Go to Orlando in 28 days thank god i found this website!!!

[sportyjo30]

hi everyone well i have just found this website and it is fantastic!!!! I haven't been back to disney world for 8 yrs and i am sooooooo excited, but havent even booked accommodation yet lol not organised at all but there are plenty to choose from so not too worried. Can anybody reccommend some I am going with my husband and my 2 boys who are 7 and 5, this is their first time. I can't wait to see their little faces when they see everything for the first time. I fly from manchester at 10:20am with kLM, got disney tickets but thats about it, want to go to gatorland as my eldest loves them.

Also i intend to go to seaworld universal studios and i have heard that lowry zoo is meant to be nice in tampa so might take a trip there, does anybody think i am missing anything out, oh we are going to aquatica too we have hired a car but my hubby is very anxious about driving as we didnt hire one last time. We stay for 21 days wooo hooo I cant wait, am going to keep reading everyones tips as it is helping sooo much,

Jo

 

[Pegasus928]

Welcome aboard Jo

As you have already found out there is a wealth of information on these boards, and you seem to be finding your way around without too many problems.
Have you had any thoughts about what type of accommodation you want while over there? I am a big fan of villa holidays, but I have never stayed in a hotel - Disney or otherwise - so my opinion is pretty one sided.
Tell DH not to worry about the driving. It is a doddle, and I would say easier than driving in this country. Roads are bigger/wider with plenty of opportunities for U-turns if you do happen to make a mistake.

Enjoy the rest of your planning and ask plenty of questions if you can't find the answers you are searching for

 

[thestevied]

Couldn't agree more Jo!!

I go to WDW quite often, and consider myself pretty knowledgable about Orlando, but it never ceases to amaze me how many tips and fantastic ideas I still seem to pick up from these boards!!

Hope you get as much use from them as I do...

 

[sportyjo30]

hiya and thanks for answering so quickly to my post. Well we have a budget of £1000.00, so have to find something up to that or under. I dont mind if i stay in a villa or an hotel i suppose the extra space would be nice in a villa. I have looked at a couple of hotels and the one we both are drawn to is Country inn suites in lake beuna vista. It looks very roomy and is close to disney which doesnt hurt, but am going to keep looking at least for a couple of days longer anyway then i think we are going to have to bite the bullet and book something lol. i have never left anything this long before, but never mind hopefully i will find somewhere that has a good offer with it being a late deal.

Well lets hope so anyway, We are all going to Thailand in March as my brother is getting married, so need to save for that as soon as i get home, and the year after i have decided to go back to orlando, my hubby doesnt know it yet but thats what we are doing lol.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Welcome to the DIS!

WOW you're restrained leaving your hotel booking this long!!! Hope you find a good bargain!

Don't worry about the driving at all, my DH was terrified the first time, it feels so natural once you start though! He always says its far easier than driving over here!

21 days - I am very jealous!! You will have time for all the extra's, like water parks and mini golf. Maybe Busch Gardens if your boys like big rides? Or Discovery Cover where you can swim with Dolphins? Have you planned any shopping days? There are some great malls around Orlando now!

 

[sportyjo30]

yes i know i have left it a bit late havent i, but thats me little miss unorganised, but not normally this bad.....honest!!!!!!!!

Oh i didnt think of mini golf wheres that?

And a big yes to the shopping absolutely love it, as any girl does. Where are the best ones in your opinion like i said it was 8 yrs ago since i went so am a bit blurry on where the malls where we stayed on international drive last time, and if i remember rightly we did find some good ones there, but didnt find others anywhere else as we didnt have a car as i said before!

But i am sure our credit card will get a bit of a walloping lol, my hubby said all the time we are together he will never have any money in the bank lol. He is just as bad as me sometimes though!!!!

 

[thestevied]

I've stayed on Interntational drive a few times and always gone to quality inn plaza. It's opposite the wonderworks museum, pretty much half way up. You have a big shopping mall at each end of I-Drive, Florida mall and Orlando premium outlets I believe... You can get to both of these on the bus that runs up and down i-drive all day, for as little as $1.

Quality Inn Plaza was also pretty cheap, and they run free shuttles to universal and seaworld and $12 shuttles to Disney.

 

[Pegasus928]

Oh i didnt think of mini golf wheres that?

There area few of them around. International drive has Pirates Cove and Congo River Adventure. Then there are the Disney ones. 1 near Blizzard Beach - Winter Summerland - and Fantasia on World Drive.

And a big yes to the shopping absolutely love it, as any girl does. Where are the best ones in your opinion like i said it was 8 yrs ago since i went so am a bit blurry on where the malls where we stayed on international drive last time, and if i remember rightly we did find some good ones there, but didnt find others anywhere else as we didnt have a car as i said before!

