does anyone else not leave disney whilst in Orlando?

[AndRu]

Mike,

IMHO - Epcot is a bunch of shops and cafes around a lake with a couple of average rides near the main entrance. It's a bit like Ikea; a long walk, a few things you might want to look at with a coffee shop - except Disney charge you to get in. So nope, after three visits I simply don't "get" Epcot as it doesn't have the 'wow factor' that I get from MK, AK or my personal Disney favourite - MGM. On our three week trip in '07 we'll only be visiting Epcot once as part of a park hopping day, either at the start of end of a day. The only things we'll want to do is Test Track, Mission Space, The Golf ball thinggy and maybe Soarin' - but that's it. Epcot done and dusted in 3 hours max! But that's the beauty of life isn't it? It'd be boring and predictable if we all liked the same things!

Getting back on track, for those that stay onsite I would recommend at least one off site restaurant visit. For us as a family of 5 it could cost anything upto $50 just for hot-dogs, pizza, chips and cokes in Disney on-site eateries. For a lot less you can get well fed with properly cooked food in Orlando. There truly is great quality and VFM out there. Disney don't want you to leave, after all, they're in business to make money, so they're happy for you to spend a greater percentage of your money whilst in WDW. I prefer to spread mine around and give lots of restaurants, big & small, my custom.

As ever, it's horses for courses

 

[scojos]

i think this is a very fair point, lots of people work in the service area in florida and are reliant on our business, disney makes enough money
we always try and find "independant" establishments when on hols, not just in orlando and fund individuals not just corporate chains...crrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk
that was me getting off my high horse
anyway, we are 5, 2 ads and 3 kids, and we just couldn t afford to eat on site all the time...

tracy
xx

 

[Hilary]

We've done 100% WDW trips, mixed trips, and a trip that didn't involve the parks at all. I couldn't say any were better than the others, they were just different holidays that happened to all take place in the same US state.

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

I think this is the key - if you're going on holiday to WDW, why would you want to leave WDW? If you're thinking of it as a trip to Orlando then you're going to see other parks, too, and for a trip to Florida you might want that to include WDW, but you might not It depends on the kind of holiday you're looking for.

Horses for courses!

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

I think Florida as so much more to offer than just Disney.
We have ventured afar, Our first trip took us from Orlando, to St Pete's, Naples and Miami we drove down stopping for a few nights in them places.

We have always on each trip going had a drive around and took in the sights, We have very rarely got lost and if we have we have popped onto a well lit,and busy petrol (gas) station for help.

I think Naples is beautiful and is a must for a drive too.
There is so many nice places there than just Disney,Alot of people go without a car and I guess that does limit where you can travel too.

 

[lorapinky]

Hi Everyone

Thanks for your response on this topic. It is nice that people can do both, myself I don’t think I would ever leave WDW whilst in Orlando but I totally understand those of you that do

When I was in Orlando last year we went into Kissimmee and I was terrified, we went to the court house to get our marriage licence and thought we would take a stroll into the centre…we found nothing and became hot and bothered. We raced back to the court house and got a taxi straight back to WDW and we never left the parks again!

There is so much to do at Disney, in fact I don’t think we got everything done whilst we were in Disney last year so we have more to explore when we go next year. I guess I am just a big Disney nut!

Thanks again everyone

 

[Tinker74]

We are doing both!!
The first week we are staying at the CR and totally immersing ourselves in all things Disney. We will not be adventuring off site at all...i have a fully packed itinerary.

The second week we are moving to a condo in Bahama bay...and slowing the pace just a little. We will visit sea world...universal..IOA..and we are staying one night in the Hard rock hotel.

Dh and ds will also be going to Kennedy.

 

[carolfoy]

I must admit the downside of my florida holidays is when I wander off WDW property - we usually have a few days out for shopping, everglades, seaworld things and this year will be trying universal and IOa ofr the first time (thanks Johnny ) but I feel depressed as soon as I come through those gates into the real world!
having said that we're lucky enough to have usually 2 or 3 long haul and 1 short haul holiday a year so I don't ever feel like we're missing out.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I must admit the downside of my florida holidays is when I wander off WDW property - we usually have a few days out for shopping, everglades, seaworld things and this year will be trying universal and IOa ofr the first time (thanks Johnny ) but I feel depressed as soon as I come through those gates into the real world!
having said that we're lucky enough to have usually 2 or 3 long haul and 1 short haul holiday a year so I don't ever feel like we're missing out.

I think the main thing is that we all go and have a brilliant time, as I said earlier we have never restricted our holidays to just the theme parks but that's just what works best for us.
In our circumstances with Josh it's perfect for us in a villa, although we have a few days at the Boardwalk this August so I guess we have the best of both worlds.

We all just do what suits us best, there is no right or wrong way.

