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View Full Version : First time to florida, advice please



thumpertwinkle
19-01-2004, 02:29
Hi,
This is my first time here, only found the site last week.
My husband, 3 children and I, are planning a trip to Florida in 2005. As we have never been before any advice on flights, are we best with fly-drive, schedule or charter and what is the difference between a scheduled flight and a charter? If we do book flight and car hire separetely which car hire company is recomended, oh we are from the uk by the way.
I am also pondering over when to go, at first i thought Easter but i have realised it is a very bust time, then i thought summer, as we are stuck with school hols, but i am unsure about the weather then as one of the children is prone to sunstroke so now i am thinking of the October hols and just taking them out of school for one week. The thing is though i like the hot weather, how hot will it be then?
As for villas i put an enquiry on the site and have had lots of replies, i think i have narrowed it down to a four bed with jacussi and if possible a games room somewhere around the indian creek community.
Also is it best to purchase tickets in this country before you go? And how much will it cost for them on average?
Our children will be 15, 14 and 10 when we go.
Any advice will be gratefully recieved.
San[msnsmile]

dbrook
19-01-2004, 03:02
Hi San,

Well in my opinion October is the best time to go to Florida. The weather is beautiful and hot (approx mid 80s) and on the couple of occasions we have been during October we have had very little rain. Easter, although busy is still a lovely time to go with similar weather.

If you choose to book your flight and car hire separately then the car hire rates on this site are extremely competitive - http://www.floridahire.com and you can purchase tickets here too. We have done it both ways purchased tickets before and after arrival, as sometimes we don't decide where we are going to go until we arrive!

If you want an indirect flight then they are usually available approx 330 days prior to your departure from Orlando date, and this is the option we normally take as it works out cheaper. You would be advised to start looking as soon as the prices come out with going school holiday times. For direct flights they should be released earlier, but not sure when so perhaps another owner would help out with that one.

Your children are very near in ages to ours when we last went to Florida, 15, 14 and 11 and they thoroughly enjoyed it. The two older girls like to shop unfortunately:D Do include some days whre you don't plan anything as we find our children just want to chill by the pool sometimes!

At least you have plenty of time to prepare and save up:D

Ruth
19-01-2004, 04:06
We usually book a scheduled fly drive as my husband prefers to fly Virgin or BA (he is a nervous flier[:I]) and we have young children so want a direct flight. For our next trip we have booked a Virgin flydrive but do not intend to use the car and did not book any extension on the week included with the flight or any insurance package. I have then booked a car through the link Diane gave above, and it works out much cheaper than booking a flight only with Virgin Atlantic or a flydrive with all the extra car charges with Virgin Holidays:)

MysteriousJourneys
19-01-2004, 04:22
Hi there. Ill give you my detailed opinion on all the questions you need answered. Please bare in mind that I am 17 years old and my opinion may be slightly different than some of the older members of the board.

I have been to Florida 3 times and I am going again in October.

1. Are you best with fly-drive?
In my opinion, fly drive is very convenient. We land at Sanford Airport or Orlando Airport and your keys are waiting for you at the main desk ready for you to drive away. It does not cost that much extra and in my opinion solves a lot of hassle trying to find a car hire place as it is very hot and your children may get adjitated hunting all over the place for car hire (I did first time anyway hehe).

2. When to go? How hot will it be then?
I think the best time to go is October also. Our family always go late September early October and the weather is still really hot and you occasionally get a breeze which is what you need sometimes. The queues at the theme parks are not as long either as when it is summer holidays all the American kids are off school and the parks are absolutely packed. Mainly in October you will find that it is mostly tourists creating a more enjoyable atmospher for you and your family :)

3. Is it best to purchase tickets in this country before you go? And how much will it cost for them on average?
I reccomend you fly with American Specialists as they do a fantastic discount on tickets. Visit : Http://www.americanspecialists.co.uk for more information. Im 17 and it is only going to cost me 132 pounds as I am traveling with American Specialists.

I hope the information I have given you will help you and your family have a fantastic trip and I wish you all the best as it is the best destination in the world. Have a great time and happy hunting ;)

Stephen .. xx

thumpertwinkle
19-01-2004, 23:55
Hi,
Thank you all for your help. We are definately going to go in October as it seems to be unanimous as one of the best times to go. As for the travel arrangements i suppose there is plenty of time to decide.
If I book a villa now would i be guaranteed to get a flight to coincide?
Do you people think it is best to go Thusday to Thursday as I have read that elsewhere?
San[msnsmile]

phaedra
20-01-2004, 14:26
Hi San :)

We usually book flights first and then accomodation, there's usually no shortage and in October it's a lot quieter.

Most villas are booked Sat-Sat but you can use the links above to make a general enquiry and ask if Thurs-Thurs is possible.

Last trip we did we flew out on a Thursday, stayed 2 nights in a hotel then had 2 weeks Sat-Sat in a villa and 2 more nights in a hotel before flying back on the Monday. A bit of a carry on but we got 4 extra days holiday and saved over £90 on the flights as we were not travelling over a weekend (fri-sun).

