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

Scotties_Mum

Hello,

I have been to Florida twice but this is the first time that we are looking to rent a villa.

There will be two of us, plus 3 children (7, 3 and 7months).

We are members of 'Frequent Virgin club', so is it best to book all through Virgin, or anyone have any other better (cheaper) suggestions?

We won't need to visit the parks more than once each, would like to go to Busch Gardens again, couple of water parks... what is the best combination of tickets to go for, and where is best to get them from?

Anybody have any recommendations for villa hire, also car hire?

Want to fly Virgin definitely, and we are looking at going in November 2007. Any suggestions would be really welcome, we have only ever booked through Virgin, so would be great to cost out the alternatives.

Thanks everybody.

izzitme

Scotties_Mum wrote: »

Hello,

I have been to Florida twice but this is the first time that we are looking to rent a villa.

There will be two of us, plus 3 children (7, 3 and 7months).

We are members of 'Frequent Virgin club', so is it best to book all through Virgin, or anyone have any other better (cheaper) suggestions?

We won't need to visit the parks more than once each, would like to go to Busch Gardens again, couple of water parks... what is the best combination of tickets to go for, and where is best to get them from?

Anybody have any recommendations for villa hire, also car hire?

Want to fly Virgin definitely, and we are looking at going in November 2007. Any suggestions would be really welcome, we have only ever booked through Virgin, so would be great to cost out the alternatives.

Thanks everybody.

We recently returned from Orlando. We booked a villa through this lot http://www.youtravel.com/index.asp

We booked a 3 bed villa with pool but were allocated a 4 bed for the same cost (2 weeks early June for around £580). It was allocated on arrival & we were about 25 minutes from Disney down Highway 27. The home was brand new but nearest shops & restaurants were 3 miles away.

Only other cost was fly-drive holiday. We booked with Direct Holidays but flew from Birmingham so travelled with Thomsonfly. We upgraded our flights & were very impressed with the food & general service & comfort on the flights.

HTH

Mike_J

Scotties_Mum wrote: »

Hello,

We are members of 'Frequent Virgin club', so is it best to book all through Virgin, or anyone have any other better (cheaper) suggestions?

We won't need to visit the parks more than once each, would like to go to Busch Gardens again, couple of water parks... what is the best combination of tickets to go for, and where is best to get them from?

Want to fly Virgin definitely, and we are looking at going in November 2007. Any suggestions would be really welcome, we have only ever booked through Virgin, so would be great to cost out the alternatives.

Thanks everybody.

Have taken some of quote out as have never done villa. We found a couple of other operators cheaper than Virgin for hotels but not significantly (for May next year) and they fly to Stamford. Due to this (and other reasons) we going with Virgin.

If you are an old member of FVC (ie getting 10% ticket discounts - I understand the offers available may be changing - full details from FVC soon) a lot of the prices will be very similiar than buying direct but there may be some "more suitable" offers available online (eg:- we priced a seven day Universal unlimited 7 day ticket direct for 3/4 of the price of 2 park 3 day ticket with virgin but got DCove tickets cheaper than bookign direct)

terrierlady

the airport at Sandford is great, smaller than Orlando and the car hire is next door to the arrivals so nice and close and easy if you have small kids plus the road out onto the highway is quieter and then onto the main highway a few toll booths and the 192 is like a large dual carriageway. Travel city direct is pretty good , the villa are all close to Disney they have to be to be allowed to let them Emerald Isle is nice and close to attraction, eating house supermarkets etc.Have fun, plus Wall Mart sell tickets to lots of attractions and are very competitive priced for all Disney Tickets .When driving remember to go under the direction signs then you wont get lost....

pinkpinkfizz

I have been reading through this thread (and several others online) and just wanted to ask about our 1st ever family trip to florida :j

Ok, I have checked prices through going places and am getting £3720 for a family of 2 adults 4 children, next June. Now I think this is a great price, but are we likely to get a better deal doing separate flights/villa?

I also found the site that does the Disney Ultimate ticket, I think it was working out at about £800 for us all. Are there any other tickets we would need to buy? or recommended sites to use?

And it seems that car hire varies immensely, is there a outright favourite by most mse'ers?

I don't have any family that have gone to florida so I am working completely in the dark here and if this isnt the correct place to post then I apologise in advance. I just really need guidance as to the "best" way to go about this trip of a lifetime.

Thanks

babymoneyblagger

pinkpinkfizz wrote: »

I have been reading through this thread (and several others online) and just wanted to ask about our 1st ever family trip to florida :j

Ok, I have checked prices through going places and am getting £3720 for a family of 2 adults 4 children, next June. Now I think this is a great price, but are we likely to get a better deal doing separate flights/villa?

