First trip to Orlando (Disneyland and Universal) for the kids!!

[shake'n_bake]

Hey everyone,

This will be my first trip to Orlando for my kids (6yrs and 1.5yrs old boys). I prefer going now before my younger son turns 2 and he will have to pay for flight and admission. If we go now, we won't have to go for another 4 years (I don't want to pay for my younger son until he's old enough to actually appreciate and remember the trip).

I'm planning on going at the last week of August for 7 days, OR first week of Sept (but then my son misses 4 days of the first week of Grade 1). I was thinking about October or November as it won't be as hot but it'll be hard to take time off work during then. Would Oct-Nov be better?

A few questions I have are:
-How is the weather during that time frame? I believe hurricane season is in July?
-Is it very crowded at these theme parks during this time? I've read winter is the "busy" season
-Is waiting in line long and hot? I hope it's not like Canada's Wonderland where it's 1-2hr line ups in the heat with no shade sometimes.
-Which part of Orlando is best to stay? I'm not planning on staying inside the resort. I'm planning on renting a villa (I've seen some good deals where it's $60-80/day) for 3-5 bedroom villa.
-Is it possible to do Disneyland and Universal Studios in 6-7 days? Can I fit Seaworld into it? What other attractions should I look into for this 7 day trip?

Thanks RFD!

[skyblue12]

i just got back from orlando yesterday. i'm not sure how valid some of my answers will be considering i went mid-july and you're going late august but here are some things i noticed:

- weather was REALLY hot. about 35-40 degrees every day i was there. it rained pretty much every day, at around 4-5 pm, but only for a few minutes.. passing rain clouds (but when it rains, it pours, and they also start closing down rides if they expect a storm approaching)

- parks were SUPER crowded. most crowded was magic kingdom. there were a LOT of tours going on though.. a lot of them from like brazil and stuff. mostly teenagers, around high school age..

- waiting in line is definitely long. the rides at magic kingdom were absolutely nuts.. personally i went with my parents (and i'm 23) so we thought waiting for the kiddy rides for 1.5 hours were kinda pointless. the rides everywhere else (universal studios, sea world) are pretty long too, but you have the option of getting fastpasses (disney has fastpasses too but they work differently). lucky thing is, a lot of the rides are indoor so even if the wait times are long, you won't be baking in the sun for 2 hours for each ride

- it's possible to do disneyland and universal studios in 6-7 days. if you're planning to go to ALL the disney parks, that's one day for: magic kingdom, hollywood studios, epcot, animal kingdom, universal studios, and islands of adventure. personally i don't really like epcot.. i'd rather go to sea world instead (it appeals to the kids more imo, with all the shows they have). only thing is, i think that if you get a pass for sea world (i think i bought mine on expedia though), you get to go a second day for free. so i would try to utilize that if possible

- we also went to legoland but that's only if you plan on renting a car as it's about 30-40 minutes away from the main disney area.. everywhere else you can get to within 10 minutes. this is only if your kids are really interested in lego.. cause we went and the place was so empty compared to the main parks (mostly cause of the travel time and also cause honestly it's not even close to as great as the other parks)

- if you have the money, i would definitely suggest buying a fastpass for universal studios (it's quite pricey though.. if you don't live in the resort, i think it's around $80.. if you live one night in the resort you get fastpass for both days, at universal and islands of adventure). it's definitely worth the money as the wait times are cut by SO much. the longest wait time is probably around 20 minutes for a ride.. if you don't have a fastpass, expect to wait 1-2 hours. the harry potter and the forbidden journey wait-time was over 2 hours. fastpass definitely allows you to ensure that you get to go on all the rides in one day, less waiting, and perhaps go on a ride more than one time if you love it.

hopefully that helps a little bit, and enjoy your vacation! :D

[wszeto28]

Nice! My first trip to Disneyland was 2 years ago and it was tons of fun. It definitely brings out the kid in you.
I went in November and the weather was around high 20's everyday. At night, it was a bit chilly. Weatherwise I recommend you go during October (i'm not sure when Hurricane season is though)
In terms of crowds, every theme park I visitted was very crowded. I went to Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios (they are connected), the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. I did not get a chance to go to Animal Kingdom or Seaworld. I'll give you a brief description of each of the theme parks I went to.

Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios - I purchased an express ticket for this park (I heard it's cheaper if you pay in advance online although I'm not 100% sure). You will want to go to Islands of Adventure as that's where the Harry Potter ride is. The wait for me was around 1.5-2 hours but the ride itself was absolutely amazing (the express ticket does not allow you to bypass this line). You will never go on another ride similar to this. Note that this theme park is not in the Disney area so you will have to rent a car/take a shuttle bus to the park.

Magic Kingdom - This was an amazing place to go. They have fast passes where you go and pick up a ticket for a specific ride and it will tell you to come back at a specified time. All the lines were very long for this place. Lining up to take a picture with Mickey/Minnie took an hour on its own.

Epcot - This park was geared towards the adults. When I went, they had an international food festival going on, which was pretty awesome. Oh, they also have fast passes here.

Hollywood Studios - This is probably the only park that will take you less than a full day to visit. The Toy Story ride, which had a 2hour wait for me, was very very fun but I would not go back if I had the chance.

In terms of where to stay in Orlando, I stayed at a "Moderate" level resort and had the meal plan for free (promotion at the time). I felt it was beneficial as all the parks accepted the meal plan card, you had free parking at all the parks, and the drive to each park was not too bad. It is a bit more expensive than staying outside the Disney area.

Overall visiting all the parks is definitely do'able in 6-7 days. Note that each park takes a whole day to visit (except for Hollywood Studios). You may become a bit drained after walking for 12 hours everyday so I recommend taking 1-2 days inbetween for just relaxing/shopping. They have a few premium outlet malls that are very cheap.

[IdaKno]

Hey everyone,

This will be my first trip to Orlando for my kids (6yrs and 1.5yrs old boys). I prefer going now before my younger son turns 2 and he will have to pay for flight and admission. If we go now, we won't have to go for another 4 years (I don't want to pay for my younger son until he's old enough to actually appreciate and remember the trip).

I'm planning on going at the last week of August for 7 days, OR first week of Sept (but then my son misses 4 days of the first week of Grade 1). I was thinking about October or November as it won't be as hot but it'll be hard to take time off work during then. Would Oct-Nov be better?

A few questions I have are:
-How is the weather during that time frame? I believe hurricane season is in July?
-Is it very crowded at these theme parks during this time? I've read winter is the "busy" season
-Is waiting in line long and hot? I hope it's not like Canada's Wonderland where it's 1-2hr line ups in the heat with no shade sometimes.
-Which part of Orlando is best to stay? I'm not planning on staying inside the resort. I'm planning on renting a villa (I've seen some good deals where it's $60-80/day) for 3-5 bedroom villa.
-Is it possible to do Disneyland and Universal Studios in 6-7 days? Can I fit Seaworld into it? What other attractions should I look into for this 7 day trip?

Thanks RFD!

We've been to Disneyworld three times. Mid-August (SOOO HOT), July (WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN), and November (LOVED THIS TIME). We're going again in November!
Weather - sooo hot in July and August. We were melting. My kids were not happy campers. November weather was great for us. It was about 22 to 25 degrees during the day, and 19 degrees at night. Sweater weather.
Parks - not as crowded in November. Still pretty busy. Look at the Disney schedule. When we went in November last year, we planned it right after Halloween and right before the Christmas stuff started. They will charge you extra at Magic Kingdom (after 7pm) if you attend.
Waiting - hardly any shade. In July/August, we kept going into the a/c buildings.
Where to stay - For our first trip, we paid the "big bucks" and stayed at a Disney resort. Nothing really special about them except they give you Disney soap, shampoo, stickers for the kids, towel animals on the bed, etc. My daughter LOVED it. I, did not. Last year's trip, we stayed at Floridays Resort. 2 bedrooms, 5 of us in total. We loved it. It was close to Seaworld, about a 7 minute drive to Disneyworld, and 2 minutes from one of the outlet malls. Watch out for resort fees. could be $12 a day, extra. With the little ones, we would start early in the morning, take a long nap, and went back to the same park in the evening.
Yes, you can cover Disneyworld/Universal in 6-7 days. Maybe less. Of all the Disney parks, if you had to choose one to not go to, I would choose Animal Kingdom. We finished that park in 1/2 a day.

We're looking forward to going back in November. Oh - and when your little one needs a paying fare, you might want to consider a flight out from Buffalo.

Have a great vacation!

[dealman5]

FYI...Disneyland is in California

[chemical_echo]

FYI...Disneyland is in California
And Hong Kong...and Paris...and Tokyo...and soon to be Shanghai.

