Disneyworld Florida

[Pointlessquestions]

We are thinking of going next year and I was hoping there might be people with hints and tips before we book. It seems the best time to go is Easter for the weather? We are restricted to school holidays and don't want it too hot.

Can anyone recommend hotels? Or villas? For younger children would you just do Disney parks rather than universal?

Is the quick service meal plan ok or chaotic?

Thanks for any help!

I could write an essay in response to this!
So needing school holidays half term is too short which leaves Christmas, Easter and summer. Florida is hot. You can't get away from that. Whenever you go. Easter and Christmas are very very very busy. Summer is slightly quieter especially towards the end. Which bothers you more? Extra heat/ humidity or people?

If kids are young Disney alone will probably be enough. Depends how much you want to spend. With 14 day park tickets at almost 500 per person it's your choice. Disney have free dining on atm for next year which saves a LOT. you can upgrade the meal plans too if you want character dining etc
Head over to it's Orlando time on Facebook for way more info

Went February half term and took DC out os achool for a few days. First time I've ever done that and they were 15 and 11yrs.

Stayed in villa as needed more space then onsite would give.

Definitely join FB it's Orlando Time

Thanks I've requested to join. I was more worried about heat- google said August is hot hot hot! - the kids are still young and I don't want to spend two weeks worrying about it being too hot for them to enjoy anything.
I saw about the free dining but it also said no deals at Easter or Christmas? Annoying!

Hi we stayed on international drive we did disney and universal and both parks amazing especially Harry Potter land at universal we went in February it was lovely weather join a website called the DIBB it's all about Florida holidays x

I wouldn't go August because of the heat. February was still high 70's and that was enough!

There isn't much shelter at the parks, although the buildings are all aircon.

My friend went Easter just gone and stayed onsight. She has 3 under 7yrs. They had the dining package.

If you don't like the heat l would rethink August

How old are your dc?

I’m not long back. Had a great time BUT I honestly saw so many unhappy children. It was very hot, average of 95f every day (mid Sept). I’d never take kids under 8, too hot, too busy, too expensive, too far to walk, queues, very expensive. The only happy kids we saw were in the hotel pool.
The irony of Walt Disney describing it as the happiest place on earth.

I would do August. I don’t find it as bad as others suggest and I don’t do well in the heat. Christmas and Easter are ridiculously busy so unless you are an obsessive planner you need to get all your dining (table service) booked six months out and fast passes sorted 90 days out. Yes, the parks are hot but there’s plenty air conditioned places to pop into.

We like October the best (going on Saturday!), but late August would be my next choice if you need to work around the school holidays.

We find the trick to bearing the heat is to do it in short doses. We get up,early, hit the parks then head back to the hotel before the worst of the heat and crowds and chill by the pool/have a nap, then head back out later when the sun isn’t so strong.

My two would be 2 and 5 when we went- I would take our double buggy for walking. It's just if it's absolutely boiling they will be miserable. Going in early and then ha OMG the afternoon by the pool sounds a good idea

Can I recommend the book Brit Guide to Orlando?

It is renewed every year and was our bible the first couple of times we went. By the time we had clocked up six or seven visits we could have written the book ourselves.

It is full of fantastic tips and help for getting the very best whole experience out of a trip to that part of Orlando.

BTW, the best time we ever had was October for weather and queues and getting away from the darkening UK skies.

Just read your last post. I wouldn’t take a two and five year old.

I’d wait a few years. You’ll get so much more out of it if you do.

I took my son when he was 3. He is Mickey obsessed and had an amazing time. We stayed onsite and made the most of the 14 day for the price of 7 day ticket so only did Disney parks. We'd book our fast passes for the morning, do them, then go back to the hotel to swim and get another fast pass for the evening and go back to the parks. He loved meeting the characters so that was a big part of our holiday. My DH and I took turns getting solo rider seats on some of the faster rides so we did that part of Disney too.

Younger kids can get lots out of Disney as well as older ones - my son is 4 now and talks almost daily about going back to 'mickeys house'. We'll take him back when he's older so he can experience the other side of it too.

