Orlando advice?

Question

hi, i'm wanting to take my children away with my partner for 2 weeks next year to orlando, can anybody offer advice as many sites & people say different things. i got told that hurricane season is between june/nov, yet people say they've been in between these dates & not had any problems with hurricanes, just thunder stormes. we would be saving £1,000's for this hoilday so need to get it right. we don't want to go when it poors down every day. this is our first & only once in a lifetime holiday so we have to get it right so our children have a memorable holiday there.

- when is the best time to go for weather? we want about about 30'c +
- when to go when the theme & waterparks are not heaving?

any advice?

Additional Details

would we be safe going from end of may for 2 weeks? would it be hot then?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Ok.... lets put it into perspective and give you as much as is practically possible......
1. Yes it rains.... but, firstly its warm rain and secondly it isnt usually unitl 4-30 or 5 pm and then doesnt last very long.... You will if wet dry out in minutes anyway and don't forget the parks have water rides so you will be wet anyway and I don't mean damp I MEAN WET.......
2. We have been there twice a year for 10 years and usually have a minimum of 3 weeks each time...... (not a boast).. Just an indication of the experience level we have. And have all (8 of us) agreed the best time to go is Sept., usually the second week onwards.
3. Providing you listen to advice and do what you are told, any bad weather in Florida is no big deal..... If and it's a big if, IF you are unfortunate to be close to or even in a hurricane, you will get plenty of warning and will be told where to go and what to do.
4. You need to ensure you are not there during American School holidays, as the parks will be heaving....
5. We find that September is hot enough, mid to high 80's and quiet enough to ensure the queues are small or even non existent. You need some queing as it adds to the atmosphere and the 'whole' experience. April May clashes with our easter holidays and often means lots of 'Brit's' in there footie shirts etc...... not something we love.....
6. At the end of the 'summer' season, most of the parks, except Disney offer very good deals on tickets.... Ie buy a day get a dat free (seaworld) or buy two days get a third free (Universals 2 parks). We don't like Disney, it's too commercial and expensive.
7. You will need a good day at each park, ie 8 am til 10 or 11pm and therefore should probably do alternate days, 1 at the park the next chilling or shopping etc.... The parks are also VERY LARGE, so are knackering, no matter how fit you may think you are. and you must DRINK lots of LIQUIDS..... or will dehydrate very quickly.
8. Travel and flights are a personal preference, however there are two basic options.......
a. Go for the complete package, with someone like Travel City Direct, who do flight, car, hotel, motel, villa, depending on what you want.
b. Be brave and go DIY so you get to decide where you are etc. This means you have to decide do you want a Villa, Hotel or Motel.....and where it is situated...... what type of car you want (YOU WILL NEED A CAR) and who you fly with.
9. Personally we have tried them all and I must say we go to First Choice in Asda and book there own flights to Sanford, which is a smaller Airport and therefore easier to move through. We then Stay on the Irlo Bronson Highway (192) in Kissimmee at the Golden Link Motel and we book a car from a firm in London who use Dollar only. ( if you book a car from Dollar, go on there web site and become a fast pass member, it's free and you therefore don't queue anywhere at there booking desks.) Think of how many peeps fly into Orlando and you can understand why every second counts once you have landed.
10. Research, research and research some more and then all make the decisions together and then no one can say I didn't know......
11 Once booked, enjoy which ever way you have booked and rest assured you 'will' have the holiday of a life time......
Hope that helps..... a tad long winded but you did say you wanted it right...... ha ha ha
Tim...
ps. Mail me if I can help some more.............

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

great advice!! thanks! Julie ;o)

Answer 2

The best time for lack of crowds and still great weather will be the end of April and the first 3 weeks of May.
After that it starts to get busy at the parks.

Hurricane Season starts June 1 and runs for 6 months through the end of November.

I hope this helps you,

Answer 3

30C is mid 80s F. By the end of May, it will be at least that hot, or hotter. For example, the weather forecast this week is high 80s to 90 every day. As far as rain goes, it is unusual for it to rain all day every day. Most of the time there are quick showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon.

I think late April and October are good months for weather. The temps can hit mid 80s during both times. If you want to swim, though, you might want to try October, as unheated pools can be a bit chillier in April.

Hurricane season is June 1 - November 30, but there are many years and many days of that time that there isn't any tropical activity. We don't have hurricane conditions the entire time. In 2004, Orlando had three direct hits within 6 weeks and since then, we've had little to no activity at all. There is no way to predict how many, how strong or when a hurricane will make landfall. The most likely times are August and September. The warmer the water is the more storms and the stronger they become. Check for a hurricane cancellation policy if you book during this time. Almost any reputable place will have one.

Have a great trip!

Answer 4

Next May 2009 should be fine! FYI the crowds and long lines that everyone wants to avoid in tourist areas occur doing the summer, around Christmas and then in the springtime it varies bec most school calendars are based on like a 2 week window around Easter...and yes, once a few years ago we took our kids to NYC during springbreak we were surprised how many Europeans were also vi sting and in line, then spring of 2006 the break was longer than usual and we went to Orlando and again a lot of Europeans on vacation.

A few tips about Orlando: we stayed in hotel chain with free continental breakfast and free bus shuttle to Disneyworld and that savings helped then again British Sterling Pound & Euro are doing well vs weak US Dollar so now is go time to go as our oldest son & his Irish wife live in London UK and I told my wife it might be PRICEY and EXPENSIVE in Europe for Americans to vacation so I think we're headed to Niagara Falls and Canada this summer. About the rain unfortunately it's unpredictable and FYI we have family also in Atlanta but the entire Southeast USA was dry and below rainfall levels much of year that would you believe water restrictions were still in effect during winter and still enforced in early March 2008 when we visited.

Hope the Above Info Helps & Enjoy!

Answer 5

you can't avoid the afternoon thundershowers. Florida is a tropical climate, and the heat in the atmosphere is just there. Plan on mid afternoon, say, 3:30 to 4:30PM just about every day at the peak of the thunderstorm season. What I used to do with my family is to plan, about 2PM to leave the parks, get our hands stamped, and then go back to the hotel for 3-4 hours. In the meantime, the kids could swim, take a nap, rest, and...most importantly, that is the time that the showers usually hit. BUT, if you h appen to be in a park when they hit, don't worry. Florida is a narrow peninsula, and the showers tend to move from east to west, or vice versa, so unless it IS a tropical system of some sort, they can be intense but usually do blow over very quickly.

There is an old saying in Florida that if you don't like the weather, just be patient and in a half hour it will change. it should not ruin your trip. Just be in the parks early, and then about the time the heat is starting to be overwhelming (you'll feel the humidity, believe me...dress light), go to the hotel temporarily. We would then go back out for the evening meal, and then close the place down. Kids love it at night as well.

Everyone is correct, I live two hours north of Orlando (northern Florida), and hurricane season IS 6/1 to 11/30. But, these storm systems are huge, and you would always have advance notice of a pending hurricane. We can't forecast when they will be formed, but we can have plenty of warning when one is coming our way. Come on, make plans for that afternoon "siesta", and just have a great time. Welcome to Florida.

Source(s):

Native Floridian