Orlando - is this too much for 10 days?

[roses2]

We will be visiting Orlando May half term for 10 days and I was hoping to get some feedback on if this itinerary looks ok or if we are trying to cram too much in.

I have two boys 8 and 11. They love rides & animals. No interest in character dinners etc. We are staying offsite. No plans for fancy dinners, probably mostly take outs and as little food as possible in the parks. We plan to buy Genie but not Universal express pass.

No clue how long people typically spend in parks before dying of exhaustion!

See photo attached.

Disney is huuuuuuugggggeeeeee and with that plan you are spending huuuugggggeee amounts of money on day tickets!!!! With kids that age and for 10 days I would pick either disney or universal and buy the passes available for UK people ( eg. For disney usually 14 days of access to all their parks including the 2 water parks for the price of 7) We wish we had slowed ourselves down and appreciated the trip rather than cram so much in ( we did all the disney parks &discovery cove /sea world /Kennedy over 12 days)

Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are fantastic. I’d skip the Space shuttle it’s really not all that.

We used to plan each day as a morning, afternoon and evening. So morning could be Epcot, afternoon at crazy golf, then evening at magic kingdom fireworks. Then the next day morning at universal, afternoon chilling by the pool, evening Epcot fireworks. We did it this way so we saw everything in 2 weeks. We would not go to sea world again. I felt horrible seeing those poor animals. Don’t forget Disney Springs too! Got lots of cool shops. Also we started early each day and got the park for when they opened, we’d had enough for the day by about 1.

Based on your dates I'd do:

23rd: Islands of Adventure - you can get tickets from US suppliers which allow you to get in earlier than other guests, which should allow you to get onto Hagrid's ride.
24th: Hollywood Studios - you don't have this on your plan , but it's probably the best park for your children's ages.
25th: AM relax - PM Animal Kingdom (this park only takes half a day.) They'll like the Lion King and Indiana Jones shows.
26th: (this day will be busy) so Discovery Cove.
27th: (busy day) Aquatica
28th: Relax morning and then Seaworld in the afternoon
29th: IOA
30th: Relax am: Epcot pm and firework show at 9pm (again not on your list, but great rides and animals.)
31st: MK - your children will have had enough at their ages by mid afternoon.

We went July last year. Didn’t go to Seaworld or Discovery Cove as we don’t support animal cruelty. Both places make me sick.

Kennedy Space Centre was ok but a bit underwhelming we went in a really hot day though and if I was rushed I’d give it a miss.

We did go to Busch Gardens as DS loves rollercoasters they had some great rides.

We loved Hollywood Studios and Epcot our favourite rides were Tron and Rise of the Resistance. We walked 20K steps everyday and we’re shattered every night. We stayed at a Disney hotel with an overnight at Hard Rock to get free Fast Passes for Universal, Hagrids and Harry Potter World was great.

Park days we used to split, get in there early, back to the villa for lunch and a bit or rest/nap/swim then back into the park for the evening parades etc. Trying to stay all day can be exhausting.

I can totally recommend wild florida for an airboat ride and trip to the zoo and swamps! You see florida in a totally different light/way. It's fantastic

We went for ten days just in the parks with the odd afternoon off for chilling. We are happy to keep going and going so long as not too busy, with breaks for food and sometimes a chill out afternoon.

Your schedule is potentially huge waste of money (as explained above re two week tickets) and you could end up missing many attractions in the Disney parks. Ethics aside I would not prioritise SW and DC ahead of doing proper justice to the 6 main parks on a first visit because they are simply not as much fun. We did two half days in Volcano Bay rather than the Disney water park. I know people generally like Kennedy but I am in the minority that say it was boring and incredibly retro and not worth the trip.

"I know people generally like Kennedy but I am in the minority that say it was boring and incredibly retro and not worth the trip."

Off topic, but i love the thought that nasa is "incredibly retro" 🤣🤣

I live in Florida and echo comments that Memorial day weekend will be manic in the parks. If you are set on DC I would advise going that weekend since they require reservations to cap numbers.

Your response speaks volumes OP. You’re still going to go and watch animals that have been tortured and kept inhumanely for your entertainment. What a delight.

are they tall enough and do they enjoy big thrill rides?

I hated Kennedy too

Hi before you go to Seaworld please watch Blackfish. I had been to Seaworld in the past, but once I watched Blackfish I said I would never go again as the way they treat these amazing creatures is beyond belief. We have been to Florida a few times since I have never and will never return to Seaworld.

