Planning first WDW/Orlando trip and completely overwhelmed - PLEASE HELP!

[TootieBear765]

Hiya

To be honest, I'm not sure where to start but could really do with some feedback from the experts ... you guys!

We were at DLP for 5 days in June and fell in love with the whole Disney holiday bug and while we were content to stick with some shorter breaks there for a couple of years, especially as our DD is only 3, due to health issues (which may or may not be resolved, ever the optimist) my mobility is on a bit of a downward spiral and in short, we've decided to bite the bullet for Florida sooner rather than later... either mid/late 2009 or early 2010.

Now for the burning questions... firstly the quietest and cheapest times of year to go but still with 'pleasant' weather? Given my daughters not yet of school age and it'll be our first family trip to a 'hot' country, we have some flexibility.

Secondly, drive or rely on public transport? Both DH and I are not savouring the prospect of driving in a new country on the opposite side of the road for the first time (big exponents of the fly and shuttle bus brigade!). If we stay at WDW, how easy is it to get out to the other attractions via public transport?

Thirdly with that in mind, should I look onsite or off-site? As it might (being pessimistic now...) be our one and only chance, we want to have a relaxing but memorable holiday with a good mix of adventure, fun, Disney, downtime and a good flavour of the good old USA thrown in for good measure... We are conscious that there are a lot of attractions away from WDW that we'd want to see e.g. US, IoA, BG, SW and DC (ESPECIALLY DC for me lol!). Also bearing in mind that as HUGE Disney fans as we are, much of the WDW rides that we have already done the Paris version of, we'll probably not do as we'll have to use the luxury of the time we have seeing the WDW specific rides...

As you can see, its going to be tough but I'm keen to have the best time possible... I'm sure we will have anyway but obviously right now with the vast amount of info on the web and in the VERY HELPFUL Brit Guide my mum bought me yesterday, I'm still feeling a little swamped and no idea where to start... Don't know anyone in real life who has been (heathens lol!) so we are pioneering it and looking for guidance so all input very gratefully received!

Oh and YAY, WDW here we come! :cool1: :cloud9: :woohoo: :yay: :dance3: :cheer2:

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

WDW is nothing like DLP, most first timers are overwhelmed by the size of it.

We go in september the first few weeks after the schools go back as very few people with children choose to go at this time, there are some great deals around.

Also staying in Disney is great and if you choose to drive you will be able to get to other attractions. It also gives you the flexability to use the Disney transport to its parks and water parks. So no tiring drive home or leaving early to get the hotel bus. The Disney hotels are great from the bright large characters at the values to the relaxing Disney magic at the deluxes.

[TootieBear765]

Hi Pooh Bear

Thanks... I know what you mean. When we'd come back from DLP we joined here and got an immediate sense that WDW would be a much bigger challenge and in an ideal world, we'd rather have waited a few years til our DD was a bit older and we had more time to plan... sadly circumstances have overtaken us a bit.

September sounds like a good plan then... not quite as hot and busy and with good deals... sounds like my time of year...

Ideally we would have liked to fly in, shuttle bus to WDW staying at the hotel and then taken other transport out to the other attractions but if this isn't practical it'll just have to be a car and a lack of fingernails lol :eek:

We got a promotional brochure throught from WDW and the hotels are just incredible... the only problem is choosing which to stay at, as they are all so lovely... each one is a hundred holidays in one...

Thanks again!

[Graeme]

I used to go in September for pretty much the same reasons, but after having two or three holidays spoilt by weather, (September is in the hurricane season), we now go in early May. Just as quiet, good weather without being overwhelming, and cheaper flights.

I wouldn't worry about the driving, I find it more relaxed than driving at home. I think it's preferable to waiting for transportation round the World.

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi,

Ideal times to go in my opinion are late April through early May, and October/ November.
Decent balance of nice weather without being too hot and average crowds also.

Some of the early months such as January/February can be better value for money price wise and are usually fairly quiet too - it can be on the cool side though so it's trying to find that balance of decent weather/crowds.

If I could choose when to go I would probably plump for late April (missing Easter), when the weather is just about right and it's not too busy.

Car rental? Much discussed on here :) Personally we have always rented a car, irrespective of where we have stayed - just find it gives you the flexibility of going where you want/when you want.
However, all of us have been through that 'first time driver' scenario - so I can undertstand your reluctance.

On site/off site? Much discussed on here :) General feeling is no wrong or right way , just what suits you best.
We like the feel and freedom of a private villa, so much more room and privacy..but you MUST get a car too, they go together I am afraid.
On-site is all about location, having the attractions on your doorstep and the recreation/facilities also.
Many off-site hotels offer a higher class of accomodation than some of the WDW properties and for less money, but like I say the key is 'location'.

Split stays are popular, villa/on-site, hotel/on-site etc

Do you want to stay in a hotel or self catering/villa type accomodation?

