How to travel to Orlando on a budget

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.

Boards.ie: Mark

slave1 wrote: »

Florida, Orlando, Disney, Mickey Mouse, Universal, SeaWorld, sun etc. etc.

Congrats! You've won yourself a €50 One4All voucher thanks to your top travel tips. Will be in touch via PM to get your details.

Agent Smith

discostu1 wrote: »

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

Its grand. I fine the food gets a bit... Repeatitive after a while tho.

lassykk

Great write up OP.

I have very little to add but the one place that lives with me from our trip there is the best ice cream I ever tasted made with liquid nitrogen.

Literally pick any flavours you want and it's made right in front of you

http://www.privateislandicecream.com

Bit of a drive but totally worth it

Id recommend bringing salt and vinegar odonnells crisps with you to add to your ice cream. The crisps in America just ain't up to scratch at all! Don't knock it till you try it!

adam88

Great write up. We're going cruising from ft laurderdale next may and spending ten days in Orlando. Two nights in Miami and were booked four nights in Orlando off I drive. We're just going to rent a car and explore in between. Might hit Orlando early. No kids so hoping we'll be organised

slave1

Some good value flights coming up folks, just booked the 5 of us for August at a great price e.g. €459 Adult Return Shannon-Philly-Orlando, €396 for those up to 12 years old
Check eflights and just look through dates, e.g. August 8th - 28th
That's a great price for August

arrianalexander

slave1 wrote: »

Some good value flights coming up folks, just booked the 5 of us for August at a great price e.g. €459 Adult Return Shannon-Philly-Orlando, €396 for those up to 12 years old
Check eflights and just look through dates, e.g. August 8th - 28th
That's a great price for August

Good deal cheers ,

Won't be going until July '18 but already planning

naughtysmurf

arrianalexander wrote: »

Good deal cheers ,

Won't be going until July '18 but already planning

Prices have been pretty good for a while, originally booked a good while ago to fly Delta via JFK out of SNN with KLM, less than 2k for Ax3 Cx1, Delta then cancelled our flights, rebooked with United, cheaper again

Never too early to start planning

slave1

Shame the Dollar is so poor

naughtysmurf

slave1 wrote: »

Shame the Dollar is so poor

Brutal, done a $14 ESTA the other day, €13.76 it cost with the banks fx fee

Oafley Jones

slave1 wrote: »

Shame the Dollar is so poor

It'll really make you re-evaluate your spending over. Last time I went I received 1.44 per euro after fees. Made it a lot easier to justify Disney's prices.