Off to Orlando in 2 days time, any last minute tips?

[ElizabethWakefield]

We have passes for all the parks and are hoping to fit in as much as possible. We have 5 kids in our group 10, 9, 9, 8 and 5yrs.

So, looking really for advice on must do things, best things, or things your family really enjoyed.

We want to do a day at the beach too, it looks as tho we are within an hour or 2 of a couple, so which is the best?

We also want to do a bit of shopping, hopefully getting a few bargains, so any advice on where would be best to go for that too would be great!

So excited!

last minute tip

you must take me.

am packing now.

Have fun!!!! Report back later! (we are off in December for our first visit)

No worries Fruitshoot, we haven't used up all of our luggage allowance, so I am sure we could smuggle you in!

Thanks, Geocentric, I'll report back when we get home!

Well I could leave a 10 page post but I'll just link you here
Some thoughts...
Go online to the parks websites and look at the maps then get everyone to list what they really want to do - so it doesn't get missed out.
Try and factor in breaks to just chill out by the pool - otherwise you will all get tired and grumpy and not enjoy yourselves
Use fastpasses wherever possible.
Buy autograph books for the kids - its a great way to interact with characters, helps shy ones and is a great souvenir.
Drink loads - its easy to forget and of course wear suncream..
Beaches - not sure what the oil spill is doing atm - but st petes beach is meant to be lovely or there is also cocoa beach on the other side - both about an hours drive away..
There are several outlet malls - depends what you want really..
Have a great time - just go with the flow and have fun. Disney is my fav place in the whole world

That's a great link, scrappy, thank you, I have just been looking through it.

It is one of the kid's birthday's while we are there, and we have booked a character lunch on that day, and I have just found out from your link how we can order a cake and have it in the restaurant, so thanks for that.

Good idea about looking at maps and planning what we want to do. I might try to print some off, as we have a long time travelling and hanging about airports (about 20 hours all in) so it might keep the kids occupied for a while!

very

Ref beaches, you can either take the I4 West to Tampa/St Petes or East towards Kennedy and go to Cocoa beach. Both about 1 1/2 hours drive depending on where you are in Orlando.

ref shopping, my favourite place is the premium outlets mall which is off the 535. You can see it from the I4 near Seaworld so follow signs and turn off the 535 and it is just off there. Fabulous shops there and a nice food court.

Ref restaurants, sizzler and ponderosa good when you have kids as they do an eat all you can buffet so there is always something the kids like.

Have a fab time

A third recommendation for Cocoa Beach and while you are there, pay a visit to the original Ron Jon Surf Shop for shopping and have a meal at Florida's Seafood Bar & Grill which is by the Causeway. Great food and great with kids.

My hint would be not to go to main theme ride parks day after day after day, but if you have the time, every couple of days, go to one of the Waterparks, Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon so you can chill and recharge your batteries.

My other tip would be, when in the main parks, split up. It is very very difficult to move a large group en masse in these places and agree what you all want to see. However, make sure you agree when and where to meet for meal times or a break.

Have to disagree with Scrappydappydoo on one point though. I hate the autograph book idea with a passion. It can make for a major scrum around the characters unless well controlled by staff and the children don't relly get to interact with the characters. We found the characters much more responsive and friendly if the children just want to say hello have a hug and a photo. And a photo with the character brings back more memories than an autograph, IMHO.

Have a great time !

Forgot to add that for an extra treat at the end of the day, if heading home on the monorail from one of the parks, you used to ba able to ask to ride up front with the driver where there is space for another 4 to 6 passengers.

cjlb - know what you mean about character scrum sometimes - although disney are quite good at controlling queues. I just found it great for my sometimes shy 4 yr old. We had great fun with stitch who stuck her pen up his nose and then tried to eat her book.

If you do Epcot - the world showcase thing has a free face mask actvity thing at each country. There is also a similar thing in Animal kingdom where you earn stamps.

