Disney World, Orlando, Florida

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Sheriff

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Hi fellow frequent flyers,

I'm taking the kids next month on a one week vacation to Orlando, Florida to visit Disney World and Epcot.I have two young children, 2 and 8-years-old . I assume we will be spending most of our time within the Disney World complex so I prefer the convenience of staying in a hotel/resort within the complex for ease of transport . I've noticed there are a number of hotels/resorts within the Disney complex so I was wondering if anybody could recommend a good one.

Thanks in advance.
 
Sherrif,

Try this site also as it is dedicated to getting the best out of Disney.

http://www.mousesavers.com/

I've been to Disneyworld a number of times and have always stayed "offsite." You will find the transport, car parking etc at Disneyworld has to be seen to be believed :!:

You will find that trecking through Disneyworld is VERY tiring (particularly for young kids) and that another way to tackle things is to do alternate days. ie one day at Disneyworld, one day somewhere else then back to Disneyworld etc
Seaworld, Universal Studios, The Gator farm and the water parks also have a lot to offer. (also Tupperware World Headquarters :oops: :oops: )

For the evenings there are also numerous theme type eating establishments. (I personally love Medieval Times" where they have live jousting) http://www.medievaltimes.com/

Good luck. There's plenty to do. :D :D :D :D :D :D

p.s. Orlando airport is quite a hike out of town.
 
straitman said:
I've been to Disneyworld a number of times and have always stayed "offsite." You will find the transport, car parking etc at Disneyworld has to be seen to be believed :!:
If straitman is referring to the size and complexity of the carparks then yes - totally unbelievable :!:

straitman said:
You will find that trecking through Disneyworld is VERY tiring (particularly for young kids) and that another way to tackle things is to do alternate days. ie one day at Disneyworld, one day somewhere else then back to Disneyworld etc Seaworld, Universal Studios, The Gator farm and the water parks also have a lot to offer. (also Tupperware World Headquarters :oops: :oops: )
Have to agree. It is also kinda tiring staying within the complex itself. The OP mentioned he preferred to be within the Disney Complex, but I believe staying outside could be more fun. E.g. 1st day at Disney, then 2nd day somewhere else. It also adds to the fun of going to Disney every 2nd day. If you're staying there, then things can get taken for granted. For example http://orlandorentals.com/ offers Condo stays and car-hire is relatively cheap. I haven't used this company but google and you'll find heaps.

straitman said:
For the evenings there are also numerous theme type eating establishments. (I personally love Medieval Times" where they have live jousting) http://www.medievaltimes.com/
Tiss true, and thanks for the headsup straitman, though I'm not sure when I'll be there next, considering my (soon-to-be) poor marriaged status :D .
 
Taxis are ridiculously expensive in Orlando I found. Or is the distances are so great? $US50 to go pretty much anywhere.
I was a conference and had a day spare so went to MovieWorld (or whatever Disney calls it) - kids would love it (well an 8 year old would) - Hollywood Towers Hotel is a ride (and great fun!) not a hotel!

Don't miss out on outlet shopping in Orlando. The Belz complex is fantastic. Huge outlets for all the major brands - you'll go broke saving money. For a young kiddies' clothes there is an Oshkosh outlet which is cheaper than Target here (by a long shot) and the quality of the clothes is first rate - stuff I bought there years ago has passed through at least 4 kids and is still going! Reebok, Nike, Timberland also good. Not enough time is the problem - and money and baggage space. Have to fight your way through the hordes of tattooed lads and lasses from Manchester and Sheffield though!
 
Staying in the disney hotels in the park can be expensive.You can stay also in several official hotels in the complex but not in the park.On our last stay we stayed in the doubletree suites disneyworld which was nearing the end of its refurb(sept 05).With 2 kids this is a good option as quaranteed a suite.Usually around $US100.
As others have said consider doing other things as well.If going to spend a couple of days out of disney then a great idea to rent a car-much easier.I always checkout www.globalcars.com.au
Their prices are competitive,usually with hertz,and includes insurance.
As well as the outlets american department stores when having a sale and they usually are,really are great value-often cheaper than outlets with a greater size range.Checkout the Florida mall-shopping as only the yanks can do it.Mrsdrron really loves Dillards which is in this mall.
Last time had the grandkids-2,6,9,12 and they really enjoyed Dolly Partons dixie stampede for the dinner show.If you love lobster try Boston Lobster Market.Go early and all you can eat 1lb. lobsters for about $US30. I'm sure you will enjoy your trip. :D
 
My first post so hope this actually works and apologies if it mucks something up.

We (self, wife and 2 kids - 18 and 16) stayed at Disneyworld's Port Orleans - Riverside Resort at the end of September 2005 for 4 nights and could not fault the resort, Disneyworld transport or the parks we visited. The resort was clean and tidy although fairly spread out so you could end up with a bit of a walk to the reception, dining, shop area depending on your room location. The Disney transport (we used buses and boats) was excellent, very efficient and ran on time. We didn't need a car to get around inside Disneyworld, which is massive.

