Central Florida Family Vacations

West-
beaches - area
Visitors to Central West Florida have always gotten plenty of things for free — dazzling sunshine, soft Gulf Coast breezes and powdery white sand.

An array of cheap central Florida family vacations can help make the rest of the region's attractions almost as economical. Travelers can make the most of their Tampa-area vacation with "Great Tampa Getaways," a new year-round package program that pairs up Tampa attractions and hotel accommodations throughout Hillsborough County, offering visitors looking for a value-oriented Florida family vacation plan with lots of options.

Travelers looking for Florida family vacations can select from a wide range of package options, including admissions to area attractions and museums, tickets to professional sports events and outdoor activities such as deep sea fishing, canoe trips and hot air balloon expeditions. Package prices start at $79 per person, per night.

In addition, some of Tampa's most popular attractions, such as Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium and MOSI, offer an average of 10 percent off admissions to senior citizens and students. For quick, affordable transportation to many of the area's cultural and historical attractions, families can take advantage of the Tampa-Ybor Trolley's 25-cent fare.

Southwest of Tampa, enjoy an average of 361 days of sunshine for free on the Pinellas Suncoast, which encompasses eight Pinellas County communities from Tarpon Springs to St. Pete Beach. Although sunny year-round, many hotels offer special packages during the summer where the average room rate dips to less than $52 per night. And with average meal prices ranging from $3 for breakfast to $9 for dinner, vacationers may find feeding the family to be less expensive than they planned.

Within an easy drive to Tampa-area attractions, Manatee County features hotel and resort rates from just $40 per night, while campgrounds and state parks offer natural accommodations beginning at $10 per night.
In addition, visitors can enjoy the Manatee Village Historical Park and DeSoto National Memorial for free.
Other Manatee County attractions, such as the Gamble Plantation State Historic Site and the world's longest pier, cost less than $5 per person.

Central-
area
Abundant coupons, discount cards and package deals help make Central Florida family vacations as easy on the budget as they are fun for the kids. There are also many attractions that are free, or under $10 admission.

One package deal worth checking out is the Orlando FlexPass, which offers visitors unlimited admission to Sea World of Florida, Universal Studios Florida and Wet 'n Wild for less than $95 for adults and under $78 for children. Visitors can "park hop" between the three attractions for up to seven consecutive days.
For an additional $31, unlimited access to Busch Gardens in nearby Tampa can be added to the deal.

Transportation around Orlando is convenient and inexpensive. The "I-Ride Trolley" transports guests up and down International Drive's bustling strip every 5-10 minutes, making 54 stops from Sea World to American Way. Additionally, the Lynx bus system provides economical public transportation around the entire city, and Lymmo for downtown service.

In and around the Orlando area, visitors will find a wide range of accommodations. Disney's 25 official resorts offer many conveniences including complimentary transportation to parks, reduced prices on children's meals, on-site ticket counters and use of Disney-owned golf courses. And although a family of four can stay at Disney's All-Star Music or All-Star Sports Resorts for under $75 per night, and at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground for under $50 per night, visitors often prefer lower hotel prices in nearby Kissimmee-St. Cloud. With more than 88,000 hotel rooms, the Orlando area can accommodate just about any budget.

Be sure to ask if there are any Florida resident discounts. Aiming at return visitors, many Orlando-area attractions offer special Florida resident deals at certain times during the year.

Polk County's varied assortment of one-of-a-kind museums — including the Mulberry Phosphate Museum, Water Ski Museum, Polk Museum of Art, Museum of Fishing and Sun 'n Fun Air Museum — lend a special charm to the area. Most of the museums are free or less than $4 for admission, offering visitors affordable family fun. At the area's most famous attraction, Cypress Gardens, kids under 12 get in free every day. And Polk County also offers more than 13,000 overnight accommodations, with prices dipping even lower during the April to mid-September value season.

East-
beaches - area
Central East Florida's larger tourist attractions offer plenty of family-friendly discounts, while a host of small towns help make beach vacations affordable and fun.

Through Daytona Beach's Small Lodging Program, travelers will find economical home-away-from-home accommodations with money-saving amenities such as efficiency kitchenettes. The program includes more than 53 select motel, hotel and bed-and-breakfast inns, many of which are beachfront, that emphasize affordable accommodations and high quality standards. Already low room rates decrease even more during the area's value season from May through October.

For the best golf deals, check out Golf Daytona Beach, a program that packages golf and hotel accommodations. The program offers "free seasonal golf" to visitors staying two or more nights at over 30 participating hotels and motels. For the length of their stay, guests can enjoy one free round of golf each day at 13 participating courses. Additionally, all golfers will enjoy reduced fees during Daytona's value season.

Considered Orlando's closest beach, vacationers will enjoy the Space Coast's 72 miles of Atlantic shores as well as its affordable family accommodations, with average room rates of only $54 per night. Space Coast attractions also give family pocketbooks a break.

Now that you know all more about Florida family vacations, find the best Orlando Hotels and accommodations here.