Has anyone regretted going to Disney Florida?

[ForthethingsIdo]

I feel I want to take my child but am so put off by the crowds and queues.

I’ve read people often stand in queues for 60-90min to ride.

Is it really worth it?

Thank you

We love it and going for the third time in August. It’s much better if you stay on site as there are hours just for hotel guests so much quieter. That said we would hate a beach holiday and the canaries are our idea of hell. So think it’s a case of different things suit different people. Have done Euro Disney but expensive and not as good and people smoking everywhere. It’s not cheap in Florida but we love it and you can do it cheaper by staying off site etc

You don't have to be a Disney lover to go, I always find that assumption really weird.

It's a theme park, with rollercoasters and the like. If you like Alton Towers, you'll like Disney. Probably more as there's less chance of rain. If you don't like rides, you could still do the Animal Kingdom which IIRC is more like a zoo? It's been a while. Or Epcot which has themed areas which are fun, and has fewer rides and more 'attractions'.

I think you'd have to be a proper misery guts to regret it tbh. Aside from regretting the cost of course which is astronomical!

Over priced overrated , my idea of hell

Can I ask the people who love Disney and say they’ve gone several times, or are planning to — what exactly do you love? The military style planning, queueing for hours for rides that last minutes or to be hugged by someone dressed as a character, bringing frozen bottles of water to stay hydrated etc sound objectively unenjoyable by nearly anyone’s standards!

Well as I said it's an experience we didn't plan with military precision we just planned it is hot but there is places to shade and my dc enjoyed the characters. it isn't for everyone though and if you and your dc prefer a quieter relaxing holiday then Florida isn't the place to go.

But what did you actually enjoy about it? Peoole keep saying things like ‘most of the queues are sheltered from the sun’ or ‘there’s lots to look at while queueing so the kids didn’t mind’ or ‘stay onsite so you can be there at quieter times’ or ‘we never queued for more than an hour with fast passes’, but it all sounds like damage control on a really un-fun experience!

We did universal with teens teens it was fab, a day at NASA and then the beach.

The universal hotels are mostly walking distance to the park. We stayed in a hotel that gave us a fast pass for a few days it was amazing

I’ve been a few times (not august) and we never queued that much. It was in the time of fast passes though. Also if you pick your times you can walk onto rides.
I only waited for a ride for an hour once but I wasn’t bothered, it was super hot outside and it was a bit of a break, I wouldn’t do it over and over though.

The planning doesn’t bother us. It’s not rocket science and most holidays that are not an AI beach holiday require some degree of planning and forethought 🤷‍♀️
Don’t have to queue for hours if have genie+ fast passes. We walked onto most rides.
All rollercoasters/rides last minutes, that’s part of the exhilaration element that makes people like them surely 😵‍💫
It’s not hot/humid all year round. We needed jumpers and hot drinks.
If you go at peak times in peak temperatures then it won’t be fun, but surely there are great and not so great times to go anywhere. I wouldn’t go to Oxford Street on 24 December and write it off as being a freezing cold hellishly busy nightmare all year round.

Well All those things are something you have to manage if you want to go on space mountain or meet a character it's quite hard to explain and we honestly had a good time we didn't always go to the parks we stayed at our hotels kids went in the pool we ate in places that we wouldn't here we also went on on excursions.we liked being busy.

Chiming in as someone whose parents took me when I was 5. It was so spectacular I still have memories of it - definitely a childhood highlight! They also took me on my birthday and they do cool stuff on your birthday.

I didn't "regret" it. But I went for a day when I was in Orlando for work. I felt it was eye-wateringly expensive, with tired-looking rides that were boring.

I would much prefer to wait till kids were a bit older and go somewhere like Alton Towers. I actually loved Alton Towers every time I've been (from child to adult age).

I felt Disney was all hype and lacked substance. The best bits were the boat ride into the park, and then the first area, which is what you see on TV, with the pretty shops and "village" feel. All the other areas are just tarmac and rides, like a crap UK theme park.

I remember a family behind me walking through the park all in Disney t-shirts: mum, dad and maybe 4 small kids. The dad said something like "this has been the most expensive and worst day of my life". So I felt pretty satisfied to hear it wasn't just me!

