L33_WRX

I am thinking of going to Orlando Florida this year - I have been advised the best place for me to stay is on International Drive. The holiday cost including flights, accomodation, car hire, insurance and passes to all parks works out around £1,400 each but obviously we need to budget for food and drink plus some spending money.

Can anyone tell me the rough price of breakfast & an evening meal out? I am trying to figure out how much I need to budget for both me & my girlfriend food and drink wise.

Any info or advice on the location is appreciated

Cheers

The Chief

I personally thought that international drive was a s*** hole. full of p***ed up idiots and tourists - not for me.

You could get by on around 30 bucks each per day quite easily - loads of cheap buffet style places (if you want to eat cheap)

The Chief

Ok mate i'm going to save you some money here!!! just remember to fetch me some rock back

Righto - ok why dont you get a fly drive, check out all the companies cheapflights, virgin etc. should be able to get a fly drive for around 4-500 quid if not cheaper

CHEAP FLY DRIVES FLORIDA FOR 2008 LEAVING MANCHESTER / GATWICK

then get a nice Villa with a pool and a games room - not some p*** hole of a motel on International Drive!!!!

Kissimmee Vacation Rentals - Florida Condo, Home and Villa Accommodations

So you are looking so far at a grand for the villa and a grand for the flights. Thats 800 quid saving straight away - ok your passes are extra but there are deals to be had once over there plus you'll be staying in a nice villa not some dodgy motel.




The above links took me 5 minutes to unearth - just try doing a more thorough search see what you come you with.

Phil

Not a regular to Florida but I have used The Villa Option when I have and was Sooooooo impressed with the quality of them

AND THE COST

PaulC72

I agree with above ID would not by our choice of place to stay IMO have being to Florida a mere 4 times 3 being the last 3 years both just me and the wife and also with kids we preferred last year when we had a villa in Davenport which provided us with the best oppertunity to do what we liked, I know it is slightly more expensive to do it that way but you won't regret it.
Other places are Lake Buena Vista & Kissimmee although Kissimmee is more touristy.

I can only base what I hear from friends about ID and it's not all it is cracked up to be, but you would be best making up your own mind as only you know what you want

Eating out is really cheap, places like TGI fridays are very popular and the food is decent too, Golden Corral is a buffet type place with plenty to choose from the main danger is over eating.

Not knowing who you want to use but for your tickets you could try Walt Disney World Tickets, Discount Disney World Tickets - wdwinfo.com but buy from the USA section niot the UK one we have always found it cheaper by quite a margin that way & they delivery for about $8 airmail

No matter who you book with, fly with and stay with you will pretty much find it hard NOT to have a fantastic time.

L33_WRX

cheers for the info everyone

L33_WRX

ok - can anyone recommend a good villa to stay at or good place that offers villas close to parks etc - it wouldn't need to be a massive villa as only for 2 people

EVOVI

If you do not want to drive everywhere then I-drive is not as bad as some are making out.It has some very nice hotels and apartements along it but it is very busy and depending on what side the hotel is you may be sandwiched between the busy I-drive and I4 interstate so expect some noise.
I last went in 2006 and we stayed in a Villa which was huge,had its own pool and was in a nice quiet location.The only downside to that is you have to drive everywhere,going to most of the attractions in Orlando will mean a 30 min drive each way and the traffic around Kissimmee can be a nightmare.
Food is cheap as chips and alot of places are a buffet so you can keep going back for more.I told my sister I could eat on $10 a day and she laughed but it can be done if you do not mind junk food.
You can get all the tickets for the parks in the UK.Disney is the most expensive and get an unlimited entry for the duration of your stay.If you are going to Busch gardens then get a combined ticket with sea world and then there is the Universal pass.

FlightMan

If you want to go with Virgin, try Fly-drive but dont upgrade the car with them. Simply dont pick it up and get a car with Usrentacar, booked over here. A 4x4 with Dollar would cost you about £330 for 2 weeks inc all insurances.
If you want cheap flights, leave it to the last minute and shop around. I've seen Orlando for £235 return, but obviously its a risk.
A villa is a much cheaper option, you can get a 2/3 bedroom place for £350 a week.
Disney has exits just off I4 so anywhere in the Orlando area close to that gets you to Disney in 15 minutes.

