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There's More To Orlando Than Theme Parks

Photo by KAREN HAYMON LONG

The gazebo behind the Dr. Phillips House at The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne bed and breakfast in Orlando is a popular place for weddings.

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By KAREN HAYMON LONG

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2008

When you head to Orlando for a weekend escape, think beyond staying in a traditional motel room.

The vacation mecca of the world offers all sorts of places that can make your downtime in the city almost as much fun as exploring the sights.

We scouted the area and found four intriguing alternatives to the standard 14-by-16-foot room with a parking lot view.

Omni Orlando Resort At ChampionsGate

Whether you're traveling with kids, couples or golf buddies, the three-bedroom villas at this swanky resort offer an ideal setup. They're in their own secure building, with a private fitness center, a concierge who works from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., room service, a swimming pool just for villa guests and owners, and access to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

The villas have full kitchens, dining rooms, spacious living rooms with plasma TVs, three large bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms and a study that doubles as a TV-computer game room. Balconies off some master bedrooms look out over two golf courses.

Golfers and families especially like to stay in the villas, an easy walk from the resort's 720-room hotel, seven restaurants, two other swimming pools (one with an 850-foot ''lazy river''), children's center, European spa and fitness center.

The complex, about five minutes from the Disney theme parks, has two Greg Norman-designed golf courses: the International, a links-style course modeled after those in the British Isles, and The National, which wends through citrus groves. A par-3 course is lit up at night for those who don't get their fix during the day.

Guests of all ages and abilities can take golf instruction at the academy founded 20 years ago by Leadbetter, the renowned instructor. It offers everything from one-hour private sessions to full-day sessions and two-day retreats.

Private half-day lessons with Leadbetter range from $2,500 to $10,000.

The three-bedroom villas vary from low to high season: $473 to $729 a night for a three- to seven-night stay; $450 to $693 a night for a seven-night stay; $426 to $656 a night for a 14-night stay.

Smoking and pets are not permitted.

The resort is at 1500 Masters Blvd. Call (407) 390-6664 or go to www.omniorlandoresort.com.

The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne

Disney didn't spawn everything in Orlando, and a visit to The Courtyard at Lake Lucerne proves it.

The charming inn, within walking distance of the city's business district, is made up of four historical buildings, one of them Orlando's oldest house.

The Norment-Perry Inn, dating from 1883, has six guest rooms with private baths — four with sitting areas. It was built for a dwarf, Judge Richard B. Norment, which explains its diminutive proportions. Windows are close to the floor, the staircase banister is low slung, and the balcony overlooking the backyard courtyard seems just the right height for a child.

The yellow, Queen Anne Victorian-style Dr. Phillips House is the inn's jewel. It, too, has six guest rooms, all with antique furniture and marble baths with whirlpool tubs. The dining room, where breakfast is served daily, looks out over a lush courtyard and gazebo, where hundreds of couples have exchanged wedding vows.

Across the street, the Wellborn building, circa 1946, was the first apartment building constructed in Orlando after World War II, when art deco was all the rage. Extensive renovations didn't disturb the architecture. Today, Wellborn's 14 one-bedroom suites and honeymoon suite are decorated with complementary art deco furnishings from around the world.

The fourth building, the I.W. Phillips House, was built in 1916 for Dr. Philip Phillips' son. Its verandas overlook a courtyard, where angel statues flank planters of thick ferns. Upstairs, three suites are decorated with antique furniture and paintings.

The inn bills itself as ''an oasis in downtown,'' and guests Jeff Rakes and Alyson Gold of Fort Lauderdale say that's about right. They stayed in the Dr. Phillips House, in a second-floor room with a fireplace and an antique bed covered by a plush comforter.

''It was very quiet and very pretty,'' says Rakes, adding that they couldn't hear traffic, though the inn is close to a highway. ''It's about the same price as a hotel, but more intimate.''

Gold says they chose a bed-and-breakfast because ''we wanted to stay away from the tourist area.''

After a good night's sleep, the two planned to head to Blue Springs State Park for an even greater escape from traffic and noise.

The inn is at 211 N. Lucerne Circle E. Rates vary by building and room but range from $99 to $225 a night and include a carafe of wine, continental breakfast, complimentary cocktails from 6 to 7 p.m., and Wi-Fi access. Call 1-800-444-5289 or go to www.orlandohistoricinn.com.

Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando

Why not stay in luxury if you can afford it? This Ritz-Carlton lives up to the chain's reputation for impeccable — but friendly — service, luxurious rooms and public spaces, and excellent dining.

Its 40,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style spa is reason enough to stay here. The three-story spa boasts 40 treatment rooms, a 4,000-square-foot outdoor heated lap pool, relaxation conservatory, salon and boutique. Like the Ritz-Carlton's golf course, it's open to the public as well as to guests.

The 584-room Ritz-Carlton sits on 500 acres adjacent to the 1,000-room J.W. Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. Guests of both hotels can take advantage of both properties' restaurants, shops, pools and other amenities.

They include: a Greg Norman-designed golf course, kayak eco-tours, fly-fishing lessons, bird-watching, two butterfly gardens, children's programs and popular restaurants including the Marriott's Primo, specializing in organic Italian cuisine, and the Ritz-Carlton's Norman's, for Asian, Floridian, Latin and Caribbean fare.

At the Ritz-Carlton, guests may choose from deluxe rooms, deluxe executive suites or two presidential suites that are a whopping 2,400 square feet. Deluxe room rates start at about $400 a night.

The resort is at 4024 Central Florida Parkway. Call (407) 206-2400 or 1-800-682-3665, or go to the-ritz-carlton.grandelakes.com.

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

You don't usually think of camping, even in an RV, at the Walt Disney World Resort. But the campgrounds and cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are popular.

The cabins are air conditioned and furnished with tasteful decor. There are sights with hookups for RVs and tent sites.

This resort has everything from a dinner theater for its ''Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue'' to a country store, a lounge, horse-drawn carriage rides and evening campfires, where guests are treated to outdoor Disney movies and roasted marshmallows.

The comedy musical revue is the longest currently running musical stage show in the country. It includes all-you-can-eat fried chicken, ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, strawberry shortcake, and beer and wine.

Other resort highlights: heated swimming pools, playgrounds, a marina, a dog park, a lakeside beach and free transportation to Disney theme parks as well as horseback riding, pony rides, tennis and off-road Segway tours.

Disney even rents out tents, cots, bikes, kayaks, canoes, fishing rods, tennis rackets and golf carts for those who didn't bring their own.

Many families return year after year and get to know each other, Disney marketing manager Darcy Cormier says. Some families even go all out to decorate their sites for the holidays.

Campers may stay as long as they'd like. One family stayed 11 months, Cormier says.

The resort has 409 cabins, each with one bedroom containing a full bed and bunk bed. A Murphy bed folds down in the living room for two people, so the cabin can sleep six.

The wood-paneled cabins have full kitchens, a bathroom, high-speed Internet access, a flat-screen TV and a barbecue grill.

''They're rustic and charming, but not roughing it,'' says Disney's Charles Stovall, who stayed in a cabin with friends and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cabins range from $255 to $380 a night, depending on the season; campsites range from $42 to $99, depending on hookups and the season.

Call (407) 939-6244 or go to www.wdwcamp.com.

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