First time trip to Florida/Disney - I have no idea what I am doing!

[Galaxygirl1993]

Hi all

First time trip to Florida/Disney so I am looking for a lot of help and guidance please!

So as a back story I have won a 2 week stay in a villa in Emerald Island Boulevard for 2020. It was won through a work competition, and I am in the process of obtaining more information through the owner.

The dates I selected to go are 19th September 2020 for 2 weeks, it will be myself, partner, 2 and half year old son, my parents, my sister and niece who will be 6.

I am slightly overwhelmed with all aspects of planning such a trip - I've only ever been abroad to Spain and would like someone just to tell me it will all be okay, but also would love some guidance and detailed advice too!

So for Flights, we were thinking of saving up for these and booking around 6 months in advance. Probably with either Virgin or British Airways. Is 6 months enough notice? We would fly from any London airport to Orlando International and try our best to get a direct flight.

For Car Hire, I had been looking at either a big 8-12 seater vehicle to be driven either by my father or partner, however it may be easier and more convenient to maybe rent 2 vehicles to give us more flexibility, ie if we all go to Disney and my parents want to go home earlier. Please hit me with your Car Rental Company Recomendations.

For Disney tickets, I have heard of a website called Attraction Tickets Direct who I was thinking of buying the tickets from. Has anyone used these, how do they work? Do you buy the tickets beforehand and they're posted out prior to your trip? If not booking a holiday through Disney, how do you get your tickets?

Please also give your favourite Florida attraction places - not just Disney- as we are interested in other attractions and open to visiting these aswell in our 2 weeks there, not just Disney.

Thanks!

[Gasman66]

Welcome to the DIBB & congrats on wining, you will find a lot of help and information on here from everyone, make a note of different options have a chat and away you go... We have always used ATD you can pay a deposit on the basket of tickets you have and I think you pay the balance 2 weeks prior to departure date. You will get REAL tickets, check out their website. Car hire... (personally I would go with 2 vehicles for maximum flexibility),go onto that section of the DIBB and you will get all the info you require from some very experienced Dibbers. Flights depends on your personal choice, and your budget, be it TC/BA/VA/TUI/Norwegian and if you want car hire included, which makes it a package so ABTA & ATOL protected... anyway happy planning and will follow with interst ...

[Cez]

How exciting!

It will be fine lol. It can be overwhelming at first with the whole planning side of things but trust me, you will be fine.

First of all, you're going at a great time. We have been a few times in September and its great for crowd levels, weather etc.

We have flown with Virgin and other airlines before but always found Virgin that extra bit special. 6 months should be fine but we usually book as soon as the flights come out which is 11 months before I think.

For car rental, we use Alamo. We have booked this direct with the airline before but also separate as it was cheaper that time to book it separately. I would recommend getting 2 cars just in case people want to do different things. We did this last year for our family trip and it worked out so much better.

We have used Attraction Tickets Direct before and you purchase online and pay for it and they get delivered to you before you fly so book in advance to allow them time to get to you.

Universal Studios and Islands of adventure is great if you're looking at other parks. If your looking for crazy golf and nice restaurants, International drive is good for that. There are other places to visit there too.

When you are planning, look on the busy day guide on here which will help you see which parks are best to visit on each day.

If you need any other help, let me know

[rafjen]

2 weeks is not a long time to squeeze in everything- We always want 2 days per theme park we choose to visit ( 1 for water parks). Do not buy tickets for everything without giving some thought to what are your priorities. Plan in some down time. 2 cars will give more flexibility but parking at Disney is Ł25 a day per car so is it worth it?
Attraction tickets direct seem reputable, whoever you get tickets from be sure you have them more than 30 days ahead to book fast passes.
Personally we love universal but it is a lot money.

[mason1]

Congratulations. I’d suggest sorting out your ESTAs first. There’s a link at the top of this section.

In terms of flights, we generally book a fly drive with BA, as this gives us the option to pay a deposit and the rest due about 5 weeks before travel.

As others said, consider 2 cars - as this will provide more flexibility if you want to do different things. However, it may be worth hiring the larger vehicle initially and then a 2nd car rental for part of the holiday.

As has been said, don’t try to pack it all in. Ticket prices soon mount up - look at what options appeal to your group.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions on here. Also, the guidebook is full of useful information.

Happy planning.

[Chris7cc]

Congratulations and welcome,

Firstly you are in the best place for advice most on here are super helpful, for me I would make a list like the one below and then work from that.

