Disney World Florida advice please!

Hi, I'm planning on possibly doing a trip of a lifetime next year to Disney Land, Florida with my wife and 10 yr old (by then) daughter.

Has anyone been in the last year or 2 and have any advice on how to do it? Would we be better purchasing everything in advance (inc food, tickets etc) and staying on location in a resort hotel?

Also, what with taking an only child she'll be relying on us to entertain and share rides and everything with. Has anyone else done this with an only child and how did you find it?

We went last year - been a fair few times.

A few bits....

- Buy your tickets well in advance and from Disney direct. Despite what people say, you don't get cheap Disney tickets, unless you really want to go to a timeshare show. Disney is the most popular tourist attraction on earth. They don't need to do cheap tickets.

- Make sure your tickets include Memory Maker. You get all your ride photos, videos, and loads of free family photos around the parks (google Disney Magic Shots - amazing).

- I wouldn't bother with meal plans personally, but they're often included now. Reason I wouldn't bother is that you're tied to eating at Disney Parks every day.

- Parking is expensive if you're off site (£20 a day), so budget for that.

- I've stayed off site in hotels on IDrive, on site and in a villa. For a holiday with kids, the villa is by far the best. So much freedom. Just get a car and off you go.

- The best on site restaurant is Be Our Guest. It's amazing. The big name restaurants are expensive, but they're great quality. Akershus in Epcot is great with kids, and the food is lovely.

- Book everything as soon as you can. You can book restaurants 180 days before you arrive. You really should, if you're going in peak season. I was at my computer for the opening hour 180 days out and quite a few of the best times had gone.

- Ditto fast passes. 30 days out if you're off site, 60 before if you're on. Really, they go in a heartbeat for the big name rides.

- I'm not exaggerating with the last two points

- Download the My Disney Experience app and learn to love it

I could go on for literally hours!!

Costly holiday (£13k for three of us last year!!) but so, so, so amazing, and we're going back in 2019. Already planning it!

Disney is the most popular tourist attraction on earth.

Not to be a pedant or anything but its not, far from it. The most popular tourist attraction is the Las Vegas strip. Disney Land Orlando is approx 8th.

Not to be a pedant or anything but its not, far from it. The most popular tourist attraction is the Las Vegas strip. Disney Land Orlando is approx 8th.

Random - I wasn't sure (I admit it was a stat I'd heard) but on googling, it seems that there are lots of different sites saying lots of different things. Hey ho - it's very popular and it's great either way

Random - I wasn't sure (I admit it was a stat I'd heard) but on googling, it seems that there are lots of different sites saying lots of different things. Hey ho - it's very popular and it's great either way

To be honest I always thought it was Paris. Seems the top 10 are almost all in the USA. And Disneyland = 17.5 million people a year. Wow, thats still a heck of a lot of people!

To be honest I always thought it was Paris. Seems the top 10 are almost all in the USA. And Disneyland = 17.5 million people a year. Wow, thats still a heck of a lot of people!

It seems crazy doesn't it! That's about 50k a day!! I know the parks are big, but that seems a huge amount.

We went last year - been a fair few times.

 

A few bits....

 

- Buy your tickets well in advance and from Disney direct. Despite what people say, you don't get cheap Disney tickets, unless you really want to go to a timeshare show. Disney is the most popular tourist attraction on earth. They don't need to do cheap tickets.

 

- Make sure your tickets include Memory Maker. You get all your ride photos, videos, and loads of free family photos around the parks (google Disney Magic Shots - amazing).

 

- I wouldn't bother with meal plans personally, but they're often included now. Reason I wouldn't bother is that you're tied to eating at Disney Parks every day.

 

- Parking is expensive if you're off site (£20 a day), so budget for that.

 

- I've stayed off site in hotels on IDrive, on site and in a villa. For a holiday with kids, the villa is by far the best. So much freedom. Just get a car and off you go.

 

- The best on site restaurant is Be Our Guest. It's amazing. The big name restaurants are expensive, but they're great quality. Akershus in Epcot is great with kids, and the food is lovely.

 

- Book everything as soon as you can. You can book restaurants 180 days before you arrive. You really should, if you're going in peak season. I was at my computer for the opening hour 180 days out and quite a few of the best times had gone.

 

- Ditto fast passes. 30 days out if you're off site, 60 before if you're on. Really, they go in a heartbeat for the big name rides.

 

- I'm not exaggerating with the last two points

 

- Download the My Disney Experience app and learn to love it

 

I could go on for literally hours!!

 

Costly holiday (£13k for three of us last year!!) but so, so, so amazing, and we're going back in 2019. Already planning it!

£13k!! wow that's a lot of money, did you really go for it or is that the general cost? I would love to take my two little ones before they get too old, but I can't justify spending £13k on a two week holiday. Not being critical of you with that comment by the way we all have different budgets.

Is there any chance of one of her friends going with her, with the expenses paid by her friends' parents? For many kids at that age, having a friend along multiplies the enjoyment, and reduces family arguments.

That's my memory anyway.

