Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

Beckie1

thanks for all the advice!
im confused already!
so is best western lakeside in a good location for parks? or would the best western international drive be a better option..
or do you have any recommendations of cheap hotels with free park transport?
it wasnt a virgin package .. we are actually booking flights on lastminute.com and booking with the hotel direct.
and yes the 1500 pounds is spending money, we will have already bought the park tickets!
how much are all these types of buses, can you buy day passes/week passes or is it just pay everytime you get on - im worried about the cost of all these buses, so hopefully will try and make the most out of free transport to parks and only use buses if absolutley neccessary
thankyou all!!
xx

blue_monkey_2

Beckie,

Alhough the hotel as free transport, ther emight only be one shuttle bus and you mght not get on it if it is busy. Or (like what happened with us) it left early and we had to get a cab. Now we no longer rely on hotel transport. Sometimes they charge too (The Hilton did)

For the Lynx bus you can get a weekly ticket that activates the first time you use it so buy 2 x weekly tickets. They are $16 each (last time I looked) and you can use them on ALL Lynx buses. here is the website: http://www.golynx.com/ but the planner is a bit weird as it says no buses to and from seaworld when I have looked but I know there are - I got on one!

Then there is the i-ride. You can go up and down International Drive (as well as some places either side such as Seaworld): http://www.iridetrolley.com/index.html and there is a weekly ticket for that that costs $10 - you cannot buy it on the bus but you can buy it online and get it from the driver - most hotels so sell the tickets though.

So you can travel around for a pretty minimal amount.

£1500 will be MORE than enough for 2 of you, we spent 2.5k in 3 weeks and there was 4 of us and we got cabs everywhere and ate out. Allocate a budget of $100 per day for food and snacks and use the rest for Taxis and shopping rather than taking it all out with you - you will not go far wrong!!

I've not stayed in either of those hotels but the best thing to do would be to spend some time researching. hotels are 10 a penny, there will always be somewhere to stay - when you get there you'll know what I mean - have a look on Google maps, check out the bus routes and find a hotel on the route. If you find a hotel that is near something (seaworld, Universal, water park, etc...) it'll mean a day with no getting buses so you get a break from it. But check out the bus routes and the hotel you want to stay in. If there is no Lynx bus stop and I was a non-driver, I'd give it a miss.

If you have your eye on anything and cannot find a stop then ask here and I'll have a look for you. I just do not have time to look right now.

Tells us your plans. What is it that you want to do? What do you want to go and see? What about a split stay though if you cannot decide? 5-7 days near Universal, 5-7 days near Disney. Get a cab between the 2 and use the switch day as a rest day. This is what we do (well, a rest few hours til we have our room then dump the bags and off out again, LOL). You can leave your hotel at 10am check out time, go to the next one and check in then leave your luggage till your room is ready and go off an explore the area and go back when you room is ready. We went to 3 different hotels last time.

What about staying near Universal/Seaworld for week 1 so you can use the i-ride and do everything in that area, and then stay in one of the cheaper Disney hotels for week 2? You'll get transfer back to the airport for free plus you'll be able to use all the Disney buses to get around. I explained this to another poster above. This is what we do. You May get free meal plan depening on when you go as well.

Disney currently have 30% off inclusive flights but I am not sure what the price difference is - have a look on their website, I think it's time to sit down for a good couple of hours with the person you are going with and do some homework I am afraid. It is the biggest place and quite hard to get around without a car. The first time we went it was before the internet and it felt getting somewhere was a HUGE complicated headache, but now we know where we are going, what buses to get and what is where. For first timers it can be VERY daunting though, especially with you being young, I will admit that.

What is your hotel/flight budget pp. Remind us again when you are going?

NickAJ

busymum1 wrote: »

HI

we planning to disneyworld in april for easter holidays. can someon suggest hotel or resort not to expensive with partial kitchen if possible. we will not be driving so want to stay close to the parks. And where is the best place to book hotels.

We will be flying to Texas first then need a internal package from there.

Thank you in advance

Hi, you may already be sorted, but if not have a look at:

http://www.lakeeveresort.com/

It gets some really good reviews on different sites. Well we hope it's good as we're booked in there.

We booked it through Thomsons, via Top Cashback which paid the credit card fees.

