Orlando/Disneyworld Thread (Part 3)

judygarland

giovanni wrote: »

Buy from http://www.undercovertourist.com/ - they are trusted.

This option is ideal for me. I only want to do the four Disney parks and am not that fussed about the waterparks. Looking on that website, and using the exchange rate of today, it's cheaper by £240 for my family. The package sold on the Disney website is £796 for two adults and 2 kids. The 4 day magic your way (which has 2 days free, so that's 6 days park entry to the top four) works out to £556.00 which is a massive saving.

I just need to find the cheaest way of buying tickets for Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, Sea World and Islands of Adventures. Anyway got any good tips?

I really should have looked into the price of tickets before I booked my flights. I last went in 1994 and the exchange rate was about $2 to the pound then. It was definately a lot cheaper. I was a bit shocked at the parking charges at Disney which apparently gone up to $14.00 per day!

melissa'smoney

Hi all,
First time in the Orlando thread and have a few questions if you don't mind (sorry if they are somewhere in this thread)
I've been to Florida before and done 2 centre with St Petes beach but this time want to be near Disney...Me and my partner are wanting to take my sister and her kids, 6 and 4 so want to be near everything.
Love a private villa with a pool, 3 bedrooms.

1. When is the best time to visit Orlando? Want nice weather but not too hot for them...

2.What are the best areas to stay in? Looked at a few villas within a 20 mile radius and also at on site Disney accomodation (just because it would be so special for them)

3.Are the disney hotels/villas worth staying in or are villas outside just as nice? eg Disney all stars resort looked good and age appropiate.

4.Is it best to book through a travel agent or DIY?
Are there certain sites/names to book with?

5.Do i need a car or can we use shuttles/transport to eat?

6.Cheapest ways to get passes, we'd want to do all the parks.

Thank you in advance xx

dinglebert

disney_cjd wrote: »

a-ha yes thats me For my sins - its good fun doing them and to be honest i do not have to do much its Juz and Adam that do all the editing I just spout rubbish for three hours on a monday.

Are you staying in Kissimmee in the 192 area? There is LOTS to do around there of course and some great places would be the Green Meadows petting farm for one. I woudl say the Eye on Orlando website has some good links on it and as we do not do it for money I am sure its OK to point you there.

Resturant reviews, over the years I have suffered and enjopyed many- whats your preference food type and I can certainly point you to the cheap, the moderate and the posh ones for sure.

Cheers
Craig

Just finished listening to the latest one this evening, Harry Potter (which for one we are really looking forward to). We're staying at the Cane Island next year, couple of weeks which will include 4th July. Stayed this year over Easter at the Floridays so think that if we can be relaxed in the parks over Easter period first couple of weeks in July shouldn't be harder (famous last words). Not much around the Floridays apart from a dreadful Chinese Restaurant which we walked out of so it involved a lot of driving for me for meals and no alcohol which was a bit of a pain at times. Ate a lot at the new Sports Bar in ID, big meals, kids loved it, got to watch the baseball a bit but without the beer. Would like to be able to forget the car for some evenings this year and be able to go out and relax. Restaurants need to be able to put up with three kids age 6-12 who like the usual staple meals of children.

Don't know if you do it or not but it would be useful it you put the links on the website to the places you mention on the podcast. Anyway keep up the good work.

timBS5

melissa'smoney wrote: »

Hi all,
First time in the Orlando thread and have a few questions if you don't mind (sorry if they are somewhere in this thread)
I've been to Florida before and done 2 centre with St Petes beach but this time want to be near Disney...Me and my partner are wanting to take my sister and her kids, 6 and 4 so want to be near everything.
Love a private villa with a pool, 3 bedrooms.

1. When is the best time to visit Orlando? Want nice weather but not too hot for them...

2.What are the best areas to stay in? Looked at a few villas within a 20 mile radius and also at on site Disney accomodation (just because it would be so special for them)

3.Are the disney hotels/villas worth staying in or are villas outside just as nice? eg Disney all stars resort looked good and age appropiate.

4.Is it best to book through a travel agent or DIY?
Are there certain sites/names to book with?

5.Do i need a car or can we use shuttles/transport to eat?

6.Cheapest ways to get passes, we'd want to do all the parks.

Thank you in advance xx

1.You can visit Orlando anytime. It's at it's coldest in Jan/Feb but thats still shorts / tee-shirt weather. Midsummer it gets very humid, so it's probably good to avoid that. April-May is a good bet for a happy medium.

