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naughtysmurf · 05-01-2012 12:18pm

Dovies wrote: »

What do you enter for the zip/postal code - wont accept

Try 0000

flanzer · 05-01-2012 11:57pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

as for parks i would recommend magic kingdom, epcot and seaworld, plenty to see and do with a 4 year old in those 3 parks, the water based shows in seaworld are great and they have an indoor show with small animals which the kids (and bigger kids ) love

a 1 day ticket for each of those parks is fine, it will take a full day to see each park

tons of hotels in orlando, honestly if you are on a budget something like the la quinta inns are grand for a few days

Yeah, we were trying to work out would we do more than 1 park in a day... I guess not. Then with the 7 days we are there, how many of those days would be spent in parks....we reckon 3/4, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, then a flip between Animal Kingdom and Sea World...Maybe Hollywood studios too??

Maybe we'll stick to the 3 days?

Hyzepher wrote: »

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to bring a packed lunch to the parks. They will search your bags and tell you that food isn't allowed - just tell them your kids have allergies and they'll let you bring it it. Works 100% of the time

Love it!!! Hang Sangwiches it is!

bcirl03 · 07-01-2012 1:03pm

Does anyone know if there is much free wireless in Disney and Orlando?

Reason I ask is there are some clever apps out there with wait times etc and would be handy to use over wifi. For obvious reasons I aint paying 3g charges whilst roaming.....

flanzer · 07-01-2012 5:39pm

bcirl03 wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is much free wireless in Disney and Orlando?

Reason I ask is there are some clever apps out there with wait times etc and would be handy to use over wifi. For obvious reasons I aint paying 3g charges whilst roaming.....

I'm sure you could buy a SIM with some data on it for half nothing?

bcirl03 · 07-01-2012 7:49pm

flanzer wrote: »

I'm sure you could buy a SIM with some data on it for half nothing?

Excellent idea....thanks

stargazer 68 · 09-01-2012 12:10pm

Just had an email from attraction tickets - they sent me a quote last week for park tickets. The exchange rate has affected their prices and the rate has now gone up to euro 411. Just wondering should I book my tickets (for March) or do you think I will get them cheaper? Have looked at the sites recommended in this thread and they are the same prices on the all.

slave1 · 18-01-2012 11:58am

Good thread, few bits to add

Do your homework before you go, there is a mountain of activities in Orlando and this thread just scratches the surface
We stay in Kissimmee, it's about 10/15 minutes drive from Disney
Driving is not that difficult, you adapt quickly, don't be afraid because to restrict yourself to public transport in Orlando is a damn shame.
Don't eat breakfast out, when you have a few kids etc. it can become a habit, just get new and unusual cereals at Walmart or Target, is it not enough of a treat to be in Orlando, there are better things to be spending your money on.
In Disney get a photpass, it's a credit card sized card that you hand to all the official photographers in the various Disney parks and all your photos go onto it (they will also take a snap with your camera!!), when you get home you go on the net and can order whatever you want, if you do not want to order anything then you've nothing to pay. Best value is to prepay your photopass for $100 and then just buy an unlimited amount of photos (well, whatever can fit onto a CD).
Travel light in the parks, I had no problem with the quality of the water fountains and they are everywhere, yes the food is pricey but your 'sides' are as much as you can eat in a few places so I was bulking up on the mushrooms and onions, salad etc
Do not try and do it all, you cannot do Orlando in 3 weeks never mind shorter trips, remember you are paying for a villa (perhaps) so get your money's worth out of that pool out the back!
Plan, we went there for 24 days last year, were out and about for 21 of those days, not tired or stressed out, as we would do something in the morning/afternoon then chill out in the evening and following day chill out by the pool for the morning/afternoon and then hit say, The Magic Kingdom for 6-midnight, a lot quieter after the parades and you're indoor anyhow so being dark outside is a mute point.
Hire as big a car as you can afford, we had a mini-van (5 of us) and it swallowed the 5 full size bags and 5 carry on bags with ease.

If you have kids do it for the first time when they are of an age to believe and haven't yet hit tweens and rebelling, bonus if they can walk and no stroller.
Ours were 4, 7 & 8 and it was perfect, all smiles every day!!

PcAngel · 20-01-2012 7:18pm

Can you purchase a Flexiticket in the States when you get there? Thanks.

