Author Topic: Orlando Master Thread (Read 507772 times)

ad120 · « **Reply #1580 on:** October 19, 2021, 08:42:59 AM »

Quote from: shmoe joe on October 18, 2021, 08:23:08 PM

Thinking of going the weekend of dec 2-6 anyone know if champions gate, encore etc will have minyanim? Also if anyone has any WhatsApp group numbers please post.
Thanks

There already is a confirmed minyan.

shmoe joe · « **Reply #1581 on:** October 19, 2021, 11:18:21 AM »

Quote from: ad120 on October 19, 2021, 08:42:59 AM

There already is a confirmed minyan.

which area?

ad120 · « **Reply #1582 on:** October 20, 2021, 03:30:29 AM »

Quote from: shmoe joe on October 19, 2021, 11:18:21 AM

which area?

CG, Encore, & Reunion- Castle Pines/Desert Mountain Area.

gtyossi · « **Reply #1583 on:** October 20, 2021, 10:32:01 PM »

Is anyone familiar with Soltera resort- if there have been enough families for a minyan over yeshiva break?
This is not far from encore.

ad120 · « **Reply #1584 on:** October 21, 2021, 12:40:25 AM »

Quote from: gtyossi on October 20, 2021, 10:32:01 PM

Is anyone familiar with Soltera resort- if there have been enough families for a minyan over yeshiva break?
This is not far from encore.

Hard to say regarding Yeshiva Week.
Last year there was a minyan in CG, Encore, Reunion, & Solara during Yeshiva Week.

Yitz · « **Reply #1585 on:** October 21, 2021, 09:24:57 AM »

Quote from: gtyossi on October 20, 2021, 10:32:01 PM

Is anyone familiar with Soltera resort- if there have been enough families for a minyan over yeshiva break?
This is not far from encore.

If you use a frum broker they can be very helpful

davidd75 · « **Reply #1586 on:** October 21, 2021, 12:23:27 PM »

I guess still no late Marriv in the area for Octo 31?

greatdeals · « **Reply #1587 on:** October 22, 2021, 08:36:53 AM »

Quote from: gtyossi on October 20, 2021, 10:32:01 PM

Is anyone familiar with Soltera resort- if there have been enough families for a minyan over yeshiva break?
This is not far from encore.

I was there last year shabbos Chanukah and there was a minyan, there are WhatsApp chats for solterra

davidd75 · « **Reply #1588 on:** November 04, 2021, 02:59:36 PM »

Did anybody rent a car from Fox at this location? My experience was lets say eventful

1.First they said that would have to charge me per day for my spouse even though website at Orlando locations seems to clearly say spouses can be added for no additional charge.
2 When I got there with my printed Priceline reservation they printed me out their own document showing that my reservation was cancelled in their system

. I asked whom and when was it cancelled but they said they could not tell.

I searched my emails and did not see any cancellation. I then called Priceline and they told me the reservation is active in their system and that Fox may have canceled it! I confronted Fox and they said "why would we cancel it;" Anyway both Fox and Priceline said there is nothing they can do until finally after maybe 1.5 hours Fox agreed to honor the price(+extra $4) after seeing I did not back down.

Was Fox playing games? What would you do at this point? would you file any complaint with whom?

nucheiner · « **Reply #1589 on:** November 04, 2021, 07:52:16 PM »

Quote from: davidd75 on November 04, 2021, 02:59:36 PM

Did anybody rent a car from Fox at this location? My experience was lets say eventful

1.First they said that would have to charge me per day for my spouse even though website at Orlando locations seems to clearly say spouses can be added for no additional charge.
2 When I got there with my printed Priceline reservation they printed me out their own document showing that my reservation was cancelled in their system . I asked whom and when was it cancelled but they said they could not tell.

I searched my emails and did not see any cancellation. I then called Priceline and they told me the reservation is active in their system and that Fox may have canceled it! I confronted Fox and they said "why would we cancel it;" Anyway both Fox and Priceline said there is nothing they can do until finally after maybe 1.5 hours Fox agreed to honor the price(+extra $4) after seeing I did not back down.

