Doh! Where do I start?

[Rookie]

Hi there All,

Rookie by name, Rookie by nature -eeek!

Usually holiday in Europe - pool/beach bums.

There's me (47) loves rides and shopping.
Hubby (39) hates rides and shopping (would'nt you just know it?).
Son (11) loves biggest and best rides, not too enamoured with anything academic, but probably would love Kennedy Space.
Daughter (8, but looks 10) loves everything, especially interesting/educational things. Wants desperately to swim with dolphins.
So .... mixed bag really.

Going for three weeks from 8th Sept. Staying in villa in Kissamee with pirvate pool. Car hire.

Would love to hear from anyone with any suggestions on how to make the most, of this probably 'once in a lifetime' experience.

Would be especially grateful for the the following:

1. Template for planning days/evenings out. Suggestions on which parks to do and when.
2. Gems of information which will prevent me from turning into the tired/ratty/irritable/'all theme parked out' mother from hell.
3. How much spending money - taking into account we'll probably eat out most of the time.
4. What to pack? Clothes/Toiletries - buy out there? Haven't done any of this yet.
5. Park tickets best deals, where to buy? here/at the park/elsewhere. How much to allow for park tickets/entertainment.
6. What not to miss. Scared we'll come back and someone will say "Oh and what did you think about so and so - wasn't it fantastic?"
7. Cards v. Cash - any suggestions?

Phew! Eeeek! told you I was a rookie. Thanks so much in advance.
xxx

 

[mushumadness]

hiya

the best thing to remember is dont over do the parks, because if you do you wont like it. you dont have to be in them 24/7 lol,

my boyfriend doesnt like shopping so when we go to the mall I make sure we look in the electric shops etc to keep him interested.

you've got to try the walmart and florida mall, theyre great.

spending money wise i always overspend! i tak about $3000 for me alone, if your planning on buying big things then take a credit card, nationwides is a great one.

we try and avoid the parks on a saturday as its busy.

universal islands of adventure is definatly worth going to

i hope i have helped a bit

most importantly have a BRILLIANT TIME!!!!

 

[kevin harrison]

Would love to hear from anyone with any suggestions on how to make the most, of this probably 'once in a lifetime' experience.

Hi there, once you've visited, it won't be a once in a lifetime thing, trust me when I say that, everyone here will back me up on that point of view.

Buy Simon Veness's book "A Brit's Guide to Orlando" - an invaluable guide, especially for beginners.

 

[natalielongstaff]

i have to second the brits guide advice....its a great source of info

welcome to the disboards

 

[Hilary]

Hi and welcome to the DIS boards!

You're already one (or more) step ahead of the game by asking questions and recognising that you need some kind of plan to get the most from your trip.

As Kevin says, buy a guidebook. Also, check out the wealth of information here and on the many other Orlando sites on the internet. That way, you'll soon have an idea of the things that your particular family will find suits them best. We're all likely to have our own agenda for 'must do / must avoid', so our suggestions might not necessarily work for you.

Please don't take this to mean you've done anything wrong with your first post (you haven't ), but you may find you get more constructive replies if you post each question as a separate thread - that way people will be able to pick out the bits they can help you with more easily.

Have fun with the planning!

 

[cazzie]

Another recomendation for the Brits Guide to Orlando. I found it a great source of info before I went but it was invaluable once we were in Orlando as I would use it each night to get my info for the parks we were going to the next day (especially for us as it was our first time).

Welcome to the boards I am sure you will find loads of info here I know I did.

 

[ely3857]

Hiya

Step 1: Buy the Brits Guide.
Step 2: Ask the family to read it and chip in anything they feel is a must for them.
Step 3: (This step is a must) Spread your parks days out. You will wear out quickly and even after the first couple of days you will need a rest day.

I have just returned from my 2nd 'once in a lifetime' holiday with my df who was on his first. We did Kennedy Space Centre as a last minute fill in and loved it. We paid extra for the Nasa Up Close tour which lasts 2-2.5 hours and gives the the same tour as everyone else plus extra bits in restricted areas.



Jodie

 

[Pootle]

You've already been given some good advice, especially about the Brits Guide and from Hilary about asking questions separately, but here's my two cents' worth.

