BBC Holiday show - Florida set to be a bargin destination this summer

[heatherbelle]

Don't know if any of you have watched this show tonight.

Prices are coming down for the summer, as the tour operator's are unable to sell packages. (That's because most of us here on the DIS, DIY our holidays).

Also they have contacted some major banks and the banks are predicting that the dollar will hit $2.00 per £1.00 by the end of the summer. Just in time for my October trip. Yipeee.

So it looks like we should all sit tight before purchasing more dollars. Or should we!

 

[TraceyL]

Wish I could find some of these bargains they talk about - everything is so much more expensive than last year !!

Twas an interesting program though

 

[Goofyish]

Here's a link to the info. on the BBC website:

Holiday Hit Squad

 

[Goofyish]

They also covered legroom and seat tips on long haul flights:

Long Haul Tips

 

[mandymouse]

It was really interesting ~ I can't believe that people are losing interest in Florida (especially not the people on the Dis). Hubby was yelling at me saying 'I knew we should've waited before we booked it'

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks for that interesting

 

[mark&sue]

Once again I am sure you can get a bargain if you don't go out during school holidays. As we have to go during school holidays these programmes just wind me up when they tell me how cheap they are. Try looking at the prices for August 2007 and I bet the planes will all be full.


Susan

 

[Deedee]

As i have always told my friends it is quite reasonable to get to Florida it is the ticket prices and everything else that mounts up. This is why you see so many families sitting around the pool every day because they can't afford to go any where. When they come back they tell people where they have been on holiday but they haven't been to any attractions. I can't understand them why not go to Europe to sit by the pool and get a tan!!!

 

[Shooby doo]

As with everything it's when you can go,normally most of the deals are out of London,although we once picked a 2 week fly drive ,out of manchester,for £129 but it was very last minute!! Also you don't have to be too fussy where you want to stay,we always stay In LBV,partly because that was where we got our deal on our first trip & we know the surrounding area very well. BUT there is absolutely no way of getting away from the Park pass prices,for 3 of us we are not getting much change out of £1000 & that's before a morsel passes your lips! As with anything it comes down to cost,if things stay as they are this year,then the bargains may be there but next year "they " will just drop the number of flights to be more cost effective! By the way it isn't just Florida most people are now DIYing their holidays & the big Package Companies are in a tizzy!!
SD

 

[Cochise]

There are no bargains to be had unless you completely avoid school holidays. I read an article in the sentinel pages saying the brits travelling was pretty level from last year.

 

[wendy_uk]

We have checked out how much cheaper it would be if we had waited and booked now instead of nearly 18mths ago. It would now cost us more about another £1000. We wanted our friends to join us. That was 2 adults but they could not go any cheaper than the 4 of us are paying, so how these holiday compannies find cheap summer holidays is beyond me. Even booking everything seperately it still worked out more i think this is a lot to do with the flights being more expensive because of the fuel charges.

 

[mushumadness]

luckil we alwas avoid school holidas (as we have no kids)

this years holiday is costing more than next years though (as stupid me didnt divide the villa price up right and is also paing towards bros car!) its costing around £1400 each for me and dbf, and thats not including the car (another £200) just flights and villa!!

now next year its £1300 each, and thats including disne tickets pop century car and insurance and dining plan! oh and sunshine first seats

I reall did one on myself this year lol

 

[wendy_uk]

We have checked out how much cheaper it would be if we had waited and booked now instead of nearly 18mths ago. It would now cost us more about another £1000. We wanted our friends to join us. That was 2 adults but they could not go any cheaper than the 4 of us are paying, so how these holiday compannies find cheap summer holidays is beyond me. Even booking everything seperately it still worked out more i think this is a lot to do with the flights being more expensive because of the fuel charges.

It is costing us £3500 approx for 2 adults and 2 children that is ASMU flights with premiar gold seating. Nothing else got to add park tickets and car hire to that. Car hire is cheaper to do it direct than with the travel agent.

 

[ely3857]

We could have saved around £400 in total for the exact same holiday this Sept if we had waited until after last xmas rather than book last Aug.

The saving is primarily on Hotel (Pop Century) but also there is less fuel surcharge aswell.



Jodie

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Yes little available in the school holidays, you cant even get flights, but Florida might be out of favour, Bad hurricaines in summer, fuel surcharges and preference by Disney to Americains over British.

Disney could try to understand, market and be more flexible to Brits as after Americans we are the next biggest group.

 

[UKDEB]

luckil we alwas avoid school holidas (as we have no kids)

this years holiday is costing more than next years though (as stupid me didnt divide the villa price up right and is also paing towards bros car!) its costing around £1400 each for me and dbf, and thats not including the car (another £200) just flights and villa!!

now next year its £1300 each, and thats including disne tickets pop century car and insurance and dining plan! oh and sunshine first seats

I reall did one on myself this year lol

LOL, Anna - the 'y' is broken on your keyboard!

 

[terrynewpack]

Disney could try to understand, market and be more flexible to Brits as after Americans we are the next biggest group.

Canadians well outnumber the British. UK tourists in the scheme of things are not all that important when foreign visitors amount in total to only about 5% of visitors.

There are some tremendous bargains about NOW. Its hard luck if you are stuck with school holidays but for those that can go anytime this is bargain time. The impending World Cup has totally messed up the travel trade and the last time I looked (last week) flights were available for less than £200 inclusive of all taxes and other bits and you can easily pick up a villa for £300 per week or less. So for say 4 people a car, flight and villa for just over £425 each for a fortnight is a steal.

Terry

 

[Pootle]

Canadians well outnumber the British. UK tourists in the scheme of things are not all that important when foreign visitors amount in total to only about 5% of visitors..........Terry

I don't think you can have seen SimonV's very comprehensive reply on this very point in a different thread:

As regards the importance of the UK market to Florida, while we make up less than 5% of the total visitors numbers, we stay for far LONGER and spend a lot more money (mainly on shopping ). The average US visitor stays for around 5 days; the average Brit for 12.5 days; that means we are more than twice as important in pure number terms (probably around 10% of the total tourist business). We are also concentrated in fewer areas, i.e. Orlando and the St Pete's-Clearwater areas, hence our economic impact is even greater in those areas. Some attractions like Discovery Cove have up to 40% UK visitors at times, so a drop of 20% this year would have those places jumping up and down in anguish. The fact they aren't also shows these so-called stories are wrong.

Also, we are significantly the largest overseas visitors to Orlando; the figures for 2005 show Orlando had 48million visitors, of which 2.7million were international. Of the international market, the UK accounts for 41% of it (around 1.1m); Canada 24%; Germany 3%; Brazil 3%; Colombia 3%; Japan 2%; Venezuela 2%; rest of world (inc Europe) 22%.

It convinces me that the UK visitors are indeed important to the Orlando tourism industry

 

[julieannbabe]

whatever way you book it - i think most of us will agree that Florida is not a cheap holiday.

thanks for the info though

xjx

 

[Girlsontour]

We have just got back and it has cost us, with everything added up, £5500 for 3 of us (CSR and HRH). Worth every penny to see my 20 year old daughter acting like a 5 year old.....memories last a lifetime!