How to travel to Orlando on a budget

slave1

Florida, Orlando, Disney, Mickey Mouse, Universal, SeaWorld, sun etc. etc.
I remember before I went to Orlando the first time that friends were saying it costs a bomb and a real once in a lifetime trip for the family.
The cost quite simply puts it out of reach for a lot of folk however it does not need to cost as much as the Travel Agents say or charge.
This is a short summary of my experiences over the last 6 years of Summer Holidays in and around Orlando and how to do so on a Budget, not staying on the traffic jam that is International Drive but towards the West of Disney in a much quieter and flexible location.

Flights
On the assumption that it's a 4/5 member family travelling the biggest expense will be flights.
The most expensive option is to fly direct via the likes of Aer Lingus Dublin - Orlando, invariably the cheapest time to buy is as soon as the 330day window (international flights pop up available for booking 330days in advance max) as the costs creeps up from there.
The Budget way is to look at indirect flights, while there are multiple ways to get to Orlando (Norwegian Air, Canada, UK based, Air France, via London or Amsterdam) you really do not have to look far past a one-stop Irish - US soil flight and the indirect route is actually a nice option for kids etc as the flight time is broken up.
Air France/Delta/KLM/Lufthansa (and others) share the same flights albeit with different codes and prices so if you see flights on say Air France then search Delta and Lufthansa where you may get the same flight cheaper.
Look to Shannon, Shannon has been €300-€400 cheaper for us the last few years, ask yourself is the road trip to Shannon worth it.
You need to look for Shannon to Chicago/JFK/Philly/Atlanta and then on to Orlando as these are the cheapest I've seen.
Dates have a big part to play too, Easter and the Summer Holidays are the most expensive but if you travel a few day's either side of Easter or just before the school holidays kick in then you will see a price saving, we flew direct with Aer Lingus when the kids were younger, three days either side of the Easter Holidays and cost €2,600, a €1.5k to €2.0k saving versus the core Easter time period.
Want to drive part of the way, be flexible.
Best price we got was €1,641 for indirect flights to Atlanta, then drove 8hrs to Orlando, that was a return flight for 3adults and 2children in July, be flexible and open to this option when putting your flight dates and destination.
I use Delta, Air France, KLM, American Airlines own website, I've never found a cheaper route via those search engines, Skyscanner pops up nice prices from time to time but every time I click in the flights are no longer available.
You need to spend a lot of time in the evenings researching and looking for flights, keep your eye on glitch prices too, they happen.
Remember than to avail of US customs pre-clearance you need to leave from Irish soil (not Belfast) right before landing in the US, if you fly Dublin-London-US then you do not preclear. Preclearance is a HUGE headache avoidance.

Accommodation, next up is where to stay and how much. We're not interested in staying anywhere near the traffic areas such as International Drive and the restriction that are inherent in Hotels like space and washing/cooking etc. Thinking of a 4/5 sized family the best location IMHO is Kissimmee which is located due West of Orlando and very very close to Disney. Look to rental websites such as HomeAway and HolidayLettings, here you can slim down the countless places to stay to suit your dates and group size. We started off with a list of 20 "villas" (houses with pools) and messaged them all, immediately forget about the most expensive ones and then make contact again with the best 5/6 on your list again, really the only separator for your accommodation at this point should be cost so I just say it straight, I have a shortlist of 5 and the only way for me to make up my mind is cost, get their bottom line and then decide with final phone call to owner.. Another tip is to look at their availability calendar, if you are right between other bookings they have then you are in the driving seat as otherwise they are looking at the possibility of an empty property and en empty property till needs air conditioning, pool maintenance, phone/internet and all the other services paid for, it's your money so don't be afraid to bargain hard. We pay €58/night for a 3bed villa with pool during the Summer months, I found the guy via the method above and all villa owners offer a discount for repeat business, we've now stayed with the same guy 5 years in a row. Remember you will need pool heating from October'ish to May'ish, should be fine rest of year, pool heating is always cheaper if organised and paid for in advance. Lot's of home owners are UK based to sterling helping us, but in return sterling is very weak against the dollar so I'd say the UK prices will increase to counteract.

