Where on earth do I start?

Hi,
we want to go to Florida in August this year for the first time - probably for three weeks(Mom, Dad and two lads aged 16 and 17 and I have no idea where to start!
We have already decided to have a villa instead of a hotel and wanted to do the Disney area for 2 weeks and then move out to the coast for the last week. Should we get one villa and travel to the coasts or would it be better to get two - one in each area and which coast/resorts are the best?
What parks would be better for older teenagers? (we have done Disney Paris) and is Discovery Cove worth the huge entry fee?
What ticket(s) are the best value to cover the best of the parks?
Got loads more to ask but that will do for now [msntongue]

If you are a first-timer, I would say Disney first for the experience. I would normally say Universal/Busch Gardens etc (they are on Orlando Flex Ticket) caters better for older kids but it is really marginal and depends exactly what they want to do. I just think you should try Disney as a newbie - you can always do Universal etc next time! If Disney, do the 14 Day Ultimate Ticket and that includes 2 Water Parks and Disney Quest (Arcade Games Centre at Downtown Disney). You can check tickets on this forum's link at top of page and I would recommend car hire from link on this site too.
Can't help on Coast or Discovery Cove but no doubt someone will!

All depends on budget and what you want, I have done coast and Orlando together but this depends on what you want to see, I have also done Discovery Cove 3 times and loved it, You need to work out what you want to see and then try and fit it in, remembering to allow some rest time which is hard on the first time. I am sure you will gets loads of tips and advice on here. ENJOY

For a first trip, I would give Discovery Cove a miss. I would also suggest 4 or 5 days at Disney with water parks also. See the link below:

www.park-tickets.com

With the age of your boys, Universal is a must (if they like rollercoasters [msnsmile]).

One or two centre holidays both have advantages. Are you looking for a couple of days at the beach or a mad first two weeks with a relaxing second week? There is so much to do it will be difficult to choose!

Also look at some night time entertainment such as Cirque du Soleil or the Blue Man Group. Both are great shows.

Which are the best resorts? Different resorts may offer different things. Most are within a short drive to Disney. I would suggest finding a villa on the above sites which you like (or a shortlist) and send enquiries to the owners. Some owners only take Saturday to Saturday bookings but many owners (us included,) allow arrival any day of the week.

Good luck with your search.

Three weeks is perfect, you will have the best of what Central Orlando can offer as well as chilling on the coast after.

This site can offer you both villas near the attractions as well as gulf coast villas, just check out the links above.

As to the attractions, don't go overboard with the tickets, there are the 14 day ultimate tickets etc, but you will not be going to disney everyday for 14 days you will exhausted. Take a look at again the link above for park tickets, and you can also browse the florida guide section on here, this will give you an impression of what over people have experienced, and then plan the parks and places you must see, like to see and if you had time to see. This way you will only be paying for tickets that you really need. don't forget to include at least one rest day or a day shopping etc. Your kids may be up for the challenge of non stop enjoyment, but by the end of the two weeks you will be flagging. pace yourselves. Disney parks are great for all ages, although Universal and Busch Gardens tend to gear towards the teenagers/adult.

Totally depends on what you and your family like, just browse around the guides etc and if you want any further information, we are all more than happy to help.

Hi Clare, welcome to the forum :D
Just a few replies so far and most of them different [msneek] So how to decide? I would also say you need a bit of Disney magic for your first trip to Florida and make sure you get a ticket that includes the water parks as they are such fun. I would also say that if the kids love the rollercoasters, then a couple of days at Universal and a day at Busch Gardens would be a good idea.
You really do need time off between parks to enjoy your villa and maybe a game of crazy golf [msncool]

Hi, thanks for the info so far.
Following a diagnosis of Breast Cancer and two years of treatment this is a trip we want to do 'just in case' if you know what I mean. Therefore, this will be our trip of a life time and no expense will be spared :) We usually do villa holidays and like to do one day in, one day out so we get the enjoyment of the villa and the areas we are in. The kids definately want to do Busch Gardens, Universal, a shooting range, an airboat to see the aligaitors, hire a Hummer and go to Discovery Cove but thats as far as we have got as we dont know much about the rest on offer!! I was worried that they are a bit old for Disney World? The idea was to have a mad two weeks and then wind down on a beach but which beach we dont know!