Our favourite ones are Premium Outlets, Prime Outlets and Mall at Millenia. All our convenient as you will have a car. The advantage with the Mall at Millenia in my opinion is the Exotic Car Gallery just opposite. Gives me something to drool over while the ladies go shopping.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

And don't forgot to go to the big Walmart near I-Drive for a bit of shopping . . . you can get loads of Disney clothes for the children (well I get stuff for me!) much cheaper than in the parks!! We lose ourselves for hours in Walmart, always bring a suitcase of foods home that we can't get over here!!

Have you given any thought to booking any character meals at Disney? Any characters your children especially like? It can be quite difficult to get into these if you don't book.

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Welcome to the best board on the dis - and on the web!!

 

[sportyjo30]

Well i have been hearing a lot about walmart and will definately paying it a visit, regarding the character meal, i have booked one with mickey goofy and daisy i think it was at tusker house restaurant in animal kingdom. It is my little boy Alfie's birthday he will be 5 so it is a supprise for him. Do you know how i would be able to get a cake for him by any chance thanks for all your advice.

 

[2Tiggies]

Hi Jo!

 

[wayneg]

Welcome to DISboards.

We are opposite to Kenny, we prefer a hotel have the beds made for us, trash taken out etc. Yes you have less room but we only sleep there so not something that bothers us.

Just looked at a few hotels with Monarch.co.uk from 5th August for 21 nights.
We have stayed here 3 times.
Best Western Lakeside on Hwy 192 West of Maigate, theres a shortcut (Sherberth Rad) into Disney by Animal Kingdom, takes 5-10 mins to AK carpark. £550 less 5% via Quidco = £522
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_...-Best_Western_Lakeside-Kissimmee_Florida.html

Stayed here twice(you quoted also) £687 after Quidco, includes breakfast.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_..._Suites_Lake_Buena_Vista-Orlando_Florida.html

This has just finished a complete renovation on Hotel Plaza Blvd (Near DTD) £777 after Quidco http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_...Walt_Disney_World_Resort-Orlando_Florida.html

Stayed here twice but never paid this much before £903 after Quidco. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUs...na_Vista_at_Vista_Centre-Orlando_Florida.html

This gets consistantly good reviews £910 http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...-Blue_Heron_Beach_Resort-Orlando_Florida.html

If you wanted the extra space in a condo rather than a villa they have this 3 bedroomed at £1002, just at limit of your budget. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Vacation...nd_Disney_vacation_homes-Orlando_Florida.html

They all might be cheaper elsewhere but gives you and idea, I would stay at any of these.
We prefer Publix to Walmart but depends what you are looking for. They also do cakes http://www.publix.com/food/catalog/Bakery/DecoratedCakes/Information.do
You can pre-order cakes at Disney but they are expensive.
Shout if you need more hotel info.

 

[sportyjo30]

Oh wow!!!! Thank you so much Wayne for all this information you definately know what you are talking about lol. I am going to have a look at all of these links now and hopefully book something, but staying in an hotel doesnt bother us either really but i do want a room that has a fridge for cold drinks when we get in. Would i have to get the cake when i am there then from publix, the only thing about doing it that way is trying to get it there without him knowing, he is a smart little character lol. Well thanks once again am off to investigate the links now, I am so excited though my mam is sick of me going on about i think lol but what does she know its only the best place ever and i havent been since 2002

talk soon ....Jo

 

[wayneg]

Don't know much about the cakes I just pulled the link from another thread a few weeks ago, hopefully someone will post with more info about them.

If you decide on any one hotel let me know which and I will have a scout around and see if the price can be beaten.
We like to stay in any hotel like these just outside Disney but we have been tempted back onsite again this year. Unfortunately no availabilty(only a 1 bed villa) now for your dates but many of us are staying at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, for 21 nights that would have cost you £2,100 but it includes all you dining for the 21 nights which is a great deal, you also had to buy your tickets with the hotel to get free dining but probably less than you paid(unless you bouight direct from Disney)

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

I don't think you will be able to take a cake from a supermarket into a Disney restaurant, if you were planning on giving the cake at your Tusker House meal. I'm sure I saw a thread about this on the restaurant boards a couple of months ago. If I remember correctly someone bought a cake into Chef Mickey; at first the restaurant wouldn't allow it in, eventually they relented but wouldn't let the parents store it in the kitchen until they wanted it brought out, it had to sit on the table the whole time so there was no "surprise" element.

 

[wayneg]

Probably wouldn't travel very well either in the August heat. Bad idea

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

This link will tell you how to order a cake from Disney, and also show you designs. They are pricey though. Last year I ordered a "standard" one from them for my DH. Its just a chocolate cake, and they iced his name on it, but for under $30 it was a lot more palatable! I think there's a picture in my food review if you're interested

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=35722611#post35722611

 

[Netty]

Hi Jo
This link here will give you loads of info on driving, including leaving the airport to getting to wherever you are staying! driving is dead easy over there, even i have a go!!

http://www.kissimmee-us192.com/british/default.htm

 

[UKDEB]

Apologies, I'm a bit late to this thread. A very warm welcome to the DIS, Jo. I can see you're already right at home.

Oh and that cake thread - wow! I had things to do this afternoon, but I can't stop clicking links!