munna

Well i have finally booked the holiday of a lifetime for my little daughter,myself and the wife,oh my god i cannot believe it,i am so bloody excited!!

even though its a year away we cannot wait(Well i cannot wait!!)

And the great thing about it all is,my wife and my 7 year old are so silly they think i have booked Disneyland Paris!!...Oh how nice a surprise it will be when we board the flight bound for the U S of A!!

so any hints and tips,i will be driving a hire car out there by the way,so as much help as possible will be appreciated?

Jaybird-UK

You'll have a great time out there!

Where are you staying? if on Disney resort you can get away without a car for a while, their transport network is great.

We stayed in a villa so had a car for the full period of holiday, other places to visit are Universal Studios (Spiderman ride wsa great!), Kennedy space centre also well worth a visit.

MGM Studios was perhaps one of my favorite disney parks, the stunt show is amazing, although Im sure your daughter will be enchanted my Magic Kingdom.

If you plan on a lot of driving consider satnav, if you already own one you can purchase US maps fairly cheaply, hire companies also rent them.

Have fun, plan loosely what things you would like to do before you go but dont be to regimental with your scheduling.

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

i was just there at xmas and it was really nice, i stayed on international drive and there is lots of good restaurants to eat at on this street

munna

we will be stopping at lake buena vista...just a little secluded villa away from the main holiday players...just so that we can relax!!,my god its so strange,we have been to alot of far off and exotic places,and i have been to more on my own,but this one...the number one tourist trap!!...which we normally stay away from,has got me so excited...not to mention the surprise elements for my 2 ladies,

i am bursting to tell them!!so i thought i would share my secret with you guys instead(weight off my shoulders now!!)

not going to be regimental,we have 14 days out there,it will be just a case of where ever our legs and wheels take us,got the car for jaunts out to the beach(Daytona beach,which i know is miles away,but i just wanto see it!)

i just cannot wait,more excited about this holiday than i have ever been about anything,(well within reason!)

gtijames

weve also just booked to go out there next year, kids easter holidays,so i will watch this thread with intrest.

turbomatt

iTrader: (1)

I was lucky enough to go when they launched a space shuttle, Watched it with a beer in my hand on cocoa beach Was a few years back but i remember universal studios was one of the highlights with the terminator 2 3d show thing .Also wet and wild is well worth a visit they got some good slides there was my best holiday yet, very hot though and humid

munna

thats when we go!!!

are you as excited as i am?..or is it just my childish like age?

i am a 30 year old trapped in a 22 year old students body(without the crappy student digs,loan problems,etc etc!!)

ha ha

gtijames

looking forward to it but will get more and more excited as the departure draws near.(a bit of childish excitement is good for the soul )there is about 20 of my family going weve got a cracking deal for a couple of massive villas,flights,3 people carriers the lot,just got to work out things like buying park tickets (do we buy here or over there ).

Bash0rz

who did ya book wi?
lucky bitch

PaulC72

Well you will have a fantastic time.

We have been fortunate to have been a few times before and are going again in August, there is so much to see and do.

Driving over there is really easy and it is a pleasure to drive over there.

If you are going over to Dayonta beach take a short trip down to Symra beach too, its not that far from Daytona.

The parks to see would be the main ones obviously, Magic Kingdon, Animal kingdom, Epcot & MGM, universal is quite entertining too and while you are at it goto Sea World {get a joint ticket to Busch Gardens @ Tampa Bay} the shows they put on there are amazing.

If you are heading down to Tampa anyway it may be worth popping over the Skyway {iirc its a 9 mile bridge} which goes over the bay & has amazing views and then going to Clearwater Beach

A few smaller things to do if you need a rest could be have a go at the crazy golf there is plenty to choose from and is quite fun, a helicoptor ride that will fly you over and around the disney parks, it is quite different to see them from that perspective, and you could always go on an airboat too.

At the end of the day go with an idea of what you want to do when but keep it very flexible as from one day to the next your plans could change depending on what you have been doing already.

We I have really only brushed the surface myself from my experiances of the place, but one importnat thing to always remember is drink plenty of fluids & remember you sun cream as it is quite warm and humid.

i hope this is of some use

Paul.

munna

thomas the cooks!!!,thomas that likes cooks!!,thomas who likes to cook!!,

ha ha ha...oh god last time i was so extatic was when i collected the scoob!!,and my little girl upon her birth!!,my wedding night!!etc etc


thomas cook,sorry

munna

wow paul...thankyou..that is what i love about this site,the people

you must really have loved it have been there and still going back!!

that is the reason for the car,it would be so nice just to go for a lovely long drive,and see the beach/s

looking even more forward to the trip now!!

just as a point of interest,how much would i be looking at spending money wise for the 3 of us?(Ball park fugure would do!?)

carl

Is this Disneyland (California) or Walt Disney World (Orlando)? Been to the latter twice now, was thinking of booking for the end of May.

wayne9t9

If it really is Disneyland you got a long way to drive to cape canaveral or daytona

PaulC72

Munna,

It may be worth {nearer the time} booking your park tickets & shows etc while in the uk & having the tickets delivered to you at home we usually use Disney World vacation, resorts, tickets, Orlando and get them delivered from their USA office as long as you do it with plenty of time you will hav no problems with delivery times.
The reason we do this is we then know what we want to see within our holiday time, although we do keep a day or two for rest/easy days etc, as the cinema at downtown disney is always nice to go to and watch a film months before it is released in the uk hehe.
But the main reason is all the money we then take with us is for spending and entrance to where we want to go is already taken care of in advance with the tickets.

