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jeffersdn
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Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

After many years of waiting I have finally booked my holiday to Florida.

Restricted to school holidays, so it was a bit pricey. We are going for 2 weeks in August. Flights, villa, car hire and all park tickets come to £6,250 for 4 of us.

I budgeted for £10,000 with spending money, so hopefully will be ok!

As this will be the one and only time I go I was wondering if the were any definates that I have to do.

Obviously I will be doing Disney, universal studios, Bushe gardens and seaworld, but are there any 'not to be missed' parts of these?

Also are there any restaurant recommendations?

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Jagduracell
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Re: Orlando

Post by Jagduracell »

I assume you are going with kids, if so how old? If you can spare the time it is well worth getting down to the Keys (all the way to Key West if possible) as it is a great place to chill out after the mayhem of the parks.

If not and you want to get a bit of a beach portion to the holiday then it should be quite easy to get over to Anna Maria Island on the West coast. i have been a few times and always try and get some beach time and this was by far the best place I went to.

I think you have all the major parks covered. A Disney water park is always good value to throw into the mix for a bit of a 'down day'.

It might be worth looking at the Space Shuttle Schedule as well as it could be worth getting down in the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Centre if there happens to be any taking off at that time. Have never seen one myself but are apparently pretty spectacular.

As for restaurants it's quite a difficult one that as you tend to really only see a lot of food chains and by the end of a busy day in the parks will tend to just go for the 'quick and easy'. However I seem to recall there is a Capital Grille on International Drive which although a chain is a pretty good one (I have eaten in one of the NY ones and the steaks are great).

Have a great time.

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Re: Orlando

Post by Tricky Tree »

I'd second the water park - great slightly more relaxing day but good rides, a full day easy.

Agree also on food, very much chains but you will be shattered and they are all so polite and helpful

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Re: Orlando

Post by bigsheff »

Are you doing both universal studios & islands of adventure? Both good.

I know sometimes you might think I've bought my ticket I'm not forking out for a fast pass as well, but I found they were worth it especially if you feel your going at a busy time & if they still do the arm bands for unlimited food & drinks in the parks there well worth it too, dont all get one though & you can just nip in and get a pizza or something as and when people feel peckish.

Definitely recommend the Disney water parks(same again drinks band) I preferred the one with the rather steep slide thought overall the slides where better, whereas the other one has a massive wave pool, can't remember which ones which though.

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Re: Orlando

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

Our favourite restaurant is The Olive Garden - medium priced, good quality Italian.

We also like Market Street Cafe at Celebration.

For cheap and cheerful try Golden Corral. All you can eat buffet.

How old are your kids - Winnie The Pooh character buffet at Magic Kingdom Crystal Palace is great for youngsters.

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Re: Orlando

Post by Jagduracell »

Also worth looking at the Theatre of the Sea if you do venture down the Keys. I think it's about halfway down. Good if you want to do some swimming with dolphins etc. I have done Discovery Cove which I thought was good but this place is lesser known so you get a lot more chance to interact and I think is also a lot cheaper.

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Re: Orlando

Post by thelip »

Kennedy Space Centre is fabulous! Bit of a drive and I suppose it depends how old your kids are but I spent a day there and could happily have spent a week.

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jeffersdn
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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

Kids are both boys aged 16 & 12.

One of them can't swim and is a coward when it comes to water above his waist and the other can only just swim.

Thanks for the info. I think I will have to plan a lot of the trip to make sure I get the best out of it.

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Re: Orlando

Post by murf »

Jagduracell wrote:It might be worth looking at the Space Shuttle Schedule as well as it could be worth getting down in the vicinity of the Kennedy Space Centre if there happens to be any taking off at that time. Have never seen one myself but are apparently pretty spectacular.
Think that is all done with now and all shuttles 'retired'.

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Re: Orlando

Post by Zimmerman »

Where are you staying?

Charlies Steakhouse on International Drive is absolutely top drawer.
The smallest steak they do is a 20oz filet… but its more than acceptable to get one between two!

Cracker Barrell is brilliant for breakfasts
House of Blues cheap and cheerful american fair (at Downtown Disney)… amazing ribs.
Cheesecake Factory love it here. Always go when in the States. Again, reasonably priced, but really good value. MASSIVE portions… again, always willing to split between two for you. Also offer to box up anything you dont eat. Dont be ashamed to say yes. Portions are massive. They do everything from pizzas to pasta to steak to salads to burgers etc. Huge choice. If you like Cheesecake (which I dont) there are about 20 different ones to choose from.
Seasons52 really tasty (and healthy) food (which you'll need after overloading on burgers etc)! Pride themselves on not using butter or serving fries.