1. Check all passports will be valid for when you are going and then complete your ESTAs.
2. Make a spreadsheet
3. Work out a budget that works for everyone.
4. look at flydrive packages about 10 months or so out, personally I would make 2 bookings so you can get 2 cars .
5. Deduct cost of the flydrive from your budget along with $20 per day for parking (I believe that is now what is charged at both Universal and Disney)
6. Work out what you want to do e.g just Disney or Disney/Universal/Sea World etc and then price up options.
7. Decide if you want to eat out at all and also if you will be taking pack lunches to the parks or eating at the parks (eating at the parks could cost you a small fortune depending on your budget)
8. Play around with the spreadsheet adding in eating out, park passes etc until you find something that works for everyone, (the last thing you want to do with a once in lifetime holiday like this is stretch yourself or someone in the group to a budget that causes problems further down the line or makes them worry whilst away so cant enjoy it). Also remember to add 8% tax to everything when pricing up purchases in Orlando and also 20% for any meals out for gratuity's.
9. Go onto youtube and watch The Tim Tracker & DFB guide everyday until you go.

[cornishfrogboy]

Congratulations.. and you have nothing to fear..

First. Get your passports sorted and then get your ESTA’s (travel authority/ visa waivers). They should only be booked from the US Immigration service site and should cost around $14 or so. They last 2 years. Top tip.. people seem to have more snags and delays with a group application than doing them all single. Do not find yourself on a site that charges more.

Flights.
I don’t know where your local airport is, but statistically, it may be London. I have travelled on many airlines to the USA and most certainly do not place any premium on Virgin.. or any other carrier. I would suggest that with some of the ages in your party, that you opt for direct. I do also suggest that with those ages, I would only look at Sanford, Orlando Int and Tampa. Tampa is the longest drive at just an hour and a bit of very simple, motorway standard driving. Sanford is 3/4 hour of similarly easy driving and Orlando Int, 20 or so minutes.
I would acquaint yourself with Google flights as I find it easiest to use and would also compare against Skyscanner, Opodo and Kayak. If you think that you have found the deal you want, then always try that search on the Airlines own site before committing.. you may get a pleasant surprise.

Remember that with airlines, all is not always as it seems. For instance, I have flown with Virgin Atl many times and to many destinations. Only twice have I booked through them. They are currently owned 49% by Delta and 31% by Air France/ KLM. (Both massively larger airlines), with Virgin holdings itself only holding 20%. It is therefore worth also viewing the sites of Delta, Air France and KLM.

Do not fall foul on luggage! Many tickets offered no longer come with hold luggage.
Most flights, it is now extra to select seats (only you can decide whether to risk it on the day).
Some flights now come without in flight food. (No problem in my case as I prefer a Ł3.99 WH Smith meal carried on in any case.

Prices for flights vary greatly, often from day to day. Get a feel for it through dummy booking and through avidly reading the DIBB. Remember that you are travelling in a quieter period and may cut a great deal.

Car Hire.
You will be very pushed as a first timer to beat ‘Andy’ of Discount Florida Car Hire (detail at top of DIBB pages). You may save a few quid elsewhere, but it won’t be much. Many will attest that both his knowledge and customer service are second to none ( handy as a first timer).
Satnav. You can borrow mine and it will save you loads. All I want in return.. is it’s return! It has lifetime updates and most if not all places that you are likely to visit during your vacation. Ask for it around a month before you travel.

Car seats. They are stringent on child seats.. speak with ‘ANDY’ at DFCH.

Tickets.
Attraction Tickets direct are an excellent company and generally my choice. Always have a look around though and look at the rivals. ATD do price match (at times) and often have ‘special extras and deals’. Whatever you do, phone to book. You are buying a lot of tickets ( even if you just do Disney). I would be after at least a fiver off each.

Which tickets.
14 days? First visit? Big group? Young children? I do not visit Disney any more. I would suggest that this is the only ticket to buy in your circumstances. You get 4 huge parks and 2 of the best water parks around. With the ages of the children, tiredness, time outs etc etc. A Disney 14 day ultimate would more than suffice...

