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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Ok so what exactly is a GOOD price to pay for flight tickets to Orlando?

41 replies

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 09:27

Have been looking at Virgin website and they are £700 for end of March/beg April. This is going to to work out expensive for 4 of us.

Am undecided between Easter hols and summer hols and the price may be the deciding factor!

OP posts:

foofi · 31/08/2009 09:40

It's been a couple of years since we went, so I'm not up to date on price. However, if you want to get the price down you could consider stopping over somewhere else in the States - depending on which airline you're with. Unfortunately Easter is peak season and the prices will be high, but weatherwise it is the best time to go imo.

Kbear · 31/08/2009 09:42

I was looking on Virgin Atlantic and for May/June they are £460-480. Easter probably bumps up the price - can you change your dates? Only BA and Virgin fly direct unfortunately.

Kbear · 31/08/2009 09:43

I don't think I could face changing flights somewhere else in the states, well I could do it but I think it would be too much for the kids. It's so lovely to just get off the plane and be there.

Original poster

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 09:58

Well I don't want to take the dc out of school for more than a few days either side of a holiday (preferably not at all but if it knocks a few hundred off the price will do). So it has to be Easter hols or Summer hols - am a bit worried it will be either too hot or rainy in summer - is this right?

Don't mind it not being direct but would only want to stop off once.

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Kbear · 31/08/2009 10:52

Personally, too hot for me in the summer holidays - that's why we are going for a week of half term plus an extra week in May/June. That's hot enough for me. Easter is too packed and too expensive.

I think a good place to look is expedia.co.uk - you put your dates in and it picks lots of airlines so you can choose prices that suit you. There is a check box for direct flights so leave it unchecked for more results.

bellavita · 31/08/2009 11:12

Polgara - last year we went in July after the schools broke up - the flights cost us £2300 for four of us - although at that time DS1 was 11 so he was still classed as a child. This year, although not to Orlando, as he is now 12 he pays adult price with Virgin.

We have also been in May (cannot remember how much we paid) but the temperature is more bearable then.

If you fly Virgin, you will earn airmiles and if you go again next year, you can then put these miles towards flights (which we have done previously). We have used miles on a couple of occasions and the flights to Florida only costs us £1300 for the four of us (obviously depending on the time you go).

Hulababy · 31/08/2009 11:24

We found the flights to orlanda reallye xpensive this year, compared to the last twice we have flown. My dad has said te same.

Our quote from Virgin for this summer holidays was around £2200 for 3 of us. Other companies, inc the so called cheaper options, were not much better. We ended up doing a package type holiday combo with Virgin as for the first time in ages it worked out cheaper.

BTW, re Easter v Summer holidays - bear in mind that Easter is a very very busy time at the parks over there. Other than Christmas Day it is their busiest times and parks have been known to have temporary closures due to capacity. Queues will be big.

Summer is very hot with some rain most days. However, in our experience, it is not as busy and queues are fine.

I would always chose summer over Easter because of the business.

Original poster

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 11:38

Hmm I think I feel a headache coming on!

So Easter for the weather, summer for the price and business - hmmm - do you think it will make any difference in that our school hols are actually before Easter (in the queues etc)?

DD1 is 12 so that bumps the price up of course.

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bellavita · 31/08/2009 11:58

Blimey - have just looked at the price of flights for next year - they look v expensive.

Based on our Easter hols, going on the 27th March it is even more expensive than going in July. You can only go up to 335 days in advance on the site, so I put in 17th July to 31st and this is coming out at just over £3000.

Have you looked at a package holiday through Virgin instead of just doing flights?

mumoverseas · 31/08/2009 16:23

as others have said, Easter tends to be more expensive than other times, even the summer. BA and Virgin are the only ones that fly into Orlando International Airport but quite a lot of chartered airlines fly into Sanford Airport which is not that much further out. Some of them have a short stopover (often Bangor Maine up by the Canadian border) not as convenient for some but can keep the cost down

AttilaTheMeerkat · 31/08/2009 18:35

Not really surprised to see this, the taxes and fees that are charged by the govt bumps the overall cost per person up as well.

August tends to be cheaper but this is because the weather is not so good (humidity is very high and there can be thunderstorms and rain on a daily basis).

The potential problem with a stopover is that you must clear immigration and customs with your bags at the first point of entry into the US. This can and does eat into the transfer time between flights. If you are not going direct into Orlando I would allow a minimum of two (preferably three) hours transfer time between the first flight from the UK and the second flight down to Orlando.

JudithCole · 31/08/2009 19:20

hi,

I have booked for 3 adults and two children to fly Thomson Bristol to Sanford 11th July 2010 for three weeks £2394.90 plus £30.00 a suitcase.

To go a week later 18th July - 8th August was £3194.90 plus £30.00 a case.

so by missing a week of school I have saved £800.00.

