What would you do?

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Hiya we are off to WDW in june.

It will be our first time too,so im abit miffed by it all,we are doing:

7days orlando
3days st petes
3days naples
2days miami

How much would we be able to fit in to our holiday? and what would you do?
Im totally not planned,so thought you all can help us and guide us

Also i want to swim witht he dolphins at discovery cove,would we have time and how do we book it?

Aww your all great and thanx in advance
Beth & Co

 

[SpottyDog]

Hiya Beth (&Co), that's some holiday you've got to look forward to.

Difficult to recommend a plan when you've so precious time in Orlando. Can you give us some info re your likes/dislikes? Are you a coaster fan or a parade lover? Where are you staying and who's in your party? There's certainly too much to do it all in seven days so you'll just have to start plannin yer return before yer go!

Discovery Cove is a real experience but you'd need a full day (9 till 5) to enjoy it and get yer money's worth. With DC, you get a seven day Seaworld pass too so that might be considered a good thing or a waste in the circumstances. Visit www.Discoverycove.com for info and to book online.

So let's have yer background info and we'll start workin on yer plan.

 

[BevS97]

I think I would skip Discovery cove and look for a dolphin experience in one of your other destinations. I'm pretty sure you will be able to swim with the dolphins in Miami, and possibly Naples and St. Pete's too.

As for Orlando- like Dave says it really depends where your priorities lie. We spent 7 days off-site doing Seaworld/Universal etc and 7 days at Disney last year - and you can certainly see Disney comfortably in 7 days, but if you want to see Everything then you will have to make some choices.

Bev

 

[vernon]

If you can alter your plans I would seriously think of cutting down the number of different venues, you're going to lose 4 days of your holiday in travelling around, unless you like driving I think it's going to be a bit of a pain. How you alter the "weighting" of your days is your choice on what's important to you. From the reports I have had, Naaples is a nicer and more upmarket destination than St Pete's, I would drop St Pete's ( Miami too unless I was flying in /out of there)and if you want more beach time add two more days in Naples and maybe one in Miami if you keep that on your plan. If you want more theme park time add it on to Orlando , as IMHO even 10 days is struggling to cover the offerings there.

For Discovery Cove you need a whle day at that park. It is a wonderful experience and IMHO, better than you'll find elsewhere. Coupled with a week of SeaWorld tickets included in the price this would give you better value than dolphin swims elsewhere.

Which parks in Orlando does depend on your kids ages and likes, for under 7s then, IMHO Universal and IOA, aren't priorities. I would have a day each at MK,AK,MGM and split a day at Epcot with your favourite park ( likely to be MK), I would take in at least one of Disney's waterparks and if you go for Discovery Cove I would take at least a day and a half at SeaWorld ( ideally three half days and use the remainder of each day for shopping/relaxing) . It will be hot in June and 4 or 5 hopurs in SW might be all you fancy but the kids feel like they have had a "park day" and don't complain too much about boring shopping ( someone pass Janice a brandy she's looking pale LOL ) . If you do keep with St Pete's then I would take at least one day at Busch Gardens. If your kids are over 10 and thrill seekers they are going to love the coasters and thrills of IOA, where you get that day from I'm not sure, if you only have 7 days in Orlando I'm not sure where I would suggest you miss out.

 

[henrydog]

We are also going to Florida for our first ever trip in June. We are staying in Orlando for the whole 2 weeks and are finding it difficult to fit in everything we want to do.
We intend doing all the Disney parks & the parks on the Orlando 5 park flex ticket, for us I think we need the whole 2 weeks in Orlando, but hopefully maybe on a 2nd trip we will revisit our favourite parks and then see a bit more of the place.
I think for a first trip there is more than enough to do in Orlando.

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

We are going with my brother and his wife,my partner and my 2 1/2 year old daughter. and me! lol
We fly out from manchester on 23rd june,at 10:25am, to orlando,and we are stopping at the quality inn international for 7days!
Then onto st petes where we are stopping at the howard johnson for 3nights,then to naples (hopefully to relax) for 2nights at at the quality inn gulf coast, then onto miami for 2nights at the monaco resort!
Luckily we have a hire car for the whole 2weeks,sadly we fly home from miami,so theres no cutting corners.

Im more into it for our daughter,and abit for me,im not a coaster person but dp is and my brothers wife, so we are going to have to compromise i think.
As for swimming with the dolphins i dont mind taking that off my list i suppose we can always go back lol *excuse* we are hoping to go back for christmas, so im not going to worry over not doing everything! i just want to have some kind of plan,and to hear what you all think..?? hehe

So what do you all think,i dont know what more to add lol

Beth

 

[BevS97]

Ok - for your 2 year old then Disney is the best, BUT I think the coaster fans will say that IOA/Universal have better coasters. There's also Busch Gardens which is near St. Pete which is supposed to be good for coaster fans.