Car rental, Orlando and Florida has excellent roads, do not be afraid of driving there, yes the first half hour or so there will be an element of nerves but they are excellent conditioned roads and a joy to use. The most expensive rental options will be those on site at the airport, try all the usual crowds and the various Car Rental search engines. At Orlando airport the cheapest we've found is Alamo and use the Alamo/Brits offer (there's a travel book called Brits where this offer emanates from) where all insurance etc is paid for, best of all you can check in online, get off the plane, so straight to garage, pick a car and drive off. Cheapest I've got is Sixt which is a short free shuttle bus away, probably about 30-40minutes extra but last year got an Intermediate (think S-Max) SUV for £300 for three weeks in July so well worth the effort. For car size an Intermediate SUV will be fine for a family of 5, I see a lot about luggage etc but that's only for one or two trips so play Tetris, it's only just over half an hour from the airport to Kissimmee, you'll survive.

Food, get your breakfast and easy to prepare food at Walmart or Target, Walmart is the cheapest and a blast to shop at.
Eating out, we keep this to a minimum, in the mornings if you are out all day then stuff yourselves at a Waffle House, you will easily jam a family of 5 for around $30 there and won't have to eat until late afternoon. Bring granola bars for midday pickups, bring water in the car too in one of those cheap white polystyrene freezer boxes as it gets hot hot hot in Orlando. Go anywhere and everywhere at night if you want to, we are usually wrecked after a full day out so something quick from Walmart does the trick. For household and toiletries then Dollar Tree where everything is, well a dollar!

Park tickets, not much between them, try any of Attraction Tickets Direct Irish and UK sites, Florida Escapes, Orlando Attractions etc.

Don't overdo the parks, Disney is Magic Kingdom (minimum two days), Epcot (minimum two days), Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom (not to mention their water parks), Universal is Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, then there's SeaWorld and the various water parks, Busch Gardens is near Tampa and your ticket will usually come with a free Bus there and back.
To get the best day at the park get there early, the parks are usually virtually empty for the first hour or so and then slowly build up, Disney can hold 100,000 visitors and Magic Kingdom has the third largest car park in the world, these places are BIG. We've arrived at Magic Kingdom at 8AM and left at 1AM, it can be done!

Shopping, any amount of it and everywhere, clothes are so much cheaper there it's not funny, loads of upmarket outlets around International Drive but our favourites are Lake Buena Vista Factory Store and Alamonte Mall (just north of Orlanda) which are quieter and lower prices than the main malls.

Travel Insurance, I've found Multitrip the cheapest and again keep an eye on the likes of Boards for their 10% off/or the like offer, often best to get annual insurance for the small bit extra, this is especially so if you are travelling late one year because if you travel early the next year the same policy will cover you.

You will need an ESTA, leave it as late as possible because it expires after two years of issue, there are some rotten feckers out there on the web who charge an arm and a leg but the only place you should go is the official site, $14 for an ESTA. If you are changing a passport then wait until after you get your new passport as each ESTA is unique to a passport so your ESTA will die when the passport associated with it expires. Your ESTA only needs to be in date for your date of arrival in the US, it does not need to be valid for your length of stay!

That's about it, follow the above and you can do it without compromising on the quality of your holiday, last year we had three weeks for 4adults and a child at €3.5k and that was June/July flights, 3 bed villa with pool, in-direct flights from Shannon, intermediate SUV car rental, travel insurance, parking at airport, ESTAs.....

Hope this helps and good luck with your plans

Tar.Aldarion

If going there it's definitely worth taking a trip out to Kennedy Space Centre. Also the shopping outlets in Orlando and the US in general are insane.

slave1

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

If going there it's definitely worth taking a trip out to Kennedy Space Centre. Also the shopping outlets in Orlando and the US in general are insane.

