First Florida Trip

[happsymum]

Hi!
Hoping to find lots of helpful info (mumsnet is now my goto for everything sorry
my DP, DD(10) and i are looking at going to Florida 21st Sept to the 1st Oct (long complicated story but work at a hospital and have to book annual leave a year in advance and time was planned for a extended family hol which has had to be cancelled, so stuck with dates)
Are these dates very hot? anyone else travelled in sept and can give us any pointers?
always been a dream hol and think DD at 10 would appreciate it a lot too (as much as us 'big kids') .

we've been looking at booking with virginholidays as this includes flights, car hire and accomodation
any others recommended?
is self catering best?
i think hotel with a pool/waterpark to entertain DD as much as poss if DP wants a lay in/chilling.
and how pricey is eating out? - we dont want anything too posh, and def want to try hooters, (any famous pancake places?) also to try keep costs not too ridiculous!

its a bit confusing but is it best to buy 14day package attraction tickets. and which attractions are a absolute must and how long did it take you to enjoy it all - i can only go by disney paris and 2 days in a row would be plenty for me and i would be non keen to go a 3rd in a row as would feel like seen the lot already. is universal a must for a 10yr old? sea world?

any help and reccommendations would be really appreciated as we dont really know what we're doing and still in the very early early days of looking around so bare with me if i sound a complete novice! (only started properly looking between night shifts this week). Thanks for any help in advance! any tips and tricks appreciated :)

The dibb is your friend... everything you need to know you will find there

September is scorchio, some rain possibly but it's gone in an hour or so and shouldn't impede on your day.

Disney world is nothing like disney land Paris. It's huuuuge. 4 theme parks 2 water parka and lots of other little attractions. Some people go for 2 weeks and spend the whole time at disney it's that big. Universal is hands down my favourite and harry potter world is phenomenal.

I went to seaworld this year and i will never return. Black fish just made it leave a bitter taste in my mouth and I couldn't wait to leave.

Eating out is dirt cheap except in the parks where it can get pricey.

Luckily for you you're going at one of the quest times of year but will still get to see fun stuff like the disney halloween party if you want (extra charge for this)

14 day ultimate disney ticket and the 2 park universal ticket would.more than enough for you. Attraction tickets direct are reputable and do good deals on these

Link for the dibb
www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/

Seriously anything you need to know you will find on there. Check out all the trip reports. They give you loads of ideas and make you get super excited.

Have you looked at Disney World's resorts? They are incredible and great value for your money as you get unlimited access to all the parks, you can get meal plans (very, very worth it!), transportation between parks and resorts, etc, etc.

You're also a close cab ride to Sea World, Universal Studios and some great malls.

We stayed at the Caribbean beach resort 3 years ago, and I stayed at the New Orleans resort 23 years ago when I was 12 and it was amazing. Can't wait to do it again with my DS and DD.

I would look at either a Disney hotel (but the cheaper ones all have external corridors that can give rise to both security and noise issues from passers by.

Why do you want to try Hooters?. Hooters is a right old dive of a place, avoid at all costs particularly with your child in tow.

There are plenty of decent restaurants in and around Orlando. IHOP is good for pancakes as is Perkins. Both do reasonably priced good food.

Either a Disney hotel (given the caveats) or a hotels on I Drive (however, always stay south of Sandlake Road as north of there is grim) are worth looking at as well.

wow! Lots of useful info! thank you all!
Frikadela ive heard lots of people say Universal is a must! (cant wait!) i didnt know theres a haloween party in these dates. def going to have a look into it as we both said what a shame it is its near halloween but will totally miss it too (bet america's halloween is incredible!) and going to look on thedibb now :)
Thefitfatty we hadnt looked at disney world resorts, thanks. which meal plan did you go for? is the quick service meal plan v v basic? (and not worth it? - why we're slightly tempted to go self catering but would be nice not to have to cook :)
Atillathemeerkat o dear i didnt think Hooters would be really as much a dive as that, to be honest i did just think surely its just a bunch of big busted ladies serving but nothing more. spose only wanted to go as a name you always hear and part of the 'america' experience having never been before. will avoid tho if that bad as do have dd with us! and thank you for the pancake place suggestions. def be finding them!
thanks again everyone!

