DISNEYWORLD FLORIDA HELP

naughtysmurf

ciaeim wrote: »

hello all
i would like some advice please , i would like to take my 3 daughters aged 13,14,15. ( i am widowed ) to disney this august ( have no choice on dates due to work etc ) and would like to get an idea of where i should book this be it travel agents or not. would like to have flights , hotel and possible car hire booked and paid before going, any advice on trip, hotels, activities, or anything else would be greatly appreciated thank you

What I would do in your situation is get your daughters involved in the planning process, may take some pressure off

Check out the Disney & Universal websites, find out what they really want to do, that will help you decide what theme park tickets you need, even do up a holiday planner, day 1 this park, day 2 that park, day 3 day off with evening park visit etc, have a plan even if you don't stick ridgedly to it. If you give them what they want, you will automatically get what you want , a great holiday . I recommend Undercover Tourist for tickets

As regards flights, unless I was making a significant saving, I'd fly direct,

Definatly book your car hire before you go including all your insurance

Accomodation, for 4 people, personally I'd go for a villa, for €1200 or so for 2 weeks you would get a 3 bed with pool & hot tub at least, space, washing machine, dryer etc, pm me for a recomendation 10 mins from Disney, 20mins from Universal, pool just outside the back door rather than four flights down, handy for the no park days or late start days

Have good travel insurance cover

Go to a travel agent with your requirements & get a price, then go online and price DIY, then choose. A travel agents 'free car hire' probably won't include insurance which could be an extra €200+

Driving is handy enough, easier again with sat nav

Enjoy

deltakilo

Hi Ciaeim,

Don't worry about the weather in August. It will be hot and humid and it will probably rain. The rain usually comes down heavy in the afternoon but clears off pretty quickly. You can usually avoid it by going to a show or a ride indoors. I think the weather adds to the whole experience. I'll never forget the humidity that hits you when you walk out the airport doors & look forward to it every time I go back.

I'm not a sun worshipper and I would be the last person to go looking for sun but if you use sunscreen, drink plenty and take advantage of shade and air conditioning you'll be fine.

If you can afford direct flights then go for it. If not, then don't worry about connecting flights. We went through Charlotte with US Airways from Dublin last August and it was fine. The airport is new and spacious and the time wasn't long passing. Going through customs in Dublin was great (make sure to leave lots of time for this) and we didn't need go through security in Charlotte.

We usually stay in a villa as you have more freedom and can lounge around the pool in peace. I know some people prefer hotels and the experience. Everyone has their own preference.

If you are staying in a hotel they may have a shuttle to most of the parks so might not need a car. If you are hiring a car I would recommend www.carhireagency.com It's very easy to get around over there especially with a sat nav.

For park tickets, I would recommend www.undercovertourist.com They have a huge selection of tickets and can select the amount of days you want. www.attractionticketsdirect.ie are also similar priced but have less choice.

Disney World is a holiday of a lifetime. The atmosphere in the parks is like nothing else. As some one else mentioned earlier, let the girls help booking as it's all part of the holiday and will add to the excitement.

Enjoy.

Oafley Jones

deltakilo wrote: »

Hi Ciaeim,

Don't worry about the weather in August. It will be hot and humid and it will probably rain. The rain usually comes down heavy in the afternoon but clears off pretty quickly. You can usually avoid it by going to a show or a ride indoors. I think the weather adds to the whole experience. I'll never forget the humidity that hits you when you walk out the airport doors & look forward to it every time I go back.

The worry isn't bad weather, the danger in going later in August is you're going in Hurricane Season.

fox007

I travell to Orlando every year now since 2008 and I still love it, still we're finding new things to go and see the Florida keys, Miami south beach Billy's swap safari off on alligator alley etc etc
I always book through Tour America on abbey street Dublin, This year we booked a house and are traveling Dublin -Gatwick-Orlando with Virgin for the first time and I'm looking forward to it.For the last number of years we stayed in the Double tree by Hilton on idrive it really is a beautiful place to stay cleanses and staff are second to none and the price is very reasonable you will not go wrong,it's litery accross the road from seaworld and 20 mins to universal studios with shops and bars etc just accross the road from the reception.Get a car it's very simple to drive in the USA and can get of the Beaton track and drive to Bushgardens about 2 hrs from idrive on the motorway and will save you time and stress in that heat waiting around on busses to and from all the parks.The price this year for 3 adults is house, flights ,theme park tickets and car hire for 2 weeks is just under €3000 I was very happy with that price Enjoy ps if anyone can recommend a cheap nice hotel in south beach would love to hear them cheers

