Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

Fiver29

Actually he doesn't like Harry Potter at all, so I doubt it would bother him.

And since it was a holiday for the children then yes his thoughts were very much taken into account. It's not much of a family holiday if children are dictated to throughout, I prefer to take suggestions from them both and decide from there, and since neither wanted to go to Disney we didn't go.

hairy_g

Fiver29 wrote: »

Not everyone has to like Disney either, so why the rolling eyes? I know exactly what's at Disney because we went when my son was 2 and again when he was 4, and now at 11 he's decided he was too old for it, not me, so no one is thinking their children are too old, the children themselves are deciding they are too old :mad:

I quite agree Disney is not for everyone, or Seaworld or Universal for that matter. Each to their own, we will be taking 2 kids + 2 grandkids to florida late next year, we'll do all the above if they want and probably KSC and an Airboat ride, if they never want to go back then that's fine with us.

Finch

I quite agree. We are going to Florida next Easter, and although we will go to Disney for a couple of days, it certainly isn't the be all and end all for us.
Florida is HUGE, and as neither of my children have been abroad, this will be an amazing adventure for them. I want them to see manatees, alligators etc (and not in Seaworld) and generally explore a country new to them. Disney is a bonus, but it certainly isn't my reason for choosing Florida.

Enjoy your holiday Fiver29!

bisto44

Hi
we are off very soon!!!! have just brought tickets for the halloween horror nights should be able to go a couple of times whilst we are there two adults one on a scooter or wheelchair. Never been to these before any hints or tips
What does it mean walk though hauted houses?
Is universal busier during the day on these dates?
should we take scooter for a quick getaway from ghosts?
Does it cover the whole or a little bit of the park
should we have a stiff drink or a valium first??:eek:
thanks in frightful anticipation

Squish_21

thumper1970 wrote: »

You can use the ticket as often, or as little, as you like during the 14 day period... So, you could go to Universal & Sea World every single day if you want, or just on the 1st day and last day of the 14!

Remember that if you visit one of the parks, so Sea World for instance, and then visit in Universal in the afternoon, you just show your Sea World parking ticket, and they will let you park in Universal for free (but only on the same day)

Thanks very much - that clarifies perefectly.
The cheapest ive found the ticket is £165 on Floridatix.co.uk. Anyone used this site before or found the tickets on sale for cheaper right now?

nuttyp

hi off to florida on friday!!!! cant wait.... but does anyone know what the weather is like out there at the mo?? Just wondered what really to pack.

Have now got all my tickets from ATD after a bit of price matching - universal 2 park and the seaworld, busch and aquatica - both tickets were £72 each. Have also got disney ultimate 14 day for £197.

Weve got 2000 dollars for 2 adults and 2 teenagers - is this enough spending money??

I know its loads of question but im all in a panic lol

lynzpower

Squish_21 wrote: »

Thanks very much - that clarifies perefectly.
The cheapest ive found the ticket is £165 on Floridatix.co.uk. Anyone used this site before or found the tickets on sale for cheaper right now?

check Xe.com , we worked out this is about 151 on the door ( well it was the other day) I guess it depends on what exchange rate you have got on dollars etc. Crown was doing 1.62 yesterday for me to get within 14 days

aitch-aitch

agent_orange wrote: »

Is there somewhere to find the relevant height restrictions?

cheers

Most of the "thrill rides" were 54" height. There were a couple which were 52". The next grade down - i.e. things like Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain in MK were 48".

My 10 year old is quite small (52") for his age and unfortunately missed out on most of the big rides. The only one he could get on was "Tower of Terror" in DHS.

aitch-aitch

nuttyp wrote: »

hi off to florida on friday!!!! cant wait.... but does anyone know what the weather is like out there at the mo?? Just wondered what really to pack.

Have now got all my tickets from ATD after a bit of price matching - universal 2 park and the seaworld, busch and aquatica - both tickets were £72 each. Have also got disney ultimate 14 day for £197.

Weve got 2000 dollars for 2 adults and 2 teenagers - is this enough spending money??

I know its loads of question but im all in a panic lol

Hi - just got back from Orlando on Saturdaty 5th. There is quite a lot of rain forecast for this week but is still very hot (30 +). Rain tends to happen in the late afternoon / early evening. We had one day when it rained constantly for 5hours with lots of thunder and lightning but the rest of the time it only last 15 mins max.

In terms of money we spent 2200 in 2 weeks for 5 of us (2 adults + 3 kids - aged 12, 10 & 6). This paid for all meals / parking / 3 T Shirts + other soveniours.

Hope this helps

aitch-aitch

Got back from Orlando on Saturday 5th and thought I would share some of my comments / tips. These are based on our experience as a family of 5 (me, OH, DD (12), DS (10) & DS (6)):-

1. Weather - was hot but bearable for us (early 30's). Rained some days in the late afternoon but not more than 15mins generally. Had one bad day when it rained from 4 till 8 with thunder storms.

2. We managed to "do" every park whilst we were there (13 days) as it was DS (6) first visit we wanted him to see everything. We were tired by the end but had a "rest" day at Discovery Cove the day before we flew home which reallly recharged our batteries. My advice is if you know you will go again don't try to fit everything in.

3. Parks we would visit again - MK (a must), AK, Seaworld, IOA & Epcot (part!), DHS

4. Parks we would miss next time if no changes have been made - Universal Studios (was disappointed with this park as has not really changed much since we last went in 1992!!, Universal seem to have invested all their time and effort into IOA which we loved).

Busch Gardens - saw very few animals in comparison to AK and also as only DD and OH were big enough for the thrill rides.

5. Money - excluding park tickets we spent $2200 in 2 weeks. This paid for all food and drinks (we ate a "snack" in the parks most days and then a meal outside the park), souveniors / T shirts and parking charges ($12 per day)

6. We used the touring plans from the Unoffical Guide to WDW book / website and found these invaluable. The longest queue we had was 10mins with the exception of Toy Story Mania in DHS which was 30 mins at the start of the day.

7. We used the 1.5 day touring plan for MK which allowed for a 3-4 hour break in the middle of the day. We left the park around 12 and returned around 5. We found this an excellent way of doing MK. The next time we went was towards the end of our hols and we "finished" the park plus saw Spectromagic and Wishes

8. Seaworld - if you are going to see the fireworks from the Bayside stadium do NOT sit in the upper seating area as your view of the fireworks is blocked by the "roof".

9. Discovery Cove - loved it! The dolphin swim was the highlight but you don't really get to "Swim" much with them. The rest of the park was lovely and we were made to feel "special" all day. All drinks and food are included in the price - breakfast is cold buffet style, Lunch is served 11 to 3 so you can fit in 2 if you are hungry enough! Snacks and drinks served throughout the day. Please note that you are not permitted to take cameras / video to the dolphin swim but you can purchase a DVD and photos of your day. These were expensive $200 for 5 prints / DVD, 2 key rings + disc with all photos on. Try and find a "friend" who is prepared to video / photograph you without doing the dolphin swim themselves.

10. Our favourite family ride - Toy Story Mania in DHS by far. The most inventive / interactive ride we have ever been on!

I have tried to cover the basics without to much waffle . Am happy to answer other questions.