For those traveling in and needing accommodations, we wanted to share a few things that are important to know.
Air travel: If you are flying in, the closest airport is the Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB), which is about 40 minutes away. The only airline that comes in and out of this airport, though, is Allegiant, so most people will likely want to fly into the next closest airport, which is Orlando International Airport (MCO), about an hour away.
Driving in and around Orlando: If you are traveling from out of state and plan on renting a car, check out some helpful tips below. Florida locals likely know all of this, so feel free to skip below if you like. :)
First, traffic in the Orlando area can be busy (Kristen: "More like chaotic!"); many of the drivers are tourists, so they tend to be distracted by their GPS, the sight of palm trees for the first time, and random rollercoasters that can be seen from I-4. The second thing to know is that while I-4 is technically an East-West highway, as it connects the East and West sides of the state, in Orlando, it runs more North and South. There are also many tolls in the area, so you may want to consider a toll package with your rental car company or picking up a SunPass if that isn't an option.
Accommodations to AVOID: When researching possible hotels, we found that there is a hotel very close to the venue (Citrus on the Lake Boutique Hotel), but unfortunately, we DO NOT recommend anyone stay there. After looking at reviews of the hotel, it appears there could be issues with service, noise, and cleanliness of the rooms. Given the risk of our wedding guests having a poor hotel experience, we decided it would be better to have everyone be a little further away, but hopefully well-rested and happy.
Accommodations to Consider: We recommend booking a short-term vacation rental (like AirBnB or VRBO) or staying at the Hampton Inn in Mt. Dora (details below). If you are looking at a short-term vacation rental, and you want to be relatively close to the venue, search in the towns of Tavares or Mt. Dora, particularly near Lake Dora, which is the lake that the venue is on. As always, please research any rental thoroughly before booking. For those looking for a more traditional hotel, please look at the Hampton Inn details below.
The Hampton Inn is about a 15-minute drive from the wedding venue. While they do not have a traditional "block" where they hold a set number of rooms, they are offering discounted rates so long as they have availability.
For Friday, 11/7 and Saturday, 11/8, the price is normally $266 a night, but they are offering those nights for $189 a night (plus tax).
For Sunday, 11/9, the price is normally $149 for the night, but they are offering it for $129 for the night (plus tax).
If you want to book any of these nights (you don't have to do all 3), simply call up the hotel directly and let them know you are with the "Copenhaver-Oates Wedding" and they can help you with the reservation.