I would suggest a ticket budget of about £1000 and a spending budget of about $200 - $300 per day, thats what I work to usually and you can normally eat what, when and how you like and still have some money left we usually end up buying all our presents nearer to the end as the main thing is to enjoy yourself when you are there, but we do get all our pictures done at the parks etc on the rides we enjoy. If you have some money left nearer the end, well then think about bringing people things back, after all it is YOUR holiday not theres

The above is based on 2 adults and 2 children who are older than your daughter {one we have to pay full adult price for on all tickets}

All in all you will have such a fantastic time, it is such a magical place

Also Lake Buena Vista is a really good location, it's not too close but not too far away from the parks etc.

It is soooooooooooooooooooo cheap over there LOL.

Paul.

Nate

iTrader: (2)

My parents got back from Florida about 4 weeks ago, their return tickets cost them (IIRC) around £500 return each.

The accomodation ...... Cost nothing, my elder brother now lives in St. Cloud , I am hoping to go over later this year or early next year.

As said above, a lot of the time, it is cheaper to eat out, than cook at home ........ Hence the majority of yanks are a little, er .... tubby

nathanb

iTrader: (1)

Munna mate you will have the time of your life I went November 2005 and I'm going back this September. Once you've been once you' not want to go anywhere else!! Dont worry about feeling like a 30 year child. Everyone is the same. Something about Disney does that to you!!

Hope you dont mind me posting some pics to get you excited of various parks in Orlando!! They are in no particular order. Hope you like them!!

PaulC72

hey Nathanb I have some like that too ooo the memories, now I am getting excited

sarasquares

iTrader: (1)

just seen your join date

i must be the only one that went to Disney in Florida and hated it. it was so hot and there was too much concrete. queuing up for the rides was horrible as you was standing in the sun all day. i was gobsmacked at the size of the Americans and their kids that were too fat to walk so were pushed round all day in buggies while they were given jumbo sized Maccy d's to stuf in their faces

my daughter absolutely loved it and thats all that counts

FlightMan

Pop across to Disney Information Forums - Walt Disney World Orlando Florida holiday and vacation planning. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney MGM Studios, Mickey Mouse, Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal, Islands of Adventure - Home for tips and advice on your trip.

Enjoy your holiday.

Off there in 38 days myself!

Villa or hotel?

munna

its the orlando one that we are going to...to answer the question from above...so yes a long drive..

thank you for the hints and tips paul...Great stuff

and you really should not have shown me the pictures...i want to go now!!

the budget thing....thats the sort of ball park that i was playing with..

oh i wish i had not booked it now...i just wanto pack up and go!!!

thank you for all the coments and pm's...i love you all!!

pauld37

What a great place you wont regret it and your ladies will be in heaven .

Played golf at Lake Buena Vista a couple of times.

When we went last year we drove up to Daytona beach, its a pretty boring drive along dead straight roads, but when you get there . Drove past Daytona Raceway .

Wish I was going this year

carl

I love it. The kids love it too, which is great.
TBH I found that most of the queueing was indoors in airconditioned bits, but I guess it depends on when you go. You definitely need a strategy to avoid the queues.

But the thing I love about the USA is that if you want to avoid the heat you can, as everything indoors is airconditioned.

Wife and kids are Muslim, and going on holiday is normally a nightmare involving them being vegetarians for a fortnight. But in Orlando we found halal Indians, Chinese, Philly cheesesteaks and Moroccan stuff which was great.

Check out Disney World - The Largest Unofficial On-Line Guide to Disney World, Walt Disney World which has a UK trip planning forum, and also Simon V's (I forget his surname) Brit's Guide to Orlando. I have the 2004 and 2005 versions, and it's well worth getting each time.

PS: Yes, I really did join in 1999.

Jaybird-UK

I also went to Daytona raceway and Daytona beach

the Daytona raceway and museum is pretty good if you're a petrol head, they take you round part of the track in a tour train, the steepness of the bank is amazing.

Driving on the sand at Daytona beach was cool too, we hired a Mustang and I was REALLY tempted to spin the tires, but they have a 5mph limit on the sand and feared I'd look dumb burying the rear axel

munna

we will be staying in a villa...

the visit to daytona is more of a religion trip for me,yes you have guessed correct...THE SPEEDWAY!

also the beach,and not being a geek but i most definatly want to go to the kennedy space centre,it really is a trip of a lifetime,and i truly thank my lucky stars that i am in the position that i can take my family out there..we have had a a realy bad 3 years and my wife has had to put up with alot(Marital problems...all my fault!!)but being away last year for a year with them has made me realise that my wife really does deserve the best...the best from me as a husband..

so this trip is really a big thankyou to my wife of 12years..

thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread..

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

alright munna, glad hear you and your wife are back together sounds like you'll have the time of your lives! and especially your daughter!! don't think you could pick a better place to take your family!

munna

hello there mr...not back together as such...just working back towards getting back together...

we have a very long hard road ahead of us..so far so good,we are on the road to repair..getting on alot better than we did..more harmony,good for nitika(my daughter)


So all in all this is just a thankyou to her for putting up with me and the way i was when father passed away,

but hey the past is just that,the past!!

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

Well its good to hear all the same heading in the right direction bud

munna

thank you...making the effort...much better than just getting back together!!..next time you drive past the stanwix parkup downstairs so that i can see that grey beast of yours..

might pop in tommorrow for a chat

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

yeah will do i'm in all day tomorrow, as per usuall hopefully i'll be quiet enough for a crack