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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

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:

Thread gallery

mouldycheesefan · 21/06/2016 14:32

Probably because memory maker isn't very good! Long queues for the photographers, photos aren't great etc. The ride photos are good but you can just buy them seperate. Having it free is good though.

Helgathehairy · 21/06/2016 14:57

banana I assume you like OKW if you're staying there again. We're staying in a one bed with 3 adults and 2 children but not until sept/Oct 2017! Any tips?

Banana99 · 21/06/2016 15:20

About OKW or in general?

We like OKW as its much quieter than the other resorts, fewer children and the bus queues are much shorter! It's the one concession we make to us adults!

Helgathehairy · 21/06/2016 19:19

banana OKW mainly - I like short bus queues. Have heard the food isn't great and some villas can be a long way from the min building.

Banana99 · 21/06/2016 20:11

Well we never ate in Olivias, the takeaway place is so-so. We mostly ate in the parks tbh.

We did walk to Saratoga springs one morning (about 20 minutes) to have a quick service breakfast which we would do again

We were at Turtle Bridge - it was a 10-15 minute to main building - however all the buses going to the parks also stop at the main building if you can't be bother to walk it.
There are a few bus stops so you don't always need to go to the main building unless you want milk/food/pool.

I would say don't stay there if you want breakfast out everyday (we ate in our room). The bus lines at night going back are good though!

NicknameUsed · 21/06/2016 20:15

I have now decided what we want fast passes for. I now have to decide what days we want to use them on. I hate not being spontaneous on holiday, and I hate having to forward plan.

Aargh!

HermioneWeasley · 21/06/2016 20:17

We can start doing ADRs tomorrow - squeeeee!

HermioneWeasley · 21/06/2016 20:17

Been watching footage from the new Frozen ride which opened today, it looks brilliant.

Hulababy · 21/06/2016 21:27

We are also staying at OKW next Feb. As we are taking dd's friend with us (both 14) we've gone for a one bed so that we can have separate sleeping rooms and some privacy. Only other Disney hotel we've stayed at is Animal Kingdom. We have Dining Plan but we are more likely to eat in the parks than the hotel - we are only there for a week again and dd's friends never been so it's going to be a hectic week yet again :) We also have Memory Maker as it came free - dd will love the ride photos as she knows where all the cameras are and does proper full on poses!

Looking forward to seeing it through the eyes of a new visitor.

Hermione - me and dd have also been watching the frozen videos from today - 5 hour queues at one point!! Dd loved the Norway ride, from being tiny on her first visit. She's waiting to see the new frozen version in real life before making her decision on it!

Hulababy · 21/06/2016 21:28

We are off to Disney California this summer as part of our California trip and staying in a resort hotel. Never been there whereas been to Florida several times. Will be good to see the original.

NicknameUsed · 22/06/2016 07:05

OH and I went to the original Disneyland in 1986. I was mesmerised. We stayed at the Sheraton in Anaheim and had a free shuttle bus to the park. We also did Universal Studios and saw the original sets for Back To the Future (which we had seen on the plane going out), Psycho, King Kong and Jaws among others. It was brilliant.

Hulababy · 22/06/2016 10:08

Thanks Nickname

We are staying at Disneyland for 3 nights but just doing two days of parks. And going to Universal Studios for a day too.

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 22/06/2016 15:46

Pigley, you mentioned going to MK on a day where there are Extra Magic Hours - if you are staying onsite then these are a great perk but the crowds (and therefore queues) are always much higher on an EMH day. We never do parks on their EMH day (as we're offsite so no need to) but not sure what I'd do if staying onsite (I'm not sure I could be bothered with going to one park just for EMH and then changing parks).

mouldycheesefan · 22/06/2016 16:35

We didn't bother with EMH for that reason. Plus it's 8-9am normally which means leaving resort at 7.30 which isn't relaxing on holiday!

mouldycheesefan · 22/06/2016 16:36

Also even though we stayed in a resort hotel we found it took an hour to get to magic kingdom restaurant for breakfast (beach club to crystal palace)

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 22/06/2016 16:42

I'm amazed at how long it takes to get to MK from onsite The ease of getting around was the only thing that would sway me towards onsite but we can get there quicker than that from our offsite villa!

mouldycheesefan · 22/06/2016 18:54

Yes, it was about five mins to the car from hotel room, then about 15 mins drive to the park, then 5 mins to park and walk to the boat, then 15 mins waiting for boat to fill, then 5 mins on boat then 10 mins through security, then couple mins down main st. So an hour. Not sure how would be quicker from a villa unless it was busier later so the boat filled quicker( monorails didn't start running till slightly after we got there).

LucasNorthsTwiglets · 23/06/2016 13:15

Ah sorry, I've just re-read your post and realised you said an hour to the restaurant - I thought you meant that it was an hour to the TTC so I wan't including the ferry time. It would take us the same time as you then as our villa is also 15 mins drive to the TTC...

mouldycheesefan · 23/06/2016 14:00

The advantage to being on site was that it was 5 mins to Epcot, 10 mins to studios in boat, 2 mins to Boardwalk. Plus the other onsite advantages not related to travel and the fun of being in the Disney bubble and the fabulous hotel and pool.
I would still stay onsite in future.

Evenstar · 23/06/2016 17:27

Does anyone know if you can book excursions off park from the Disney hotels? Last time I went in 2000 we hired a car and stayed off site, but we weren't going to bother with a car this time and my husband would like to go to the Space Centre, also is it easy to get a bus to the outlet malls or is that going to be a pain without a car?

Banana99 · 23/06/2016 18:53

We did get a bus off site - pain in the bum don't bother.
I would either taxi it or hire a car on site - when I read up on it they also drive you to and from your resort to car hire place!

Hulababy · 23/06/2016 21:18

We always hire a car regardless of where staying. We found it quicker to self drive than use the Disney transport most of the time, and it meant getting to Universal and the space centre is less hassle.

Evenstar · 23/06/2016 22:20

Thanks for the advice, it sounds like it isn't any trouble to hire a car when we are out there so we might just do that when we work out which days we want it. Has anyone applied for their ESTA yet, my husband is not sure what to put for a contact in America, would we just put each other and address of our accommodation whilst we are there?

Hulababy · 23/06/2016 22:36

We just out our own mobile number and the address if the hotel or villa we are staying at

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