Best time to go to Florida?

[PussinJimmyChoos]

After winning the lovely Virgin holiday to Florida via mnet, I am now excitedly researching when is the best time to go

Am a tad conflicted as it seems that the hurricane season is from June to Oct..November seems a good time both temp and weather wise but DS is at school (starts in Sept) so afaik no half term in November..
How long is the flight also? I just did a 5 hr flight from the Middle East and due to a lot of turbulence, I have been left a bit shaken!

Can we rent a car seat for DS there if we want to get a car to drive us to Orlando from Clearwater/St Petersburg?

October half term is usually a fantastic time, Easter is great too but can be a bit rainy.

You can hire child seats easily over there but maybe ring and reserve one first.

Fwiw i would have no qualms in taking a reception age child out of school either.

It's a 9 hour flight and Virgin are the best airline on the planet imo.

Flight is about 9 hours on way out and 7.5 on way back.

We normally take our ownbooster cushion, but you will be able to hire.

I think our Autumn/late Autumn is a nice time - so oct half term - probabaly.

We have been twice, in July and in August. Both times very very hot (but definitely manageable) and one time we did have a hurricane on our first full day too. Hoping to return next year in summer hols again.

Avoid Christmas and easter ideally as these are very busy.

9 hours

I just had such bad turbulence on Saturday that I was holding a sick bag and vowing not to fly again

I've just read that Orlando is 90mins from Clearwater...just wondering whether to book a hotel in the Disney resort so that we have two days there...as I don't think a day would be enough..although DS will be four when we go so we are thinking to just limit it do the things he would like - Disney characters etc

What do you think?

How to arrange a car and airport transfer to hotel with car seat??

Great Idea! If you book at one of the Universal Studios hotels your room keys become free fast passes for the Universal parks.

You can rent car seats.

I am from Florida orginally and I would say March/april Oct/NOv are the best times to go. Unfortunatly it is during the school year. You should know that June July and August are hot. Very hot and humid. I am a native and I can barely hack it.

November is great - around Thanksgiving time. The nights are a bit colder (relatively speaking!) so the mozzy and no-see-um population drops somewhat.

It is hot but not too hot. Lovely.

DD was 2 te first time we went and we spent 14 ays doing the parks. She loved it and couldn't get enough. She was 4 the time after, and 7y last year when we went.

There are 4 Disney parks and 2 Disney water parks, 2 Universal Parks and then also Seaworld (wich also has a water park now).

Last year we stayed in a Disney hotel for the first time - Animal Kingdom - and it was fantastic. have done villas previously. We loved being able to use the early opening hours with the Disney passes.

I have just got back from 2 weeks in Florida - we spent 5 days at Disney (dd's are 2 and 4) and then a week on Anna Maria Island which is about 1 hour's drive from Tampa and absolutely beautiful. I would recommend more than a day at Disney, your ds will love all the characters and meeting them will take up a lot of his time! I would also highly recommend pre-booking a character meal, one of the best things we did.

May is a good time to go - it was hot but not crazy humid hot. And not too busy - we didn't wait more than 15-20 minutes for any ride.

I would also highly recommend Busch Gardens, they have a new "preschoolers" area with lots of rides and attractions aimed at your ds's age and far less crowded than Disney.

Yes we have tickets to Bausch Gardens. We are realistic in that we know how vast Disney World is and probably won't get to see even a fraction of it in two days but I think if we are travelling all that way, then two days there is great and we will focus it so that DS gets to see all the characters he loves

Do they have Buzz Lightyear etc?

Yes, Buzz is in Magic Kingdom, not far from the Buzz right.

There is also a Toy Story ride in the studios aprk.

Omg...am just picturing DS little face when he see's Buzz

What is it you get in your prize, I mean where are you staying etc? I'm very you lucky thing

I went June and it was very hot, plus there seemed to be a short thunderstorm every afternoon. If I was going again I would aim for May.

Return flights and 7 nights at the Trade Winds Island Grand and passes to Busch gardens

Am still in shock tbh!!!

We went at xmas. It was lovely. Flew out on xmas day and the parks were all xmas themed, with christmas parades. Still warm enough for shorts and tshirts most of the time, jsut a bit cooler at nights. Only rained once, no mozzies at all. Was quite busy but don't remember the queues being unbearable.

Did Disney world, animal kingdom, seaworld, then drove down to Miami and the keys.

Oct/Nov really nice IMO. Surely your DSs school will have a half term at the end of October?
If just doing one disney park it has to be Magic Kingdom, Buzz lightyear ride is good fun and other rides there aimed at younger kids.

Very of your prize, hope you have a fab time.

Show him - he can meet Buzz and have a picture with him; DD did in this pic.