ScouseMouse · 22-01-2012 7:55pm

This is all fantastic info. I have a few months to go so keep em coming (mods willing of course). Going for 15 nights on June 1st.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion on park tickets. There seems to be a good deal on 14 days for the price of 7, but would I - or anyone, really do more than 7 park days out of 15? I am unsure. Got an baby and a nine year old so other parks are of interest aswell (Legoland) and maybe Kennedy space for me!

There are loads of places online selling the passes and Touramerica seems to have them too. Any realistic options or opinions anyone ????

slave1 · 23-01-2012 8:45am

superscouse wrote: »

There seems to be a good deal on 14 days for the price of 7, but would I - or anyone, really do more than 7 park days out of 15? I am unsure.

We went and did 13 park visits in 24 days as a guide, not an issue.
Don't forget that it gives park to park option which is good e.g. we relaxed around the pool one day and then went to Magic Kingdom car park and got the monorail to Epcot, we stayed there from 5 till close (9PM) and caught the closing ceremony, then got the monorail back to Magic Kingdom and whilst everyone was looking at the Disney fireworks we had all the rides without queues, we ended up staying until 1AM in the magic Kingdom and were not tired at all as there was little or no queuing, we sat for most of the rides and had a treat of chippies at 11PM which was wolfed down.
Next day we slept in and lounged around the pool again but hit another park in the evening.
Granted you have a baby, so that may effect your plans.

When I looked around everywhere for tickets, attractionticketsdirect were the cheapest, they have real good knowledge, I gave them a call and we stayed talking for a good half hour and I got good advice but there was no hard sell. In the end I phoned them back and got my tickets from them, they post them via registered mail and I think they have an office in Dublin somewhere. Also, be wary of tickets versus ticket vouchers, with the vouchers you have to exchange for tickets at the parks and some of those queues were horrendous, we had 'real' tickets and simply walked straight in.

Enjoy your trip!!

youcancallmeal · 06-02-2012 4:21pm

We are off to Orlando in 5 weeks. I have been looking into some of the cheap ticket sites people have mentioned on this thread but can't really find any to suit us? Also went into Tour America and they were only doing 7 or 14 day packages.

We are only planning on doing 2 Disney and 2 Universal parks. Anyone know of any tickets that would encompass that or should we just not bother trying to get a deal and pay up front over there?

mikesavo2003 · 14-02-2012 11:06pm

Hi,
Just looking for any recomendations for Family Holiday for 2 weeks in mid August. We are family of 2 Adults and 1 Child (5 years old since last November) We looking for holiday where activities close by like decent theme park / waterpark close. Accomodation setting that has onsite entertainment to suit, good pool choice where you dont have to get up in middle of night to reseve sun bed (really annoys me) and must be guaranteed sunshine (Not at all picky :P). Ideal destination for us would be Hotel El Paso - Portaventura but just too expensive. Salou town itself is not an option for us as just dont like it does not feel safe (just our opinion im sure not to bad). Have done Lanzarote for last two years to Costa Teguise which is lovely ideal type resort for us quiet but enuff to do and waterpark beside us. Stayed in Sands Beach Resort there which was perfect for all we needed and would be ideal if we could find something similar in different location. Alot of info to take in I know but any suggestions welcomed thanks

hsan · 17-04-2012 1:38pm

so myself and my girlfriend are hoping to book something for 2 weeks in july.we have a son who is 8 yrs of age.we have been to albufeira and lanzarote in the last two yrs.we were hoping to go somewhere different this year.we were thinkin about disneyland paris,any ides would be greatly appreciated.thanks

cocoshovel · 17-04-2012 5:39pm

Have been to Disney Paris myself 3 times, while it is a fantastic place (expensive) and kids would love it, I think going in the summer is pure madness due to queues for rides and attractions.

I always went in around January which is supposedly the quietest times, and even then I would often have queued for up to 2 hours for a popular ride. But some times I got lucky, and the park would have nobody around (when they fecked off to watch the parades/eat lunch).

I have relations who went during the summer and said it was so packed that ride queue times were 3 hours + and the park was immensely busy.

Totally would recommend it, just not during summer.

rossie1977 · 18-04-2012 1:21am

salou has the beach and the theme park http://www.portaventura.co.uk/ its also easy to get to as reus airport is next door and its only an hour or so by train from barcelona, it does attract alot of the lager louts in summer (or so i have heard) but its really quiet in late september/october

finbarrk · 18-04-2012 3:35am

Salou is a great spot. Don't even think about Disneyland for 2 weeks. A couple of days in winter is fine for that place.

