Florida Afficienados, Help me Plan!

[BaconAndAvocado]

We are going on our Big Fat Disney Holiday next year and I'm already going into hardcore planning mode!

We are going for 2 weeks. Soooooo, a few questions:

1. How many days each would you allocate to these parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, universal Studios, Island of Adventures, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Sea World, Kennedy Space Centre.

DCs will be 17, 8 and 7 (whilst we're there)

1. Do the hire cars come with a Sat Nav as standard?

1. Is is best to get the parks when they open or go later in the afternoon?

1. We are staying in a villa in Kissimmee. Where are the best restaurants?

Tia

first off buy the books and look at the DIBB website. the books wdw with kids and beyond Disney have touring plans in the back. we followed them broadly speaking and got loads out of our visit tbh.

1. we loved all the parks and planned a couple of days in each but only one day at the water park because we aren't into that. Universal is definitely for the older ones.
2. no we take our own satnav. you can upload maps of different countries for a small fee online
3. we are first in last out. be prepared for lots of queueing.
4. best restaurants wow take your pick huge variety depending on what you like and budget.

don't forget downtown Disney in the evening and try to catch as many of the light and firework shows as you can. if there is fatigue then go early come back for supper and go out again to the evening things.

Thanks mummy have just ordered the books from amazon!

Yes, thought we would spend the whole day from start to finish at the parks!

Not sure how,the wee ones will cope with the heat?!

The fireworks look superb!

We'll be celebrating both my daughter's (7th) and my (a bit more!) birthdays while we're there.

Thinking about booking a princess breakfast for DD. Is it called the Cinderella's Table? How do I book?

Also, we've booked to go to Discovery Cove on my bday. Do you know if it lasts all day? Don't know,whether to book a restaurant for the evening?

Tia

I'm going next year too so watching with interest

I know the princesses are in Epcot in Norway but have heard they are moving to magic kingdom not sure how ttrue that is. Queues are massive for princesses so go early or book a character experience.

We did that in Paris so not bothering in US as my dd a bit old for princesses now

What hotel r you in?

Hi madeye we are staying in a villa, Tuscan Hills in Kissimmee.

Yes, I bet the princesses will be mahoosively popular!

I've been reading up on the Cinderella's Table character breakfast, sounds very lovely and I think you get to get into the park before everyone else.

Fab. We did a princess dinner in euro Disney when ourdd was 5. It was expensive but worth every penny. Those memories will be with me forever. Now she is more interested in the rides.

If she was younger I would definitely do a princess thing in USA.

When and where are you staying madeye ?

My books from amazon arrived today BUT I was at work , grrrrr

Disney Caribbean beach and universal Loews Pacific.spring Next year

Very excited.

Ooh that all sounds fab

Going to pick up my new guidebooks tomorrow morning! Yippee!

Hi there

We went over Easter.

We hired a US sat nav in the uk and took it with us. Cost about £30 for 2 weeks - cheaper than paying for the hire car companies sat nav. But definitely useful.

There are lots of restaurants on the #192 which is the main road running from west to east through Kissimmee. Whole ranged of restaurants - depends what you like. One place our kids loved was called "sweet tomatoes". It was a soup and salad place - I think they were sick of fries!

We allowed a day at each park and a rest day in between - though sometimes on a rest day we would go to a park in the evening instead. So I would mix up with a few early starts and then a few late ones - some of the parks are open until 10 pm.

How were the crowds at Easter? We go next yr second week so not over the bank holidays and then missing a week of school. Oops!

Hi fan that makes sense to break up the days a bit with chill out times.

Yes, I bet you never wanted to see another frie again did you?!

Hi, I went to Discovery cove it was amazing. There is a huge lunch in the middle of the day so I would book a slightly later dinner. You will probably still want to have dinner as you can swim all day if you want to and it builds up an appetite.

