Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Flip

Original poster

How much spending money to take to Florida?

15 replies

chelsygirl · 04/02/2008 19:20

we're going in May for 2 weeks, we have 2 kids, aged 5 and 11.

we want to do most of the parks and eat out too.

haven't a clue how many dollars we should need to cover this, any ideas?

thanks!

OP posts:

Original poster

chelsygirl · 04/02/2008 19:25

bump

OP posts:

Original poster

chelsygirl · 04/02/2008 21:26

bump

OP posts:

Kbear · 04/02/2008 21:29

did someone mention Florida?

I'm going in May for three weeks!!! Have a look on TheDibb.co.uk - people on there set out how much they spend and what they spent it on and daily spends etc etc. Very useful to get a rough idea.

What date are you going? I'm going 15th.

Original poster

chelsygirl · 04/02/2008 21:33

on the 27th!

can't figure out how much to take, just want a rough figure..........

OP posts:

Kbear · 04/02/2008 21:36

My BIL and SIL went last year with teenage dd's. They budgeted on £100 a day and by the end of the first week they realised they were only spending about £60 a day. Remember dollars are gooood! It's about $1.88/£ at the moment.

Kbear · 04/02/2008 21:37

have you paid for the parks in advance so you just need budget for daily spending and food?

check out the Dibb because it has menus on there for restaurants and average prices for breakfast and lunch and dinner so you can roughly work out a daily budget.

Kbear · 04/02/2008 21:37

oooh, where are you staying btw?

SarahHarris · 04/02/2008 21:40

My husband and I went for 2 weeks about 4 years ago. (before my children arrived)

Had the best holiday of my life and your kids are at a great age to really appreciate it.

We went to every park and ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Also saw a show at disneyland. Another expense, we bought every photo on every ride we went on. We spent about £2500.00 but also did some clothes shopping.

The flexi ticket is great for Sea World, Wet & Wild, Universal Studios, Universal Studios Island of Adventure and Bush Gardens. When we went I ordered this ticket prior to going, i think is was about £250 for both of us. You get unlimited entry to the above 5 parks, so you can visit them as much as you like. I really recommend Bush Gardens. Its a bit of a treck but lots of coaches from Sea World.

The Disney tickets are slightly more expensive. It depends which you really want to visit. As there are 7 parks you may be better waiting til you get there and speaking to your tour guides. They can advise you which ones are best. We went to them all but did'nt visit the waterparks. We just did'nt have time.

There is so much to see and do try and plan before you go.

Have a fab time.

Extremley Jealous.
x

Bellavita · 04/02/2008 21:44

chelsygirl - this will be our 3rd trip with the kids - nearly 11 and 8. We usually purchase our park tickets online before we go - Universal/Islands of Adventure were doing 3 days for the price of 2.

So bearing in mind that all our tickets are purchased, we normally take in dollars around 700. When this has run out we draw cash out of the ATM's as and when we need it.

We are staying in an apartment with a full kitchen, so on the days we do parks, most of the time we take our own sandwiches, fruit etc and keep it in a cool bag (and some drinks). The boys usually want extra drinks and icecreams etc. I would say if you don't do this and buy lunch in the parks it would set you back about $50.

To eat out in the evening (my children don't do kids meals) you will probably spend around $80/90+.

Is breakfast included in your stay?

tiredemma · 04/02/2008 21:49

We went last easter. eating out is SO CHEAP, I still cannot believe now how cheap it was.

We stayed on Disney and tbh- brought whatever we or the boys wanted- even spending extravagantly (REALLY extravagantly) we spent 1k over two weeks which was then the equivalent of $2000.

its an amazing place, I would swim there tomorrow, its fantastic.

Bellavita · 04/02/2008 21:59

tiredemma - that sounds about right.

We are swimming with the dolphins this year. Boys cannot wait to go the new waterpark - Aquatica and also to Universal for the new Simpsons ride.

A must is a Kobe Steak House - it is a fabulous night. You share a large table with other customers and you get your own chef. He entertains the kids with the chopping of veg etc and makes a volcano out of an onion and sets it alight. They make the veg trimmings go into their hat - all done for entertainment but an excellent night.

Kbear · 04/02/2008 22:08

tiredemma my Florida friend... I am staying at a Disney hotel - is there a supermarket nearby where you can stock up on drinks, snacks and fruit etc?

tiredemma · 04/02/2008 23:33

Kbear- I cant honestly remember- we always brougfht stuff on site as it was so cheap (which hotel are you staying at?)

there are lots of supermarkets/malls locally to get stuff, but really you can buy on site for nothing.

We went to TGI Fridays for a meal and I had to take the bill back up to them to check as I was sure it was wrong- it was the equivalent of £25 for a 3 course meal for a family of four. I came back well overweight!!!

Original poster

chelsygirl · 05/02/2008 11:55

thanks everyone!

we are staying in Kissimee in a villa and are all really excited!

have a great time kbear!

OP posts:

totsjunction · 14/02/2008 18:34

Hi
Florida can be as cheap or as expensive as you want.......You can eat at the cheaper chain of eateries or you can go up market and splash out a bit.Everything in Discovery cove is free now and personally wouldn't go to Florida without doing this it's well worth the money.When we first went to Disney the photos they take add up to some money but now you can get a card and have all your Disney photos put on this the photographer just scans your card it also works on some of the rides, then when you get home you can view them on your computer and buy them this way which saves you buying them all, which you feel obliged to do whilst your actually there.Anyway enjoy your holidays. We will be back in October this year.

Flip