Any help or advice would be so very much appreciated.

[Guest]

I really don't know what to say!
It seems like you actually went and looked for us and that really is so kind. You've been a fantastic help 'Holidaysaver' Thank you, in fact thanks to all of you. .
We know we need to factor in a lot more than the obvious and food for a few weeks is going to be a major cost.
I looked at a typical diner menu: if we were to have 2 main meals a day, for 2 adults it would be around £25-£30 per day (hopefully including gratuities).
We are trying to find tickets that cover maybe 8 days out of 14, as we can go to other places or chill by the pool a few days.

Part of me wonders if it's worth all the money and worry, but life is too short (as many of us well know) and I am basing this one on the premise this will the only major holiday - especially with my granddaughter that I'm likely to have.
Not going to give a sob story but it's been a tough £6+ yrs, so we deserve it if we can afford it. 🙂

[DisneyDaffodil]

Personally, I feel our holidays are never a waste of money but one of the most important things we spend our money on (of course I make sure we pay our bills and are debt free).
Your budget is realistic with careful shopping around and advice from the Dibb 😀.

Price up onsite Disney with free qsdp, Caribbean Beach resort is usually the cheapest. Then price up hotel on International Drive but remember you would probably need to add transport and food to this. If you stay onsite Disney you can book free airport transfers with Magical Express bus and use Disney Transport onsite.
Secondly park tickets, if you are going for 2 weeks or less, I do not think it is sensible to do Disney and the other parks. Its just my opinion but for first timers, Disney has loads to do for 2 weeks and its too hectic to be rushing around Orlando doing all the parks. However if its necessary to do Universal to your family (Harry Potter fans or bigger rides or just not Disney geeks 😀 )then maybe the Universal combi tickets are your priority.
Shop around for insurance. I have no experience of buying with pre-existing conditions but £500 seems steep.
Flights, if you go down the diy route, flying on a weekday is cheaper. We find Thomas Cook is often the cheapest but again, shop around. Many people prefer to fly indirect which is usually cheaper. We prefer direct and usually just look for the right price for us direct. Direct is probably easier for your first trip I feel and worth the little bit extra.
Before booking, make sure you get your ESTAs done. Lots of links on here to it. But basically you cannot travel to the US without getting those sorted first.
Good luck, hope your dream comes true and you get a great holiday. Ask lots of questions on here and you will get lots of help. 😀

[Guest]

ESTA? Is that like the visa you used to fill in on the plane?
We HAVE to do some of the Disney parks for my granddaughter, and also universal (my daughter - at 28 is a huge HP fan).
I have done 3 quotes for travel insurance so far and just short of £500 is the cheapest, but that doesn't even cover baggage or cancellation. 🙄
We saw that Disney advertises meals included but when you go on to the site, you can't find it!
I still can't work out if all in all it's cheaper to stay on the budget Disney resort with food included, or to stay somewhere like Kissimmee and eat in diners etc, use public transport/hire a car... my mind is spinning - BUT we have only been looking a for a few days to be fair!

[DisneyDaffodil]

esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

ESTA is probably new to you. It costs $14 each and lasts 2 years. Above is a link to the official website. There are full details on the Dibb guides telling you all about it. Basically it is approval to enter the US.

It can be really overwhelming when you start planning. I would look at one piece at a time and work out what you want.
You have answered your own question about park tickets, as you want to do both Disney and Universal you need the combined ticket for all those parks. This is the most expensive type of park ticket. Again some companies do offer small discounts on these. ATD and Floridatix are just 2 of many who many Dibbers use.
Work out how many days you want to visit Disney. Maybe a split stay would be better for you? 10 days onsite Disney with dining plan, then a hire car or Uber for the rest of your stay in a hotel closer to Universal and buying food on International Drive for just that part of your trip?

[DisneyDaffodil]

disneyholidays/walt...g-in-2018/042/

Above is a link to free dining direct with Disney

Just to add public transport is not simple to use in Florida in my opinion. If you stay offsite, Uber or Lyft is the simpliest and cheapest way to get around if you do not get a hire car

[Guest]

I'm so pleased you mentioned that as I had no idea we had to do that. I last went to the States in 2007 and I'm sure we just fill out a green form on our flight... simple!
We thought there was a way you could do a daily pass just for the days/parks you wanted?
Another thing; if you bought a 7 day pass for example, do they have an expiration date or have to be used consecutively? It's just that we may want to do a few days at Disney, a few days at Orlando then something else then back to Disney... not sure if I'm explaining myself clearly?!

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by EllieRey68

I'm so pleased you mentioned that as I had no idea we had to do that. I last went to the States in 2007 and I'm sure we just fill out a green form on our flight... simple!
We thought there was a way you could do a daily pass just for the days/parks you wanted?
Another thing; if you bought a 7 day pass for example, do they have an expiration date or have to be used consecutively? It's just that we may want to do a few days at Disney, a few days at Orlando then something else then back to Disney... not sure if I'm explaining myself clearly?!

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You still fill in a customs form on the plane too. Just to say if you are taking food in etc. Its quite simple.
Most 7 day Disney tickets are 14 days for the price of 7. Make sure you get those and you can use them for the full 14 days. If you get a 7 day one, I believe it lasts 7 days from first use so no use for what you want to do.

[den-kjr]

For insurance try insurancewith I've used them several times they done our last year 1 adult 3 children for £164 for 3 weeks orlando and covered my daughters cancerous brain tumour xx

[Guest]

I will try a lot more than the ones I have but I will be surprised if it will come down much more as I have a few issues.
Thank you for your input though as its all very much appreciated.

[Guest]

Yes I now realise that the tickets won't come much cheaper but we have the advantage of picking our preferred days over the whole 14 days.