Orlando for the first time!

cooperguy

Hi guys, im looking for a bit of advice on my plan for my first trip to Orlando in February. There is a group of 6 of us, all in our mid-twenties.

I am thinking of spending a day in Universal IOS and a day in Disney. Is a day enough time for each of these parks or do I need longer? I would like to see Universal Studios as well as Islands of Adventure but im guessing that is too much to do in one day?

Can anybody recommend a good site for discounts for entry to these parks or is buying direct from Universal/Disney the best option.

I believe February is low season in Orlando. Does this mean that buying fast passes is not needed. Is it still advisable to go to the parks mid week if possible instead of going at the weekends?

Any other tips that people have for Orlando in general I would appreciate.

TingTong

cooperguy wrote: »

Hi guys, im looking for a bit of advice on my plan for my first trip to Orlando in February. There is a group of 6 of us, all in our mid-twenties.

I am thinking of spending a day in Universal IOS and a day in Disney. Is a day enough time for each of these parks or do I need longer? I would like to see Universal Studios as well as Islands of Adventure but im guessing that is too much to do in one day?

Can anybody recommend a good site for discounts for entry to these parks or is buying direct from Universal/Disney the best option.

I believe February is low season in Orlando. Does this mean that buying fast passes is not needed. Is it still advisable to go to the parks mid week if possible instead of going at the weekends?

Any other tips that people have for Orlando in general I would appreciate.

Your all in your twenties so I would prioritize Universal for three days, you will need it. They are offering buy two days get another free at the moment for the quiet months. Disney has four parks and you would need a day in each. I would not bother with the Magic Kingdom as it is for kids. For Disney I would purchase a hopper ticket whereby you are able to travel between one park and another on the same day. The best rides in Disney are in Hollywood studios, Animal Kingdom and one or two good rides in Epcot. You would probably get away with a two day park hopper here. If you can get it with a water park option as well. The water parks are cool

If you have a car get in it and go to Busch Gardens in Tampa, this is the best theme park for rides in Florida IMO. If you go to Seaworld they usually do good deals at the gate for bundle tickets to BG and SW. You won't need fast passes for week days in February, you should be able to get on the rides no hassle, weekends are a different matter, all the Florida kids go to the parks at weekend.

Have a look at this site www.theofficialticketcenter.com we get good deals of them if you go into the shop itself. Have a good one, we are going over in July and can't wait.

McG

My wife and I did both Universal parks in 1 day (buying fast passes made this possible) 2 years ago. Get there early, head straight for the Harry Potter ride (fast pass didn't cover that one) and then work your way around the attractions you want to see.

We thought Seaworld actually had some of the best roller coasters in Orlando. Their water park (Aqualand) is just across the road too so you can do both of those in a day.

as for Disney, no chance of doing all in one day. Of the 4 main parks we like Hollywood Studios the most, then Animal Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is a bit boring for adults but still a nice experience if you have the time. Epcot wasn't too interesting either (though there was one or 2 really enjoyable rides). The Disney waterparks are very good (but I love waterparks and enjoyed all the waterparks in Orlando. Wet n' Wild looks a little run down compared to the other but has some of the best slides), we would go to one of them first thing in the morning for a few hours then drive to one of the main parks.

We went in the summer so can't speak for how big the queues will be in February.

Nelly 21

We went to Orlando in November last year. Loved it! It was just myself and my husband and we as we were just there for 4 days we were advised to only go to Universal as Disney is geared mainly for kids. We went to both parks in universal and spent a day each there. The first day we went was on a friday and while it was busy enough the queues were not too busy. Waiting times were only a few minutes. A few people had those fast passes but they only wound up on the ride before us. We went to IOA on the Saturday and it was busier, loads of kids but at the same time it wasn't too hectic. Some rides said 20 or 30 mins waiting but we didn't wait that long. My husband went on all the coasters and there was time for him to go 2/3 times on them (Big child) so we had loads of time. International drive is a great place to stay if you are going to universal. We were able to walk there in about 10 mins from our hotel. Loads of good places to eat on ID and bars! Orlando is great and hope you have a great time!!!

Nelly 21

By the way we found Universal Studios to be better than islands of adventure. A lot of stuff for children in IOA. Go to the website and check the maps, that will show you exactly what the rides are in each park. You can also lookup the rides on youtube