My 3 1/2 year old did not really like Universal or IOA - there's not a lot there for that age group. Barney is excellent, if she is familiar with Barney already (if not, he's on channel 5 most mornings - but he will drive you crazy). That was about all that Katie did in Universal.

At IOA, there's Suess Landing, which was a lovely carosuel, a dumbo style ride called one fish 2 fish, and a ride called Cat in the Hat which recreates that story - it spins a lot and uses a strobe light. Katie was terrified. She did like the Carosuel and she would have liked 1 fish/2fish if we had done it before Cat in the Hat.

my dd also loved Seaworld - it's much more relaxed and low-key and very child-friendly, AND it has a good coaster - so I would put that on your list.

my suggestion would be 1 day at :

MK - simply because you can't not go to MK. and also your dd will just love it.
MGM - Bear and friends is great for your dd, Rock &Roller Coaster for the coaster addicts
Epcot - although it has neither very kid friendly stuff, nor coasters, I couldn't miss it - there is actually quite a lot that is kid friendly here.
Seaworld
IOA/Universal - maybe a 1/2 day at each
Swim/Shop/Relax - you have to take at least one day off or you will be too exhausted to continue!
Either AK, Discovery Cove or the other Universal Park

Your dd will probably like the parades the best - and meeting the characters - that seemed to be the highlight of my dd's trip.

My plan suggestion doesn't really make the best use of any of the passes - if you do 2 days at Universal, one at Seaworld and one at Busch Gardens, then you will probably be better off with a 5 park flex, but you'd have to compare the prices to be sure.

3 days at disney parks means you would either have to buy daily tickets (not a good idea), or a 4 day pass - or even a longer pass if you are planning another trip.

Bev

 

[vernon]

I think you're doing a lot of driving, particularly with a 2 1/2 year old. I presume you're all sharing one car? Does your brother and his wife have kids as well? I'm reading not,. Is your daughter a good traveller? People with out kids may think they're ok to share a car journey with a little one, but often they haven't developed the "deafness" that parents get with their own kids. Several 4-5 hour drives might stretch the good nature of anyone if they haven't yet developed that ability ( and that isn't a critisism of small kids, they do chatter,cry and bawl at time. We can usually turn off to a degree but people without kids aren't so good at turning off). Could you stay in Orlando for the extra 3 days and meet your brother on the way to Naples? Could you get two small cars instead of one bigger one? While having one car makes it less likely to lose the other people, for 4 adults unless you have a REALLY big car you're going to struggle on luggage PLUS having two cars would give you the chance to have some times apart. With a small child it is likely that some evenings you'll just want an early dinner and get her to bed. While your brother and his wife might like to dress up and go out for the evening. Just one car is going to limit one or both of you. With your own car you could then drop St Pete's and catch up with your brother in Naples.

Going on holiday with family can be great fun, but it can also have some potential problems attatched. No matter how well we get on with relatives, different circumstances and desires can put a strain on the best of friendships. If you can avoid some of the more disasterous ones I think it's worth doing.

IOA does have a great kiddies area with fountains and water squirters that will keep a 3 yr old amused for hours. If you take in this park for the thrill rides for the others in your group, I'd spend a couple of sessions here with your daughter while they go off on the big rides. If you take in a waterpark I think at 2 1/2 Typhoon LAgoon is the better choice. Small kids just LOVE the wave pool

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

Yep,i now have something to go off,hehe
Luckily we have 2 hire cars,one each,so thats going to be easier,we have agreed not to be together all the time and have a break from eachother,as my brother and wife love to sun bathe and we arent that bothered...my dd travels well,not sure of the plane journey ,but as soon as we strap her in her seat she nods off,so thats an advantage

I suppose its getting there,and going off impulse. i just hope it goes well.

Its just under 10weeks until we go now,im getting excited,we are like big kids hey lol

Anyways thanx,and will let you know what we come up with..

Beth & Family.

 

[UKDEB]

Hi Beth,

We've never done anything other than Orlando during our trips, but we have done one trip of just 8 days (last December). Having been there many times before, and knowing we would be going back, I guess it was a bit easier for us, but my advice would be to read a good guide book with a pen and paper at your side and make a list of everything you want to do in the 7 days and then work out an itinerary. It is possible to do a lot in that time and you can probably afford to pack quite a lot in, even with a 2 year old, if you know you have got a week of relative relaxation ahead of you. We managed to do all the Disney parks, both Universal parks and still found plenty of time for shopping and relaxing.

Do post your itinerary once you've come up with it - we might be able to help you with some fine-tuning.