Should i give up on florida

[skatuszonek]

hi

have read lots of forums on the topic of travelling in holiday periods, i have no choice but to travel at either Easter or xmas new year if we are to go to Florida next year. We will be travelling with my six year old daughter, and am at the moment undecided whether to book or give up on florida all together. The reports are so mixed, i feel exicted to take my daughter with all the positive feedback, the magic etc but then feel really put off with the queues and how much the costs go up over the school holidays.

Which is the lesser of the two evils xmas or easter holidays!

Also the accommodation, it will work out cheaper in a villa and i really like the idea of the luxery, but with my daughter being an only child would she be better entertained stopping in a walt disney hotel

Please can anyone persuade me i really dont want to give up on it

[athurstance]

We always holiday at Xmas and Easter so I know what you mean. Certainly it will be busy no getting around that but if you are use to holidaying at peak season you probably won't find it as bad as those who are used to holidaying in low season anyway.
Easter is busier but the weather is better. Personally I prefer Easter although we quite often go Xmas aswell and have a great time.

I wouldn't let the thought of queues put you off. Arrive at the parks early in the morning - you'll get a good couple of hours before the queues start to build. The parks are open really late - often till midnight or 1am so plenty of time to go back in the evening - you will pass thousands of people on your way in - all heading home after a long day in the parks leaving plenty of space.
Use fastpass as much as you can - some rides rarely have a queue even when its busy and there is usually plenty of space in the shows so do the rides first.

Magic Kingdom is definitely the worst for crowds followed by MGM. Epcot never really seems that bad - and Animal Kingdom is slow to fill up in the morning so if you start early you'll be fine. Avoid the actual holiday days - Easter Sunday, Xmas Day etc and you'll do just fine.

As for staying in a hotel instead of a villa - I'm a villa fan obviously so perhaps a bit bias but there is really no comparison. I would stay in a hotel for a weekend but never for a week or more. In a villa your daughter can play on the playstation, watch tv in her room, play in the pool - all without disturbing you or causing a problem. You can all have your private space.

[firsttimer]

Hi Skatuszonek.
I haven't been yet- we are going this Easter. We are staying in a villa which isn't too expensive but our flights booked in January were very expensive because most flights were full. We decided that as we didn't want to take our son out of school this would be the best time (and not so hot as summer). You may get better deals if you are booking now.
I have TODAY spoken to someone who got back yesterday from a Disney hotel. She said she would NEVER do it again as it was sooo expensive to eat there. No drinks facilities or fridge in their room (a fridge would cost £10 per day extra), so they had to eat out all the time, and pay tips on everything....she said 20% seemed the expected rate. In fact she said she thought they had spent about £10000 on the holiday in all!
So, although you will need to hire a car for a villa, it looks as though this is a better option for flexibility and being able to cater for yourself.
Why not just book a Disney breakfast one day for your son to give him the Disney experience?
We are planning our itinerary to avoid the big parks where we would have to queue over the 4 Easter days and plan to do wilderness parks, water parks, silver springs and places like that those days.
We also thought that the weather looked as though it would be better at Easter than Christmas.

[george]

Your daughter will persuade you.
We stayed at a Disney hotel. It was fine but the kids get enough entertainment during their visits to the park. Villas offer all of you, your daughter included, a chance to wind down for the next day. You will get tired. Get a villa with a video and games console and you will have the best of a Florida holiday. Go for it.

[firsttimer]

Sorry- your son not your daughter!

[fiona]

We always have to go summer or Christmas as have school age children - can't go at Easter due to work committments.

It is busier, but still great fun. We stayed at disney hotel at eurodisney and our children didn't mix with anyone! We stayed in villas in florida from day one and have always loved it. You can all chill out by the pool and tv seems to be a big attraction as well!

[sully62]

hi
stayed on site at a disney hotel a few years ago, we enjoyed it but after a few days the disney theme got a bit too much every where you look we saw mickey mouse, goofy etc....there are good advantages of staying at WDW unlimited entry to the parks, your door key acts as a charge card/ticket as well and all purchases delivered to your room but all in all we would'nt do it again and since then we have always gone down I-drive but the experiance was good
tony

[huckleberry house]

Hello and welcome to the forums.Please dont give up on the idea of Florida,I think it should be obligatory for Disney to be on the school curriculum and every parent should have to take their children,it is such a unique and mind blowing experience,there really is nothing like it in the world and you will be so glad you went.I would definitely recommend a villa as a great way to keep costs down as rest days can be spent at "home" with little cost whereas a hotel room isnt too welcoming to sit around all day.Sure it will be busy but allow plenty of time to do each park and plenty of rest days in between and you will have the time of your life and there is nothing like the look of magic on your childs face to make you realise how worth it it is.That cannot be measured and will stay with you,and your daughter, forever.

Lesley

Just one word GO!

It is a must with children, Paris just does not come close!

We have to travel Easter and August and have been going for years with 5 kids ages 2, 6, 14, 19 and 20 they just love having their own pool at the villa.

Go for it, I am sure you will not regret it!

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by sully62
hi
stayed on site at a disney hotel a few years ago, we enjoyed it but after a few days the disney theme got a bit too much every where you look we saw mickey mouse, goofy etc....there are good advantages of staying at WDW unlimited entry to the parks, your door key acts as a charge card/ticket as well and all purchases delivered to your room but all in all we would'nt do it again and since then we have always gone down I-drive but the experiance was good
tony
[/quote]

I love staying in the hotels......
I get bored with no-one new to chat too.....so a hotels a great place for me......last time I got my husband a second job offer in a hotel lobby......[8D]