Wouldn't we all like to spend a night in a castle?  Well, for an Orlando or Disney vacation, you have a few options.  You could win a night's stay in Cinderella's castle -- pretty unlikely, but awesome, nonetheless.  For Disney, you could go on certain Adventures by Disney vacations that include a night in a castle -- amazing, once in a lifetime vacations that can get a bit pricey.  Lastly, and the most accessible, you could stay at The Castle Hotel by Holiday Inn, right on International Drive in Orlando, Florida!

The Castle Hotel presents a themed facade that resembles a medieval castle and continues throughout the rest of the resort.  You'l find big, fluffy chairs, extravagant window treatments, and courtly cabanas at The Castle Hotel.

Situated between Universal Orlando and the Disney World Resort, The Castle Hotel provides shuttle transportation to both Florida theme parks.  Many guests also rent a car, as it's an easy drive to either resort area.

Watch our video tour of The Castle Hotel to get a better feel for this one-of-a-kind resort.

The Castle Hotel runs from $90 to $203 per night, depending on the room and the season.  One thing many guests note is a lack of a refrigerator in the room, however, you can get one any time, on request.  Also, keep in mind, this is an "off-property" resort that does not belong to Universal or Disney, so you won't get many of the perks that come along with staying "on-property" such as free Express Passes at Universal, early/late park hours, free parking, etc.

Have you ever stayed a night in a castle?  Cinderella's or otherwise?  Let us know in the comments! 

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Come fly with us! That's right, we had the opportunity to try indoor skydiving at the Orlando iFly vertical wind tunnel near the Universal Orlando Resort on International Drive. It was an amazing experience!!

You start out in the indoor skydiving observation room while you wait to take the course on how to skydive in the wind tunnel. While you wait, you get to see the group of indoor skydivers from before you. After the observation time concludes, you walk upstairs to watch a short instructional video and don your flight suit, helmet, and goggles. One thing to note: We had on flip-flops, but this wasn't an issue, as they have shoes they can lend you for your indoor skydiving experience.

After getting suited up, you head down to the wind tunnel to begin your "dives." You get two indoor skydives at about 1 to 1.5 minutes each. During our last one, the instructor took us really high in the tunnel!! It was the best part of the ride!!

Once your time is up, the instructor will put your near the exit door and you pull yourself to the waiting area. You'll see me do this in the video to get an idea how it works.

You can also order a DVD of your indoor skydiving experience, but we found our own video to be good enough. This was an exhilarating experience and we can't wait to go, again.

Here's a bit more information about the iFly Orlando indoor skydiving experience.

A vertical wind tunnel moves air up in a vertical column, creating the indoor skydiving experience.

Simply put, iFLY is flying; you will soar on a column of air inside a vertical wind tunnel. SkyVenture is the world leader and most experienced company when it comes to vertical wind tunnels. iFLY uses superior technology and is unique; multiple fans located at the top of the flight chamber produce a wall-to-wall airflow that is smooth and fun to fly in. The air flow is totally controllable; this, combined with our professional instructors, makes for the most exciting flight experience possible.

Excitement, adrenaline and adventure - iFLY offers it all in the flight experience of a lifetime.

You do not need any previous experience. Our training class will give you all the fundamentals and the complete gear you need is included. All you have to do is get ready to smile, as this will be just about the most exciting adventure you have ever accomplished.

Skydivers love freefall because it's the closest possible thing to true human flight. Now everyone can experience the same exhilaration, in a safe environment, in full view of family and friends!

Everything that you need for a flight experience is waiting for you at iFLY. No experience is needed, just a sense of adventure and a yearning for the supreme personal flight experience. The innovative sport of body flight is always new and always exciting. In an iFLY wind tunnel you are able to fly your body in a controlled manner.

What do you think?  Would you try indoor skydiving?  We felt the price was pretty reasonable, starting right around $50 for 2 "flights."  You can also buy "bulk" time for more extended flying time and personal coaching.  I can tell you that when we finished our short two flights, I was ready to buy as much "bulk" time as I could afford.

Just a few minutes northeast of the Disney World Resort, you can see manatee, baby manatee, and alligators in the wild at Blue Springs State Park!

The Florida manatee, Florida’s state marine mammal, is a large aquatic relative of the elephant. They are grayish brown in color and have thick, wrinkled skin on which there is often a growth of algae. Their front flippers help them steer or sometimes crawl through shallow water. They also have powerful flat tails that help propel them through the water. Despite their small eyes and lack of outer ears, manatees are thought to see and hear quite well.

Blue Springs State Park is open year round and has activities that include camping, hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, and picnic areas.  The best time to see the manatee is during the winter season from November 15 through March 1.  During this "manatee season" the springs are closed to all water-based activities, including swimming.

Here's our video from a visit last spring when over 200 manatee were counted in the springs on this day.

You'll note in the video that I mentioned that alligators do come up into the springs.  Many guide books make the claim that the gators don't like the 72 degree water and won't come up into the springs.  As you can see in this video, this just isn't true, so if you do plan to swim, snorkel, or scuba in the springs you must still be aware of this hazard.  All the video of the gators was taken well into the springs and not the St. Johns River.  Just as a side note, I've snorkeled, swam, and scuba dove in many Florida springs and never had an issue with alligators.

**Please note: West Indian manatees in the United States are protected under federal law by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 which make it illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal. West Indian manatees are also protected by the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978. Violations of these federal or state laws can be met with civil or criminal convictions associated with monetary fines and/or imprisonment.

Starting on May 1, several Orlando area restaurants are participating in a yummy week called Orlando Restaurant Week.  For one week (May 1- 7), you can dine at some incredible restaurants for some very inexpensive prices.  Starting at $10 per person, you can choose a 3 course meal at this incredible price.  Imagine an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $10!  You can spend more at McDonalds in Orlando.

The prices run $10, $15, $25, and $35 depending on your restaurant choice.  Some of the very popular restaurants for tourists include Hard Rock Cafe at Universal Studios, The Capitol Grille, Omaha Steakhouse, Morton's Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Cuba Libre.

The restaurants that amaze me the most are Morton's Steakhouse and Ruth's Chris Steak House for $35 per person for an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  Incredible prices!

If you are visiting Disney World next week, check out this website for more information about an elegant dinner at a cheap price!