Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

Paddywack41

We went to a shuttle Launch a couple of years ago (unfortunately it was cancelled). You have lots of viewing areas all along the road to Titusville. Essentially they are just grass areas that people charge to let you park. Cant remember the cost at the time but i seem to remember it being something like $20.

Words of Warning

1. You will need to get there early...and i dont mean an hour before launch...we were there about 5 hours before and where by no means there first. This will be one of the last (if not the last) shuttle launches, when we went in April this year there was something in the region of 70,000 people heading in that direction and the roads where reaching gridlock about 4-5 hours before launch.

2. It will be hot and there is not likely to be a lot of eating drinking places around...bring a picnic or maybe a portable bbq as all the americans will be doing the same on the back of their trucks. Also if possible try and bring some seats if you have them...sitting in a car all day is not the most comfortable of things (even with the air con on full).

3. Prepare for a long drive home. With the amount of people viewing you arent going to get there fast.

4. Prepare for disappointment...the launches are often cancelled due to bad weather or technical difficulties and a lot of times at very short notice. (In our case 25 minutes due to weather)

Dont let this put you off however, treat it as an adventure if you see it well done if not just enjoy the atmosphere.


Forgot to Add - If you go to Google Maps and put in 28.578722 -80.799465 This was were we attempted to view it from. It is by no means the only or maybe not even as good as others but as we where passing this area we noticed that there were a few shops (and more improtantly...toilets nearby)

jackieblack

According to NASA website the Aug 5 launch is Juno, an unmanned Atlas V rocket, not a shuttle, and from Cape Canaveral Air Force station, not Kennedy Space Centre.
The two are 'next door' to each other, recommended viewing locations here.

Not sure it'll attract the same sort of crowds as a shuttle launch.

Dollymixture

blue monkey - thanks so much for all the tips and advice! I will definitely have to get some ear defenders as he struggles with the noise of fireworks. That's interesting abut the guest assistant card - that would be a huge help as i'm not sure how he will cope with waiting in queue in a crowd of people.
OKW - is the accomodation nice? DO you think it will be big enough for two adults and four kids?
Thanks again!

blue_monkey wrote: »

I would definately recommend ear defenders for your first time as the fireworks can be a bit intense and loud. My son and daughter had them (she would actually vomit when the fireworks started) gradually removed them though and now we no longer need them (I still take them though - just in case).

Take his paperwork/blue badge and you can get a Guest Assistance Card which enables you to use the exits, on the busy rides they give you a time to come back. Universal were reluctant to give him one tbh but there was no problem at BG, SW or Disney.

We stayed in OKW. I just priced up OKW and yes, I'd snap it up at £1700 for a 2 bed, I think this is an offer price as it is usually around 3k and with free dining too makes it worthwhile - you can have character meals with the free dining plan but these MUST be booked as soon as booking opens (187 days if staying in Disney resort) as they book up fast.

You can get free transportation from the airport too if staying onsite and they collect your cases and take them to resort so you'd not need a car for week 1 - save some money there. Do stay in Disney week 1 as it'll make things easier for getting tickets as you cannot get them til you check in - we got ours in week 3, they actually told us we had to buy more tickets (at 1k!! was not impressed) because the lady we booked it with did not tell us this so make sure you book Disney accomodation and ticket for week 1. We did wangle ours when there but it was not worth the hassle it caused.

On the day you check out you can leave your cases at OKW and have a day out at MGM or Epcot then walk over, collect your car from Disney's Swan Hotel (Alamo desk) in the afternoon and then go and get your cases. You do not need a car in Disney - especially if you are on the dining plan as you eat there and do all of Disney on week 1.

I've got to get mine in bed, if you have any other questions then please ask. We did 3 weeks there and did a week in each resort, Animal Kingdom Villas, OKW and Hilton Vacation Club at Seaworld (would recommend this resort too - it's over the road from Seaworld, you can walk or get a free shuttle from the hotel - saves money on parking!!).

blue_monkey_2

Dollymixture wrote: »

blue monkey - thanks so much for all the tips and advice! I will definitely have to get some ear defenders as he struggles with the noise of fireworks. That's interesting abut the guest assistant card - that would be a huge help as i'm not sure how he will cope with waiting in queue in a crowd of people.
OKW - is the accomodation nice? DO you think it will be big enough for two adults and four kids?
Thanks again!

The ear defenders are the best investment we have made, I cannot see the point of avoiding things forever, just them getting used to the noise gradually. They will alos be useful on some of the rides - Dinosaur is very loud and my kids were terrified, it just helps with the unexpected too. Also loud is Spectromagic, the lights go off without warning and the music plays lud - my daughter threw up when this happened I spent the rest of time trying to stop kids sitting in it by pushing in front if her as there was a 'gap'.... :mad:

OKW apartments are huge to be honest, plenty enough room and you get get 2 bedrooms so you'll have even more space than we did. The bath is HUGE both the kids had a bath together and they were laying on their fronts swimming. If you PM me your email address I'll send some pics of the one bed apartment so you can see what we had. OKW has the biggest floor space of all the deluxe villa places they have, even our bedroom was bigger than the hotel rooms we have just come back from on our latest DLP holiday!!

vivatifosi

Dollymixture/BlueMonkey: DH tells me they've now more or less finished the refurbishment programme at OKW, so you get nice modern accommodation there now. It was starting to look a bit tatty after 19 years even though it had smaller upgrades in the intervening period.

If you get a two bedroom Dollymixture, it will be bigger than most standard sized houses in the UK. The studios are about 450 sq ft, the one bedrooms double that and the two bedroom are the same size as the two added together. They are massive and as blue says, much bigger than elsewhere.

We're not going back this autumn though as we're going on the Disney Magic instead. No return visit for me until January and that will be the first time since 1994 that it has taken me more than a year to get back there, so will have mega withdrawal symptoms!

polzovatel

We would like to go to Florida from Manchester in mid October, could not find any deal.. .
Is it better to wait for the last min deals?
Found £819 from jetlinetravel - 5 days in Orlando, 5 days in Miami,cheap hotels + car,still quite expensive

blue_monkey_2

V, we are going Easter. Do you have any plans for then? Still do not know where we are staying yet as DVC have not released to RCI. Patiently waiting!!

blue_monkey_2

Oh dear, I feel that spam may be on the way...!!

vivatifosi

blue_monkey wrote: »

V, we are going Easter. Do you have any plans for then? Still do not know where we are staying yet as DVC have not released to RCI. Patiently waiting!!

Will probably go early 2012. We never go at Easter, too busy! Good luck with getting the release to RCI!

Dollymixture

Thanks for all the info blue monkey - much appreciated! My head is dizzy from all the different options LOL
I just looked at some pics of OKW and Saratoga Springs 2 bed villas on the allears website, and i see what you mean - they look huge!
Viva - thanks for the info about OKW!


A couple of questions about the dining plans - It seems like you can't get one for under threes, and my daughter will be almost three at the time. Is there any reason why i couldn't say she was three when booking? Do they check passports for DOB? A bit cheeky i know, but it seems silly that she wouldn't be able to eat the same as us and would cost more to purchase meals for her each time.
Also, for parties of 6 or more it says that 18% gratuity is automatically billed - is that paid by cash at the restaurant?

Thanks again