Florida 1st timer

[Allbymyself123]

So never been to Florida in my life. My kids will be 16 & 12 this year & thanks to some inheritance we can finally have a decent holiday (never been abroad as a family) thinking of Florida they’d love universal particularly the Harry Potter parts & mario & also maybe some disney like star wars etc but i’ve got no clue where to start!

do i book it all individually or is there a company with package deals? Do i need something like a 14 days pass for parks? Where do i book that? Limited to (Scottish) school holidays so worried about the heat and being on the go all day. Also worried about queues and how busy it will be!

where to stay? What to eat? How much spending money? Please can someone talk me through it like an idiot and where to start please?

Also is 2 weeks enough?

I like Virgin holidays, they can do packages in store as well if you want to chat to someone (I found that helpful).
Even if the flight changes in London, book it through from Glasgow - otherwise it won't be a connecting ticket and could cause problems if the flight time changes
I loved the universal hotel where you got a water taxi to the parks. Lowes I think

I think the opposite, I’ve seen no requests to save money, only someone needing advice as a genuinely baffled Disney Virgin. She’s the opposite to a money saving holiday person.

We’ve been once for 3 weeks in August and going again for the same amount of time this year.
£15 k all in including a generous spending budget of 400 dollars per day! Booked everything seperately. Would recommend joining its Orlando time on fb. All the info you need to plan. And make sure you get your estas sorted before booking anything. They last for two years

The poster who suggested uber meant for Kennedy space centre. You know it’s an easily hour away? Rudely replying “don’t want uber” to them is what is unusual.

It’s not that easy to hire a car just for a couple of days, well, unless you get an uber while you go pick it up and drop it off! I thought you didn’t want to drive?!

I don’t understand why you’d have to stay 3 weeks and have a different holiday in a villa but ok. I’d stay 3 weeks anyway if it is actually once in a lifetime.

Hard Rock is a marmite option I find. Check out the reviews, it’s not what it once was. Long waits, noisy. I liked it last time I was there but most wouldn’t go for 14 nights. Many just do a couple purely for the express passes.

Yes agree with this. Hard rock is good for the express passes but would be a bit manic for the whole time! There are two other hotels that offer the express passes: royal pacific and portafino bay I think?

I get that. I hate hotels and not having my own kitchen but that’s me not you!

If you do want to push the boat out then yes, 2 rooms at Universal (check you can get adjoining - the hotels are insanely massive) followed by a Disney option would work. I think you could get a 2 bed “villa” at Saratoga Springs, which gives you some space.

You could spend two nights somewhere cheaper on the nights either side of your KSC day, but that feels like a massive faff to me.

Another option might be to give yourselves a decompression day when you arrive at a nice hotel (or apartment) with a pool before hitting the parks.

Wrong. I don’t want money saving tips.

i wanted to know where to start planning and were package deals a thing. I also wanted advice on the parks - queues, best way to get around etc.

at no point have i asked for money saving tips (clearly i wouldn’t be pricing the hotels i am if i that was the case) or said i want to spend less than £20k 🤷‍♀️ & yeah, i don’t want to compromise

Yes looked at the portofino one & thats about £13500.

to clear things up a bit. I don’t want a villa and a drive (if it can be done without hire car) i would however hire a car if we wanted to do day trips (if not paying for hotel trips) and uber was too expensive. I’d rather not day to day and like the park benefits.

i have no clue in how close they are to the parks or how far apart the parks are - thats more what i want help on not budget. So IF we have to ubee between each park thats fine thats the type of things i didn’t / don’t know. I’m not interested in saving money as such as i could spend more so it’s not about the budget but more about getting the most of it and what we want.

is 2 weeks enough time? It not its 3 weeks and would be a villa so changes up the whole trip.

is disney worth it? Can both be done at same time? Again thats the type of help i meant not how to do it cheaper.

i didn’t know if packages were the done thing. Yes, i want a lazier option but i’m prepared to pay for it.

i would stay for example a week in a hotel and a week in a disney one or a week in an orlando hotel (doesn’t have to he hard rock its just what has appealed so far that and portifino one) again advice on those, experiences etc would be helpful. I could do a week in one a week or 2 in a villa and if it means so much planning we can’t do it next year we’ll book it for next year and do a package deal somewhere else this year but this is literally only time we’ll be doing this with the kids.

i don’t have to spend £30k and if i can do it for leas great - thats not an aim to spend but its based on what other people have spent & on the time of year and particular hotels we want. I know it could be done cheaper - thats not what i’m asking though. I need help and tips and experiences yes but on a helpful and practical day to day experience side not on spending less money

But the tips you’re being given are what you see as “compromises”.

