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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to go to Orlando and not do Disney?

61 replies

DeathStarCanteenGal · 30/12/2023 10:46

Planning a trip to Orlando in 2024 - and I think October is the best time, as we have to work around school holidays, but also don't want the weather to be too hot/parks to be mega busy
Because of school holidays we can only do 10 days max
So currently planning four days at Universal Studio, as DD (who will be 13) and J are both Harry potter fans
Also planning a few days in either a villa or an apartment, to give us a bit more space, and a bit of a time that's more chilled
DH will probably want to go to Cape Kennedy, I'd like to go see some alligators.
But what would we be missing by not doing Disney?? This will probably be a one off trip, but I can't see anything about Disney that really makes me want to go
Do Disney fans,tell me what I'll be missing
And any recommendations for Orlando more generally also welcome!

OP posts:
Bluelightbaby · 30/12/2023 12:20

We went to Orlando and didn’t do Disney. We did universal, sea world, discovery cove and then went to clear water and did a dolphin boat trip (seascreamer) we also went and swam with manatees and also went to scratch and rode horses.

Mumof2teens79 · 30/12/2023 12:20

I found Disney underwhelming
Huge queues and fairly sedate rides....but there are a lot of parks.

The Universal parks are better, you can do one day in each including the water park....I don't think you need more than that.

You could just do a day at Disneyland but if you stay on park you get extra benefits

FlibbertyGibbitt · 30/12/2023 12:29

Disney is amazing ! Lots to see there. Been in October, weather was fab compared to June / July when been before.
I’d do 4 days at Disney, 2 at Universal and then the rest for chilling out, shopping etc. it’s a huge place

GreatBigBeautifulTommorow · 30/12/2023 12:32

I’d also do Disney if really a once in a lifetime trip.
there are rides, parades, firework shows.

I was also sceptical but caught up in the Disney bug

margotrose · 30/12/2023 12:34

If this is a once in a lifetime trip I would definitely include Disney, even if it's just for a day. Thirteen definitely isn't too old.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 30/12/2023 12:37

We did Orlando when DD was 12 and again at 15 and just did Universal. We really focused on HP on our first visit and didn't do Disney at all as DD wasn't interested in this. We then moved on to the gulf coast for beach.

CuttingMeOpenthenHealingMeFine · 30/12/2023 12:41

We intend to go to Orlando in 2025 without Disney. We have been to Disneyland Paris a few times so have done the magic and look forward to Harry Potter land and the bigger theme park rides. I don’t think it’s a must, DH has been to Florida on holiday loads (when younger with his parents) but only went to Disney once.

Dixiechickonhols · 30/12/2023 12:43

If you are really into Harry Potter then that takes time. When my dc was tween are she loved Harry Potter so we did universal only trips. There’s the rides, theming, my dc loved an interactive wand thing.

Headtothestreets · 30/12/2023 12:44

I like Universal but I don’t think there is enough there for 4 days. The Harry Potter bit is great, but it’s not enormous.

I’d include a day at Disney if you’re there. The parks are very different so it’s worth looking into them to see which would suit you best.

i like Discovery Cove too. Snorkelling in the great pond of tropical fish is quite something.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 30/12/2023 12:45

Just to add we also did a waterpark and discovery cove so whilst HP was our focus we had a full on week before heading to the gulf coast.

Original poster
DeathStarCanteenGal · 30/12/2023 12:47

thanks all. Am excited to learn there's a gator land, will definitely be looking to do something like that 😆
to answer some previous points, we are planning to stay on site at universal at one of the hotels with fast passes, to help make the most of our time there.
And yes, am aware it will not be cheap - we were in New York in 2022 so remember well how expensive the US. But have a reasonable chunk of cash from the sale of my late mothers house to spend on this, And given I'm still sorting out things over a year after her death, I think I deserve a good holiday! so have about £10k, £12k tops earmarked for this...hopefully that will be ok

OP posts:
Dixiechickonhols · 30/12/2023 12:53

Definitely check out the dibb before you book. Booking a package with virgin etc is usually very expensive much cheaper ways to book.

Dixiechickonhols · 30/12/2023 12:53

I’d also recommend an airboat ride it’s well worth doing and you’ll see gators.

Isawitcoming · 30/12/2023 12:58

Magic Kingdom is fantasy, pure and simple. A suspension of reality for a day. Lots of rides of course (not as wild as Universal's), but shows, parades, meeting characters, good food, shopping etc. As pp have said, if this trip is a one off I'd go to MK for a full day. It really is memorable (and is definitely for adults as much as children).

Mumof2teens79 · 30/12/2023 13:02

DeathStarCanteenGal · 30/12/2023 11:15

For those saying do Disney, what is there at the Magic Kingdom, apart from the view of the castle, and lots of shops selling Mickey Mouse stuff?
just one child, DD, who will be 13 when we go so is well past the Disney princess stage, thankfully (recalls queuing with her for 2.5 hours at Disneyland Paris to meet Rapunzel)
she is however a massive Harry Potter fan...

In the Magic Kingdom itself....iconic rides. The parade, fireworks
But then there are all the other parks

roses2 · 30/12/2023 13:03

We are going to Disney in May. I only plan one day at Magic Kingdom! I will buy a two day ticket and decide last minute whether to go to Disney Animal Kingdom or a second day at Magic Kingdom

The rest of the time will be Universal, Discovery Cove, Seaworld etc.

