9 days at Disney 3-4 days where - help!

[Karrie Davis]

We have a house rented for 9 night in Windsor Hills. We plan on primarily doing Disney world on this trip but thing a day or 2 at Universal would be nice this years also. My son will be just shy of 4 and loves rides, but he loves anything fun too.

We have the house 9 days but we think we want to add 3 more nights onto the trip.

We had thought of going to the sanibel beach and doing a boat cruise tour to see dolphins and go shelling

or staying in Orlando at some other place (I am not sure where though) and doing other Orlando things, or even extending the Disney or Universal stuff. We don't want to do Sea World this year but I know there must be tons to do in Orlando...

Please give me all your ideas, what would you do if you were us?

So far our trip is planned Dec 5th - 14th and we would like to stay 3 more nights..... if it is fun

 

[f7prez]

A lot of people overlook the Disney water parks. Do your Disney plans include Blizzard Beach

or Typhoon Lagoon

However, after a long week of theme parking, a relaxing beach vacation may be just what is needed.

 

[Windsor Hills 5/5]

We have booked here annamariaislandbeachresort

 

[Lisa BC]

Well if it was me, I'd just extend my stay at Windsor Hills and do things in Orlando. The zero entry pool and playgrounds are exactly the things that preschoolers love. He's likely to make some friends there as well. Seems like it would be an ideal place just to chill out.

The beach is nice, but it could be pretty cool that time of year. The water at the WDW water parks is likely to be warmer than the beach at that time of year, plus there's less wind inland. If you remain in the Orlando vicinity, you can make the beach a day trip, if the weather cooperates. If the weather is crappy, there's just not that much to do inside in the beach areas besides shop or go to a movie.

I don't really like packing up and changing resorts all that much... but if you don't want to extend your stay at Windsor Hills, you might consider staying on site at Universal. The front-of-the-line access is a huge perk of staying on site, so there's very little waiting for attractions.

Here's some other things to do in Orlando:

• one of the dinner shows... I hear the boys like the Pirates show
• Cirque Du Soleil.... really wonderful, all the preschoolers around us were enjoying it
• Fun Spot, has carnival rides and great go-kart rides and an arcade
• Orlando Science Center
• McDonalds with the world's largest PlayPlace
• Green Meadows Petting Farm
• Grill your own pancakes in an restaurant converted from an old sugar mill called Old Spanish Mill, at Deleon Springs State Park
• Pinocchio's Marionette Theater

You'll have lots of fun no matter what you decide to do!

Enjoy planning it!

Lisa

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I'd add 3 nights at an onsite Universal hotel to the end of your stay. You could do WDW & other Orlando activities, while staying at the home in WH. Save US/IOA for your onsite stay. Nothing beats staying onsite there. Who doesn't like being treated like royalty?

UO's resorts have great pools. The RPR pool is perfect for your DS's age, if you think it's warm enough to swim. (We're Floridian wimps, when it comes to weather. ) Your son will probably love the Spiderman breakfast at IOA. Also, you may want to consider the Luau at RPR. If you wait until the end of your stay, UO should be all decorated for the holidays.

If you decide to go the UO route, visit the Universal Board on this site for planning help. There's lots of friendly people who love sharing their knowledge of all things Universal.

 

[Karrie Davis]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I really wish we could stay at the Windsor Hills house longer but is already rented before and after If we stay longer it has to be someplace else.

I will check out the hotel at Universal and the other ideas too.

Last year we stayed 9 night and it seemed to short, the Beach seems great but if it is cold and too windy I am afraid we won't have as much fun, or who knows maybe we would. I keep thinking wet suits will help while we shell..... hum.....

 

[Lisa P.]

I would definitely look at a few nights at Universal. Those dates ought to be fine offsite, since the 14th-17th of December is not likely to be very busy. The Universal parks are quite different from Disney, so don't compare. But they would offer something fresh and fun. Consider a timeshare rental at one of the resorts on South International Drive. That area is nice and an easy drive to the parks.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for all the ideas.

I really wish we could stay at the Windsor Hills house longer but is already rented before and after If we stay longer it has to be someplace else.

I will check out the hotel at Universal and the other ideas too.

Last year we stayed 9 night and it seemed to short, the Beach seems great but if it is cold and too windy I am afraid we won't have as much fun, or who knows maybe we would. I keep thinking wet suits will help while we shell..... hum.....

If you have AAA, check for that rate at Universal resorts. You can also try calling the Universal number to book, & ask for an obstructed view room. People have gotten these for great rates! You can't book them online & from what I've gathered, you can't book them by calling the Loews hotels number either. We've never booked an obstructed view, but some of the DIS members on the Universal Board have. If you have questions, they'll be more informative. Also, there may be a Super Saver rate for stays of 3 nights or longer. The number of nights required to book that rates varies by time of year. This rate does show up online, if available.

As has been noted, the crowds at US/IOA probably won't be that bad mid-Dec. for those staying offsite. It comes down to what you want in your Universal vacation. We live a little over an hour from WDW, & less than 1 hr & 1/2 from Universal. Our family will go to WDW w/o staying onsite, but we now only go to UO, if we can stay in one of their resorts. In our opinion, staying on or offsite at WDW, doesn't really have a huge impact on your experience. We don't feel the same about Universal. Even if the crowds are light, the special attention you get at UO as an onsite guest makes the experience worth paying more to stay onsite. Just our opinion.

 

[jdm]

Gatorland

 

[neonurse]

We are renting a house in Kissimmee for 10 days and then renting a condo in Treasure Island right on the gulf coast beach to flake out and relax before heading back. Check out tripadvisor.com to check out hotels and how they rate. That is how I found the condo/hotel that I am renting.

Good luck!!