I can also vouch for Discovery Cove. Brilliant. A little pricey, but was just about justifiable for us (couple with no kids). From memory, tickets also got you in to Sea World for 7 days. We did it with the Dolphin swim (which to be fair wasnt really that much of the experience (still glad we did it, but dont go just for that element alone)). A few years ago now, but i think it was about £160 each. They limit the amount of people allowed in, so never gets manic… handy to use on a Saturday (when everywhere else will be manic). All food, drink, snacks (and beer) is free once inside - although if driving, the beer is of little incentive :(

You ABSOLUTELY have to go and see La Nouba at Downtown Disney. Not so such thing as a bad seat, so get the cheap seats ;)


Try and do a bit of research about the various parks/rides before you go. The best way to make the most of your time is have a plan of attack (to exploit the fast pass system). But Im a bit anal like that (and i guess its a different ball game with kids i.e. its a holiday not a military exercise)!!!!

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Re: Orlando

Post by Zimmerman »

It was a few years since we went, so not sure what rides are there now.

Animal Kingdom

Safari ride (cant remember the name) - really enjoyed it.
Everest - a bit over rated to be honest. Was by no means a great ride (IMO). Just "OK".
Finding Nemo Musical - we're not musical fans by any means, but we did enjoy it. It was very good and you could tell the kids loved it. The air con was a welcome respite.
Bugs Life - brilliant. Really good.
River Rapids - prepare to get wet!!!

Sea World
For us Kraken was the best ride at Sea World (better than the massively rated Manta).
Best show was probably Blue Horizon….. Worst show was Believe (which is a shame because its the one with the killer whales). But it was all a bit cheesy american; Any servicemen in the audience? Stand up. Lets give them a round of applause.Yeh, right on!

Epcot
Soarin is/was by far the best ride.
Test Track also very good.
STAY away from Imagination at all costs!

Round the World (or whatever its called)… is quite good, its about 10 different areas all themed like another country (Germany, London, Japan? etc). Quite quirky, and good to go for a walk round (get away from the 'ride' half of the park). But it seems one of the main elements is selling you the local foods (whether its mars bars or brackwurst)!

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Re: Orlando

Post by thelip »

Zimmerman wrote: You ABSOLUTELY have to go and see La Nouba at Downtown Disney. Not so such thing as a bad seat, so get the cheap seats ;)

What is it?

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Re: Orlando

Post by Zimmerman »

Its Cirque du Soleil show…. so a circus I guess (in the loosest sense), but without animals.

Its all trapeze, bmx's, contortionists, people on trampolenes etc etc. Its all performed to live music. Sounds awful :( But it really isnt, we loved it. Was the first one we saw (have since seen about 6 of them).

La Nouba is possibly the best one I've seen (just edges it over Love in Vegas (which is all set to Beatles music)).

Rated no.3 attraction in Orlando on Trip Advisor:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction ... orida.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Note: no.1 is a firework show and no.2 is Discovery Cove.

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Re: Orlando

Post by Chrisharry12345 »

If you can going swimming with manatees.. Best thing we did out there! Its a day excursion that I think cost $50 for transport, entry, lunch, and entry to a zoo in the afternoon.. The manatees are huge and they come up to you and roll over so you can stroke there bellys :)

Loved universal too and tge space station is pretty good

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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

I am staying at a villa in Championsgate area.

Do you think that Universal studios and Islands of adventure would be done in one day or are they a day each?

I am going to Disney first day, but do I drive to the actual disney park (I.E. epcot or magic kingdom) or do I go to the transportation and ticket centre?
Also I see that they have ferry, shuttle/monorail services from here. Are they for anyone to use or only people actually staying in one of the resort hotels?

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Re: Orlando

Post by Chrisharry12345 »

I would plan to spend a day on each and if you do it quicker then so be it!
If you pay to go into the parks im pretty sure that includes monorails and ferrys

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

I don't know about the transportation center. On our first day at Disney we drive to a park and pay around $10 (per day) for the privilege of using the parking lot. :shock:

If your Disney tickets have park hopper option you can use the transportation system between parks.

Magic Kingdom tip - there is always a bottleneck queueing for the monorail and ferry to return to the parking lot after the final parade / fireworks. We get to the balcony of main street station early, to get a good view and for a quick getaway.

Have fun! 8-)

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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

So you can actually park at each disney site? I didn't think you could do that?

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

Yes, when you enter Disney just follow the signs for your chosen park. Magic Kingdom example you first stop at booths to be relieved of your parking money, drive to the parking lot, get a train to the ticket plaza (it can sometimes be quicker to walk depending on parking space), choose monorail or boat to get to the actual park, have your bags security inspected, go through turnstile.

As a first timer, "A Brit's guide to Orlando and Disney World" is worth buying for useful info and planning.

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jeffersdn
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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

I thought that you drove to the TTC (Transportation and Ticket Center)
-Parked your car
-Take a monorail to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT
Take a bus to Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom, etc.
Take a ferry to Magic Kingdom?


I presume the book you mean is:
Brit Guide to Orlando 2012
by Simon Veness, Susan Veness?

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

Yes that's the book.

