Orlando Family Holiday

[Fressia123]

We're a family of six (4 kids, 1 under 2 by the time we want to go). I was there about 20 years ago, but no idea where to look for planning advice. We think we can do it for 5-7k. Ideally next year if the virus allows.

@Ginfordinner I partially after with you. A holiday isn't a proper holiday if you have to worry about every penny. We though of going somewhere like the Northern East Coast, but the 8 year old didn't find it as much fun.

I'd go back to LA but the eldest has been there before and seems a much nicer idea to go somewhere that's new for most of the family.

It is the exchange rate that is the killer and has seen the price hike seem higher than it is. I have been a fair few times over the last few years. The pound has tanked against the dollar.

Disney ticket for a 14 day ultimate pass (which is actually the cost of a 7 day ticket but you get the upgrade for "free" so all 6 Disney parks) is around £1700 IIRC for my family of 4 "adults" as anyone over 10 is an adult. The children's ticket is only about £20 less than the adult one so you don't really make a saving. But Magic Kingdom definitely hit £100 per person per day, no park hopper.

Universal tickets are also expensive for just 2 parks or 3 if you add in Volcano Bay water park. My 3 parks ticket which was 3 parks for the price of 2 was £1076 in 2019 again 2 adults and 2 teenagers.

Flights at £350 are ridiculously cheap. Summer school holidays are around £750+ you can do it cheaply if you fly from a non-uk airport such as Dublin or anywhere in Europe but you have to fly there first and back. Or if you bounce and go in-direct. Most people will tell you to budget £1k per person for flights as Virgin and BA can charge that much.

TheDibb forum has loads of advice and costings on there. There is a family who spend less thatn £100 a day on food as they coupon collect for all their meals out.

Sorry Magic Kingdom hit $100 not £100. That was few years back.

We have stayed in everything from Club Level at Universal to Disney on site with free dining, to basic disposable plates breakfast budget Inns. We ate at Dennys and Perkins too. So I do get where you are coming from.

The killer is the ticket and the plane and now the luggage cost.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of Disney World and lots of people who were due to go this year have re-booked for next year. It will be busy. I love the place but we have pushed back our 2021 visit to 2022 if we even return at all. But like I said we have been lots so have literally done it all but we love it.

Ok so I reckon that the biggest challenge to stay on budget is the tickets in general (plane and parks).

I'm going to follow this thread!

I'd love to to take the kids to Disney and have looked into it (also a family of 6) I was looking to take them in October, hoping it might be cheaper and quieter than summer, but gave up at the first hurdle because I was quoted as £14k for 10/11 nights with virgin.
This was pre CV to travel this October so I'm very glad I didn't book it now, but it was just so extortionate anyway that I don't think it's at all feasible!
I'm definitely eager to see if there's a cheaper way of doing it.

@Qwicks we went in October, we did half term plus a week. There is no longer a quiet time at Disney just slightly less manic. Universal was definitely quieter than Disney. MK was the busiest park by far but I think it always is. All the Halloween stuff was on which is great. I would say it was pretty much perfect weather wise.

Plane tickets (in term time and indirect) are still possible at a reasonable price if you are prepared to shop around and book as soon as you see them. We used BA holidays and found that cheaper than booking flights and car separately.
The problem is park tickets and parking - the 14 days for 7 deal is about as good as it gets for Disney. You might get a few pounds off but not much. Universal are similar although you can save by just booking for 1 or 2 days rather than a 14 day pass. Be aware if you don't have a park hopper style ticket for universal you can't go on the Hogwarts Express.
Last time we visited we also found food and drink very expensive, even in the supermarket. We were happy to have a big breakfast at our villa, take snacks to the parks and skip lunch to save money and we didn't really eat onsite but still blew our food budget in a week.

Have a look at the forum The Dibb - www.thedibb.co.uk

It has everything you need for an Orlando holiday.

I'd say your budget is ambitious, though!

I wouldn't fancy those flights without a seat for your under 2 year old. How are you planning on sleeping mid air?