Some good links are:

Maps and info

Road Maps Orlando Florida - Maps and Directions

Disney Forums.

theDIBB - Managed by x3 Internet Solutions

USRentacar

USA Car Hire online with usrentacar.co.uk - car hire, car rental, car hire in USA United States of America, Florida, California and New York

Edit to add, just seen your post about next post re villas close to Disney. Look on The Dibb, there is a 2/3 bedroom villa rental section. And also a villa request section so you can specify what you want, when you want it, and an owner will respond. It's how I got my 5 bedroom place in July!

L33_WRX

thomas cook offered me Rosen Centre Hotel on International Drive - 5 star in there book but on-line looking more like 4 star / 3 star plus

Rosen Centre Hotel (Orlando, FL) - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

This with a car and insurance for 2 weeks end of June is £2200 for 2 people

EVOVI

Any 4 star hotel is going to be ok and the one you linked to looks nice enough to me and from what I remember driving past many times it was in a nice area of I-drive near the convention centre.
The convention centre has its own exit on I4 so you have easy access to it.Sea world would be about 5 mins away,Universal about 15mins and Disney about the same.
Make sure you are flying into Orlando and not Sanford as that is a nice long drive from Orlando,plus Sanford is an old military airfield and the facilities are pretty poor.

PaulC72

Adding to my earlier comments, if you try really hard you can get your flight, hotel & car for about £1400 give or take a couple of hundred but you have to play a little game and book as late as possible, which is good if you are able to go without much notice.

Try Broadway Travel Ltd - Florida - 1 default.aspx they used Thomson planes when we used them {which I think have now been upgraded} but when we went they didn't have the individual TV''s on the headrests, which is no biggy if you sleep of have an ipod etc

On their site you can select all the usual airports, if you Manchester at the end of May, in a 3 star hotel like the Ramamda and select from a choice of cars it'll be around £1500. {but if you wait it'll go down }

Flights


Airline Route Date Times Flight No.


Outbound Manchester to Sanford [Orlando] 21 Jun 2008 Dep: 09:30 Arr: 13:50 TCX 473K

Inbound Sanford [Orlando] to Manchester 05 Jul 2008 Dep: 15:45 Arr: 05:10 TCX 473L




Change Flight






Accommodation


Property Ramada Plaza Gateway Hotel and Inn Rating

Resort Kissimmee Area

Check In Date 21 Jun 2008 Check Out Date 05 Jul 2008

Board Basis ROOM ONLY Room Type DOUBLE 2 DOUBLE BEDS

Room Room 1

Change Accommodation

Car Hire


Vehicle INTERMEDIATE 2 DR

Pickup 21 Jun 2008 - Sanford [Orlando] Dropoff 05 Jul 2008 - Sanford [Orlando]

Change Car Hire


PRICE SUMMARY


Flight £968.00


Card Booking Fee - Passengers £11.80


Service Charge - Passengers £40.00


Accommodation £295.00


Car Hire £233.00

Total £1547.80

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to try to show you I do think meals are extra but they shouldn't be that much.

HTH

rgv_stu

we went last year, flights £307 each with virgin atlantic, car rental £127 all inc. with uscarhire.co.uk, then accomadation with virgin, marriot international drive £90 each. bargain

JGT

iTrader: (4)

When we went fly dive a few years ago, looked at afew hotels on Idrive, forget your Howard Johnson or Holiday Inn Express , ended up in the Peabody on Idrive for a few days then on to the Sheraton Safari down lake bunai vista for a few days more. Found that they were more to my likeing.
JGT.
PS Peabody rolls out the red carpet for the ducks everyday at 11 & 3 so they can have a bath in the fountain in the main bar!!

daddyscoob

Hi

It would be rude for me not to tell you my sister has 4 houses in Kissemme about 5 miles from Disneys main entrance - some will quote a distance to the outskirts of Disney and there is still miles to travel.
Her houses have own pools and games rooms so fun for all. Check out her website wwwabracadabrarentals.com we are off there this xmas - our lad now 5 so just the right age

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Try Travel City Direct

They'll sort the lot out for you. Villa, Car, Flights, etc.

