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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Florida Dilemma - What would you do?

25 replies

StarryEyedMama · 25/02/2012 12:54

Hi All

Looking for some advice. I'm due some inheritance money and we'd like to use some of it for a trip to Florida (universal, Disney, Seaworld etc) we were thinking of going next Feb when Dd will be 10 and DS will have just turned 3 - this is a massive holiday for us - we've never been abroad all together and it's going to cost quite a fair bit. DP and I have been discussing it all and I'm starting to think it might be better to wait till DS is four as maybe he would enjoy it more and cope better? Does anyone have any thoughts or advice? DD is a little gutted that she may have to wait another year!

OP posts:

Kbear · 25/02/2012 12:56

Go !

Kbear · 25/02/2012 12:57

You can hire buggy things in all the parks - chuck him in there for a kip and play on!

Gumby · 25/02/2012 12:57

Go !

mummymeister · 25/02/2012 13:37

Go and have a great time. there are lots of rides for smaller kids and you can divide and rule so your older one doesnt feel left out and she can go on the older rides with one of you. it is a fantastic place 2 weeks wasnt enough. dont forget to check out the kennedy space centre - not to be missed imo.

Original poster

StarryEyedMama · 25/02/2012 15:18

You all think a 3 yr old will get as much out of it as a 4 yr old?

OP posts:

Earlybird · 25/02/2012 15:21

Is it a once in a lifetime, not likely to be repeated sort of trip?

If so, i'd wait until youngest is a bit older. Being a bit older will also help with stamina.

wigwaminamustardmill · 25/02/2012 15:22

Check the height restrictions for the rides, there are a lot of very tame rides with (I think) 40" height restrictions. It would be a shame to go when your little one is just too short and could be better to wait a while. All the parks are very strict on their height restrictions.

CiderwithBuda · 25/02/2012 15:23

I think I would wait. It's only a year although I know it's a long time in DD's eye. A four year old would get more out of it and would have more stamina.

MandyT68 · 25/02/2012 15:26

Wait. I went at 14 and remember everything and my sisters were 11 but my youngest sister was only 6 and has no memory of it. Go when your oldest is old enough to babysit and you can also have some grown up time.

jicky · 25/02/2012 15:28

If you are going in Feb I assume you are taking dd out of school?

If you wait a year would this be first year of secondary rather than last year of primary? If so I'll go sooner, better to miss primary than secondary I think.

picnicprime · 25/02/2012 15:31

I doubt he'll really remember it when he grows up either way. What do you want a 3-year-old or 4-year-old to 'get' out of Disney?? He's love it now, he'll love it then.

Merrylegs · 25/02/2012 15:34

One of my best memories is of my then 2 year old DS splashing away in the pool at a Disney hotel in Orlando. He turned to me and just sighed 'oh mummy, we is having a LOVELY time!' We did have a lovely time. The thing is, whether he is three or four he probably won't remember it in years to come (although DS insists he does!), but he will love it at the time, and so will you.

Just pace yourselves and plan well.

BackforGood · 25/02/2012 15:37

I've not been, but my sis went when her youngest was 9 and said she was glad they didn't go before as it was pretty exhausting, trying to do everything (also being a 'once in a lifetime trip'). Also, now mine are older, I realise they remember little about all the fab things they did / people they knew when they were only little, so, if it's really a once in a lifetime, then I'd hold out another 3 years or so.
However if you wait too long, then you'd not be able to go as your older one would be in midst of GCSEs.
Tricky!

Hulababy · 25/02/2012 15:39

DD has been at 2y, 4y, 7y and 9y and has loved it every single time, getting different things out of it each time.

Original poster

StarryEyedMama · 25/02/2012 16:01

Thanks all for your advice, you're right that if we wait till DS is 5 then I will have to take DD out of secondary school which I'm not keen on doing. Good tip about the height restrictions - will have to look into that.

Still haven't decided...!

OP posts:

TwoStepsBack · 25/02/2012 16:09

It can be rather exhausting with the heat and with so much to do but you can still have a great time with a little one. You just need to pace yourself and maybe nip back to the hotel/apartment for a nap in the afternoon before going out again in the evening to see the night parades and fireworks.

You might want to consider renting a villa or self-catering apartment so you can cater for yourself a bit more and are not so restricted to some of the fast food outlets.

CiderwithBuda · 25/02/2012 16:22

You only have to take DD out of school if you go in school time surely? Go in holidays. Next Easter?

Hulababy · 25/02/2012 17:17

I can tell you from experience that the prices for Florida in holidays will soar, often more than double. I know - we always have to pay school holiday prices.

Easter and Christmas are the busiest times to visit and it can be extremely busy at those times, with the parks shutting their gates at times.

CiderwithBuda · 25/02/2012 17:24

Hi Hula - we've been twice - Easter and last July. Busy yes but not as bad as I had thought it might be.

Hulababy · 25/02/2012 18:37

That's better than I expected then. We always go in summer holidays and it is fine, never too busy.

kslatts · 25/02/2012 20:48

It can be very tiring in the heat, but February is a good time to go. Instead of hiring on of the Disney buggies, we bought a cheap fold up buggy for about $20 that was ideal.

Your DS will love it (at 3 or 4), whether you wait or not he probably won't remember it when he is older, but will love it at the time.

Original poster

StarryEyedMama · 26/02/2012 09:30

Great. Thanks for all the advice. I just worry that DS won't cope and we will find it difficult to entertain him (prob worrying a bit more at the moment as he is ill and generally being quite difficult to keep happy!)

OP posts:

DressDownFriday · 26/02/2012 09:40

Go!

It will be so magical for him. I took my Dd when she was 2 - she had her 3rd birthday out there and had a fantastic time. I can't remember having any problems with naps etc.

Your older dd can get fast passes for the big rides. You will have to plan ahead for times etc but it will mean less hanging around with the little one.

Any age is a great age for Disney.

StrawberrytallCAKE · 26/02/2012 09:48

We took dd when she was 2 and are taking her this year again at 3 (in may). She absolutely loved it, there will be plenty to entertain your ds - dancing with mickey in a parade, seeing characters everywhere, there are loads of appropriate rides as the magic kingdom and Hollywood studios. I'm not sure how warm February but that might not matter to you. Take advantage of fast passes so you don't have to keep ds in queues for long (putting your ticket in a machine at the side of a ride to get a voucher where you come back at an allocated time and have priority queue).

Are you going to a hotel or staying in a villa? We are saving an awful lot by staying in a villa and it is really handy as after a morning at a park and lunch and a quick swim for dd she gets a nice nap and we get an hour or so to relax by the pool!

Hulababy · 27/02/2012 16:46

Only problem we had with DD when she went at 2y was keeping up with her! She didn't bother with naps hardly at all, wanted to be in the parks morning til night and wanted to go on every ride possible. She loved it and couldn't get enough of it all - she enjoyed all the parks at Disney and Universal, and she loved Seaworld too, plus the water parks. We had a Maclaren Volo buggy at the time and took that - when we could force her back into it it was useful as it was mesh - reduced getting so hot a bit adnd dried easier after rain too.

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