Help Virgin Disney tripper

[Judda]

I am trying to attain as much info as possible regards Our Disney adventure in 2008. We probably would be going between may 9th ish to June 3rd ish. There will be 2 adults and 1 child (12yrs) possibly another couple who have 2 children will be with us don't know yet. What i'm looking for is best places to stay eg hotels, villas, Locations etc. Best family tickets to get don't wanna skimp but not looking to be bankrupt. We are looking through the various brochures but there is so much info it's a bit mind numbing. I like to talk to anyone who has been there & done it. We would be flying from the uk ( manchester) preferably direct to orlando ( my wife wants to be knocked out for the duration of the flight if anyone can help) Any help would be greatly apprieciated Thank you

 

[Bee]

I am trying to attain as much info as possible regards Our Disney adventure in 2008. We probably would be going between may 9th ish to June 3rd ish. There will be 2 adults and 1 child (12yrs) possibly another couple who have 2 children will be with us don't know yet. What i'm looking for is best places to stay eg hotels, villas, Locations etc. Best family tickets to get don't wanna skimp but not looking to be bankrupt. We are looking through the various brochures but there is so much info it's a bit mind numbing. I like to talk to anyone who has been there & done it. We would be flying from the uk ( manchester) preferably direct to orlando ( my wife wants to be knocked out for the duration of the flight if anyone can help) Any help would be greatly apprieciated Thank you

There are several threads here to help you. There are even uk boards. I might suggest you go there.

Hope you have a lovely trip.

 

[pumba]

I moved your post over to this board as I think the people here and the moderators can help you .....happy planning!!

 

[Judda]

Thanks Bee for your help I seem to be having a bit of trouble getting on to those threads you posted although i will keep on trying. What are the crowds like in may at the parks and is the humidity high. I don't mind it hot after all we in England moan enough about the rain and cold

 

[Goofysmate]

The best thing to do is dive straight in and start asking questions, theirs always plenty of poeple here to give replys.

 

[Soprano]

It may be an idea to break down your questions. Think about what you want out of the holiday, rough budget, etc.

For example, Do you want to stay in Disney resort, or a hotel near by? What theme parks do you want to visit? Does it matter who you fly with? Will you be driving?

Just keep asking over and over, the people here are great and have helped me tonnes.

We (wife and 2 young kids) usually stay in hotels on International Drive because its got a nice central location. By car great shops are 5 minutes away, Sea Word is a 10 minute drive, Disney 20 minutes. We walk to Universal. We like Disney, but don't want to spend most of our time there as there is so much more to see and do. But we may stay on the Disney resort one time.

All four Disney theme parks, both Universals, and Sea World are a MUST.

We get the 4 park (Universal Studio, Islands of Adventure, Sea World and Wet n Wild) 14 day ticket. You can then go to each of these parks as many times as you like. Prices are very reasonable.


June should be decent weather high 20's, but may rain every now and then. But its weird rain as it just pours down for about 20 minutes in the afternoon, then the sun comes out and dries everything. You can almost set your watch by it.

As said, lots of people will be able to help you on here. Just break down what you want to know.

You're going to have a great time in Orlando!

 

[carolfoy]

Haven't YOU come to the right place!!
ask away - theres no question so obscure a DISser can't answer it!

 

[UKDEB]

Welcome to the DIS, Judda.

You've come to the right place for help with your trip. You've got plenty of time to pull together your plans - before you leave, you'll have the answers to questions you didn't even know you had .

Virgin is the only airline which currently flies directly from Manchester to Orlando International Airport (MCO). There are several charter airlines which fly into Orlando Sanford - Excel, First Choice, Monarch, My Travel, Thomas Cook and ThomsonFly. The charters tend to be cheaper but not as flexible (for example, many only fly on certain days of the week). MCO is closer to the WDW area than Sanford, but both are accessible via quiet toll roads which break you in gently to driving Stateside. If you don't intend to drive, MCO may be the better option as the costs to transfer to your accommodation will be cheaper.

