Did anyone else find it too much going to the Orlando parks?

[Gezzagirl]

I do like theme parks but not as much as my kids and dp. I'm finding 12 hours at a park way too much for me, but everyone seems to love it, am I the only one flagging!!?

We didn't do 12 hours, we'd usually head in about lunchtime or later if we were doing fireworks
I refuse to get up early on holiday

I wish I'd gone with you mozzchops

My idea of hell spending a whole day at any theme park!

luckily my DS is an adult now, he's over it too

I feel for you op
My idea of hell being there for 12 hours or people who need to be there for rope drop!

I've been twice and never ever got to rope drop at any park

Oh all I get is, well we may not ever come again we'll not for a few years anyway I don't really care! I have a stinking cold too, which doesn't help. Junk food galore . I need a beach holiday after this

I loved it - but DS wasn't keen on a few rides so I sat it out with him chatting and drinking pop waiting for the others - we did 'days off' by the pool as well - any reason you can't stay behind tomorrow?

We've just got back from Orlando. We'd do the theme parks in the morning, til about 2pm. Then head fank to the hotel and lounge around the pool for a few hours. If we felt like it, we'd go back to the parks at about 7pm for an hour or so then go for dinner. Sometimes we'd split up, eg Dd and DH would go back in the evening, leaving me and ds at the hotel. Then they'd text us when they'd done a few rides and we'd meet them for dinner. Worked really well and no one missed out.

We did Orlando last year and tho thoroughly enjoyed it, found it bloody knackering.

We were getting there for rope drop and staying in the parks until 4pm ish, then back to the hotel, a couple of hours chilling round the pool, out for dinner and most days I had to force myself to stay awake until 9:30pm. We were there for 10 days and it was enough, we did Universal, Busch gardens, Sea World and Wet n Wild. We didn't have time for the Disney Parks.

As I said it was great, we had an amazing time, but do I feel the need to repeat it....no, I really don't!

We did it a few years ago. After a couple of days we were bored and after aboit 4 days the kids had had enough and didn't want to do any more parks. We started to explore the wider area and then we had a week booked on the Gulf coast which we much preferred and all loved. We've realised that theme parks really don't work for us

We love theme parks and hate being sat/lay around, so Florida for us is our holiday of choice for a long haul break.

Where have you been eating? There is some excellent restaurants that aren't junk food - jiko, California grill, teppan edo, sanaa.. obviously the counter service meals are cheap and junk food mainly, but there are some fab restaurants!!

Can you not come to a compromise? Arrive at the park early and then head to one of the waterparks for late afternoon or waterpark first and then theme park later for the fireworks or night parade?

We can't really do that, we're staying in a villa so we're all together from morning to night. Wish we in a hotel and could nip back when had enough . Today I'm knacked!

For me personally, I'd prefer either to go in early and come home at 4 or 5 or go in the afternoon stay for fireworks or whatever, but going in when it opens eating breakfast while walking then staying for 12 hours I'm not enjoying at all, I can't just go when I've had enough or feel ill I'm stuck there. The water parks aren't too bad as I can just go back to the sunbed for a while and sunbath. The problem is they all love it and I don't but I will just stay at the villa if it carries on it's my holiday too! But they are lovin it we're at the villa today and some them are so moody lol

We have been a few times now, and I felt the same as you OP, we also stay in a villa.

What works for us is :

at the start of the trip, the time difference means we are up early - so we go in for park opening and stay til the parks get rammed mid afternoon, back to villa to swim sleep then pick up a pizza and a salad , eat and sleep.

mid trip, I take a day off, just chillin at the villa, reading, watching crappy daytime TV, catching up with friends on social media and recharging MY batteries whilst they do a park, picking up food on the way home.

towards end of trip we swim and chill in the morning and when everyone is feeling "housebound" we head off to the parks late afternoon for shows and fireworks.

We also have a rule - we don't have to stay together all day - DH and DD16 like thrill rides - me and DD14 are not going to hang around waiting for them to queue, ride and get out - we will go do a sit down show or a train type ride round the park and arrange to meet up later.

At one point in the middle of a trip we will book into a universal premium hotel to take advantage of 2 days of their express access, and an easy escape from full-on park stuff, the hotel is just a boat ride or stroll away...

Too hot, too loud, too bright, too everything. All senses overloaded all the time.
I went, I enjoyed it - in short doses - I would never go back.

Beyondthepage sounds like you have a good plan, I need to work on my lot lol

Ok so our next park is seaworld any tips for here, would a late start be better to stay for fireworks or an earlier start come home early?

Do you have time in your itinerary for a day at Clearwater or Daytona to break it up a bit? We usually do a park every other day, and on the days where we go to the fireworks we go in later.

Funny I just said do we need to go in quite so early, oh no dp said we don't need to go till 10. Just looked and it closes at 10pm ! So another 12 hours

We generally went in the parks till about 3pm then went back to the hotel and pool.
Had 5 days at beach at the end I wouldn't book 2 whole weeks Orlando!
Can you not just head back to hotel when you've had enough?

Ffs just go back to the villa when you've had enough you aren't joined at the hip "see you later" are the words you need.
We found many excellent restaurants it's far from being all junk food. Orlando is known for good food.
The choices you are making are spoiling your holiday. You can make different choices such as leaving when you've had enough and eating somewhere decent. Pp gave you some good restaurant recommended

Oh my that sounds absolutely exhausting op! I haven't been for 20 years but we always dropped our luggage at the hotel and did sea world that afternoon, it doesn't need 12 hours. At least there is lots of sitting and watching sea lions etc.

2014 did u not read my post properly, I can't go back to the villa once I'm with them, it's not just up the road like a hotel! 🙄 And yes eaten in lots of nice restaurants but u can't generally do that during the day unless you've booked, it's too busy this time of year!!! Thanks for the advice peeps

How far away is tge villa? Get a uber taxi