Hi, Great area for a villa is Indian Wells, really close to all the Disney parks. The teenagers will love Univerasal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Good place for food is the Ponderossa Diner, great value!!! Don't miss Boggy Creek Airboat ride, great to see some wildlife and a real change from the parks.

Just a thought... what if you were to start your holiday with a gulf coast villa? That way you could get over the jetlag and feel more able to do late nights at the parks. Areas such as Rotonda and Port Charlotte are also only two hours from Busch Gardens, so you could spend a day there mid week and/or on your change over day on the way to the Disney area. The park ticket site above is doing a buy one get an extra day free there [msnsmile2]

Hi, Clair & welcome.
I'm going against the grain a bit... If you've already 'done' Eurodisney, Magic Kingdom & Hollywood studios are similar, so might be worth a miss.
Teenagers will be well suited to Universal (Studios & Islands of Adventure) - usually one day each is about right.
Disney Epcot has some great rides (Mission Space & Test Track to name a couple) & the evening fireworks are outstanding - arguably better than any other park.
Animal Kingdom again has a few 'thrill' rides - Everest & Dinosaur come to mind.
'Chillout' days , for us, are waterparks: Blizzard, Typhoon & Aquatica...
Strangely enough, Sea World has a few really great 'coasters & some of the shows are spectacular !!
Discovery Cove is relatively expensive, but they feed you very well & if you're into swimming (they provide compulsory lifejackets) it's a very relaxing day. Did it a few years ago & liked it so much, am going again the week after next as a birthday treat !!
Notice no-one's suggested NASA space centre, again worth considering as a complete day out - there's nowhere like it anywhere else, so is genuinely unique.
The parks this year are offering really good deals on tickets, all can be bought from this site at very competitive prices, but it's easy to buy more than you can possibly achive, you need to work out some form of itinerary...
Wouldn't suggest daily travel to the West coast, it's too long a drive, better to stay somewhere. Busch Gardens is pretty close to that side & again is great for teens & adults !!
Whatever, you'll have agreat time !!!

If your lads are into skate boarding , they might like a trip to VansSkate park at the top of Universal and they are old enoughto be dropped off there whilst you have a bit of retail therapy at the Prime Outlets nearby.

When you book Discovery Cove you get the option of Sea World/ and or Busch Gardens 7 day tickets so that makes them good value. You can pick them up before the day on which you are due to visit DC. So if you are going there on say the 2nd to last day of your 2 weeks in orlando and pick them up 3 days before then you could in theory have 3 days to visit Sea World do DC and go to the coast and be close enough to Busch Gardens to go there for the last 3 days if you wished, if you chose the option to cover both parks. Again the lads are old enough to be left if you wanted to go and relax at the villa or beach and as the payg phones are very cheap injn teh supermarkets you could easily buy a couple and be in contace.

After what you have been through, you are right to make the most of the trip, it sounds as though it has been very traumatic and it does tend to focus the mind to enjoy life to the full.

I would say though it's worth visiting Disney for the experience, we've been to Paris, California and Florida and therre really isn't much comparison. There is just so much to see and do and the atmosphere. I'd say get at least a 3 or 4 days hopper and visit each park once. Each has things that teenagers would probably still like to do, and never mind them what about you? Make sure you get to do the things you want as well.

I would suggest though that if you are looking at August this year that it would be worth sorting out your flights and accommodation as soon as you can as your choice will be more restricted the later you leave it. If you have any problems with insurance, there are a few members who have been in the same situation and managed to find cover who would be only too glad to help I'm sure.

I'm sure there will be plenty of other choices for you to make about where to go and visit but it will be worth it when you get there.

