does anyone else not leave disney whilst in Orlando?

[lorapinky]

Hello everyone

I was jsut wondering if anyone else never leave the disney premises when in Orlando?

I know there are other things to do but I just love disney so much I never feel the need to leave it. I am also a very wary person and I dont think I would feel safe travelling outside of the disney parks

Just wondered if anyone was the same???

 

[saratogagirl]

Hi

I am exactly the same, love it so much can't bear to leave - must confess that I can't resist a bit of shopping at the malls though, so do tear ourselves away for at least half a day.... DH has even made the scary suggestion about stying at one of the Universal Hotels for a couple of nights in 2007 - we shall see

 

[jjpenguin]

We don't usually venture out much, this time we went to Universal for a day but otherwise apart from the obligatory shopping trip we're quite content to stay at WDW for the whole stay. There's so much to do there...

 

[angel659]

Hi

I love WDW. I also like seeing other places i.e Seaworld, Universal, shopping etc.. WDW is the place we visit the most, but we do venture out to see other places.

I have never had a problem driving around Orlando and have felt safe at all times. Its such a tourist area I doubt you would feel unsafe.

If you can just visit Universal studios or somewhere like. You will be surprised how much you enjoy the change.

 

[AndRu]

I feel sorry for anyone that doesn't venture out of WDW as there is so much more to Orlando (and Florida) that you're missing. The people, restaurants, theme parks, shopping, nature ad infinitum are there to be enjoyed whilst visiting Florida. To coop yourself away in the confines of Disney seems a shame and whilst Disney is nice you can have too much of something. "A little bit of what you fancy" is a good motto IMHO but over-dosing one thing? Hmmm, maybe not - not for me anyway.

Don't get me wrong, no trip to Orlando would be complete without trips to WDW, with the exception of Epcot!, but it's not the be-all and end-all of Orlando. There is a city, state and country that can be discovered while you're there but to stay on-site and never leave is a bit of a shame. Fair enough if you're an adult making this decision but if you've got children why wouldn't you want them to experience the Everglades, Sea World or The Kennedy Space Centre? Unless you're very fortunate it's not like you can nip back to do the things you missed. In three visits we've never had a problem with crime (maybe we're lucky?) but to us it appears to be one of the safest places to be - as long as you stay in the tourist areas.

Because I've been to Florida 3 times now - and my work desk is a shrine to the Sunshine State - I'm forever being asked about my experiences. I'm always happy to help but point out that there is more to Orlando than just WDW, especially if they're looking for value-for-money.

 

[Mike Jones]

..I also feel Florida in the main is very safe. In 7 trips I've evolved to having both family 14-18 day trips with a week on the coast, and intensive, adult only blasts around Orlando (and on one of those, a 5 day trip, we even managed a night at the Gulf!). We always wander off WDW both for the restaurants around Orlando and for Universal, where we stay onsite for the front of line access priveliges.

And, following our last trip in May where we started in New York, whcih was also extremely welcoming and non-threatening (we walked around 60 miles all over Manhattan in 3 days) I am looking forward to exploring more of the States.

Get out there, there's loads to see and do...

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree with AndRu.

Whilst WDW is brilliant, cannot deny that, there is so much more to Florida than Disney.

We are fortunate enough to have travelled around most of the Sunshine State over the years , although mostly we stick to Orlando now - mainly for Josh's benefit. I guess that's mainly because we had the traditional 2 centre holidays with Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Clearwater/Naples/Sarasota/the Keys.....

There is nothing wrong in Disney being the highlight of the holiday, it's a magical experience , however, we enjoy Universal just as much as the Disney parks and love to travel around whenever we can.
Whether it be just shopping, or a trip to the coast, a day at Sea World etc etc I would just feel too restricted if I never left WDW - if others feel different then fine, but it wouldn't be our ideal holiday at all.

Our holiday is a Florida one not a Disney one.

I have never felt unsafe in Central Florida.

