We are ... going to Orlando and NOT visiting Disney World - An Aug-Sept 2016 PTR

[HHMcG]

I just made our first hotel booking for a late Summer 2016 Florida trip. I don’t feel like a trip is official until I have flights but a hotel is a start. In that honor I thought I would start a Pre-Trip Report. I’ve done plenty of WDW pre-trip reports but as this is our first time at Universal and Legoland it will be my first non-Disney PTR. Seeing as there isn’t a need to make ADRs or fp+ I’m not sure what this PTR will contain beyond my excited ramblings.

So let’s get started.

Who:

We Are…
Me - Heather - 43 - Efficiency expert & control freak. Part time engineer / part time stay-at-home mom who’s life revolves around her kids. I need a hobby beyond vacation planning.
DH - Bill - 47 – Penn State loving, laid back, happily lets me do all the planning. Dedicated, hard-working dad, husband and also an engineer.
DD - Lucy - 10 - Thoughtful, organized, bossy (especially to her two little brothers) but also anxious.
DS1 - Jack - 8 - Rough, cuddly and does not listen to a word I say. He loves soccer & art.
DS2 - Quinn - 5 – Sweet heart or terror, can change in the flip of a switch. As the baby of the family he is a little spoiled by all of us, no matter how hard we swear we won’t.


When:

Tentatively Tuesday, August 30 – Tuesday, September 6

This will be our first summer trip to Florida. I’m nervous about the heat. So I am thinking lots of downtime / pool time to keep us all cool and calm.


Where:

Two nights at Legoland Florida Resort and 5 nights at Royal Pacific Resort at Universal . Tentatively, 2-day Legoland Florida and Water Park tickets and 3-day Park-to-Park Universal Orlando tickets (with the possibility to upgrade to 4-day or Powerpasses if we want more park time or another trip).


Why:

School starts late for us (Sept 8) and summer camps end mid Aug which leaves us with 2-3 weeks of piecemeal-ing care together and/or using vacation time to take care of the kids. I decided if I am going to take vacation we might as well go somewhere. It helps that things start to slow down at the parks this late into the summer and prices aren’t ‘summer-crazy’.

 

[MrsTurnerLovesDisney]

here for the LEGOLAND updates!!

 

[HHMcG]

here for the LEGOLAND updates!!

There is not nearly enough information about Legoland out there. Hope I can help with that in a few months!

 

[HHMcG]

Preparations:

This will be a “First Visit” for all three kids. DH and I spent a day at Universal on our first Disney trip (circa 1997). I remember nothing and so much has changed, so I will consider all five of us First Timers.

I am most excited for the WWoHP. I have read the books over and over again and DH and I have seen all the movies. I REALLY like Harry Potter. (I won’t say LOVE because it is a notch or two below Star Wars for me.)

In preparation, last summer DD and I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. DS1 started with us but the beginning just could not hold his attention. He was 7 at the time so I’ll cut him some slack. Once I booked our hotel, we celebrated by watching the movie. They are hooked, already asking to watch number 2. I ordered the DVD box set because paying for each On Demand seems silly. And this week DD has started reading the book. She really wants to read the book before we watch any more movies. I think she liked knowing what was going to happen before her brothers and it helped her be less scared, since she is the biggest ‘scared-y cat’ in the family. She is not the fastest reader, so I’m not sure if she’ll get to finish all 7 books before our trip but I love that she is trying.

I have to make a list of other movies/characters we should introduce the kids to before Universal. I know there is a thread on that somewhere.

 

[gigi from canada]

I'm in the same position as you. No summer camps for the last week of August so I had to take a week of vacation. Husband is staying home and I'm taking my 2 kids (12 and 10) to Universal for a week. We're staying at Royal Pacific Resort. My justification is it's a ''cheap'' trip as we're flying on points, we're not paying for camps, we have Annual passes as we were there in March and we're not renting a car... I am good at justifying!

 

[schumigirl]

You'll be fine with the heat.......as you say plenty of pool time......you have enough time to give you a chance to enjoy the resort with your stay.

We adore RPR......good choice!

My oh my.....yo will see some huge changes in the parks then since your last visit........kids will love it too.......

Look forward to reading about it.......

 

[beebeeryan]

We're doing the same thing in 2 weeks, first time no Disney, but the crazy thing is we are staying 4 nights at Yacht Club. I'll have to do a trip report. Lots of pool time planned on this trip, it will be more relaxing than usual. We did 2 nights at Universal last year before Disney, but this time we have 4 nights, 3 full park days so lots of time to cool off. We always go end of August, yes it's ridiculously hot, but crowds are relatively low so it's nice. Then all new things we've never done, Seaworld and Discovery Cove and an air boat swamp tour.
Staying at a Disney resort and not doing the parks will be strange, but my husband's sister will be there on their first family Disney trip so we are surprising them by showing up so the kids can enjoy the pool together a bit during their down time.