FTroydon · 30-04-2012 8:43pm

Hi,

I am heading to Orlando for ten days in September this year.
I have searched the forum for info on where to stay in Orlando, but most of the answers are geared towards families and people travelling with children.

There will be two of us travelling, both in our late 20's.

We are wondering where is the best area to stay? Each area seems to have its pros and cons, so it is very hard to decide on an area as we haven't been there before.

We are looking for a hotel or resort, that has bars/cafes/restaurants nearby (within walking distance preferrably). Somewhere with a bit of atmosphere around it, instead of a hotel on the edge of a motorway.

We will be renting a car for a few of the days, but are hoping to get by without one for the first few days.

Would International Drive be the best place, or downtown, or near one of the parks?

Also, would you recommend maybe staying in two different areas over the ten days?

We are currently planning on spending 5 days or so visiting the different theme parks, and are thinking of driving out to some of the beaches on the other days (or maybe staying at Daytona or somewhere similar for a couple of nights).

Thanks in advance for any advise.

p.s. Would it be possible to fit in most parks over 5/6 days? And if not, which ones would be the best for us to visit? Thanks!

jack presley · 30-04-2012 9:40pm

FTroydon wrote: »

Hi,

I am heading to Orlando for ten days in September this year.
I have searched the forum for info on where to stay in Orlando, but most of the answers are geared towards families and people travelling with children.

There will be two of us travelling, both in our late 20's.

We are wondering where is the best area to stay? Each area seems to have its pros and cons, so it is very hard to decide on an area as we haven't been there before.

We are looking for a hotel or resort, that has bars/cafes/restaurants nearby (within walking distance preferrably). Somewhere with a bit of atmosphere around it, instead of a hotel on the edge of a motorway.

We will be renting a car for a few of the days, but are hoping to get by without one for the first few days.

Would International Drive be the best place, or downtown, or near one of the parks?

Also, would you recommend maybe staying in two different areas over the ten days?

We are currently planning on spending 5 days or so visiting the different theme parks, and are thinking of driving out to some of the beaches on the other days (or maybe staying at Daytona or somewhere similar for a couple of nights).

Thanks in advance for any advise.

p.s. Would it be possible to fit in most parks over 5/6 days? And if not, which ones would be the best for us to visit? Thanks!

Don't stay up at Downtown anyway. There's nothing up there. All the touristy stuff is down near International Drive which is where I'd recommend staying. It's 5-10 minutes to Universal Studios, about 15 to SeaWorld and about 30 to Disney. International Drive has tonnes of bars and restaurants. I stayed down at near the Pointe and we were able to walk to a few bars or drive a couple of minutes but most evening we walked.

There are buses that go up and down Int. Drive and to and parks but for the sake of a few quid, I'd get the car. it's so much more convenient.

Definitely spend a couple of days at the 2 Universal Studios. They're less kiddy-orientated than Disney. Wet N Wild is a bit dated now but it's cheap and easy to get to and it is good fun so if you're into water parks, that's a good one to go to as it'll be less busy than the one at SeaWorld.

Gatica · 01-05-2012 9:05am

I agree. International Drive would be really busy and lively... Anything near Universal should be fairly busy anyway. That's the best park for adults as well. If you like Disney, you can do Magic or Animal Kingdom in 1 day. We spend 1 day at each of the Universal Parks. Heard Epcot is also worth a visit.
You can obviously spend more at each and see everything!

Sala · 01-05-2012 9:58am

Agree with International Drive. We've been twice, no kids and no car and International Drive is very handy and the public transport is easy to work

Ilovelucy · 01-05-2012 4:35pm

Another one to say International Drive. Try and get accommodation with a shuttle to Universal. I wouldn't bother with Disney if I was going without kids unless you fancied Epcot.

FTroydon · 02-05-2012 8:27pm

Thanks a million for all of your replies. International Drive it is so!

Another question if you don't mind...

Would you recommend staying in Orlando for all 10 nights, and doing day trips to the beaches from there, or would 6 nights be plenty there, and stay somewhere else for the other four? (Like Daytona Beach).

