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Original poster

Anyone got a Disney World/Florida holiday planned? Part 3

999 replies

McKayz · 31/05/2015 12:06

I thought I'd start a new thread as number 2 is nearly full.

Links to old threads:

thread 1

thread 2

We haven't got ours booked yet. But we are planning on going August 2016. DH and I both turn 30 in the next 11 months so it's like a big birthday holiday.

OP posts:
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ShiftyFades · 16/07/2015 08:47

I've never considered Discovery Cove, the personal reviews I heard haven't been very good, that you don't spend enough time with the Dolphins, you're rushed through, it's really impersonal etc etc.
So it's never been in my radar. I think, as there's 8 of us and my parents are not very mobile, we will give it a miss but maybe look into it when we go as a threesome in the future.

PandasRock · 16/07/2015 09:17

Discovery cove isn't something which would work for us as a family at all. We have only done Disney so far - 2 visits, with a third next February. My dc are too little for most of Universal (or don't like big/fast rides) and aren't (yet) into Harry Potter or Minions so most of it would be lost. We'll go next time (ie after the one booked next Feb) probably. In the meantime Disney has more than enough to keep us occupied, with lots left we haven't done. I still haven't managed a proper look around half the world showcase at Epcot for eg. Have done both ends, but not quite the bit in the middle properly. Will be rectifying that next year, hopefully. We love the missions around the different countries - lots of fun.

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 16/07/2015 10:18

I'm trying to fit in everything into our 2 weeks

We're the same! We can't possibly fit everything we want to do in 2 weeks - we've always been for 2.5 and even that's a struggle. I always include 2 rest days at the villa though - partly because we need it and partly because the kids love having a few days in the pool.

ShiftyFades · 16/07/2015 13:21

I can't squeeze in pool days, but I'm booking the "second day at XX" to be evening fast passes so we can relax in the morning.
I can maybe do that on one of the days GrinGrinGrin

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 16/07/2015 13:28

That will work well, Shifty, I'm sure! Our schedule is tricky with trying to work out what to do when we all want different things eg. my parents want to go to Busch and we don't, the kids want to do several water park days but we don't... I've managed to juggle it around pretty well I think and I seem to have got my mum to agree to take the kids to a water park whilst DH and I do Drink Around The World at Epcot :)

BloodyDogHairs · 16/07/2015 13:33

I preferred going to the park early then relaxing at night, tbh my dc's would've happily spent the fortnight by the pool or at Blizzard beachConfused.

By day 8 or 9 my PIL stayed put in the hotel room...even my planned rest days were too much for them.

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 16/07/2015 14:33

I prefer that too, Dog. I'd rather get up and out early (fewer crowds, cooler temperatures) and then chill out with wine by the pool later whilst the kids play. It's so much easier now that they're old enough that we can let them go in the pool by themselves and we can sit there with a book and wine whilst they swim. Very different to a few years ago when we had to be in the pool with them the whole time - I wasn't so keen on pool days back then :)

Fleurdelise · 16/07/2015 16:04

So I found some 4 days DW tickets so we'll probably do that and DC with the other parks included. Also Busch Gardens from what I understand is close to Clearwater so we can have a couple of days there on the second week also.

I do believe now that that would be enough, 4 days at DW and then 3 days doing the DC, Aquatica and SeaWorld. Busch gardens after a couple of days rest.

Me happy now! Even though I had some people at work going "OMG are you not doing Universal?"Hmm

That's it! I am not telling anybody anymore that we are going to Florida or I'll end up with a re-mortgage on the bloody house!Grin

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 16/07/2015 16:25

You'll just have to go back another time to do Universal - you always need to leave something out that you have to go back again for :)

BloodyDogHairs · 16/07/2015 17:55

Just out of interest how much are 4 day tickets for Disney? are the tickets for 4 day's running?

Fleurdelise · 16/07/2015 22:31

Dog I haven't looked into the whole detail of it, I don't think they are consecutive but you cannot park hop so you need to spend a day per park. Also water parks not included, only the 4 main parks only, which is fine for us as we will do Aquatica. You do get fast pass which I still need to understand how it works.

The price comes to £800 for the 4 days. Not cheap but at least I can do more than 2 and less than 7. Smile

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 16/07/2015 22:50

That's not per person, is it?! (FastPass sounds complicated but it's really easy - we'll talk you through it nearer the time).