 

[lady&tramp]

I agree with AndRu, although i love WDW and it is the main attraction of florida there is more to this wonderful place than mickey an co. It turned out that last year on our first trip our best day was when we went up to Busch Gardens, it was just a totally different atmosphere to wdw, really relaxing and so many good rides! Although WDW is great, you wont be disappointed with trying new things!

 

[catherine]

To be quite honest I don't think that we'd even bother going to Florida if WDW wasn't there!

 

[mytwotinks]

We just do Disney. My girls are 8 and 4 and for us part of the fun is just being able to leave all of the stress of life behind and rely on Disney for everything. We may go on a trip to a beach or other places in FL, but it would probably be a seperate trip from Disney. I don't consider us "missing out" on other sights. They will still be there when we are ready to see them.

 

[scojos]

andru imho is right...

seaworld universal, i drive et al also make the holiday magical, couldn t imagine being stuck in one place, if nothing else, you have to try real american food... if you read a few of the other posts, notabably the b fast post, no one has recommended a disney hotel... must mean something.
try everything.. you might find something else you like!!!

enjoy
tracy

 

[Miffy2003]

If I was there for a week, I maybe wouldn't venture offsite as I wouldn't bother with a car. But for any more than that, I like to see more that Orlando has to offer than just WDW.

The shopping, the other eateries, other attractions (I love the Gulf Coast beaches) etc are all not-to-be-missed

 

[Goofyish]

We very rarely venture outside of Disney. Last two trips the only times we went off site was to the Florida Mall

Next trip we do plan a few outings to IOA, US and SW

 

[UKDEB]

The more I visit, the more I think I could enjoy the area without visiting WDW, and that's even without considering the wider attractions of Florida beyond Orlando. Having said that, we found ourselves flying into and out of Orlando last month without setting foot on WDW property and I admit to feeling that I was somehow missing out. I guess a bit of both is still working for me.

 

[Red-Snapper]

We have always regarded the holiday as going to florida not going just to WDW.

As the years have gone by we have actualy done less & less of Disney and more exploring the less touristy areas/restaurants etc

The last few visits our most memorable days have been taking a picnic to Longboat Key & just generally driving about beyond the parks.

Having said that we always do 2 or 3 parks for a few hours in the morning and then return at night.

Each to their own I guess but I have to say its great returning to a hotel that is virtually Disney-free in the evening

 

[MrsJobba1]

We always stay on disney being dvc members.

We dont drive, as we are still a bit nervous about this but we have ventured off site using , taxis, buses, tours, towncars etc.

 

[Mike Jones]

Don't get me wrong, no trip to Orlando would be complete without trips to WDW, with the exception of Epcot!,

.. didn't see this the first time I read AndRu's reply, above, which I broadly agree with... to be honest, although I like AK, and think some bits of MGM are 'ok', I dislike MK with a passion (only going there grudgingly for a few, selected rides).. but I love Epcot!!! I'd go to Florida just for this wonderful place, yet I could easily live without the rest...Just goes to show how different people are (but excuse me if I shake my head sadly in pity at any adult who doesn't 'get' Epcot! )

Mike

 

[UKDEB]

excuse me if I shake my head sadly in pity at any adult who doesn't 'get' Epcot!

All the better for those of us who do, Mike!

 

[ely3857]

We certainly go outside of WDW & will continue to do so despite staying onsite this time
We will be venturing to USF, IOA & BG & W&W and have one night planned at Hard Rock Hotel
In previous trips I have 'done' Seaworld & KSC but have no plans for these next time around
At the moment our trips are def' theme park orientated but eventually I can see us doing a two site trip provding I can convince df that 2 weeks in Orlando is still a must and any beach stay needs to be tagged on aswell as not instead of!
We will also visit a couple of restaurants out of the world, Chillis & Passge to India are on our return to list



Jodie

 

[mikki.young]

We go to Florida for WDW but we always get a car and explore the shops and other attractions (tho we are not big Universal fans). Eating off site can be fun too and a lot easier on the wallet!