First Trip with my son.....and my first post!

[freddykrueger]

Hi guys

This is my first post on these forums and sorry to be asking so many questions but I reckoned that this is the right place to ask

I am planning to go towards the end of September with my wife and 7 year old - I was in Orlando about 12 years ago and obviously there will have been a lot of changes since then. When I went before I was just over 21 so car insurance was prohibitive and I used the bus to get everywhere (which to be honest was a pain!).

The first problem I have is.....driving. I will be the first to openly admit that I am terrified of driving in America, not because of automatics or speed limits but due to the signs etc so does anyone have any tips to allay my fears?

Secondly I have been considering booking a Disney resort hotel as I would like my son's first trip to Disney to be special - I stayed in a resort hotel at Paris and he loved it but what does everyone think about cost vs. benefit?

Lastly for now he is very fair skinned so should I just take a total sun block with me due to the weather at that time of year?

I have lots more questions but time to take a breather!

 

[tartangirl]

Welcome to the forum - it will soon get addictive.

I dont drive over there but my husband finds it very easy finding his way about as so much is off the I4 or 192 and the markers on the 192 are very useful - the one exception being he tends to get lost coming out of Disney, it's kind of fun finding out where we come out but then it's difficult to not end up on the I4 at some point and certainly not something to get worried about.

When we are going somewhere new my instructions are to call out the names of the roads as we go through junctions. I think he knows the junction before the one we are looking for so he has time to get in the right lane.

All the roads are well sign posted and if all else fails you can head for the I4 or 192 and you'll soon be back on familiar territory.

He's just shouted through that the only thing to be careful of is in car parks when you need to make sure you are driving on the right - all other times it is easy. Just take your time and you'll have no problems.

We stayed in a Disney hotel in Paris but found the prices too much in Orlando (especially when compared to the alternatives). We also had no car in Paris so that limited the options. I'm sure others will tell of the advantages of being close to the magic but the advantages of having a (cheaper) villa to chill out in is too much for us. You could take a room in Disney for a few days to get the best of both worlds.

My kids are dark skinned and we still use sun block (and they still tan through it). Take no risks and use sun block.

 

[tartangirl]

Forgot to mention - avoid elm street

 

[freddykrueger]

Originally posted by tartangirl
Forgot to mention - avoid elm street

Thanks for the really useful information - I am perhaps getting myself stressed over nothing but when I was over there before we befriended a couple who had a car and he was driving the wrong way up roads! Fortunately the locals seemed to find it funny.

Elm Street is my home though

 

[Pootle]

Welcome to the DIS boards. I'm sure you'll get lots of help and differing opinions here. My tuppenceworth folows:

Driving. If you feel a bit unsure about it, maybe you would prefer to drive the next day after a night's sleep rather than straight from the airport? Maybe consider a transfer to the hotel for the first night and picking up a car the following day. If not though, try to get a good map and familiarise yourself with the route from the airport to your resort. I always think that handing this out on arrival is not much use as you are tired and want to be on your way!

Should you choose a route containing I4 remember that although it actually travels north-south through the Orlando region, it is mainly an east-west road and the signs are marked accordingly, with Tampa being its westerly destination. When I did start to drive in Florida, I actually found it quite easy and I think this is quite a common experience.

Before becoming DVC members 8 years ago, we always stayed off site (usually in the Lake Buena Vista area) and thoroughly enjoyed that. Now we do stay on Disney property I can see why people pay the premium to do so. I'd say that was up to you and your budget, but as you are going late September, Disney normally has good deals on accommodation at that time (if you are booking independently) and if you check their web site (special offers), you will see what I mean. All Stars can be had from $55 a night and Wilderness Lodge from $119, plus tax of course.

Sorry, I know nothing at all about sun block though . All the best with making your arrangements. I'm sure it will be wonderful taking your child for the first time no matter how you choose to do it.