If you want any more info just ask.

KarenG

vivatifosi wrote: »

DH is in Orlando at moment (I am here:(). He called me to say that anyone going soon must look out for the castle in Magic Kingdom in the run up to the Wishes evening fireworks. They've put in a new pre-show and in his words "it's phenomenal, as good as the fireworks and I want to meet the imagineer who thought it up and shake his hand". Starts about 15 mins before Wishes, so any old timers like me who turn up last minute and just look up Main Street, don't you'll miss out.

We also saw this on Wednesday. I had read about it on various Disney websites, and I thought it sounded a bit (cough, cough) tacky.

But .... it was incredible.

And how very dare DH go to Orlando without you?! :eek: :rotfl:

KarenG

vivatifosi wrote: »

Sorry.....

But if you feel bad imagine how I feel. I have a valid annual pass, had a room booked in Disney and couldn't go because I didn't have sufficient holiday and changes at work meant I couldn't take unpaid leave. So he's on the holiday that we booked for us (it would have cost too much to cancel it all) and I'm here. Not only am I here, but I had an accident today in which I cut my foot open, so I am here and feeling sorry for myself. I won't be going back until Autumn, when my annual pass will have run out:(.

Oh... I am so so sorry... I read this after my previous facile post

blue_monkey_2

OMG.... £1464 for 2 Ad, 2 Ch return flights to Orlando in November using our flying club points.

I feel sick, such an amazing price, how can I resist. With our 2 timeshare weeks available that is Flights plus 2 weeks in BLT, BCV or BWV for £1850. Someone PLEASE tell me it's not a good idea. I've got palpatations thinking about it.....

Does anyone else have to take their kids out of school to go? And if so, do you have problems if you go every year.

jeanniebeanie_2

Blue! That's more of a temptation than a mere human can bear! :eek:

But, I don't have school age kids any more!

blue_monkey_2

jeannie. I feel sick - too many digestives while browsing the damn Virgin website and the fatc I cannot see how there is any way we'll get away with taking the kids out again.

Think I might wait 4 weeks and see if I can get the same price for next Feb and run over the half term instead. At least DS can have his birthday there. We did say we would go in August but under £1900 for flights and accomodation..... I doub't we'll get less than £2.5k in August.

If we have Special Assistance, does anyone know if we can wangle the V-room (happy to pay for it) but it'c coming up at £2500 on V-holidays with V-room. And thats a lot more just to have a holiday (fantastic price though all the same).

Listen, I can hear my credit card calling me from inside my purse....... Must. Resist. Temptation.

jeanniebeanie_2

Good on you if you resist! I am rubbish at avoiding impulse when it comes to US trips!

DD, who is now a teacher, has coughed up £860pp for FLIGHTS this May!

I suspect this will open up the Take Kids Out/Not Debate though. Guessing your schools don't enforce the fines?

For what it's worth, when ours were at school (before fines or whatever they call them) we took them out no more than once in a year, for no more than a week, never at 'crucial' times (oooooh! I can just hear the what is a crucial time debate) and at the beginning/end of a school holiday.

They are now a teacher as I said, and civil engineer, so I don't think it harmed them much.

Should add.......was never faced with a temptation of the magnitude you are though!

blue_monkey_2

Our school is a church school and we live opposite the governer and she is very much for 'family time' being important as long as we do not take them out at important times, say if they have their SATS - so the time running up to May in Year 6. it's not like we can lie about when we get back she her house looking into ours, LOL. Bummer. However, because DS has Autism and ADHD we can only really take him in quiet times as he gets a bit freaked out by the people and the waiting, they are quite understanding to be fair. No, they don't fine children here (yet) so that is not an issue.

We want to book the V-room but only really want the flight and so have to go with VH. It's coming up at £2570 with Virgin holidays non-discounted price with accomodation at Ramada Maingate (although we would not be staying there). HOWEVER - I do have around £800 of Tesco deals vouchers that I did not know what to do with. Do I 'waste' them just to get the V-room and buy the package for £1770.

Virgin just told me that I could swap my miles for 'Virgin Vouchers'. Any idea how that works?? Can I use them to buy Park Tickets?

I've got an itch I need to scratch now and there is no-one to scratch it as it is so late..... damn you Frequent Flier email......