Was Fox playing games? What would you do at this point? would you file any complaint with whom?

Possible was a technical error. Check Google review if there are similar complaints. Always worth having a backup reservation with another agency. Especially in MCO where most of the counters are in the same area. I found lines in MCO to be long though, id pay a premium to skip the counter.

skyguy918 · « **Reply #1590 on:** November 05, 2021, 01:28:25 AM »

Quote from: nucheiner on November 04, 2021, 07:52:16 PM

Possible was a technical error. Check Google review if there are similar complaints. Always worth having a backup reservation with another agency. Especially in MCO where most of the counters are in the same area. I found lines in MCO to be long though, id pay a premium to skip the counter.

I don't think Fox is on airport at MCO, so there would be no counters nearby. When I went last year I'd heard mixed reviews about the various offsite options, but I ended up having a pretty good experience at Easirent.

davidd75 · « **Reply #1591 on:** November 05, 2021, 10:05:32 AM »

Quote from: skyguy918 on November 05, 2021, 01:28:25 AM

I don't think Fox is on airport at MCO, so there would be no counters nearby. When I went last year I'd heard mixed reviews about the various offsite options, but I ended up having a pretty good experience at Easirent.

correct off site

davidd75 · « **Reply #1592 on:** November 05, 2021, 10:07:42 AM »

would you file a complaint or take any other action in this situation? it was not fun to hear this info and feel stranded and at their mercy at that point since we did not have any another reservation etc...

ad120 · « **Reply #1593 on:** November 05, 2021, 10:41:15 AM »

Quote from: davidd75 on November 05, 2021, 10:07:42 AM

would you file a complaint or take any other action in this situation? it was not fun to hear this info and feel stranded and at their mercy at that point since we did not have any another reservation etc...

What would you be trying to with that?

davidd75 · « **Reply #1594 on:** November 05, 2021, 11:14:22 AM »

Quote from: ad120 on November 05, 2021, 10:41:15 AM

What would you be trying to with that?

well it could be a glitch or not; if they intentionally cancelled it that seems bordering on fraud/illegal if I have a confirmed reservation?

Priceline told me Fox probably cancelled it. I don't want to believe that but....

So IF there was foul play then:
1. It needs to be reported so it does not happen again to others
2. I don't think I deserved to go through such stress and anxiety and feeling stranded for over an hour?
3. They should not get away with such behavior.

ad120 · « **Reply #1595 on:** November 05, 2021, 12:09:32 PM »

Quote from: davidd75 on November 05, 2021, 11:14:22 AM

well it could be a glitch or not; if they intentionally cancelled it that seems bordering on fraud/illegal if I have a confirmed reservation?

Priceline told me Fox probably cancelled it. I don't want to believe that but....

So IF there was foul play then:
1. It needs to be reported so it does not happen again to others
2. I don't think I deserved to go through such stress and anxiety and feeling stranded for over an hour?
3. They should not get away with such behavior.

1. They don't care.
2. And therefore?
3. And therefore?

ETA: There is no fraud or illegality here. They can cancel a reservation if they want. If they don't have a car for you they aren't required to give you one either.

davidd75 · « **Reply #1596 on:** November 05, 2021, 03:46:24 PM »

Quote from: ad120 on November 05, 2021, 12:09:32 PM

1. They don't care. I'm glad they dont care but we care about each other(I hope)
2. And therefore? reimbursement
3. And therefore? Maybe they will think twice of doing it again

ETA: There is no fraud or illegality here. They can cancel a reservation if they want. If they don't have a car for you they aren't required to give you one either.

