Orlando Florida/Disneyworld (Part 2) *CLOSED*

disney_cjd

ceebeeby wrote: »

Brilliant point!! It's each to their own, and I guess we can just post our thoughts on what we found good or not.

I'm so looking forward to going back, and exploring more of Florida.

I LOVE your photo! That's amazing!!!!

hear hear

florida is wonderful

disney_cjd

sturll wrote: »

I think your post is very good and informative but for me it highlights the the way people view the parks differently.

Let me elaborate, i have 3 children but one is a baby so a 4 year old and a 7 year old. We have been 3 years running and will be going again in Jan.

Disney is good. The shows are excellent but it really excells in regards to their waterparks imo. In fact if my mother wasnt travelling with us (her first time) this time then i would just get tickets for the waterparks and not even bother with Disney. The kids love the place but for me they are not the best places in Florida.

Magic Kingdom in my opinion is small. Perhaps it the vision you have of it but i think its a bit snide to be honest. No really amazing rides - nothing special imo.

Animal Kingdom - the best of the disney parks id say, my children sboslutely loved the petting zoo, the safari, the bug show etc.. Really do enjoy AK and am looking forward to returning.

The studio place which always seems to change its name is ok. But once you have seen Little Mermaid it kind of falls by the way side. Maybe its because i compare it to Universal in Hollywood but its not that good.

Epcot - The first time i went my kids hated it, i wondered what the whole point of it was. However went last year and the kids loved it, i loved it. Certainly a highlight.

Universal Studios - A bit rubbish to be honest - although the ET ride is great (which they dont have in Hollywood) but the backlot tour is snide compared to HW (where i went down Wysteria Lane)

IOA - The single best park in Florida imo. My son loved it, i mean absolutely loved it. I loved it, my daughter loved it. If you like Spiderman, Batman Dr Zeus its a great place to be.

SeaWorld - The biggest single waste of a day i have ever spent. You have to pay for things once you have already paid in. If watching animals in captivity do tricks for their food is your thing then by all means go. Me - I hated the place and got a refund.

Wet N Wild - I wont even waste my time.

Aquatica - See above

Outside of Orlando

Clearwater - One of the greatest places in the US. The beach is fantastic, go on one of the many boat tours and get to see the following:



Or head off down to the Keys via Miami and the everglades.

I have hundreds of photos from every single nook and cranny in Florida and if anyone needs convincing just ask and ill post whatever up i have. The point im trying to make is with Florida you have to think outside the box.
Too many people i know have said "Florida is a bit crap" and i say "well did you go to so and so, and here and there" and they say "No, just Disney"

good post ST

also add Cypress Gardens as a place to go

also Clearwater or Sarasota, ages ago twin centres seem all the rage and now they dont

one place to avoid is tarpon springs, everywhere else in florida I have been too and I am afraid thats basically all of it from jacksonville to the keys is great

dazzer68

cspu03 wrote: »

I'm extremely grateful, thank very much.
As a single parent dad its hard to find time to do all the searching, hence the reason I posted my thread on here I was just hoping that seasoned epxerts would come to my rescue and help with good solid advice.
The holiday is for the kids not me, I just want them to have the best time possible.
Thanks once again.

you will have just as good as time as they will.
are you staying in a disney resorthotel?
if its your first time in florida, and you may be on a budget (?) or not want too rush around everywhere, i would suggest just to get the disney ultimate 14 ticket (buy it before 4 novemeber and you get 14 days for the price of 7)
that will give you 4 parks.
The magic kingdom,
Animal kingdom
epcot
disney hollywood studios
and 2 water parks
blizzard beach
typhoon lagoon.
which is more than enough for a first timer to florida. you will need to spend a couple of days in each park, have a few 'relaxing days' at a water park, and chill round the hotel. the ulitmate ticket lets you visit more than one park in a day, so you can do a water park in the morning then go see the parades and fire work show at the magic kingdom.
plus theres downtown disney which is a shopping eating area, like a big open air shopping mall around a lake, nice to chill out get an ice cream and people watch.
have fun , relax, and enjoy it.

