Orlando theme park tickets

**stefan** · 15-01-2014, 20:12

I am part of a family group of 8 adults and 7 children (ages 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12) going to Orlando during the Easter holidays this year and would like some park ticket advice. Calling all experts on the theme parks please!!

At the moment we are looking at Disney & Universal, and on the ticket front specifically - 8-Day MYW with Water Park etc + 3-Day Universal Pass non-hopper tickets. Tell me what you think regarding tickets based on the children ages above and duration of holiday, with expectation that we will want to spend a few days away from the parks. Would love to do Sea World but this seems really expensive for a 1-Day entrance. Don't want to get a ticket that has too many days on it but also want to remain flexible.

Opinions gratefully received,

cheers,
Stefan, Tunbridge Wells

**steph_goodrum** · 15-01-2014, 21:00

Personally I would cut a couple of days at Disney to perhaps 6? Assuming you are going for 14 days if you have 8 Disney + 3 universal + water park then it is pretty much every day taken care of. The parks will be very busy at Easter and you will appreciate a couple of days of not walking and queing.

With 15 of you going I'm guessing there are going to be some late nights etc and I'm sure a beach day would be welcomed by most of the party for some relaxation. If you are going for 3 weeks then 8 might work but I think you might have a lot of tired overwhelmed children (and somemtimes the adults) on your hands.

Just my personal opinion of course but I know our first trip we went for 16 days and tried to do everything thinking it was the holiday of a kifetime we'd only do once. I know we did Sea World as well and some went to Kennedy but we all came back needing a another holiday (and that was with just one 10 year old and 7 adults.

**Tony G** · 16-01-2014, 16:12

You can save by using an Orlando Flexticket for the Universal parks & Seaworld. It gives you two weeks' unlimited access to:

Universal Studios
Universal Islands of Adventure
Seaworld
Wet n Wild
& Aquatica

There's another version which also includes Busch Gardens.

Check the link at the top of the page, they do some Disney/Universal packages called 'Fun in the Sun'.

Like Steph said above, I definitely wouldn't go nuts with days at the parks - we always have a relaxing days between each park day.

**Dads_Taxi** · 16-01-2014, 16:20

Hi Stefan,
I think you may be over-subscribing to the parks. Everyone is different I know but with kids in the age range you have I would go for maximum 6 days Disney, used as:
One very early visit to Animal Kingdom (the animals are awake in the mornings, get there before it opens) Animal Kingdom can be completed by mid-afternoon if you get there early enough.
One early day and one late day at Magic Kingdom. The rides will be much quieter if you get there as the park opens but you can't expect the kids to stay until the end of the day, and you REALLY need to see the fireworks at the end of the day, hence two days there.
Hollywood Studios, exactly the same argument - one very early day, one late day.
Epcot in my opinion is not going to be a favourite with the kids, but the evening fireworks show is amazing so I'd go for one day there with a later arrival.

Water parks at Easter is my idea of hell! You will spend 95% of your day in a very hot queue and 5% in water. I would recommend skipping them!

I'm no expert on the Universal parks, but I would suggest two days, one for each park, and would HIGHLY recommend that you re-think Sea World because it is just fantastic.

So with 9 park days, you still only get 4 days to rest,and Steph is right, you WILL need to factor some rest days in otherwise it becomes a mission, not a holiday. If you space the days out well, for instance an early start day followed by a late start day followed by a rest day, you can come out of this with your sanity!

One last tip - the first day you wake up in Florida you will find you're wide awake at 6am. That's the day we usually hit Animal Kingdom as the earlier you get there the better.

Cheers.

**DaveL** · 16-01-2014, 16:43

If you are going to have a 'stay in the villa and play in the pool day' then Easter Sunday would be a good day.

Disney have their 'live' televised Easter Parade and most of the parks are very full this day. They actual film the live parade about a week before in case of bad weather.

If you are in Disney ask one of the cast members if they know which day it will be. If you watch the parade that day opposite one of the camera positions you may be in the show. Then on Easter Sunday when you're at the villa you can watch the parade on TV and see yourself on 'live' TV.

Dave

**Gerry Reed** · 16-01-2014, 19:34

On one of your rest days I would recommend brunch at the cafe by the lake at Celebration. They do a very reasonable breakfast and you can follow it by a stroll around the lake. A great change from the parks.

Sue

**Dads_Taxi** · 16-01-2014, 20:12

From memory I think there is a section of the pavement near the lake at Celebration that has water jets shooting up at you. The kids would love that. Take towels and dry clothes if you follow Sue's tip!

**Dads_Taxi** · 16-01-2014, 20:13

Or did I dream it??

**stefan** · 16-01-2014, 21:28

Thanks for the fantastic feedback, I can't tell you how valuable this is. Don't go mad on tickets is clearly the message! Yes, our holidays is 14 days. And I see the water parks will be busy, so what do you think of the other "fun" options in the Water Park & More tickets - DisneyQuest, Wide World of Sports Complex + two mini golf courses - are they good "fun" for the kids? Do they all justify the higher price for this ticket compared to the Base option. Would love to do 1 day at SeaWorld but struggling to see how as this would cost substantially more than what we'd save knocking two days off the Disney ticket and reducing to two days on the Universal....unless we go to a Base Disney Ticket? Fun in the Sun is beyond our budget and I think 4 Disney days may be a bit light.

Thanks for cafe tip at Lake Celebration Any other tips - please fire away!
Stefan