Goodbetterbest · 16/07/2015 23:45

Does anyone else feel their heads in a spin?? Grin

We go in three weeks, 3 nights in Universal, 11 in Disney. I have mostly got my Disney schedule sorted thanks to the Dibb, fast passes and a few restaurants booked, and now need to think about practical things. Like ponchos.

Does anyone have anything they consider essential that I might not have thought of?

Washing line and 4 point extension lead (to charge all the gadgetry) are on my list.

Fleurdelise · 17/07/2015 07:08

Lucas no, not per person. For the 4 of us, sorry!

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 17/07/2015 09:13

Goodbetterbest, are you staying in a villa or hotel room? A pop-up laundry basket was my favourite tip from the last time I went. Oh and if you have things that can be charged via USB then you may want to consider one of these instead of an extension lead as they're much smaller and lighter for your suitcase.
Which Universal hotel are you in, btw? 3 nights there, wow, how wonderful. The Universal hotel is the bit I'm looking forward to most, I think. We are in RPR for 2 nights.

Fleur, glad you found your tickets cheaper. It would've been about £1k for 7 or 14-day ticket so that's a saving of £200 you can put towards your next trip :)

ShiftyFades · 17/07/2015 13:34

My head is also in a spin. My dad has fallen ill so I'm left to deciding fast passes on my own. Thankfully I had come up with a rough order of parks, last week.
I was up at 6:10 today to book Magic and the 7 Dwarfs Mine ride had no fast passes left!! It was for a Sunday which is always busy, but to be gone in just over an hour is shocking!
We have got fast passes for it for the Friday, I booked at 7:30, and the earliest one available was 5:20pm!

For both the Magic days I've booked I noticed that "meet Ana & Elsa" was sold out - I don't know if a 5am wake up would resolve that if anyone wants that.

Oh, I've noticed Pirates of the Caribbean is closed for refurbishment - gutted. Does anyone know how long for?

Also, has The Lion King gone from Animal? It was closed at Easter last year, it was our favourite!

PandasRock · 17/07/2015 13:34

Wha-hey! Have just called and got my reservation linked on MDE, so all set for ADR time next month (am still waiting for an maned menu to the booking to show up - will call again on Monday if it doesn't appear...)

We are taking along a friend to help out with the dc (dd1 has severe ASD, dd2 has AS, ds is still a toddler, so it's all go when we're around!) and she is bemused that I am asking her questions about what she wants to see/do already. It's her first visit, so she has no idea about ADRs or FP or anything that might need to be planned out Grin

PandasRock · 17/07/2015 13:37

Sorry to hear about your dad, Shifty.

Anna and Elsa is insanely busy. I am already mentally gearing up for that booking, and it's a couple of months before o can book my FP! I thought the Lion King had reopened? It closed, and moved across the park to a new theatre, I believe.

The Dibb will have all the info on ride closure/refurbs. They are usually pretty up to date on what is happening.

ShiftyFades · 17/07/2015 13:58

What's ADR Panda?

I will check out The Dibb.... Never been on there before

ShiftyFades · 17/07/2015 13:59

I did notice the Elsa meet had a 90 min wait last Easter when we walked past - you can't miss it, there were 489 buggies outside GrinGrinGrin

PandasRock · 17/07/2015 14:15

Advance Dining Reservation, Shifty. For onsite table service meals - if you want eg character meals or Cinderellas Royal Table (in the actual castle at Magic Kingdom) then you need to be ready to book at 180 days out.

Dd2 has her heart set on an Anna and Elsa meet (along with half the global population, it would seem Grin) - it's our first visit since Frozen-mania, so she hasn't had the chance before... I am going to try to get a FP for her birthday

PandasRock · 17/07/2015 14:17

The Dibb is worth a visit. Be prepared to lose a day or two, though - there is a whole new level of knowledge and planning over there! Grin

KinkyDorito · 17/07/2015 14:34

Pandas Grin. Love it there!

PandasRock · 17/07/2015 14:49

It is fab. And has ensured smooth visits for us. It's the kind of level of planning we need as a family (2 dc with ASD, one under investigation - 'go with the flow' and 'last minute' are alien concepts in our house Grin)

StrawberrytallCake · 17/07/2015 15:47

Ahhh Lucas drink around the world at Epcot is something I saw a few people doing and felt envious, definitely on the to do list.

I managed to get some Anna and Elsa passes at a 5am wake up FP selection.

Home now, consoling myself with Pringles and cheese and chive dip in bed but it's not working Sad