I suppose it is possible to spend 13k if everthing you do is 5 star.We have been 7 times first time in 1987 last time 2 years ago,always booked flights,villa,car hire seperate and bought park tickets when we got there.with 8 days park tickets total cost for 4 of us would be about 8k.

Thanks for all the replies, and all the details you've given Andy1976, much appreciated!

I wouldn't want to take a friend with us, at that age it's a very long way from home and I think they're still a bit too young. I wouldn't want my daughter going with friends, it's just too far away if anything went wrong.

As for the cost, ouch! I was hoping it wouldn't be more than about £5k for the 3 of us. And having not been there before I'm a bit scared of getting everything separately in case something goes wrong. My next step would be visiting a travel agents and see what price they come up with, though I'm expecting that to be high anyway at least it's something to work with.

£13k!! wow that's a lot of money, did you really go for it or is that the general cost? I would love to take my two little ones before they get too old, but I can't justify spending £13k on a two week holiday. Not being critical of you with that comment by the way we all have different budgets.

Went for it a little, but overall it's not a massive splurge (great word). We didn't upgrade to first class or anything, and the villa was nothing rockstar - it was one of the deluxe ones from the brochure, but nothing too over the top.

Holiday generally is about 5-6k for three people in school holidays (villa)

We upgraded flights for another £1500 or so. Something round that figure.

Tickets are about £2000 if you do Disney and Universal fully (£379 each for Disney 2 week)

About £2500 spending money for the two weeks (thanks vote Leave!!)

Then a few other bits and pieces that we splashed out on.

You can, I'm sure do it much cheaper than that - probably about half that, but tickets will cost what they cost, and they're expensive. Budget £2k for them, at best £3-4k for the holiday, then spending money.

It's not cheap, it's not something you could do every year, but it's amazing and with kids, it's a lifetime memory I think.

---------- Post added 18-07-2017 at 10:42 ----------

Thanks for all the replies, and all the details you've given Andy1976, much appreciated!

 

I wouldn't want to take a friend with us, at that age it's a very long way from home and I think they're still a bit too young. I wouldn't want my daughter going with friends, it's just too far away if anything went wrong.

 

As for the cost, ouch! I was hoping it wouldn't be more than about £5k for the 3 of us. And having not been there before I'm a bit scared of getting everything separately in case something goes wrong. My next step would be visiting a travel agents and see what price they come up with, though I'm expecting that to be high anyway at least it's something to work with.

You might get it for £5k, but bear in mind the ticket costs. Disney (just checked) is £354 per person for adults, and about £10 cheaper for kids, so that's already £1,000. The Orlando Flex Ticket for the Universal parks etc is not far from that, so you're already close to £2k just for tickets. Since the pound bombed last June, it's also more expensive than it used to be, so I'd recommend at least £2k spending money personally. £6.5k maybe overall?

---------- Post added 18-07-2017 at 10:45 ----------

I suppose it is possible to spend 13k if everthing you do is 5 star.We have been 7 times first time in 1987 last time 2 years ago,always booked flights,villa,car hire seperate and bought park tickets when we got there.with 8 days park tickets total cost for 4 of us would be about 8k.

8k is certainly possible, but I'd say not to buy tickets when you arrive, as it stops you pre-booking rides and attractions with FastPass. It's a massive advantage to miss out on, and means you end up either missing out the big new attractions, or queuing for ages.

Went for it a little, but overall it's not a massive splurge (great word). We didn't upgrade to first class or anything, and the villa was nothing rockstar - it was one of the deluxe ones from the brochure, but nothing too over the top.

 

Holiday generally is about 5-6k for three people in school holidays (villa)

We upgraded flights for another £1500 or so. Something round that figure.

Tickets are about £2000 if you do Disney and Universal fully (£379 each for Disney 2 week)

About £2500 spending money for the two weeks (thanks vote Leave!!)

 

Then a few other bits and pieces that we splashed out on.

 

You can, I'm sure do it much cheaper than that - probably about half that, but tickets will cost what they cost, and they're expensive. Budget £2k for them, at best £3-4k for the holiday, then spending money.

 

It's not cheap, it's not something you could do every year, but it's amazing and with kids, it's a lifetime memory I think.

 

---------- Post added 18-07-2017 at 10:42 ----------

 

 

You might get it for £5k, but bear in mind the ticket costs. Disney (just checked) is £354 per person for adults, and about £10 cheaper for kids, so that's already £1,000. The Orlando Flex Ticket for the Universal parks etc is not far from that, so you're already close to £2k just for tickets. Since the pound bombed last June, it's also more expensive than it used to be, so I'd recommend at least £2k spending money personally. £6.5k maybe overall?

 

---------- Post added 18-07-2017 at 10:45 ----------

 

 

8k is certainly possible, but I'd say not to buy tickets when you arrive, as it stops you pre-booking rides and attractions with FastPass. It's a massive advantage to miss out on, and means you end up either missing out the big new attractions, or queuing for ages.

School holidays probably adds a few thousand to the price no doubt but at the ages they are at you can't take them out of school.