I found the following two websites to be the cheapest for park tickets:

  • Floridtix (14 day Universal ticket for £1,213)
  • Getawaytoday (4 day Universal ticket for £1,180)

For Disney it's ~$25/person cheaper to buy once you arrive at your hotel if buying < 7 day ticket and once you have a US IP address. They have 1/2/3 etc day tickets on the US site which you can't access unless you have a US IP address

Ohnotyoutoo · 30/12/2023 13:04

There's so much more to Florida than Disney. If nobody's bothered about going then there's no point going!

JMSA · 30/12/2023 13:06

I'd love to go to Florida. The beach and nature side of things sounds amazing!

HermioneWeasley · 30/12/2023 13:08

@DeathStarCanteenGal princesses is a very small proportion of Disney world. There are 4 parks which are all very different. Princesses are evident in the fantasyland part of the magic kingdom (about a quarter of one of the four parks) and a little bit in other parks - the frozen ride in Epcot and little mermaid and frozen shows in holly wood studios.

other than that each of the parks offers a very different experience - Epcot is a mix of sciency stuff and the bizarrely brilliant world showcase, animal kingdom is about animals and the environment, Hollywood studios is (loosely) about films and also has thr Star Wars section, and magic kingdom has three or four areas other than fantasyland. Some of the rides are exceptional as well - Star Wars rise of the resistance, soarin, runaway railway, Toy Story mania, ratatouille.

Remembering39862 · 30/12/2023 13:21

We did a 10 day Florida trip at the end of September/beginning of October this year… spent the entire time at Disney and still didn’t get to do everything I wanted! But I have a chronic illness so we had to take it easier than most. The weather is ideal around that time (the humidity is easing off and the temperature goes below 30 degrees Celsius).

This was my 4th trip to Florida, and we’ve done a lot over those trips: the Universal parks, Seaworld, Florida Keys beachfront hotel, mall tours, Everglades airboat tour. Honestly all of it is brilliant, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time regardless of what you do. We’ve visited Disney as a part of our trip every time though, because I don’t think you can beat it.

If you do go to Magic Kingdom during your visit, make sure to check it’s not on a day when Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is on - the Magic Kingdom closes to regular guests (aka those who haven’t bought separate party tickets) at 6pm on party days, so you wouldn’t get to see the evening fireworks, which are amazing. Or if you didn’t want to do a full day at Disney, an evening at MNSSHP could actually be a good choice for you - there is free trick or treating as part of the ticket price, special shows/parades, and generally shorter queues for the rides!

Otherwise Magic Kingdom is mostly family-friendly nostalgia type rides rather than adrenaline thrills (though TRON is brilliant), and general experiences like parades etc.

You can also find projected park crowd calendars for the different theme parks with a bit of Googling, and suggested days to avoid specific parks, which might help you decide what to do when. It’s also worth checking the American public and school holiday dates, as crowds can surge massively around those. I planned our whole trip in detail myself, so if you want to PM me at all about anything, feel free ☺️

SpanishMoss1 · 30/12/2023 13:29

I am a big fan of Florida holidays and I love Disney. But, I have given up on vacations where we do every single park…they are just too exhausting and even Disney can become less enjoyable when you are knackered.

So, if you have booked Universal and are looking forward to that, don’t give Disney another thought. Do Universal, visit City Walk, see some of the other sights and enjoy, without rushing about.

You can also still get a little taste of Disney by heading down to the Springs one evening!

But 10 days would be far too
little time to do it all and you’d miss so much. It would be a waste, so enjoy Universal properly.

Crishell · 30/12/2023 13:33

We're at Disney now and doing the full Disney experience but then again we have a 4 year old DD obsessed with princesses so go figure.

We've been twice as adults though and there's loads to do in Orlando.
We've been to Miami, Clearwater, Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center, swam with dolphins down the Keys, International Drive, Busch Gardens (which I highly recommend by the way if you like big rollercoasters).
International Drive is also packed with stuff to do. Crazy golf courses everywhere, lots of cool museums like Ripley's.

You can easily do Orlando without Disney.
Disney is fantastic but it might not be very cost effective to just do a day of it. It's incredibly expensive nowadays and the queues massive. You'd be looking on average a 90 minute queue for the popular rides. You have to pay for fast passes now which are expensive. There's one or two rides now that are almost exclusively paid for on top of the park cost.

If you're going to do Disney, you need to do Disney, if you know what I mean.

SpanishMoss1 · 30/12/2023 13:37

I also agree with there being more to Florida than the theme parks. It is such a beautiful place.
Look into Wekiwa Springs for some kayaking down the river. It’s incredible.
Circle B Bare Reserve is a beautiful nature preserve where you can get up close to the wildlife. We’ve had huge gators walk across the path in front of us, as well as raccoons popping over to look for food around our person. Huge banana spiders hang in the trees. I hate spiders, but these are the size of your hand and bright yellow. Easy to keep an eye on.
Apopka Wildlife drive is another great starter place. Open at the weekends. You can drive around 11 miles of lanes, surrounded by water. And alligators. Some huge 10, 12, 13 foot long beasts. No fences. It’s always quiet and there are picnic spots along the route.
Rock Springs is another fab place, take a tube, with a natural lazy river that is so much fun. You can also take snorkel sets to see all of the river fish and plantlife.

October can sometimes be a bit nippy. So take a hoodie. I prefer August! Spicy hot.

SpanishMoss1 · 30/12/2023 13:38

*Circle B Bar Reserve

KindleGirlie · 30/12/2023 13:38

I go to Orlando and don’t do any parks at all. The holiday is exactly what you want to make it. I love the sunshine, shopping and swimming in the Villa pool every day.

enjoy!