July 11 - August 1 Itinerary

[W1zz]

Mine an families first time - My parents have been 3 times but not in last 10 years.

Me 40
OH 37
Son 7
Daughter 5
Daughter 3

My Parents, 63, 65

Staying in private villa in Sunset Lakes.

So far, this is our plan - Still too many rest days for my liking, but this is the first draft.

11 July 2008 Friday ARRIVE
12 July 2008 Saturday Rest Day
13 July 2008 Sunday Disney's Animal Kingdom
14 July 2008 Monday Disney Hollywood / MGM Studios
15 July 2008 Tuesday Disney Blizzard Beach
16 July 2008 Wednesday Disney's Magic Kingdom Park
17 July 2008 Thursday Rest Day
18 July 2008 Friday EPCOT
19 July 2008 Saturday Gator Land / Old Town Kissimmee
20 July 2008 Sunday Silver Springs
21 July 2008 Monday Sea World Adventure Park
22 July 2008 Tuesday Premium Outlets
23 July 2008 Wednesday Rest Day
24 July 2008 Thursday Orlando Aquatica Water Park
25 July 2008 Friday Universal Studios
26 July 2008 Saturday Disney Village
27 July 2008 Sunday St Petes / Clearwater Beach
28 July 2008 Monday Rest Day
29 July 2008 Tuesday Bush Gardens
30 July 2008 Wednesday Disney's Magic Kingdom
31 July 2008 Thursday Free Day
01 August 2008 Friday Home

[MattF]

You may want to not have a rest day on the 1st full day. You are likely to be up very early so you can take full advantage of being at one of the parks for opening and then have a rest day a few days after.

You only have 1 day in Epcot, and with the size of the park it is very difficult to do in 1 day.

I'd also move your rest day at the end to after Busch Gardens so you can rest - have you thought about staying a night in St Petersburg to save you travelling back to Orlando and then back down to Tampa?

We tend to use our water park days as rest days so this could free up 2 days, plus you will not need a full day in DTD which gives you another day. We tend to go to DTD in the late afternoon/evening

With the age of your kids I'd suggest

2 or 3 days in MK
2 days in Epcot and
maybe 2 days in HS - your girls will probably love Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Playhouse Disney, High School Musical shows.

Are you planning on doing any of the fireworks?
Also have you any character meals planned?

Hope this helps

[W1zz]

Thanks for the pointers - Hadn't realised we were travelling all the way to Clearwater and back to travell back out a rest day later.

Currently looking a hotels now in the Clearwater / Busch Gardens area. 1st one that's popped up is Best Western, 1 mile from BG and less than £40 per room.

Swapping the 1st rest day also sounds like a good plan - Flight arrives in Florida @ 2:25pm on the Friday. So best hit a park on day 2 and catch the jet lag on day 3 (Rest Day).

Haven't really looked into the Disney Character meals - First thought was that they were for people staying in the Disney resort. Will go do some more research.

Fireworks: I was thinking of MK on 16th, Epcot on 18th and Spectro Magic on the 30th.

The Free day we have planned on the 31st was to return to one of the parks - Sounds like it'll probably be Epcot.

Also looking to re-shedule Aquatica to a 4pm visit - Sounds like it's gona be a bit too busy/full early doors.

thanks again,
W1zz

[MattF]

For the fireworks, you should be able to do Wishes and Spectro Magic on one day (both are in MK) so you could do Fantasmic at HS - you can combine this with a meal and get reserved seats - info here (http://www.thedibb.co.uk/fantasmic-dining-experience.php)

Info on character meals here (http://www.thedibb.co.uk/disney-character-dining.php). They are open to everyone and I'd suggest you book in advance. You might struggle to get into CRT but may be worth trying dinner at 1900 Park Fayre in the Grand Floridian or a meal at Akershus in Epcot as these are both Princess meals.

Other good meals are Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary resort, Best Friends Breakfast in the Polynesian resort, Crystal Palace in MK, Donald's Safari Breakfast in AK and Garden Grill in Epcot.

Hope this helps and let me know if I can help more.

[darren.cooper]

We went to Clearwater in October 2006 stayed at Best Western 1 M from BG then BG the next day too, rooms were a bit dated, breakfast was basic but pool and bar area was nice, makes sense if you want to get to BG early too.

[bigcol300866]

Sounds good to me, make sure you make your waterpark days flexable so you can check out the weather, also i as keep telling people Aquatica is great but if you go at 4pm you will only get 2hrs in there because they closed at 6pm when we where there at easter, this may change in summer due to longer days, but it is a full day, if you have the seaworld/busch garden/aquatica pass you will be ok, and won't be too harsh on your pocket. Its good that you have got 3 weeks because you are getting plenty rest days so you won't be pooped when you get home, most people try to do BB and like Disney quest in the same day, but we are the kind of people that get up early every day at home so theres no change for us on holiday we just get up and get on it saves them q's which we all hate doing, this is us though, we had some friends that went at easter when we where there and they didn't get up early they said they where on holiday and wanted to rest they went to MK at lunch time and they did about 2 rides with kids wandered round and got home at 10pm at night and said that it was too much to do in 1 day, we do charactor breakfast in the crystal palace at 8am then crack into the park we have done all the rides and shows by mid pm we nip back to the house have a chill and some tea and go back for the fireworks at night, then we have a rest day next day, if you look on here most people do the same thing, but you do get the odd person that will go 2 or 3 times into MK which we do as well, DS loves the buzz lightyear ride and i love test track in EPCOT, anyway iam going on a bit just something to think about, we will be there just the week after you and come home week after, so have a good time but try do Old town on a thursday, friday, or saturday as well thats worth more than 1 visit too there something on all 3 nights.
Anyway have a good un will wave if see you :wavey::grin:
Colin