Gatica · 03-05-2012 12:55pm

We did a couple of days at Pompano Beach, north of Miami. It's a lot cheaper than central Miami and the beach is a lot quieter too, especially midweek. Loved it... Then headed to Orlando for couple of days at the Park. We had less than 10 days though.
Would definitely recommend some time at the beach since you're travelling such a long way to a the perfect summer destination.

jester1980 · 07-05-2012 6:30pm

Been a few times to Orlando, we stay in Disney for a few days in one of the value hotels. Disney has two going out areas in Downtown disney which has loads of restaurants and even a few nightclubs, it also has another area called the Board walk that has Restaurants and bars, duelling piano bar, ETC.

We then stay up INternational drive near Universal. This has lots to do in Universal Boardwalk, loads of entertainment with bands etc and great food areas. Loads of happy hours

I usually head to Tampa for a day or 2 then before heading to Clearwater Beach which is ok to relax, going back next year and will prob look at a different beach area.

metaoblivia · 07-05-2012 6:52pm

FTroydon wrote: »

Thanks a million for all of your replies. International Drive it is so!

Another question if you don't mind...

Would you recommend staying in Orlando for all 10 nights, and doing day trips to the beaches from there, or would 6 nights be plenty there, and stay somewhere else for the other four? (Like Daytona Beach).

I think staying somewhere on the coast would probably be nice. Daytona is kind of considered the lesser of the Space coast beaches though. New Smyrna, Ormond, and Cocoa Beaches are all in the area and have better reputations, at least with the locals (I'm a Central Florida native, btw). The First coast is north of the Space coast and has St. Augustine, which has beautiful beaches and is one of the coolest towns in Florida. The Sun coast (Tampa, Clearwater) is also a good spot. The Gulf waters are usually warmer and clearer (until you get down to the Keys - then it's all warm and clear).

MadsL · 10-05-2012 3:55pm

Just came back from Orlando. If you want a top notch hotel on I-Drive I recommend Rosen Shingle Creek - amazing hotel if you can get a deal, and a stone's throw from Universal. Most comfortable hotel I ever stayed in and has a great resort feel to it, although it is largely a conference hotel. Sneaky trick is to check what conferences are on whilst you are there and ask for the conference rate

They have a $119 offer at the moment, spectacular value for a room of this quality.

If you are heading out to Tampa - Busch Gardens is great, it is Seaworld's Safari Park and a really good mix of animals and rides.

slave1 · 10-05-2012 6:11pm

Family hols in Orlando this summer and all I can add is that we are homing in on a night or so at Siesta Beach which is about a 2hr drive from west Orlando.
Have a quick look for reviews on the web or google earth, it's apparently the best beach in America and would be quite a contrast from Orlando and the theme parks.

FTroydon · 10-05-2012 6:32pm

MadsL wrote: »

Just came back from Orlando. If you want a top notch hotel on I-Drive I recommend Rosen Shingle Creek - amazing hotel if you can get a deal, and a stone's throw from Universal. Most comfortable hotel I ever stayed in and has a great resort feel to it, although it is largely a conference hotel. Sneaky trick is to check what conferences are on whilst you are there and ask for the conference rate

They have a $119 offer at the moment, spectacular value for a room of this quality.

If you are heading out to Tampa - Busch Gardens is great, it is Seaworld's Safari Park and a really good mix of animals and rides.

Thanks for all of the replies!

MadsL - we looked at Busch Gardens online during the week and definitely want to go there, so we are thinking of staying in the Tampa area for 2 or 3 nights.
We have 10 nights in total, so are thinking of 4 nights in Orlando, then 3 in Tampa, and then the final 3 back in Orlando. Does that sounds like a good plan?

Thanks so much for the hotel recommendation! I am going to check it out now.
If you have any other advice or recommendations, such as what area of Tampa to stay in that would be great.

I have never been to Florida at all, so all advice is appreciated

Also, did you drive over there, and if so, how was it?

jack presley · 10-05-2012 6:50pm

FTroydon wrote: »

Also, did you drive over there, and if so, how was it?

Driving in the States (in any state) is very easy. A lot of people are daunted because of the 5 line freeways etc. but in reality it's as easy as driving over here. Getting used to the driving on the other side of the road and having the car on the other side of you takes a couple of goes to get used to but it's nothing to worry about. The roads are well signposted as well so you shouldn't get lost.

TingTong · 10-05-2012 7:40pm

We have a home in Orlando and IMO 3 nights in Tampa is 1 night too many. If I was you I would travel up to Busch Gardens from Orlando early morning and spend all day there. Stay in a hotel maybe down in St.Pete's, lounge on the beach there all day and then travel back to Orlando the following day.

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