CONTENTS BELOW (scroll down to see):
Insider Tips - Lessons Learned From
Visiting Theme Parks
What Orlando Is & Isn't
Travel Planning
Hotels
Getting Around
About Each Park
"Must See" Attractions
Sample Itinerary - How To See It All In A Limited Amount Of Time
Discount Theme Park Tickets
Florida Resident Discounts
Orlando Advice Links
As someone raising a family in Florida I’m often asked for my "insider"
advice on vacationing at Walt Disney World and the other Orlando
theme parks. Friends and family want straight talk and the
"unofficial" scoop. They want a list of what to see and what
to avoid. Here's a web summary of that advice:
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS PAGE
Every year lots of people spend thousands of dollars (and use
their precious vacation time) to vacation at Disney World and
Orlando. They come with high expectations… and
sometimes leave disappointed.Advance knowledge will
help visitors have a good time.
Our family has been visiting Orlando “from up north” for a
decade. In recent years we've relocated to Florida. We've
had annual passes at all the major theme parks. I've spent so
much time/money learning by trial and error, I wanted to pass along the
things we've learned. This is one family's perspective and
straight-forward advice. This is the stuff you won't see in
vacation brochures and on official web sites. For the record, my family has no
connections to the theme park or travel industry. The
opinions expressed here are purely my own, based on our Orlando
experiences.
INSIDER TIPS FOR VACATIONING IN ORLANDO Lessons Learned While Visiting
Theme Parks
Logistics are the enemy. It's
amazing how quickly the little things will eat up your vacation
day. The more time you spend waiting for buses, being lost,
buying forgotten items or finding information the less time
you have enjoying yourself. Know exactly where you are going and
what you're bringing each day. Vacation enjoyment is directly proportionate to time
spent on rides and in shows. Vacation frustration is
directly proportionate to time spent handling logistics.
Purchase a set of FRS walkie-talkies. These allow your
group to split up and easily find each other. The FRS (Family
Radio Service) walkie-talkies cost less than $100/pair. You can
find them at places like Wal-Mart, Circuit
City and Radio Shack. Bring extra batteries.
Note: Be sure to buy the models with “privacy codes."
Program all of your walkie-talkies with the same code-then only you
will only be able to hear each other. Without the codes, you will
hear everyone else (a real problem
because everyone in Orlando has these radios.) The “code”
models cost $20-40 more than basic models, but are worth every penny.
Click
here
for more on FRS walkie-talkies.
If you travel by car, buy one of those
12 volt/120 volt TV/VCR combinations. The kids LOVE
watching movies. You can even hook up you video game system
if you by a 12 volt-120 volt power inverter (available at any major
discount store or radio shack.) Having your video game system
in the hotel room can be a wonderful distraction for the kids.
Have food for meals/snack in your hotel room. This
eliminates the pressure of always having to find somewhere to
eat. There are many easy-to-find Publix and Winn-Dixie grocery
stores in the area.
Take a backpack of snacks and water bottles into the parks.
All the parks allow you to bring them in. An occasional drink and
snack can keep children's' spirits high.
If you're tired, your kids are tired. Monitor that family
attitude each hour. Take a break before any “melt down” has a
chance to occur.
Plan an hour or two in the afternoon to return to your room for a
little quiet time or a nap. Leaving and returning to the
parks isn't difficult. Everyone has more fun when they have an
opportunity to recharge.
Stay hydrated. Airplanes, sealed hotel rooms and the
relentless Florida sun will can dehydrate you in a couple of hours.
Drink lots of water or juice. Avoid diuretics like coffee
and cola.
Little Known Fact--Disney water parks sometimes allow coolers
packed with drinks (no booze or glass.) This policy varies with
security levels (so call ahead.) Disney also sells a unique
bar-coded "unlimited refill" soda
fountain drink cup. This can be a very good deal!
Bring your own stroller. Renting daily is expensive and a
logistics hassle. If you don't want to bring your big stroller,
purchase an inexpensive "umbrella" stroller.
Do not waste time at any of the roadside tourist traps or
come-ons. Coupon offers, discount books, reduced-rate tickets
stands, time-share offers, goofy golf, arcades and cheap souvenirs are
never a good deal. These things waste your valuable vacation
time! Remember, it's all about visiting the parks. You can
do “touristy” things closer
to home.
Bring a small first aid kit that includes bandages,
cold/allergy medicine and Aspirin. Someone always gets a headache
or a cold. Expect blisters on kids’ feet. Your sinuses will
suffer from air travel, dry hotel air and swimming pools.
Bring hats and sunscreen for the parks/pool. Bring
flip-flops and small pool toys (kids love to play with foam footballs
and diving rings at the pool.)
If you're visiting in the summer, bring one of those spray water
bottles with a built-in fan. They work! These water
bottles are cheap to buy at discount stores, but may cost $20 at the
parks.
If you travel in winter, bring layered
warm clothes--it can get very cold in Central Florida!
Bring rain ponchos or trash bags for everyone. In summer
it rains every day… but only for a short time each day.
Have a good Orlando road map. Get a map from AAA in your
hometown and use the ones provided in book "The
Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World." Get the
AAA tour book for Orlando.
On maps, highlight routes to the parks and hotel prior
to arriving in Orlando. In advance you may even want to do Mapquest Driving Directions
for each car trip you plan to make.
Start each day with a definite plan. Make sure everyone
knows the vacation schedule and the contingencies. Realize that
your sightseeing will likely go either much faster than you
think or much slower. Make up for lost time by skipping
those non-unique “filler” attractions.
