Those that have been to Florida

[smileindenial]

How much spending money did/do you take?

We have park tickets paid for but at totally self catering so alot of money will go on food. We've been advised around $200 a day, does this sound right?

tiredemma - me too. Even DH "I'm never going to America" loved it. It's just so happy in the Disney bubble isn't it. Nothing is a problem, it's all fun and sun and happiness.

Anyway, back to reality folks...

A really nice restaurant (although you do have to book) is Texas De Brazil - fantastic.

You help yourself to salads first, there is everything you could wish for - really really nice and then waiters come round with different meat all cooked in a different way, salt beef, fillet mignon, parmigana chicken, ribs (I think there are about 70 different cooked meats) on huges skewers and the come to your table and they carve some off for you.

Tis a bit like a traffic light system - you have a coaster each on the table, turn it to green and the waiter comes, turn it to red and he knows that you are resting.

Fabulous night, cost around £120 (incl tip) for 4 of us.

Tis on the far end of International Drive near the huge shopping mall - I think it is called Festival Bay.

Take what you can afford. Eating out is pretty cheap really, but we sepnt a fortune at the shopping outlets. Park tickets are pricey too.

Driving in America is so easy, I'd go for it. It would be an auto, the roads are much wider, no roundabouts, parking spaces are massive, it is really simple.

Mrs Snape - Last time we went, my DH set up his Sat Nav for Florida and it was much easier to concentrate on the different American layout.

Driving is fairly easy out there, and plus nearly all the cars are automatic.

mckenzie, most parks you don't need to pre-book, you can just turn up but one fabulous one that you have to pre-book is Discovery Cove. It is the sister park of Seworld (and is opposite it) It is a very expensive day out but you get the chance to swim and interact with dolphins which is wonderful. Think the minimum age for the dolphin swim is 6 years old but there is lots of other stuff to do. Not all members of the party have to do the dolphin swim option and if you don't it is cheaper. There are lovely sandy lagoons to swim in and you can snorkel and swim with manta rays and tropical fish. There is also a swim through aviary which is nice. Lunch is included as is a 7 or 14 day ticket to get into seaworld or bush gardens (price varies depending on which option you choose). Very expensive but if you are wanting to go to seaworld or bush gardens it gets a bit more reasonable and is a one of a kind day out. Google Discovery cove and have a look at their website. Hopefully there is still availability although friends of ours who went this year are going back next March and booked months ago.

Ref eating out, it really depends where you go. We've been going to Florida every year for the last 12 years (own a house there) and we regularly eat at Sizzler or Ponderosa steakhouses They do an all you can eat buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the breakfast one starts at about $4 each (excluding drinks) and the lunch and dinner ones fron about $10. Its great for kids as when they don't like what you get them (as they invariably do!) you can just send them up again, and again! they do something for everyone and it can work out much cheaper than eating at a 'regular restaurant'. there are sizzlers and ponderosas all over Orlando and if you pick up a coupon book from outside a supermarket you can get a 10% discount (also, take your receipt back next visit for further discount).
ref supermarket shopping, Walmart and Publix tend to be the cheapest.
Happy holidays!

thanks for all the tips. When the DCs are in bed tonight I'm going to suggest DH watches some gory war film or somehting equally not my type and I will get surfing and check out all the relevant websites over a nice glass of rose.

mumoverseas is correct when she states that the minimum age for the dolphin swimis 6 years of age at Discover Cove.

You may well want to consider going to Aquatica instead if it is open (not all the water parks are infact open in December, Typhoon Lagoon for instance is closed throughout December).

Another proviso re Discovery Cove is that all adults MUST present photo ID to the staff when you check in. If you go there you must remember this and to book tickets well in advance via their website.

We found with Aquatica - because the park is so new it got very busy, you had to get in there about 8.00am, because around 10.00am they closed the gates until 4.30pm.

When we did our Dolphin Swim at Discovery Cove, the person who checked us in gave us this titbit of info and I am glad they did, the queues were very, very long to get in.