 

[brigadoon]

When we first went in 2000 we wanted it to be a bit special, so went went for a water view room in CBR, and to be honest we wish we hadn't bothered. At the time I'm sure we paid £120 a night (it's less now) and we hardly saw any water, and the pools and the room were small. I don't think there's any great park advantage by staying at Disney, unlike Universal's FOTL. You'll undoubtedly get better value elsewhere, but you won't get the full Disney experience, whatever that's worth.

If money was no object, I'd be delighted to stay in a suite at a top Disney hotel, but finances dictate I need to be more careful, so my vote's on saving money and getting more by staying elsewhere. You've then got more to spend in the parks, which is where you'll probably spend most of your time anyway.

 

[cool chris]

Hi and welcome,

Dont worry about driving, i was a couple of years ago but it is so much better than in the uk wider roads lower speeds and the automatics are so easy to use.

dont panic

good luck

chris

 

[freddykrueger]

You guys are great - really informative stuff so keep it coming! When I went before (1992) there was no Islands of Adventure etc so I feel like a big kid waiting to go his holidays again!!

Favourite parks at the time included Universal but I see there is no Kongfrontation anymore.....boo hoo as I thought the theming was great.

 

[tartangirl]

Originally posted by freddykrueger
a couple who had a car and he was driving the wrong way up roads! Fortunately the locals seemed to find it funny.

Doesn't sound too funny and I'm not surprised it worries you. It is difficult to turn up the wrong way of most roads as there are markings on the roads to direct you (and your usually following another car).

If turning into a side street it could be possible. When turning just say to yourself that the driver should be sitting towards the middle of the road (same as this country) and the passenger down the sidewalk (where they exist).

 

[wilki32]

Hi
Just to put my view on the driving, the only bad thing is when you get back to this country and have to negotiate the M25! The first time we went in 2000 my BIL took responsibility and I think I only drove to TGI. In 2002 I did all the driving , on the flight over I was starting to panic, will I be too tired, will I miss the turnings etc but it was so easy, even if you take a wrong turning you can easily find your way back. We took the MIL (a very nervous passenger) with us on that trip and her husband (navigator) went to pick up SIL and her hubby from MCO took the wrong turning and nobody in the car noticed. Last year was just myself, DW and DD, by her own admission DW couldn't direct me out of Tewkesbury never mind Orlando but again it just seemed so easy. You'll have nothing to worry about, sit back, put the cruise control on and enjoy!
I do agree with Tartangirl, everytime we came out of Disney we 'found' a different route but that was more to the fun.
With the hotel, not sure, we have stayed in 2 villas and an apartment but we are staying at the Movies resort in November, which seemed very cheap.
Anthony

 

[Hilary]

Hi and welcome to the DIS!

I don't drive in the US (DH does, or we get the WDW transport ), so can't help with that, I'm afraid.

I have to put in a vote for staying on-site at WDW. As Pootle says, there are some great deals to be found for off-peak visits to the WDW resorts, so they might not be completely out of budget for you.

Apart from 24hr 'magic' (which might not necessarily be a good thing after two weeks of it!), the advantages of early access to the parks, and the excellent transport system, are big benefits in my opinion.

We tend to split our trips now into Orlando and wider Florida, so we do hire a car, but when we're in WDW we leave the car at the resort and find it more relaxing to let someone else do the driving. When we used to stay in Orlando for the whole holiday, we didn't have a car and relied on the WDW transport for the Disney parks and got a couple of taxis for going off-site - much cheaper than paying for the rental car insurance with the holiday package.

Still, wherever you decide to stay, you just know you're going to have a great time, don't you?

 

[Kevin Stringer]

Well, they say everybody's view is different and this thread proves it's true!

Driving: It is a little daunting driving out of the airport for the first time, but you soon get the hang of it. Sitting in the car on the opposite side helps to get you used to driving on the right. it helps to have someone by your side to map read and steer you in the right direction. Also, have some coins or dollars ready for the toll roads.