We visited Magic Kingdom (a must for kids), Epcot (which was good but more for adults) and Downtown Disney (great for all ages) in Disneyworld and Sea World (awesome) and the Kennedy Space Station (I liked it but the family was quickly bored) outside it.

This is the site we found most useful on all things Disneyworld http://allearsnet.com/

You should also plan your visit to the parks to coincide with their later opening hours and as a guest at a Disneyworld resort you can get longer hours again. The parks are open till late at night unlike the Gold Coast's and the Magic Kingdom fireworks and grand parade at night is a must. Stroller hire would be a good investment for your 2 yo.

Have a great time.
 
Sheriff said:
Hi fellow frequent flyers,

I'm taking the kids next month on a one week vacation to Orlando, Florida to visit Disney World and Epcot.I have two young children, 2 and 8-years-old . I assume we will be spending most of our time within the Disney World complex so I prefer the convenience of staying in a hotel/resort within the complex for ease of transport . I've noticed there are a number of hotels/resorts within the Disney complex so I was wondering if anybody could recommend a good one.

Thanks in advance.

I am a Disney Vacation club member & travel there every year, to much info to list, if interested PM me & i will give you my mobile number & i can give you all the info you need :D :D :D
 
Guys,

Thanks for all the helpful sites, very useful and informative, much appreciated. And thanks for all the advice.

Thanks MIKEs for offering up your valuable time to talk to me about everything Disney, and thanks for the useful advice and tips, much appreciated, if I have any more queries I’ll be sure to give you a buzz.

Cheers
 
My view is that the main point of the holidya is to see the theme parks and the hotel room becomes a place to sleep. So for me the biggest criteria for the hotel are going to be convenience and cost. As such, we chose to stay at one of the Disney All Star resorts. They are the least expensive of the on-site hotels and very adequate for our needs. The convenience of being on-site was great, especially if we wanted to pop back to the room for an afternoon rest etc.

Food is rediculously expensive at Disney, both in the parks and at the hotels. So if you have a car, you can always pop down to a supermarket and pick up some supplies like drinks, fruit etc.
 
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NM said:
Food is rediculously expensive at Disney, both in the parks and at the hotels. So if you have a car, you can always pop down to a supermarket and pick up some supplies like drinks, fruit etc.

I didn't know they had food in America :?:

Went into a 7/11 store in West Palm Beach recently and received a blank look when I asked for fruit :!:

:p :p :p :p :p :p
 
straitman said:
I didn't know they had food in America :?:

Went into a 7/11 store in West Palm Beach recently and received a blank look when I asked for fruit :!:

:p :p :p :p :p :p
he he, I know what you mean. In many places, a complementary "continental" breakfast means donuts and coffee.

But the food at Disney World hotels is reasonable quality, with lots of variety. But it is very expensive. At the All Star Resorts, food is available at an eatery area similar to what would be found at a large shopping mall, and can be billed back to your room.

The free soda refills come in handy with kids, but purchasing the cup in the first place is a killer! Hang onto the cup and remember to pack it if you ever return to Disney!
 
NM said:
straitman said:
I didn't know they had food in America :?:

Went into a 7/11 store in West Palm Beach recently and received a blank look when I asked for fruit :!:

:p :p :p :p :p :p
he he, I know what you mean. In many places, a complementary "continental" breakfast means donuts and coffee.

But the food at Disney World hotels is reasonable quality, with lots of variety. But it is very expensive. At the All Star Resorts, food is available at an eatery area similar to what would be found at a large shopping mall, and can be billed back to your room.

The free soda refills come in handy with kids, but purchasing the cup in the first place is a killer! Hang onto the cup and remember to pack it if you ever return to Disney!

With whitener instead of milk :!:

Although you can now get the whitener in a variety of flavours :!:
 
straitman said:
With whitener instead of milk :!:

Although you can now get the whitener in a variety of flavours :!:
Ahh yes, the old soy-based Non-Dairy Creamer powder.

When I travel to the USA, I ensure I collect a small carton of milk from the hotel breakfast bar and take it with me to the office each day. That non-dairy creamer is bad stuff!
 
NM said:
straitman said:
With whitener instead of milk :!:

Although you can now get the whitener in a variety of flavours :!:
Ahh yes, the old soy-based Non-Dairy Creamer powder.

When I travel to the USA, I ensure I collect a small carton of milk from the hotel breakfast bar and take it with me to the office each day. That non-dairy creamer is bad stuff!

Even UHT milk is better than whitener. (Maybe I should start sneaking the little UHT milk containers off the plane)
 
oz_mark said:
Even UHT milk is better than whitener. (Maybe I should start sneaking the little UHT milk containers off the plane)
At least it is real milk!

And I hate the strange look I get in the USA when asked "would like cream and sugar" with my coffee. They are stunned when I say "just milk please". The concept of adding milk to coffee seems so normal to me, yet so foreign to Merkins.

I guess my foreign coffee whitening habits are part of the reason why USA Immigration Officers consider me an "alien" rather than a "visitor" to the country.
 
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