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

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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Bunbaker · 12/02/2016 20:33

I don't know what all those acronyms mean nearly. I don't have a huge appetite so I think we will just wing it. We are staying near the Universal Studios BTW.

Nearlyadoctor · 13/02/2016 08:58

Sorry bun, I thought panda had explained them quite well.
QS = quick service QSDP = quick service dining plan.
DDP = Disney dining plan
TS = table service.

Nearlyadoctor · 13/02/2016 09:01

And ADR which hula refers to = advanced dining reservation.
Hope that helps - you could also have a look at the DIBB website which has a whole forum on restaurants / dining plans and ADR's

Bunbaker · 13/02/2016 09:56

Cheers.

I am unused to this type of holiday. We are just used to turning up to a restaurant on spec.

Nearlyadoctor · 13/02/2016 10:51

Unless you are staying onsite at Disney im fairly certain you cannot buy the Disney dining plan, So it wouldn't apply anyway.
Staying near universal and I drive there are numerous resturants and you won't need reservations.
We only use the dining plan as so much easier when we stay on site.

Bunbaker · 13/02/2016 12:53

That's great, thanks.

Hulababy · 14/02/2016 08:00

Home after another fab week - well in the car on way home anyway.
Dd is already planning a return trip as there was so much building work happening around all the parks. Some to open this year and the rest 2017, so she feels we need to return :)

ChestyNut · 14/02/2016 15:34

We're waiting until 2017 too hulababy the wait is killing me Grin
Hoping the fast and furious stuff will be finished for when we go too.

absolutelyflawed · 14/02/2016 17:09

Hi, do I need to carry a change of clothes around with us?! - sounds like we could get wet on a lot of the rides in various parks, and also at seaworld... Don't want to carry things unnecessarily, what do you think?

ChestyNut · 14/02/2016 19:05

We didn't, the only things we got drenched on was Kali river Rapids and blutos in IOA. I've never been so wet in my life.

We just tried to do the wet rides at the end of the day some didn't have to carry stuff around.

Hulababy · 15/02/2016 20:51

absolutelyflawed - in the past we have often worn swimmers to go on the big water rides - swim shorts and a t shirt for me and DH; DD wears a swim vest or bikini top with swim shorts. On some you do get completely drenched - imagine how wet you get in a shower, its like that. Literally like someone has tipped a bucket of water all over you, and a big one at that!

This last visit only Dh and Dd did the wet rides - I don't really like getting wet! They has normal day clothes on this time (though DD took her pants, bra ad t shirt off and rode just wearing shorts and a vest top instead - she then replaced the pants (she hates wet pants!) and her bra/t shirt and took the wet vest off. They did get drenched. Because the weather wasn't as hot as it is in August it took much longer to dry! However, they did dry off a bit and we were staying on site so not too bad.

Some of the water rides get you much wetter than others.

The worst are Kali Rapids at Animal Kingdom, Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges, and Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls at Universal's Islands of Adventure.

There is also Jurassic Park River Adventure at Islands of Adventure and Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom - you get less wet on these but depending on how it hits you it can be a decent amount. Though sometimes you get away without too much water splashes!

The ride I got wet on this time was the innocuous looking One Fish Two Fish at Islands of Adventure - think DD was timing going under the water sprays far too accurately for my liking.

When DD was little we always took swimmers - there are lots of water play areas...

... Curious George at Universal Studios
... If I ran the zoo at Islands of Adventure
... Mystic Fountain at Islands of Adventure

Plus there are fountains at most of the Universal and Disney parks. If they are anything like DD was your children will get soaked!

HRHsherlockssextoy · 16/02/2016 22:35

bun no my shorts were pale pink, but it's something to consider!

I really liked the DDP. Been the Disney many times, but not tried half of the restaurants I ate at when on DDP. That said the dining does take time, time to be seated, time to eat, time to get to the restaurants.

I never seemed to have time for anything last holiday

BravingSpring · 17/02/2016 16:44

Does anyone know when I'll be able to book a holiday in a travel agents for July 2017? I've looked on-line and you can book now but when I asked in travel agents a while ago they said they couldn't book until April. I'm wondering if that's all travel agents or just that one.

Hulababy · 17/02/2016 19:44

I've never booked via a Travel Agents. I have never yet known a travel agency be able to match, let alone beat, any online deal - even when its on their own website(!), so not sure. I imagine they will mainly be similar as they often use the same systems. I am not sure though.