dazzer68

cspu03 wrote: »

Thank you Ceebeeby, appreciate you taking the time to post so much detail.
The flight is booked with Virgin so will contact the travel agent and make enquiries re tickets.

if you have disney store near you they are the cheapest at the moment, and also, disney website http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdwi/en_GB/index

sturll

dazzer68 wrote: »

you will have just as good as time as they will.
are you staying in a disney resorthotel?
if its your first time in florida, and you may be on a budget (?) or not want too rush around everywhere, i would suggest just to get the disney ultimate 14 ticket (buy it before 4 novemeber and you get 14 days for the price of 7)
that will give you 4 parks.
The magic kingdom,
Animal kingdom
epcot
disney hollywood studios
and 2 water parks
blizzard beach
typhoon lagoon.
which is more than enough for a first timer to florida. you will need to spend a couple of days in each park, have a few 'relaxing days' at a water park, and chill round the hotel. the ulitmate ticket lets you visit more than one park in a day, so you can do a water park in the morning then go see the parades and fire work show at the magic kingdom.
plus theres downtown disney which is a shopping eating area, like a big open air shopping mall around a lake, nice to chill out get an ice cream and people watch.
have fun , relax, and enjoy it.

Dazzer, the sentiment is clearly there but to advise someone in such a restrictive manner such as Disney, Disney, Disney is - for want of a better word - wrong.

vivatifosi

If anyone wants to really explore Florida, then my recommendation is to either take the long drive or fly to Talahassee and explore the Panhandle coast south of there. No strip malls, no fast food outlets, just roadside sellers selling boiled peanuts, little Mom and Pop produce stalls. At night you can go out on the beach with NO lighting around you, and if you're lucky watch the shooting stars. Beautiful...

love2save

Sturll...I agree there is so much to do in Florida...I love your photo! We are going again next year...going to Miami first this time though, on to Key largo and Key west for a while then to Orlando for 2 weeks. My 8 year old loves animals (so Seaworld, Animal Kingdom and the local Petting farm for her) and the waterparks the best, especially Typhoon Lagoon. There is always time for the mouse too though Just gave a few bits of info originally asked for that I missed from a previous post. There is too much to list quickly...

We love everything....can't wait to go again. As for me, Epcot is my favourite place at Disney....I love the feel of the place and the Beatles show and go several times

There is so much to do for everyone.

kle87

I rang my local Disney store today and they priced the 14 day ultimate ticket at £175

Strull amazing picture, really touched me as im dying to swim with dolphins but wasnt sure about Discovery Cove. Im sold on clear water now!

dazzer68

sturll wrote: »

Dazzer, the sentiment is clearly there but to advise someone in such a restrictive manner such as Disney, Disney, Disney is - for want of a better word - wrong.

it was advice that was all! for the first timer to florida/orlando the things to do can be overwhelming. i was recommending the disney parks, as an all in ticket. the water parks arent disneydisneydisney as you put it they are great water parks, that disney own, better inmo than wetnwild and aqautica, and which you dont have to pay any extra for.
the op was looking for any advice not a trip planned out for them, and not knowing the budget, i was working on a basic one. yes you could do plenty of other stuff, gatorland, boggy creek, universals, busch, seaworld, wetnwild, aqatica, balloon rides, and anything else, but for a two week visit for the first timer with young children it would all be alot to take in.
perhaps i should have had a small disclaimer:- other parks maybe available, comes in other colours, and may contain nuts.
sorry for any advice given

dazzer68

kle87 wrote: »

I rang my local Disney store today and they priced the 14 day ultimate ticket at £175

Strull amazing picture, really touched me as im dying to swim with dolphins but wasnt sure about Discovery Cove. Im sold on clear water now!

the tickets are £169 for 2009 visits
http://wdtc.disneyinternational.com/Special-Offers.asp?ID=6