There is a ton of information on the Disboards of course, but another site you might care to look at is http://allearsnet.com/

I'll take questions 3 and 7. How much people take/spend; it just varies just so much on your own habits/tastes. Will you be eating in the parks much? If so, counter service (reasonable) or sit down (can be pricey)? Eating outside of the parks can be quite cheap and as you are staying in Kissimmee you will not be far from many eating places Some people work on a budget of say $100 a day for food, others would spend that on one meal for a family of 4.

However, on to point 7. The good thing is that cc's are accepted just about everywhere (and if you have a Nationwide one, can be better than using cash since they give you better-than-tourist rate). I normally take a small amount of cash, some travellers' cheques but use my credit card as much as possible (and take a back-up card just in case). Others would not want to come home to the credit card bill

PS We had our first 'holiday of a lifetime' in Florida in 1988 and now I've lost count Enjoy your planning.

 

[shellbell]

Another vote for Simons book, we buy a new one every year. The book has all the info that you need, its more like the Disney bible Make sure you spend plenty of time on the boards and ask any questions about anything! someone will have the answer. Happy planning.

Michelle

 

[Goofyish]

Welcome to the DIS

I think both your children will enjoy Epcot. Your DS will enjoy Test Track and Mission Space, while your DD will enjoy the educational side of Epcot like the Living Seas, the Land and investigating all the different countries around the World Showcase. There are a few rides to enjoy around the World Showcase too - your DS will enjoy Maelstrom in the Norway pavillion

September is a great time to go - nice weather and low crowds

Travellers cheques need to be in Dollars - you can you them just like cash
If you take a Nationwide credit card you don't get charged any fee for using it in the US, so you get an exchange rate close to the bank rate

Don't miss Illuminations at Epcot (everynight at 9pm), Fantasmic at MGM Studios and Wishes/Spectromagic at MK - they are all fantastic

Check out the Boardwalk in the evening (leave Epcot via the International Gateway near France) it's a great way to chill out. You can then walk round to the Swan/Dolphin and have a game of minigolf at Fantasia Golf, then walk back round past the Yacht/Beach CLub resorts and have a sundae at Beaches and Cream (ask for the 'kitchen sink' ).

 

[wicket2005]

1 Buy The Brits Guide to Orlando. The author's website askdaisy.net under
park updates has a section on the best days to do each parks ie the
quieter days.

2 Plan what you are doing. You know what your family can handle, we
can handle 18 hours on the go then 6 hours sleep hitting theme parks
everyday but this isn't for everyone. Have rest spots for shopping/
swimming. We found it a good idea to carry our swim things with us
and then jump into Blizzard Beach for a couple of hours at tea time
to cool down. It was amazingly quiet at this time.

3 We spent about £1700 on food, gifts, purchases, etc. The kids had
their own spending money. We had meals out but tended to have
breakfast at our nearest Ponderosa, counter service in parks and
sandwiches from Subway. 2 adults, sons aged 16 and 14.

4 We bought both the Disney Ultimate ticket and the 4 park Flex Ticket
(Universal, IoA, Wet n Wild and Sea World). These tickets allowed
for 14 days unlimited access to these parks and are good value for
money. We bought them from attractionticketsdirect but getting
them to price match the cheapest UK online site we could buy
which they advertise they will do.

5 Travel as light as you can because you will buy things over there.
Clothes need to be easily dried because there is a lot of water rides
where you get soaked and you can experience heavy downpours.
We invested in some Rohan convertible trousers and teeshirts which
are travel clothes - light, sun protection built, crease resistant, let
the heat out, etc. The kids were unhappy in their normal heavy
cotton teeshirt because they did take a while to dry in the July
sun. The best teeshirts were the Rohan ones which dried out
quickly and kept you cool plus Peter Storm ones which cost about
20 quid. These too let the heat out and were quick drying.

We took 2 hard bodied cases and one large soft holdall which we
know could be easily squashed into the boot. Remember you have
to consider how big your boot is going to be over there. We have
found two large cases fit in no problem in the intermediate/fullsize
cars. Some tour operators only give you a compact size car for
a family which we have never had believing them to be too small
so it may be worth you upgrading to an Intermediate car if you
have a compact size.

Another thing we invested in were Rash shirts. These are swim
teeshirts which have about a 50 sun factor in them. This enabled
us to go swimming without the worry of getting sunburnt. The
second time we went we made the mistake of not wearing a
teeshirt in the water parks in February and just relied on sun
cream, we all got a bad dose of sun burn.

