Any Disney/Orlando advice for us?
I’m finalizing the details of our stay in Orlando next month(!). We get in on the evening of Tuesday the 10th, and we fly out on Monday the 16th. I was looking at staying in a Disney Hotel, but JEEZ they’re expensive! Mousesavers.com recommended this place instead, and that’s what I’m leaning towards. (Especially since it’s right across the road from Celebration; I’ve always wanted to go there!) So I’m thinking we stay there throughout that week and do the touristy stuff. We do have the Astronaut thing on the 12th, which unfortunately means (I think) that the multi-day Disney tickets that save you money aren’t going to be any good for us, since we wouldn’t be going to the parks on consecutive days. The Snook’s not a huge thrill-ride guy, so I’m thinking we can give Universal a miss. (Though I went there in 2000 and LOVED it.) So I’m thinking maybe one day at the Magic Kingdom, and then another day at Epcot. Normally I’d give the MK a pass since I’ve been there before (and Rodd went to the one at EuroDisney), but then again he’s never ridden the Haunted Mansion and neither of us have been on Splash Mountain. Neither of us have been to Epcot, and I think we’d like that. Is Animal Kingdom worth going to? I like the sound of Expedition Everest, but the rest doesn’t sound too spectacular. I’ve done MGM before and – though I might be able to drag the Snook onto the Tower of Terror – I doubt he’d enjoy it much. Any thoughts or suggestions? (We’ll probably spend that Saturday/Sunday with my relatives.)
Disney Advice
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We just got back from Florida and opted for a day at EPCOT (make sure you wait however long you have to for Soarin and get in the first row if you can) and a day covering both parks of Universal. I personally tend to like Universal better than Disney, but I like the rollercoasters. Then again, they also have Seussville. I hope you have a great time!
Oh, wow! I didn’t know that Soarin’ thing was in any of the parks except California. Excellent. We’ll definitely take your advice. 🙂
I have a hotel recommendation. When I was in Orlando in January for a conference, we stayed here. The rooms were clean and very comfortable, and the hotel is within walking distance of Downtown Disney. Walking distance as in all you do is cross the street, and you’re there. You can catch a ferry in Downtown Disney that’ll take you to Epcot and Magic Kingdom.
Beware inflated Disney prices. No matter where you stay in Orlando, you’re automatically going to pay $3 for a pitifully small bottle of water. If I were you, and had access to a rental car, I’d stop at a grocery store on the way to the hotel and pick up some refreshments to take with you.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention: I absolutely LOVED Animal Kingdom. The rides were fun, and my cousin (who was six at the time) loved the dinosaur attractions. If you go, check out the giant Tree at the center of the park. It’s design is amazing, and there’s even a fun Bug’s Life movie/ride beneath it!
I was looking at that hotel too, Moire, but it appears to be booked out for our dates. 🙁
Good tip on the grocery store though. We’ve got a rental car lined up so we’ll take your advice.
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Which park tickets are you going to get for Disney? The multiday ones I’ve gotten have no expiration and there is no requirement to go on consecutive days. I got a 5-day pass three years ago, used it for the first time last summer, and still have 3 days left on it which I can use anytime, forever.
Animal Kingdom is all right — Everest is a terriffic ride and IMO the only reason to go there. Also, monkeys. It’s really more a safari park than anything else and I see no reason to pay $50 to go to a glorified zoo. Good for a day of keeping it low-key, however. And skip the Lion King show, it is supergay with extra gayness.
My favorite cheapo Orlando hotel ever is La Quinta, there are a few in the area. Really, any hotel that can shuttle you to and from the park is just fine. Free continental brekkie also a plus.
Favorite non-thrill ride at EPCOT is the Soaring one, it’s fun. EPCOT also has better restaurants than all the other parks but you would do well to make reservations whenever possible.
-Take full advantage of the continental breakfast. eat big. stick a piece of fruit in your bag. fill up the water bottle with OJ. you paid for it!!!
-And don’t forget that most American meals are SOOOOO big that you guys can usually split one. We always do this at lunch time. Just get an extra side salad and you’ll be set.
-But be SURE you ride Haunted Mansion at least twice. It’s my fav of all time. 🙂
-Don’t ride the ‘Destination: Space’ thingo at Epcot, unless of course you want to puke.
-Downtown Disney is just a big shopping centre. Don’t worry about making it there unless you are going to one of the night clubs. Ok, maybe the Lego store is worth the trip…but that’s about it.
-Let the Snook do the talking, people will LOVE his accent and you’ll get lots of perks. Really.
I didn’t see your post till now, so you may already have booked something, but did you check into the All-Star Resorts at Disney? They’re usually very affordable and pretty nice in a standard hotel way, with huge pools and the discounts and bonuses that you get from any Disney resort (early entrance to parks, frequent shuttles, etc).
As for tickets, I think the deal is that once you use the first day you have a limited time to use the rest (say 14 days? I didn’t have time to search through and find out for sure) but you don’t have to use them on consecutive days. You also have the option of buying a “park hopper” pass, so you could go to multiple parks in one day if you wanted to spend half a day at the Animal Kingdom and half a day at MGM, but I think those increase the price dramatically so probably aren’t worth it.
(I worked at the Magic Kingdom the summer before my junior year of college, so I’ve spent a lot of time there. 🙂
I liked MGM, but I’m not sure it would be a full day event for you. The Tower is great, and the Rockin’ Roller Coaster is really cool. Epcot and the Magic Kingdom are definitely the best options. I’ve only been to Animal Kingdom once for a partial day, and as contessa noted, it’s mostly a glorified zoo. If the weather’s nice, the water parks can be a lot of fun.
I’m so jealous of your upcoming trip to Disney and Space Camp! I can’t wait to hear about it.
I stayed in the All-Star Resorts with the fam back in 2000 and I considered them this time, but I remembered them being more kid/family oriented. Instead I ended up booking us into the Royal Plaza (after my first two choices were FULL UP!). It’s in the Downtown Disney area and it looks pretty nice. Should give us lots of options for going out to dinner and stuff, and it’s still got free transport to all the parks. Now we just need to get some 2-Day tickets and we should be set. Thanks to everybody for their advice!
Kris, you absolutely MUST eat at BOMA at Animal Kingdom Lodge! It’s the best! It’s somewhat pricey–about $25/person for the buffett, but it’s wonderful. I may have a connection for tickets. I’ll get back to you.
Wow. I just read some reviews online and it sounds great! Thanks for the tip! They take advance reservations too, so I might ring ahead and book us in for one night. You can go to the lodge and eat even if you aren’t staying there/visiting the park? That’s sweet. Maybe we’ll go the night after our Astronaut thing. And dude, sooo *not* pricey compared to some places in Sydney… but I’ll still take some discount tickets if you can swing it! 🙂