Shopping a big part, we budget to spend around $1k and save around €1k versus Irish prices.

dodzy

Excellent comprehensive write up Slave. Just one point, your referred car hire (300quid/3 weeks); I'm assuming that this in not full cover as it sounds way too cheap. Can you recall the excess applicable to your rental as zero excess would run you considerable more for the peace of mind ? I'll hopefully be there for a break as my daughter is at the last hurdle for 14 weeks work in the Orlando Disney park next Summer so if she gets it, there's free park tickets for the family which as you well know is quite a brucie bonus!

We stayed in Vizcay Way, Davenport back in 2008 for 2 weeks (on the 27 just off the i4) - 4/5 bed, pool, games room TVs everywhere) with another family and the week previous on our own in lake Buena Vista. Agreed on LBV outlet - smashing and dirt cheap. It's a great place but anyway you slice it, you will spend a fortune; it's just unavoidable!

But sure you can't bring it with ya!

arrianalexander

Thanks , great write up , currently looking doing honeymoon Orlando and new York but its not until 2018 so early days yet...well v early

daheff

dodzy wrote: »

Excellent comprehensive write up Slave. Just one point, your referred car hire (300quid/3 weeks); I'm assuming that this in not full cover as it sounds way too cheap. Can you recall the excess applicable to your rental as zero excess would run you considerable more for the peace of mind ?

you can always take out excess car hire insurance. I believe worldwide cover can be got for around 70EUR

dodzy

daheff wrote: »

you can always take out excess car hire insurance. I believe worldwide cover can be got for around 70EUR

Not the same as ZERO excess cover at point of rental. You'll still be hit on your card for any damages and then you have to initiate the claw-back process. Hassle most people don't need....or want.

whiteshorts

then drove 8hrs to Orlando

That would be a problem for most people especially as you are just arriving into the country.
The last thing most people would want to do is spend a day driving and another going back.

daheff

dodzy wrote: »

Not the same as ZERO excess cover at point of rental. You'll still be hit on your card for any damages and then you have to initiate the claw-back process. Hassle most people don't need....or want.

No its not quite the same. But It pays for the excess and essentially becomes the same thing (apart from timing). In my experience, they pay up pretty quickly once you provide the details they ask for. And usually its cheaper than buying the zero excess.

gar32

"Magic Kingdom at 8AM and left at 1AM" Did you have children with you? I work 12 hour shifts and find it hard to think 17 hours in a park would be all fun? Do they have places to rest?

alchemist33

gar32 wrote: »

"Magic Kingdom at 8AM and left at 1AM" Did you have children with you? I work 12 hour shifts and find it hard to think 17 hours in a park would be all fun? Do they have places to rest?

We've done 8am to 10pm in Disneyland Paris with three kids (7, 9, 11). We'd have a good sit-down at mealtimes and rest, but they'll be so keen to see the next attraction that they'll keep going.

Excellent write-up, btw, and very timely as I've been pricing flights/parks in either Orlando or California recently.

slave1

dodzy wrote: »

Just one point, your referred car hire (300quid/3 weeks); I'm assuming that this in not full cover as it sounds way too cheap. Can you recall the excess applicable to your rental as zero excess would run you considerable more for the peace of mind

It was full cover, jumped at it, £305, it was simply the price on their website and I had not used them before but we got on grand and the car was brand new with just a few thousand on the clock, might never see that price again so was delighted with it.

slave1

whiteshorts wrote: »

That would be a problem for most people especially as you are just arriving into the country.
The last thing most people would want to do is spend a day driving and another going back.

Re the 8hr drive, yes it was long but only on the way there, we hit Orlando around midnight and were wrecked but the kids were fine as they slept the whole way, were up at stupid o clock the next morning and the buzz of holidays wiped all the effort out.
On the way back it was a surprisingly easy drive, left 3AM got there around 11AM with two good 45minute stops along the way.

