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

floridadreamin

Forgot - you don't pay any charges for paying with a credit card either. That's got to be good for all us MSE'ers

mjanet

Hi everyone I'm in some desperate need of some help / advice.
I had a mad idea last year that just because I'm a single mum that it is not going to stop me taking my 3 children aged 4 , 7 and 14 on a holiday of a life time to Disney Land by myself and made them a promise that I will take them this May for my eldest childs birthday . thing is my eldest child is disabled and uses a wheelchair ( not confined to one tho ).So now I'm starting to panic thinking am I going to be able to manage it by myself and only have 2 1/2 months to get it all sorted.I can drive, but don't like the idea of driving in a foreign country with 3 excited kids in the back so thought it's best to stay on international drive where I'l be in the heart of things.
I am applying for our passports on Monday they should hopefully come thro within 2 weeks as i'm posting them direct in passport office .Then I need to book accomadation , tickets and plan some type of itinary .I have no idea where to even start with any of this and am panicking sooooooo much but my kids are so looking forward to going and I am determined not to let them down so any advice about cheap places , tickets or anything at all you think might be helpfull to me will be VERY gratefull

gizmos

mjanet

Have you thought of staying at one of the DIsney Hotels (World of SPort, World of Pop etc) these are located on Disney site and will be ideal for getting into the parks etc. These are the cheapest ones in the Disney chain but are really geared towards families etc.

When people stay on I Drive without a car they usually make use of the I Drive trolley, however with one child needing the use of a wheelchair I am not sure I would recommend this to you as they can get crowded and are not kerb level and there are steps up etc.

Driving in Florida is so easy but as you say with three children could prove a bit difficult unless one of them is a real good navigator. Of course you will also incur the cost of the child seats which are compulsary for children of certain ages as well.

A lot of hotels on I Drive are motel style and you would probably find one of these (which they say sleep four) crowded and the bathrooms are so small. Perhaps go for somewhere with a suite instead which will give you more space and kitchen facilities which will save a little money.

If you feel I can help at all please ask.

MINMOUSE

I would agree with looking for somewhere that does suites. I got away with having 2 double bedded room when my oldest 2 were 9 and 6 but since then have always gone for a suite. Have a look online at hotels and see if they offer free shuttles to the park as the trolley from I Drive doesnt't go there and taxis could work out really expensive. When we booked the hotel for 2006 we booked a standard room through the tour operator but have since contacted the hotel direct and upgraded to a Kid suite where we have a set of bunk beds, extra tv, playstation etc, we were going to have to pay $10 extra per night for a pull out bed but are now paying $20 extra per night direct to the hotel for a suite which I think with 3 kids in tow (12,10,2) is worth it.

jordylass

Hiya Manjet, relax and enjoy your planning, it WILL be the trip of a lifetime for all of you.

I have taken my children quite a few times on my own, and although you say you aren't keen on driving, I can't stress enough how easy it is to drive out there. The roads are wide, the cars are amazing, and the one thing that always helped me was something I read on another forum, a family with elderly grandmother went to Florida, Grandmother always sat in the passenger seat, and one of the children says to mum who's panicking about which side of the road, 'granny in the gutter' I always have that image in my mind now, and have no problem remembering which side of the road, and there's nowhere I'd rather drive than America.
It also gives you the opportunity to try other places like the beach and shopping.

If you could manange a car I think you'd find a villa much more comfortable for your family, loads of private space, your own pool, no schedules to keep to, and most at the same price or less than a suite.

Take a look at

https://www.lastminutevillas.net
https://www.orlandovillas.com
https://www.villarama.com
https://www.villas4all.com

You really will be spoilt for choice.

Lagerlegs

There is a fantastic book called the Brits guide to orlando and walt disney world, written by simon veness, it's fantastic, there's everything you need to know in there. Some great tips, It costs about £10 to buy

mjanet

THANK YOU so so much ALL for your advice .
The villas look stunning but I think for my first time I'd prefer to stay in a hotel, near people,but I have added them to my favourites because if I survive this trip then I will deff go for a villa next time if I can talk someone into coming with me and sharing the expense .I'm one of them people who are terrified at the thought of doing this by myself but once I've done it once I'l be wondering why I panicked so much lol . As far as driving I think that is the one thing most are agreeing is best .Do you think the cheapest option is fly drive or hiring one when you get there ? I really am doing this on a budget so while staying in a Disney hotel / villa would be ideal I need to get the cheapest accomadation I can.I was thinking of just a hotel room as we will only be sleeping there anyway or is there something I'm missing ? once again SINCERE thanks for all your advice

Edinburghlass_2

Have a look at the Dis Boards but be warned you can get stuck there reading for hours http://www.disboards.com/

There is a UK Planning board with lots of newbies and oldies who can answer most questions regarding Disney.

We went last year, staying at Pop Century, didn't want to drive and weighed up the extra cost of a Disney hotel against the convenience of being onsite. It worked for us mainly because we planned on doing more Disney than other parks although a couple of times we took the local buses to Seaworld. I liked the ease of being able to get a bus to a Disney park at night just to see the fireworks for instance.

Where ever you stay though I am sure you will have a brilliant time

gizmos

mjanet wrote:

THANK YOU so so much ALL for your advice .
The villas look stunning but I think for my first time I'd prefer to stay in a hotel, near people,but I have added them to my favourites because if I survive this trip then I will deff go for a villa next time if I can talk someone into coming with me and sharing the expense .I'm one of them people who are terrified at the thought of doing this by myself but once I've done it once I'l be wondering why I panicked so much lol . As far as driving I think that is the one thing most are agreeing is best .Do you think the cheapest option is fly drive or hiring one when you get there ? I really am doing this on a budget so while staying in a Disney hotel / villa would be ideal I need to get the cheapest accomadation I can.I was thinking of just a hotel room as we will only be sleeping there anyway or is there something I'm missing ? once again SINCERE thanks for all your advice

I would hire before you go - some places allow you to register all your details on line before you go and thus makes it so much easier to just go and pick up your keys and then drive off. Where will you be flying from (airport) as this will probably govern which Orlando airport you fly into (Orlando International or Sanford).

The area around the 192 is very near to Disney and has quite a lot of cheap hotels, most are within five minute drive of the Disney complex. However I really would urge you to think about a suite at least. a lot of the hotels are motel style and really evenif you are "just sleeping" will find that there is a lack of space for 4 of you in one room, plus not enough storage space. As mentioend before it's the bathroom size that got me. You could also afford yourself with a bit more privacy that way too - plus suites usually offer a few extras, fridge and microwave etc.

The Holiday Inn does Kids Suites and these would be great. I've never stayed in one but have seen pictures and they have a Kids area which I believe has playstation or such like. You will need a day or two just "dossing" about as doing a theme park a day will be very tiring.

Enjoy the experience and don't panic.

maggiemae_2

I'd also highly recommend that you check out https://www.thedibb.co.uk which is a UK based site with all the information you need (and so much more) and lots of friendly people. If you ask your question over there you will get lots of replies and I know there have been other threads there about people who travelled on their own with small children.

Have fun