Expect to walk 3-5 miles each day on hot/hard pavement.
Comfortable shoes are an absolute
must. Have bandages handy in case of blisters.
You will be tired (and maybe stressed out) at the end of an
Orlando vacation. Know this going in. You will see and do a
lot, but it may leave you feeling that need a "vacation from your
vacation."
Learn the rules for each company's fast pass ticket system.
Manage your route so you can get as many fast passes as possible
throughout the day.
Double check every time you use a fast pass machine… it's
unbelievable how many people forget their park tickets at these
machines!
Offer any unused fast passes to other people on the way out.
A little Orlando goes a long way. It's not uncommon to
have had your fill after a few days. If you're frustrated with
the theme parks, head to a water park, the
beach (information below), Kennedy Space Center (90 minutes to the
east) or the Florida Keys (5 hours to the south.)
Head to the beach if Orlando is too much. Florida's great
beaches are an easy drive (about 90 minutes away) if you want a change
of pace. Check out Clearwater
Beach and St. Petersburg
Beach (west of Tampa)
or Hutchinson
Island (north of West Palm Beach.)
Little Known Fact--Disney even operates it's own Florida
beach resort at Vero
Beach (north of West Palm Beach.)
Attitude is everything: At least one or two major problems are
going to happen on every single day of your expensive vacation.
Roll with the punches and don't let problems make you mad.
Orlando is filled with bad drivers, confusing roads, hot/humid/rainy
weather, cold weather, numb service employees, dumb rules and
moneygrubbers everywhere you look. Expect it and don't let it
bother you.
Not Widely Publicized Fact--Orlando Gay Days: Each year
on the first weekend in June Orlando hosts 125,000 gays and lesbians
for the Gay Days celebration. People participating in the event
wear red clothing. Participants are very visible at the theme
parks, water parks, resorts, pools and nighttime hot spots.
Gay Days are not well publicized outside the gay and lesbian
community. As such, some unsuspecting families don't learn of the
event until they arrive. Click here for
Orlando Gay Days dates, locations and events.
Open alcohol containers at Disney's Epcot: Some
families may be surprised to see visitors walking around Disney's Epcot
with booze. Disney sells alcohol at this park.
In the fall, Epcot features a Wine
and Food Festival. It sells alcohol and ethnic food from
small stands on the walkway around the World Showcase. During our
visit during the Wine and Food Festival we saw a considerable
amount of conspicuous alcohol consumption and inebriated behavior.
Little Known--Disney Pin Trading: Most Disney employees
wear a sash displaying Disney pins. The employees are required to
trade any pin with visitors.
To my surprise, my kids really enjoyed pin trading at the Disney
parks. It allowed them to interact with Disney employees and
learn to place different value on differing pins. When it was all
over they had a great keepsake.
A good way to start is at the hometown Disney Store. Buy a
set that includes a sash and several pins. You can then start
trading as soon as you arrive
at the parks. Of course sashes and pins are available at Disney
park gifts shops. Click here
for
more on Disney pin trading.
Character Autographs: Young kids enjoy meeting the
various costumed characters, especially
at Walt Disney World. Here's a nice way to remember your
vacation experience:
Bring index cards and a Sharpie pen. Have each character
sign an individual card and pose with your child for a picture.
Once you have the film developed, place the photo and autograph
card next to each other in a small photo album.
Character Dining: Families with younger kids should
consider having a meal with the Disney characters. It's a great
way to give them access and interaction with the famous characters.
Disney offers several character dining options. The meals
change from
time to time, so you always have to check with Disney to see which
meals
are currently being offered.
We have been to the character lunch at the Crystal Place
Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom (it's located on the Main Street near
the castle.) This lunch featured most of the standard Disney characters
(Pooh, Cinderella, etc.) The food was served buffet style.
We have also been to the Princess Storybook Breakfast in Norway
at Epcot. As the name suggests, the characters are all
princesses. The food was served family style, with one large dish
of food placed at teach table for the family to share. Of the
two,
I enjoyed the Magic Kingdom character dining better... but I'm not into
the princess thing. However, my daughter LOVED it.
It can be very difficult to get reservations. The best
thing to do is call Disney several weeks in advance to get
reservations. Demand always exceeds supply, so getting
reservations early is important.
Beware that character dining can be a little pricey.
However, given how difficult it can be to see characters inside the
park, it's definitely worth doing a character meal at least once. Click
here for more information on character dining.
Slow Times Of The Year: Once
there were predictably slow times of the year for Orlando theme
parks. The parks have combating "slow" times by offering
large-scale
special events. If you are planning your trip for a "slow"
time in the hopes of avoiding long lines, check with the parks.
They may have scheduled events (marathons, concerts, food festivals,
golf tournaments, etc.) that will attract large crowds.
The first two weeks of December are traditionally Orlando's
slowest. The last week of December is typically Orlando's busiest.
WHAT ORLANDO
IS, AND ISN'T
Many people feel that an Orlando vacation is something every
family “has” to do at some point. It's an American
obligation. There's pressure to visit at least once. It's tough to enjoy any vacation
you regard as an expensive obligation. To insure a
good time, it helps to know just what you're getting yourself into:
ORLANDO IS: Orlando is only about theme parks (not the Florida beach, the
Keys, air boats, alligators or NASA.) This city offers an
unequaled demonstration of the art amusement park “theme-ing.”