 

[fizz13]

This year will be the first time I have stayed on site at WDW as we are usually in our timeshare, and i am really looking forward to it. Firstly, we are only going for a week so this limits how much we can do. Secondly, I always wanted to try beimg immersed in disney for a week and enjoying that little bubble.
I love all that central Florida has to offer, the beaches, the other parks and reserves, the shopping malls, and the pretty towns around, and in a couple of years we will do the 14 day explore all over again. But just for this year, I am going to eat, breathe and live the magic for 7 glorious days, taking my time at the parks, going back re-riding favourites, enjoying the EMH privelage and the dining plan, and taking my time to truly take it in.
I think to not see the rest of Orlando and the surrounding area would be a shame but just this year I'm staying with the Mouse, jut so I know what its like,
claire xx

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

We love Disney, but prefer Universal. Like someone says, horses for courses. We only ever stay one week in Orlando, be it onsite at Disney, Universal or somewhere completely different (had our first stay in a beautiful villa in a lovely area of Kissimmee last year) and then spend another week and a half or so down near a beach.

We could not go to Florida just to the parks.

Florida offers SO much more than theme parks. I think it's actually quite sad that so many British visitors don't venture out to see the "real" Florida. Not just the beautiful beaches, but the inland waterways, the Everglades, pretty towns and state parks.

However, at the end of the day, if you are happy staying within the Disney resorts and that's what floats your boat, then that's what a holiday is all about

 

[Frances999]

We spend all of our holiday at either Universal or WDW (with a day-trip to Discovery Cove). We may occasionaly visit a mall - but rarely - as there are much better shopping opportunities elsewhere in my opinion. We also choose to dine exclusively within WDW or Universal and see no need to leave the resorts. I'm not a fan of Orlando itself, or the rest of Florida, so it's just WDW and Universal for us

 

[jen_uk]

We stay onsite and don't leave Disney much. We always go to the malls for a day and sometimes to Seaworld but thats about it! There is so much to do at Disney that Im not bothered about going somewhere else. The first year I went we went on a Virgin free night out to Church Street Station and I hated it! There were gangs of lads hanging around and at the end of it was a street with strip clubs stc and it was really sleazy! That pretty much put me off exploring outside of Disney!

 

[homerdog]

Crikey! I think some people need to think about broadening their horizons.

 

[florida sun]

To be honest, I think it all depends on what you want to get out of the holiday you booked, for me I book to go to WDW, not to see the rest of Florida, I do venture out to Universal, Seaworld and the shopping malls, but I find it very difficult to fit in all that in 2 weeks let alone seeing other areas of Florida, now thats not to say one day I wont want to see other areas, but if I do I would plan a holiday around doing that. Im not done seeing and doing all of Disney and Universal yet

 

[daveyoghurt]

I would never place restrictions on my holiday by sticking to one place, be it Disney, Universal or wherever. That said, all of our holidays so far have been based around Orlando, not being a beach fan, doing a week on the coast has never really interested me. I do think that my next trip after our upcoming holiday will probably be a couple of weeks in Orlando and then the third week in Key West. I wouldn't knock people who stayed onsite and didn't venture off however, everybodys different!

 

[Frances999]

Crikey! I think some people need to think about broadening their horizons.

What a ridiculous comment to make. Just because people may choose to focus their holiday in Disney/Universal or wherever it by no means signifies that they should "broaden their horizons". Perhaps people who do explore all of Florida but visit consistently every year and don't go on holiday elsewhere should broaden their horizons by trying out other destinations.

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

What a ridiculous comment to make. Just because people may choose to focus their holiday in Disney/Universal or wherever it by no means signifies that they should "broaden their horizons". Perhaps people who do explore all of Florida but visit consistently every year and don't go on holiday elsewhere should broaden their horizons by trying out other destinations.

Why has this gotten so personal? We obviously ALL have one thing in common - we all like Disney, otherwise we wouldn't have found these boards for information on them.

However, I hope our new style moderators don't come along and close the post (like keeps happening) - this is a debate board at the end of the day

Everyone is different - if we all wanted to do the same thing, nobody would be able to fit in Disney. Then everyone would want to visit Universal, my fave - then I'd just get cross

 

[JohnnySharp2]

The answer to the question has been given by many of us - it just depends on what sort of holiday you have.
There is no right or wrong way, we could never be just restricted to Disney , it would be just too much - however if people want to do that fine, all down to personal preference.

 

[jjpenguin]

Just thinking something this morning on my way to work, one of the reasons why we love staying at WDW is because it's so easy. Get up, slip on T-shirt & shorts, grab sunglasses, camera and room key - which is ticket and cash as well, and off you go to have fun.
We have so much stress at work etc. it's just a holiday pure & simple, no worries, no cares: grab a bus, boat or monorail, feel safe, new things every time in and out of the parks. Now we go so often we don't have to do everything and can enjoy everything else there is on offer.

We also do weekend trips and other holidays, but our WDW holiday is our "chill pill"

 

[lorapinky]

Hi everyone

I think everyone does what suits them best

The main reason I stay on site at WDW and never leave is because I am a 101% a disney fan



I love nothing better then waking up knowing I am going to expereince some disney magic. I am also a little lazy and so I like having everthing on my doorstep, it suits me.

I also have a hubby who would be terrified (so would I) to venture outside of WDW. He was so scared just walking through downtown disney at night time (again so was I)

I think that we can all agree that Orlando has so much to offer everyone, thats why we all keep going back