L33_WRX

how long is it from Sanford airport to I-Drive area?

PaulC72

about 40mins to 1hr depending on how you drive & if you know where you are going.

SetoN

Lucky enough to have been to Orlando/Tampa, Florida 4 times.

Please dont get a hotel.

Villa's are the way to go. Food shopping in Wall Mart is one of my favorite parts of the holiday, one minute your in frozen food, next minute your in guns and hunting Its great!

Stay in Kissemme. Think there are lots off the 192 in the residential areas, Montego Bay was a nice quiet road, good location.

If its your first time, then do some of the Disney parks etc. We dont do them any more, i have more fun in Wall Mart

Did tampa bay last time we went to get away from the 'honey pot' tourist location. Private beach on the warm water west coast, fishing just relaxed. Poped over to Orlando for a few days before we flew home.

Ponderosa is the place to eat, $8 per adult all you can eat.

Do some research about shuttle launches, then go watch it launch from Coco beach.

Think thats the main bits.

SetoN

The Chief

Thinking of going this year with the GF - could you give some more tips on Tampa? i always thought it was a bit of a hole (i've never been btw)

L33_WRX

Know where I am going? Ha - I'll need a sat nav mate. I've heard you can hire them

SetoN

Tampa is the way to go

Not much i can tell you really, Its for people who love the 'real' Florida. Not much to do but relax and do some shopping, fishing.

Watch an ice hockey game? Tampa bay lightning were awsome.

I'll try find the place where we stayed. Was mainly peoples day to day homes, but a few were bought to rent. Was a private compound with gaurd at the gate. Private beach, pool.

SetoN

The Chief

Is its a safe enough City? - Florida has shocking statistics for crime compared to the rest of the US

Snazy

Stay OFF I-Drive, just visit it.

Kissemmie, Davenport are both lovely areas
This is the one we stay in annually
Florida Davenport Villa

Also from experience now, I would recommend First Choice for the flight. Their longhaul service was superb

Tampa is not good for crime. I would personally stay nearer the tourist area, but the storms in Florida for the summer are excellent.

So much to say about it, cant wait til our flight leaves on the 28th June

Snazy

Lee, go a week later and you can have a room in our villa if its only 2 of you

SetoN

well.....

I would not walk anywhere at night. (not there are sidewalks in Florida!)

I would not know about nightlife/clubs, didnt try it. Tampa city looked very clean though in the day time.

Lots of Blacks in the suburbs, hanging round petrol stations at night, drinking from brown paper bags etc.

They seem to vanish in the day though, maybe their at work......

We didnt have any problems. But im sure the gaurd on the gate was there for a reason.....

Snazy

Whats that about sidewalks ?


Guarded/gated communities are VERY popular in the USA these days.
Its a pretty damn safe place in fairness, just the same as anywhere, dont stray off the beaten track.

As far as safety goes, I feel probably safer in the USA than in a large part of London.
The tourist trail does not really see much of the gangs you mention. Not that I have seen anyway.

SetoN

Gangs of Disney

Sorry, was talking about the outskirts of Tampa (St.Petersberg). Nice place in the day, but at night, just be street wise and you'll be ok.

.........

Oh, and the sidewalks comment was only because i noticed all the time lots of roads dont have them. just a grassy edge, usually leading to a nice little stream with gators poking their nose's out

Snazy

lol aaaah the storm drain bits, yeah, but a lot of roads still have sidewalks on the other side of them.

Tampa sees to get a mention on the news every hour.
Anywhere in the USA, there are "ghettos" that should be avoided

Orlando, as a whole is fantastic.
Got a whole lot planned this year.

L33_WRX

unfortunately due to my girlfriends work commitments we can only have the 2 weeks we've booked - thanks for the offer tho. Maybe next year