Who wants to make my decision for me!?! LOL!

[pjtm]

Ok - here is the tentative plan.....

Arrive Fri Sept. 30th. I want to do Universal, Legoland - should I even do Busch Gardens?.

Then go over to Disney maybe Tues and stay on site there for the rest of the week.

We are a family of 5 - ds8, ds6, dd4.

I don't mind moving hotels once. Where do I stay for the first half of the week? I am hoping Legoland will even be open? And I don't know much about Busch Gardens. Is that redundant for Disney? Too much?

Hmmm - might save BG for another trip.

I am just starting to learn all about universal so it is alllllll new to me. Would love any insight, tips and suggestions!

 

[racechick8293]

Legoland may not be open yet when you visit; the target is by the "end of 2011". About two weeks ago on the Orlando news, they mentioned October as a target opening date.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...merlin-entertainments-group-winter-haven-park

Also, with the ages of your children, they may prefer a greater number of days at Disney or something other than Universal. The rides at Universal tend to be more of "thrill rides" geared towards adults and older children/teens IMHO.

 

[dougsmom98]

If you decide that you want to head over towards Busch Gardens and do Legoland, the Davenport area might be a good option for you. We stay in this house when we go http://www.vrbo.com/46990. I am not sure if they would allow you to stay less than a week, but it is worth asking. We only pay $875 for an entire week and that includes pool heat and all taxes and fees. The owners are VERY nice. The reason I recommend this location is because there is easy access to I-4 so it only takes about 45 minutes to get to Tampa (Busch Gardens) and Legoland doesn't look to be too far away either. Universal is in the opposite direction, but again, you jump on I-4 and it isn't too bad. If you want a hotel, there are some good ones that people have recommended on these boards. Comfort Suites Main Gate East sleeps six and has free breakfast, Beuna Vista Suites also sleeps six and has free breakfast.
Here are some threads that have info. about people staying in come other hotels that would accommodate your family.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2635048
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2426154

Because the parks you are interested in are in so many different directions, hotel location isn't going to be ideal for all of them. For this reason, I personally would focus more on comfort and price.
Good luck.

 

[Dax]

Legoland wont be open by then...Its slated for Oct 2011, and I am thinking probably late Oct tbh. Busch Gardens is worth it though

 

[bonoriffic]

Busch Gardens was a surprise at how much we liked it. It is a simple 1 hour drive from Disney. The kid ride area was really nice with several unique options you won't see at Disney. There is a nice splash area too so be prepared for that. We went the day before Animal Kingdom and didn't feel it was too redundant. The safari ride is a slow moving train you can get on and off which was different. Having the big kid rides there for anyone who wants to try was nice. We went in October and it is empty.