I wouldn't go there again, even if it was free, and I wouldn't take children there either.

I've been to Disney Paris and Florida, and I thought Paris was better. Universal on both sites was great, and yes, sometimes the queue for each ride is long, sometimes not. I've queued just the same amount of time at Legoland! When. we went to Paris DDs were 4 and 6, and to Florida 12 and 14.

We’ve been twice to Paris and loved it. Ds has a disability, which means as a family of four we’re entitled to a pass to skip the queues, which is absolutely amazing. I don’t think I would go if I couldn’t. It would be a completely different experience!

To the poster asking what did you/they enjoy about it, I think its the idea that you arrive, you are at a legendary place so its very exciting walking in, and you are in a completely unreal situation - reality is almost "suspended" during the time there. I mean some things are mundane like queueing for food. As an adult I felt it was quite a decadent, maybe luxurious thing to do? Food everywhere, that jolly music, everyone just strolling around, its the definition of a "holiday atmosphere"!

@PickledOnionsRodger - I'd agree with some of this with regard to Disney Florida, definitely some "tired" bits. But nicer in Paris, and I really liked Universal on both sites.

I agree with this! It’s a completely magical feeling, like Christmas morning.

yes this is probably a better explanation than mine.

Sorry -warming to my theme now - just one final thing: we didn't plan much. We never rushed. If we missed something we missed it, end of. I know there's something called Disboard - loads of people discussing how to get the best rides and cheapest food. Some really enjoy the feeling of control but we were the opposite, very much "manyana" attitude. That can work out more expensive, I thought it was worth not being hassled or worried. I think one of the only two good tips I'd pass on are (a) stay on site if you can, and (b) start at the back of the park, so if you arrive say 10am, walk all the way through to the back then start choosing rides. I had a friend who lived in Florida she always said use a rear entrance, if not staying on site, you could ask a taxi driver to take you to another entrance. Anyway. I'll shut up now!

The whole thing sounds like my idea of hell.

Agree, there is something magic/surreal about it but difficult to pinpoint what it is.

Re the rides being tired/boring. At the magic kingdom some rides are older/basic but it isn't meant to be a thrilling seeking park.

If you are looking for that then going to Epcot for guardians of the galaxy or universal is definitely the place to be.

I went twice with my parents when I was 13 and 15 and loved it. Went back as an adult with DH, pre DC and didn't really enjoy it. Better going as a kid when you have no responsibility and your parents arrange everything 😆.

My kids have never been, they never even asked. We've done cruises and winter sun. And now DS gets to got to Portugal every year to stay with his gf's family.

I went in Summer 2022 with my DD, she was 3 at the time. She absolutely loved it! She still remembers the princesses she met, the rides the went on and often asks to go back. My only regret is that we only went for a week and not two but this was due to annual leave !

Unfortunately, we went during US school holidays which we only realised after we had booked. You have to be very organised with booking rides etc. Ride queues were long but there is ride swap for families so one parent queues for the ride and one parent can skip the line. The only annoying thing was that you had to pre-book which park you wanted to attend for each day of your stay, although you’re able to move to another park after 2 hours. You also had to pre-book if you wanted to dine in a sit down restaurant (more fancy service)but there were plenty of quick service options. Weather was humid and hot but everywhere is air- conditioned and there are baby and toddler centres in each park where you can breastfeed/prepare bottles/breastpump, lay baby down in a cot.

I enjoy the planning yes but I wouldn't say it's military style, just things like 'oh Saturdays are busier in Magic Kingdom so we'll do Animal Kingdom that day'. We stay on site and know which rides are busy when from experience so don't queue longer than half an hour. I don't queue to meet characters and I drink from water fountains. It's all what you make it really!

Helpful Tip: we’ve been quite a few times over the years (Disneyland, Disneyworld & Disneyland Paris)
If like us, you have anyone in your party with additional needs, you can apply for a pass on arrival (on production of a Doctor’s letter or some other kind of official documentation/proof) at Guest Relations, and you don’t queue for anything. The whole party. As a mum of a child on the autism spectrum, this has been an absolute godsend!