Lester1979
Striker
We're going for 21 nights in October/November flying with Virgin and staying at Disney. We'll be using Uber or Mears to go anywhere offsite like we did in 2015 and we still won't get anywhere near the cost of a hire car.
Florida Disney Advice
- Thread starter Themig
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Tokyo Optician
Striker
Undercover Tourist are cheapest for park tickets, also there's a lad on eBay sells half price Sea world tickets. You won't go to Disney parks for more than 5 days, buy 4+1 free. 3 day universal pass is enough.
When you pick up your hire car, they'll push you to buy extra insurance, sat nav and a toll pass for $100, tell them to f@ck off, you don't need extra insurance, and you won't spend more than $10 on tolls. Download Navmii to your phone and the Florida map, its free and excellent.
Have great hol, it's one of the best destinations in the world.
Also download and get to know the Disney World app (essential) before you go. You have to book your fast pass rides before you go these days.
5 day pass for Disney (1 day at animal kingdom, 1 day at Hollywood studios, 2 days magic kingdom, 1 day Epcot). Get 4 days +1 free from undercover tourist, delivered to your door uk.
3 days Universal (Get park hoppers, as you need them now to get the Hogwarts express between parks).
1 day sea world
The above always been enough for us, it's a very tiring holiday.
Disney Hotels have excellent transport to their parks and Disney Springs is excellent for food and nights out. You can get shuttles and boats fromDisneys port Orleans, which is excellent value.
It's a 4 hour drive down to Miami from Orlando, best to stop over.
I took the kids out of school last Sept, it only rained 2 days for about 1 hour. We were lucky mind, there were hurricanes the week before and after we left.
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SuperGerryHarrison
Winger
If your doing Disney then Fast Pass is essential. Universal queue jumper is a bit of a rip-off so i wouldn't bother.
Its a bit of a chore to book your rides a month in advance but when your there you walk straight on rides bypassing 90min queues. You only get 3 rides per day so book the big tickets ones and then work the rest of your day around that. Somedays we just went and did the 3 rides then went back to the Villa to chill.
The key advice as a few others have said is to not try and cram it all in, theres just too much going on. Accept you'll miss a lot and prioritise what you want making sure to build in at least one day in 4 to just kick back away from the parks on the pool, beach or mall.
Its a bit of a chore to book your rides a month in advance but when your there you walk straight on rides bypassing 90min queues. You only get 3 rides per day so book the big tickets ones and then work the rest of your day around that. Somedays we just went and did the 3 rides then went back to the Villa to chill.
The key advice as a few others have said is to not try and cram it all in, theres just too much going on. Accept you'll miss a lot and prioritise what you want making sure to build in at least one day in 4 to just kick back away from the parks on the pool, beach or mall.
Tokyo Optician
Striker
If the kids like Harry Potter and Star Wars, they're in for the time of their life. best advice is to plan your days and which rides you want to go on. The Disney World app is a must, you need to book your fast pass rides at least a couple of days before each park. Depends when you go, as above some people book rides weeks before, so don't leave it till u get there. Food and shopping is excellent, take plenty of cash.
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the dark one
Winger
This.fuck the driving.Been twice last few year, stopped in Disney hotels, free transport to every park.paid extra to upgrade the Disney dining plan to table service on an evening.top notch food every night, snacks during the day, it's f***ing great.having a few beers whilst in Epcot for example is class.if I was driving I'd be rite pissed off.Back there in October.love it.
Free dining is a mare if you split.only qualify for free dining if you purchase a park ticket and minimum 5 night Disney hotel stay.we wanted to do a cruise in middle of holiday for 4 days, effectively doing 5 Disney, 4 cruise, then back to Disney for 5 nights.wouldnt qualify for free Disney dining last 5 nights as its classed as a separate booking and would require us to buy the 14 day park passes again.The bastards.
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If you can, spend a night at a Universal resort... just the one. You get early entry and unlimited fast past for the day of your arrival and departure. Plus, you can have a few beers instead of worrying about the drive back to your accommodation.
the dark one
Winger
Don't know about uber, but Mears take the piss I found.i was quite shocked how little transport links at reasonable prices there are in Orlando.
Tex
Striker
Tampa is a much nicer airport than Orlando (although it's expanding so I hope they don't blow it). The car rental offices are right across the street anarl so no pissing about on the shuttle to an off site location. You can leave your family to collect your luggage off the carousel while you go and sort out the wheels then swing right round and pick them up and be on your way.
Docklands Mackem
Goalkeeper
WASTID
Striker
IF you are staying offside, then the FP bookings open 30 days before on your tickets. IF on site then I think its 60 days in advance.
Sounds boring as fuck and over the top, but for me, planning your days is a must to get the most out of Disney if you are there at any sort of peak time. Don't need to plan every single minute, but have a plan of action and make sure you book the Fast Passes to fit that plan - certain rides are a ridiculous amount of queuing time and thats not something I want to be doing for the price of a holiday over there. Once you have used up your 3 fast pass bookings you can then go and book another one if you want via the "cast" (staff) who have tablets or at a few of the stations around the place.
Tip
Magic Kingdom - arrive for the "rope drop" (opening) and walk straight to the Snow White & 7 Dwarves ride. We couldn't even get a good FP booking when trying 30 days in advance. Do that straight away and then do loads of the other rides in the same sort of location and keep your FP booking windows for say 9.45 to 10.45, then 10.45 to 11.45 grab some lunch somewhere and have another FP booking for say 1.00 to 2.00pm window then at 2pm catch the parade. We did this then after the parade went back to the Villa to chill (can't remember if thats the night we headed back to MK for the fireworks).
chris tracy
Central Defender
When we went the park passes were buy one week get the second free. They activate when u visit the park for the first time. In view of that we stayed 3 weeks and stretched the tickets over the whole time. The extra week didn't add much to the overall cost as yhe flights and park tickets are the most expensive. And you have paid the same price whether u go 2 or 3 weeks.
jarramackem
Winger
This 100%.....there is a planning tool on the DIBB that I used and planned each day even down to where we would eat (might sound a bit anal but it free's up so much time and stress where you're there its unbelievable). Also make sure you have at least a couple of rest days or afternoons just chilling by the pool otherwise you'll be zombied.
Brexit
Winger
Definitely be at Magic Kingdom for opening and don't fanny about. Do the most popular rides as early as possible, don't aimlessly wander up Main Street and take photos, loads of time for that. Also, avoid if Extra Magic Hours are on that morning as it will be rammed. Don't do it on Saturday/Sunday if possible as well.
Nero the dog
Midfield
They can be open as late as 3am.
I've been in there when we were just about the last visitors in the park. All rides are walk on. It's weird walking down Main Street when there's literally no body else in there.
chriswallace85
Striker
Oli Wagkz
Striker
chriswallace85
Striker
Aye, this is why I'm confused!
Tokyo Optician
Striker
Aye, this is why I'm confused!
There's lots of different quality levels. I've stayed at Disneys port Orleans, which was mid-priced and excellent. Great pool, shuttle and boats to parks and Disney springs.
Next one up would be Caribbean beach, the animal kingdom, and Grand Floridian is the best.
Alternatively you can stay in a non-Disney, Disney resort hotel. Less priced but better quality hotel, still with the shuttles and 5 mins from the parks. I've just come back from Wyndham Grand Disney resort, it was one of the best hotels I've stayed in. Good deals on trip advisor
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