Hi, well I have spent the last few weeks looking for suitable villas with availability for August and so far have been dissapointed with what is on offer. Are all villas in Florida on what looks like housing estates? We are used to villas in Greece or Spain which are on their own piece of land with no neighbours and would really like something which is not crammed in - any chance or am I on a wild goose chase?

Definirely try Kennedy Space Center - it's a great experience and even after going several times we still love it.

If this is your "Once in a lifetime" holiday then Discovery Cove is a fabulous day out and in our opinion worth every penny.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by worthago
Hi, well I have spent the last few weeks looking for suitable villas with availability for August and so far have been dissapointed with what is on offer. Are all villas in Florida on what looks like housing estates? We are used to villas in Greece or Spain which are on their own piece of land with no neighbours and would really like something which is not crammed in - any chance or am I on a wild goose chase?[/quote]You're not on a wild goose chase but most Florida villas are on communities although they're certainly not all crammed in!

Some communities also provide you with some great facilities that would never be provided by a one-alone home and that you almost certainly won't find in Greece or Spain.

So choose carefully if you like space around you - extra space is available but you have to look out for it.

If you've already put in an enquiry to the three OV sites (links at the top of each forum page) and not found anything that suits, try putting in another enquiry and in the comments box put your requirements, including the space issue. I'm sure you'll find something suitable.

Another question - sorry!
Has anyone done a 2 stop flight UK to Florida (same airline for whole trip)and if so, do you have to collect your bags and check in again at each stop or is it done for you? - only asking because on one stop there is only 1.5 hours from landing to take off and I wondered if that was too much of a rush!!

You might find it easier if you ask different subject questions on different forum sections so that anyone else searching for similar info can find it easily and the section of the forum might already hold the answers. [msnwink]

Yes, loads of us have travelled indirect with various airlines. If it's the same airline for both legs of the trip, then you go through Immigration and collect your bags and go through Customs at the first US airport where you land. You're normally checked in at the UK desk for the whole flight so you just locate the transit desk after Customs and hand your luggage back in again. Note that you also have to go through the security checkpoint before you can board your second flight. When you arrive at Orlando, all you have to do is retrieve your luggage and you're on your way.

Which airport are you landing at first in the US? That makes a difference to the timescale sometimes, depending on how far between gates, how busy it is, etc.

Hi, its B'ham to Paris to Atlanta to Florida. The 1.5 hours is from landing at Paris to departing for Atlanta which seems too quick to me! The stop at Atlanta has a 4 hour break before leaving for Orlando so no worries there.

That should be more than enough if you are travelling on a through ticket as your bags will be checked all the way to Atlanta from B'ham. You will need to collect them there and clear customs before you drop them again at a transfer belt for the domestic US flight

Flights booked £318 pp for 11th Aug to 01st Sept just need to find accomodation now!!

At least you have firm dates to work with which will make your search somewhat easier for accommodation. It starts to feel more real once you've made one commitment and you can start to get excited as the reality draws near.

Thinking about activites , if your lads are adventurous they might like the indoor skydive at International drive as well.

I'd recommend staying at the coast for the 3rd week rather than travelling daily. Depending on your flight time home you should still have plenty of time on the last day to drive back to the airport at Orlando and possibly some last minute shopping.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by worthago
Hi, well I have spent the last few weeks looking for suitable villas with availability for August and so far have been dissapointed with what is on offer. Are all villas in Florida on what looks like housing estates? We are used to villas in Greece or Spain which are on their own piece of land with no neighbours and would really like something which is not crammed in - any chance or am I on a wild goose chase?
[/quote]

The villas we rent in Florida are very different to the type of place we rent in the summer in Spain etc.

You won't be able to get a villa built into a hill with amazing views and loads of personal space in the same way you can in the places you name, the villas in Florida are more like the Polaris type resorts. If you are thinking roof terraces and interesting gardens, unusual views then (in my experience) this will be almost impossible to find in Florida. You can often get a view across a smallish lake or a conservation area, but in my experience these are more like small areas of waste land. Orlando is pretty flat and so you don't really get any natural spectacular views. Individuality is also pretty hard to find, most developments will have a few different house types repeated regularly, but you do get some other great benefits

Firstly, they are often beautifully furnished and include every type of home comfort you can imagine

secondly they are often a good deal cheaper than a decent villa in Spain

thirdly, they are big and really well set out in a way which is easy to live in

But most importantly, they are in Orlando and all the great activities, places to eat, experiences that only Orlando can provide. I have never had a bad holiday here.