Faolchu

I travel to the US once or twice a year on vacation and always do the following before going:

Park Tickets
i tend to purchase my park tickets separate to my travel arrangements using Keith prowse if he's still about or FloridaTix or attractiontickets it could save you a few quid. most travel agents get from these and add their own mark up to them.

also look at hopper passes for you park tickets so you can move between parks. some tickets are valid for one park only so if you leave and enter another park that's technically two days used up a hopper pass will allow you to move between parks on the same day. I've used that myself a lot, so animal kingdom for example then some place else in the afternoon/evening.

parking is valid for the whole day so you can park in pone place and take the trams/busses to another or even drive

Car Hire can be more expensive if you purchase through your agent also. if you havent booked yet it could be worth comparing their car hire prices and the insurance that comes with it to what you can get online with Avis, Budget Alamo or an agent like Carhire 3000. also if you have travel insurance check teh cover that comes with it for car hire if any, it could save you a few dollars coz when you pick up your car theres usually only teh bare minimum insurance and you need others but if your travel insurance covers it then you can waive the additional insurance and still be covered.


Flights & Hotel/Villa

Obviously you can save if you book yourself online, same with your flights so bare that in mind when booking with a travel agent.


Comparing Villa to hotel can be difficult, yes a villa can work out cheaper if there are a number of people going but the cheaper ones tend to be further out. I stayed in a villa last year and it saved me a couple of hundred on accommodation costs (5 adults) but it was a good distance out so over the days the saving made on accommodation was spent on petrol driving back into the center of Orlando/Disney.
Hotels on the other hand can cost more but can often be more centrally located. I guess just bear the travel costs in mind when picking between villa or hotel.

Discounts/coupons
another to look out for is PremiumOutlets.com you mentioned teenagers, they'll probably want to shop so register here and download free discount vouchers for the outlet malls and print them out just make sure you only print the ones that are valid for your travel dates, you usually have to pay a few dollars to get a booklet of vouchers at the mall itself but you can download and print them for free at the above site so there's $5 saved . there can also be offers not given at the store.


another thing to consider is food, maybe have a look around before you go for places that you'll consider eating at. then register to their web page or facebook page and get discount vouchers sounds cheap skatish but it works a treat. I was in FL last summer and pretty much had a 10% discount in every place i ate, that or got free starters or free deserts with every meal. just download and print them out before you get there.

places like Barnes & Noble and other retailers will allow you to sign up for a members discount card. they usually ask if ou have a members card when you buy something and offer you one if you dont just ask is it valid for tourists, i know some of them are and if you sign up for it you get a discount on purchases usually there and then.

also a little known one, Macys offer a discount to tourists. or they use to anyway. Think Macys are in the Florida Mall, but you basically go to customer services and ask for the tourist discount card, they'll request ID like a passport or drivers license just to verify your from outside the country and give you a paper card that entitles you to a discount on all purchases for teh next 10 days. I know they still provided that card last summer and have done for the last 7 years so they probably still do.


loose change,
keep some quaters etc on you for toll fees, if you land depending on where you land you could have 4-5 dollars in toll charges just getting from the airport to the hotel so if you can pick up a few quarters in the airport before you leave.

Water,
drink plenty of it LOL. seriously though bottled water etc can rack up the cost, if you tend to only drink half a bottle and leave it in teh car etc why pay $2 in teh gas station head over to walmart and pick up acase of 24 bottles of $2-3 and leave them in your hotel room/villa if the air con is on they'll stay nice and cold and save you a few dollars a day easily. same goes for sodas, why pay the $2 a bottle in the gas station or store when you can get a case for $10 in a supermarket.


Oh and if you want my advice on a beautiful spot head down to Clearwater Beach or SandKey beach in Clearwater. its about 1.5 hours from Orlando.

jack presley

Faolchu wrote: »

loose change,
keep some quaters etc on you for toll fees, if you land depending on where you land you could have 4-5 dollars in toll charges just getting from the airport to the hotel so if you can pick up a few quarters in the airport before you leave.

