carl

We're looking at a week in Orlando with the kids (Disney World, etc.)
However, there's a bewildering range of options! Should we book at a hotel in the resort (I think you get free admission tickets then) or one nearby? Which is the best option for the resort tickets -- Ultimate Park Hopper, 10 day thingy, etc?

If we're going for 7 days, how many days do we want to book for the Disney theme parks? I was thinking 5, but that doesn't leave much time for Universal Studios, etc.

Be nice if we could get some time in the Keys as well, but it's quite a long way

I'm so confused...

darlodge

I'm off to Orlando on Thursday for 2 weeks

If you buy Disney hopper tickets they are open ended and do not EVER EXPIRE. So if you want to go back 10 tears later you can use the remaining days left on your pass.

Universal tickets however are not open ended. If you buy a 7 day pass they expire exactly 7 days after your first admission. You do have the luxury of entering the leave the park as many times as you want during the day which is nice

We bought our Disney tickets from a company in the UK (can't remember what they are called) and our Universal tickets from www.universalorlando.com. We bought a 14 day hopper pass for Orlando and a 5 day Hopper for Disney. I know there is a lot of lost days but it worked out cheaper to buy the 14 day pass than a 7!!

As you are only going for 7 days you are going to miss out a lot of things. Even if you had a month out there, there are still things you would not get to do.

Sea world
Daytona raceway + Beach I'm there during our visit
NASA
Coco beach

To name just a small amount of the very popular attractions.

Try and allow time to relax, it’s bloody hot out there and it really takes it out of you walking about Disney or Universal all day. Are you planning on doing any shopping? The exchange rate is wicked ($1.8 to the £) at the moment. If so Florida has some bloody HUGE malls.

Accommodation
If you can afford to stay in Disney then go ahead but I am sure it will be Very Very expensive.

We are staying in my parent’s time share just off the famous 192. It’s about 30 minutes from Disney but the benefit is that when we go out for breakfast in the morning it’s only a 5 minute drive. I'd rather be 30 minutes away from Disney than 30 minutes away from Dinner and Breakfast every day.

Darren

Matt Churchill

We're off to Orlando in July for what will be our 11th trip, so you've hit on my specialist subject! A week in Orlando isn't really sufficient to do it justice - there are four Disney and two Universal parks (all of which are must-dos IMO) before you've even thought about doing anything else such as the water parks, Sea World, shopping, Kennedy, etc.

If you go down the DIY route you could probably do 2 weeks in Orlando, or a week in Orlando and a week in the Keys (or on the coast), for less than you'd pay for a week's package holiday. If you do decide to opt for just a week in Orlando then staying onsite would be a good bet, although I would do 5 nights onsite at Disney and 2 at Universal. The set-up at Universal really gives Disney a run for its money - we've stayed at both the Hard Rock Hotel (way cool) and the Portofino Bay (swanky). Both Universal parks are within walking distance of the (3) hotels. HRH is the closest, but there are also water taxis when you can't be bothered. Universal offers its onsite guests Front of the Line access (to all but a few minor attractions) at the parks which is a huge benefit, especially if you go during a busy time, and better than Disney's offering of an hour's early entry at a nominated park each morning.

The free admission tickets for staying onsite only come with packages - either through a tour operator or by booking packages directly with Disney and Universal. I don't know how people afford the brochure prices for onsite hotels - we buy Annual Passes (for both Disney and Universal) which means we then get discounts (up to 40%) on hotel rates (which are already cheaper if you book direct than if you book a package). Only one member of your party needs to have an Annual Pass to get the discount and you don't need to have it when you book, just when you check in (although in fact we've never been asked).

The downside of the AP is that they expire 12 months after first use. As Darren says, Disney Hoppers never expire (although the 10 day tickets available just for the UK market do). Not all Universal tickets expire and they often have offers. For example they are currently offering 5 days for the price of 2, and buy one year get the second free on annual passes (in theory you need a voucher from Burger King in Florida, but if anyone wants the code to get this deal online, feel free to PM me). The annual passes are not that much more than the regular passes and we usually manage two trips in one year which then makes it a no brainer.

We tend to go for 2 or 3 weeks, book a villa for the duration, and then take out a couple of nights to stay onsite - usually at Universal for the FOTL benefit. Villas tend to work out cheaper than hotels, allow you to eat some meals 'at home', and to wash your clothes without having to waste hours of your holiday queueing at the hotel laundry (and you can also then pack less). Having your own pool (and jacuzzi!) to relax in is great and your kids will enjoy their time in the pool every bit as much as the time in the parks.