6 Basically just go to all the Disney parks and their water parks as
well as Universal, Islands of Adventure and Sea World. Arrive
30 minutes before the parks open, you will find you will be
able to get the rides you want to do then.

7 It is always handy to have cash. We took about $100 in cash
with us and £600 of Travellors' Cheques. We thought we took
a bit too much in cheques because we ended up using them
up in the last week instead of using the cc like we would
normally have done.

You do need some money just to get you from the airport
to your hotel because you will be using the toll roads.

We used the Nationwide cc which is the only one that doesn't
charge you for using it abroad. If using another brand you
will be charged everytime you use it. It is also cheaper to
get money from the ATM as well.

Hope this gives you some idea.

 

[arieliwish]

Here's another vote for Simon's book, along with this site you should get more than enough help!

We did that once in a lifetime trip last sept, oops we're going again this sept!! ha ha!!
You should find Sept is not as busy as you might think, we were pleasantly surprised by this last time, of course we did follow the 'quiet day guide' in the Brits Guide!

Have a great time.

 

[TheFram4]

Hi there All,


4. What to pack? Clothes/Toiletries - buy out there? Haven't done any of this yet.

xxx

As for point 4 I would recommend buying all essentials before you go, there isnt too much difference in toiletries prices. Also you have to remember that shopping in Orlando take TIME - everything is so spread out it is not like nipping to ASDA! Most people dont want to spend first days shopping

 

[Hilary]

I would recommend buying all essentials before you go, there isnt too much difference in toiletries prices. Also you have to remember that shopping in Orlando take TIME - everything is so spread out it is not like nipping to ASDA! Most people dont want to spend first days shopping

Absolutely agree! We really enjoy spending some time shopping in Florida, but I'd hate to think I have to go out and buy all the essentials straight away. We'd rather hit the parks as soon as we arrive, not the supermarkets

 

[disneyholic family]

i have to agree - buy the brit's guide....even if you're not a brit (as i'm not) it's a very useful guide to have (and the only one i took with me on our trip this year....our 30th visit to WDW)..

 

[Shooby doo]

Simon's book!! Comfortable shoes-there is a lot of walking.Forget your posh frocks unless you really intend to use them.Orlando is very informal.If you hace time go to Busch Gardens -the coasters there are excellent!! We normally buy all our tickets before going but really depends on how the exchange rate is at the time! Don't charge round the parks,take your time,they really put a lot of thought into the details...this also helps prevent burn-out later in the holiday!
Have fun SD aw:

 

[UKDEB]

Hi, Rookie, and welcome to the DIS!

I’ll start with my two top pieces of advice:

• Take time to smell the roses. The first time we visited, we blitzed the parks, rushing from attraction to attraction, and never really slowed down enough to take it all in. I’ve still got the park maps with each attraction religiously ticked off as we experienced it! As you’ll be there for 3 weeks, you’ve got time to take things at a slightly more relaxed pace, although there is so much to do in Orlando, you could still easily fill that time with non-stop activity if you were inclined to do so!

• As you’ll be staying offsite, avoid the Extra Magic Hour (EMH) days at all costs. For its onsite guests, Disney opens selected parks one hour earlier in the mornings and up to 3 hours later in the evenings. That means those parks get busy. September is a slower time to visit, but there is no such thing as quiet at WDW! There’s absolutely no point being in the parks with bigger crowds than necessary. The current schedule is:
  
  MK – Friday morning, Wednesday evening
  Epcot – Monday morning, Thursday evening
  MGM – Tuesday morning, Sunday evening
  AK – Saturday morning, Tuesday evening

SpectroMagic is the ‘not to be missed’ night-time parade at MK. Your only opportunites to see it will be 12, 17, 19, 24 & 26, so you’ll need to schedule that into your plans. Count on wall to wall crowds whichever night you choose. And find a spot for viewing in good time (an hour in advance isn’t too soon and you’ll find people staking out places even earlier than that).

Wishes, the MK fireworks show, is shown every night, but at different times – you can check out all the park hours and fireworks/parade times at Disney’s official site here. On 9th and 10th September, MK is hosting ‘Nights of Joy’, a separately ticketed event which means the park will close earlier.

Another ‘must do’ is the nightly IllumiNations fireworks show at Epcot. This one’s easy – it’s at 9pm each evening.