Where to start planning? The Dibb and trip advisor. Your response: as long as we simply get in the parks it’s fine.

Are packages a thing? Yes they are, and extremely reasonable with direct flights from Glasgow. Your response: There are no flights from Glasgow I’ve checked and it’s £15k minimum.

Best way to get around? Driving. “We don’t want to drive”. Ok, then Uber XL or Lyft. “Don’t want uber”. Erm, ok.

Where to stay for a family of 5? In a villa, “don’t want a villa, that’s a 3 week holiday”. Ok, universal for a few days to get express passes but not 2 weeks in the loud and oversized Hard Rock hotel. “I want Hard Rock”. Ok

Best way to get to KSC? Uber XL. “Don’t want that”.

And we know you don’t need to save money but there’s a good chance your kids will love it so much they want to travel some more. Even if it’s to places closer to home. So we pointed out that no, the vast vast majority of families do not spend anywhere near £20k just to go to universal in Florida! And they’re not taking in sweaty sandwiches.

Direct flights and a villa complex near International Drive with private pool and a fully loaded Uber account would be your best bet, with 3 nights at one of the hotels offering universal express passes. Space, freedom to move around, eat whenever and wherever you like. But all of that is a “compromise” to you. So why ask for advice?

Uber is cheap btw, not sure why you think it’s expensive. It’s so easy, hiring a car for 2 days is not easy.

Are you imagining that all villas are far away or something? Because they’re not. And either way a family of 5 they’re ideal. Especially with those ages, you can have 3/4 bedrooms, loads of space to relax. It’ll be longer to walk between 2 rooms in the fucking ginormous Hard Rock, I’m probably not exaggerating either.

Yes Disney is worth it. Yes, 3 weeks is better than 2.

ETA: the distances are vast. And I mean vast. These places are not like Thorpe Park! I think you’re imagining a short stroll to the entrance and a wander around the park. It’s simply not like that. You can’t just nip here and there on foot. What do you mean by “if not doing hotel trips”?

You are deliberately being difficult. There weren’t direct flights when i looked from Glasgow there are on different date. Fine rules out London.

Dibb been recomnended numerous times and a few facebook groups - great. Gives some help to plan.

i didn’t ask for where to stay. Or ask about villas so yeah my opinion on that hasn’t changed. I would do 3 weeks if one if it wasn’t possible to do the parks etc in 2. Thats not the holiday i want to plan just now and if unavoidable - been clear on that.

i asked for best to way to get around parks. If that is uber or driving we’ll do uber. I didn’t ask best way to get to KSC. Didn’t mention that at any point. It’s recommended, it looks good and we are open to other experiences. The hotel offers trips - you’ve criticised that but it doesn’t mean they aren’t available or that i need an uber or need to drive. I’d rather uber than drive. Asking for park layouts and distances to travel is not the same as asking for ubers elsewhere or from my accomondation.

Villas and ubers are a compromise because it’s not whats in my head! Plenty of people gonand don’r stay in villas - thats the “help” i’m looking for and if it is ubers needed then fair enough. Thats what i have to accept and look at as i’ve no clue. IF hotel for 3 nights is best option and then a villa i’d look at it but plenty of families seem to do it without a villa (from looking online) & plenty do spent £15-20k+ just because you didn’t, don’t want to or can’t afford to doesn’t change that i don’t want to & can afford you & if the experience in my head is so unrealistic then that can be stated and reasons given why & of course i’d listen BUT not offering any practical advice and banging on about spending so much money and doing it cheaper because i can is not actually any help. You clearly have nothing to offer in a constructive, non budget related way, hence not listening to you.

to prove your point you sent me a link to a random hotel to show it can be cheaper - deapite same dates and hotels i have a preference for being £6-7k more for the same dates before passes and spending money and food and ubers so it wasn’t any help.

Use Attraction Tickets to book all the tickets.
The Disney parks are great too. We took 2 x 14 years old, 12 and 10 last year.
Did not see Mickey once, and it’s not all princesses.
Lyft for taxis - cheaper than Uber.
We’ve used hire cars and taxis - both ok options.
I’d recommend hotel switching between Universal and Disney.
Kids have been twice in August, once with fast passes and once without. They coped fine with heat and waits.
Take food to the parks - expensive and crap food.