We go a lot and stay off site as Disney is not our main thing now kids are older. Tbh with your kids ages universal wouldnt have as many rides they can do, after 7 is best for Universal imo.
Join 'The Dibb' forum, they have a planning section, lots of people with great info and lots of planning tools.
When the kids were younger we liked to go after Easter/Early May as here taking them out of school wasn't a problem. Definately don't do August if you can help it but if you have to go at end, the US schools will be back and it will be less busy.
We are off for 3 weeks next June, staying in a villa with pool so we have time to chill out away from the parks.

I wouldn't go at those ages either.

For kids that age I would just stick with Paris Disney park. I've been several time, the last time, late June last year - it was so hot and we struggled, my kids were 9 & 15

Five is a great age but two is too young to really get anything from Disney.

I do think the Disney parks are better than Universal for younger children.

We went in October as we had a two week half term. We went for just over a week, giving our daughter time to get over jet lag before going back to school.

We have been a few times, I would agree with PP’s wait a few years, the first time we went our two were 5 and 4, it was really hard work to be honest. Long flight and coming back overnight wasn’t fun!

If you do decide to go, the advice I would give, is to stay up as late as you possibly can the first night, make sure you eat, you probably won’t feel like it but if will help your body clock adjust and save you waking up in the early hours.

If you want to take snacks into the parks, remember only individual portions are allowed so no family packs or large packs of biscuits etc. You can refill water bottles etc in the parks.

Comfy shoes are a must, you will cover miles.

Easter is a lovely time to go, but busy, US Spring break etc. Won’t be offers as demand is high that time of year.

We like universal, it’s a long way to travel without doing all the parks IMHO.

With a young family a villa would give you more options. I would definitely choose that over a hotel.

It’s a great holiday, but a very tiring one too. Eating out is good value.

We went late August and flew back the day before school started. The American children start school sooner so the parks were a little quieter but still busy.
Yes it was hot, but we planned to do a lot of rides in the morning and then had lunch around 2pm and then hit the park again when cooler. A lot of the rides when queuing are sheltered.
We stayed in a disney hotel and though while a little bit more dearer it saved on driving, parking as all transport is included.
However in my opinion I wouldn't take them quite as young. Mine were 8,8,6 there were a few rides my 6 dd couldn't go on because of height restrictions (she's small for her age). It may be best to wait till their taller.
I wouldn't suggest universal at that age as more geared to the older child.
Whaichever you decide I hope you have a lovely time

We went when DD was 3 yrs 10 months. We had one of the best holidays of our lives. She doesn't really remember it, but that's play because we do, and we are hoping to go again in a couple of years.

We stayed offsite in a place called Blue Tree Resort. Much cheaper than onsite and you get more for your money (we had a 2-bed apartment with lounge, 2 bathrooms and full kitchen).

DD is tall, and also a daredevil, so she was able and keen to do quite a few rides, but it might be different for your younger one.

We did Universal as well (because I love rollercoasters). She enjoyed the Dr Seuss area and Barney, and the junior coasters (Flight of the Hippogriff and Woody Woodpecker), as well as the Rapids, where you get utterly soaked...but Universal is probably more for older kids. DD is 6.5 now and likes watching POV videos of the Hulk, so I hope she will be tall enough for that next time (she is already 130cm!).

I'm sure you will have a great time whenever you go. We went in October, which is no longer an option cos of school holidays. It was very hot (low to mid 30s when we were there). I am not sure summer would be that much "worse" and if you go towards the end of summer, it is apparently quieter. But you do get heavy rain pretty much every afternoon I think.

We went when DC were 2 and 5 - we went in May that year. It’s the hottest trip we’d done but in hindsight, it was because it was the one year we stayed at a moderate resort (Port Orleans). The lack of air conditioned hallway and having to go into the heat to get to the restaurant was a killer! If you can afford one of the deluxe hotels (Wilderness Lodge, Poly, Contemporary etc) I’d highly recommend it. It makes a real difference to the heat.

Oh, and both kids loved that trip though DH and I did do a lot of rider swapping so we could both enjoy all the rides!

We have a two week autumn half term so went in late October. Really nice weather and not too busy. Definitely worth reading up on the art of fast passes.