The disney quick service dining plan can be amazing if you do your research and plan from what I've heard. You get meal credits and snack credits that can be used in any counter service restaurant in all of disney. It's not all burgers and nuggets there are places that have lots of different choices. The only reason we have never stayed at disney itself and got the dining plan is because we like to try lots of restaurants outside of the disney area and I always get the feeling we would feel like we always had to stay within the disney area. However a lot of people really rave about it.

A little word on "self catering". Don't think of a florida holiday like any other, there's no such thing as all inclusive/half board as far as I'm aware. The vast majority of hotels will only have limited cooking facilities, if any unless you specifically look for ones with kitchenettes. I would say most people eat out for the vast majority of meals but food is so cheap and you get really good value for money.

My daughter spent £6.5 k last year. That was flights for 5 people , children were 10, 7 and 5.that was with cheap flights and it covered car, accommodation in caribe cove which is just lovely and just off 192 and really easy to use the back road to get into Disney and flights frommanchester.

That came to £3.5 going at the end of October. They had a couple of days in Disney ( but we'd all done it to death many times. It doesn't change that much. ) universal wins hands down. Kids just couldn't get enough of Harry potter. They also drove to legoland theme park which used to be cypress gardens about 45 miles away. They didn't do Busch gardens, again we have done it mant times but they did-have a day at Clearwater.
Boggy creek air boat rides are also a must do.
So yes their other 3 grand ( may have been less) went on park tickets ( next big expense) and food , petrol, gifts and personal spending.

We've never stayed at Disney. Never wanted too really. Much prefer a bit of down time away from the crowds at a villa with own pool or condo with communal pool. It used to be so lovely eating at the boma buffet at animal kingdom lodge but it just gets so crowded now .

Most hotel rooms should have a fridge and a microwave.

You need a condo for a proper kitchen. All the hotels I've stayed in are room are.

If you are going self catering and eating out you won't go wrong at panera bread, sweet tomatoes, mimi's, olive garden,, outback, Angus steakhouse. Then there's Denny's if you want a quick fill up. Golden corral buffet on 192 near marker 5 has got really good over the last few years but don't leave without going to gay lord palms brunch at the villa de flora restarante on the Osceola parkway. Love that place and it was never rammed like the boma or some of the other places.

Best was of all was the brunch at the renaissance . Long gone now. We went therefor Xmas day. All you could eat for $ 30 including mimosas and if you were lucky the kookaburra would call out. Happy days!

Best memory was leaving the villa on way back to airport down the sand road atthe back and there's a bald eagle just feet from the car stood on its prey that it was eating...an armadillo. I got some fab photos of it and a video when it flew off. Or the raccoons who would come round and tip the bins over to get at the goodies inside and the turkey vultures that would swirl overhead or sit waiting on the roofs to get at the last pickings. My friend whose villa was just a few streets behind mine saw a little Black bear in the woods and weve all woken up to snskes on the lawn , allugators at the edge of the ponds . It just reminds you that Itsverymuch their land

The quick service plan is fine, you can also go to Downtown Disney, which offers lots of different restaurants of every style.

Another option is to rent a condo, and if you are willing to do that and rent a car, Daytona Beach or New Samarna (spelling) Beach are great options and about 40 minutes from the major attractions. There you'll get some great boardwalks, beaches, spots to see manatees and dolphins in the wild, etc. And quieter environment.

When we went 3 years ago, we actually did a week in a condo in Daytona and a week at a Disney Resort. I found that was a great balance. I had been to Disney before (as I said) but DH and DS hadn't and they LOVED it.

Hooters is a dump. Do not go to Hooters.