@LizzieMacQueen I've flown multiple times to Mexico with under 2s. Most of the times I've been lucky to get a bouncer type thing. That's hasn't been a problem for me at all. Worst case scenario he just sleeps on us and we take turns.

Tickets are going to be your issue if going for both Universal and Disney coming in at around £3785 (via Attraction ticket direct)

Flights - indirect I reckon you could get for 2k (lufthansa were good value not sure they will be next year)

So that is around 6k

Then around 1200 to 1500 for the Villa

I think around 7.5k for your numbers is probably doable

IF you want it to be less I would pick one park over the other then you can I reckon bring it in

I personally wouldn't mind not going to Universal. This was 20 years ago... But the best bit we're the Marvel themed rides (which I'm guessing dont exist anymore). I don't like HP so of missing out on universal make sit cheaper I might consider it.

10 days is quite tight for Disney and Universal, for the cost savings and to really utilise your (expensive) Disney tickets I would just do Disney.

We are booked for next year, and have budgeted 10k for four of us, for 11 nights (hoping to come in around 9k, but allowing for extra), but that is staying with Disney At a moderate resort. So far, we have spent just under £6k on flights, hotel and park tickets.
If you are booking, make sure you watch the ticket sites, as they are going to be limiting the number of tickets available at each park each day next year.

@notheragain4

10 days is quite tight for Disney and Universal, for the cost savings and to really utilise your (expensive) Disney tickets I would just do Disney.

We found 10 days plenty for us, but we didn't have any interest in water parks. We just did the 4 main Disney theme parks, Universal/Islands of Adventure, Kennedy Space Centre and Boggy Creek.

How old are your kids? Mine were 10 and 8 when we went and we all far preferred Universal over Disney! And none of us are really HP fans but it was amazing. Although the new Star Wars land has opened since we last went.

DD was 16 when we went. The trip was a combination of 16th birthday present and post GCSE celebration. We stayed in one of the Universal hotels because we wanted to avoid the hordes of small children. Although there were loads of young children where we stayed, in general Universal appeals to older children.

Flights will be £5-800 each depending on time of year. If you self cater (£1500) plus car hire (£300) food (£500) and tickets are £400 a day for a family I believe

The kids are 13,10, 8, and under 2. I actually dislike HP (but that's just me!) One kid is obsessed with Starbucks and malls the other one Chucky cheese and target, and the 8 year old loves Disney.

@Ginfordinner how can you not do waterparks?! I can see how you'd manage better without water parks (I'd probably go in Feb when it's cheaper if not doing those). We got express passes in order to get Universal done in a shorter space of time, but an added expense of course (booked Hard Rock Hotel to do this).

@Ginfordinner how can you not do waterparks?!

I am extremely short sighted. I would feel far too vulnerable not being able to see properly. Besides, I just want to swim without being divebombed on. DD had no interest in water parks either. We had a large pool and a lazy river where we stayed, which was just fine for us.

And (whispers) neither of us likes being surrounded by screaming children.

OP with kids those ages if you can only choose 1, I would def pick universal over Disney personally. Although obviously if you can do both that's great.

And (whispers) neither of us likes being surrounded by screaming children.

Haha I'm with you there!

As a family of 4 2 years ago, our parks tickets cost just under 3k but that included Discovery Cove with a dophin swim, which really bumped up the price. The Disney and Universal tickets were quite expensive though. Apart from Hollywood Studios, which is now a lot bigger, we couldn't do the parks in 1 daý.

Our flights were a good price. We flew direct with Norweigian Airlines, cheaper but good. We had an apartment which was huge for us and used Uber to get around as I didn't want to drive.

We went in Feb for 3 weeks and it cost 11k but we took a lot of spending money. The holiday alone, flights, accommodation and park tickets was 6k for the 4 of us and that was me shopping around and getting good deals etc.

Join The Dibb. Fantastic site where there is nothing that they don't know.

Please wait a good while before taking a trip to Florida. The governor of Florida is a complete idiot. Florida re opened way too soon and are now experiencing an explosion of CV19. My son lives in Orlando and has several friends who contracted the virus.