Like you say, the number of options is bewildering, but I would urge you to consider DIY and going for two weeks - obviously the flights will cost the same and, although you will then have to pay for two weeks' accommodation and meals, as I said before, you should be able to do it for the price of a week's package holiday. Try posting some questions on The DIS. There is a dedicated UK Trip Planning board, plus Disney and Universal forums. Also check out Mousesavers for details of all kinds of discounts.

carl

Would love to do two weeks, but we're thinking of going in half-term (end of May) so it can't be done
That coupled with the fact that I get paid a daily rate, which makes two weeks not working ludicrously expensive...

Matt Churchill

In that case, I would just concentrate on the Disney and Universal parks. There's always next time to do all the other stuff and once you've been you WILL be going back!

carl

BTTT

I've done a bit of investigation now and it seems that it costs as much to stay in a decent hotel in Downtown Disney/Lake Buena Vista as it does to stay in a "moderate" Disney Hotel. The thought being that reviews of the "offsite" hotels are often mixed, whilst there's rarely a complaint about a Disney Hotel.

However, it seems to me that if you stay "onsite" your only option is to buy an "Ultimate Park Hopper" ticket, which is quite expensive. I can envisage at least two days where we'd want to be elsewhere in Orlando, not including the arrival and departure days. Actually it seems you can book a hotel "onsite" with no theme park tickets, which seems a bit odd if the hotel is on-site.

Thoughts? If I go for the "Ultimate Park Hopper" can I retain the unused days for future years?

Need to book the flights by tomorrow morning, but can wait on the hotel/tickets for a few days...

imlach

Ah, Florida - the choice of monied Chavs & their kids

carl

LOL! It's the kids that want it more than me. If it was down to me, I'd spend a week in Orlando (kids stuff) and a week in the Keys or Las Vegas.

FWIW I don't have a Civic Type-R, nor do I have a Burberry baseball cap. And I don't wear any sort of necklace.

imlach

When I was a lad.....

Seriously, when I was a lad, I was told where I was going on summer holidays, be it Portpatrick, Mull of Kintyre, Dordogne, Tuscany, or the North Yorkshire Moors....

Don't remember being given a say in the decision.

However, what sticks in my mind from them are the dull, boring, tedious, & banal times I was dragged around the local tourist attractions of the above. However, looking back on these holidays, at least I experienced different countries, cultures, and a bit of an insight into how others live.....and it has made me want to revisit all these places today.....

Who the hell would want to go back to Dismaland or Dismalworld 9 times in a row? Broaden your kids horizons and show them some non-commercialised & non-sanatized parts of the world

Daryl

Imlach, surely if you've got nothing good to say on this subject just keep quiet. You are entitled to your opinion, however, Carl wasn't asking whether or not to go to Florida, but about his options having decided that he is going there.

FWIW, Florida is a fantastic holiday destination, so take your 'I'm superior to you' mentality to another thread please

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Definately do NASA

If you're lucky there may be a satelite launch, we missed one due to poor weather

ianc

Ok, so here's a question... and I almost agree with imlach!

I too grew up with UK holidays, and am glad to have seen parts of the UK other kids (who always went abroad).

My girls (three of em!) have so far only seen UK destinations also.

I'd like to do a Florida break - 1 or 2 weeks, but the disney \ universal side is the last on my list - I want to do a race at Daytona \ day on the beach there, see a launch at Nasa, do the everglades and then drive down to the keys.

I assume my best bet is hire a voyager and stay at several places? Or would a central villa be best?

Advice for a non-theme park prioritised trip appreciated.
(ok, so we might do a day at disney )

Spoon

Imlach- On the whole you post valid points and contribute to any thread you choose to post in. This time however your comments aren't in the slightest bit helpful are they?

I too had holidays as a child in the Uk, things were completely different then though.

The cost of a holiday in Florida is cheaper than if I came to stay in your neck of the woods so that's hardly "monied chavs with their kids" material is it?

Then there's the fact Florida as a whole, has so much more to offer than anywhere in the UK could dream of in terms of weather and entertainment.

The Disney side of things may well not be your cup of tea although I 'll take a guess you've never been. In fact they were not mine either but my 3 year old daughter loved it, job done.

Carl- A week is not enough to see Florida but you've said why it has to be a week so my advice would be to stay in a hotel in Disney.