I agree it is not a great option but I got dirt cheap flights and saved the guts of €2k by doing it so that's the way we looked at it. Also you have to be out of your villa by 10am so if you have say, a 6PM flight sure you're going to be out and about in any case.

slave1

gar32 wrote: »

"Magic Kingdom at 8AM and left at 1AM" Did you have children with you? I work 12 hour shifts and find it hard to think 17 hours in a park would be all fun? Do they have places to rest?

11/10/8 year olds with us, there are no rest areas per se but the longest ride attraction in MK is The Carousel of Progress at 22minutes which we hit when we're tired, it has plush cinema seats, we've stayed on it twice in a row and sleep the whole way through.
Big breakfast, snack at 11, dinner at 2, ice creams at 4, snacks at 7 and you will be fine as long as you continually keep the liquids up.
From 4'ish to 6'ish you hit a wall but get some ice creams and a long rest and you get over it.
Rope drop to fireworks, loads do it.

bailey99

fantastic write up in fairness. Fair play!

irishgeo

this is a very good site on universal parks

http://orlandoinformer.com/

A crowd calendar here lets you see how busy the park is. Disney parks can be gauged as just as busy at these times.

http://orlandoinformer.com/universal/crowd-calendar/

irishgeo

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

If going there it's definitely worth taking a trip out to Kennedy Space Centre. Also the shopping outlets in Orlando and the US in general are insane.

Kennedy Space Center is well worth a visit.

before sure to arrive early its closes early. 5pm i think.

You can get a bus from orlando.

Pre booking some tours is advised.

mikeym

Make sure you dont go to Orlando during Spring Break.

Try to do the parks during the week, the weekends are too busy.

Universal Studios is great for rollercoasters and Harry Potter.

Shop around if your looking to rent a car, some rental car companies offer a shuttle bus service from the Airport and they can be cheaper than the ones located at the Airport.

discostu1

Great write up, A couple of things we have been to Florida probably 10 times in the last 12 years. Agree with most of the above. A brilliant web site is www.thedibb.co.uk Its got everything,shopping advise,Car hire everything.
We dont stay in Orlando we have family in Brandonton on the beautiful Gulf coast. But thats close to Busch Gardens where the wild rollercoasters are also in general away from Orlando the cheaper the clothes shopping is. On great place my now 20 odd year olds still talk about is Boggy creek about 10 miles south of Orlando a nature reserve where you travel in Airboats if anyone has any questions about that area let me know.
Great information from the OP

dermey97

Thanks for advice. Heading to Orlando this weekend with group of friends for 7 days. Can't wait is an understatement... Is the fast pass worth a look into. Dread the queuing since a young age.

fennor72

Great write up. We are going next Easter. We were paying nearly 5k for flights and accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children but we saved nearly 2k by going the Wednesday before the school holidays. Flights cost 2100 stopping in New York and hotel just off international drive was 1000. The only thing is trying to get the best deal on tickets for the parks. My girls are 6 and 9. Obviously we want to go to the Disney parks, universal and sea world. Where is the best site for tickets I'm told it's cheaper to buy them before you go.
We have been a couple of times before when we were single with no kids and we just paid at the parks. But money is tighter now so any ideas

slave1

fennor72 wrote: »

Great write up. We are going next Easter. We were paying nearly 5k for flights and accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children but we saved nearly 2k by going the Wednesday before the school holidays. Flights cost 2100 stopping in New York and hotel just off international drive was 1000. The only thing is trying to get the best deal on tickets for the parks. My girls are 6 and 9. Obviously we want to go to the Disney parks, universal and sea world. Where is the best site for tickets I'm told it's cheaper to buy them before you go.
We have been a couple of times before when we were single with no kids and we just paid at the parks. But money is tighter now so any ideas

Should have mentioned thedibb in my OP, here's a good place to start for tickets, thankfully the 9 year old is not adult yet, Disney consider them adult pricing from 10 AFAIR

dermey97

We used attraction tickets in Dublin. Great service with good advice. Email and you get quote back. Very hard to beat.