I am not certain this is so clear cut. You may not have any real recourse at the moment when you are at the counter if they insist on stonewalling you but later on you may have some options after the fact. Also I think most rental companies have industry practices that accommodate the customer when they overbook.
btw in my case they did not say they overbooked and had no cars they simply said it was somehow miraculously cancelled!

see this informative article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-xpm-2013-06-04-sns-201306040000-tms-travelpkctnxf-b20130604-20130604-story,amp.html

dealfinder85 · « **Reply #1597 on:** November 10, 2021, 09:12:22 AM »

Any good suggestions for discounted park tickets these days? Thanks

ad120 · « **Reply #1598 on:** November 10, 2021, 11:06:04 PM »

Quote from: dealfinder85 on November 10, 2021, 09:12:22 AM

Any good suggestions for discounted park tickets these days? Thanks

kosherOrlando.org

davidd75 · « **Reply #1599 on:** November 11, 2021, 11:19:54 AM »

So I used my ny ezpass tag in Orlando with my rental and it worked quite well. I called ny ez pass for new strips beforehand and just took off my tag after I parked in Phil and brought new strip and tag with me. I also tried adding rental license plate but that did not work because it appears the rental companies have the license plate associated with their own ez pass account.

Also note that for the most part I avoided toll roads by choosing avoid tolls on waze/gps etc.. It did not seem to make a big difference most of the time although one time when I had to make it back to the airport so I did choose the toll route to save like10 min or so.

I think I only paid like $1.50 in tolls in 3 days in Orlando!

Name	Area	More Info	Comments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________	_____________________________________________________	__________________________________________________________	____________________________________________________________________________
Comfort Inn & Suites Universal Convention Center	10-20 minutes from parks	Website	Not the fanciest, but being a Choice property means there's a BRG possibility. Free shuttle to Universal and SeaWorld. 5 minute walk to Kosher Gourmet restaurant/grocery and 20 minute walk to Chabad.
Hotel	Disney Resort	Website	SPG category X; X/night
Hotel	Universal Resort	Website	SPG category X; X/night
"Get your own place"	Greater Orlando Area	AirBNB, VRBO, HomeAway, Florida Sandanavian/ Vacation Pool Homes	Renting a private home can be great for a family. You'll get more for your money over a hotel - a couple of bedrooms, living/dining rooms, and a full kitchen. There will usually be a pool, and if you look hard enough, you can find one that's enclosed for privacy. The downside is that they're usually not too close to the parks, which means you'll definitely need a car and have to pay for parking at the parks.

Disney Parks	Comments
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	_________________________________________________________________________________
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios	Formerly MGM Studios.
Animal Kingdom

Universal Parks	Comments
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	_________________________________________________________________________________
Studios	The first of the 2 parks built, so it has some of the more classic rides like E.T. and The Mummy, while also featuring plenty of newer rides like Shrek, Minions, and Transformers. There are 1 or 2 roller coasters, and the rest of the rides are more like shows/3D/4D rides. Home to Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. If you have a park-to-park ticket, you can ride the Hogwarts Express train to connect to the HP World in Islands of Adventure. Only Kosher snacks are available here, no real food. As of 1/15, the mix for ButterBeer had a hechsher, but the topping did not, and they won't serve you without it. For a TR on the park, see here.
Islands of Adventure	Featuring rides like Jurassic Park and The Hulk, this park also has 1-2 roller coasters, while the rest of the rides are more of the show/3D/4D variety. Home to Harry Potter: Hogsmeade. If you have a park-to-park ticket, you can ride the Hogwarts Express train to connect to the HP World in Studios. Only Kosher snacks are available here, no real food. As of 1/15, the mix for ButterBeer had a hechsher, but the topping did not, and they won't serve you without it. For a TR on the park, see here.

Other Parks	Comments
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________	_________________________________________________________________________________
SeaWorld	A very family friendly park, less packed than Disney and Universal. Cheap annual passes as well as combo discounts for SeaWorld and Busch Gardens (which is in Tampa, 1hr away).
LegoLand	Located in Winter Haven, the park is a bit of a distance from the Greater Orlando area - approx. 45- 55 min away from other Orlando parks. LegoLand has an amusement park as well as a water park. If you look online it looks like the 2 are often not open on the same day. Each park costs about as much as the Disney/Universal parks (~$80) and can be greatly enjoyed by children, but can be underwhelming for adults. All rides are "kiddie" rides, some don't even allow adults on. The park is missing the magic of Disney/Universal, but may be much emptier than those parks, so that's a plus. The life-size Lego statues around the park are cool, but their water damage shows that LegoLand just doesn't get the "magic" necessary for an Orlando park. Kids will love the mini coasters and rides, something they might not be able to experience too much in Universal and parts of Disney. See here for cheaper tickets (~$100 total for 1 adult and 1 child ticket)

