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Trip Planning Florida Florida Holiday Planning Questions, Suggestions and Tips. |
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14 Jan 20, 07:57 PM |
#1
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Excited about Disney
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Christmas 2020
Hi all you fab dibbers out there.
We've been to Florida lots over the past 25 years but never at Christmas. Until now. We've got lots of questions, but if anyone can recommend flights/carriers and when is the best time to book, also any recommendations for 'not to miss' at Christmas/New Year? We are looking at flying out Saturday 19th December for 2 weeks. Happy to fly from Manchester or London airports, 2ad 1son age 15. Thanking you in advance! |
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15 Jan 20, 12:43 PM |
#2
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Imagineer
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Advise is to plan, plan and plan like you have never planned before. FPs, ADRs etc well in advance.
Prepare for insane madness. Take each day slowly and just enjoy it rather than pack to much into each day.
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Sept 2002 - Sheridan Vista, Sept 2007 - Polynesian Aug 2008 - WL / GF Club, Sept 2014 - PO FQ Aug 2015 - PO RS, Aug 2016 - PO RS Aug 2017 - RPR & AKL, Oct 2019 - HRH & BC Oct 2022 - RPR, Poly & AKL |
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15 Jan 20, 11:06 PM |
#3
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Thread Starter
Excited about Disney
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Hi thanks for the advice. Is it really that manic? We are more Universal than Disney, the plan will be to have a night or two onsite to get the folp, hopefully this will help with all the crazy!
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16 Jan 20, 08:13 AM |
#4
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Apprentice Imagineer
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We were there Christmas just gone, arrived on the 11th and left 26th. As you’d expect it became worse as the days went on. We stayed onsite at the end and lowered our expectations of what we could achieve at the parks. Booked adrs for down time and fp to give us some structure. We didn’t do a lot else towards the end as neither I nor my ds cope well with that many people. We still had a blast and as we’d hit the parks hard early in the holiday, didn’t feel as though we’d missed anything.
From what I saw (on the fb groups etc after we left), things got very very very busy between Christmas and New Year. Not sure that we could have dealt with that. We had blips (Akershus on Christmas Eve was a big mistake) but overall it was the best Christmas we’ve had. But be prepared for the worst ever January blues and post holiday crash afterwards! We loved Breakfast with the Grinch, the Space Mountain Christmas overlay (after the last Christmas party is done the special effects are switched on the rides on standard days), the crazy Christmas snacks everywhere, the gingerbread house at GF, Jeater Bend at Celebration and just the trees and music everywhere. At Portofino Bay the opera singer blasting out carols from the balcony. Oh and swimming in the pool at the GF on Christmas Day with the monorail whipping past was a bit surreal but fantastic! Edited at 08:16 AM. |
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16 Jan 20, 09:30 AM |
#5
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VIP Dibber
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Hello we have not long come back from our trip over Christmas, this was our second visit at Christmas time. We did the Universal parks and also Seaworld and aquarica as we have annual passes. We had a great time! Yes it is busy but we stayed at RPR for a couple of nights to make the most of the FOLP.
I agree that planning is key and also taking time out to relax and enjoy the pool to escape the parks is a good idea too. I wrote a food trip report that you may find helpful. I don’t know how to post a link but it is called, A very merry Orlando Christmas and it shows what we did on our 2 weeks in Orlando |
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16 Jan 20, 11:21 AM |
#6
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Imagineer
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We have also booked for Christmas this year. There is myself, DH and DS 14. We are going 17th - 30th December. We have booked the first 3 nights @ The Holiday Inn @ Disney Springs - my husband has IHG points so it cost us nothing. We will make use of our first 3 days using our Disney tickets and hoping it won't be too busy We are then booked into a villa on Highlands Reserve for the next 10 nights. Our plan is to be pretty relaxed then and go and do things like Celebration, possible ICE @ Gaylord Palms, possibly a visit to Citywalk @ Universal, shopping and possibly pop back to the Disney Parks a couple of afternoons. We did 10 nights @ HRH in August last year and full on Universal so we won't be doing Universal this trip. We all decided that we were going to see it as a more relaxed trip with more villa and pool time ... here's hoping
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1993 & 1994 Kissimmee*1999 ASM*2000 Lindfields*2006 Pop Century*2010 Windsor Hills, AKL & ASM*2012 Villa Greater Groves*2014 Cabana Bay/Disney Cruise*Apr2016 Villa Whispering Oaks*Aug2016 Highlands Reserve & RPR*Apr2018 CBR*July2018 HR Villa & Anna Maria*AUG2019 HRH*Dec 2022 Regal Oaks*Mar 2023 HR Villa* |
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16 Jan 20, 12:23 PM |
#7
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Very Serious Dibber
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We ve done Christmas twice now and are planning this Christmas 🎄 to visit my daughter who will be there doing the Disney College programme ( if they flights ever come down in price !)
We tend to go early around12/13/14 Dec and do parks before they get crazy ! Then relax , villa water park shopping etc the Christmas week with the odd afternoon evening at parks or resorts ... we’ve always found Christmas quite manageable but we avoid the crowded time’s and plan ! |
16 Jan 20, 03:44 PM |
#8
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Imagineer
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You are going the peak peak times. I dont think it gets much busier.
You are talking 8/10 - 10/10 busyness. Parks shouldnt hit capacity, but will near it.
__________________
Sept 2002 - Sheridan Vista, Sept 2007 - Polynesian Aug 2008 - WL / GF Club, Sept 2014 - PO FQ Aug 2015 - PO RS, Aug 2016 - PO RS Aug 2017 - RPR & AKL, Oct 2019 - HRH & BC Oct 2022 - RPR, Poly & AKL |
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16 Jan 20, 08:08 PM |
#9
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Thread Starter
Excited about Disney
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Wow, OK. So a villa holiday, out and back early and three days onsite at universal for folp.
But the message I'm getting is that it's worth it. To be swimming in warm pools in that environment. Just got to find some good flight prices and car hire! Thank you for your replies. |
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16 Jan 20, 08:31 PM |
#10
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Apprentice Imagineer
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I have looked back - we booked on May 10th last year, flights 11-26th Dec, MCO direct from Gatwick with Virgin. 3 adults, 1 teen and 1 child, standard SUV, all luggage etc, was just over £2200 direct with VA.
Edited at 06:12 PM. |
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