Tickets and car hire are best done here before you go, again there is a link for car hire at the top of the page and they give very good rates (not on commission honest!) I would suggest a 7 seater MPV as this has just that bit more room and you'll need it after you start shopping :D (don't forget to take at least 1 empty suitcase!).

Which parks are you thinking of going to?, also if you are thinking of going again in 2006 you can buy annual passes which work out a lot cheaper than the usual 4 or 5 park flexi tickets, for example, a 14 day 5 park flexi pass for Universal, Seaworld, Busch Gardens and Wet & Wild for 5 adults (10 & over) would cost about £650 ($1100) and after your 14 days are up that's it. With annual passes for 5 adults a 1 year Silver pass for Seaworld & Busch Gardens costs £425 and gives unlimited access (and free parking) for 1 year from 1st use and a 1 year pass for Universal/IOA would be £325. We bought ours in December 2002 and used them again in April and November 2003. If we'd bought flexi tickets it would have cost £1950 but with APs (annual passes) it only cost £750 :D

jeansusrentals
21-01-2004, 04:26
Hi, Try flying from Gatwick with Travel City Direct - (try the teletext - page 298 (ITV) ) get double luggage (for £15 extra) great if you intend shopping!

steph_goodrum
21-01-2004, 12:40
"Most villas are booked Sat-Sat but you can use the links above to make a general enquiry and ask if Thurs-Thurs is possible."

I think virtually all the owners on these sites are flexible on start and finish dates. It is much easier to ensure the homes are cared for properly in that way as many of us use small caretaker firms so the houses are known personally to the staff and they tend to take more pride in their work and the homes. If every homeowner had only Sat-Sat then they wouldn't be able to do this as they would perhaps have 20-30 homes to clean on a Sat and it wouldn't be possible without them sub contracting the work which would defeat the object.

Nostromo
21-01-2004, 15:08
Another good time to go is about 10 days AFTER Easter ie around 20th April. That is exactly what we're doing this year. You have the advantage of good weather (not too hot and very little rain) and low crowds. Allow at least 3 weeks, so that you can have a full rest day every 4 days or so. Belive me, you'll need it! As for flights, a company called CHARTER TRAVEL who have some sort of affiliation with this site, do excellent deals for families, usually with Virgin flights. They also book a CAR, which will be an absolute necessity in Florida, as anywhere else in America. As for accommodation, a VILLA RENTAL is by far the best value and there is no better place than this site to find one. All you do is to decide what you need (4-bed, 3-loos etc) and click on the Orlando Villas link at the top of this page. You'll find that a lot of owners are British and so know exactly what yu need and are very helpful. This site is also the best value for PARK TICKETS as you will discover yourself. Finally, don't forget TRAVEL INSURANCE.

huckleberry house
21-01-2004, 15:18
There are three sites associated with the forum which are all verified by the site owners they are www.villasflorida.com www.orlandovillas.com and www.onlinefloridavillas.com,all contain different villas and you can make a general enquiry on all to see what is available.

I would disagree with the comment re: booking flights first,while it is wise to have a look at general prices etc I would choose a villa that you like first and find out the availability before booking flights.If there is something you particularly like the look of you may find you were one or two days out and that can be very frustrating.While there are many villas they are not by any means all the same and as there is only one of each home it makes sense to choose that first as it is a time restricted item and book flights after which are more plentiful.Most owners will hold your dates for 24 hours while you arrange flights so there shouldnt be a risk involved.


Lesley

dbrook
21-01-2004, 16:21
Whilst there will also be villas available, like Lesley says I would also book my villa first so I could have the pick of the bunch!! October is a very popular time to vacation in Orlando, and a lot of owners get booked up very quickly for this time of year.

george
21-02-2004, 23:35
My best advice is : Why wait to 2005? go this year!
Whenever you go I hope you and your family have a great time.

chrisj
21-02-2004, 23:57
I would stress a few rest days, its easy to overdo it and so we plan a few days where
we wake up late and laze around for the day, then pop out eatly evening

chrizzy100
22-02-2004, 01:29
quote:Originally posted by chrisj

I would stress a few rest days, its easy to overdo it and so we plan a few days where
we wake up late and laze around for the day, then pop out eatly evening


First sign of old age Chris....needing rest days.....[}:)][}:)][}:)]

SG
22-02-2004, 02:11
quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100


quote:Originally posted by chrisj

I would stress a few rest days, its easy to overdo it and so we plan a few days where
we wake up late and laze around for the day, then pop out eatly evening


First sign of old age Chris....needing rest days.....[}:)][}:)][}:)]


Perhaps it's something to do with his plumbing [msntongue][msntongue][msntongue]

thumpertwinkle
23-02-2004, 02:40
WE will if we win the lottery[msnsmile2]
quote:Originally posted by george

My best advice is : Why wait to 2005? go this year!
Whenever you go I hope you and your family have a great time.