alchemist33

fennor72 wrote: »

Great write up. We are going next Easter. We were paying nearly 5k for flights and accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children but we saved nearly 2k by going the Wednesday before the school holidays. Flights cost 2100 stopping in New York and hotel just off international drive was 1000. The only thing is trying to get the best deal on tickets for the parks. My girls are 6 and 9. Obviously we want to go to the Disney parks, universal and sea world. Where is the best site for tickets I'm told it's cheaper to buy them before you go.
We have been a couple of times before when we were single with no kids and we just paid at the parks. But money is tighter now so any ideas

Who are you flying with?

stesaurus

dermey97 wrote: »

Thanks for advice. Heading to Orlando this weekend with group of friends for 7 days. Can't wait is an understatement... Is the fast pass worth a look into. Dread the queuing since a young age.

Disney don't have a paid fastpass. You get the app on your phone and you book up to 3 rides for fastpass. Once you use them up you can book 1 more each time. Ive always found it best to book 3 early ones and then keep booking more as the day goes on. If you book a fastpass at say 4PM you'll need to wait until you use up that pass before booking any more so use them up and keep getting more is the trick.
Waiting in line is fine. Bring your phone and connect to the free wifi in all the parks.

Universal have a paid express pass system. Its not worth it imo. Just do the parks backwards from early and you'll be fine. Go straight to King Kong though, as soon as the park opens run! Its new so lines will be 2hrs long at times. Anything else is 30-45 mins max.

Another tip in the car rental. Make sure not to pay for fuel in advance. Just bring it back full. Anything else is a rip off. Have some coins in advance for the turnpike. There's no operators to pay note so very easy to be fined for not having any change.

Visit steak n shake for fast food. Its like the cheapest place ever with amazing milkshakes. I had always avoided it based solely on the name previously but tried it this year and its great.

If you have Disney park tickets then you can also get access to the Disney mini golf for free as long as the tickets are still valid. Also there's a giant arcade at Disney springs that is free once you have a valid park ticket too. Great for a rainy day indoors.

Facebook "its Orlando time" is a great resource for UK and Irish people.

stesaurus

fennor72 wrote: »

Great write up. We are going next Easter. We were paying nearly 5k for flights and accommodation for 2 adults and 2 children but we saved nearly 2k by going the Wednesday before the school holidays. Flights cost 2100 stopping in New York and hotel just off international drive was 1000. The only thing is trying to get the best deal on tickets for the parks. My girls are 6 and 9. Obviously we want to go to the Disney parks, universal and sea world. Where is the best site for tickets I'm told it's cheaper to buy them before you go.
We have been a couple of times before when we were single with no kids and we just paid at the parks. But money is tighter now so any ideas

http://www.attractiontix.co.uk/tickets/walt-disney-world-resort

GBP pricing should save a few quid.

shaywest

as soon as you get there download the uber app
we saved a fortune and met some great locals
average trip around i drive was 5 bucks

fennor72

Thanks for the suggestions. We were looking at attraction tickets and will probably go with them. I think a flexipass for all the parks for us for 14 days is around 3000 which is too much and with young kids we won't be visiting them all. So I was looking at a combo for universal and the sea world parks which costs about 1200 and pay on the the day for say Magic Kingdom.
We are flying with Air France to New York and then Delta down to Florida. We are returning with the same airlines except we are going home through Atlanta. What we also found was cheaper was that we booked the flights at the end of May as soon as they became available.
They would have been even less had the poxy expedia site not gone down. Leaving me to wait an extra day and end up going to the travel agents to book.

stesaurus

Disney tickets are quite expensive at the gate. Depending on ages of the kids you'll probably spend more time there than Universal so may not be cheaper in the end going that route

fennor72

s.welstead wrote:

Disney tickets are quite expensive at the gate. Depending on ages of the kids you'll probably spend more time there than Universal so may not be cheaper in the end going that route

Universal is for the big kid of the family - me!

