Tentative Itinery for our three week trip...

[Melcatfish]

Right here is our first attempt at a plan for our three week trip in August. We are staying in a villa in the Calabay Parc area, the cast are as follows:

Me: 25 chief planner, never been to USA, can't wait!
DH: 31 Not desperately into Disney (well not at all) but loves USA.
Auntie: 47 Disney fan, first time out of Europe.
Uncle: 50's Most looking forward to Kennedy Space Center
Cousin1:15-16 while we're in USA terrified of flying loves shopping
Cousin 2: 12 The only one who loves coasters!

We will have 2 rental vehicles so we can be flexible with the plan. This is my auntie and uncles "holiday of a lifetime" so we seem to be trying to pack an awful lot in but hey I am sure we could fill any number of days in Florida!

We are hoping to get Fun in the Sun passes for Disney and KSC. Power Passes for US\IOA and SW\BG tickets with our Discovery Cove Tickets. I have put a few ideas for some meals down but I want to work out where we are going when before I start to majorly plan meals.

Day 0! Sun : Stay at Effingham Park or Copthorne LGW - twilight check in and relax (any comments on either hotel?)

Day 1 Mon : 11:15 flight out of Gatwick on Virgin flight. Land in Orlando, collect cars, find villa, relax and get our bearings

Day 2 Tue : Character Breakfast (I'm told the time difference will make us get up early!) Perhaps Chef Mickeys?? Day at the Magic Kingdom - stay til we need to go home for a rest.

Day 3 Wed : Early morning wake up Auntie and I going for Orange Blossom Balloon Ride. MGM

Day 4 Thur : Waterpark BB? then some afternoon shopping. Cirque Du Soleil in the evening.

Day 5 Fri: Universal Studios

Day 6 Sat: Animal Kingdom

Day 7 Sun : Morning at Epcot, rest in the afternoon and then MGM in evening for Fantasmic Dinner Package.

Day 8 Mon: Seaworld

Day 9 Tue: Visit to the Vertical Wind Tunnel Sky Diving Simulator, follwed by a leisurely afternoons shopping.

Day 10 Wed: Character Breakfast 1900 Park Fare? Magic Kingdom.

Day 11 Thur : Islands of Adventure.

Day 12 Fri : St Petes Beach Take in the Salvador Dali Museum and chill out on the beach. Most people have said avoid weekends at the beach because all the locals go then so it is crowded but will Fridays be any less crowded?

Day 13 Sat: Cousin 1's 16th Birthday - Discovery Cove - It's supposed to be a surprise, I hope she doesn't read the Dis! Crystal Palace for Dinner with Eyore (her favourite)

Day 14 Sun: Silver Springs Park - Escape the hustle and bustle of Orlando and head back to nature!

Day 15: Water Park TL? Then back to Seaworld in afternoon and evening to revisit our favourite bits. Possibly do the Dine with Shamu experience.

Day 16: Busch Gardens Hopefully go on the shuttle bus and not drive for the day - anyone used this shuttle? did everything go to plan?

Day 17: Kennedy Space Center. Possibly stay overnight at the Radisson at Port Canaveral, ready for tomorrow.

Day 18: All Aboard the Disney Wonder for 3 night Cruise!

Day 19: Nassau - Ardastra Gardens and City 1/2 Day Tour.

Day 20: Castaway Cay - Heaven

Day 21: Disembark the ship at Port Canaveral in the morning and head back to Orlando. Possibly revisit favourite Disney Parkin afternoon \ evening.

Day 22: Check in baggage at Downtown Disney and spend the day doing whatever takes our fancy! Mini golf \ Disney Park \ Shopping - who knows. Oh yes, and of course the dreaded flight home! (

I have deliberately left us a lot of evenings empty so that we can revisit parks to take advantage of longer opening hours. I would rather do a shorter day and two evening visits than try to "do" each park in one long exhausting day!

Any comments and suggestions welcome.

Congratulations for getting to the end of this marathon post!!!

Regards
Mel

 

[kipper]

you seem to be putting a lot into your schedule but hey if its aunt and uncle 's trip of a lifetime why not .Just dont tire the old folk out.
One comment on your IT.and that is the wind tunnel sky dive. We all got psyched up to go in the afternoon anout 2.00pm to find it was not open to about 5.00pm so we said we would come back but never did.I see you have it down for the morning so please check before you go and have a good time.

 

[vernon]

It looks a pretty good plan. I would say that with the waterparks we rarely leave them before 4 in the afternoon. By the time you get home, shower (x6),after a long day in the sun and particularly at BB walking up that bloody mountain several times, all you're ready for is having an evening meal and getting to bed. I think your plans to fit in other things in the afternoons may be a little ambitious. I've found scheduling Cirque after a waterpark works well. Character brekkies for MK I really like the Crystal Palace ( if it's open) they have Pooh, eyeore and friends as the characters there, plus if you can schedule for before the park is open to the public it's nice to walk down main street when there aren't too many people about.

 

[Sue88UK]

Hi

What a great IT, you have done some serious research! I would check in early at DC so if you are doing the dolphin swim you will get an early slot so you can spend the rest of your day relaxing or on the other activities available and not have to worry about the time. We checked in at around 8.30am and there were a lot of people before us, our swim was around 11am.

I would definitely stay over at Port Canaveral, book the hotel shuttle to take you to the port at around 10am, get someone to stand in the queue of the overseas' check-in desk (if there is one, but I think you'll find you may be the only "overseas" at that time) and some of you get in the line for boarding the ship. This way you can get on the ship ASAP and get your desired ressies for Palos and spa treatments.

You'll have a great time!

 

[Melcatfish]

Sue - I would say that being totally addicted to the Dis and spending hours planning may constitute serious research!!! I thought we would check in as early as possible as I have a special occasions birthday package booked for my cousin and it recommends checking in extra early.

I did wonder about the water parks and whether we would do anything afterwards but we were thinking we would go for opening time and then go home early afternoon avoiding the hottest parts of the day and the obligatory afternoon thunderstorm! If it doesn't work out we are not going to sweat it too much if the plan has to be altered - mind you with all my hours of research I will be devastated if it isn't stuck to!

Really tempted by overnighting at the port before the cruise - will see how the budgeting is going!

Thanks for the tip about cirque vernon, we are hoping for crystal palace character dinner but we wanted to added another character breakfast, perhaps we will do another MK brekkie to experience that "first one's in" feeling.

Kipper - will definitely check out about the vertical wind tunnel times, I just assumed it would be open all day. If we make it there I will post a report to let you know what it was like!


Regards
Mel