The parks here are more lavish, more detailed, better maintained and
more creative than anywhere in the world. The parks are open all
year. Visitors are captives on vacation. Crowds are still
likely to show up when it rains. The parks have much better cash
flow than those up north. More cash
coming in means more cash being spent on rides, shows, maintenance and
landscaping.
Orlando attractions tend to be about stories, animals and
characters (“themes”). The competition is to determine which
park has the most colorful, creative
and fanciful rides. It's not about having the tallest,
fastest and most head-pounding thrill rides (that's left for the
folks at Cedar Point, Kings Dominion and Magic Mountain.)
Orlando is Central Florida: It is land-locked. It
is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It does not have a
beach or afternoon sea breezes. It can be 20 degrees colder than
South Florida in the winter. Some northerners don't prepare for
the chill and find it down right cold in the winter!
Orlando is a tourist city: Come ready to see every
possible tacky tourist trap known to humankind. Everyone here is
from somewhere else. Locals are used to having a hundred thousand
tourists invade each week… trash their town… and leave.
Orlando will “Nickel and Dime” you:
Be ready to pay for everything and then some. Expect lots
of taxes, “resort fees” and other add-ons at your hotel.
Expect all manner of add-on charges for your airline ticket and rental
car. Expect tolls on the roads. Expect to pay for
parking. Expect to pay for some theme park attractions even
though you bought a ticket that’s supposedly good on all rides.
It can seem as though everywhere you turn, someone has a hand out.
ORLANDO IS NOT: Orlando is not relaxing. Crowds, heat, overabundance of
attractions and travel logistics will keep you occupied every waking
hour. This is an active (working?) vacation that requires a lot
of planning and keeping to schedule.
Orlando is not something you can see in
one trip. It is simply not possible to enjoy all
of the area’s attractions in a week. You will leave without
having seen it all. Define what interests you and leave enough
time to enjoy it. Don’t get caught in the trap of trying to
see it all. You may not be able to see it all, but you
can
see what's important (check out the sample itinerary below.)
Orlando is not user friendly. Competing business interests make
it very difficult for visitors to enjoy various parks around the
city. Companies try hard to get
you to stay at their hotels, use their transportation and visit
their parks exclusively. They will make it difficult for you to
go to the competition. It's like the Las Vegas casinos that offer
you a moving walkway on the way in (but none on the way
out)… then once inside you can’t find an exit.
PLANNING
More so than other vacations, a trip to Orlando must be
planned extensively. It's not uncommon for visitors to plan a
week-long trip hour-by-hour! I know this sounds crazy.
However if you're spending the better part of a thousand dollars
a day to bring your family here, planning is the only way to insure
you’ll accomplish everything you want.
Three months ahead of time buy this book: The
Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World(click
here to see more.) It contains good information about
all the Orlando parks, not just Disney. No, I don’t have
any connections to the author or publisher. However, I have
purchased the book twice in the last 10 years. It's an unbiased
guide. It gives you all the information you need to create
an effectiveplan for your theme park visits. It even
suggests theme park routes and times that allow you to see
the most attractions in the least amount of time.
Over the years this book has grown to be quite expansive (so has
Orlando!) It will take you
several weeks to read, digest and plan your trip using this book.
It costs about $20 at the local bookstore. This is a small
fraction of the cost of your trip. Information is power.
This book will give you details not available in any travel brochure or
web site. When I show our copy to traveling friends and family,
they always comment on how they wished they had seen it before their
trip. After reading the book, layout a
detailed plan highlighting what you want to do each day.
Write out your plan and keep it with you at all times. By way
of example, I have provided a sample plan below.
HOTELS HOTEL OPTION ONE: You can stay on property at
Disney or Universal Studios and rely on their transportation.
HOTEL OPTION TWO: Stay
“off property” at one of the many Orlando area hotels (Irlo
Bronson Highway for Disney, International
Drive for Universal Studios and Sea World.) Some hotels offer
free
limited bus service to the major parks (though most of these shuttles
don’t
run frequently enough.) You may really want a car.
I have found it best to pay the extra money to stay at a
suite hotel. This allows the kids to have their space and the
adults to have theirs.
When battling travel and theme park fatigue, the extra space and
flexibility is a Godsend. Suites also provide a small
kitchen.
This allows you to eat meals and snacks in your room. This
cuts down on the planning and frustration of always having to eat
out. Besides, the money you save on food can help make up for the
higher cost of the suite.
Your trip to Orlando is to see theme parks, not to
always be looking for a place to eat. We have stayed at
several suite hotels in Orlando and liked them all. The
kids especially like the Holiday
Inn Suites because of pools and special kid-themed rooms.
ORLANDO TIME
SHARES
We have also stayed at Orlando time
share properties operated by Marriott
and Hilton.
These big hotel companies are now in the time share business.
They will offer a several night stay in exchange for you listening to a
two hour sales pitch. The Marriott and Hilton pitches were not
the sleazy, high-pressure pitches made by traditional
time share companies. They were respectable and low key.
The accommodations were very nice. We accepted these
accommodations prior to making our Orlando trip plans. We figured
the sales
pitch would waste half a day and planned accordingly. WARNING: Do not waste precious vacation hours on time
share pitches you learn about once your are already vacationing in
Orlando. These pitches can be a huge waste of time.
Accept offers to visit only in
advance and only from reputable major companies. Know exactly
how long the time share company wants to pitch you, then hold them
to it. Never accept an invitation from a company you've never
heard of. Never buy a time share based on one visit to any
property. You can sample several and always return to your
favorite place to buy. Check out time share resales as a way to
save money.
