Hello....Need help planning very first trip to Orlando ( DISNEY WORLD )

[Lynne_lyn]

Hi as you can see I am new to the boards.
I am looking at going to Orlando Florida (Disney World).
Like most people looking at saving $$$$ were ever I can.
I would like to go when its summer or (nice warm weather) NOT TOO HOT...lol
Less busy time of year.
I have 3 Adults and 3 kids.
We love the theme parks ....(so any must dooooo,s) please share.
I am also wanting to know if it is cheaper to return back to Australia via a Cruise...?
If anyone has any hints tips or info that they are willing to share would be great....
also I did look into Holiday houses in Orlando close to Disney World they were around $1200/$1300 per week (is this a good price)...
We also wanted to hire a car....
Thanks for anyone willing to take time out to reply ...
TIA....

 

[bswift]

Summer but not too hot and a less busy time of year don't go together. Assuming you're talking about US summer, and not over our summer in December/January. The US summer holidays can run from the end of May to the start of September so this is a peak time at WDW. I was there in mid-July and didn't find it too bad, but I didn't go into it expecting low crowds. Are you planning on travelling during Australian school holidays or can you go at any time of year?

I also didn't find the heat that bad, which is odd because I generally hate summer. I think the sun up there just isn't as harsh as it down here, 3 days in the sun with only one application on sunscreen a day and I didn't burn. Here I get burnt in the car driving to work.

If you're wanting to save money then staying off-site (ie. at a regular non-Disney hotel or a vacation home) is probably the way to go. Wyndham Bonnet Creek is often recommended on here, they have 3 and 4 bedroom suites which might work for you.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Welcome to the boards. Will let others more expert chime in on this one and jump in when you get down to more specifics. Being Florida the weather is like Qld so even mid winter often warm days just cooler (sweatshirt) nights but then there was last year when they got some snow.... If you are not used to humidity you will find summer hard there so going mid season eg spring or autumn is better. Avoiding their July - Sept school/Uni hols is a good idea as is peak Christmas. We have found October good crowd wise and mid December. I imagine April-early May would be quite good too. Never heard of a cruise from US east or west coast back to Aus. You can cruise from Europe to US east coast and given flight deals you'd never find a cruise cheaper than flying that distance. People have got return flights as good as $1600-1800 return to Orlando depending on the time of year or you can also look at a return deal to the west coast for around $1000-$1200 pp if you start watching a year in advance and then use internal flight deals with one of the many US carriers to get across from west to east (lots of advice here on those that allow free luggage, those that don't versus booking with one international airline the whole trip and getting generous luggage allowances all the way). You need to subscribe to all the major airfare sites so you get early notice of "deals" and "specials", consider visiting a travel show if you are cashed up and know when you want to go as sometimes good deals can be had then, watch for Disney specials too though (sign up for the CD so you are on their database) and look at typical times they have free dining as with a larger group that might be worthwhile for you then you have to watch out for when they release their free dining deals as they sell out fast. To truly save money takes a lot of patience and dedication and stalking lots of threads on this board where there is a wealth of information. I am sure a lot of the experts will respond to you soon. In the meantime use the search function with specific queries to start gathering information. Happy planning.

 

[jacs1234]

Hi and Welcome. I know disneyland like the back of my hand but disneyworld is a whole other story. It will be our first time there this year and we are going in December for 3 weeks. I can't wait. 3 weeks doesnt seem like long enough. I wish I could stay longer.

 

[losfp]

Cruising back won't be cheaper at all. I think you'd have to find one that goes one-way between LA/San Diego and Hawaii, then one more that goes Hawaii to Sydney. That leg alone is about 16/17 nights - my parents did it a few years ago.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome to the boards! And well done on having a trip in the works!

Early May and October/November are pretty nice times to be in Orlando. June/July is rather hot and humid. If you like that kind of weather, then it could work out for your family. It can also get rather packed at the parks in June/July; depending on summer vacation. If you choose May, check your dates against Flower and Garden; and Star Wars weekends at WDW. If you're heading in October, it does get busier the closer you get to Halloween.

The Windsor Hills area has heaps of holiday houses. There are also any number of apartment/suite hotels in Orlando. The price will vary depending on what time of year you are going in. From memory the $1200 - $1300 per week is about the standard rate for the summer months. If you look around, there will be others that will offer accommodation for cheaper; and others for more.

Check your maths for off-site vs on-site. It will vary depending on how many rooms you need and for 3 adults and 3 kids, I would imagine that you're better off staying off-site as you will probably need multiple rooms if you stay on-site (unless you look into whether a family suite would work for you or not). But I would recommend that you factor in the car hire and parking costs into your off-site equation.

 

[amerikiwiroo]

Hi. I'm afraid I'm not much help as I'm still "earning my ears" myself but in planning our first trip we've chosen September school holidays. US schools are back in session so it should be a bit quieter and still nice warm weather.

 

[MouseFan Down Under]

I have found that I love going in early September. Crowds are low, weather is warm but not stinking hot, and there are plenty of great deals to be had!

I prefer staying on-site to truly get the Disney bubble experience.

Enjoy your trip whenever you decide to go!

 

[crazy Cat Lady]

Welcome to the boards!

Have to agree with PIO, October is a great time to be in Orlando. Not too hot, not too crowded in early to mid October. We stayed off site at the Holiday Inn Resort and were to use the shuttle to get in and out, but the reality was that their times didn't suit for rope drop so it cost us additional in taxis.

I got this hotel today in a special offer from another website (not sure if I can mention the site here or not) - New B Resort & Spa. It says it sleeps 5 comfortably and is on Disney property with regular shuttles to the parks and DTD. Might be an option for you if the price is right (prices in my email started at $98 per night).

With children I'd be investing in a trip to walgreens or walmart to pick up snacks that can go into the park with you and some breakfast items to save on budget and "whinge factor" LOL.

Oh, and invest in the Memory Maker photo package, it'll be well worth the money for you and might even save you from having to haul around a large camera each day.