Going in October.. wondering if anyone had been recently to offer some tips?
I'm going in October too, October is a good month to go. Weather is still warm and the parks are less busy and the Halloween horror nights are very good, if you like that kinday of stuff.
Went last summer and loved it (2nd time in 3 years, but only for a week this time). went with 12 year old son (wife stayed at home, working, to pay for it all) , so knew exactly what parks we wanted: Volcano Bay, both Universal Studios, Typhoon Lagoon... If you stay in a Universal resort you get early access to the Universal parks..well worth it for Volcano Bay in particular.. If you book with Virgin, you get early access to Studios and Islands of Adventure, but not Volcano Bay... Depending on age of your kids etc, plan to get to the parks early (when they open) and then you'll be done by lunch/early afternoon and you can take the afternoon off back at your villa/hotel. For us (as said, with 12 year old son), Universal parks are by far the best.. if you've got younger kids, then you're probably going to want to go to Disney.. If you can afford it, buy the (multi use) fast passes for the Universal Parks...you jump to the front of the queue again and again...typically $100 ish per person per day I think (not cheap...). For Universal, get in when it opens, only Harry Potter World is open for the first hour (at the back of each of the parks)...get in there, get on the HP rides (over and over again) and then when the hour is up and the park opens and starts filling up, start moving your way back through the parks towards the entrance and then out and home. Love the Simpsons ride, Transformers ride and all the Harry Potter rides (especially the roller coasters) even though I'm not a fan of the films..
Volcano Bay water park is far and away the best water park I've ever been to...but it has real queuing issues...it has a tap in, tap out, pre-book your turn/virtual queuing system but it doesn't work well as you can only virtually queue for one ride at a time...and sometimes the queues for that ride can be 4 hours long...which means that you can't queue for another ride in this time, so you have to rely on some of the other slides being 'free rides' (i.e. no virtual system)...my advice, look online, choose the slide that looks the best and then get there and queue for it as soon as you get in... We spent two days in that park and the system can be frustrating, but there's a couple of cool lazy rivers (one with rapids) which pass the time, plus they were sensible and you could pretty much always 'get on a ride'...
Typhoon Lagoon is my favourite Disney water park...just good old fashioned queuing, which works well!
I've still not been to the space centre, legoland etc, which apparently are great...just means I have to go back...
Oh..shopping....premium outlet malls have good savings....kids Vans at 2 pairs for $30 etc..much cheapness if you like branded goods..
Everything booked for departure on 23/10. I cannot wait.
10 of us going (including @kingaddick). Three generations. I can't wait to see the look on my granddaughters faces when Cinderellas castle comes into view as you cross on the ferry.
This will be our fifth trip and I'm as excited as the first.
@The Organiser you can get all in package deals...it's not going to be cheap though...it's the park tickets that help ramp up the cost.. My son finishes school about 2 weeks before most schools close for summer, so we went in early/mid July for £1300 for the two of us: flights, hotel and car.. Hotel was not 'great' but seeing as my wife wasn't there, it was fine...on International Drive, near the restaurants / Universal parks etc.. You're then looking at park tickets (couple of hundred quid per person) but then you add on the fast passes etc and it ramps up more... Think our week for two total cost was about £2500 - and that was before the prices go up when the rest of the schools close for summer...
I fly out 29th of October. Anyone done fright nights?
Make sure you have tickets in advance, did it years ago - Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween. Was a good evening, kids were small so we mooched about meeting characters and other distractions. the park was very busy and too much of an effort to waste time queueing. Obviously the closer to Halloween, the more rammed it will be. They gave out cookies and hot chocolate throughout the park
Listening to these prices being branded around, I shudder to think how much it would cost say a standard family of four for two weeks all in!?!
I'm going in August with wifey and the kids - we are hopingto buy a place out there and rent it out throughout the year.
Flights, park tickets, hire car (minivan), accommodation (mates rates from a friend), fastpasses, food and drink - not expecting much change from £10-12k
BUT - it's a brilliant holiday. Been 5 times before though this is only the 2nd with the children. Aside from the parks and rides etc we always drive to Tampa for a day (there's a decent greek restaurant there we always head to). Busch Gardens is awesome. Gator Land and Boggy Creek (ride the 'gentle ben' boats with the big fans on the back). Restaurants are largely awesome Just sitting in the garden with a BBQ and a lovely refreshing swimming pool right there No language barrier Minigolf everywhere Guaranteed decent weather
Comments
Staying here;
regalpalmsrental.com/
Then a couple of days in New York here;
book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/US/NY/Rockville-Centre-hotels/BEST-WESTERN-Mill-River-Manor/Hotel-Overview.do?propertyCode=33129
Thought it a good idea to have the option of either city or beach.
Just need Peanuts to give me the tricast for the GN....
Want to go back!!!!
Been before but not for a while now so really looking forward to it and the theme parks!
Longhorns steakhouse is a must!
Volcano Bay water park is far and away the best water park I've ever been to...but it has real queuing issues...it has a tap in, tap out, pre-book your turn/virtual queuing system but it doesn't work well as you can only virtually queue for one ride at a time...and sometimes the queues for that ride can be 4 hours long...which means that you can't queue for another ride in this time, so you have to rely on some of the other slides being 'free rides' (i.e. no virtual system)...my advice, look online, choose the slide that looks the best and then get there and queue for it as soon as you get in... We spent two days in that park and the system can be frustrating, but there's a couple of cool lazy rivers (one with rapids) which pass the time, plus they were sensible and you could pretty much always 'get on a ride'...
Typhoon Lagoon is my favourite Disney water park...just good old fashioned queuing, which works well!
I've still not been to the space centre, legoland etc, which apparently are great...just means I have to go back...
Oh..shopping....premium outlet malls have good savings....kids Vans at 2 pairs for $30 etc..much cheapness if you like branded goods..
Enjoy.
And don't forget to tip everyone you have any dealings with 20%
Seriously, enjoy.
10 of us going (including @kingaddick). Three generations. I can't wait to see the look on my granddaughters faces when Cinderellas castle comes into view as you cross on the ferry.
This will be our fifth trip and I'm as excited as the first.
Flights, park tickets, hire car (minivan), accommodation (mates rates from a friend), fastpasses, food and drink - not expecting much change from £10-12k
BUT - it's a brilliant holiday. Been 5 times before though this is only the 2nd with the children. Aside from the parks and rides etc we always drive to Tampa for a day (there's a decent greek restaurant there we always head to). Busch Gardens is awesome. Gator Land and Boggy Creek (ride the 'gentle ben' boats with the big fans on the back).
Restaurants are largely awesome
Just sitting in the garden with a BBQ and a lovely refreshing swimming pool right there
No language barrier
Minigolf everywhere
Guaranteed decent weather
Just a wonderful place