Best of Orlando on a Budget

Description:

Founded in 1949 with only a handful of alligators living in huts and pens, Gatorland now houses thousands of alligators (including a rare blue one) and crocodiles on its 70-acre spread. Breeding pens, nurseries, and rearing ponds are situated throughout the park, which also displays snakes, toads, insects, turtles, and a Galápagos tortoise. Its 2,000-foot boardwalk winds through a cypress swamp and breeding marsh.

The Screamin' Gator Zipline is the park's latest addition. It will open June 16.

Headliners include Gator Wrestlin', using the old "put-them-to-sleep" trick, but it's more of an environmental awareness program; Gator Jumparoo, a crowd-pleaser in which the parks largest reptiles lunge 4 or 5 feet out of the water to snatch a hunk of meat from a trainer's hand; Up Close Encounters, showcasing the park's toothy carnivores, slithery snakes, and other wildlife; and Critters on the Go, a mobile show that allows younger kids a chance to interact with the parks cuddlier critters. A train ride, a treat for younger kids and tots, runs through the park ($2 per person); the Gully Gator Splash Park, a new wet-and-dry play area; and Allie's Barnyard, a small petting zoo. While you're here, try the smoked gator ribs or nuggets in the open-air restaurant, or grab a gator-skin souvenir in the gift shop. Allow 4 to 5 hours. Tip: Look for additional parking, a refreshed facade with an open-air admission pavilion, and additional landscaping renovations coming soon.

Note: Gatorland's Trainer for a Day program lets up to five guests get up close and personal with the gators for a day (or 2 hr., in this case). The $125, 2-hour experience puts you side by side with trainers and includes a chance to wrangle some alligators (minimum age 12). Advance reservations are required, and admission to the park is included (and a 20% discount off a regular admission ticket is extended to up to six members of your party). A 1 1/2-hour Night Shine tour is also available ($19.99, regardless of age) and takes you along the wooden walkways with only a flashlight and a guide (insect repellent and gator food is included). Advanced reservations are required.

Tip: Printable discount coupons and special Internet ticket prices are available at the park's website. Be sure to check it out before you leave home.

Description:

Hoist your jib and set your sails for this pitch and putt course, where playing putt-putt is a little like walking the plank. You'll find plenty or pirate references to amuse you, including shipwrecks and skulls with eye patches, but don't worry, this place is strictly family fare. From its two separate courses to its complimentary leis, it's a tropical tee-off, as you escape cascading waterfalls and rubber swords. Don't forget to check out the snack bar on your way out, and you can't leave without a handful of free Pirate's Cove stickers, plastic doubloon rings and pirate flags.

Our Local Expert Says:

A storied piece of Orlando's theme-park culture, Fun Spot is a great place to keep your kids (and you) occupied and enthralled for hours on end. With video games, rides and go karts, it's impossible to be bored.

Description:

All kids and many grownups love this place. It offers a 10,000-square-foot, two-story arcade filled with high-tech video games. Outside, you'll find time-tested rides like go-karts, bumper cars and bumper boats. The park's KidsSpot offers mild thrills appropriate for children ages 2-6. If all this activity leaves you hungry, eat at the on-site snack bar. Admission is free, but you do pay for each ride you take and each arcade game you play.

Description:

Featuring one of the biggest and best-priced breakfast buffets in Orlando, Ponderosa Steakhouse is a local favorite for that reason alone. For breakfast lovers, it's hard to resist a buffet that boasts an enormous variety of egg preparations, not to mention bacon, sausage, biscuits, toast, grits, cereal, muffins, pancakes, and fresh fruit to round out a meal that's sure to get your day off to a full start. Lunch and dinner are served here too, and, of course, steaks dominate the menu.

Description:

Hungry? Walk in here, grab a plate and proceed down the long row of tables, scooping up what you crave. Soups, salads, pastas and muffins are there for the eating. It's an all-you-can-eat affair, with chicken, noodles and veggies tossed into all the lip-smacking dishes. Potatoes, and, as the name suggests, tomatoes rule the roost, with a variety of options. The breads are another delight, piping hot and with nuts embedded in them. If this has failed to quell those hunger pangs, move on to the desserts—fresh fruit and yogurt for the health conscious and Cheery Cherry Cobbler for those who have a high metabolism rate!

Description:

Located on popular International Drive, Golden Corral is an all-you-can-eat extravaganza of every comfort food you've ever craved. Open for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Golden Corral features popular favorites good at any time of day. Fresh carved meats, rotisserie chicken, handmade pizza, fresh vegetables, salads, soups and, of course, their "Sweet Spot" dessert bar, featuring soft serve ice cream with plenty of toppings in addition to treats from their bakery. If you're hungry for the kind of food Mom made, come to Golden Corral!

Description:

At Comfort Suites Orlando, you will relax in the luxury of tastefully furnished accommodations complete with all of the creature comforts expected of a top-notch Orlando hotel. This hotel has all the amenities for your relaxation and convenience to make your stay more enjoyable. Enjoy the hotel's tropically landscaped courtyard complete with a heated pool, a kiddie pool and a Jacuzzi, a playground, and a Poolside Bar & Grille, serving food and beverages daily. This Orlando Florida hotel is 1 mile from Universal Studios, 1.5 miles from Sea World, 6 miles to Disney World, 2.5 miles from the Orlando Convention Center and 4 miles to Prime Outlet Shopping Mall.

Description:

• This two-story Orlando hotel on International Drive is 2 miles from Universal Studios and 3 miles from SeaWorld.

• All guestrooms include refrigerators, coffeemakers, irons/ironing boards, and cable TV.

• This hotel has two computers with complimentary high-speed Internet access in the lobby and an outdoor pool.

Description:

This 10-story hotel sits directly across the street from Universal Studios, making it a great choice for families needing a theme park fix. The redecorated lobby offers a clean, friendly look, with lots of tropical white, off-white and green colors. Each of the 256 guest rooms is done in comfortable, upscale American décor with many amenities. Private porches and patios overlook the theme park.