Judith

Kbear · 31/08/2009 21:01

I checked Thomson for the dates I wanted and it was dearer than Virgin.

bellavita · 31/08/2009 21:04

Judith - with Virgin though, you do not pay for suitcases and are allowed 23kg x 2 per person. I think for 3 people, it came in under what you have been quoted for those sort of dates.

LadyMuck · 31/08/2009 22:05

With regards to Easter being busy, this does in part depend on whether the US school spring break coincides with Easter. It did in 2009, which resulted in the parks being v busy, but doesn't do so every year.

Polgara, our flights are with US Airways. We looked through Kayak.co.uk and then got Charter Travel to book flights (they seemed to be able to beat Kayak's prices). If you look on the Kayak site there is a fare chart option, which shows the cheapest fares in the month, and also the history of those fares, so looking at Easter the cheapest fares were between £300 and £350 until mid July when they rose to £400 and £450. They have come down over the last week, and they may come down a bit further over the next few weeks.

Hulababy · 31/08/2009 22:08

We paid just over £4000 with Thomson this year. This included flights, car hire (insurance extra), 14 nights at Animal Kingson Lodge and Disney tickets.

Hulababy · 31/08/2009 22:11

Oh - re the Orlando v Sanford thing. I have flown to both and, esp after this year's experience, I reckon Sanford is the best option now. It is further away - about 45 min drive. Orlando is about 25 mins. However Sanfrd is way smaller and less busy, so you get through much easier. From getting off the plane, getting cases, collecting to being in our hotel room was about 1.5 hours! Lats time we went to Orlando and it took longer than that to get through to collecting the car!

Hulababy · 31/08/2009 22:21

And the August weather thing. We have been twice in August, once in June. Not much difference TBH in both.

It is hot, very hot. And it is humid. However much of the park queues are shaded, indoors or have water spray fans. I find hot wetaher hard, but I manage no problem once I have a hat and sunglasses on.

There is rain. It is heavy, but it is generally shortlived (about 30-60 min max we found) You know it is coming - clouds over, a breeze picks up. The rain is also warm if you do get caught in it. Tends to be mid to late afternoon around 4pm. Ideally, you head for a cafe or indoor show at this time.

This year is rained about 7 out of 14 days, but very short lived. Two days it rained longer, but we just went from indoor show to cafe, no problem.

It is also hurricane season. This year there were none. One year we had a hurricane (2004) when there. The park closed at 2pm, and was reopened by 10am the next day, all rides functioning. We just headed home in the rains (was in a villa that year) and enjoyed some relaxing time in the villa. Affected one afternoon/evening out of 14 days there.

School holidays are our only option as I won;t take DD out of school. Besides I work term time now anyway. So really August is out only option. But the weather has never been a problem for us.

Linnet · 31/08/2009 22:39

We always go in the October holidays and my cousin who is a travel agent always goes then too. She says in June/July you get more rain than in October so weather wise it's a better time of year to go.

Can't advise on prices though sorry, it's been 4 years since we were last there.

Original poster

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 22:47

Oh my it just gets harder! Thank you - I will read and digest all this information better tomorrow when I am not so shattered.

Just a quick thought - does it make any difference weatherwise to go in July or in August?

I really wanted to go at Easter but am struggling with the cost. BUT the thought of all the rain and hurricanes omg - I just don't know now - aaaarrggggggggggh!!!!!!!!!

Also had no idea about the time we would need to allow if we did stop rather than direct so thank you.

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Original poster

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 22:49

Oh oh October as well now in the mix - hadn't considered that.

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bellavita · 31/08/2009 22:58

I have been in

May/June - a bit chilly on a night, but still very warm during the day. No rain. Love bug season though and whilst they don't bite or harm, they were a nuisance. Longish queues.

July - very hot, showers a few times during the two weeks around 3/4pm ish. Dried up very quickly. Long queues.

July/August - as above but with even longer queues as it is just before the US kids go back to school.

A friend always goes in October - warm, but chilly on a night. Hardly any queues at all.

Original poster

Polgara2 · 31/08/2009 23:05

Hmmm have just remembered now I did think of October but discounted it because we only get one week holiday.

If it is chilly at night in May/June what will it be like in April?

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bellavita · 31/08/2009 23:06

chillier? - just needed a little wrap or cardie (not a huge coat or anything) and the boys wore their hoodies.

triplets · 31/08/2009 23:09

Hi we are researching this atm, as said Charter Travel are brill they have always found me a cheaper price than anyone else, Virgin flights. They have just quoted me £2,900 for 5 flights and 7 seater van with platinum ins for 3 weeks next May/June. Easter was £600 more! Oct is a lovley time to go, we have been twice at that time. My trio are just moving up to secondary school this week, not sure how they stand at letting them have time off. My dh has just got thru 18 months of awful cancer treatment and his goal is to go to Florida next Spring.

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