Orlando...advice please

[boris18]

I am going round in circles trying to plan an Orlando trip...most likely go April 2015 for about 10 days. My DS is desperate to stay at Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge which does look lovely. Is it worth moving to a Universal Resort hotel for 2 days to take advantage of their early entry arrangements? Is Universal worth it or is it better to stay put and maybe hire a car for Busch gardens etc? Ds wants unlimited theme parks DH and I (not in first flush of youth) bit wary.
Thanks in advance

How old is DS, Universal is aimed very much at the teenage/young adult market. If he fits that demographic it may well be worth your while.

I would consider booking the flights asap as these tend to be booked up very quickly particularly around Easter time. Also it is one of the priciest times to go there in terms of flight cost.

Thanks for replying.

DS will be just 11. Too be honest the more I read the more indecisive I get...so many options. Car hire seems pricey; the option of staying put and hiring a car is the luxury one but whether the extra expenditure is worth it I just don't know. We have fixed on Easter as it is less humid than October and think July/August would be too hot for DH and I. Other option is to swap to July/August, stay for longer and go to Everglades etc. Would end up spending mega bucks though...
So ....specific questions for anyone with experience
Is the Disney quick dining plan worth it or is it just fast food ?(I am Coeliac)
Is it really necessary to preplan and book everything? Some forums imply that you should prebook rides/dining etc..prospect of having so little flexibility when there not a good one for me
Is it easy just to decide to hire a car when there and is that option v expensive?

Thanks in advance to anyone with the patience to read and reply to the above!

OK... We went Oct 2012 and are flying out on Sat to go again.
We are this time staying for 10 nights at Disney (Beach Club) and 3 nights at Universal. Mine are 10, 9 and 7.
We loved staying on site because the transport is easy and we only wanted to do Disney last time. We did not miss a car and we only had a week and couldn't fit all of Disney in!
We will book a cab to take us from Disney to Universal this time. Cheaper than car hire!
My son has gluten intolerance and I cannot tell you how helpful Disney were. In every restaurant the chef came out and talked us through the options. They were also able to provide GF waffles, doughnuts etc. We had Deluxe Dining though and this was in table service meals. Quick service is more help yourself/ burger style stuff but from memory the times we used those please gf rolls etc were available. If Disney do the free Dining Plan when you book (which gives you some table service and some quick service) I would say it is very good value and saved us a fortune! Plus table service eating was a highlight for us both with characters and without.
No idea how Universal will pan out...
You do not have to plan everything but a little planning will make the holiday more special in my opinion. You can walk up for meals (and three will be easier than my family of 5) but I wanted to be sure of our special meals (Princesses, Be Our Guest, etc) so have pre booked.
You can try to get fastpasses when you arrive at each park but some rides especially the new ones will probably be booked up so will mean you waiting in the standby line.
I am a planner - my holiday is planned to the nth degree but it really made it special for us last time- a non planner will probably come along and tell you how that works!
Hope some of that was useful.

The previous fastpass system is no longer in operation at any of the Disney Parks except the ones in Japan. Disney now operate their Magic Bands wrist band system instead.

At Universal many people make an immediate beeline for the Harry Potter part of the park. If Harry Potter is your childrens thing I would go there first (when we were there earlier in the year this section of the park was closed off to new arrivals due to overcrowding and they were not letting any new arrivals enter until enough people in their eyes left that particular section. Even on arrival the wait time for the Forbidden Journey ride was 90 minutes and steadily climbed).

Happypiglet - we are hoping to do something similar to you next October, can I be cheeky and ask who you have booked with ?
Thanks
T

Boris18 - I feel your pain - I dont know where to start, I am in awe of anyone who can actually make decision on what to do. Im not even sure if we should go thru a travel agent or try to arrange it all ourselves.

I would absolutely recommend Universal (well, Islands of Adventure) and if you do stay on site and take advantage of the early entry and fast-pass system then I think it'll be worth it.

Islands of Adventure is my favourite park and DD loves it too. We have been there three times now and from aged 8 onwards, Islands of Adventure has certainly been DD's favourite. The rides are incredible - Harry Potter World is awesome and also, a bonus is that the food on-site is very good too (way better than Disney).

Thank you to everyone who has posted! In a hurry now....will return and digest. We have made some decisions and plans beginning to fall into place...will update.

Any tips are gratefully received

Benbecca we booked with Disney travel co last time but Virgin this time...
Free dining, $200 free money, 14 day park tickets for price of 7 . Don't know what offers are on for next year. Free dining is really valuable tho if you plan to spend all the time at Disney.

Right...have decided and booked. Flying Virgin Atlantic and 10 days Animal Kingdom Lodge. After endless discussion decided to forgo pre booking Universal and book dolphins at Discovery Cove instead. Felt very ambivalent about the latter (not sure about links with SeaWorld, Orcas in captivity etc ) but have capitulated to DS pleadings. Will take lunches into parks from breakfast buffet and pre book some rides. Islands of Adventure on the agenda if we are feeling energetic..agreed to have some flexibility. All now very excited.
If anymore tips come to mind please post! Thanks again to everyone who has responded.

benbecca- it is overwhelming! Suddenly got a bit easier when I realised (obvious really) that we couldn't do everything and started narrowing choices down. Good Luck...

Some people forget this detail when they visit Discovery Cove so I will mention this to you, this is from their website:-

"Once you have made a reservation, you simply check in on the date of your visit. All you need is your name, confirmation number, and a photo ID for those guests over the age of 18"

The ID is important, do not forget this!.

Re VA do not rely on them to fully provide re foodstuffs, would suggest you take what your son likes to eat and enough of it for the flight.

If you haven't already booked Discovery Cove, can I plead with you to reconsider and not put any of your money to Sea World (which owns Discovery Cove). The dolphins have a miserable life in captivity and if you're in Florida there's the opportunity to see them in the wild (the Gulf of Mexico have boat trips where you can see the dolphins in the ocean).

Sea World and Discovery Cove are ghastly places, making money from the suffering of highly intelligent animals. If you haven't already watched it, do have a look at Blackfish.

Sea World's share price is continuing to plummet (thankfully) and hopefully the park will go bust - please don't help prop it up any longer.

FreckledLeopard I feel sick now....I did read round and decided on balance that the treatment at Discovery Cove seemed ok. Moved from a position of refusing DS's initial request to capitulating and researching it after his pleading. Knew it was linked with Sea World but got round my conscience by refusing a visit there. Have booked tickets and parted with a fistful of cash.