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Planning: A Trip to Orlando
- Thread starter Harv
- Start date
Did I say Typhoon earlier? I meant to say Blizzard :-[
Yeah, it's a better Waterpark than Typhoon for everything except the wave pool, which at Typhoon is pretty much unsurpassed globally. Get to Blizzard early though as it fills up quickly and thunderstorms can send the park down for a good few hours or more. I used to Lifeguard there before I moved to MK and the policy is any lightning strikes within 6 miles closes the water attractions, and after that any strikes within 15 miles will keep the water rides down for another 30 minutes after said strike.
Yeah, it's a better Waterpark than Typhoon for everything except the wave pool, which at Typhoon is pretty much unsurpassed globally. Get to Blizzard early though as it fills up quickly and thunderstorms can send the park down for a good few hours or more. I used to Lifeguard there before I moved to MK and the policy is any lightning strikes within 6 miles closes the water attractions, and after that any strikes within 15 miles will keep the water rides down for another 30 minutes after said strike.
Plastic Person
TS Member
Definitely either Soarin or Test Track at Epcot.
vikki.harper
TS Member
You'll be hard pushed to do both those parks in a day but as above, the queues will be bigger at Epcot so Soarin' or Test Track depending on which you prefer the sound of. Unfortunately you can't fast pass both.
vikki.harper
TS Member
Just realised this is an old thread - sorry! 
Matt Creek
TS Member
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I deleted my last post as I the survey seemed inconclusive and I think the best way for me to get advice on doing a trip would be asking anyone generally.
What's everyone's advice on doing a successful Orlando trip?
What's everyone's advice on doing a successful Orlando trip?
Rob
TS Team
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I've just got back from Orlando so will try and answer as best I can. First of all make sure you know what you definitely want to do; by the end of it you will probably feel that you've not had enough time there no matter how long you actually do have. We did 17 nights but coud easily have had a few more.
Plan, plan and plan again. Orlando is a trip that takes a lot more planning than most, not least because of how Disney now operate. We had a plan for each of our days set in advance, of course this did have some flexibility. You will need to book your Disney Fastpass+ options and dinner reservations in advance (how long depends on if you are staying on Disney Resort or not).
I recommend getting a villa to stay in rather than a hotel. It's lovely to be able to get back after a long day out and just relax before bed. It's easy to get around by road anyway.
Hope that is useful, I'm sure others will be able to provide you with better advice.
Matt Creek
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Thanks for the advice so far guys
Whenever I do go, I'll probably book it via someone like Virgin holidays for around 2 weeks and would strongly considering staying in a villa (as long as there was a driver).
I'm looking at a budget of around 2.5-3k (pp) overall (flights,accommodation, tickets & spending money). Is that enough?
Aside from the main parks WDW (MK,Epcot, HS & AK), Universal (IOA, U.S.), Sea World & BGT, are there any other places or attractions worth doing or looking at, also what's the best amount of time to spend at the parks?
Chances are when I go, Avatar will be open & Star Wars & Toy story probably well underway in the construction period, but trying to plan super early when I do and can go.
Whenever I do go, I'll probably book it via someone like Virgin holidays for around 2 weeks and would strongly considering staying in a villa (as long as there was a driver).
I'm looking at a budget of around 2.5-3k (pp) overall (flights,accommodation, tickets & spending money). Is that enough?
Aside from the main parks WDW (MK,Epcot, HS & AK), Universal (IOA, U.S.), Sea World & BGT, are there any other places or attractions worth doing or looking at, also what's the best amount of time to spend at the parks?
Chances are when I go, Avatar will be open & Star Wars & Toy story probably well underway in the construction period, but trying to plan super early when I do and can go.
jon81uk
TS Member
I work on
2-3 days at Universal.
A day at SeaWorld (or even half a day)
A full day for Busch Gardens.
A full day and a little more for Magic Kingdom.
At least one day each for the other Disney parks. Maybe more for Epcot.
Plus at least half day at each waterpark you want to visit. Then you can use the evening after the waterpark for extra Magic Kingdom or Epcot time.
Plus a day (or the evening after SeaWorld) for outlet shopping.
Thats about 11-12 days out of the 13.5 day trip. Use the extra day to go back to a park you feel you didn't see enough of. Or play mini golf. Or more shopping.
I booked a Disney hotel to get the free dining offer, but a villa would be cheaper if you don't mind the driving.
Don't forget if driving that each park charges $20 for parking.
We're spening £3k each to stay at Disney Wilderness lodge (including tickets and free dining plan), flights, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch, Universal tickets and one week car hire for the non-Disney parks.
2-3 days at Universal.
A day at SeaWorld (or even half a day)
A full day for Busch Gardens.
A full day and a little more for Magic Kingdom.
At least one day each for the other Disney parks. Maybe more for Epcot.
Plus at least half day at each waterpark you want to visit. Then you can use the evening after the waterpark for extra Magic Kingdom or Epcot time.