Staying on Disney: This is from a man who has stayed everywhere from cheap motels in seedy parts of Orlando, through the All Stars all the way up to the Boardwalk Villas.
My personal experience is that the Disney part of my holidays is always greatly enhanced by staying on-site.
For those of us that enjoy a beer the bus service is wonderful, taking you to any part of WDW that you care to venture to.
It is also easier to take a break and get back for a rest before heading out again.
As Pootle has mentioned, you could look around and get a cheap deal at the All Stars or Pop Century.

If you intend to go to other parts of Orlando, you could get a couple of different hotels.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will have a wonderful time. Planning is the key to making sure you don't get overwhelmed with everyting and you're in the right place to ask all the questions you can think of.

Kev

 

[freddykrueger]

Thanks guys for all the responses and my mind has been somewhat put at ease - I think I will just drive around the car park until I get the "feel" of the car...

More questions I'm afraid! Before booking I have been leaning towards a package holiday but am I going to pay a premium for this and should I maybe break it down into more manageable chunks such as buying flights separately etc - which leads me to the question where can I get the best deals as I am up in Scotland and don't really want to fly out of Manchester.

My wife is also quite the shopper and when we went before we managed to get to one mall (can't remember which one but it had a great shop called the barefoot mailman or something like that) but getting back was a nightmare as we didn't know the bus routes and I swear we were going through all the ghettos!

I plan to try and buy tickets this time before I go so where would be the best place to look for these?

 

[tartangirl]

We're based in Edinburgh and over the last 4 years we've flown charter from Glasgow & Newcastle, BA via Gatwick and Virgin from Manchester.

We always go for a fly-drive as we like staying in villas and the packages rip you off for under-occupancy. I dont think I would choose Gatwick again as the delay before the flight back was a killer - especially for the kids who couldn't sleep in the airport.

A single flight is definately best, despite the bad press Virgin get I thought they were fine and the drive back from Manchester (about 4hrs including a 30mins coffee break) was way better than we expected (neither myself or DH sleep on planes and we were fine - after a few coffees) and the kids slept for the whole journey. It was far less tiring that a 3hr wait at Gatwick.

If we could get a charter from Glasgow for a decent price that would be the best option but you have to be lucky to get this. You're outwith school holiday time so they may not be running charters from either Glasgow or Newcastle.

I can understand the desire not to fly from Manchester as i was apprehensive this year but DH was confident he would be OK at what amounted to 3am US time. After this years experience we've booked Manchester again in preference over 2 flights. We did consider Continental via Newark as they now fly fom Edinburgh (or at least will next year) and they already fly from Glasgow but we couldn't get prices. IcelandAir from Glasgow via Kevlavik is another popular choice but I cant comment on that one.

Good luck with the hunt

 

[slinky101]

encouraging news about driving---- i've worked on rock'n'roll tours all over europe and drove last year all around orlando for 2 weeks and i have to tell u that the UK is the worst sign-posted place i know. after struggling around any city in the UK . . . . .you'll find the US easy, relaxing, even FUN

 

[vernon]

For costs it is usually the case that breaking up a package and booking the constituant parts yourself will be cheaper, but that isn't always the case and I think you'll find TV Travelshop and Going Places are offering some pretty aggressive deals at the moment. It's best to check and see what's available. For accommodation on Disney I would suggest checking with http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com They are part of this site and should be able to get you the best deals available staying on site. It may be the case that buying annual passes ( you only need one to qualify for an AP discount) might save you enough on the room rates to make that a worthwhile option. The All Star resorts are the cheapest Disney has to offer. The rooms are, IMHO , a little small for a family of four with older kids for a fornight, but as you've only got one 7 Y old that shouldn't be an issue for you. If you stay on site the need for having a car for the two weeks ( if that's what you're looking at) is diminished as Disney's excellent transport system is certainly up to the task of moving you to the parks and back again. As you want to visit IOA, US and plenty of shopping I think car hire for a week is probably going to be more than enough for your needs.