DO NOT BUY A TIME SHARE WITHOUT EXTENSIVE COMPARISON SHOPPING
AND REALISTIC FINANCIAL EVALUATION OF OWNERSHIP COSTS/OBLIGATIONS
VERSUS RENTING/HOTELS.
I'm not "anti-time share." They can make sense for people
in certain life situations. Time share accommodations can be a
lot larger and nicer than hotel
rooms. It's just that after running the numbers, I've never been
able to make a time share make sense financially.
GETTING AROUND GETTING AROUND BY TOUR OPERATOR-“Easy but locked-in”:
The easiest way to get around Orlando is to sign-up for a vacation
package. This way you rely on the tour operator or the resort to
get you around. This generally means that you will spend all of
your time exclusively at Disney or Universal Studios. You will be
at the mercy of buses and tour planners. This can be
attractive for its apparent ease. However, I know people who have
become very angry at slow bus service and undelivered transportation
promises. If you're paying $200 a day for park passes and miss a
quarter of a day due to a transportation problem, you're not going to
be happy.
GETTING AROUND BY CAR-“Flexible but responsible”:
Having a car gives you a lot of flexibility to travel when and
where you want. However, you have the responsibility to
navigate the bizarre maze of Orlando roads. It also means every
day you are paying to park and forced
to take trams to the Park's front gate.
Our family prefers having a car because it better allows us to
control the itinerary.
ORLANDO ROADS: You would think that as a tourist town
Orlando roads would be simple, well designed, well marked and big
enough to handle crowds. My experience is that Orlando roads are
none of these things.
Many area roads charge a toll. While annoying, it
is better to use the toll roads because
the main highway (I-4) is way too small to accommodate demand.
I-4 is bumper-to-bumper during rush hour and can be slow even
on weekends. I-4 officially is an east-west freeway. However, I-4
runs north-south through
Orlando. Warning-Orlando lane markings are unusual. Several
I-4 interchanges have right-hand lanes that suddenly disappear.
The lanes may then reappear a quarter mile later. It's
surprising, frustrating and dangerous.
Orlando drivers are a toxic mix of tourists, retirees and
devil-may-care locals. Drivers regularly cut you off, change
lanes erratically, drive too slow and don’t pay attention. It's
important that you drive defensively!
Orlando roads change names and are not always clearly
marked. This is especially true where city roadways meet
Disney area roads. “Markers”: In an effort to make Orlando more
user-friendly, the city has erected several large numbered markers.
They’re placed along the roadways in hotel/restaurant tourist
areas. For instance your hotel might be near “Marker 16.” I
do not find the markers
useful in finding destinations. The markers' greatest benefit
appears to be in differentiating the sprawl. Mile after mile of
Shoney’s, McDonalds, tee-shirt shops, motels and ticket stands all
start to look alike. You know you're making progress when the
marker numbers are changing.
ABOUT EACH PARK
Here's an overview of each major park and the time necessary to see
each one (assuming you move moderately quickly from ride to ride):
Definitions:
Half day =
5-6 hours
.75 day =
8 hours
Full day =
12 hours
Disney Magic Kingdom: A larger, newer duplicate of Disneyland in
California. This park has traditionally set the highest standards
for creativity, landscaping and cleanliness. Walt Disney’s stated
goal was to create a park that both children and adults can enjoy
together. The Magic Kingdom still does this better than any other
park.
Leave 1.5 days: One day is ample to see the major
attractions. However, returning for part of a second day may
better allow you to see some of the smaller-yet-still-enjoyable
attractions.
Disney MGM Studios: An appealing mix of movie-themed rides and
shows. Older kids and adults will enjoy MGM more than little
kids. It does not appear as though a significant amount of movies
actually get shot at these
studios.
Leave .5-1.0 day: If you stick to the plan in The
Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World, it's possible that you will
be able to see all of the major attractions in about half a day.
Generally speaking you will feel satisfied with your visit after
three-quarters of a day. If you stay
a whole day (opening through closing) you will feel like you have run
out of things to see.
At Christmas time, Disney MGM offers The Osbornes' Christmas
Lights. You may remember the Osbornes were a family that set
up so many holiday lights at their house the town shut them down.
The lights are the most incredible anywhere and now appear
annually at Disney MGM.
Disney Epcot: Disney’s second Florida park is an eclectic mix of
non-traditional attractions. It's half World's Fair and half
cultural showcase. There
are few thrill rides.
School age kids and adults may best
appreciate all of the educational and cultural exhibits.
The park may be too advanced for young kids and too unusual for
teens.
The best theme park food in Orlando
is found at Epcot's World Showcase. Many times the ethnic cuisine
is prepared by native chefs!
Leave .5-1.0 day: You can easily hit the limited number of
major attractions here in half a day. However, the fun of EPCOT
is exploring and poking around. It is not a thrill ride
park. If you take it easy, there’s no problem spending a
wonderful low-key day exploring the abundant “little
attractions.” EPCOT is by far the most unusual and mellow of
all the Orlando parks. It's in a class by itself. As such, it
requires a different mindset, timetable and approach.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: This park is not really a Zoo.
The National Zoo in Washington, DC or the San Diego Zoo
are much better traditional zoos. Rather, Animal Kingdom is a mix
of a cage-less zoo (think San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park or Busch
Gardens Tampa) and a theme park… all done with the appropriate
amount of Disney themeing.
Kids of all ages and adults will enjoy this park. Disney's
Animal Kingdom is only open during the day. We have typically
found this to be the most crowded of all the Disney parks due to it's
limited operating hours and narrow walkways.