Plus a day (or the evening after SeaWorld) for outlet shopping.
Thats about 11-12 days out of the 13.5 day trip. Use the extra day to go back to a park you feel you didn't see enough of. Or play mini golf. Or more shopping.
I booked a Disney hotel to get the free dining offer, but a villa would be cheaper if you don't mind the driving.
Don't forget if driving that each park charges $20 for parking.
We're spening £3k each to stay at Disney Wilderness lodge (including tickets and free dining plan), flights, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch, Universal tickets and one week car hire for the non-Disney parks.
Matt Creek
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* blows dust from this old topic*
Right, so quite a few years ago I made posts for a trip that seemed in the clouds.
However hopefully now, I am more in a position of a trip finally happening.
I'm planning an Orlando trip for 2018. Would September be a good time to visit?
Hoping for a 15 day trip out there, and knocking the first and last day for packing, travel and jet lag I'm hoping for the following:
2 days at Magic Kingdom
1 day at each other park (total 3)
3 days at Universal
2 days Busch Gardens
1 day Sea World
2 relax days, one for Volcsno Bay and something else and another for Disney Springs and one of the water parks.
What's anyone's thoughts on this and is there anything else I should do/plan amongst this?
Wondering where the best place to stay is?
Disney Onsite, I-Drive, Villa or Kissimmee? The latter sounds interesting.
Is a package holiday best for first timers In Orlando? I've booked and organised trips in Europe, but not America.
Right, so quite a few years ago I made posts for a trip that seemed in the clouds.
However hopefully now, I am more in a position of a trip finally happening.
I'm planning an Orlando trip for 2018. Would September be a good time to visit?
Hoping for a 15 day trip out there, and knocking the first and last day for packing, travel and jet lag I'm hoping for the following:
2 days at Magic Kingdom
1 day at each other park (total 3)
3 days at Universal
2 days Busch Gardens
1 day Sea World
2 relax days, one for Volcsno Bay and something else and another for Disney Springs and one of the water parks.
What's anyone's thoughts on this and is there anything else I should do/plan amongst this?
Wondering where the best place to stay is?
Disney Onsite, I-Drive, Villa or Kissimmee? The latter sounds interesting.
Is a package holiday best for first timers In Orlando? I've booked and organised trips in Europe, but not America.
Rick
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Crux
Key tip - take a lot of money.
Depending on when you end up visiting, two days at Busch might feel a little too much - you might be better having a 'mop up' day at WDW, if you can make that work from a ticket point of view. Or there's always Legoland Florida just up the road
Enjoy @Matt Creek
Depending on when you end up visiting, two days at Busch might feel a little too much - you might be better having a 'mop up' day at WDW, if you can make that work from a ticket point of view. Or there's always Legoland Florida just up the road
Enjoy @Matt Creek
We went to Florida/Orlando in September last year and had a fantastic time. Mid to end of September is a great time to go as its relatively quiet for Orlando.
We had 11 days in Orlando to visit all the parks, Inc a visit to the Halloween events at Universal, Magic Kingdom and Busch Gardens but only went to one of the water parks. It was a little bit manic due to adding in all the Halloween stuff last minute but we managed to see everything we wanted to. Even with a couple of weeks there will always be more to do and see.
Allow some extra time to revisit your favourite parks or pick up bits you had to skip due to weather closures etc. Busch Gardens can usually be comfortably done in day especially if it's quiet.
We stayed in a villa about a 15minute drive from WDW and had a hire car, no issues with driving or parking in any of the parks(though it does quickly add up cost wise at $20 a day parking).
Most of the parks Halloween events kick off from Mid September:
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal is probably a must do there is a reason it's rated so highly (I say this as someone who wasn't a massive Halloween fan before visiting) the atmosphere and themeing is incredible. If your a big Halloween fan it and want to do/see everything at horror nights it would be worth considering spending 2 evenings there. It's also the quietist time to visit and explore Diagon Alley.
HowloScream at Busch Gardens is also worth considering, it's not got anywhere near the same budget as universal but they put on a pretty good show (houses can be a bit hit and miss). On the recommendation of a friend we bought the fright feast add on which was a buffet/show followed by 30mins exclusive entry to the houses (meaning you can basically get through 2-3 of the houses as just your group not the usual conga lines) then an hour of front of line access to all the houses, definitely worth the money if you go as was a relatively cheap add on.
Mickeys not so scary Halloween party. Depending on how much of a disney fan you are is either a must do or easily missable. The one advantage is that it's a relatively quiet time to get on all the headline rides at the Magic Kingdom. If you do go wear fancy dress, pretty much everyone does.
Away from Halloween there is also the Food and Wine festival at Epcot which is spread over the world showcase and well worth a visit, they have talks live music etc which you can book to go see.
It's definitely worth planning in some downtime to break up the parks either by spending time at the water parks or pool at your accommodation. If you are going to the Halloween events as it can quickly turn into some very long days on park. One recommendation in a lot of guide books is to visit one park early morning head to a water park/ pool in the afternoon then head back to the parks in the evening.