Ideally though you're better off in say International Drive so you can travel about more freely, and you aren't "hammered" constantly with the environment of the place because Florida has so much more to offer than just Disney.

Unfortunately a week won't allow you to find that out.

Enjoy all the same.

imlach

They may not be what you want to hear, but I'm just standing up for the UK tourist industry ....and by that, I don't mean Pontins, Butlins, SchemeyCenterparks or whatever it is called, etc.

So much to do & see in the UK. Fairgrounds are run by gypsies & chavs - Dismalworld is just a large fairground

Spoon

No, it has absolutely nothing to do with what I want to hear, I wasn't the thread poster.

It's so easy to say the UK has a lot to offer as far as holidays are concerned, that's a typical mis-informed reaction of somebody who hasn't been far, but, secretly longs to.

Oh and as said Florida isn't just Disney just like you'd say the UK isn't just London, so don't think solely fairgrounds.

Try Florida yourself and then honestly say you think the way you do.

I'd go just for the sheer mass of V8's everywhere.

imlach

..and of course, you know how far i've been!
I've still got 1 continent to visit, but been to the rest...

davegtt

florida wins hands down over the UK anyday just for the cleanliness of the place.

unfortunately Id say its not worth going for 1 week. but its still worth going because every1 has too in their life once, superb place.

even a 2 week trip there is hectic fitting it all in.

speedking

Been for two fortnights. First time concentrated on Disney, SeaWorld, Busch, Kennedy. Second time concentrated on Universal, plus one day at Disney. For a week I would get a 5 day pass for either Disney or Universal. You will be able to fill the rest of the time

For variety I think that the Universal / Busch / Seaworld / Wet'n'Wild combination (all on the same ticket) is much better than Disney.

Distances are huge. Driving Orlando - Tampa - Clearwater Beach and back makes a long day. Kennedy is 1hr plus. Orlando - Miami 3-4hrs. Realistically it would take several days to visit the keys from Orlando, with en route sightseeing. Travelling around staying at motels is easy.

Spoon

Well done, lucky bag in the post.

It was one of 2 reasons and I assumed the first.

The second was thinking for whatever reason you think you are more cultured or of a better quality of person allowing you to try and belittle others.

Thanks for the confirmation.

ProperCharlie

FWIW I can confirm that Carl definitely isn't a chav, and neither are his wife or kids.

still, think i'll be giving florida a miss all the same.

Spoon

Ideally do 2 weeks in say International drive and a week or 2 staying in somewhere like Port Richey. This way travelling to clearwater beach etc, isn't far at all.

Jye

I guess the Disney experience is more suited to those with kids but whats the Universal / Busch / Seaworld / Wet'n'Wild combination like for those with no kids? I dont have any kids but me and the gf fancy doing something fun this year.

imlach

HAHA - anything but
I just don't get taken in by the corporate brainwashing schmuk of Dismalworld marketing......why else would it be full of monied chavs with no brain of their own.

Spoon

That's certainly not how it appears.

So you'd rather be taken in by the corporate schmuk who believe your life is enriched going to the places you've been?

Remember it's about choice.

If you were a person of real substance then you could go anywhere and have the confidence to carry yourself, even amongst chavs as you put it.

On the other hand if you are not then you could always pretend you were whilst strolling the streets of Monaco, hey?

What's this on the floor?

Oh it's a cap, does it fit you?

Spoon

Nice edited addition.
Had you had more than the people on here you moan about you'd have thought of that in the first cut!!

Party Bird

Jye - The other half and I are off to Florida in June for 10 days. It was supposed to be a surprise but i found out by accident!! And from what he has shown me so far, its definetely not somewhere to go just for the kids. As ive never been before, obviously im unsure of what to expect apart from what ive seen on the websites etc.

Apparently Busch Gardens is more of a 'grown ups' theme park and at the water parks there are some rides which im sure are not for the younger generation!

IMHO it looks a lot of fun, and to be honest it really does appeal to me and i cant wait till we go! From what ive seen on the website theres plenty to do at night time, and plenty to keep you busy during the day.

Not sure if thats of any help, but thought id share my thoughts!

imlach

Of course it is, and if you're happy with yours, I'm happy with mine
You know my views

imlach

Anyway, I don't moan about these people. I'm just enlightning their outlook

Spoon

Ahhhh but you've missed the point because I am man enough to be able to do both so I have no specific favourite.

Having done both though I can unlike some, pointing no finger...
IMLACH



express my opinion on fact and not imagination.

imlach

My opinion is based on experience of others & not imagination. Give me some credit