Aquatica is really great, would recommend it to anyone.

agree with advice about aquatica. We didn't even bother trying to go in the summer as its new so everyone is going there. A couple of times we went to seaworld they had signs up at around 10am saying aquatica closed already. Even if you do manage to get in, not much fun queuing for hours to get on a water slide (even if you are sliding through a pool of dolphins!)
Think typhoon lagoon is closed for a while for refurbishment which is a shame but blizzard beach is fun. Our DD (21 months at time) loved the little kiddy bit there with the tiny slides.
Ref seaworld, they used to do a buy one day come back free ticket but for the last two years for an extra $5 each, we've got annual tickets. Only thing is it only runs til end of December so if you are there end December/start January it might not be such a good deal but we've got a lot of use out of our ones that we've bought in the summer. Kids love shamus happy harbour too.
enjoy, am very jealous and would love to be there for christmas

Mumoverseas- we really want to back during the xmas period ( not this year) but what is the weather generally like at that time of year?

i've not been myself at christmas, usually go October or March/April or July which we've decided is too hot for us now! I would imagine the weather is quite nice though, much better than the UK. Think the stormy season has finished by then too as I believe it is late summer through til about October. Don't quote me though!

i've not been myself at christmas, usually go October or March/April or July which we've decided is too hot for us now! I would imagine the weather is quite nice though, much better than the UK. Think the stormy season has finished by then too as I believe it is late summer through til about October. Don't quote me though!

ditto christmas period ... are the parks REALLY busy, will my dh moan every day?! Would it be better to go another time of year, we are tied to school holidays, so it's hard to know when to go.

We went at Easter last year (Mid april) It was boiling hot. Mid 90's every day. almost unbearable.

Hello. We are off to Florida in 4 weeks for a fortnight. I can not wait I remember Bella and Kbear from threads a while ago and remember thinking it will be ages until I go and it has come around so fast! We usually spend about £3000 ( our tickets are prepaid) when we go! I know,it is a lot but we decided to go every 2 years and splash out.

We eat in lovely restaurants every day, spoil the dds alot and just live in the Disney bubble! We went to Discovery cove last time and loved it but will give it a miss this time.

I am interested in tips for Aquatica if any one has any as this will be our first trip there. Also has anyone done the Air boat rides, I fancy a go at this too. We try and do different things each time, although we always visit Disney and Universal.

Get queuing for Aquatica at 8.00am - that is my all time tip for this water park!

Went to Aquatica this summer. We booked a cabana which I would definitely do again. We got drinks, towels, lockers,fridge,sunbeds and overhead fan provided. It was a godsend when it rained as we didn't have to try and shelter in the locker area with thousands of other people. Also we got an all day food pass which again meant no long queues at lunch. Can have breakfast, lunch and dinner with the pass. We have four children so all of the above made a real difference. It was a really rainy day and I had a 7month old baby with me. He had somewhere cool,dry and quiet to sleep.

meadow6 - how much did you pay for the cabana?

I am sure it was between £60-£70 for four people. Didn't have to pay for 2 year old and baby. Just checked website $150 for 4. Pricier than last year because of Rate of exchange. I will still book one for next year. Made a huge difference to our day. Perhaps with older kids not so important.

Re: weather in florida at xmas.

It can be very variable. We had days in shorts and tea-shirts and when we sunbathed and hit the pool and days when it was near freezing. All in same holiday. My dh and mum were buying extra fleeces and gloves one day!

You would always need a jumper in the evenings, even on the warmer days.

Disney around christmas is fab. They are very OTT but it's magical.

Newpup, we did the Boggy Creek Airboat ride at night. It was really good, well worth doing. Lots of alligator eyes glinting up at you and the guides get the boat really close to them.

If you do decide to go at night, just remember to wear long trousers (stop the midges biting) and take a warm top with you as the boat goes quite fast at times and it is a bit chilly.

these posts are all great - thank you. given me lots of things to look at and book up.
Meadown6 - entry was on top of the cabana price I presume, yes?

re- the weather.

How odd that it changes so much between hot and cold.

I remember last year on our first day, we went to Animal kingdom and it was so cold ds2 had two jumpers on.

Next day we were out in shorts!

mckenzie - yes entry is on top of the cabana price.

I did see those cabanas and they looked really nice and as meadow said, perfect if it rains, but my boys are 11 and 9 so it would just have been me using it - so not really worth it for us.

We did get caught up in a rainstorm at Aquatica, although after half an hour it did stop and dry up, but we just huddled under an umbrella.

I think lockers are around $15 dollars with maybe $5 refunded when you take the key back. Towels are around $4 each and you get $2 per towel refunded when you take them back.

We did go to Florida in July/August and it was very very hot. Have been in March/April before and the weather was also nice and hot.

sorry if i am being daft here but.... do i buy my tickets for disneyworld from www.disneyworld.com or is that just for US residents?