Orlando itinerary - tickets and days to go tips?

Question

Hi there

11 of us (aged 1 - 55) will be staying in Orlando (well Kissimmee - Reunion Resort) from 2nd April to the 16th April. I'm a bit stumped about how to go about getting our park tickets, there is just an overwhelming choice of tickets options and we were wondering if might be better off just buying at the gates? If anyone could offer some advice I would be really grateful... Also what days are best to avoid at the parks (especially over Easter?)

Here are the things we would like to do:

- Disney Magic Kingdom / Disney Hollywood Studios (could these be done on same day?)


- Both Universal parks (again - both in one day?)
- Seaworld
- Waterpark (not sure which one - any suggestions)
- Kennedy Space Centre
- Boggy Creek Airboat Ride

We will also try to spend a night in Clearwater, Tampa for some relaxation away from the parks... Can anyone please suggest a nice (but cheap) hotel we could stay at? Would it be wise to spend Easter in Clearwater or...?

Thanks!
Steph

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

I think you need to do a lot of research on the different parks and find out what everybody in your party would like to do and plan around that.

You could waste a great deal of money on tickets if you are not careful about planning.

Don't try to do more than one park in a day with little kids - they just don't have the stamina especially when it is busy as it will be at easter time.

You can buy 7 day Disney tickets in the UK but this might be too much if you want to see Universal as well. Theme park fatigue can easily set in. One park only 3 or 4 day passes direct from Disney are a little bit cheaper than the UK sold passes at around $229 inc tax.

For Universal I would just buy them on the day - not all your group might want to go if you have done Disney first.

Consider splitting up into groups when you get into the park so everyone gets a chance to do what they want. We use walkie talkies to keep in touch (cost around $50 from Walmart).

Personally I wouldn't bother with the airboat ride - it's expensive and so loud they scare all the wildlife away anyway.

Kennedy space centre is a nice day out and you can combine it with a trip to the beach at Port Canaveral or Cocoa. Take the Beachline expressway and the space place is signposted. Admission to look at the rockets is free - you only have to pay for the imax movie and launch pad tours if you want to.

It's a long time since I stayed at Clearwater but you have two choices really, you can stay on the beach or gulf and these are generally mom and pop style privately owned motels which are often in need of refurbishment or you can opt for a chain motel which might be a better standard but you would have to drive to the beach.

Source(s):

http://www.hotelcoupons.com
http://allears.net/tp/themeparks.htm
http://www.kissimmee-us192.com/locations…

Answer 2

Magic Kindgom in my opinion requires at least 1 one day. It depends on the crowd. Disney Hollywood studios have be done in a half day. Universal Parks will take 1 day each. I heard Bliizzard Beach is one of the best water parks in the country. You'll find park at Walt Disney World. Hotels? So many to choose from. Good luck

Answer 3

If you would like help with tickets look on this website:
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwtixdiscoun…

Answer 4

You might want to consider splitting up in groups to save you money. Universal to more is more for the older kids and adults. I would not would personally take a child younger than 8. Though there is a kiddie section I don't think it would be worth the cost of a ticket to do it. Definitely check out Seaworld, Aquatica, and Bush Gardens. Something for everyone. Seaworld web site has the best deals for all three parks. They are for 7 days and with a multipass ticket you can transportation to Bush Gardens for free. For Disney I would do one day at each park. With kids 8 and 13 we spent a whole day at each, So definitely with younger kids I would do one park each day. Try mapleleaftickets.com for more ticket options.

Answer 5

As far as traveling there and hotel, I am going to give you the only piece of advice that was given to me for finding cheap flights, and it works to this day... Compare as many travel websites as you can as often as you can. Since you have a few months, start searching today and search the flights every week until May. If anything is unusually cheaper, book it on that date. I would definitely recommend checking out BookMe dot com. You can compare ALL the reputable travel sites from one location, and save tons of money. Good luck!

Source(s):

http://BookMe.com

Answer 6

I went to Orlando for 2 weeks last Easter, we went to Magic Kingdom twice and it was so busy, I have been going for the past 17 years and I have never seen it like that, even in june or july. I don't think from what I can remember that the studios was too busy.

I would not recommend trying to do the 2 parks in 1 day, we can easily spend a full day in each, especially the Magic Kingdom.

We have done both the Universal parks in the 1 day but we didn't go to them at easter so Im not sure how busy they would be.

Seaworld can be seen in 1 day, you can pay for and print your tickets from the seaworld website which means you don't have to queue for your tickets at the gate.

Ive never been to a water park in orlando but I plan to go to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon in June. I haven't done the air boat ride, I don't really fancy it and I haven't been to the space centre so I cant comment on that.

I would say the main advantage of getting your tickets before you go is that you don't have to queue at the park gates.

You will have fun whatever you do!

Source(s):

Me, Ive been going to Orlando for 17 years, Im a huge Disney fan.

Answer 7

Just answering the disney part of your question, because that's what I know.
I was just there last month. I know from Park employees that the Spring Break/Easter time is very busy. I would suggest going to the theme parks on the holidays themselves to get the smallest crowds.

As far as seeing Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on the same day? Possible. . . but not likely. There are park hopper passes (which you can buy easily at the gates or a resort) which will allow you to do that, but the hard part will be feeling like it was worth the cost.

It does depend on the ages/interests of those in your group. There are lots of good "adult" attractions at Hollywood Studios, and more childlike attractions at Magic Kingdom. Make sure that you carefully examine park maps, and make sure you're listing what you really want to see/do. Remember the Fast Pass option (where you can go and get a ticket for a popular ride. The ticket tells you what time to come back, then you don't have to wait in line--you can explore other things while you "wait" for your timeslot).

My recommendations:
Hollywood Studios mostly an adult park: Tower of Terror (adult), Rockin' Rollercoaster (adult), Indiana Jones show (good for everyone), Toy Story Mania (everyone, and super popular FAST PASS IT!) and Magic of Disney Animation (for everyone) THE FANTASMIC water and light show at night is the best of all the parks. It's worth an evening to see.

Magic Kingdom, mostly a children's park: Mostly iconic attractions. Choose the ones that appeal to the movies you like. There is a great 3-D show Mickey's Philharmagic which is fun for all ages.

I hope this helps a bit!

Answer 8

Using prices from www.onlineflorida.co.uk here is a breakdown of prices for these tickets (you may find them cheaper elsewhere).

* Universal 2 park pass - £76
* Seaworld 1 day pass - £45
* Kennedy Space Centre - £23
* Boggy Creek Airboat Ride - £15

http://www.onlineflorida.co.uk/ProductVi…

If you are just visiting 2 Disney parks then you would probably be better buying the tickets when you get there because the only Disney tickets available in the UK are 5 day, 7 day, 2 week or 3 week.

You might be able to do both in one day if you start early and finish late - but there's no guarantee. It depends on the day you go (you can easily find timetables that show the busiest and least busiest days for each park - do a google search).

If you do want to visit both parks in one day, again it would be best to buy the tickets when you get there and ask for a 1 day 'hopper' pass.

I can recommend Typhoon Lagoon, but Blizzard Beach is very good too.

xx