Leave .5-.75 day: If you stick to the plan in The
Unofficial Guide To Walt Disney World book, it's possible that you
will be able to see all of the major attractions in about half a
day. Generally speaking you will feel satisfied with your visit
after three-quarters of a day. If you stay a whole day (opening
through closing) you may feel
like you have run out of things to see. Don't forget to take
the two walking trails--these are where you see the most animals.
Universal Studios: Orlando’s version of the original California
movie theme park. It's a little more edgy than Disney’s
MGM. Teens and adults will enjoy.
Leave .5-1 day: You can hit all the major attractions in
half a day. Three quarters of a day is very satisfying.
Universal Studios Islands Of Adventure: At the risk of
overstating--this park sets a new standard. Many consider
it a "must see." Teens and thrill
seeking adults will especially enjoy the wild rides and excellent
use of the latest entertainment technology. Young kids will like
Seuss Landing. Islands Of Adventure combines Disney-like quality,
high technology and raw theme park thrills. There
is no other park like it. As you can tell, it's a personal
favorite.
Leave .75-1 day: This park is
loaded with major attractions. It's tough to do in half a
day. It's possible to see the big stuff in three quarters
of a day. However, leaving a full day is most satisfying.
You might even want to consider a second full day just to come
back and do it all over again. For some reason, rides at this
park are more enjoyable to ride several times… while other parks
quickly
have a “seen it, been there” feel.
Sea World: This is the “Marineland on steroids”
park. The killer whale, dolphin and water skiing shows are
excellent. This Sea World location (there are four around the
country) has added a large steel roller coaster as a traditional
amusement park attraction.
Sea World has fared well since being purchased by Busch (the
beer and Busch Gardens folks.) Busch has raised the bar on
showmanship, landscaping, investment and cleanliness.
Leave .5-1 day: Sea World is fairly leisurely paced.
Time in the park is largely driven by the shows. You can see all
of the major shows and attractions in about three quarters of a
day. Half a day won’t allow you to hit all the shows.
Water Parks: People of all ages will find something they
like at each Orlando water park. Disney operates three water nice
parks which cater to families. Water Country USA is not affilated
with any theme park. It's
more appealing to teens.
Leave 1 full day at any water park: Water parks are a
different animal. You go, explore,
and lay around. It's easy to get several rides on all the
major slides in a day. Leave a full day in the middle of your
week for a water park visit. It will be a welcome change from all
the hot and crowded theme park craziness.
Busch Gardens Tampa: Busch Gardens is a very well
maintained park. It's a cross between a zoo, a garden and a "big
ride" park. Kids love the more traditional amusement park
rides. Adults love the animals, landscaping and general layout of
the park. People who don’t like the
“exploration/educational” style of EPCOT might consider substituting
the day with a trip to Busch Gardens.
Leave .75-1 day: Busch Gardens is only about 90 minutes away
from Disney. It's an easy highway drive (though it's suburban
location can make it a little difficult to find.) Busch also owns
Sea World in Orlando, so a discounted combination ticket is easy to
get.
Cypress Gardens: Cypress Gardens is about 45 minutes
southwest of Orlando. It's not as commercial as the Orlando
parks. It's a well-seasoned “Old Florida” style attraction.
It has a wonderful water skiing show, kiddy water park, toy train
exhibit, butterfly exhibit and fabulous gardens that are second to
none. It's Florida’s most charming
park, but it's very low key and not for kids looking for big ride
excitement. It's a great park for grandparents to take their 1-4
year old grandkids. If water parks aren’t your thing, this can be
a great place to take
a “mid week break.”
Leave .5-.75 day.
KEY ATTRACTIONS - THE "MUST SEE" LIST
Frequently people will ask me what the “must see” rides and show
are. All the parks are loaded with “filler” attractions.
Don’t feel bad if you miss filler. Concentrate on seeing the
major attractions.
Here is a list of the “must see” rides and shows… the ones
people will ask you about:
"Must See" Rides (Teens & Adults) Spiderman (Universal Islands Of Adventure): Creative
high-tech multi-media ride is creative, unique and
very memorable. Truly groundbreaking. The best ride
in Orlando.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Disney MGM
Studios): Short indoor roller coaster ride made fun with a
great storyline and theme-ing. Disney “Imagineering” at
its creative best.
Test Track (Disney-EPCOT): Big ad for General Motors made fun
through excellent use of technology
and concept. You might even learn something.
Dinosaur (The Ride) (Disney-Animal Kingdom): Traditional
ride technology, but excellent animated dinosaurs. Creative, dark
and scary with fabulous attention to detail. Don’t try
taking the little ones on this ride.
Dueling Dragons (Universal Islands Of Adventure):
Wonderful dueling suspended steel roller
coaster. Sit in the front… you will never forget when the
when the two coaster trains travel head-on (and a loop that just
barely saves you from colliding.) Best design of a traditional
steel coaster in Orlando.
"Should See"
Rides (Teens & Adults) Incredible Hulk (Universal Islands Of Adventure): This is
a signature ride that has been somewhat over-hyped. It's still a
great suspended steel coaster
ride with an excellent "launch" up the lift hill.
Jurassic Park River Adventure (Universal Islands Of
Adventure): Steven Spielberg-designed boat ride on
steroids. Outstanding mechanical dinosaurs and storyline.
Universal spent major dollars on this one.
