View Full Version : Cheapest way to stay in Florida!
Hi,
My name is Hayley and I live in the UK. My husband and I will both be 40 next year (groan!) and would love to go to Florida with our two children by way of a celebration. Unfortunately, we will also be moving house in the same year, so funds are tight. We quite like the idea of renting a villa in the Kissimmee area. Does this seem the best idea, and when is the cheapest time to visit? Any other money saving ideas would be most welcome!! This site is so useful as we have never been to Florida before. Many thanks!
Hayley
Hi Hayley
I think most villa owners will give you advice on flights, car hire and places to eat and things to do.
I go and see people who rent my villa locally and give them as much advice as possilble, especially if they
have not been before. I would recommend a villa and then you don't have to eat out all the time and the
children can stay a play by the pool when you are not in the parks.
Hope you have a great holiday!!!
Dianne
Paula D-S
19-08-2007, 17:19
The park tickets and car hire advertised on this site can save you quite a bit.
I would always recommend staying in a villa. You can save money on flights and villa hire by going in the low seasons, the parks will also be a bit quieter at these times of year too.
Fourdents
19-08-2007, 17:47
Welcome Hayley to OV Forum
I find that flying mid week can be a little cheaper.
CERICROWLEY
19-08-2007, 18:23
Hayley
Depending on the ages of your children and if you are willing to take them out of school, the cheapest option would be to go in a low season, this is normally Mid January to end of February.
This is also the low season pricing for many flights, check out all the scheduled flights and chartered flights, another way of MAYBE saving a bit more is going scheduled indirect flights, using the flydrive option with Virgin or My Travel, BUT not taking the car with the flight, as we have found it more expensive paying for the additionals you have to do, ie insurance and fuel, than booking the car FULLY inclusive with UScarhire on here.
Parks you will not find a more competitive price again than on here. Please don't use the ticket booths in the US, they have sold used tickets, and all gates are now fingerprint id'ed and you could get refused entry, and end up paying again at the gate for entry.
Most of the homes on here, have tips and tricks to get the best deals on restaurants and shopping etc.
One final tip if you do decide to go in the low season, you will find the parks and the Orlando area, less busy than the usual school holiday season.
Hi,
Thanks very much for your tips. This site is so useful, I'm sure I will be on it quite a bit between now and my holiday. Thanks again!
Hayley
Hayley, Low season would also include November and early December but during these time periods, you will need to order pool heating. You may want to take a look at May and September and consider these months as options as well because crowds are quite manageable, and even though you're typically looking at mid-season rates, the weather is hot enough that you can do without pool heating.
mfairhurst
19-08-2007, 19:28
HI HAYLEY .
America can be cheaper eating out and children eat free in someplaces also there are books in WALMART amd other shopping outlets that have them and there are discount coupons in them with 10 % of meals and other things .
We have lots on info we give our guests to go to not only disney and other theme parks .
Hope you enjoy your holiday if and when you go .
Good luck with your house moveing .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx
Hi Hayley
Going to Florida will be a lovely way to celebrate your special birthdays next year.
A villa is definitely a much better option than a hotel as you will have lots more space.
You mention that you will be on a limited budget but that is not a problem as there are lots of things to do and see in Florida that are either free or very inexpensive so a visit to the parks every day is not necessary. Just ask and ideas will, no doubt, come flooding in (any excuse for an owner to talk about Florida). In the past we have had families stay and the children do NOT want to visit the parks as having their own pool they can jump in and out all day is much more fun (and much better on Mum and Dad's pockets) add to that a meal outside on the patio and it is a great way to spend some quality family time together. Many villa communities also have playgrounds or sports courts that the children can use which again will not cost anything.
There are many things that you don't have to spend a fortune on, and a villa is one of the best ways to enjoy a family holiday with your children. There is usually a private pool for the children to enjoy - I know my grandchildren just loved to stay by the pool - it was us who was dragging them to Disney etc.
As previously mentioned, eating out with children can be really good value if you eat at the many places that offer meal deals for children, lots of them offer free meals for kids!! If you want to eat in, most villas are fully equipped with a full kitchen so no problems there.
Enjoy your planning if you decide to go for it. There will be plenty of people on this forum able and willing to give you sound advice.
Sandra
Parrothead
19-08-2007, 20:09
Dont book the first villa you see or like. Look at lots of websites and compare prices and facilities. The cheapest is not always the best[:I] Is the home ona resort? does it have a communal pool for the kids to make new friends? Are there other things to do close by? Hoe far from the theme parks, nothing worse than having to drive for 30 to 40 minuets each way.
So, dont rush, take a look at all the lovely homes on here and ask questions of the owner, lots of questions.
Hayley,
Whilst the advice given already about low season being the cheapest time to go is good, I would also say to keep an open mind and do some searching for flight prices this year on the time you plan to go for next year. For example I got flights last week for £275 each all inclusive of airport taxes, flying from Bristol to Sanford Orlando, and flying on 25th August, return on 8th September. This is a good choice if you have children who are not in important years of school i.e. GCSE course years and missing 2 days at the start of term wouldnt be a big problem. I could also have got flights on 23rd August, returning on 6th Sept for around £303.
