Advice please...

[Melcatfish]

OK, this is sort of a thinking out loud post with a plea for advice.

DH and I have been to Florida once in 2004, had a great time, packed loads in including a 3 night Disney Cruise.

Fast forward to now, we have a 2 and a half year old daughter and a new baby due in a couple of weeks. We had planned on booking a Disney Cruise in 2009 (DD will be 4, new baby will be 19 months) as the rumours were possibly back in the Med. My thoughts were, short flight, child friendly cruise great! The master plan is then to do Florida WDW Seaworld etc... in 2010.

Yesterday the Cruises were announced and 2009 is a Carribbean itinerary not the Med, BUT the quote I got from Dreams Unlimited looks pretty good to me (less than I was budgeting by quite some way) Soooooooo Do I go ahead and book (knowing I can cancel anytime up to 75 days before if I decide it isn't doable - in which case do I try and save like crazy so we can do all the things we had planned for 2010 in 2009, or continue to plan for 2010 as well and hope we can save enough....

Hmmm maybe what I am saying is if we are going all the way to Florida would it be nuts not to do the parks etc... or would it be ok to do just say Seaworld and Aquatica in 2009, then do the Disney Cruise and save the theme parks for when the new baby is a little older....

Oh help me make a decision!!!!

Mel
x

 

[Freaky]

Hi Mel,

Lots of decisions to make

I think going to Disney and not doing everything will be fine if you are going to add in a Disney cruise. That will give your 4 yr old the taste of Disney with all the themeing and characters - your 19mth old won't know any different and will enjoy anything.

We have visited for a winter week before and only done Seaworld (no Disney) and the kids were fine about it as there is so much else going on in the area. At the time DS was 3 and a half and DD was almost 8 and they were only to glad to be in Florida!

Go on......plan both trips

Tracey

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Mel,

I think going to Florida and not doing the parks is not a bad idea, must admit there are many things we have enjoyed
so much over the years - not necessarily WDW or Universal related.

It can be nice just relaxing and doing the likes of Sea World like you say.
The only thing , from a personal point , I would prefer a 2 centre type of holiday in those circumstances with a week on the coast somewhere.
I know you are thinking about the cruise though.
I do like Orlando - but wouldn't necessarily stay there the whole holiday if we were not doing the parks.

It's mainly for Joshua's benefit that we stay in Orlando these days but when he was very young we did the likes of Naples and Fort Lauderdale just for a contrast.

 

[Melcatfish]

Well I went ahead and paid the deposit on the cruise so if we go ahead we will be getting some chill out \ beach time and a Disney fix. So if I wanted to add a few days before hand to do Seaworld and Aquatica does anyone have any recommendations for nice hotels near to Seaworld - i think if we are just having a few days in Orlando and then the cruise we will probably do without a car, so it would need to either be very close or have shuttles.

Mel
x

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Only one I have ever stayed at close to Sea World is the Rosen Center which at the nicer southern end of I drive.
Very nice hotel.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

We have stayed in a condo at the Sheraton Vistana Village (ON SOUTH i4) - near to SeaWorld but IMO you do need a car.