View Full Version : Need your advice
sharlene
19-01-2004, 12:26
My husband & I are planning to bring our children (ages 9,8,6,3) to Florida for a vacation. We are from the Philippines. We will be staying in Orlando for 7 days and plan to rent a villa ( I hope this is a good idea ) and plan to rent a car for convenience. I just want to make this trip a memorable one for my kids since this is their first time ever. I have been to Orlando several times when I was single and was there 2 years ago with my husband minus the kids. Aside from Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and Epcot, where else can I bring my kids? I have to choose the best place to go and cram it in the 7 days I allot for Orlando (since we will be visiting other cities also). My husband also wants to visit the beach. Can you suggest a good beach to go to? we plan to get a villa around the kissemee area or the ones near Disney resort.
Hi Sharlene -welcome to the forum renting a villa is the best way to stay in the kissimmee area and you will be spoilt for choice -just look at the ones on this site and you will see what I mean .As for what to do be careful you don't try to cram too much in one week -you will miss the beauty of it all.If you plan on Magic Kingdom ,Epcot and Universal and a beach day that doesn't leave a lot of time spare and you will probably benefit from a rest day around the pool at your home .As for beaches I prefer the west coast ClearwaTer or go a little further down to Indian Rocks or Indian Shores absolutely beautiful.
steph_goodrum
19-01-2004, 13:31
With the ages of your children Sharlene I would definitely say a villa is going to be preferable to an hotel room or suite, they will have much more space to relax in and wont be arguing over one tv.
One thing I would suggest is to try to take them to Sea World, many children never have the experience of being so close to many of these animals, and especially feeding and petting the dolphins and to see their faces as they encounter them is fantastic.
sharlene
19-01-2004, 14:43
Thanks for the info. I don't really have to go to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Universal...I only know these parks because these are the only parks I've been to. A lot of parks have sprouted since my last vacation in Orlando and have read about all of them, which made me more confused :D So, I need the top 4 parks that's suited for my kids ages.
Scotborder
19-01-2004, 14:59
Hi Sharlene
Nice to hear from someone in the Philippines. My suggestion is to also try Busch Gardens, my children loved it.
Sharlene,
I have a 9 year old and a 7 year old and their favourite place is sea world -but they absolutely love animals-so thats no suprise-there are rides there now too as well so you have the best of both worlds!regarding the beaches--the East coast--Cocoa beach is quicker to get to and has waves if the kids like playing on body boards and jumping into them as they break--but the more beautiful beaches are on the gulf coast--clearwater-etc--we go to both.
hope this helps
Shazbat
bellaepovera
19-01-2004, 17:17
Try Universal sister park Islands of Adventure. If you and your family like fast rides this park is the best. Or maybe a water park at one of Disneys as Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are my two favorites. Cocoa or Daytona beaches are the closest from Kissimmee and very enjoyable for the day!
Hi Sharlene and welcome to the forum.
I think with the limited amount of time you have, you will have to plan your itinerary based on the personal preferences of the individuals in your own family. Based on the ages of your children, I would say that Magic Kingdom is a definite must. If you would like to make this an educational experience for them as well, I would also include Epcot (my personal favorite!). You can make the World Showcase in Epcot more interesting for the younger members of your family by purchasing the passports in the gift shop and have them visit the Kid's Spot (can't remember the official name of these!) at each country.
You will find that if you stay in a villa, your children will be so happy to have time off to swim in the pool and relax ( and so will you!) But for a nice half day activity on an off day from the parks, Gatorland would be a good choice. Your kids would really enjoy this - some very interesting shows and exhibits and not just gators, either!!
Have fun - this forum will definitely help you get the most out of your stay!
Hi Sharlene,
Welcome to the forum. With your limited amount of time you will need to really work out a definite itinerary. Your choice of staying in a villa is a must to give you more space and you can relax around the pool after a hard day at the parks.I am sure that you would all like Busch Gardens but is approx. 1 hours drive from Disney. If you wish to go to the beach, I think the Gulf Coast is much nicer than the Atlantic Coast.
Another must is to hire at least a 6 seater van. You can get a quote on this site.
Mike.
sharlene
20-01-2004, 06:13
Okay then, Magic Kingdom, Busch Garden, Epcot (its also my personal favorite) it is. Plus a day at the beach and a day of relaxing at the villa and maybe visit some friends in Orlando. We can go to Sea World San Diego (it's pretty much the same, isn't it?) and maybe Universal Studios in LA. I know my two older kids will enjoy the fast rides but I'm not sure about my 6 year old and 3 year old.
Can anybody tell me where the spiderman ride is? Was it in th Island of Adventure or Universal? I remember going in one of those rides but couldn't remember which park :D Is there a batman thing also?
If I were to choose only 1, which park should I bring my kids to: Disney's MGM, Universal Studios and Island of Adventure?
Another thing: I noticed that most of the villas are priced on a weekly basis. If we decide to stay, like say...8 or 9 days, will the 8th or 9th day fall under less than a week and get charged for a less than 5 days cleaning fee or something? sorry, this is my first time to rent a villa and am totally lost about the policies :) Two years ago, we stayed in one of the Disney's Resorts and it was way expensive (there were 13 of us then). Food was expensive, too. I didn't know that there are a lot of villas for rent over there...now I know and am very excited about it. My husband and I have been spending hours on the computer looking and looking at the pictures of those villas...so, we decided to narrow down our choices to the areas we would consider...
Anyways, I'm glad I found this forum, such a big help!!!
Spiderman is at Islands of Adventure. There is a Hulk ride there too but the only Batman ride I know of is at Six Flags Magic Mountain in LA so I think you are getting your wires crossed there!!!!!
I would say the kids would like any of those three parks. Islands of Adventure though may not have enough for the younger too.
Dont know how anyone else opeates but if you wanted 9 nights in my villa, I would charge a weekly fee and add two sevenths onto it for the extra two nights, The cleaning fee only comes into play for bookings of less than say 5 nights in total so you would not have to pay one of those if you wanted an 8th or 9th night. All owners differ however.
Beaches?? Clearwater is lovely. This is on the Gulf side. The closest beach to Kissimmeee is Melbourne which is a surfy beach good for boogie boards.
:)Hi Sharlene - I would definitely suggest Islands of Adventure for all the ages you have as it has something to appeal to everyone. As above, if you rent our villa we charge 2/7 for the extra two days. When selecting a villa, ensure you choose one which has lots of videos, dvd's, games and toys. We have a full supply of everything as the kids need to wind down at the end of all those exciting days (my kids are 15, 13, 5 and 2). Beach suggestion - Daytone, although about half an hour further on is definitely worth the extra trip, you drive on the beach and it has great facilities. Enjoy your trip .... I am sure it will leave you eager to return. Nikki
www.villasflorida.com 897
Sharlene,
I agree with what was said above as I believe most owners would. The extra nights are prorated - cleaning fee only applies on stays less than a disignated (by the owner) number of days - often this is one week. Most owners are flexible and don't care what day of the week you start your visit and what day you end it.
I agree also that you will want a villa with plenty to entertain your children - I have children in those age ranges as well and I know what a plus that is!! Best of luck on your search!
Hi Charlene
You won't have any trouble renting a villa - seems to me they are all lovely if they advertise on this site and most of them seem to have loads more than you would have at home yourself!!! The owners take real trouble to provide just what you need to ensure you have a lovely holiday. We rented in Crescent Lakes which was ideal and easy to get to almost anywhere. Go for it - the villas are lovely and it is great to get home so weary and just hop into your own pool, have a drink on the terrace and later flop into a king size bed!
Lisi [msnwink]