Never done Florida and lost/overwhelmed

[Whitemice]

We are looking at 3 weeks in Aug 2020 for 2 adults and 11 year old budget around 10-12k inc spending we want to do Disney universal and discovery cove but can't work out the if we would be best to stay at Disney universal or international as can see benefits to all of them and is it worth spending 3k extra to get meal plan at port Orleans over breakfast only at the pop or music hotels oh I'm so lost

[Mexy02]

And breath . You need to break it down and make a list of what you really want then start deciding . Firstly decide package or diy. It can be overwhelming and packages can be comparable to diy but it depends on what you want and flexibility . Packages also take out the stress of booking individually if you’ve never done it before . This is our4th visit and first diy and I found it all very stressful especially finding flights.
Have you priced up your tickets for all three parks? Many people say they want to do the lot then find out the ticket prices .
How long do you want at Disney or universal ? You could do a spilt stay . Would you do universal first then Onto Disney or vice versa ?
If you stay at Disney where do you wAnt to eat ? Do you prefer grabbing something or a sit down meal . This can help you decide if you want the dining plan and which one . Disney means are not cheap by any standards and not great quality for the price . Will you have a car at all as they may sway your hotel decisions . Don’t forget to add in parking costs at Disney and universal if you do .
Have you looked at the Disney springs hotels which give you the fastpasses but are nicer hotels than Disney ones with more flexibility . Some offer breakfasts included as well.
Watch some videos on the resorts , port Orleans has its own web page as well which is good .

[colin39]

Its a marmite question im afraid, we are on the side of villas , rather than hotels, hire cars instead of buses or cabs.
More freedon to do what you want, when you want to and eat where ever you want and what ever you want.
You can have a busy morning and an afternoon around your own pool with a glass of wine/juice/softdrink/tea or coffee.

[esteeds]

Don't panic. You are at the right place the Dibb will have all the answers.

[keepgoingback]

We are doing 3 weeks this August and splitting our stay. First 4 days at Universal (Royal Pacific) then 17 nights at Port Orleans Riverside. Stayed there last year and probably wouldn’t stay off site again now.

Staying at Universal also gives you the express pass for the parks so avoiding long cues.

Yes you pay a bit more for on site, but with the dining plan included and transport etc, we think it’s worth it. That budget should be fine for you, as we are a family of 4 (2a 14 and 9) upgraded our virgin flights to PE too, and only payed a bit more.

Think about what would suit you better, we never get a car so in site is great for us.

[Jes]

A split stay is an option to consider. When we do a 2 week trip we stay 5 nights on-site at Universal and 9 nights at Disney. Can't comment on the dining plan as we usually stay at the Dolphin for the Disney part of our stay. Changing hotels isn't much hassle and like you say there are benefits to all.

[paultall90]

so many choices.if its your first time i would do a few days on site at both disney and universal to take advantage of the early entry and fast pass booking (60 days out)then finish it off with a villa or condo to try and relax a bit sweeping up what you have missed.

[sha9]

Your budget is fairly decent so I would consider 4 nights onsite at Universal at a deluxe hotel for express passes then the rest onsite at Disney in either a moderate or deluxe so you get a dining plan that covers all your meals. However the things you need to consider are:

Would you be happy all 3 of you in one room or would you rather have space and your own pool?

Would you be driving?

Would you rather be close to the parks?

Would you prefer table service meals including character meals or would you be happy with counter service?

These things all help in deciding where to stay.

We really could use one of those quizzes like the ones which tell you which Disney princess you are!

[Orlandoguy]

Don’t stres -get a guide book like brits guide, right a list of places u want to go too, plan rest days, dont underestimate how long it can take to do a park some may take two days so you may not get to see everything in the 3 was your there

[DiszeeBelle]

I always stay onsite at DLP with dining plan. However for our first trip to WDW we have chosen off-site as we really couldn't justify the costs (budget wise) for onsite and DDP but have booked a night onsite at the start of the trip. Look at everyone's advise and then I would recommend pricing the different options ( it may seem such a waste of time but for the prices you are paying I would say it's worth it) and then discuss what you as a family feel would be better. We've not chosen universal as my husband said it cost wise it would be a waste as only him and my eldest would actually appreciate universal, myself and youngest would be just wandering around.