We still do both every year because although my wife enjoys herself in Florida, given a choice she would choose a spanish or greek villa every time. On the other hand, i couldn't do without my "Florida Fix" and so I have never asked her to make that choice[msnwink]

One more place to add to your list, if your teens are energetic and love water. You could always try the Orlando Watersports complex nicknamed the OWC, it is a waterski and wakeboard centre.

3 weeks is an ideal amount of time to spend especially in the summer when its hotter.
Our 4 kids all like different places so there is always a vote for each of the main attractions. I would suggest a few days at Disney with a hopper ticket, that way you can move between the parks if you find one is busy or you want to just do certain rides. By buying non expiry tickets you can always use them another year. UNiversal and Busch gardens are great for older kids and I vote for Sea World for the shows.

We easily do the drive to Busch Gardens, its just over an hour from our villa. Guests last year were uncertain whether to spend one week in Orlando and one week on the Gulf Coast. In the end they spent the 2 weeks in Orlando and travelled to both coasts so they could see which they prefered and said it did give them the freedom to choose which days to do beach type activities and which ones to do them parks rather than one week of each type of activity.

You could spend a few days on the coast to unwind when you arrive then do the theme parks then end with a few days at the coast.

Hi, We have been to Orlando twice and going back in 3 weeks. I would say for the age your boys are your best bet would be Universal, it's got better rides for their ages, Disney do have good rides but they concentrate more on the theme. We did Disney the first time we went, Universal the last time and we are getting an ultimate ticket this time with one day in discovery cove then 14 days to enjoy Busch Gdns, Aquatica and Sea World. [edited out] is a good site to check the tickets out, we have had our tickets from there each time, they are with the cheapest around.
Have a lovely time.

Why not have a look at the Gulf Coast villas on this site for your third week. There is a wonderful selection ( but I must admit to being a biased [msnwink])

Speaking from experience many of my guests come down to Rotonda West to chill out after the excitement and hectic pace of Orlando. There you will find beautiful beaches to help you unwind. You can play golf, sail, fish or just relax by the side of the pool. As others have said Busch Gardens is only 1.5 hours away.

You could look through the Gulf Coast section in the forum for information on the area.

Bernadette

HI

First of all you are going to have a great time! I have 3 teenage boys and this is what we like to do. We buy a 4 day Disney ticket (no hopping) with water (Typhoon Lygoon and Blizzard Beach and a Universal 7 day 2 park pass or a Flex ticket so you do not miss Seaworld, inluding Aquatica, thats a great water park. We would then buy a Discovery cove with the Bush Gardens option as the boys love the rides and the park. That gives you 12 full days it you do all the major attractions and then time to enjoy the villa and relax in between, so you could easily use up your 3 weeks. If you leave Discovery Cove and some water parks until towards the end of your stay that would give you a chance to wind down maybe! We have done Discovery Cove before and yes it is expensive but if this is your trip of a lifetime then why not, we are going again this year, we loved it.

As far a villa's go you will not go far wrong booking one off this site, the villas are usually in communities but some communities are more spaced out than others, and have great community facilities as well do a search and take a look. Decide what your villa requirements are and go from there, you could ask for a large pool with privacy and possibly a games room for the teenagers, mine spend their evenings playing pool etc, then enjoy the response you get from owners. Happy Holidays!

Cindy

You have had so many responses I will not bore you with more except to add that Discovery Cove is well worth the expense. We went last year with ages ranging youngest age 8 to my husband age 40 something! He didn't want to swim with the dolphins but the rest of us did and we ALL had a fantastic day. Book your car and tickets from the links on this site. Best value tickets we can find and outstanding customer service. Enjoy