Orlando Disney and Clearwater holiday - ideas and help needed

[orangeplum]

We have never been to Orlando/Disney and am not sure where to start in booking a holiday. We are 2 adults and 2 teens 15 and 13.

We are thinking of doing 7 nights in Orlando - Disney/Universal or similar and then 7 nights relaxing in Clearwater. Looking to go mid July and I know this is quite a late booking in comparison to a lot of,people early booking.

What is the best way to book such a holiday? Should we stay at Disney or nearby? Where is the best place to buy tickets? Any other advice?

Thanks so much.

I never see the point in doing beaches and Orlando parks - you spend a fortune on flights and park tickets to spend a week on a beach. I’d do two weeks in Orlando and do a gentler pace.

In any event, teenagers will get more out of universal than Disney, but each of th parks has a “must do” experience or two.

With teenagers I’d book a villa or apartment rather than stay in a hotel. Windsor hills near Disney is good. If you stay at the higher tier Univeraal hotels you get early park entry and free express passes which will help manage the queues.

Money saving expert usually has a round up of ticket offers.

I don't have much advice about booking, but I am glad that you are planning something in addition to Disney. As a longtime Florida resident, I am always pleased when people on MN want to experience other parts of our state. And of course, our beaches are particularly nice.

I do like the Gulf beaches (spent my wedding night in a hotel in Clearwater Beach), but the Atlantic side has a lot to offer, too. Daytona is a short drive from Orlando.

It will be very hot in July, which is another reason to do some beach time. Either coast will likely be cooler than Orlando.

Come over to the Dibb here
It's a lovely friendly site and lots of very knowledgeable people. They're all Florida mad!

Get yourself over to The Dibb forum, where you’ll find loads of advice.

My best tip would be to look at booking next month to go in 2020 and stay on site at Disney with the free dining offer. With four of you it would be cost effective, no need for a car and food and drinks included.

Personally I wouldn’t bother with a beach stay, as there is plenty to keep you busy in Orlando and have a few rest days in between park visits rather than cram everything into a week.

X-post . There’s a few MNetters over at the Dibb

I would stay away from the Dibb , they're not Florida mad, they're Disney mad. It's a Disney site, it's to be expected, but the majority wish to eat, sleep and live Disney, and can't seem to see beyond it's confines.

It's a bit like visiting England and only going to Blackpool, there's so much more out there.

If you are looking for relaxation I would recommend spending a few nights on Sanibel island. Not far from Clearwater and is like a tropical island

MaudeLynne - that really isn’t the case.

We based ourselves near Disney but did day trips out to other places. One day out to Clearwater, one day to Daytona Beach, one day to Kennedy Space Centre and one afternoon doing airboat rides at some tiny place whose name I cannot recall. DC were 9 and 13 at the time.

We stayed at the Doubletree in North Redington (just down from Clearwater) and loved it there. Right on the beach, very chilled out, easy to get around.

We had five days totally chilled out and then five hectic days of Disney plus an airboat ride. It was amazing.

I would also base myself in Orlando, especially with teens. There are four main Disney parks and two Universal, with three associated water parks. (And there’s also Sea World, Discovery cove and Aquatica, if you wanted to go there too.) So if you’re only there a week you’d have to choose what not to do, really.

There are also some beautiful non-theme park nature locations within a reasonably easy drive for example Blue Spring State Park, and the Kennedy Space Centre is fabulous if your teens might be interested in that. I’d also thoroughly recommend Rainbow River and Paynes Prairie near Ocala.

Oh dear OP, I want to go back now.

Go to The DIBB website, definitely. They know everything.

Oops, pressed send too early.

I'd start by looking at skyscanner or googleflights and deciding if you want to go direct or indirect. Indirect is usually cheaper, and look at flying to Tampa or Miami as well as Orlando. Ok, so you are allowed on to the Dibb for the Disney bit - there's a link to decent ticket sales sites, there's not often much difference in prices between the sites. Orlando offers a massive range of accommodation, hotel, motel or villa? Possibilities are endless.

I use ebookers/expedia to book hotels/motels, and flights & car hire, and if you sign up to quidco/topcashback or whoever, you can get cashback too.