Ripsaw Falls Log Ride (Universal Islands Of Adventure):
Long, creative roller coaster/log flume hybrid. Whimsical and
fun. You will get wet.
Popeye’s Barges Raft Ride (Universal Islands Of
Adventure): Long, traditional whitewater raft ride. Crazy
graphics and story also make this wonderfully whimsical and fun.
After the ride, don't forget to find the nearby tugboat.
There you can shoot the "water canons" that get soak the people
on the raft ride.
Kilimanjaro Safaris (Disney-Animal Kingdom): Another
signature ride that is somewhat over-hyped. The 20-minute tour
has a strong setting. The story and animal views are okay.
Tower Of Terror (Disney-MGM Studios): Short ride. Great
story and presentation. May
be too scary for the little ones who later can't distinguish
real elevators from theTower Of Terror.
Splash Mountain (Disney Magic Kingdom): Long, traditional water
flume ride. Good story and outstanding craftsmanship.
"Worth Riding" (Teens & Adults) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disney Magic Kingdom): Now
a veteran ride, it's still excellent for its concept attention to
detail.
Space Mountain (Disney Magic Kingdom): An oldie but a
goodie.
Poseidon’s Fury (Universal Islands Of Adventure): Unique
walk-through special effects attraction.
Star Tours (Disney MGM Studios): Older movie/motion ride
that’s still a lot of fun.
Movie Buff Note: Look for George
Lucas’ cameo at the end. He’s in the last shot… appearing as
the control room operator.
Body Wars (Disney EPCOT): Star Tours as created by your
biology teacher.
Living With The Land (Disney EPCOT): Interesting boat-ride
through the Disney greenhouses. After the ride, take the walking
tour if it is being offered.
"Must Visit"
Attractions (Young Kids) Various Rides In Fantasy Land (Disney Magic Kingdom): As
you know, simply the world’s best
attractions for young kids and their parents. Arrive
at park opening time and do everything in Fantasy Land immediately
(otherwise the lines can become very long.) The newer Pooh
ride is every bit as good as the traditional favorites.
Various Rides In Seuss Landing (Universal Islands Of
Adventure): Extremely creative adaptation
of Dr. Seuss’ stories. Don’t miss The Cat In The Hat, One-Fish or
the carousel. Parents will enjoy this area at least as
much as the kids.
Note that much of the architecture has been created out of
styrofoam. Just like Seuss books, there isn't a straight line
anywhere. Even the palm trees are
crooked (they were transplanted from the site of a hurricane.)
Pteranodon Flyers (Universal Islands Of Adventure): Low
capacity ride for a young child and a parent with a long wait.
However, flying those big birds around Jurassic Park is memorable!
"Worth Visiting" (Young Kids) The Flying Unicorn (Universal Islands Of Adventure): Cute
and fun kid-size steel coaster.
Dinosaur Excavation Play Area (Disney Animal Kingdom): Large
dinosaur bones buried in pebbles. Kids love to “dig.”
Honey I Shrunk The Kids Play Area (Disney MGM Studios):
Kids love climbing in this imaginative
playground. Adults will find it crowded with no place to
sit down.
Play Area (Sea World): Sea World offers a great
traditional play area with climbing towers and tunnels.
“The Olive” Tugboat Play Area (Universal Islands Of
Adventure): Easy to miss area near the log and raft rides.
Three stories of running, climbing and shooting water at the raft
riders.
Character Dining: Disney offers a variety of sit-down
meals with Disney characters. The characters mover from table to
table, giving young kids a better chance to interact with them than at
the parks. A family
of four can expect to pay $60-$75 for one of these meals.
ORLANDO’S BEST SHOWS
"Must See" Shows (Everyone) Fantasmic! (Disney MGM Studios): Extraordinary use of
pyrotechnics, lighting and lasers. Fun story. Great
showcasing of Disney characters. “Disney magic” at it's
best. A great way to end the day on an
upbeat note.
IllumiNations (Disney EPCOT):
A moderate fireworks display made great with music and a unique video
globe made out of a stadium “jumbotron” technology. Great
exhibition of showmanship and timing. It runs about 15
minutes. A “feel good” highlight of an Orlando vacation.
Watch out for the exiting crowds when the show is over.
"Should See"
Shows (Everyone) Shamu Show (Sea World): The signature animal show of all
time. If possible, see both the day show and the “House of
Dowse” evening show. The evening show is very upbeat-Busch
showmanship at its best.
The Eighth Voyage Of Sinbad (Universal Islands Of
Adventure): Remarkable special effects. A personal
favorite.
Indiana Jones Stunt Show (Disney MGM Studios): A veteran
stunt/special effects show with an educational component. Still
the best of its type.
Movie buff note: Compare how Disney has modified the
German swastika props used in the show versus the movie.
Lion King (Disney Animal Kingdom): Wonderful song, dance and
gymnastics show. Both adults and kids will enjoy.
Cranium Command (Disney Epcot): Outstanding mixed-media
presentation. Information blended with humor. Story line:
You go inside the mind of a teenager. Very creative. Fun
for everyone.
Tarzan (Disney Animal Kingdom): Songs and X-games inspired
acrobatics.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Disney MGM Studios): Exact
duplicate setting of the real TV show. Fun with great audience
interaction.
Barney Show (Universal Studios): Well done stage show
featuring the purple dinosaur. It's long enough to be satisfying
for young kids, but not too long for adults.
PLEASANT DISCOVERIES
(Attractions that won’t blow
your mind... just simple amusements)
Buzz Lightyear (Disney Magic Kingdom): Whimsical shooting
gallery. Good mindless fun… just like the Toy Story movies.