I also found the site that does the Disney Ultimate ticket, I think it was working out at about £800 for us all. Are there any other tickets we would need to buy? or recommended sites to use?

And it seems that car hire varies immensely, is there a outright favourite by most mse'ers?

I don't have any family that have gone to florida so I am working completely in the dark here and if this isnt the correct place to post then I apologise in advance. I just really need guidance as to the "best" way to go about this trip of a lifetime.

Thanks

Hi - thats not a bad price but not good either - visit the friendly peeps at thedibb uk site for anybody who would like friendly advice & more from people who have been before and are travelling there again

Looney_2

We have booked our holiday (Orlando) for April 2009, a bit early maybe but this is what we have got: ie price includes all of the following:

5 bed executive villa 10 min drive from Disney
3 doubled bedded en-suite rooms (didnt want to que for bathroom!!)
2 twin rooms,
All with TV & DVD. Pool, hot tub and games room

6 Adults & 1 Child (£650.00 per adult & £580.00 for child)

Return flights (Virgin)

1 x 7 seater mini van (with platinum insurance for upto 2 drivers)
1 x 5 seater intermedite car (with platinum insurance for up to 2 drivers)
(got the small car also just incase anyone wants to go off on own)

Looney_2

Hi

Try www.kenwoodtravel.co.uk [EMAIL="claudia@kenwoodtravel.com"]claudia@kenwoodtravel.com[/EMAIL]

we got a great deal through them, get prices online then ring or email Claudia she is USA agent. She was really helpful & patient with us.

th3_duckst3r

hi all
well ive been to florida 6 times now since 1995.and enjoyed each and every one.so ill give sum tips as i class my as pro.righty stay away form international drive if possible ive stayed up there on 3 occasions 1st 2 were fine but now seems to be very seedy there are lots of people trying to get u to buy tickets for theme parks and so forth.ignore them all ull thank me.its mainly just hotels up and down it can get busy too theres just the wet and wild up there at the top.altough they do have pondarosa there for meals and it is cheap and all u can eat service is so pleasant there.1 mcdonalds if needs be but this is further down next the the beeline express way and its busy there.there is the point orlando shopping complex wow all of about 10 shops and there always empty.theres a good cinema there though no waiting.thats it for there.a fw crazy golfs.but if u can try go see the pirate adventure very entertaining and a good laugh ull also participate too.mall at millenia is a good 25 mins on bus so is florida mall there big but crapish cost is about $1.25 each way.theres also beltz factory mall but lots af building going on.bargain shops up and down i-drive but beware of electrical goods as they will rip u off.ie $15 for a jack plug 50p over here ull get my drift.ill not be going on i-drive anymore.ok so islands of adventure is a stones throw away now as they built a bridge just off i-drive check that place out for defo as its way kool.if u want to stay some where close to disney parks.then stop in kissimmee,theres old town kissimmee great night out .if your a golfer then more the merrier theres lots of cheap courses to play.theres plenty to do down there and ull feel much more at home non of this seediness like i-drive ok ull have to take a trip to sea world (which ull only go once )and islands of adventure.but its a hole lot better in kissimmee theres no people on end of streets or at crossings trying to flog u theme park tickets which are usually fake .buy your tickets before u go if i remember address ill post it back up as they were cheap and i got them in 2 days flat.if its disney parks u want then stay in kissimmee as you are close.further away u are less time u have to explore due to traveling there and back .if they tell u or advertise its 20 mins away its bull*hit it aint .once u get in ther parks choose magic kingdom first thats a must i was there over xmas and trust me they locked the gates into there at 10.30 morning it was packed.make sure u also goto epcot centre and check out the rides like mission space ,test track,soaring,honey i shrunk the audiance.also take your time going round the world show case .if theres anymore you peps would like to know then just ask ill answer what i know and where ive been.......

Amys

Thank you for your info Duckst3r, if you don't mind I'll bring a bit of this up to date.

Belz is not more, it was renamed and now most of it has been knocked down. Down that way there is now Festival bay (just before you get to were Belz used to be, on the right as you go towards it), it is a shopping Mall, not outlet proces, vbut had a Fudruckers in it and a big western shop, some of the proces are not bad.


Pointe Orland has also been redevloped and is now very different, a lot of new tennants and better shops, buit still quiet, last time I was there development had not finnished (btw Hardrcok Vault also closed down).

Pirate adventure, good enetertainmentm, but the food is not at all good, don't know if this has changed from the past.