Would you prefer to book a package or to book the elements (travel, accommodation, car hire, etc) separately? DIY may seem daunting for a first trip, but it's actually surprisingly easy - especially with help from people here. Disney hotels can seem out of reach price-wise, but you don't have to pay the brochure prices unless you want the comfort of a package. Villas can be a very cost-effective option. You'll find that a lot of us here are polorised in our opinions of what makes a good Orlando holiday. For some of us, nothing but a Disney hotel is an option. Others prefer an offsite hotel on International Drive, the US192 or Lake Buena Vista. My personal preference is a private villa, but the options can seem bewildering. Most owners will tell you that their properties are within 10 minutes of WDW, but few actually are. Having said that, most are within manageable driving distance. You'll pay a premium for those on Disney's doorstep.

Does your wife have a fear of flying? I attended a course a number of years which helped enormously, although the real cure is familiarity - more holidays to Orlando! For years my Doctor prescribed Diazepam, although I've managed without for several trips now.

You've picked a good time to go - the weather should be good and the crowds relatively light. I'm not sure whether you're saying you're going for the period 9 May - 3 June, or that you'll be leaving the UK sometime between those dates. You might want to consider being back before mid-June as the US schools break for summer then. You're almost bound to get some rain in a sub-tropical climate, but we've been very lucky at that time of year. Even so, once you've got your trip booked, you should spend plenty of time reading these boards to pick up crowd-busting tips. As good as the DIS is, I'd recommend getting a guidebook too.

Ticket choices will depend on the duration of your trip. Can you clarify?

 

[Judda]

WOW !! thank you all for your replies. There is some excellent information already coming out of these boards and I think I will be referring to them a lot over the next few months. Debbie, my wife will be ok with the flying it doesn't seem to matter how often she flies she just don't like it, but she gets on with it (tough bird) I have a annual leave slot 9th May until 3rd june 2007 so i can go anytime in between those dates. We were thinking of going for 18 days. I am not to concerned about the weather what you get is what you get? I was hoping to avoid the real packed times hence the question regards how busy it gets, I just wanted to explore the best places to stay hotels or villas i take it the closer to Disney the more expensive the rentals are. I know the tickets are a personal preference but we definitley want Universal Studios, Animal kingdom, Sea World and Water Parks I was wondering if anyone could recommend a particular family ticket ? We are also considering a few days on a beach I believe Clearwater is great ? ?obviously we want to try and see everything hence why were thinking outside the normal 2 week holiday. We have never been any further than europe( my in laws live in Spain so the lure of cheap hols as kept us away from broadening our horizons) Thank you all for your help thus far I will be chatting with you again x :

 

[jen_uk]

For a first trip I would advise that you dont try to pack too much into it, Disney World is HUGE, before you go its impossible to imagine just how big it is. If you buy tickets for WDW, Universal, IOA, Seaworld etc etc then you may find you just burn out and end up exhausted! Staying onsite would be good as it is so convenient for the Disney parks, you should really try Magic Kingdom, Epcot and MGM as well as Animal Kingdom as they are fabulous! Also, if you stay onsite you can use all of the bus transportation which means if you are nervous about driving over there you can either avoid it or limit the amount you have to do. Staying onsite can be a bit more expensive than staying in a villa but it is so convenient, you are right in WDW and its easy to pop back to the hotel for a rest/swim in the middle of the day. However, if you want more room then a villa is good as you have loads of space. The Disney 14 day ultimate is a good ticket as it gives you unlimited access to all of the Disney parks and waterparks and you can go to different parks on the same day. To do Seaworld and Universal then the Orlando Flexticket is good as again you will unlimited access to those.

 

[Netty]

Just wanted to say a big welcome Judda!! another Liverpool fan I see!!
ask away any questions you like, as you can see, we are a very friendly bunch here!!