The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Review
(Disney Magic Kingdom): Grab lunch in the air conditions while
watching a silly wild west review.
Innoventions (Disney EPCOT): Kids love to play with the
interactive computer technology.
Coke Ice House (Disney EPCOT)
Short walk through a deep freeze, followed by free samples
of Coke products from around the world. The fun is in
tasting some of these strange sodas.
Dancing Fountain (Disney EPCOT): It's the central
fountain in the Future World plaza… but the show is easy to
miss. The fountain will occasionally put on a wonderful
display of dancing water, music and light.
Walt Disney's Life Story (Disney MGM Studios): Exhibit and short
movie on Walt’s life. It's as sugarcoated as you would expect,
but still magical and inspiring.
World Of Energy (Disney EPCOT): Moving movie theater &
diorama.
Tom Sawyer Island (Disney Magic Kingdom): A sentimental
favorite. Kids enjoy playing checkers
at the Fort and bouncing on the suspension bridge. See
virtual tour of Tom Sawyer Island.
The Living Seas (Disney Epcot): Largest aquarium in the
world.
China-The Movie (Disney Epcot): This is the best of the
three "360-degree movies" at Epcot. The exotic locations and
scenery make this an interesting experience.
While you're there... the sit-down restaurant in Epcot's China
section is said to have some of the best Chinese food anywhere.
Even the "fast food" style Chinese food restaurant is good (my
favorite quick eats at Epcot.)
SAMPLE ITINERARY - SEE IT ALL
IN A WEEK
Here is one way to hit all of Orlando’s major attractions in a week.
Saturday—Travel day. Upon arrival, swim at the hotel pool,
organize all of your clothes and make a trip to the closest
Publix/Winn-Dixie to buy a week’s worth of food, drinks and
snacks. Review your plans for the next day and for the
week. Get everyone to bed early.
Sunday—Leisurely full day at Sea World. Get home early.
Monday—All day at Disney MGM Studios (end the evening with
Fantasmic)
OR
Early
morning through mid-day: Universal Studios plus
Nap & Mid-afternoon through
late-night Disney at MGM Studios (with Fantasmic)
Tuesday—Leisurely day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Get home
early.
Wednesday—Full day at Disney Blizzard Beach Water Park.
Play, relax and don’t keep to a schedule. Be sure to try the huge
monster slide… just so you can tell
everyone you’ve been on the world’s greatest water slide.
If you don’t like water parks, try a day at Busch Gardens Tampa,
Cypress Gardens, the hotel pool or the beach.
Thursday—Full day at Universal Islands Of Adventure
Friday—Full day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, including nighttime
fireworks
Saturday—Leisurely full day at Disney’s EPCOT. Future
World in the morning. Take a nap
in the afternoon. Return to explore the World Showcase.
Plan for a nice last dinner somewhere in the World Showcase. End
the final night with the Illuminations fireworks display.
Sunday—Return travel day
DISCOUNT
TICKETS
A common
question I get from readers of this site is "Where can I buy
discount theme park passes?" Unfortunately, there is no good
source of discounted tickets. The parks generally do not offer
discounts to visitors from outside the State Of Florida. They
know you're going to come regardless of admission price, so there is no
reason for them to give you a break. Besides, since the park
ultimately issues every admission ticket (regardless of where it's
sold),
there is no competitive structure to bring prices down.
The City of Orlando is littered with tourist trap stores and
ticket kiosks that supposedly sell discount tickets.
Beware of people who sell "a four day pass with one day
remaining on
it" for a discount. The theme parks are wise to this game and
may reject your ticket even if it is still good. Please do
not trust the fly-by-night stores and kiosks in Orlando! Do not buy tickets from unknown internet sites
that promise discount tickets. The few dollars you save
simply isn't worth the risk. I am not aware of any reputable
web sites (except AAA and the official park sites) that sell theme park
tickets online!
That being said, there are a few things you can do:
> Buy your tickets in advance through
your hometown AAA (American Automobile Association) office. AAA
generally offers tickets that are a few dollars cheaper. At the
very least, AAA will save you enough money to cover the AAA membership
cost (then you have access to their great travel planning services.)
Besides the park front gate or official park web site, AAA is the
only reputable source of tickets that I can recommend to you. AAA
also offers great hotel discounts. Click here
for more.
> You can talk with your hotel. Many hotels
sell admission tickets at a slight discount. If there's a
problem, at least you know who you can talk with.
> Check with the official park web sites for
package deals that include discounted hotels and theme park tickets.
> Check the official park web sites for deals on
individual tickets. The parks will generally offer a
slight single-ticket discount to you online versus buying at the front
gate. Tickets purchased this way can be sent directly to your
home
or picked up at the park's "will call" window.
Because the discounts offered on tickets are so minor, use other
techniques to save your vacation dollars. The best
way to save money is on your flight, rental car and hotel. A lot
of money can be saved on food if your hotel room has a kitchenette and
you stock up on food at one of Orlando's Publix or Winn
Dixie supermarkets. Check with your hotel's front desk for
directions to the nearest supermarket.