TheCockpitGuy

I will give you this much, you do your research alright. However going the cheapest cheapest route is not always the cheapest.

Best price we got was €1,641 for indirect flights to Atlanta, then drove 8hrs to Orlando, that was a return flight for 3adults and 2children in July, be flexible and open to this option when putting your flight dates and destination.

Sure you save a bit on the flights but have you every done an 8 hour drive in the US that can turn very easily into a 10-12 hour drive if you come across any accidents? Not taking into account that you are not used to American roads. American drivers are very aggressive. They will pull in in front of you if there is just about enough room for 1 car. The last thing I would recommend that you do is drive from Atlanta to Orlando.

JustLen

TheCockpitGuy wrote: »

I will give you this much, you do your research alright. However going the cheapest cheapest route is not always the cheapest.



Sure you save a bit on the flights but have you every done an 8 hour drive in the US that can turn very easily into a 10-12 hour drive if you come across any accidents? Not taking into account that you are not used to American roads. American drivers are very aggressive. They will pull in in front of you if there is just about enough room for 1 car. The last thing I would recommend that you do is drive from Atlanta to Orlando.

He already did it!

adox

I found the drivers in Florida the opposite to aggressive. Was surprised how polite they were.

tony1980

TheCockpitGuy wrote: »

I will give you this much, you do your research alright. However going the cheapest cheapest route is not always the cheapest.



Sure you save a bit on the flights but have you every done an 8 hour drive in the US that can turn very easily into a 10-12 hour drive if you come across any accidents? Not taking into account that you are not used to American roads. American drivers are very aggressive. They will pull in in front of you if there is just about enough room for 1 car. The last thing I would recommend that you do is drive from Atlanta to Orlando.

I see Irish drivers carrying on like that here every day :pac:

naughtysmurf

Sorry OP, but you lost me at the 8 hour drive, to & from the airport in Atlanta, appreciate that flight costs for a family to Orlando are expensive but the missus would kill me if I chose that option lol

Would agree though about looking at Shannon as an option, this is what we paid for flights last three trips

March 2011, AL, DUB-MCO, TWO ADULTS TWO KIDS €1845
October 2013, UNITED, SNN-EWR-MCO, 2hr layover, €2300
May 2017, DELTA, SNN-JFK-MCO, THREE ADULTS ONE CHILD €2004, two hr layover

We never had a problem taking the kids out of school for those trips, July too hot & humid for us, also helps with the overall costs, villa in Kissimmee all the way for space, comfort & value for money although we are onsite at Universal, Disney with the last week in a villa next May as it's probably our last trip as a family

slave1

I agree on the Atlanta - Orlando drive, it was not nice, however Atlanta airport is south of Atlanta so no city to navigate through, once you are away from the Atlanta area in around 30minutes then it's a dead straight road all the way.
Like I said earlier it's a personal choice, saved us around €2k so for me was worth it and we looked on it as something different, it also helped us get used to US time quicker as we were wrecked the first night so slept more to US time the first morning.
Honestly though, after a good nights sleep we were back to 100% and the raod trip on way back was actually fine and did not impact any of us at all.
The €2k to spend on shopping and park tickets was most welcomed.

Atomic Pineapple

adox wrote: »

I found the drivers in Florida the opposite to aggressive. Was surprised how polite they were.

Same here, driving in Orlando was relatively stress free, I only got the long beep once when I let pedestrians cross the road under their green light (I believe turning right even negates pedestrians right of way!?). Wasn't even shot at once.

Still though I'd never recommend an 8 hour drive after a flight to the US, especially if you are hitting the parks in Orlando, it is not a relaxing holiday so starting it off with an 8 hour drive is crazy. Even at a €2k saving I dont think its worth it for me (But then I dont have kids ).