Plus Kennedy Space Centre


General stuff about big groups.
I am an avid DIBBER and have observed from a distance as the plans of other have gone wrong. From that, I know some of the pitfalls.
1. Even though the accommodation is free, remind them that this vacation is still a very big investment that probably needs saving to start now. As each item is purchased, then I would want the money up front if you buy as a group. Personally, I would do the research, find the deals on tickets and flights.. then let them buy their own. On many occasions, people have withdrawn nearer the day and thrown things in to utter confusion.
2. Is it per person or per family’? You should have first choice of room for winning. This needs to be discussed and agreed.
3. How many drivers and who? Remember that drink drive laws over there are harsh. Do you have some light drinker/ non drinker volunteers.. who are over 25.
4. Are some of you going to buy additional extra tickets. If so, you may need two cars.
5. Car hire (again) if you book it, then take the cash off the others immediately.
6. With all of the above issues, any cash outlay should be non returnable. There is nothing like physical investment to ensure continued participation.
7. Food. Are you eating breakfast in the villa? Packed lunches or fast food in the parks? Eating out or in during evenings?
8. Do not over complicate things in an effort to please everybody. I dare say that I could find various things a little cheaper than you (flydrives,etc etc), but then I have been there many, many times. Keep it very, very simple and plan the penny saving for later trips should you return.
9.Factor in your car parking fees.


Budget.
You should be able to research this and have an approximate figure in mind, particularly once the flights are purchased. Everybody should be very aware of their likely final outlay from the start.

It may sound complicated. It is not. The key is to agree amongst yourselves what you will do, what only some of you want to do, extra things that others might want and above all, a cohesive plan.


How I would do it.
It is your win. You are going. The others can come along for the ride if they like (or not). Whilst telling everybody what you are doing and before you do it (they may want to join in at that time or not). I would act independently if necessary on every facet.
I would not invest in the car hire until I knew exactly who had purchased flight tickets and whether some wanted to go it alone on certain days. Once that flight is booked, then it is a mighty lot more difficult to back out as it is paid cash up front.

Once that is all sorted, you can move on to the tactics to employ in Disney theme parks through fastpass and other means. That is a whole new area that can be investigated later with the assistance of others more knowledgeable. As I said, I no longer partake.

Hope it helps!

[red cuillen]

Congrats, well done, but as we found when we won flights to Los Angeles there are many things that will swallow up your money!
2 weeks - the UK gets a special 2 weeks for the price of 1 ticket, but don't feel you have to go into a park every day!
Florida is tropical heat, not dry like Spain, very humid and strength sapping so pace yourselves. I agree that for a first time don't try to pack too much in. There will be the temptation to fit in Universal to see Harry Potter land - only you know whether it will be worth the money, it won't be cheap and unless you are massive fans it would be had to justify - they have some pretty awesome rollercoasters mind.
You are on the Highway 192, plenty of restaurants to select on there, also a nice crazy golf course and supermarkets.
Scheduled flight prices are released 11 months out. If you keep checking you'll see prices fluctuate during the day, but there may be a 24-48 period when they drop - for no real reason, and usually not during any advertised 'sale'. Tampa airport is pretty convenient for the US192. People often prefer that to Orlando MCO, so check prices for both. Flight plus car can sometimes be cheaper than flight only, also counts as a package so you don't pay in full until 8 weeks before.
Once you're happy with your flights and tickets, come back and people will talk you through more detailed planning. You don't have to plan, but to minimise time spent in queues it doesn't do any harm to have some idea of what you want to do each day!
Good luck!

[Wee_Red]

Hello,

Congratulations on your win and welcome to The Dibb. Some great advice already posted here, particularly cornishboyfrog with regards to family arrangements/money.

ATD are reputable but as you go down the rabbit hole that is this forum, you will see several sections based on Car Hire, Food, Tickets etc. At the top of the car hire and ticket boards, you'll see a pinned list of recommended websites - I think and I can't say for absolute certainty but Florida Escapes are coming out cheapest for tickets at the moment.

Like you've done already with Attraction Tickets Direct, if you come across a site selling tickets/car hire that isn't mentioned, you can post and ask for feedback.

You can also get tickets through your plane/flydrive. We've booked (whole holiday) with Virgin and after, called up to have them price match the cheapest universal tickets we've found and they added it on to our booking. May be something to keep in mind.

Also, download the My Disney Experience app to your phone. It'll allow you to see current wait times in parks, menus for dining, when parades are. Once you have your tickets, you can link up to your app and at the 30 day period arrange Fast Passes.

Flights go on sale at the 11 month mark so you'll be able to do dummy bookings for the dates you want toward the end of the year.

As with ESTAs, get them done ASAP - they are linked to your passports so if you need to renew before your trip, do that and then apply for your ESTA.

As Mason says, there is a link at the top to ESTAs - this will take you to the official site. They cost $14 per person, if you google it and find anything more expensive, these are massively inflated 'admin' prices. The process is very simple and you shouldn't pay any extra to a middle man company. You need to be quite thorough so it won't save you time/hassle. In saying that, read each question carefully to avoid accidentally saying yes to planning to commit genocide/espionage


Have a great time planning - there are loads of us here if you need us and apologies in advance for all the hours of your life you're going to spend on this site!