Sadly they don't do monorail driver rides anymore as they had a tragic accident last year when a driver was killed.

to admit it but I was one of those awful mums in the scrum last summer in DLP.
DD2 then 2.7 was getting pushed out of the way when trying to get near the characters so we worked out where they always stood after the Minnie train parade and the next day were in 'pole position' ready and waiting. DS1 and DD1 took separate positions and I took another and we pushed and shoved and got to the front and literally thrust DD2 at the characters. DH just stood by with DS2 rolling his eyes and looking at his watch

LOL - if it was minnie I think you can be forgiven ;)
I find with little ones the best character interactions are at the character meals as you have more time, then the 'proper' queues and at a last resort the just happen to see them moments. Also if they are dressed up they get more attention - dd1 spent the day dressed as sleeping beauty and all the cast members bowed and said 'your highness' everytime she walked past... and 'aurora' spent ages talking with her.
At least you weren't a 'disney mom' - complete with laminated plan, and bum bag with sas survival kit in it! or were you??

Magic Kingdom late night fireworks are seriously unmissable. Watch out for the red heart fireworks!

You'll never want to see another shitty UK firework display again, I swear.

scrappy it was Minnie and Daisy. To this day, her most treasured possessions are the photos of her and them. I literally hugged her to me and with my head down just barged through with DC1 and 2 as my wingmen/women

We did the character dinner at DLP in Cafe Mickey but found they were all a bit grumpy.
We are going to Florida in October and can't wait. When DC1 and 2 were young we used to always do the lovely buffet in the Crystal Palace in MK but DD2 is not really into them WTP and Tigger, its the damm princesses. Where is the best place to see them?

Useful tip about dressing her up. We have an Aurora dress and have bought her a Belle dress for her birthday in Oct which is 3 weeks before we go. We bought it in Disney 2 years ago and it is gorgeous and so different to the ones they have in the UK disney shops.

If you are staying in one of the Disney hotels/appartments, you will get early entry into a different park each day. Find out whether this applies to you and use it.

Always arrive at the park as early as possible to beat the queues getting in - you'll all be waking early anyway because of the time difference.

Start at the back of the park where the queues will be shortest because most people arrive at the park and work their way from the entrance to the back.

You will all likely flag mid afternoon because of being woken at 3am. If nearby to where you are staying, pop back for a siesta and head back in to the fireworks.

You can see some of the fireworks from some of the disney hotels. Book dinner at one and watch the display away from the crowds.

Healthy food is in short supply, so take fruit to snack on and plenty of water!

Use the fast pass system wherever possible on the busy rides, it does save you time.

Have a wonderful time. Very jealous

Right have recently become a princess expert sooo -
There are two options to dine with princesses - you've got Cinderellas Royal table which is THE experience - BUT you have to book 180 days in advance - bang on -as in ring the minute the lines open for that day as it is very popular and books up fast. It is expensive but soo worth it - personal photo with cinderella (included) and each child gets a magic wand or sword and a magic wishing star - which they use during a wishing ceremony. We did the breakfast last month and there was cinderella, aurora, ariel, belle, and jasmine. Fabulous but expensive even by disney standards...
If you're budget can't stretch that far - there is the akerhaus in Norway in Epcot. Didn't do this but apparently you get most of the princesses but the food is norwegian so if you're kids are fussy - do the breakfast option which is a bit more 'normal' iykwim. YOu still need to book this in advance.
If you can't do character meals you can still meet them - in Magic KIngdom they have they're own spot in toon town where you normally find cinderella, aurora and belle (in yellow dress). We bumped into princesses in some countries in epcot including mulan in China (the only place you can find her). Also the only place you can meet Tiana is behind liberty square in Magic kingdom - get there early though as they shut queues quite early due to popularity - we got turned away 3 times... if there is a specific one you want to meet ask at guest services and they will tell when and where they are scheduled to be!
Finally if you're daughter is a belle fan just to the right of the castle is small outdoor theatre which several times a day belle does a storytime where she gets kids to dress up and act out her story - again get there early as space in limited.
Just so you're aware they are doing a major refurb of fanstasyland at the moment so check the website to see what will be open so you aren't disappointed on the day.