FLORIDA RESIDENT DISCOUNTS
The parks occasionally offer discounts to Florida
residents. Of course they require proof of residency
(such as a Florida driver’s license or a utility bill.) Offers
aren’t always available. Special offers vary by season
and general park attendance. The discounts are offered when times
are slow (most of the offers seem to be available in the winter and
spring.) The best Florida resident discounts are offered through AAA-the
American Automobile Association. In January and February Florida
residents can buy a year pass
for the price of a one-day ticket. Busch Gardens &
Sea World will make this offer to the general public. Universal
Studios/Islands Of Adventure may make this offer available only
through AAA. This offer isn’t repeated at any other time of
year. Disney has not made this offer. Throughout the year
AAA also sells regular theme park and water park tickets at a slight
discount. Click
here to see updated AAA discounts for both residents and non-residents. Disney offers Florida residents a
few options. First is an annual pass. This
is best if you go a lot of expect friends/family to visit during
the summer, Christmas or spring break. The second option is
an “off peak” annual pass, which is generally only valid in
the months when school is in session. The “off peak” pass makes
it tough to join out-of-state friends when they come down for summer
vacation. The last option is a “Play 4” pass which allows
you to visit for four non-consecutive days. The Offers such as
“Play 4” are only offered occasionally.
For our family of four, a discounted pass to Busch Gardens, Sea
World, Universal Studios or Islands Of Adventure would cost about $225.
An “off peak” Disney pass
would run about $800 and our regular annual pass cost about
$1200. “Play 4” type promotions cost about $100.
As tempting as it might be, non-Florida residents shouldn’t
try to cheat the system. Disney uses electronic fingerprint
technology at their gates. Universal and Busch provide photo-ID
type passes.
Generally Florida resident discount passes do not allow
admission to the parks during special theme nights at Halloween or
Christmas.
FINAL THOUGHT
The "theme" park was invented by Walt Disney. His idea for
Disneyland came after a simple father/daughter outing. He wanted
to create a place that adults and kids could enjoy together.
While Orlando may represent the state of the art in theme parks,
it hasn't been our family's best overall amusement park
experience. Our best "family together" experiences actually came at a
regional amusement park near where we
used to live. Having a season pass to a nearby
park allows you to visit frequently and for just a few hours
at a time. You can go on rainy days when the weather has
chased the crowds away. Short lines mean you can ride again and
again. You can wander without an itinerary. The
kids can go where they what when they want. Who cares how the
time is spent so long as you're having fun?
Isn't it strange? In some ways the local amusement
park may be closer Walt's original vision than current day Orlando.
If you come to Orlando your and family enjoys theme parks
together, don't forget about that nearby hometown amusement
park. A season pass there may allow for some affordable and
relaxed family experiences that you simply can't get in Orlando.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Our family lives in Florida and makes trips to Orlando on a
monthly basis. We're a working family with no ties to the theme
park or tourism industries. We have seen every single ride, show
and attraction at each of the Disney parks. We've visited all of
the parks listed on this page many times. Every year we buy
multi-park annual passes to various properties (we alternate between
Disney, Universal-IOA and Sea World-Busch Gardens.) It wouldn't be
accurate to classify us as Disney fanatics, coaster enthusiasts or
theme
park nuts. We visit because amusement parks are something
everyone
in the family can enjoy together.
As you can tell from reading this page, we try to enjoy
Orlando's magic but aren't blind to its many failings. I really
appreciate the business risk, hard work and creativity it takes to
build such interesting and technically sophisticated parks. The parks
are colorful, clean and safe. At the same time I'm
concerned about the extraordinary costs associated with bringing a
family to Orlando. Families make major sacrifices to fund their
Orlando pilgrimages. They arrive with sky-high expectations based
on Orlando's image-based marketing. If all visitors find are
uncomfortably
overcrowded theme parks and inflated prices, they're going to be
unhappy.
I was disappointed by my first trip to Orlando and I've left
disappointed several times since. The only reason I come back is
for the family. I manage Orlando better because of the
information presented above. I put the information on the
Internet because
I hope it will have the same benefit for you. Best of luck with
your Orlando adventure!
CONTACT
Please feel free to be in touch with any questions or to suggest
a link. Click
here for contact information.
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT THIS SITE
Literally
thousands of people visit this site each month. We're pleased
to have the opportunity to share the advice learned from our family's
Orlando experiences. Here are some of the comments readers have
sent:
"Wow... could you
have possibly gotten any more informative? Love your site and
will definitely come in handy when we visit. I have bookmarked it
so we can start our planning the right way." --Tracy T.
"Just a quick note to say thank you for writing your un-offical
guide to DisneyWorld. My family and I have been researching and
you are the first we have found who talked about the 'other
attractions' like Universal and Sea World. I have bookmarked and
intend on
printing your web page for our use. Thank you again!!!"
--Carol Y.
"I
have just finished reading your site and it has prepared my for my
vacation there this weekend." --Munoda M.
NOTICES:
This web
site and all of its contents are copyrighted. All rights are
reserved by the author. This content may
not be
modified, copied, "mirrored", used, displayed, electronically stored or
distributed
in any way except with the written permission of the author. The author
may
discuss
arrangements allowing use of the material, but there must be a written
agreement in
place prior to any outside use. To use this material, please
contact
the author by clicking
here.
Linking to this site is encouraged. You may provide links from
your site without prior permission. Permission is NOT granted for
direct linking
of images only (a practice known as hot linking). Information
on this web site is provided on an as-is basis with no warranty
regarding accuracy or
suitability for a specific purpose. No guarantees or warranties
of any kind are make with respect to any information contained on this
web site. Access to this web site by you, the user,
constitutes your understanding, acceptance of and agreement to the
terms outlined above. The information contained on this web site
is subject to change without notice at any time at the sole discretion
of the author.
