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

halloweenqueen_2

If you are staying on I drive you do not need a car, there are usually free buses to the disneys and universals from hotels, check with the villas, there may be a pickup point, busch gardens includes free travel and there is the idrive bus which is less than a few dollars a day if you buy a ticket and the lynx bus which will get you to universal if you cannot get a free bus there. Obviously if you want to go further afield you will want a car, or reserch the buses more!

Poppy9

arushofblood wrote:

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

February is quite reasonable even if you go in half-term week and the week after. On Virgin site look for cheapest flights around the 1/2 term week as sometimes going 1 day earlier can save you hundreds. We've been twice then and for 3 of us the basic holiday (flights and accommodation) have been about £1300. First time we went with TCD which were ok but not brill, we had a hotel room - no food included. Second time I booked independently with Virgin and we had an apartment and a mini water park on site - but we did need a car.

Ticket prices that Edlass quoted are per person. Children over 9 are adult prices. So as to get the best value for tickets really think about what you want to do. Depending on the time of year you go the weather can get really hot and it's advisable to build in rest days.

We didn't find eating in the parks (or elsewhere) too expensive with the exchange rate being so good. We always had a back pack with us with some snacks in as well. Never a problem, I think it's only glass bottles they don't allow. We took in a water bottle each on a lanyard and refilled them from the drinking fountains throughout the day.

Souveniers are cheaper from the Disney/Universal outlet shops in the Malls and Walmart.

arushofblood

Poppy9 wrote:

Second time I booked independently with Virgin and we had an apartment and a mini water park on site - but we did need a car.

Thanks Poppy for your advice !

The appartment with rest days sounds good to me ! And with a mini water park Can you remember the name of this one or recommendations for others ?

Thanks again sx

Murphy_The_Cat

halloweenqueen wrote:

If you are staying on I drive you do not need a car, there are usually free buses to the disneys and universals from hotels, check with the villas, there may be a pickup point, busch gardens includes free travel and there is the idrive bus which is less than a few dollars a day if you buy a ticket and the lynx bus which will get you to universal if you cannot get a free bus there. Obviously if you want to go further afield you will want a car, or reserch the buses more!

But could you imagine being there for 3 weeks without a car ?

It would send me absolutly crazy.

But we're all different I suppose.

MTC

tech

Hi all knowing,

I've followed MSE's advice re holiday bartering, and got a quote which no other companies could match.

It's for a fortnight at the end of September in the Tuscan Hills area, 3 bedroom villa with pool and car with full insurance. Flight meals paid for and no fuel surcharge.

It's £2099. Having never been to Florida before I just wondered out loud whether that was a good deal? It's £500 cheaper than my first quote of the afternoon and about £60 cheaper than the next nearest.

The company is ATOL/ABTA too.

Thanks for any advice.

---

Forgot to mention, the nice people at the Halifax are paying for the trip after I followed MSE and reclaimed my bank charges. Lush!

arushofblood

Ooo, tech.... can you take me and the kids with you please ?

How many of you are travelling ? Sounds just what I'm after !!


sx

blue_monkey_2

We are off to Florida in 2 weeks today - just trying to find links to some good sites for a night in the Animal Lodge in Animal Kingdom, did find one and now I can't find it and the prices are £40 a night more everywhere else. We will probably never go again so one night is a must just for the experience, I wanted to say here since it opened.

Anyhow, we never drive when Abroad and choose a hotel with a good shuttle services to all of the parks. I have to confess that I can imagine nothing worse than driving with my husband in the US - it is bad enough here let alone in a foreign country. Personally I do not see the need for it, the price you pay in duties, tolls and fuel is the same as the buses but it does depend on where you are located, what the bus services are like and what you want from a holiday. The queues to get ito Disney sometmes mean it takes you longerto get in than the buses as wll. We chose the Radisson in Kissimee as it offers a free shuttle to the mall, disney parks, universal and sea world, if we want to go to I. Drive we'll get a bus to Universal and walk down to the I-ride as it is only 10 minutes walk if that, likewise the cabs are so cheap if you want to go elsewhere. We don't need the stress of driving, a holiday is a holiday and that is from driving too.

Penny-Pincher!!

We couldnt manage without a car over there as we are always nipping here and there. We've been 5 times now and couldnt see us being without a car on any of the trips. We have never had any queues to enter the parks through parking and we have been in march, september but mainly at Xmas.

Wish we were going back there soon, I missed our holiday last year.

HTH

PP
xx

tech

arushofblood wrote:

Ooo, tech.... can you take me and the kids with you please ?

How many of you are travelling ? Sounds just what I'm after !!


sx

two adults, two kids going

halloweenqueen_2

Yes I managed perfectly happily of three weeks! You meet more of the people using public transport, had some great conversations, met people I wouldn't have done stuck in a car! However this time I will have a car but only because I need it for a couple of journeys that are a fair way and there are more of us, the rest of the time I will be happily using the bus! The others can have the car!