Help with Orlando

[loveisagirlnameddaisy]

Please can someone explain the parks in Orlando to me in very simple terms. I get that there's Disney and also Universal but find the whole thing baffling. How many parks are there, what are they called, which are worth visiting and how do I buy tickets?

@Vanillaradio

Thanks all. *@JodyAteApples* that sounds amazing- ds will love getting a video like that - he freaked out just at posing at King's Cross! Looks like I have lots of research to do. I think he will be fine with dementors etc but will have a look at the videos.

If you have a Harry Potter obsessed child you need a park ticket - there is a Hogwarts Express train that goes between KIngs Cross in Universal Studios (where they also have Diagon Alley) to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts and you need a ticket for it. It is amazing experience.

Depending on when you are going one night at one of the three Deluxe hotels gives you Express Passes which really helps and is the cheapest way of getting them - plus the hotels are walking distance so can help with the 2 days

It takes a lot of planning and it has changed and is definitely busier post pandemic (have been in Dec 2021 and Feb 2022) and so planning is essential. The Dibb and Its Orlando Time are vital sources

Just wondering how much uber is a better option than getting a car? Never used Uber before, we don’t have it where we live. We hired a car when we went 11 years ago and like the ease and freedom. But, it’s expensive and I’m always concerned about the insurance

@mnahmnah I think some people would swear by getting an Uber but I can't be arsed with the faff. We usually get large, 7/8 seater cars and like the space and freedom to just get up and go if we like.

I am also wondering about either Uber or hiring car - do you have to pay for parking at all of these parks please and if so is it $$$$$ because that could really add up?

@CoconutQueen yes, parking at Disney is currently $25 per day and universal is $29 per day. It’s not cheap!

If you’re staying in a villa you will really want a car though.

@MargeSimpson79 thanks that's very helpful; blimey parking is expensive, so if on I-Drive uber definitely sounds better option than hire car. It also actually makes the Disney hotels seem better value too (which on first view seem expensive)

@CoconutQueen if you are staying on I drive I would not get a car personally. Uber and Lyft are amazing over there. On our 2019 trip we stayed at a universal hotel and just used Uber if we wanted to go somewhere else. It was cheap and virtually instant! We never waited more than a few minutes.

I’d plan your holiday around the parks/places you think your kids will enjoy the most. If they are into the bigger thrill rides then definitely go to Universal. Disney is amazing and is magical and fun at all ages.

As a bare minimum I’d suggest you need 2 days at Magic Kingdom and 1 day at each of the other 3. It’s nice to spread it out over more time though if you get say a 14 day ticket (they are very good value for money compared to the shorter length tickets). Combined with a villa you can do things like a park in the morning then chill around the pool in the afternoon or pop to the outlets/mall. A bit less intense than doing the full day at the park “trying to squeeze everything in” type visits.

We love Universal and definitely advise booking a night at one of the hotels that includes the express passes. It’s absolutely great value for money that way and makes it a lot more enjoyable. They’re virtual reality/3d style rides are out of this world also. You get nothing anywhere close to being as good as them in the UK.

Kennedy Centre is about an hour drive away and also an amazing day out for older kids.

Gatorland is nearby and a fun, less tiring day if you’re into that kind of thing. Although on our last visit (we’ve been 4 times) we drove down to the Wild Florida gator park and also booked an airboat ride on the lakes which was absolutely amazing. Really highly recommend it if you can squeeze it in!

We always hire a car and normally a villa as we like to escape from the madness of the parks sometimes (as much as we love them!). But the last visit we did do 2 weeks at the Old Key West disney hotel which was amazing and did feel like a totally different experience. You do feel a lot more emersed in it all and, although we had a car, we used the internal buses to travel from the hotel to the parks so saved on parking costs. We were just across the water from Disney Springs too and they had a little boat you could hop on there and back which was really magical and fun (Disney Springs is a large outdoor complex of shops/restaurants/cinema/bowling/cirque de soleil etc). We did say though that we would book a villa again when we went back as, as ‘magical’ as it was we did feel a bit disneyed out by the end of it and the villas you can get out there are great value for money and a lot more space to spread out 🙂

It is the type of holiday that takes a lot of planning the more you want to do but I find that part of the fun of it all (my husband just asks me what we are doing everyday and where to drive! 😅).

Gutted with Covid, would have definitely gone with the kids now they are teens in the past couple of years. Although, for the first time we have booked California for this summer for a change and will be visiting Disney there too!

Absolutely love Florida, it is the best holiday, you’ll have an amazing time ❤️

Quick, buy one of the numerous books on the market devoted to Orlando and the parks. They are invaluable for explaining everything you need to know, describing all the rides, how things operate, height restrictions, buying tickets etc and tips on making the most of every park. When we went, the kids spent hours planning which rides were their priority.

If you have the chance, try to visit Boggy Creek for an airboat ride. It's a wonderful experience.

I can recommend the Brit Guide to Orlando. I planned our honeymoon using it years ago and worked perfectly for planning our days.

We’ve just booked and need to book our Disney park days ASAP! So really need to get planning, even though it’s July we’re going.

Do we think the covid testing will end by then? I have no idea how we’re going to manage the video call one the day before flying with our DC. We usually have to pin them down to do them! And doing another on day three when we’re there will be a bit of a downer.