If your kids are big roller coaster fans it is worth spending more time at Busch gardens, as it has great rides and amazing animals (we got to feed a giraffe!) and there are also some great roller coasters at the Universal parks, they are next door to each other so you can split your day between the two and go back on all your favourite things.

When we went to Disney with my neices and nephews it was definitely for younger kids, the two five year olds loved the princesses but the older children got a bit bored with the parades and shows, so it might be worth alternating Magic Kingdom with Busch or Universal so both the older and younger children are kept happy.

We allow two short days at magic kingdom and Epcot and a day at the others. We always go early and do a few hours and then leave for a rest and a swim. We've done a day at universal and islands of adventure. But we'll also do a few evening trips to see the fireworks and a few more rides.

We stayed at discovery cove until around 6 when it closed. So would book a later meal. Not sure if it was the excitement or the jet lag but we were all in bed at 8pm that night

Have you tried the Dibb? It's addictive and full of info.

Hi chesty think we've meet on other Floridophile threads

Yes I have been on the Dibb but, being a bit technophobic, I can't seem to get to grips with a lot of it! Will have another try soon.

Have got my 2 new Disney guide books. Can't wait till the wee ones are asleep to get stuck into some Disney planning. Trying not to be too anal about it all but know there needs to be some planning!

Hi. I am in Florida at the moment and loving it! as this was my first trip here I had not realised so much despite doing loads of research. .

one really handy thing is the disney app. there is free wifi in all disney parks and on the app you can see how long wait lines are and then change your fast passes accordingly. It has saved us hours of queuing.. We have been here less than a week and i cant believe how much we have done.. We are all shattered! looking forward to a couple of beach days..

Enjoy the rest of your hols goodgrief

Is the app called My Disney Experience?

I'm stalking the Florida threads bacon not you, honest

We are booking for next Easter - getting v excited!

chesty gonna be doing a whole lot more stalking and lurking over the next 15 -is it really that long- months.

God I'm rubbish.

Meant to say, oh never mind..........Disney is a bloody long way off!

I'm watching too - going august 15... Have made list of things to sort now... Books, apps, dibs :-)

Just after Easter is fairly quiet. Early starts are a must. You have to get there for 'rope drop' and make the most of the first hour the park is open. Another tip we found useful was to go to the left when entering the park as psychologically that's the opposite way to where people want to go.
Plenty of places to eat. We've done Disney restaurants but wouldn't bother again as they're very expensive and good only okish. We like to eat at Cracker Barrel, Perkins (both of these serve proper dinners - not fries etc which can get too repetitive) Olive Garden has the best lasagna I've ever had. It's also worth seeking out independent eateries. There's a fabulous steak house near Haines City where you can get three top class steak meals with soft drinks for £25.

A bit late to this thread, sorry! Your 8 and 7 year olds won't be able to go all day - however much walking you are used to at home, Disney parks are still a shock to the system - they will NOT be able to get their for rope drop and continue until close each day. My 6.5 year old walks everywhere at home and is about the fittest kid around, yet he still uses a buggy at Disney! I'd say the ideal is to be there for rope drop, have a cool off and a rest in the afternoon and go back late afternoon. Book your FastPasses in adavnce via the website or app is the best tip of all!

As for restaurants, we love the buffets - Golden Corral is the best. Unbelievably cheap!

parks - Space Center is definitely just one day and the water parks and SeaWorld are also one day each. We don't like Animal Kingdom so never go there. Magic Kingdom can be done in 2 days but we always have 3. Epcot is 1 long day or 2 short ones. Universal and Islands are one each - but I would really recommend a night at a Universal hotel, as you get unlimited express passes for 2 days! That was the best thing we did this holiday. It worked out cheaper to buy a night at a hotel than to buy passes for us all - and we saved at least 4 hours of queueing per day (I stopped counting after that!)

Re, Discoery Cove, you can eat and snack all day so to be honest we never need a meal when we get back from there. getr there early for breakfasy then you have lunch included - if you eat lunch early enough you might also be able to eat dinner at 4pm :)

Oh, I wish I was going again :)