BravingSpring · 18/02/2016 13:40

Hulababy Can I ask who you book with?

Hulababy · 18/02/2016 18:05

This last trip we booked with Virgin Holidays, as a package. We booked online.

In the a past we have booked flights with Virgin Atlantic. Years ago we booked with Travel City Direct (wouldn't recommend tbh) and Thomsons (I think?)

Villas - we have stayed at one of DH's colleagues villas and then others found online through sights such as HomeAway and Holidaylettings.com, etc. There are loads of villas out there. We also booked a Disney hotel via the official WDW website.

Car hire - varies, depending on what comes out best. This time was a package with VH. In past we have gone via Travel Supermarket website.

Tickets - usually get the Disney / Universal ones via official park sites, or sometimes use one of the official authorised websites - found on Travel Supermarket website.

BravingSpring · 18/02/2016 19:51

Thanks

ShiftyFades · 19/02/2016 20:23

Hi, back on again. Some may recall I went in August, big family holiday that my parents paid for villa and most flights (sister, me and the children, but not my DH - Dsis doesn't have a partner). Then Dad got very ill and was in intensive care 3 weeks before the holiday.
He's still with us and is doing well, still weak and I think he won't ever be able to go to Florida again.
So screw money, get there when you are able is my policy......

We've recently booked to go again in Feb 2017 Grin

absolutelyflawed · 19/02/2016 23:22

Hulababy - thanks for all the info re the water rides - are any of these roller coaster type rides (I'm not into those....). Which are the scary / tame ones? Do they have any of those big walk in driers?
Also, on the DNP how do you leave tips generally?

ShiftyFades · 20/02/2016 08:40

Brave, we only recently booked a fly-drive (have privately booked a villa but it's on Homeaway.com) with virgin, got it towards the end of the Virgin sale when they seemed to have an extra 10% off.
We are going Feb 2017.

We get our park tickets through Attraction Tickets Direct or Orlando Ticket Deals, found via money supermarket. They have added extras and depends what you want. Lots have the Memory Maker for free now (I paid for it direct with Disney last year, it's absolutely brilliant), most will have a Kids Eat Free card or a Dine, Play and Shop discount card. Kids Eat free is only up to age 9 I think.

Tiredemma · 20/02/2016 08:58

We used a company called Official Ticket Centre when we last went in 2012. I really shopped around and they had the cheapest attraction ticket deals.
I remember booking online and we had to pick the tickets up from a shop in Kissimee.

Hulababy · 20/02/2016 09:47

Yes there are walk in dryers. I'm never convinced by them.

Hulababy · 20/02/2016 09:52

are any of these roller coaster type rides (I'm not into those....). Which are the scary / tame ones?

Kali Rapids and Barges are rapid style. You sit in a round vehicle and it bops along on a water track whilst you get drenched from Rapids, things that squirt you, water falls etc.

The other rides are more flume/coaster style.

If you go in you tube you can watch a POV experience of being on each ride. Dd spends hours watching all the rides!

Do they have any of those big walk in driers?

Yes. You pay for them and there is only one next to each ride iirr. I'm never convicted they do much tbh though.

Also, on the DNP how do you leave tips generally?

DDP - never used DDP but seen others using them. Seems to be option to leave cash or to ass to your room bill.

ShiftyFades · 20/02/2016 10:38

Tired, it's quite key to have the tickets now, as you log your Disney ones on to the My Disney Experience and book your fast passes in advance (30 days for offsite guests, 60 days for onsite guests). So if you are doing Disney I wouldn't recommend buying tickets from anyone that doesn't send you actual tickets.
Virgin say they have an arrangement with Disney that you can use their reference number to book fast passes (we used them before and have a voucher you exchange on your first day at a park to get your 14 day ticket), I think, when I put our tickets in back in June I did see a box for a reference number, so this would ring true.

But having done the whole fast pass booking thing, which is great, I would want real tickets so I know they are genuinely booked.

ShiftyFades · 20/02/2016 10:40

Hula, I hate roller coasters, really hate them. I went in all the water rides and all were OK, some more steep that others (in term of the log flume ones, not Rapids style), one or two scared me a bit but they were fine.

I nearly passed out when I was misled on to the Mummy..... I don't tolerate coasters at all.

I wouldn't worry about any water ride.