Name	More Info	Comments
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________	_____________________________________________________	__________________________________________________________
Wonderworks	Website
Fun Spot	Website
Titanic The Experience	Website	Geared towards older kids / adults
Ripley's Believe it or not	Website
Disney Quest	Website
Cirque De Soleil	Website
Orlando Science Center	Website
Kennedy Space Center - Visitor's Complex	Website	Tour NASA's KSC. Now features Space Shuttle Atlantis.
Skeleton Museum	Website
Event & Family Photography - Chavi Photo	Website

Name	More Info	Comments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________	__________________________________________________________	____________________________________________________________________________
Chabad of South Orlando	Website	Daily Minyanim - Shachris @ 8:00AM and 9:30AM on Shabbos. Mincha/Maariv is 10 minutes before Shkia, which can be difficult to make if you're spending the day in a park. During very peak seasons, they'll have an extra Maariv later at night.
Orlando Torah Academy	Website	Local day school that has Shacharis @ 8:30AM Monday - Friday during the school year (but not week of the 27th - they're on Yeshiva break vacation. (2024) Orlando Torah Academy runs KosherOrlando.org, which organizes and opens shuls in the resorts during busy times; check out the website to signup and find out more about the various minyanim
Orlando Torah Center	Website	Shachris @ 6:30AM weekdays, 8:00AM, Sunday 8:AM, 7:15AM (Hashkama) and 9:00AM Shabbos (Nusach Ashkenaz) as well as a separate Eidut Hamizrach at 9:AM. Mincha/Maariv is 1:30, and before/after Shkiah, which can be difficult to make if you're spending the day in a park. There's also a nightly 10PM Maariv

Name	More Info	Comments
____________________________________________________________________________________________________	__________________________________________________________	____________________________________________________________________________
Kosher Gourmet	Website	A classic deli with slightly pricey/reasonable prices, unlimited fountain soda refills, and mostly-friendly service. You may be able to find discounted gift cards at GreatKosherDeals.com. Next to the restaurant is also a Kosher grocery. The restaurant will give you a bag to go shopping with and you'll bring your purchases back to the restaurant to pay. Mostly (only?) non-perishables sold here. (Certified by the RCF)
Kosher Grill	Website	Review from shiframeir - Got takeout from here (place was packed and crazy for Yeshiva week), and the food was actually very good though understandably not cheap. Shwarma on baguette was great - even though they threw in this cabbage salad that scared me, it actually went great with the shwarma. Burgers were thick with flavor and decent shoe string fries. Caesar salad with chicken was what it is everywhere but with a real flame grilled piece of chicken. Stir fry wasn't fantastic, but is a nice alternative option on the menu that we enjoyed. Chili wings didn't really have much sauce flavor, but maybe they're better when you don't take it to go. Review from yeki89 (when this store was a food truck called Kosher on Wheels) - Falafel & fries was very good with large portions and fair prices. (Certified by the RCF)
Kosher Eatery	Website	Dairy and Meat Kosher Restaurant (Certified by the RCF)
Erin McKenna's Bakery	Website	Pareve and Gluten Free. Oat products are not Pas Yisroel. Ice Cream is NOT certified Kosher. (Certified by Florida K/Rabbi Sholom Dubov)
Catering by Motti / Motti's Bistro	Website	Takeout food available for Shabbos. Bistro restaurant only open during Yeshiva week
Winn Dixie	Store Locator	Located on Apopka Vineland (yes, that's a street name), this supermarket carries Cholov Yisroel milk and many other Kosher products.

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Author Topic: Orlando Master Thread (Read 507772 times)