It's a massive shame about sea world as they have some of the best coasters in orlando. they need to overhaul it, stop the animal shows and make it all about conservation

The OP didn’t ask for peoples opinions on Seaworld.

OP, just doing two Disney parks is quite problematic with ticketing. You can buy a 4 day park ticket (using a VPN if in the UK) and I would highly recommend this. Hollywood Studios has Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash which are both amazing, and Epcot is always our relaxing park day, walking round world showcase buying drinks and snacks is my happy place.

I don’t understand most of the people on this thread 😂 I’ve been with my kids from babies in arms to teens and we have never ever had a ‘rest day’ or a take it easy by the pool day. We sleep later if we want to, or leave the park before close to go for dinner, but wasting a whole holiday day by a Villa / hotel pool? I wouldn’t plan for it. You don’t have to run around like a maniac and go on every ride. It’s not a workout, it’s not something to get through - it’s fun and amazing! Think how much it’s costing you per day to be there - still want to waste it resting??

You mention Genie Plus, would you also be willing to buy lighting lanes? This will really help your queue time for bigger rides. I recommend watching All Ears on YouTube for an explanation of how this breaks down, it’s the simplest one I’ve seen.

For what it’s worth, I would drop Seaworld and Kennedy Space Centre, and I would focus on Disney and Universal (best ride ever - Hagrids!) Moral views positive or negative, it doesn’t matter, it’s just not a very good park. If you went there and to Disney the next day you would wish you didn’t. Kennedy Space Centre is a complete waste of a day in my opinion. (And for those saying go to Busch Gardens instead of evil Seaworld… they’re owned by Seaworld so not sure how that’s better?)

Most importantly - Cheeseburger Spring Rolls from Magic Kingdom are everything.

Sea world and discovery cove are disgusting places really - it needs to be said over and over because otherwise people will mindlessly go because it’s what you do when you do Florida. Anyone who goes doesn’t care about animals.

you should definitely add in Epcot instead

I would drop Kennedy Space Centre (50 mile road trip) and Seaworld/Discovery Cove.
Do your homework and look at some of the many the YouTubers who concentrate on the parks and Orlando area. They will give you a good idea of what to expect and brilliant advice. Some rides may be closed during your trip and avoid disappointment by checking before travelling.
Wear comfortable shoes, lots of sunscreen and buy a light waterproof jacket for the inevitable showers or to wear on water rides (you will get very wet!) Free water is available all over the parks if you don't want to carry heavy water bottles.
I love Orlando and have been visiting since the 1990s and will be going again in March!

Shame on you. Blind and/or ignorant to animal cruelty and suffering.

Please please please do NOT go
to Sea World or Discovery Cove. Surprised / shocked they still exist. Those animals don't perform their actions naturally and it's SUPER CRUEL . Have seen Dolphins swimming in the wild, frolicking in the ocean, happy and free. Such intelligent creatures.
Imagine being stuck in a paddling pool being touched by 1000sands of human hands.
Poor animals.
It's going to be very hot in May and very busy around Memorial Day.
Been at that time before.
2 nights at Disney, our DCs hated it and we checked out early 😂We only went as every parent at school made us feel we were cruel parents depriving them of " The Magic " when going to Florida/Orlando, so we caved in .
Anna Maria Island /Holmes Beach is more magic. Sand like flour, no high rises , swimming/bodyboarding, fishing of pier. Perfect in May. Very Floridian. Can be dine in day trip , prob 1.5 hour drive though from Orlando.
Kennedy Space Centre is sprawling, best bit was the Imax but wouldn't spend a whole hot May day there.

If anyone wants to go to Kennedy it's worth checking the launch schedule, being there for a launch is amazing. We were about 15 miles away when we saw a launch, Kennedy not open on launch days back then, but feeling the ground shake then seeing it go was fantastic, it was the Columbia shuttle which sadly was destroyed years later on re-entry.

The schedule is insane.

Are you just going to buy individual day-passes from Undercover Tourist/once you're there? Just fyi it's around $240 per person per day for a hopper (letting you go to more than one park in one day).

The Kennedy Space Center is one of the most spectacular day-trips you could do with kids that age: they will remember it for ever. Driving is extremely easy: a straight line. When you've finished, spend the late afternoon/have dinner in Cocoa Village.