Hints & Tips

Nothing can quite prepare you for the sheer wonder and excitement of a holiday in Orlando - especially if you have children.

To make your holiday experience even better, we would like to share a few hints and tips with you:

Do your research before you go:

Unlike other holidays, the Orlando area is just too vast to navigate in a casual way. You owe it to yourselves to find out about the attractions and plan what you want to see, even down to the rides themselves. There is lots of information on the web and loads of books and articles. Our favourite book is 'A Brit's Guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World', which you can find in most book shops

At the airport

Please make sure you get some small change (especially $1 dollar notes and quarters) which can be used for luggage trolleys and for the road tolls during your vacation

Book ahead:

Especially if you want to take in a character dining experience whilst there. For information and booking details on Disney character dining, ring 001-407-939-3463. You can also pre-book dinner shows.

Get to the parks early, if you can:

We certainly find it easier to arrive early at the parks to take in the popular rides and attractions (before the queues build up!), and we also tend to snack during the day, or at least eat outside traditional meal times, so we can take advantage of shorter queues. It may even be advisable to return to the villa mid-way for a rest (and possibly a cooling swim), and then take in the rest of the parks' parades and evening spectacles a little later! This is only really feasible if the journey time between the parks and accommodation is easy and quick - one of the distinct advantages of our villa!

Use the strollers:

Disney, Universal and Busch Gardens all provide these buggies (approx $10 - $15 hire a day). They are not soft and cushioned like the buggies you know at home, so for babies and younger children who might require a nap they are not ideal. But they are a great way to move quickly around the parks with children. They are enclosed and have top cover, to help with the sun, and you can get both single and double strollers which are very easy and light to manoeuvre. When they were younger, our kids loved getting into the strollers and it certainly eased the grunts and groans associated with so much walking around the parks. In the crowds, it also gave us peace of mind, because we always knew where they were! A word of warning, though. There are designated parking areas and don't be surprised if you find that, in 'tidying up' the area, the staff have slightly relocated your buggy when you come off a ride, or out of a show! Although your name is on the buggy, each buggy is identical, so why not add something easy to identify on to the handle, like a coloured ribbon? And, of course, take your camera gear and other valuables with you.

Use the lockers:

If you get to the parks early enough. you may be able to get a locker. This is particularly useful when carrying spare clothing or jackets for cooler evenings. The lockers are not big - about the size of an average backpack - but functional.

Carry your own drinks:

Of course you will use the sun-cream liberally, but it is also essential to drink plenty. We take our own water bottles each day and, as these are emptied, simply fill them up at the water fountains widely found at the parks. The taste is a little different, but it is always cold, accessible - and free! When the weather is especially hot, it is also worth freezing one water bottle overnight, so that during the next day, as it defrosts, you have a lovely chilled drink!

Use the fast pass system:

Disney offers the Fastpass (FP) service and Universal has Universal Express (UE). Even with this, though, you should know that the most popular rides will go quickly! Check out what you want to do and head there first. Book the ride and 'fill' with others until your turn. Otherwise you may have to queue for anything up to 2 hours. That being said, even the best laid plans can go wrong, and it is rare that you will get to do absolutely everything you want to (with time being the greatest obstacle, hence the need to go early if you can). Universal now has Universal Express Plus. This costs more, but guarantees you no more than 15-minutes wait on the most popular rides. And at Disney, you can get a second Fastpass two hours after your first was issued, even if you have not yet used the original one.

Watch out for added tax:

The price on an item you want to buy may not be the final price at the till. In Florida, as in other US states, there are hidden sales taxes and this even applies to things like drinks you buy from a booth! Very embarrassing if you send the kids off to buy something and they wave frantically from the queue for a few cents/dollars more!!

Shop around for car hire:

You may find it cheaper to do this from the UK, especially if you can get an all-inclusive rate. In the States the price you are quoted will not be the end price, as they will add on various taxes and insurances. We learned the hard way: $29.85 a day for two days' hire actually translated to a total bill of $178.56 by the time all the surcharges were put on!

These are only personal, anecdotal tips but we certainly gained a lot more from the Orlando Experience through careful planning and preparation. Good luck - and have fun!

©Villa Close 2 Disney