Orlando for Chanuka Using Points, Free Tickets, and Travel Credits

Chanuka 2025 we decided to do something a little different: a super short, high-impact family trip to Orlando. From Motzai Shabbos until Monday afternoon, my husband and I took our 6-year-old for a quick getaway that packed in just enough fun without feeling overwhelming. Between points, promos, and a bit of splurging where it mattered, it ended up being a really sweet (and surprisingly efficient) vacation.

How We Got There

We flew JetBlue using 65,200 points plus $33.60 for all three of us. Admittedly, this was higher than I usually like to redeem for Orlando, but Chanuka falls right in the middle of peak holiday travel, so flexibility is limited. Sometimes you take what you can get and for nonstop, decent flight times, this worked.

Where We Stayed (Hotel)

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, completely free thanks to 24,000 Hyatt points. When I say completely free, I mean no resort fees or taxes. When booking an award stay with Hyatt points, you don't pay resort fees, unlike Marriott or Hilton. We saved $108 on resort fees alone!

We chose this hotel due to its proximity to both the airport (20 minutes) and SeaWorld (5 minutes).The room was very comfortable, and the hotel itself is gorgeous. It has a very young party vibe. We arrived late at night and the place was hopping! The grounds include a hot tub, multiple pools, and a water slide, which was amazing. It felt luxe without paying luxe prices aka exactly what I love about points travel.

What We Did (Activities)

Sunday was all about SeaWorld. Thanks to an EMT promotion, we got two tickets free and paid $90 for one additional ticket, which also included a meal voucher.

While the orca show kept getting canceled, we still had a great day. We enjoyed the dolphin show, but the real highlight was Sesame Street Land which was absolutely perfect for our 6-year-old. Between the sprinklers, pretend houses, rides, meet the characters, and the Sesame Street parade, she was in her element!

By around 6 p.m., we were wiped and went to get supper. We then debated going back to SeaWorld for the fireworks show, but exhaustion won. Instead, we took the bus back to the hotel for a total of $5, which felt like a win after such a full day. Plus the bus had a cute old time feel to it, which was fun.

Monday morning was slower paced. We spent some time in the pool area and tried out the water slide, which was fun, but it was pretty chilly so we didn’t stay too long. After checking out, we headed out for lunch before making our way to the airport.

What We Ate

For breakfast, we took along sandwiches and basics. We find it easiest to have breakfast in our room right when we wake up.

For lunch at SeaWorld (day 1), we were able to order kosher food at Seafire Grill. It did require asking for a supervisor, and it took about an hour for the food to be heated properly. But once it arrived, it was surprisingly good! It's comparable to airplane food but somehow tasted better... We used one free meal voucher from our purchased SeaWorld ticket, and paid $15 plus tax for a total of 2 lunch orders. This was enough food for the 3 of us, although admittedly, our 6 year old can be picky and basically only ate the farfel :)

For dinner, we went to Kosher Grill, which is always a winner. Reliable, satisfying, and exactly what we needed after a long day. We were starving at that point and the food was delicious, fresh, and so good!

Before heading to the airport on Monday, we stopped at Krembo and enjoyed an incredible lunch. The pasta, sandwiches, and pizza were delicious but the real winners are their drinks. Try their ice teas next time you're there! So fun.

How We Got Around

We mostly rely on Uber/Lyft when traveling, since it's usually easier than renting a car and having to find/pay for parking and add time to our return trip to drop it off.

This time we also utilized public transportation, and got to take advantage of a credit card benefit we didn't think we'd use. We had recently opened the Citi Strata Elite card and it includes a 2x $100 credit to Blacklane (a luxury car service company). It's difficult to use due to how expensive they are. Even after the $100 credit, the remaining total is usual more than a regular Uber or Lyft. But we lucked out with our return trip to the airport. The total cost was $113, which is effectively only $13. Pretty cheap for a ride to the airport and we got luxury service such as complimentary wait time, etc.

Total Cost Breakdown

JetBlue Flights:

• 65,200 JetBlue points

• $33.60 cash

Hyatt Regency Orlando Hotel:

• 24,000 Hyatt points

Activities:

• SeaWorld tickets: $90 (2 tickets free via EMT promotion)

Food:

• $17.04 Seafire Kosher Meal

• $115 Kosher Grill supper

• $67.10 Krembo lunch

• $32.97 Snacks at SeaWorld

Transportation:

• Blacklane luxury car to airport: $13

• $103.05 Uber/Lyft

• $5 Bus back to hotel

Expense	Points	Cash
Flights	65,200	$33.60
Hotel	24,000	$0.00
Food	0	$232.11
Transportation	0	$121.05
Activities	0	$90.51
Total	89,200	$477.27

For a trip that lasted barely more than 36 hours, this Orlando getaway felt full, fun, and surprisingly relaxed. It was proof that even a quick Chanuka escape can feel special without breaking the bank. Would you spend 90k points plus ~$500 to get some sunshine?