US

[barnet1]

Hi, we are going on a fly drive holiday in Jan 09. We are flying to Miami then making our way to Florida. Our lo is 2 1/2 and Im just wondering if anyone has any tips or advice.I think she may be a bit young for the theme parks but I would like her to see the parade.Has anyone been in Jan?whats the weather like? Does anyone know the cheapest way to buy tickets please? Thankyou

hi, weather should be quite nice in January although not really hot. The stormy season will be over though.
Are you taking your own car seat? we always do now as a few years ago we hired one with the car and it cost more to hire than it would have done to buy!
When driving up to Orlando, the Turnpike is the quickest way but is a toll road and can get expensive and isn't very scenic. The drive up the coast road (A1N?) is quite nice as you go through some nice towns.
Ref theme park tickets, if you can be bothered wasting a few hours going to a timeshare presentation (and have willpower!) you can often get free or cheap tickets for some of the main parks. Your little one should be free as think its under 3 with Disney so you may be able to get 2 free/cheap adult tickets. A lot of tourist offices (all along International Drive and the 192) sell cheap(er) tickets so might be worth a look. Also, you will find they have coupon booklets there which will give money off loads of places but not Disney. Seaworld is nice and at the moment have really good deals. Used to be pay for one day and return a second free but the last few times we've gone they've had annual tickets for $5 more than a daily ticket. Shamu's happy harbour is great for little ones. Last summer my DD was 21 months and had a lovely time there.
Have you booked hotels in Orlando?

Weather should be fine in January but you may need a jacket or light sweater in the evenings. Take an umbrella as well.

You're far better off buying the tickets on line in advance than sitting through some awful timeshare presentation that will last for hours on end. Its a waste of your precious holiday time as well.

www.park-tickets.com may be worth looking at as an example of what can be purchased and they are UK based. If you want your DD to see the parade you will need admission to the Disney parks.

Not all UK made car seats are infact suitable for use in cars in the US; I would check with the hire car company as to what seats are offered.

Thankyou for your replies they are really helpful. Im just wondering which Theme park is the best to take my lo of 2 as she is still very young?

There is plenty for a 2 year old at the Magic Kingdom, all of the parks really. I would take a portable DVD player for long drive/airport wait .

Thankyou, do all the parks get really packed in Jan with long queues?

No, just over Christmas is terribly busy, but after New Year it is absolutely fine again. Be sure to use the Fast Pass system, it is free and well worth it. Have a great time!

Thankyou for all your replies they have been really helpful.

Definitely Magic Kingdom (which is the "traditional" Disney one.) We had tea with Pooh & Friends which DSs were very excited about (they were 4.8 & 2.7 at the time).

Aww that sounds brilliant soup dragon was it very busy and how do I go about booking it? Also what should I pack clothes wise in Jan? Im so excited for my DD shes going to love it

We booked it on the day in the park (it was in something like the Crystal Tea Rooms but I can't remember exactly). It was an eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet IIRC which was good. DSs were bside themselves with excitement it was a few years ago now(they're coming up to 10 and 8 now!) so it may have changed but a "character dining experience" is worth it IMO.

Can't help with the weather, we've been in October though and it was lovely.

DS2 enjoyed (and actually still mentions) some of the 3D cinemas shows they had. There were rides he could go on (especially in what I think was called Toon Town). Both DSs were delighted with the characters wandering round and we have a fair few photos of them with assorted Disney people.

As someone else said, definitely use the Fast Pass system - it's fab. Tickets aren't usually very discounted for Disney parks so the prices are similar wherever you get them. It would just be choosing which type you want (IIRC passes last for a lifetime so any unused days can be used years later)

You may need more than a jacket in January.

We have been a few times at that time of year and sometimes it has reached temps near freezing! Last year my mum and dh ended up buying fleeces and gloves, lol. (but we also had days that we spent in the pool and sunbathing).

If you only do one theme park, I would do Magic Kingdom too. How brave is your dc? Neither of mine would go near the characters at that age and were actually quite frightened of them. So have a think about this before paying a premium price for a meal where they come around to your table.

You could test her out by taking her to meet one of the many characters at meet and greet places around the park.

Ds spent one meal under the table because he was so scared

Another tip to beat the queues, is to start at the back of the park. Get there as soon as it opens in the morning and go staright to the far end. Most people go up Main Street and do all the things nearest the entrance so the rides are busier there whilst there are few queues for rides at the back iyswim.

Have a lovely time. Am very envious

Desperate house wife your tips ahve been really helpful thankyou. Does the weather chang that quickly from hot to cold?would I need to bring jumpers and T shirts?

Thanks Soup dragon we really only wanted a 1 or 2 day pass that should be enough for a 2 year old?

I think that should be plenty. We are going in decmber and are not spending more than one day in Disney.

We went to Euro Disney earlier this year and the DCs (4 & 2) did enjoy but I think I enjoyed it more.

We loved the Its a Small world (dollies expereince), Dumbo and the tea cups.

Shopping -very good for children. I recommend Old Navy (cheap Gap)www.oldnavy.com/ and Children's Place.www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Home?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001

• the usual discount outlets such as Ralf Lauren, etc

Ralph Lauren sorry

www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=17

It's a Small World makes me want to run amok in an act of unprecedented violence

Yes, the temps can change over a couple of days. But that is a good thing if there is a cold snap as it shouldn't last long.

We had shorts, tea-shirts and swimming stuff as well as long trousers, a jumper/fleece and long sleeve t-shirts each. Layering is good!

Keep an eye on the 5-day weather forecasts for the couple of weeks before you leave. That can give you an idea of what the temps will be like at the start of your holiday. (looks quite cold in Orlando at the moment But Miami's better!)

Of course, you can buy clothes there but the exchange rate is not as good anymore so prices of lots of things are quite comparable now.

definitely Magic Kingdom if only doing one park. The winnie the pooh character buffet is in the Crystal Palace. We've done it a few times and found that it is best to book in advance to get the time that you want. We usually book at least a week in advance. You can sometimes book on the day but its not guaranteed. Seem to recall that the number to phone from the states was WDW-DINE (they like to advertise their numbers like that, so basically just the numbers that those letters are on) You can probably get info on line and book that way too.

Thanks again for all your information they are a great help

Character meals best booked 6 weeks or more in advance, but if you call them while you are there, they may well have had cancellations.

My nearly 2 year old really enjoyed the rides mentioned above (Dumbo, Small World, Winnie-the Pooh ride) and LOVED getting autographs from characters with her big sister - she even had a standard photo pose, it was so funny.

Have a great time!

Who do I have to call for character meals LittleMisstickles?thankyou for letting me know that it needs to be booked well in advance

You can just go to their website (I am useless at links, sorry), and they are on there. I am not sure, but think you can book online too.

Thankyou Misslittletickles we booked it last night my DD is going to be so excited I cant wait she loves winnie the pooh.