.

A lot of hire companies at Orlando airport have the toll pass in all their cars so no need for change and you can stay on the express part of the road and not have to queue at a booth.

I was with Alamo last October and there is no rental or handling fee for it. The fee for the tolls themselves just appear on your cc a week or so after you drop the car back

Faolchu

jack presley wrote: »

A lot of hire companies at Orlando airport have the toll pass in all their cars so no need for change and you can stay on the express part of the road and not have to queue at a booth.

I was with Alamo last October and there is no rental or handling fee for it. The fee for the tolls themselves just appear on your cc a week or so after you drop the car back

I've used some and they charge $50 for a toll pass in the car plus a per day charge, for this you get unlimited toll fees. granted the tags on the vehicle is registered but the rental company want you to pay them $50 plus a daily usage charge for them instead of just the cost of the tolls. I've experienced that in other states too but i guess it may be down to the rental company itself in that location as most are franchises. so i guess its worth checking it out before hand what the costs are for the toll pass

RayCon

Observation regarding Universal 6 Park Flex Tickets ...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78907181&postcount=8

cynder

I went to disneyworld florida back in 2008, i stayed at port orleans disney hotel. The hotel was fab, i would go back to the hotel again but not disney world, for your kids age group i think that universal studeos might be better. my kids were 9, 3.5 and 2 and the 9 year old was almost to old for disney.


I booked with american holidays the total cost including park tickets for 2 weeks worked out at just over 7000 euros. there can be offers on in the travel agents half board and discounted tickets, my advice is to research everything.

Also dont go during thanksgiving, its a nighmare... I know your thinking of august but just in case dont go during thanks giving.

nkfox

Hi ciaeim,
I see there is a lot of advice here.

As a family we have been to Florida (Orlando area) on many occasions at different times in the year including the August period. As has been mentioned in the posts, it is hot, humid and there are likely to be thunder storms, which can at times disrupt the Fireworks display as happened to us on one occasion.

The queues can be a bit of a pain, but you can work round these by using the FastPass (free at Disney Parks) and the similar one at the Universal parks which is an additional charge. They will allow you to jump some of the queues to a degree. There is an app for the iPhone that gives Disney wait times (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/disney-world-wait-times-free/id321601474?mt=8#), there may be one for other phones as well. It is updated every 4 minutes or so. As a result it is a very good guide to current wait times while in the park.

As has been said, it is generally cheaper to purchase the park tickets before you leave. You can use www.attractionticketsdirect.ie and pick you tickets up here before you leave or there are companies in the Disney area where you can pre-purchase your tickets and then pick them up when you arrive in the US. www.officialticketcenter.com

Regarding the flights, I have used www.ebookers.ie to book my flights & Car Hire. Accommodation can be booker using the same site.

I have also booked my flights direct with Aer Lingus and use www.arguscarhire.ie to book my hire car.

I have generally found it to be cheaper to book with the likes of Ebookers or the airline direct on their web sites.

The best advice I can give is to look at the options, online and with the like of American Holidays.

Generally, I bank on about €1000 to €1200 per person. I have a time share property which I use, so the accommodation costs are dealt with outside the costs of the flights, car, attraction tickets and spending money.

One thing to be aware of is that there are booths, generally outside restaurants offering discount attraction tickets. These tend to be timeshare sales places and you will need to waste at least 1/2 day of your holiday at a presentation to get the tickets or money or whatever they are offering. If you are not interested in timeshare, give them a miss.

Regarding eating out, prices can range from $10 per person + tax at the likes of Ponderosa or Sizzler up to $30 and more at other restaurants per person. It is totally up to you as to how much you want to spend. The food options are truly global.

I hope this gives some options for you.

All I can say, is have a great time with your family. Drop a line on the thread to let us know how you enjoyed yourselves.

Neil

davymc31

hi have being going there for last 7 years but not to disney every year, i actually like bush gardens better than disney its more compact more rides and things less walking less stress less cost . when your booking try cheaptickets .com they have being always cheaper on my tickets prices than here.i have a web address for orlando vacatitions centre i think they called themselvs we used them the first few times we came for flights acco ,ticks were very cheap ill put up address when i get home to have a look .renting a car i dont know if its good idea very stressfull plus youd have to get full comp id say it would cost €700 taxi would be cheaper pm me if you want im not good at typing

jonneymendoza

alisonl wrote: »

Hi Maisie, I disagree with alot of your post, as highlighted. Sorry!