If you want to see Fantasmic, MGM’s evening show, and you intend on also eating at a full-service restaurant in the park, it’s worth considering the Fantasmic Dinner package. For a set price (and menu) you can choose to eat at Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose or Hollywood Brown Derby. You then get reserved seating for the show. In September, it’s probably not so critical as they ask you to turn up 45 minutes before the show starts and at slower times you’ll easily get a seat by arriving then even without the package.

For me, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are equally as good as the Disney parks. Sea World is also a fantastic park. I’m not a huge fan of Busch Gardens, but many people are. As your daughter is desperate to swim with dolphins, I assume you’ve considered Discovery Cove?

If you take the advice here to buy ‘A Brit’s Guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World’, you'll be eligible to buy Simon and Susan’s Personal Itinerary Planner for £10 (you can buy it for £25 without the book, but as you can buy the book and the planner for less than that, it seems like a no-brainer to me). For a first time visitor, I would say both are invaluable. The book has some great advice on all kinds of things such as driving, shopping, things to do away from the parks, and even stuff about the airport. And there are maps and directions for everything included in the book. The PIP is a day-by-day detailed schedule based on information provided by you about the dynamic of your party, your interests, the length of your stay, where you’re staying, etc.

Whereabouts in Kissimmee are you staying? I can let you have some info on restaurants, supermarkets and shops. We always drop our suitcases at the villa and then go straight to the supermarket for provisions. We tend to eat out a lot, but you will at least want to get in some things for making breakfast. We always make sure we have a supply of things for sandwiches, too – meats, cheeses, salad, etc. No matter how much you like eating, in 3 weeks you will get ‘restauranted out’. If your villa has a barbecue, that can make a nice change.

I tend to buy toiletries before we go; only because we’re tired when we get there and I’d rather spend supermarket time buying nice things, not worrying about essentials. However, it’s heavy to take out, so if you don’t mind shopping for it when you get there, it’s worth considering. Just make sure you make a list, otherwise you’ll miss something essential like toothpaste! When you get to the villa, do a bit of a recce to see what you need in terms of cleaning products, too. There is usually a toilet roll in each bathroom and you may find one or two dishwasher tablets, but there’s often little else. We usually forget to buy bin bags, although we tend to save the carrier bags from the shopping and use those.

I would advise not to take too many clothes. If you’re anything like our family, you’ll all buy new stuff there and live in that. And at the villa, you’ll have washing and drying facilities – we wash every day because it’s so easy. It’s great to be able to come home with a suitcase full of clean clothes, too.

Spending money is an impossible one. What sort of spenders are you at home? If you’re extravagant normally, there are endless opportunities to part with your cash and you’ll need a lot! What kind of places do you like to eat? As far as cash v cards, we tend to use cards and take $100/day for incidentals. Towards the end of the trip, we tend to use more cash to ‘use it up’. We haven’t bothered with travellers cheques for years – I find them a real nuisance. Again, though – what do you do at home? What will you feel most comfortable with?

My favourite places to shop are:

Mall at Millenia - a state of the art mall with a mixture of designer and ‘high street’ stores together with some big-name department stores (Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus) and some great places to eat. For a first timer, I don’t think Cheesecake Factory can be beaten. It has a gargantuan menu – literally something for everyone – and cheesecake to die for (we get ours to go).

Florida Mall – a much bigger complex. If your kids want to shop at Abercrombie and Fitch you’ll need to go here: there isn’t one at MaM.

Premium Outlets – IMO the best of the discount options.

Need to sign off for now (I think I’ve rattled on long enough!), but I have got some thoughts on park tickets, so I’ll post back later along with anything else I think of.

 

[JanElliott]

Funny thing, only yesterday I remembered how I happened along to this website - Simon's book. It's a must have. Just wanted to say (if this is not stating the obvious) notify your credit card company that you will be using it abroad. Mine said it I hadn't they would have put a stop on it.

 

[Rookie]

Hi there to everyone who replied to my post.

I read and re-read every reply breathing in all of your enthusiasm and comments. We bought 'The Guide' - a fantastic investment.

Well we're off on Thursday and can't tell you how excited we all are.

No doubt I'll back to this site before then, but if not, I'll back on our return to maybe give answers of my own?

Thank you all once again.

Rookie. x

 

[wicket2005]

You will have a fantastic time, let us know how you got on.