando MLS Search.