One thing to be wary of is that if you buy a package the TA is likely to want to make up their profits by selling you park tickets. Before you commit yourself try to work out what you'll want to see and how many days you need. One of the most common errors is to over buy theme park tickets and at $50+ per person per day a few days wrong can lose you close to $500 . For a fortnight I would look at a 5 day hopper plus ticket for Disney (5 themepark days and one or two in the waterparks) a 2 day pass for IOA/US a single day for SW ( which almost always is a second day free with it) there's 11 days, by the time you go shopping, have a down day at the pool or resort hopping and check in check out days you're not going to have any spare time.

 

[lucy_love_]

Originally posted by freddykrueger
Hi guys

This is my first post on these forums and sorry to be asking so many questions but I reckoned that this is the right place to ask

I am planning to go towards the end of September with my wife and 7 year old - I was in Orlando about 12 years ago and obviously there will have been a lot of changes since then. When I went before I was just over 21 so car insurance was prohibitive and I used the bus to get everywhere (which to be honest was a pain!).

The first problem I have is.....driving. I will be the first to openly admit that I am terrified of driving in America, not because of automatics or speed limits but due to the signs etc so does anyone have any tips to allay my fears?

Secondly I have been considering booking a Disney resort hotel as I would like my son's first trip to Disney to be special - I stayed in a resort hotel at Paris and he loved it but what does everyone think about cost vs. benefit?

Lastly for now he is very fair skinned so should I just take a total sun block with me due to the weather at that time of year?

I have lots more questions but time to take a breather!

firstly your not the only one to be terrified to drive. i live in middlesbrough and im taking my kids to see busted in newcastle in november and im already having nightmares about driving there. mind you it will be worth it to see charlie. ill ask my dh about some driving tips on america for you when he gets home as he worked out there for two years and drove everywhere.

secondly i am staying in a wdw hotel for our first trip in sep so i cant really advise on that yet. sorry

finally my kids are both very fair and im taking factor 60. they wear factor 30 - 60 in the uk in the summer. im also taking sunblock wipes and a stick for ease. better to be safe than sorry as sunburn on the first day can spoil the rest of your hol and make your ds very uncomfortable and even poorly. hats are also a must. sunburn on the head is the worst thing. i am fair and was a child of the 80s and i always had sunburn as the dangers werent known then. its horrible and there are long term effects. im sure you know all this anyway.

ok thats it for now i have rambled enough.

oh and welcome to the boards im fairly new too.

love

lucy

 

[DisneyBB]

We love staying on site, but have split it with other hotels in the area. Why don't you stay in a really nice hotel near Univerasal or if money is no object in one of the on site universal hotels. Then choose an on site at Disney. If you buy Annual passes for both Disney and Universal you get very good discounts on the hotel rates.

It took my DH two holidays to pluck up courage to drive, but once he did he wondered what he was ever worried about. We never came across any aggressive driving and everyone drives so much slower than over here. The only problem we found is the four way stop signs, you have to be a bit assertive other wise you can sit there for a while!

We have always bought sun cream out there as they produce different types that are very suitable to their weather. My kids don't burn, but they do tan. I put factor 30 on them. You have to be very careful of the heat my Nephew fainted once because it was so hot. That was in August though which is very hot.

 

[vernon]

I got an email from Expedia offering "specials" to Orlando at the moment in Sept, some decent deals so visit http://www.expedia.co.uk/daily/edit/store/florida/?rfrr=-18434

Here is a link to the Dreams discounts for Sept http://www.wdwinfo.com/discounts/discounts-current.htm#ro

 

[freddykrueger]

Thanks for those links Vernon - I have sort of decided that if it his 1st trip I may as well try and make it that bit "extra special" and he has always fancied Animal Kingdom Lodge - we stayed at a hotel once in Winchester which was close to Marwell Zoo and you could hear all the animals.....he loved it apart from when he was stung by a wasp!

I got a quote from one of the links for animal kingdom for 14 nights for the 3 of us and it looks like it will cost around $2600 which I suppose is around £1500....is this a good deal or are there better deals to be found for this hotel?

Obviously I will have flight and car costs in addition to this but not sure if it is a good kicking off point....