If you're there for two weeks I'd also recommend splitting Disney park days in two, an effective way to see everything there without burning yourself out is to visit all 4 parks early on your first week and use your fast passes for attractions, get as much as you can done and then in the second week target the evenings in these parks, use your fast passes for shows this time and enjoy late evening dining and shows.

mad_shopaholic

I have booked to go October 2017 I would recommend if only doing Disney to try booking onsite I got accommodation dining plan (food included) park tickets airport transfers and $200 voucher for 3,200 euro in a deluxe resort for 2 adults and 1 child for 10 days.

ncmc

mad_shopaholic wrote: »

I have booked to go October 2017 I would recommend if only doing Disney to try booking onsite I got accommodation dining plan (food included) park tickets airport transfers and $200 voucher for 3,200 euro in a deluxe resort for 2 adults and 1 child for 10 days.

That's very reasonable, do you mind me asking which Deluxe? I was pricing a dummy trip for next May (don't actually intend to go until 2019, but want to get an idea of how much to save) I was looking at moderates and the hotel alone (for two weeks granted) would be close to €3K! Through in tickets and we'd be looking at €4400 for two adults and one child for the two weeks.

mad_shopaholic

Saratoga springs close to downtown disney. Maybe check if there is us holidays around the dates you put in that would have a big affect on the price

discostu1

If like me you have visited the parks with a special needs adult/child bring a note from your doctor. Universal and Busch both give you a pass for the whole family which effectively acts as a fast past. Disney may do the same but its years since I was in Disney.

naughtysmurf

@ncmc, we are also at SSR next May, it's the closest & only Disney resort that's walkable to Disney Springs, the last weekend in May is a big holiday in the US, Memorial Day,

There are many hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, all within walking distance to Disney Springs which will be cheaper with larger rooms that many if not all the Disney moderate hotels, they also will have shuttles to the parks every 30mins so it's well worth shopping around for prices & other stuff that's important to you, staying onsite can be cheap and cheerful or bloody expensive & you don't have to, to have a great holiday

We also have the "free" dining plan for our stay but we are not under the illusion that it will save us money, we would have to be eating lobster & steak every evening to be, paying for food out of pocket always works out cheaper for the average family.....if you want the Disney experience, you will pay for it but you can have a great holiday off site too

Also, check the US Disney site for room only offers,

discostu1

Anyone else use Golden Corral its a pay $12 a plate for an adult and eat as much as you want I think it used to be Tuesday Steak Night but theres every conceivable type of food and dessert great if you have kids where one wants Pizzza and another wants burgers and of course ..........free refills on drinks

ncmc

Thanks Mad_shopaholic and and naughtysmurf, SSR is lovely, I have t stayed in it, but have been in the grounds and it looks lovely. Great location too. We've been to Disney theee times, but not since 2009, we've stayed onsite twice and I'd love to replicate that magic for my daughter (she'll be 5 when we hopefully go) I will price around when the time comes, but I think when you take into account the value of the dining plan and free parking, onsite isn't necessarily that much more expensive.

dodzy

Looking like slave's rip-off of the 'Lapland on a budget thread' could net him the final prize this week :P

Bad_alibi

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

Still though I'd never recommend an 8 hour drive after a flight to the US, especially if you are hitting the parks in Orlando, it is not a relaxing holiday so starting it off with an 8 hour drive is crazy. Even at a €2k saving I dont think its worth it for me (But then I dont have kids ).

Right lads let the media know the ressession is truely over, when a €2k saving isn't worth 8hrs of effort.

naughtysmurf

Bad_alibi wrote: »

Right lads let the media know the ressession is truely over, when a €2k saving isn't worth 8hrs of effort.

Lol, I know what you mean but getting into a car after an 8/9 hour transatlantic flight, being at the departure airport 3 hrs before hand, your body & brain thinking it should be in bed isn't the right time to be embarking on an 8 hour drive, it's dangerous tbh

Cheap airport hotel for a few hours kip & then driving from Atlanta, fair enough but I think I'd rather go every couple of years in a bit more comfort, than the OP's route

lambayire

Huge respect to the 8 hour driver. Not something I would even think of considering.