Take lots of money it's an expensive place to visit and all the parks are experts in making you spend money once inside.
We had 11 days in Orlando to visit all the parks, Inc a visit to the Halloween events at Universal, Magic Kingdom and Busch Gardens but only went to one of the water parks. It was a little bit manic due to adding in all the Halloween stuff last minute but we managed to see everything we wanted to. Even with a couple of weeks there will always be more to do and see.
Allow some extra time to revisit your favourite parks or pick up bits you had to skip due to weather closures etc. Busch Gardens can usually be comfortably done in day especially if it's quiet.
We stayed in a villa about a 15minute drive from WDW and had a hire car, no issues with driving or parking in any of the parks(though it does quickly add up cost wise at $20 a day parking).
Most of the parks Halloween events kick off from Mid September:
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal is probably a must do there is a reason it's rated so highly (I say this as someone who wasn't a massive Halloween fan before visiting) the atmosphere and themeing is incredible. If your a big Halloween fan it and want to do/see everything at horror nights it would be worth considering spending 2 evenings there. It's also the quietist time to visit and explore Diagon Alley.
HowloScream at Busch Gardens is also worth considering, it's not got anywhere near the same budget as universal but they put on a pretty good show (houses can be a bit hit and miss). On the recommendation of a friend we bought the fright feast add on which was a buffet/show followed by 30mins exclusive entry to the houses (meaning you can basically get through 2-3 of the houses as just your group not the usual conga lines) then an hour of front of line access to all the houses, definitely worth the money if you go as was a relatively cheap add on.
Mickeys not so scary Halloween party. Depending on how much of a disney fan you are is either a must do or easily missable. The one advantage is that it's a relatively quiet time to get on all the headline rides at the Magic Kingdom. If you do go wear fancy dress, pretty much everyone does.
Away from Halloween there is also the Food and Wine festival at Epcot which is spread over the world showcase and well worth a visit, they have talks live music etc which you can book to go see.
It's definitely worth planning in some downtime to break up the parks either by spending time at the water parks or pool at your accommodation. If you are going to the Halloween events as it can quickly turn into some very long days on park. One recommendation in a lot of guide books is to visit one park early morning head to a water park/ pool in the afternoon then head back to the parks in the evening.
Take lots of money it's an expensive place to visit and all the parks are experts in making you spend money once inside.
Tim
TS Member
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- Air / Blue Fire
As above I also went last September. It's a very good time to go as it is quieter than the summer yet the parks are kept alive by all the special events (Food & Wine being a must). You do however have to keep hurricanes in mind... expect at least 1 day to be a washout, if not more. I think we had to return to 2 parks because the day ended with a tropical storm.
In total we spent 17 days there. That might seem like a lot but to do it in less you have to sacrifice time at the Waterparks (an absolute highlight in my opinion) or down days which you are going to need! Although I should note I was part of a large group (12 people) which did restrict the amount we could do in a day. Also we visited Kennedy Space Centre, which is worth doing but not essential.
As a rough guide to the time you want at each park I'd say:
Magic Kingdom: 1 to 2
EPCOT: 2 - if you want to explore all of World Showcase.
Hollywood Studio: 1
Animal Kingdom 1, maybe 2 now Pandora is open.
Universal Studios: 1
Island of Adventure: 1
+ 1 day using the Hogwarts Express to complete both.
Sea World: 1
Busch Gardens: 1
Waterparks:
Typhoon Lagoon: 1
Blizzard Beach & Disney Springs: 1
Volcano Bay: I assume 1
And we did Aquatica: 1
^ Remember these can be combined with visiting other Orlando attractions such as the Prime Outlets.
That gives you at least 15 days... Taking weather into account and removing Volcano Bay and Pandora I'm actually impressed we got so much done in 17 days.
In total we spent 17 days there. That might seem like a lot but to do it in less you have to sacrifice time at the Waterparks (an absolute highlight in my opinion) or down days which you are going to need! Although I should note I was part of a large group (12 people) which did restrict the amount we could do in a day. Also we visited Kennedy Space Centre, which is worth doing but not essential.
As a rough guide to the time you want at each park I'd say:
Magic Kingdom: 1 to 2
EPCOT: 2 - if you want to explore all of World Showcase.
Hollywood Studio: 1
Animal Kingdom 1, maybe 2 now Pandora is open.
Universal Studios: 1
Island of Adventure: 1
+ 1 day using the Hogwarts Express to complete both.
Sea World: 1
Busch Gardens: 1
Waterparks:
Typhoon Lagoon: 1
Blizzard Beach & Disney Springs: 1
Volcano Bay: I assume 1
And we did Aquatica: 1
^ Remember these can be combined with visiting other Orlando attractions such as the Prime Outlets.
That gives you at least 15 days... Taking weather into account and removing Volcano Bay and Pandora I'm actually impressed we got so much done in 17 days.
