Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

r.mac_2

poet123 wrote: »

Have you thought about villa with private pool? in October you will get one for the sme price as you quoted there outside half term.

Also, with a little one you may want to book a Disney character meal, with needs to be done excactly 90 days from departure.

Try the dibb for loads of tips.

Thanks - we are thinking about a villa and will be staying in one in the second week on the gulf coast. I'm not sure why I wasn't going for that option to begin with..... actually I remember, we were originally thinking of staying onsite at a disney hotel, but have ummed and ahhed and decided to stay off site (I think! - too many choices!).

blue_monkey wrote: »

You need to book the meals 180 days in advance now, otherwise you just won't get in for a character meal. You can do it on the Disney website (under 'where to eat', no payment is required. I'd choose The Crystal Palace with a 2 year old as there is Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore and Piglet. Or Hollywood and Vine for LUNCH as they have Jojo and playhouse disney Characters at lunchtime only.

wow - gosh me - that far ahead! Yes, we were hoping to do that. Thanks for the tip. I'll get onto that now then. Thanks for the recommendation of restaurant.

jeanniebeanie wrote: »

The Fantasmic meal package used to be worth doing too.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/fantasmic-meal-packages/

It's not something we have done in recent years, so I will rely on BM to advise on the situation with that these days.

180 Advance reservation now!!!! WOW!!

that also looks fun!

johnnyroper

blue_monkey wrote: »

You need to book the meals 180 days in advance now, otherwise you just won't get in for a character meal. You can do it on the Disney website (under 'where to eat', no payment is required. I'd choose The Crystal Palace with a 2 year old as there is Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore and Piglet. Or Hollywood and Vine for LUNCH as they have Jojo and playhouse disney Characters at lunchtime only.

BM been looking at a character meal for when we go again in september,my daughter really wants to see snow white as we did not last time so was thinking about breakfast in the palace at MK.

I am guessing you have done these things before so was wondering if it is actually worth doing also was it a nightmare to get booked in as a friend told me you can only book by phone?

jeanniebeanie_2

Originally Posted by blue_monkey
You need to book the meals 180 days in advance now, otherwise you just won't get in for a character meal. You can do it on the Disney website (under 'where to eat', no payment is required. I'd choose The Crystal Palace with a 2 year old as there is Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore and Piglet. Or Hollywood and Vine for LUNCH as they have Jojo and playhouse disney Characters at lunchtime only.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/reservations/dining/

You will be looking for Cinderella's Royal Table.

brm21

Hi,

I'm hoping theres someone out there who can help/advise re:

wanting to go disney this year anytime between 15 july and got to be back 3 september. wanting to stay in disney accomaodation so looking at disney all star(stayed in before), flying from manchester, 2 adults and 2 children aged 12 and 17(prob adult price).
getting so confused..what with disney dining free from 1 aug but prices go up.

can anyone help? can't believe costing of this holiday as been looking on virgin, prefer to fly with

thanks in advance

DuWolf

brm21 wrote: »

Hi,

I'm hoping theres someone out there who can help/advise re:

wanting to go disney this year anytime between 15 july and got to be back 3 september. wanting to stay in disney accomaodation so looking at disney all star(stayed in before), flying from manchester, 2 adults and 2 children aged 12 and 17(prob adult price).
getting so confused..what with disney dining free from 1 aug but prices go up.

can anyone help? can't believe costing of this holiday as been looking on virgin, prefer to fly with

thanks in advance

Fly 15th July return 3 Sept From Manchester to Orlando(Example)

£4800 Virgin
£3462 Delta Airlines (1.5hr stop over)

I know what id rather do with the extra £1400

r.mac_2

delwynshd wrote: »

R.mac

I have sent you a PM with some help

Thanks
Del

Just wanted to say a huge thanks to Del. He's helped me find flights and accommodation for our trip.
In fact he got us better flights, on the dates we wanted for less than I could plus I now have Atol and abta protection should I need it.
He is very friendly and There was no hard sell! If any of you are still at planning stages he might be worth contacting.

Anyway thanks for all the tips on here. I'm so excited we are booked for early October and I'm now getting ready to plan the nitty gritty of our
trip starting with Disney!

Apart from Disney what are your top things and 'must do' things in Florida?

Procrastinator333

I read quite a few books before we went, but for us the most useful was the following:

http://www.britguideorlando.net/

Though I got it of amazon so as not buying from a random company on the web.

My tips would be a) search the web to find the busy days for every park in Oct. There is a table somewhere that lists them. b) Plan the Sat/Sun as you off or low days, they are always busier. c) Then get to the parks early and do the big attractions / rides first. If you stick to that plan, you will spend significantly less time in queues than if you just pick the days at random and wander round the parks. We did 2 weeks there (low season) and by sticking to that, didn't queue for more than 10 mins for anything. Even the Potter rides at IoA. Went on that twice in the first 15 mins of the day, 2 hours later and the queue was 1hr + all day. Also, if you can, shift your meal times. By that I mean breakfast at 7, lunch at 11. By doing that, you put yourself out of synch with everyone else. If you buy food you will get it faster. You will always get best seats for eating. Then when you are done with lunch, everyone else is breaking for lunch, easing the Q's a little.

If you have an iphone, look for apps that give you Q times, quite fun in the run up to going to keep having a look to see what the wait times are like.

My top 3 (and it is difficult to pick) in no particular order. Seaworld - Great Coasters combined with simply amazing Dolphin / Killer whale shows (plus more). Kennedy Space Centre - If you have any interest in space, then don't miss this, standing underneath a Saturn 5 is simply awe inspiring imo. Wet n Wild - Best waterpark imo.

EDIT: Just seen you have a 2 Yr Old. My other tip then would be to keep your eye out for Child Swap, didn't pay too much attention myself, but as I understand it, you both Queue up with the little one, then one rides while other waits with child, you then swap. Prob don't want to do it all the time, but if there is a big ride you both want to do, you don't have to pick only one of you to go and queue up on your own. Not sure exactly which parks that was in though.

[Deleted User]

Am heading to Orlando in early June with my wife and 2 kids (9 and 13) and have heard mixed reviews about the non A list attractions such as Ripleys, Titanic, Wonderworks and the Medievel Castle dinner thingy!

Are they worth the money, as looking at the ticket prices, even with a discount voucher, they seem a lot of money for not much return.

We will be there 2 weeks and have tickets for Discovery Cove, Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica as well as Kennedy.

Thanks in advance for your help

n90bar

Ive done Wonderworks and Medievel Castle in the last year.....I would say good to see once - but I doubt I would go back!

Procrastinator333

camelot1971 wrote: »

Am heading to Orlando in early June with my wife and 2 kids (9 and 13) and have heard mixed reviews about the non A list attractions such as Ripleys, Titanic, Wonderworks and the Medievel Castle dinner thingy!

Are they worth the money, as looking at the ticket prices, even with a discount voucher, they seem a lot of money for not much return.

We will be there 2 weeks and have tickets for Discovery Cove, Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Aquatica as well as Kennedy.

Thanks in advance for your help

I haven't done them, so not really in a position to comment. But even doing 1 park every day, I think there are plenty more to before I would think about trying them:

IoA
Universal
Magic Kingdom
Hollywood Studios
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
Sea World
Busch
Aquatica
Wet n Wild
Blizzard Beach
Kennedy Space Centre
Discovery Cove
Typhoon lagoon

So until you have been a couple of times and decided which of the above you are not too keen on, I personally wouldn't go to the smaller attractions.