[MandyJ72]

Friends went in February this year, said they pretty much walked onto all the rides and they came back with a gorgeous tan!!

We did the "non car hire" route first time round and have hired a car every time since. I know what you mean about not really looking forward to driving on the other side of the road, but first time hubby did it he researched differences like lane dicipline, turning right on a red light (yes, can be done legally!!) and stuff like that so he felt a bit more confident about it and it went fine.

We actually find the people driving in and around Orlando to be really really relaxed and pleasant - not like trying to drive round any major city in the UK at rush hour!! Think in our last 2 trips we have only ever heard a horn being honked twice!!

If you do go the shuttle bus route one thing to remember is, yes the shuttle bus from your hotel (offsite) may be free, but, it will stop at alot of other hotels enroute to whichever park and therefore increases your travel time. Also, the shuttles leave early in the morning and it may not necessarily be at a time you want to be up (I do remember getting up at 6.30am some mornings!) and at night, with tired kids, you want to get in the car and go, no traipse round other hotels until you get back to yours.

Just something else to think about!!

A week staying on site and a week off site would be good tho as you just use the WDW transport service (free) on site - we did it last year, 1 week on site and 2 weeks off, and it lets you get the best of both worlds, also, you would only have to hire the car for 1 week if you wanted saving some ££s as well!

[TootieBear765]

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for the advice... I'm coming to the swift conclusion that the car is the way to go... In one sense that opens up our options... I'm not fussed on the hotel/villa side of things... as long as it works out to be good value for money really. The villa situation would possibly be better for us as we can have the freedom for a down day and possibly be nearer the coast and spend a couple of days away from the crowds... We were considering Kissimee after a really good programme we saw on TV (Judith Chalmers of all people) but it was lovely and allowed her to explore off the beaten track a bit...

I see what you mean about the shuttles.... with my daughter being still quite young, I don't really fancy a fortnight of girning and red faces on a bus if she decides she's tired and wants to go back for a sleep and it takes us an hour to get there... Relaxation is going to have to be the key for us and whatever we can fit in will be a bonus, I think... We'll just have to be 'choosy' in what we do and when... and not get het up when it doesn't go to plan...

Does everyone have this problem... you start off trying to be sensible and plan things and two hours later your mind has wandered off in a tangent of dreams and you're no further forward.... you can see my main problem...

My DH is proving no help... all he'll go on about is the 7 hour flight... still to point out that as I've discovered today its actually 9 hours lol! Ah well...

Thanks again!

[Graeme]

My DH is proving no help... all he'll go on about is the 7 hour flight

Just adapt this thread to suit him!! :rotfl2:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1894052

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for the advice... I'm coming to the swift conclusion that the car is the way to go... In one sense that opens up our options... I'm not fussed on the hotel/villa side of things... as long as it works out to be good value for money really. The villa situation would possibly be better for us as we can have the freedom for a down day and possibly be nearer the coast and spend a couple of days away from the crowds... We were considering Kissimee after a really good programme we saw on TV (Judith Chalmers of all people) but it was lovely and allowed her to explore off the beaten track a bit...

I see what you mean about the shuttles.... with my daughter being still quite young, I don't really fancy a fortnight of girning and red faces on a bus if she decides she's tired and wants to go back for a sleep and it takes us an hour to get there... Relaxation is going to have to be the key for us and whatever we can fit in will be a bonus, I think... We'll just have to be 'choosy' in what we do and when... and not get het up when it doesn't go to plan...

Does everyone have this problem... you start off trying to be sensible and plan things and two hours later your mind has wandered off in a tangent of dreams and you're no further forward.... you can see my main problem...

My DH is proving no help... all he'll go on about is the 7 hour flight... still to point out that as I've discovered today its actually 9 hours lol! Ah well...

Thanks again!

Hi,

Kissimme is a very popular area for villa rentals and there are many nice developments in the area.
Staying here gives you a good base as you are close to supermarkets, restaurants, Disney and the I4 for exploring Universal/Sea World and more.

Car/villa go together as generally you will have to drive everywhere.

The only problem is the isolation factor and not having the on-site facilities.
That's were the idea of a split stay villa/on-site is good as you get to sample both kinds of holiday.
Private pool, cooking facilities, extra room and more at the villa and then location plus having bars/restaurants and more when you stay on-site.

The 'tangent' thing is true - fact is there are so many ways to organise a holiday in Florida and with the cost escalating every year you want to get it right.

As for visiting the coast, it's a great idea and one we have been fortunate to do many times.
Distances though can affect your plans, nearest beaches are an hour or so away on the east coast, Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach.
Nicest beaches are 2 hours away on the west coast, Clearwater, St Petes and Anna Maria Island.