Firstly, you ommitted to say that August is rainy season and there is no doubt that there will be tons of thunderstorms over 2 weeks, sometimes there is days on end of rain when you can do nothing. I would not "make do" with rain/extreme heat when I could plan a holiday for another time. The OP probably can.......this holiday costs thousands and August is horrendeous.

Secondly, you said that if the OP is in parks queuing for rides that there will be a chance to stay in out of the sun. You ommitted to say here that summer queues, regardless of the time of day, range from 45 minutes to 2 hours, and queues are not all in air-conditioned shade. They will spend half the day in summer queuing for rides (6 hours queuing per day being a good estimate).

Thirdly, unless staying next door (i.e. on site) to a park, why would anyone leave and come back? That's just adding parking charges and more wasted time to a day, a false economy.

Fourthly, I would strongly advise NOT to book a villa. This family will be completely isolated in suburbia. There are many, many resort hotels with big one-bedroomed suites that can easily accomodate them that are great value. They all have activities for teens, some have cinemas, several pools, restaurants and shops. They can still shop and self cater but have company. Their parent and the girls, individually, will be able to have their own time in a resort. They also do NOT have the same protection with a private villa owner than they do, insurance wise etc., with a hotel. People often forget this. Travel times and petrol costs (high) will be much more in suburbia.

Fifthly, it's silly to think a direct flight is not the way to go. Never heard of anyone, who given the choice, would not take a direct flight. Why would anyone want to add around 5 hours, or more, to their journey and be hoarded onto another plane? Cost is the only consideration, definitely not "a break for everyone". Advice is get a direct flight if possible.

Sixthly, it is cheaper to buy a ticket in advance. They all give reductions after 2 days, so if you go 2 days or 14 days it's the same price. Most of these cannot be bought cheaper once you arrive in Orlando.

Finally, the agents have packages that quite often........more than often.... work out cheaper, especially with non-direct flights.

We are both trying to help the OP, just with different opinions.

i disagree on the villa.

Villa's offer more freedom then hotels/resorts and are cheaper mate. to get a similar size appartment in a resort/hotel will cost u an arm and a leg compared to a villa.

O and Agents cheapeR? no they are not. i was quoted 2.4k for a 8 day trip to orlando via virgin.

i speced it myself and it came to just shy over 2k for 12 days and that includes a villa, car rental and flight.

naughtysmurf

ciaeim wrote: »

hello all
i would like some advice please , i would like to take my 3 daughters aged 13,14,15. ( i am widowed ) to disney this august ( have no choice on dates due to work etc ) and would like to get an idea of where i should book this be it travel agents or not. would like to have flights , hotel and possible car hire booked and paid before going, any advice on trip, hotels, activities, or anything else would be greatly appreciated thank you

Would love to know how it all worked out for you.

slave1

Well I'm just back from 4 weeks in Orlando and a quick summary for 2 adults and 3 children.
Indirect flights via Air France (Delta), DUB - ATL - MCO €3300
3 bed Villa with larger than usual pool in Kissimmee for £1000 direct with owner
Standard sized SUV (it was huge) £592 via Florida Escapes
Disney/Universal/Legoland/Kennedy tickets via various websites €2,760
Weekend in Siesta Key where we stayed at the Captiva beach resort via Hotels.com $200
Drove 1,200 miles at a cost of $182 (4.4l guzzler)
Spent $800 in cash and I really don't want to know how much on the card when it arrives next week.

Worth every cent, do it again in a heartbeat, spent 13 days at theme parks, weekend at the beach and the remainder either shopping, recharging at the villa or travelling, no rows, no sunburn and no complaints.

jonneymendoza

€2,760 for park tickets lol?

paddymc1

Does anyone have any information about Lego-land Florida?
How long does it take to do the park in? Why I'm asking this is can you get water park done in same day or would you need 2 days to spend in this park?
How long would it take on bus from international drive?

slave1

jonneymendoza wrote: »

€2,760 for park tickets lol?