Cocoa Beach or Clearwater - both are lovely. I second Ron Jon's surf shop at Cocoa Beach too!

Try do alternative days - pool and parks otherwise you will need a holiday when you get back.

Should you go to Aquatica - Orlando's newest water park, then you need to be entering the driveway in the queue in your car at about 7.30am otherwise you won't get in and they close the gates until around 4.00pm. I would also once you are through the turnstiles, send the kids as soon as to get the brollied sunbeds on the sand - these go fast and I mean fast! I always got the ones on the end of a row, so that if the kids come out of the water, they are not looking at a sea of faces and wonder where we are sat.

Realise this is prob too late for op but anyway...
Agree at fireworks - Epcot and MK are both fab - if you want to watch the fireworks for free you can sit on the beach at the polynesian resort and you get a great few - they also have a little water pageant thing which is cute but not worth going out of your way for.
We stood on the bridge to tomorrowland and tinkerbell 'flew' just above us - dd1 is absolutely convinced that she waved to her personally!

Also forgot to say - if you go to animal kingdom - go see finding nemo the musical - it is seriously good

'view' even - getting too excited for op!

180 DAYS! oh bugger, we go in around 120 days. Do you seriously have to book that far in advance?
So is the Princess breakfast at Royal table too and same length of time to book in advance?
I remember the many years we went with DC1 and 2 and used to book WTP buffet lunch a few days before. How times have changed. DH will go into meltdown when I tell him this.

Bella thanks for tips ref Aquatica, hopefully we'll get to go there this time as didn't make it last time. Again at how early we need to go. Thankfully DC1 and 2 are pretty fast so will send them ahead as advance party whilst we drag 3 and 4 along.

surely they are not daft enough to be shut for halloween?

Thanks everyone, just reading through all the tips now.

Our youngest kid (they are not all mine we are going with friends) turns 5 while we are there and on that day we have book lunch at Cinderella's royal table, we only booked it about 3 weeks ago, so all is not lost mumoverseas, you might be fine! Before the lunch we have also booked for the kids to have a "make over" at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

We are in a villa, so no getting in early or anything for us, we will definitely try to see the fire works, I love the sound of a heart firework!

We also plan to do the waterparks, and have at least one beach day for a break.

Woohoo, not tomorrow, but the next day, can't wait!!

Also meant to say that there will be 11 of us in our party, so splitting up at times and arranging to meet up for food/breaks etc, will probably be quite a good idea.

Ok calm down - its only the REALLY popular ones that get booked up way in advance - you should be ok now for most.. You can try ringing dining reservations and see - you never know they may have space seeing as its October
You can do breakfast, lunch and dinner at cinderellas royal table (the castle) and there are princesses at all three - brekkie is cheapest - we booked for 8.15am and it meant we got into park before everyone else - great photo op!
The other princess meal in epcot I don't know much about - I do know its much easier to book than the castle and you should be ok for October but its worth booking in advance just so you're sure..
Just so you know most dining reservations are free to make EXCEPT cinderellas royal table (the castle) - you have to pay the full amount at the time of reservation (I don't know why!)

If you're daughter is princess mad you might consider makeover at the bibbdi bobbdo boutique - but be warned - tis very expensive!!

Just a thought - if you are going in october you may want to consider mickeys not-so-scary halloween party - its an after hours party which you pay extra for and everyone dresses up and goes trick or treating round magic kingdom - meant to be great fun!!

cross posts xx

Have you tried the make overs at the bibbidi bobbidi boutique, scrappy? (maybe not you personally, but you know what I mean )

We have 3 girls and 2 boys, it seems a bit rubbish for the boys, but I'm sure they'll get over it

Millennium Mall is amazing for shopping, high end shops and regular ones. Lots of eating places there too.

Omg Harry Potter has opened! That should be good.