Tropical Palms Blog: RV Resort, Cottages, Vacation Home Rentals in Orlando, Florida near Disney

The kids are back in school so the lines are short, the weather is a dream of warm days and cool nights and there are great deals for Florida residents at shops, restaurants and attractions all around the Orlando area. Which makes this just a terrific time of year to be visiting Tropical Palms.

You can start your trip by tasting your way around the world at the Food and Wine Festival in Disney World’s Epcot Center. Twenty-five international kiosks are serving up tapas size portions of delicious delicacies from 6 continents. And because it’s Epcot, there are concerts, seminars and special events. But hurry, it’s over on the 8th.

Can’t make it in time for the food festival? No problem. Cirque du Soleil® – La Nouba is performed twice nightly Tuesdays through Saturdays. This extraordinary event features a cast of 65 acrobats, athletes and performance artists from 15 countries. It’s a “theatrical ride for the senses” that makes “the impossible, possible” and promises to leave you, like its thousands of fans, in awe of what you’ve seen.

November’s also the month 150 award-winning artists from around the world gather for the Festival of Masters show and when 128 of the world’s best golfers tee up at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic (Nov 12-15). And that’s just the beginning of the wonderful entertainment that happens everyday at Disney World.

When you’re done at Disney, Universal Studios, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, Daytona, the Kennedy Space Center and Old Town are all waiting nearby.

The best part is that after your day or night out, you get to come home to Tropical Palms. Not a tight little hotel room, but a spacious cottage where there’s no one on the other side of the wall, just a friendly neighbor next door. So bring your bike and your Sea-doo and all your toys because you’ll want to play here — which makes Tropical Palms the best place to get away.

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Respond to this post and tell us about your favorite attractions in the Orlando area. Your neighbors will want to know about it!

Ask Jaden Mackie, 5 or his sister, Jayli, 1½, how they spent their summer vacation and the answer would probably be, “Play.” Ask grand mom Pam, who spent the summer here with them and she’d say, “What didn’t they do? And that includes petting an alligator.”

Most of the time they spent outdoors, playing with friends. Jayli has a tricycle and a little motorized car she drove around in, remote controlled by grand mom. Jaden was with his buddies playing Manhunt, riding his bike or splashing around in the pool.

Pam, who visits in an RV, used to stay at the Disney campground, but says she moved to Tropical Palms because, “There’s every bit as much to do and it’s a lot more economical.” In fact, though she has season passes at Disney, she and the kids had so much fun they spent most of their time right here. Going down slides, riding bikes and a lot of swimming keep the 50-year-old Pam young and young at heart. So do her neighbors.

“It’s feels like family here; like an old fashioned neighborhood. People come for the season, or a weekend or a week and then come back again and again. Everybody looks out for one another. And the staff is always around, helping with whatever they can. So you don’t have to worry about the kids. You know they’re safe. And there’s always something special going on, like a visit from the alligator farm, that’s when the kids got to pet the gators.”

Of course, it does concern Pam a bit that Jaden wants to wrestle one when he gets a little older.

We want to know how you spent your summer vacation at Tropical Palms. Send us your stories and pictures!

Be sure to check out Jaden and Jayli with those alligators on our Facebook page.

Sun-N-Fun, Sherkston Shores, and Tropical Palms have contributed recipes for what we think makes a perfect three course repast. Get the family together, enjoy the food and drink and talk about what you want to do during your next visit with us. Share your thoughts about these recipes in your comments.

BEVERAGE
The Tropical Palms team concocts their idea of the perfect refreshment at the end of the day.

Tropi-Cabana
1 Glass of Ice
1oz. Coconut Malibu Rum
6oz. Pineapple Juice
.5 oz. Melon Liqueur
Splash of Cranberry Juice
Maraschino Cherry & fresh fruit Garnish

ENTREÉ
Sherkston General Manager John O’Brien’s personal recipe. Discovered while he and wife Naomi visited South Africa. John challenged Chef Ken to duplicate it. The results were so satisfying it’s now on Sherkston’s menu.

Peri Peri Chicken (serves 6)
Ingredients
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped garlic
6 tsp chili peppers
2 tsp of oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp of salt and pepper
6pcs skin on chicken breast, or one 5 lb whole chicken

Preparation
In small bowl, combine, garlic, olive oil, hot pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub over chicken, pushing some of the mixture under skin.

Refrigerate chicken for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. On a greased grill over medium heat, cook chicken, covered, for about 15 minutes on each side or until breasts are no longer pink inside or juices run clear when legs are pierced with a fork.

Serve with steamed rice and grilled vegetables.

DESSERT
This Florida favorite comes from the Sun-N-Fun cookbook that’s comprised of recipes contributed by winter-time residents. The cookbook helped raise $2300 for a local food bank, making it all the more delicious!

Key Lime Pie (compliments of Alexis Ruby)
Crust
9 inch pie pan
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 ½ tbsp melted butter

Filling
½ Cup Nellie’s Key West lime juice
(1) 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks

Preparation
Combine the crumbs with the butter and press into the pie pan.
Combine milk and egg and mix will. Slowly add key lime juice and mix just until incorporated.
DO NOT over mix.
Bake at 350° F for 15 minutes.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before refrigerating.