Majority was non-expire Disney so we have enough days to do the next trip, plus there are 5 of us and at 10 you are an adult in Disney

riddles

Hi

I was thinking of heading to Orlando for two weeks in 2017 - first two weeks in April.
Two adults two kids, I was looking at the 2 bed villas in the Disney complex and they seem very expensive for 7 nights something like 2700€
Has anyone stayed on site and if so did you use the hotel. I think a hotel room would be pretty cramped for 4.

Thanks,

R

fox007

Hi we're just back from Orlando looking to go back on October we stayed in http://www.regaloaksflorida.com
It's 10 minutes from Disney and you have a manned gated community with its own pool water slides bar restaurant shops etc full kitchen patio with a hot tub house cleaning once a week
10 Days in October is costing me €900 a fraction on what Disney is I highly recommend regal oaks.hope that helps

naughtysmurf

riddles wrote: »

Hi

I was thinking of heading to Orlando for two weeks in 2017 - first two weeks in April.
Two adults two kids, I was looking at the 2 bed villas in the Disney complex and they seem very expensive for 7 nights something like 2700€
Has anyone stayed on site and if so did you use the hotel. I think a hotel room would be pretty cramped for 4.

Thanks,

R

Well the Disney villa accommodation is pricey , that's just the way it is, we are there the last two weeks of MAY 2017, four of us, 5 days in a one bed villa at Disney's SSR is €3400 but that includes the dining plan so lunch, dinner & snacks are included, for us a hotel room wouldnt work, just too small

We are also doing a week in a 3 bed villa, approx €600 & a couple of nights at Universal, the only reason we are staying onsite besides the perks is that it's probably our last trip as a family of four, but we have had great holidays staying a villas in Kissimmee about 15 minutes from disney in the past, staying onsite isn't the be all & end all

Your dates are pretty close to Easter, don't know if that's a price factor

nkfox

We have stayed at the Disney All Star resort, 2 adults and 2 kids (10 and 14 at the time). It was a hotel room, pretty much the same as any of the hotel chains off Disney property. As has been mentioned, you pay a premium for Disney properties, but it was fine for 2 adults and 2 kids.

The only advantages with Disney property is that you can use the buses to get to and from the parks and you have the extra hours where different parks open and close at different times to the public opening and closing, giving Disney guests more chance to use the rides etc. It may not be worth the extra cost for the limited benefits, however we enjoyed it when we went, so it is up to personal preference.

The big thing is enjoy the time there. We all become kids when we are there, not matter how old we are.

naughtysmurf

nkfox wrote: »

We have stayed at the Disney All Star resort

The only advantages with Disney property is that you can use the buses to get to and from the parks and you have the extra hours where different parks open and close at different times to the public opening and closing, giving Disney guests more chance to use the rides etc.

There are a few other advantages , you can book fastpasses 60 days out compared to 30 days for off site guests,f you can make advance dining reservations before off site guests also, if you don't want to use the Disney bus system , car parking is free if staying on-site

These may or may not be important, it depends on what kind of holiday experience you wish to have, some like to be in the middle of the Disney bubble, some dont

Should have mentioned in my earlier post that the €3400 also included along with the dining, 4 adult 14 day ultimate tickets, which allow park hopping & water parks, value €1600, $200 gift card & memory maker photo package, so the villa stay is approx €1450 or in or around €300 a night

riddles

Thanks all for the info. We are leaning towards a private rental close to the parks for two weeks. There seems to be no end of tickets to chose from. Is the a ticket you would recommend that covers all the parks not just Disney. The idea would be to use a base to spend sometime in the morning in a park - relax for a while and then go back in the evening time.
Thanks

naughtysmurf

riddles wrote: »

Thanks all for the info. We are leaning towards a private rental close to the parks for two weeks. There seems to be no end of tickets to chose from. Is the a ticket you would recommend that covers all the parks not just Disney. The idea would be to use a base to spend sometime in the morning in a park - relax for a while and then go back in the evening time.
Thanks

Value & space wise it's hard to beat a villa, if being close to the Disney parks is important, look at rentals in the Formosa Gardens area, Lindfields, Rolling Hills, Indian Creek, Sunset Lakes, these are the closest villa communities to Disney

