Orlando & Florida - Questions & Answers (Part 1) *CLOSED*

Murphy_The_Cat

lally

I'll be perfectly honest with you, I'm staggered that anyone would consider a holiday in America without hiring a car (students, train travellers, hitchhikers, Las Vegas visitors, & mabye single city vistors) excepted.

MTC

urbanlegend11

has anyone used walkie talkies to communicate at the theme parks?or used mobiles?

Hizz

We're off this weekend and I wondered about this a few weeks ago - taking 3unlocked phones and getting PAYG cards when in America to use on their network(s).

Don't know if it would work though?

Lally

Murphy_The_Cat wrote:

lally

I'll be perfectly honest with you, I'm staggered that anyone would consider a holiday in America without hiring a car (students, train travellers, hitchhikers, Las Vegas visitors, & mabye single city vistors) excepted.

MTC

I know, but it would be preferable. We hate driving on holiday, and also it would push our costs up. I have been in Orlando for a week before without a car and we did fine.

lynn44

urbanlegend11 wrote:

has anyone used walkie talkies to communicate at the theme parks?or used mobiles?

Yes we always take walkie talkie's were great in all the parks.... plus you pick up other people which is interesting
We bought them in florida "outdoor world" amazing store ( end of I drive )think we paid $25 with 12 mile range that was for 2 hand sets

arushofblood

I would understand if you told me to 'get reading from the start of this thread' ! Lol

I've a couple of kids 10 & 12 who are desperate to go to Florida. I'm now a lone parent so am worried that I can't afford such a treat. My kids are great and although they'd be disappointed, they would understand.

What kind of cost am I looking at ? I know that would depend on a lot of factors ! I'm not fussed though ! Dates, accommodation ? Cheapest balanced with best for the 3 of us in our situation ?

Thanks, I really appreciate any help !

sx

Edinburghlass_2

Well it is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" type question.

If you can take the kids out of school obviously its cheaper. We had a week last May which I booked via teletext by phoning up all the free phone numbers and booked with about 2/3 weeks to go. Flights were approx £260 each and we stayed in a really nice hotel at Lake Beuna Vista for £36 per night for the room including free breakfast and internet access.

Then you have the price of park tickets on top depending on what you want to do, my recommendation is buy them in UK and you get the "park hopping" type tickets. Prices this year are around £160/170 for 14 days for Disney parks.

Check out the https://www.disboards.com especially the UK Planning board for loads of helpful tips.

arushofblood

Thanks Edinburghlass for your advice.

I'm sure the kids wouldn't mind time off school and I don't think it bothers me too much now if I have to do that to enable a holiday like this to happen. It's educational afterall, lol !

Murphy_The_Cat

arushofblood wrote:

Thanks Edinburghlass for your advice.

I'm sure the kids wouldn't mind time off school and I don't think it bothers me too much now if I have to do that to enable a holiday like this to happen. It's educational afterall, lol !

Edilass has given you some good advice re flight costs & accomodation, & theme park costs, but there are lots of other expenses as weel to consider - passports @ £63 each if you don't have them, getting to/from the airport at the UK end, travel insurance, clothes for hoildays, getting to/from the airport at the USA end, car hire (not expensive, but its a cost), food, money for non-theme park days, shopping money (you probably will want to, its exceptionally good value for money, money for [STRIKE]tat[/STRIKE] sorry, tasteful Disney gifts, etc, etc. It really will add up to a tidy figure if you look upon the holiday on a 'affording the holiday as a treat' basis.

Alternatively, you could slap it on the plastic and spend the next few years paying it all off.

I suppose it all depends on your current financial position and yoiur attitude to debt.

Florida is a great holiday destination, but if you are warching where every $ goes, it will soon lose a lot of its sparkle.

MTC

Murphy_The_Cat

Lally wrote:

I know, but it would be preferable. We hate driving on holiday, and also it would push our costs up. I have been in Orlando for a week before without a car and we did fine.

Hi Lally, just for a ballpark reference figure, an economy car would cost about £360 for three weeks incl tank of fuel & multi driver insurance, which is about £120 per week.

MTC