We were in Orlando earlier this year and had a blast. We're lucky to have free accommodation
as my folks have a house that's about a 15 minute drive from Disney.
As we have 3 kids under 7, we had to do the direct flight into Orlando.
Walking out of the airport without having to go through customs is a massive bonus now.
Previously, we have been up to 3 hours trying to get through there.

Our youngest was 3 and a half but everywhere we went we told them that she was 2 and
she got in free everywhere. We just stuck her in the buggy and had her well prepped just in case.
Nobody questioned us.

Kennedy Space Centre is a must see. We absolutely loved it. Very reasonably priced too.
Just do the DIY tours there. The Atlantis Shuttle display is just brilliant.

We did 1 day in Magic Kingdom and we got most of it done. We missed out on a bit of Futureland
but the kids were ok about that. We were one of the first into the park and lasted til just after the firework
display at 10pm. I would recommend saving one of your Fastpasses for a meet and greet with their favourite
character. We queued for far too long to see the Frozen crew and so many folk skipped by us.

Another one of our favourite spots is Gatorland. Loads to see and do there.

We dis Typhoon Lagoon for the first time this year and it was great for the kids.
Nothing overly scary with the water rides. Bizarrely, our kids went all day just snacking on some crackers.
We were all so busy to think about food. That spot closed at 5 which was way too early.

Celebration is a lovely spot to visit and the kids will love the water fountains that they can run through.
There is a beautiful ice cream shop there called the Cold Stone Creamery. They do weird and wonderful
creations there in the style of Tom Cruise circa Cocktail. It's just off the 192.

Disney Springs is a nice spot for an evening stroll. Plenty to see and so there.

Enjoy!!

Atomic Pineapple

Bad_alibi wrote: »

Right lads let the media know the ressession is truely over, when a €2k saving isn't worth 8hrs of effort.

It's one for Joe Duffy alright.

It's not just 8 hours of effort, it's a massive drain at the start of what is a an energy sapping and hectic experience, an 8 hour drive after an 8 hour flight will have a massive knock on effect, if you're going for two weeks it's not worth it (in my opinion), three and maybe you're OK but the vast majority of people going to Orlando for a theme park experience are going for two weeks. You may save €2k getting there but you are paying for it in other ways, you'll miss out on stuff, lose two days to travel and incur additional costs that will eat into that €2k anyway.

The cheapest option isn't always the best value.

dodzy

Atomic Pineapple wrote: »

It's one for Joe Duffy alright.

It's not just 8 hours of effort, it's a massive drain at the start of what is a an energy sapping and hectic experience, an 8 hour drive after an 8 hour flight will have a massive knock on effect, if you're going for two weeks it's not worth it (in my opinion), three and maybe you're OK but the vast majority of people going to Orlando for a theme park experience are going for two weeks. You may save €2k getting there but you are paying for it in other ways, you'll miss out on stuff, lose two days to travel and incur additional costs that will eat into that €2k anyway.

The cheapest option isn't always the best value.

Sweet diving mother of jasus, the lad took a car with the family for a duration that falls well short of a regular working day for most. Stops along the way, probably had a kip on the flight in, all the family excited, taking in some sights, kids probably conked for part of the drive, road & car comfort that you are not likely to experience here (ever), in fantastic weather....oh, and saved a €packet in the process. 'Energy sapping / knock-on effects....'.

Dramatic, to say the least.

You'll never make a Griswald.

Atomic Pineapple

You write your post as if I am in some way being derogatory to the OP's post, that is not my intention, nor am I underestimating a €2k saving. I'm simply saying that spending two days of a holiday doing point A to point B driving is not for everyone. Considering a 1 hour flight from Atlanta to Orlando is usually around €100 per person I'd consider that better value for money than saving that amount in exchange for 16 hours of driving. But that's just me, the OP clearly thinks it's worth it and it suits them which is great.