two weeks in disney one on gulf coast.which week to gulf?

[Lisa Francis]

we have booked a flight for three weeks in may planning on spending two weeks in disney and one on the gulf coast somewhere. i am thinking of making the gulf the second week of the holiday with disney one week either side. has anyone done similar or can think of any reasons this would not be a good idea. we have two kids aged 8 and 6. thanks.

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Lisa and welcome to the Dis

My children are a similar age to yours and what we like to do is to have our time at Disney first, and then finish off at the beach to relax for a week (you need it after the exhaustion of doing the parks!) so we return home nice and refreshed.

With your idea of doing it in the middle - will you mind having to pack and unpack three times? If not then that could be good.

You're bound to get lots of people with different opinions

Have fun planning your trip and welcome again

Karen

 

[Frances999]

Wouldn't it be a bit too much hassle doing that? Each to their own, but personally I would prefer to have 2 weeks at Disney followed by a week on the Gulf to relax and unwind after the fast-paced Disney adventure!

 

[KayleeUK]

Welcome to the DIS Lisa

I would do the gulf coast for the first week and then Disney for the second two. My reason being that It I did the gulf coast last I would just spend the week wishing I was back at Disney LOL

When in May are you going? we are there until the 9th

 

[Hilary]

LOL! You're going to get a different answer from everyone on this

We've never been lucky enough to have 3 weeks in Florida but we do always have some time in Orlando and some time on the Gulf coast. I can't imagine NOT finishing with at least a day in WDW at the end of the trip. Like Kaylee, I'd be spending the whole of the rest of the holiday wishing I was back in Orlando if we'd done that first.

We try to do exactly what you're suggesting, Lisa - take time out in the middle of the trip to head for a change of pace. We enjoy a burst of the parks when we arrive, then go to the coast, then finish back in the parks before we come home. The packing / unpacking isn't usually such a big deal, even though I end up doing it for all four of us Last trip we had five different bases during two weeks and I have to admit that was a bit too much of a good thing!

Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[Cherb]

One thing to consider is the park tickets you get. Some of them (noteably Universal 4 and 5 park flex-ticket, and now some of the Disney ones as well) expire a set no. of days after you first use them. If you use them the first week then go off to the Gulf Coast for the 2nd you'd be wasting an awful lot of money on park tickets you're not using.

I'm also planning for 3 weeks with the 3rd being the "restful" week. Although we are planning to go to Busch Gardens perhaps a couple of times as its not too far away. We're also planning on having a final day in Disney just before the flight home, so perhaps that will stops us from wishing we were back in the parks!

All I'd suggest is don't go to the Gulf Coast during the middle week, do it first or last.

 

[gilld]

I would do the gulf coast for the first week and then Disney for the second two. My reason being that It I did the gulf coast last I would just spend the week wishing I was back at Disney LOL :

That's exactly what we did in 1999. We simply felt we would find the coast too staid after all the excitment of WDW so we went there first...and even then we went back to Orlando a day early and just booked into All Star Sports for a night before transferring to our booked hotel.

 

[Andy Lou & Meg]

Having spent 3 weeks in Orlando last year, this year we decided on 1 week in St Pete's and then 2 in Orlando.

We are doing St Petes first mainly because it will be a bit of come down after all the excitment of Disney. Also on the plus side we will be used to the weather and the time zones.

On my first trip (15 years ago, with my parents) we did Disney first then a week on the gulf coast and I can remeber thinking what a let down after all that fun.

I am sure you will have fun no matter when you go.

Lou

 

[shellbell]

Lisa

We to have booked for 3 weeks this June. We are staying in disneys all stars movies for the 1st week, a private villa for the 2nd week and then for the 3rd week were going to holiday inn harbour side at Indian Rocks (between st petes and clearwater).

This way we het to use the disney tickets in the 1st week and be able to return for the 2nd week if we want. We won't activate the universal tickets till the 2nd week as these tickets only last 2 weeks and were going to do Busch Gardens in the 3rd week while on the coast We also get a week to relax and unwind before going back to work. DD who is 3 will be able to catch up on some rest too

I hope you have lots of fun no matter what you decide

Michelle

 

[rosiejo]

I was lucky enough to do three weeks a few years ago with my family - we did two at disney and then 1 at the beach - big mistake After all the activity we were bored stiff for the last week. Personally Id prefer to relax at the beach first so I'm completely rested and ready to face the exhausting two weeks at Disney

You really don't realise how tired you are from "normal life" until you go on holiday and the change of scenery/air/pace knocks you out - at least you could sleep it off at the beach and arrive at disney raring to go"