A resident friend sent me this article (the TTC is what I called the ticket plaza at Magic Kingdom). So I would still advise driving straight to your park of choice -

Parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center (know as the TTC – the main parking lot for Walt Disney World and the only parking lot for the Magic Kingdom), Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios, or Animal Kingdom costs $14 per day (a little more for RVs). Once you’ve paid for parking at Walt Disney World for the day, you’ll get a ticket that can be re-used all day long whichever parks you go to – which is handy if you’re planning to park hop.

There are some lots where parking at Walt Disney World is free and you can catch a bus. Disney frowns on it, and they’ve made it a real hassle to get to the parks from any of these free lots to discourage this practice. It’s inconvenient and can take a long time - took me over an hour one night to get from Epcot back to Downtown Disney.

The process involves parking at your free location of choice, heading over to the resort bus stops, taking a bus to a resort, transferring at the resort to a bus to go to the park you’re visiting that day. Don’t forget, you’ll have to repeat this process in reverse at the end of the day when you want to go back to your car.

You can try to park at Downtown Disney, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon (beware that the water parks each close for a month, during which time their parking is unavailable too).

It’s important to note that ESPN Wide World of Sports, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon all have different operating hours than the parks (typically shorter hours) so you might not even be able to get back to your car at the end of the day!

Parking at a Walt Disney World hotel and simply using the bus system won’t work either – hotel parking is for hotel guests only. You can park at the resorts if you are visiting to eat at a restaurant, but you’ll have a limited parking window of a couple hours. This applies to all resorts on-property, including the Downtown Disney hotels Shades of Green, The Walt Disney World Swan and The Walt Disney World Dolphin.

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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

So how does this 'fast pass' system work?

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Re: Orlando

Post by CanaryYellow »

Go to the ride of your choice, insert your entry ticket into a fastpass machine and you get a piece of paper with a time on. When this time slot (normally a 1 hour window) is open you return to the ride and join the fastpass queue. This queue is much shorter and you typically will be on the ride within 10 minutes.

There are a limited amount of fastpasses per ride pre day (for the sake of arguement 500 per hour). When they are all gone, they are all gone. Once your "timeslot" ticket has been used you can get another but you can only hold one fastpass per entry ticket you have.

I recommend getting one for Soarin at Epcot and Toy Story (wherever it is i cannot remember) as they will both be "sold out" by midday and can have 2-3 hour queues. There are giant screens with queuing times in the parks which you can use to help choose what you decide to fastpass with. Oh and its free to use the system.

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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

Thats the blue man group all booked up. Running out of days to get it all done now!

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Re: Orlando

Post by jeffersdn »

My god its hot and sticky out here!

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Re: Orlando

Post by Zimmerman »

After flirting with other options, looks like we (probably) will bite the bullet and go back to the States.

At the moment, the plan I am toying with is:

Orlando 7 nights
Miami 3 nights
Orlando 5 nights
= 15 nights.

Should we rejig and take in the Keys too?
Could we do the keys as a day trip from Miami?
Money permitting, we could go for a bit longer (or could skim a couple of days off the first stay in Orlando). My thinking at the moment is that we're already planning on three accommodation switches (we'll have a 3yo with us).

Toying with staying at a Disney hotel (how children change us :D)
Cheap option for the first stay (art of animation)... Which is around the price of a Villa
+ve: we're on site, less travel, Disney experience for the little one
-ve: sharing a room with the little one, no escape from Disney/park life!

Then when we return, stay at Animal Kingdom. This is quite pricey. I had thought/planned on just two nights (but it's a 5 night minimum at Disney hotels/resorts).

Anybody any experience of these hotels?

Going with a three year old... Any tips?
We were last thee around 2009 or 2010 I think - anything changed?
Any tips?

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

Zimmerman wrote:
At the moment, the plan I am toying with is:

Orlando 7 nights
Miami 3 nights
Orlando 5 nights
= 15 nights.
Orlando to Miami is a boring 3 1/2 hour drive. You could look at a different flight back. e.g. Gatwick-Orlando, Miami-Gatwick/Heathrow.

It's worth checking Tampa airport as alternative to MCO or Sanford. It's often the same price, but can be cheaper for some dates.

If you're going at peak time, you can save a lot by flying indirect.

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Re: Orlando

Post by Brightwater »

Zimmerman wrote:
Going with a three year old... Any tips?
Buggies are a good idea for under 6s in the parks.
If you come to our place, we have 2 good quality buggies left by previous guests, to save taking your own. :wink:

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Re: Orlando

Post by Zimmerman »

ahhhhh….. only just spotter your link/location :D

Read your other post on my phone earlier.

The flying back from Miami option is something id overlooked.
As i'd initially been planning on a 2 night stay in AK to round the trip off… when having to rejig the duration, didnt occur to me to rejig the order of locations :oops:

Will check your link out.

The only draw back of a Villa for us, is that there is only 3 of us. So a lot of wasted space (but the bonus is that some days we could 'rest days' and get away from "it". Theres also the chance the little one would sleep in her own room and consequently, we'd get some sleep! Something I very much doubt in a hotel/suite.

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