Tickets,....for a two week holiday, you've got 13 full days to fill, you probably won't do a park every day, it's a tiring holiday, you'll want a few park free days to chill, shop etc so what we've done in the past is per person

5 Day MYW (Magic you way) base ticket, this will allow you to visit one Disney park per day on any five days, you can't move from one Disney park to another on the same day but you can leave and return to the same park on the same day, only pay once for parking so with this ticket you can visit each of the main Disney parks for one day & a second visit to your favourite one, €300 approx pp

For the other main parks, 14 days unlimited admission to Universal Studio's, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Aquatica waterpark just get an Orlando Flex Ticket (5 parks) €340 approx pp..if you think you will go to Busch Gardens, a little over an hour away get the Orlando Flex ticket PLUS (6parks) €360 approx pp

If you think you will only do Disney & Universal, get the above Disney ticket & the Universal Orlando 2 park Bonus ticket, 14 days unlimited admission to Universal Studio's & Islands of Adventure, €237 approx pp, I know you won't go for 14 days but it's cheaper to purchase this way

Attractionticketsdirect will definitely sell you most of the above, they promote the Disney Ultimate tickets €427 approx pp but if you ask for the less expensive 5 day MYW they should sell you those, we've got them in the past, or you can get the 5 day MYW from undercovertourist BOTH ATD & UNDERCOVERTOURIST ARE REPUTABLE

The tickets for four are expensive so just buy what you need, don't pay the extra to park hop at Disney unless you really want it

That's my 2c worth, enjoy

riddles

Thanks all for the hints. I checked out the calenders on undercovertourist.com. The entire month of February is showing 7-8-9/10 in terms of crowd volume whereas early April is showing a range of 2-6/10.

The question I have is how would this translate into the enjoyment of the day?
Also how realistic is it that you would park hop?

thanks,

R

naughtysmurf

riddles wrote: »

Thanks all for the hints. I checked out the calenders on undercovertourist.com. The entire month of February is showing 7,8,9/10 in terms of business whereas early April is showing a range of 2,6/10.

The question I have is how would this translate into the enjoyment of the day?
Also how realistic is it that you would park hop?

thanks,

R

As regards park hopping at Disney, we have never park hopped when we had kids with us, when it was just the two of us as adults, we did, there is plenty to keep you occupied without paying the extra, personally I wouldn't bother, use the money for something else like CIRQUE DU SOLIEL at Disney Springs,

February will be cooler but still pleasant weather wise, if there is not much difference price wise I'd choose the warmer month but ultimately for us it comes down to price, it's an expensive holiday, if you choose to do all the major parks you will be looking at 8k plus when you tot it all up, flights, accommodation, park tickets, car hire, travel insurance& day to day spending money for food, petrol, parking etc, there are no quiet times at Disney anymore, they run promotions to ensure this like free dining

To get the best out of your holiday....set up a Mydisneyexperience account, when you buy your tickets you can link them to your account & book three fastpasses per person per day, you can make reservations at Disney restaurants if you wish

The best advice I'd give you for Disney is be out of the villa at 8am, you will get a huge amount done before the hoards start arriving, enjoy the parks for 6 hours or so, then if you want head back to the villa for a snooze/swim, relax, have an early dinner & back to the park if you wish, the parks may close early in Feb so check that out

A lot of it depends on how old the kids are, lot of walking will be done,

naughtysmurf

Just to add, don't know how old your kids are but if teenagers they will be more attracted to Universal & Busch Gardens not so many thrill rides at Disney

riddles

Thanks again. One final question from late feb in early March what would the weather be like for swimming over there and water parks in general at that time of the year.

naughtysmurf

riddles wrote: »

Thanks again. One final question from late feb in early March what would the weather be like for swimming over there and water parks in general at that time of the year.

Unless you were unlucky with a cold front, low to mid 70's at worst during the day, we've been in mid to late March before & it's been glorious , in the 80's, if you opt for the villa definitely pay for pool heating though if you think you will use it any bit at all

We've used waterparks in march, plenty hot enough but no one can really predict the weather

Tipsy McSwagger

http://www.attractionticketsdirect.ie/node/159996

Trying to get the best tickets for a couple. We are going for 10 days, are the above good value?