2/3. On-site is great, but it does cost a lot of money. If it's a once in a lifetime holiday, I would say go for it.
If you like privacy, then go for a private villa. There are a few websites that villa owners advertise on (search for orlando & villas). The price is cheaper than disney hotels, much more room, and luxurious. Make sure you check the villas location is within a driveable distance to the attractions. Some are very near, some aren't.
For cheap goto Highway 192 motels, more expensive ones on International Drive. Neither are much fun for a family.

4. Doing everything yourself is not hard. Get flight-only deals using the big name airline sites (e.g. Virgin, Continental). The villa rental sites usually recommends good car hire companies. However, you might be able to get a better deal if you want an disney-hotel package at a travel agent rather than doing-it-yourself

5. Car ... shuttles will be *really* dull. Driving in Orlando is easier then in the UK. You *will* need to drive.

6. Not a lot of good deals to be had with passes these days. Again, the villa rental sites mentioned above have links to recommended companies that'll work out somewhat cheaper than just buying the tickets on the gate ... and you can get the expense out of the way in advance.

enjoy enjoy enjoy.

atro1

Hi Melissa. Good advice from tmBS5. May I suggest you go to page one of this thread as most of the sites there are still going.
Car v. no car is a long ongoing debate on here and many other threads. Still no firm conclusion, but you can do it without a car but it is better if you have a car. For selfish reasons I would never do it without a car, allows me to disappear from kids friends [wife?] for a couple of hours!
If you use the suggestions on the first page you will 'hava nice day' planning sorting and just looking to book a holiday yourself! After all, half the holiday is in the planning.
Really no need to use a TA but you can always take what you have found and ask a TA to match or better it!
Go for it.:T

dazzaofdagenham

hopetoberich wrote: »

Hi Darren

We booked our villa direct through some one who advertises on the dibb we knew we wanted to stay close to disney and not out on highway 27 as we have before, so looked at all the villas advertised on there in the area we wanted and narrowed it down to the one we eventually booked.
Bev

Seems so many Florida Villa sites to choose from..

Spoke to a company today with the intention of putting my mind at rest as how this works...What financial protection do i have...what if i get there and i cant get in the house ?

All they could say is that i would need to phone a management company who would sort it out....not putting me at ease....

darren

mumofjusttwo

I wish I could help. You may want to look at the Dibb as I am sure that there is a list of areas to check re Villa

i.e. ensure villa belongs to the person etc to foreclosures on the place etc.

mustbemoreorganised

dinglebert wrote: »

Just finished listening to the latest one this evening, Harry Potter (which for one we are really looking forward to). We're staying at the Cane Island next year, couple of weeks which will include 4th July. Stayed this year over Easter at the Floridays so think that if we can be relaxed in the parks over Easter period first couple of weeks in July shouldn't be harder (famous last words). Not much around the Floridays apart from a dreadful Chinese Restaurant which we walked out of so it involved a lot of driving for me for meals and no alcohol which was a bit of a pain at times. Ate a lot at the new Sports Bar in ID, big meals, kids loved it, got to watch the baseball a bit but without the beer. Would like to be able to forget the car for some evenings this year and be able to go out and relax. Restaurants need to be able to put up with three kids age 6-12 who like the usual staple meals of children.

Don't know if you do it or not but it would be useful it you put the links on the website to the places you mention on the podcast. Anyway keep up the good work.

Hi Dinglebert, we had floridays recommended to us as a place you could stay in without a car and easily get up and down I Drive on the trolley bus, is this not true? many thanks

dinglebert

mustbemoreorganised wrote: »

Hi Dinglebert, we had floridays recommended to us as a place you could stay in without a car and easily get up and down I Drive on the trolley bus, is this not true? many thanks

I couldn't have stayed there without the car. The trolleybus is a seemed to be in short supply. We used it first day before picking up the car. The main problem was the stop is on the other side of the road to get up ID and the road is very busy to the point it was an ordeal for our youngest (and my nerves). However it would be possible just not my choice. Its a long way to the main part of ID.

mustbemoreorganised

dinglebert wrote: »

I couldn't have stayed there without the car. The trolleybus is a seemed to be in short supply. We used it first day before picking up the car. The main problem was the stop is on the other side of the road to get up ID and the road is very busy to the point it was an ordeal for our youngest (and my nerves). However it would be possible just not my choice. Its a long way to the main part of ID.

Many thanks. Has anyone here had experience of staying in Floridays without a car. If not can anyone recommend condo style accommodation anywhere on I Drive. Cheers