There are all sorts of options to save money and as long as you are prepared to do the research and ask plenty of questions you can get the holiday of your dreams. Also, planning it all yourself by buying your own flights, car hire and picking your own villa, you know that nothing is going to disappoint when you get there. Theres nothing worse than paying a lot of money to a tour operator for a package holiday then finding that you are extremely disappointed with the villa or accommodation you have been placed in. Like the others have said so far, if you book a villa on this site you will find that the owners will be very helpful and give plenty of advice. But also take heed of the warning that "if something sounds to good to be true, then it probably is" this relates mainly to booking villas at ridiculously cheap prices. The owners who price their villas at what they are worth are the ones that look after them well, make sure that they are maintained properly at the highest standards, and more importantly - dont lose their villas when the Banks foreclose on them leaving you without a villa when your holiday comes around. At the end of the day remember the saying "you get what you pay for". You have chosen one of the best villa rental sites to start your search. Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful holiday when it comes around.
All good advice so far. Would like to agree that by organising everything independently then you have the most control over the costs and can see exactly how much everything is going to be. Another good tip while you are out there is to buy the Sunday Orlando Sentinel as it is full of coupons and money off vouchers.
I think the biggest advantage of booking a villa for a family is the flexibility it will give you. You will be able to have meals in if you want to, which will cut down on the cost compared to eating out. Also days can be spent by your own pool and also many villas have games areas with pool tables, etc where the children can spend time quite happily, giving you time to relax whilts knowing your children are safe.
Linda
I'd just like to add my welcome too Hayley,
As you're already discovering there are plenty of people here who will offer advice and share their experiences.
You will have an amazing time and it doesn't have to cost a fortune. I would agree with others who say choose your accommodation wisely. This is not the area in which to cut corners but you can get a fabulous villa at a fair price.
It is very tempting to rush round and try to do everything but it is physically and mentally exhausting not to mention impossible in a couple of weeks! Probably not even possible in several months which is why visitors keep returning :)
Our guests too have commented that it's difficult to get the kids out of the pool! So why not just let them enjoy it and save money at the same time [msnwink]
traceya89
21-08-2007, 00:48
I am planning on visiting Florida in October/November but we are staying in a hotel. I have been desperately saving clubcard vouchers for the last year with Tesco so this holiday will be free. i would prefer to stay in a villa and book last minute but as this is going to be free we are aiming on staying at Hard Rock Hotel for one week and Disney Beach club the second week.
Wow Tracey, that must be an awful lot of clubcard points [msnwink]. Those are great hotels. The 'a brit's guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World' 2007 says; 'The Hard Rock Hotel is possibly the coolest hotel in Orlando' [8D].
If you have to stay in a hotel, then it may as well be one with style, have a brilliant time.
Steve and Dawn
24-08-2007, 17:08
Wow Tracey, would hate to see your food bills!! [msnwink]
Albert the Frog
24-08-2007, 19:11
I love these new avatars that everybody has got-they are excellent-Sandra-LOL...anyway Hayley a word about these vouchers. The first time I went to the States they were foreign to me. I felt awkward and a bit of a cheapskate using them-more fool me-Over there it's a way of life and the restaurants/diners don't even bat an eyelid. Go and enjoy if you can. When we started to price up a 4* hotel in Spain for peak summer we didn't find a lot of difference in price, and as you will have guessed from the posts-there is no other place on earth like Florida.
traceya89
04-09-2007, 22:54
Wow Tracey, that must be an awful lot of clubcard points . Those are great hotels. The 'a brit's guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World' 2007 says; 'The Hard Rock Hotel is possibly the coolest hotel in Orlando' .
If you have to stay in a hotel, then it may as well be one with style, have a brilliant time.
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Not sure how to do the above in quotes!!!!
I am a Tesco and Florida Chick!!!! I am obsessed with both. I have not been saving with a holiday in mind but now I have the points I thought why not use them and do the best hotels. However, it is not booked yet and last night a friend and her children said they would like to come to florida with us in November. So if they come then it will be a villa, if they dont then it will be two luxurious hotels! will keep everyone informed!!!!
BTW if anyone wants to know how to make the most of Tesco and clubcard points PM me and I will tell you how!!
freddiehollie
04-09-2007, 23:46
Tracey.
Disney's Beach Club has the best (By Far) Hotel pool at Disneyworld[msnsmile2] and probably the best
hotel pool in Orlando. Acres of fun with slides, sand beach, whirlpool and even better a sand bottom pool. Just to feel the sand on your toes[msnsmile2] We can't wait till our next trip[msnwink]
ShirleyD
05-09-2007, 02:48
Hi Hayley, welcome to the forum :D
Have you thought about bringing friends with you? That way you could share the villa costs!!! We have have had many a holiday like this, although we always rent a car each, so we don't have to do everything together. We normally go to the parks together and book a restaurant for lunch in case we drift apart during the morning. That way you are not tied together and if you want to spend some more time somewhere than your friends, you can do so without worrying they are bored
Hi Hayley,
Florida is a brilliant place and there are plenty of things to do that don't cost a fortune. So many of our guests have commented that they couldn't get the kids out of the pool to go to Disney. So a villa with pool would be the best way to start.
November is a great time to go, especially round Thanksgiving as there are amazing sales on then and you can stock up on Christmas presents. There are usually plenty of flight bargains then too.
Car hire and attraction tickets from this site can't be beaten, great prices and 100% reliable.
Don't be shy about using the money saving coupons that are everywhere, or asking for a 'doggy' bag in a restaurant.
Finally, if you get the latest copy of 'a brit's guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World' (updated every year) you'll find loads of money saving tips.
Have a brilliant time
:)