[TootieBear765]

Hi Mandy,

February would be great for us as its my DH and I's birthdays within a couple of days of each other but not sure what the weather would be like... As long as it was pleasant, ... it would be fine for us.

The car hire will probably be fine... we are both careful drivers and will probably just get a sat nav to keep us right... either that or play follow the car in front and end up in New Hampshire lol! You would think they would have set times of the year for British folk and 'make it drive on the left' weeks (like 'dress down day's lol)... after all given the amount of tourists at some point most people will be there all 'driving on the opposite side'.... lol - Now those weeks I'd up my budget to go for...

We are quite interested in the multi-centre option but haven't really looked into the costs and also the availability of doing this in the UK. Do many of the tour operators do this and is it pretty reasonably priced? I know my DH would like to see Miami for example and we have toyed with a 'crazy' week and a 'culture of USA' week idea... oh, there's just too many options to choose from... its like being at an all you can eat buffet of holidays and they're all chocolate coated with little sprinkles...

Thanks again for all the advice though... its good to know I'm definitely not the first to have a dose of the 'car hire collywobbles'... lol

[JohnnySharp2]

We are quite interested in the multi-centre option but haven't really looked into the costs and also the availability of doing this in the UK. Do many of the tour operators do this and is it pretty reasonably priced? I know my DH would like to see Miami for example and we have toyed with a 'crazy' week and a 'culture of USA' week idea... oh, there's just too many options to choose from... its like being at an all you can eat buffet of holidays and they're all chocolate coated with little sprinkles...



Me again! Miami is great but also around a 4 hour drive from Orlando so only worth it if you stay a few nights.
Nearby Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach are also worth checking out and the shopping the best in Florida.

Best bet is to 'do it yourself' book/choose your own accomodation and would work out cheaper too.
Many of us choose a fly-drive and then book hotels/villa's etc independantly, plenty of choice and generally saves money.
You can even book your car seperatley too as again this can work out cheaper.

[Shooby doo]

Tootie firstly if you are doing a beach/culture week then hectic,from experience do the quiet one first! Our first trip we had 10 days in WDW then 5 in Fort Lauderdale,weird! Going from a place you can fill every minute to well...a beach & sea-although we did come across the biggest pizza in the world!:scared1:
Also have a look at Lake Buena Vista,stayed here lots & love it. If your lucky & pick Sept you may be able to pick up Free Dining (if it is offered) but you would need to stay in a Moderate.As Johnny states,after easter thru May is a good time & the weather can be more settled but we love Sept/Oct.
We are staying on-site for the first time but are still renting a car,time is too precious to be stood waiting on transport!
Once you have finished the Brit's Guide try to get your hands on an Un-official Guide-very helpful & full of secrets.
HTH SD:thumbsup2

[scojos]

1st, welcome, everyone here has many years experience of visits, and i have found info v useful.
try the disabilities thread too if you have mobility issues, again everyone is v friendly and helpful (i have an asd son and visit often.
we did a split trip the 1st visit 8 days wdw and 6 days miami. great to chill, but not enough time for WDW.
Tourguide mike is an excellent start to your planning as well as the dis.
do not get over stressed, its a holiday, just enjoy it. one piece of advice we try to follow is take time to enjoy the magic, there are some many details that you miss if you rush, chose the main things you want to do and spend time in pool and just chilling.
tc
Tracy

[Debbied]

Hi
We have been quite a few times and have always stayed off site, and hired a car. I have NEVER wanted to stay on site, (love Disney but thought it would be OTT) that is until last year when we stayed on site for the first time, I am now a complete convert and this would be my first choice… funds permitting.
What about having a week on site, then a week off. We did this last year. The beauty of doing this is.

You can take the Magical Express = No driving from the airport, dropped off at your hotel. After an 8 hour flight and 1hr+ clearing immigration and collecting baggage this was really appreciated
A week to acclimatize. Your 1<SUP>st</SUP> trip to Orlando is overwhelming; everything is so larger than life
Just because you are “In Disney” there is so much more to do than the parks. (Although they are great) It can be very chilled if you want it to be, or equally as busy... also great for onsite dining2<SUP>nd</SUP> week... off site,

Hire a car, they can be picked up at different locations/hotels within the Disney or DTD area, depending on which hire company you choose.
If you want to do Sea World, Discovery Cove, The Universal Parks then maybe look at I-Drive, as it is nearer to these parks.
It gives you the freedom of great shopping and exploring the area.
you will probably feel more comfortable driving after being there a week.(I personally prefer L.B.V if staying off site, it’s more central for all the parks)
One big piece of advice. Do an itinery of what you plan to do each day, (even if you swap things around) this gives you a idea of what you want to achieve and saves loads of time trying what to decide on the day.<O:p
You can also fly into Miami and out of Orlando, this would enable you to drive up to Orlando and see other places on the way.
Hope this has helped :thumbsup2 <O:p
Debbie<O:p