Need help planning a trip for my family.

[wkid87]

I will like to plan a surprise vacation to Orlando for my son. He is gradating this coming up May, so I will like to go ahead and get a head start. Here are some question and concerns I have?

I will like to go before the 4th of July rush. Anytime between late May and early July? Is that a bad choice? Will the weather be nice, I know about the evening thundershowers. I had to put up with that last year when I was there.

Also, I will like to do stay on site, I stayed off site last year, and I hate it. Will there be any difference between onsite and offsite, besides the prices? I thought I read somewhere on the board that you have to pay for parking each time you go offsite? Also, I will like to have some recomendation of hotels and resorts onsite and offsite.

Will 7 days be enough? I will also like to go offsite. I will like to spend a day at Universal Studios or Island of Adventures? And maybe a day by the beach (Cocca Beach) or any other beach that are nearby? Are there anything else to do in the Orlando area?

Transportation: I know I will be flying, but should I rent a car, use a taxi or use one of the many transportation companies that is out there?

Price: Is a major factor? I will like to have the best deal out there. It don't have to be the cheapest it just have to be a good deal.

Any other information, I need to know will be much appreciated, Thanks!!!

 

[Skylarr29]

I would go as early as you can in may to try and avoid as much of the summer crowd as possible. I know here in Florida schools get out the 2nd week of june I believe. Ny fave Disney resort is the Wilderness Lodge. If you stay onsite you do not have to pay for parking into the parks. They give you a pass to place on the windshield of your car and you show that at the gates. If you don't have a car then you use disney transportation( busses, monorails and boats) and that is free to you. WL is one of the deluxe resorts and the price starts at 199 a night. If you are planning on going to IOA or US then you may want to rent a car. Your only other choice I think would be to take a taxi so thats up to you. there is no transportation from a disney resort there. As for number of days I would allow at least 4 disney only days ( 1 for each park) or you may not want to go to all the parks and then you can plan accordingly to that. Also there is a boat the runs from the WL to the MAgic Kingdom so it is very close. As for other info needed keep checking the dis everyday and reading up here. Also you can do searches on here if you have a question that wasnt answered .

 

[#1DisneyFan0902]

I would also recommend going towards the end of May before everyone gets out of school. I would say that staying on site is much better than staying off, you can get into certain parks an hour early depending on the day of the week and you can have the things you buy sent back to your hotel instead of carrying them around with you. I would reccommend Carribean Beach, we have stayed there twice and had great times. 7 Days s enough time, just remember that you won't be able to do everything Disney has to offer, I would allow 5 days for Disney though, 1 for eash park and then an extra day to park hop and do some of the things you did not get to do, or go to a water park.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I would save your money for the Universal Day and Beach Day and stay at hotels closer to those sights...And then I would put them at the beginning of your trip so that you can end your vacation in a DISNEY way

That being said--you will otherwise definitely need a rental car for those non-Disney days. There is a car rental place (National) on Disney property--though you will need a cab from your hotel to get there as there is no direct Disney transportation to the rental place.

Cocoa Beach is the closest beach (per there advertising )

Your graduating son might appreciate Islands more than universal if he is into coasters.

Also, if he isn't that big into Disney--hate for you to be disappointed if he think it childish. So a 4-day Park hopper would probably do you well....your son would probably appreciate EPCOT (Test track and mission space and good food) and MGM Studios (Tower of Terror and Rock N' Roller Coaster) the best. No vacation is complete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is nice--but would make for a short day. Perhaps on your AK day-- a night over in Downtown Disney with a PI visit to the Adventurer's Club and Comedy Warehouse--or a night over at the boardwalk would be nice.

Stay perhaps 4 nights on Disney property...then head over to the beach for the day and return and perhaps do the Hard Rock Hotel for a night or 2 with a visit to Islands....Now that would be a surprise.

Pop Century is the nices of the economical choices--mostly b/c 1 property uses the bus transportation as opposed to 3 over at the All STars. Haven't stayed at the Carribean Beach Resort--but that might be a nice place too.

FLorida schools start vacationing for the summer in the May to June timeframe--including the public, private schools and colleges. Some schools will be ending late due to being closed b/c of the hurricane--schools have been closed for 1 week and some plan to not reopen until the end of the month after being off for 3 weeks. Central Florida Schools usually let out entirely before the month of June commences.

 

[The Sweetness]

For you to see all of WDW, and also Universal... I would go all out so to speak and have a 10 day or 2 weeks vacation. Stay onsite for 5-7 days, then stay closer to USF/ Sea World (dont miss that one, you can feed the dolphins!). for at least another 3 days (preferably 5). In that amount of time, if you can somehow manage it, you can see all of the best attractions, at all of the best parks (IMO). Just my 2 cents, as a FL resident, Ive visited all of these parks.

 

[wkid87]

Ty for the advice so far. I'm thinking about May 28th-June 5th, but then thought about that is Memorial Day weekend, so I'm thinking about moving it down a week. If I remember correctly is there like a Hilton on site, near Downtown Disney. If so, I will be able to get a discount. Thanks!!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

The Hilton is right across the street from Downtown Disney--you can literally walk to it

 

[webmomom]

If you are staying onsite and rent a car from National, you do not have to take a cab there to get the car. They will bring the car to you at your hotel. We did this a couple of years ago. We went up in my BIL's car and we needed a car to bring us back home. They brought the car to the BWV and we drove it back to Natioanl to fill in and sign the papers and we were all set. Disney know's how to do it corrrectly.

 

[wkid87]

If I stay at a name "brand" hotel, will I still be getting the same benefits (like having what I buy send back to the hotel) as staying on one of Diseny Resorts since it is onsite. I didn't even know that they had more then one name "brand"hotel onsite. Well, anyway I will be able to get a discount, so that help me some whst. I'm hoping not to spend over $5000 for a family of 4. I'm having some more of my family members still going with me, but they will pay their way. Still trying to figure out how can I cut cost even more. I'm trying to shift the dates some, so it will be some what cheaper to fly, and etc.. Let me know of anymore tips. Thanks!!!

 

[jordanyosh]

A four night stay at a value resort around the time you are going is about 1600 including Ultimate Park Hopper Tickets. Not too bad on the wallet. As others have already said, you could then spend 2-3 nights closer to Universal and save money on your hotel. 4 nights at Disney is the minimum I would stay.

Onsite at a Disney resort is preferable to even the Hotels at DTD such as Hilton. Disney does such a great job of theming every hotel that you can really experience the Magic around the clock.
But if you really want to stretch the dollar then the DTD hotels aren't a bad choice.

Rent a car since you are going to several Florida attractions. You can probably get one for the week for a decent price.

Teens would probably like Disney Quest as well as the water parks. So you may want to include that in your plans.

 

[webmomom]

As far as I know they only way to get packages sent back to your hotel, is if you stay on site. then you have to be careful when you are leaving. It takes a day or two for them to arrive, so you cannot do it the day before you are leaving. The use to deliver them right to your room, now they will leave them usually at the store in the hotel. If you stay at the BWV you get you packages at the store General Store on the Boadwalk.

If you don't want to carry them around with you you can have them sent during the day to the front of the park and then pick them up when you leave. You have to give them a least a couple of hours. This will not work if you are leaving lets say within an hour. If it is at Epcot you must tell them which exit you will be leaving from. Either the main or the international.