I’ve repeated myself i’m now if ignoring you as clearly i know they aren’t fucking thorpe park size.

i was hoping for more advice on parks e.g order to do them in, number of days in each. I don’t really need to explain why i don’t want an “ideal” villa as nothing i have seen has convinced me i can’t get the experience we want by staying in a hotel (or 2) plenty of positive experiences and yes dibb and facebook groups i can look and have a better idea with planning but you’ve fixated on whats a doable budget and what you have decided is excessive despite people on this thread commenting that they have spent nearly £20k

To the posts offering actual tips or experience thanks. I am reading them and am taking things on board even if it doesn’t look like it.

I’m not the difficult one here. I didn’t link to a random hotel. I linked to a universal hotel. But I am off now, stuff to do 😅

Yes, don’t worry, I can afford to spend that on a holiday. Several times over. But no, hardly anyone does for Orlando these days. Enjoy.

My Uber XL idea from your hotel to Space Kennedy Center was an actual tip though and you shut that down giving no reason why you wouldn’t want to travel in affordable air conditioned private to your own family comfort to somewhere an hour away.

In terms of travelling between parks, if you’re on site using the free transport is an option. Driving is almost always quicker, and if you’re a Disney guest the parking is free (although you do pay a resort fee on top of the booking price, usually).

Not sure about Universal transport, but if you stay at Hard Rock , Portofino Bay or Royal Pacific you’re within walking distance of City Walk and US/ IOA.

Parking is $30 per day at the parks, so not insignificant.

I thought it was in relation to just ubering from villas and hotels etc. i have taken that on board and also willing to uber if that is the way between parks. Thats preferable to driving.

Thanks this is more what i was wanting in terms of getting about - whats on offer and how and is what i am am now looking into more

Also, there are lots of resorts with “villas”. These are not the villas with private pools in Kissimmee or Davenport that you might be thinking of. They are apartments within resorts, some of which are Disney owned and within Disney property. You can therefore use the transport or Uber/Lyft or a combination.

We did it properly this year - premium economy flights, two weeks in October, top Universal hotel for 4 nights then top Disney hotel ten nights, cocktails galore when there and got away for under 22k.
We used charter travel and they put it together for us, I priced it up separately and it was roughly the same.

Sounds like you’d quite like to just be on site so I would look at their Deluxe resorts - Beach Club is best for teens. You will want to go to all the parks, they all have brilliant rides and coasters, you don’t have to engage with Mickey Mouse! There are hundreds of restaurants at Disney but if you want to eat off site then just get an Uber, so easy,

Universal I would stay at Hard Rock Hotel, quick and easy walk into both the older Universal Parks and you get free express passes. You probably need three days to properly do both of them but you can get away with two. Then a day at water park and probably two days at epic - you could change to one of the epic hotels then if you wanted to avoid the buses.

Then nine nights at Disney - staying at a deluxe means you get entry to some of the parks in the evening and they are empty so you can just bash out the rides. I’d plan 1-2 days in each park with some pool days, the Beach Club pool is incredible. You can do day trips to wherever as well but I think you’ll have enough going on with universal/Disney personally.

Going in Scotland school holidays means you will probably be eligible for free dining plan so
all your meals and snacks and a fair amount of alcohol are included.

Yes you can probably save money but stay in slightly cheaper/getting a Lyft to somewhere to eat but if you have the money to spend and feel a bit nervous why bother? Just throw money at it and go top end onsite.

The parks my family and friends we travel with would say are the musts:

Kennedy
Islands of Adventure
Universal (think a new park has opened too)
Animal Kingdom
Epcot
Magic Kingdom
Disney Studios (Hollywood I think)
Typhoon lagoon or blizzard beach (they open alternate years)

pass on volcano bay
pass on Seaworld and it’s waterpark
pass on Legoland

Some hotels having dining packages, these are worthwhile. The cost of food has rocketed.

I’ve just read through your posts @Allbymyself123 and find myself wondering if perhaps you’ve slightly overestimated what Universal and how long it will take you to do what’s there. You will need 4-5 nights maximum. The rides can be very samey there (lot of simulators) and whilst they are very big and immersive if you have express passes then you will easily go on everything in a couple of days. 2 weeks in a universal hotel is not the one!!

Ok in your shoes then I would do -

Arrive to one of the Universal hotel of your choice - use the free onsite boats/buses/shuttles to get about - I would want 4 days to do all 3 parks and then build in a water park day and for my 2 we often headed back early to sit by the pool in the afternoon
Then uber to the best Disney hotel you can afford/appeals and again stay on site for 7 days, use the buses/boats/air thing to get around the parks, eat at Disney Springs etc maybe book a show. Anything else you might want to add you can do there when you have more of a feel about the place

Then home

If you go to a Virgin shop they can price up a twin centre stay like this.