Car hire can often be cheaper when booked with a flight, but check that car insurance is included, some companies offer cheap car hire but slap on massive insurance costs.

We've stayed on both coasts several times, prefer the Atlantic coast - West Palm Beach is great, Cearwater great also.

Stick with your plans, don't get blinded by Disney, although if you're going to Universal, it really is worth staying in one of the hotels that offer express passes to the parks (or whatever they're called). You can book the hotels with tesco vouchers on hotel.com.

Gosh no, the DIBB is not just about Disney. Yes it has a theme park focus but plenty of information about further afield, with lots of local members.

@Chippy Minton - the OP asked for advice booking to go in July, you've recommended that this years holiday be scrapped in favour of spending all of their time at eat/sleep/live Disney a whole year later. You are 100% Dibb - nothing wrong if that's what you like, but there is more to Florida than Orlando. You'd probably like it if you got out of the queues and the over-priced Disney restaurants!

Oh my, I hadn’t spotted the July thing. I wouldn’t go to Orlando in July OP. I’m sorry for crap advice above.

Thanks so much advice already. 😀

WiseupJanetWeiss- is it too hot then? When would you go?

Now is good 😀

@MaudeLynne - attacking folk and making wild assumptions about their holidays choices and other forums? Nice

The OP asked for advice. Several posters suggested the Dibb, which is full of lovely helpful people ready to help newbies in all aspects of trip planning for Orlando/Florida and also elsewhere.

On-site/free dining can be an excellent option, especially with teens, but the booking window is long since closed for 2019, but may be available to book for 2020 soon, so yes, it is worth mention IMO.

If you are on Facebook, I would recommend joing the FB group Its Orlando Time.
They have loads of advice and discount codes for park tickets. They also have a sister site which has villas and all the owners are verified

We went October we didn’t queue once for any ride in any park as America gearing up for thanks giving
We even had one water park to ourselves bar one family as it was slightly raining

Have a look at the hotel with the water park for the in between afternoons if you fancy a rest just of the main high street (can’t remember the name)

Every hotel has free shuttle buses to the parks and other attractions plus the tram runs every few mins at low cost

Lots to see and do and even 2 weeks isn’t enough - Dave the beach for next year

@ChippingMinton Attacking people? Oh get over yourself. You suggested that the OP doesn't holiday this year because of the Dining Plan. The dining plan is only 'worth it' if you intend to spend all of your time in the parks, and then only because their restaurant prices are very high. Not worth postponing your holiday over.

The Dibb is a Disney board, full of Disney fans, it is very narrow minded when it comes to Florida, because it does what it says on the can. Disney. So advice is geared towards Disney fans spending the maximum time at Disney rather than enjoying the wider state. It's the whole point of the site, and you're being silly to try and suggest otherwise. The clue really is in the name.

And with regards to the weather - July is hot, very hot and very humid with afternoon rain most days. However Florida copes with it - everywhere is air-conditioned, queues for the rides are shaded/water misted. Drainage is excellent and the downpours disappear really quickly. April/May is nicely hot and quite dry. American schools are still at school so the parks are quieter. Roughly the same to be said about September/October.

There are loads of lovely cheap restaurants in Florida’s
You can also ring for takeaways for your hotel room

I'm with Maude . The Dibb is helpful but focused very much on Disney. The OP has said she doesn't want that and Chipping came back with a very Dibb answer. The food in the parks is not good value, organising a holiday around a dining offer is falling into a trap.

There's a lot more to Florida than Disney. I'd second the villa- loads more space and many have decent pools and games rooms. Driving is easy. Restaurants outside of the parks are great. The Gulf Coast is spectacular with stunning beaches, restaurants and cafes.

I went to Disney in August once and I hate heat. It was hot, but with water and occasional indoor venues I survived. I wouldn’t be put off going in July. Start your days early, when the parks open. It’s less crowded and not as hot. The place we stayed that we liked the most was Worldquest Resort.

Sorry that certain posters have tried to derail your thread OP. It seems like their opinions are the most important (to themselves). Pop over to The Dibb where you will get a warm welcome...