Walt Disney World is in Florida. Too many people forget that it's Walt Disney World and not just Disney World.

To make the most of your visit to WDW, take advantage of the fast pass system. It's completely free and will allow you to get the maximum number of rides in during your visit.

Don't do Magic Kingdom on a Friday or Saturday as those are the busiest days for the park.

Waiting in line isn't as bad as Canada's Wonderland. Sure, some of the lines at WDW and Universal may be long, but they know they are in Florida and have built their queues accordingly. Many queues are shaded or even indoors. I can't think of many rides there where you are baking in the sun with no hint of shade while waiting in line for a ride.

Check the WDW website for current ride closures. Right now a few of them are down for annual rehab and restoration.

I haven't been to Universal Studios since before Harry Potter opened, but the park is not the best for younger children. Many of the rides there are more thrilling than anything Disney has and your children may not be tall enough to get the most out of the experience there, or may be too scared for some of the rides there (I was terrified of rides at 6).

I've never been to SeaWorld, but I've heard great things about it.

If Discovery Cove is open, that may be a worthwhile place to take the kids, but I'm unsure of the weather there in October and if you'd be up for swimming/being in the water all day.

Doing everything in 6-7 days is completely possible; I've done all the Disney Parks and both Universal Parks in 4 days. Granted, I missed a lot of the smaller rides at Disney, but I did get on all the major ones.

[yyz2hkg]

My advice, buy lots of Dollarama Rain Ponchos...it saved us a few times. Ponchos bought at Disneyworld cost $5.00 when it's not raining, and $20.00 when it does...j/k ;). The WDW ponchos are pricey though at the parks.

Childswap when you want to go on the rides with your older one...

[shake'n_bake]

Thanks a bunch everyone.

My main concern was the weather at the last week of August. It seems like the general concensus is that is the case in July (Hurricane Season) and August (still very hot).

I found this link which is very helpful to get a good idea of the weather in different months.
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/florida/orlando/

My next question is my 6 year old....and what type of rides he can go on. I understand that it is purely on height but my concern is the actual intensity of these rides.

He loves Spiderman, Batman, Hulk, etc etc and I'm sure he would love the theme of these rides, but for your average 6 year old going to grade 1, are they too intense for such an age?

[chemical_echo]

Islands of Adventure has a whole area themed to Marvel so your 6yr old should love it there. He can meet his favourite heroes and go on a few of the rides.

The Hulk roller coaster is a fairly intense ride with a launch straight out of the station into a barrel roll. I do not think he would be tall enough to ride this one though.

Spiderman is one of my favourite rides; it's a motion simulator on a track. There is a lot of action in the ride, but there are no height changes or anything like that. He should be fine on this ride; plus any Spiderman fan would love it.

There is also a Doctor Doom ride that is a free fall tower and a tea-cup style ride.

[yyz2hkg]

Thanks a bunch everyone.

My main concern was the weather at the last week of August. It seems like the general concensus is that is the case in July (Hurricane Season) and August (still very hot).

I found this link which is very helpful to get a good idea of the weather in different months.
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/florida/orlando/

My next question is my 6 year old....and what type of rides he can go on. I understand that it is purely on height but my concern is the actual intensity of these rides.

He loves Spiderman, Batman, Hulk, etc etc and I'm sure he would love the theme of these rides, but for your average 6 year old going to grade 1, are they too intense for such an age?

I knew this would come in handy...saved this on my desktop and did some research before I decided if it was worth it to go to Universal...but hope this helps.

WDW Parks:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/height.htm/

and

Height Requirements for Universal:

*Revenge of the Mummy® - Must be at least 48"
MEN IN BLACK™ Alien Attack™ - Must be at least 42". Children between 42"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster® - Must be at least 36". Children between 36"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
The Simpsons Ride™ – Must be at least 40". Children between 40"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
*Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit® - Must be at least 51"
E.T. Adventure - Must be at least 34". Children between 34"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.

Island of Adventure:


Jurassic Park River Adventure® - Must be at least 42". Children between 42"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
Pteranodon Flyers® - Please note that Pteranodon Flyers® is designed for children 36" - 56" inches tall. A child meeting this requirement must accompany guests over 56 inches tall. Children between 36"-56" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
*Dragon Challenge™ - Must be at least 54"
*Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls® - Must be at least 44". Children between 44"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges® - Must be at least 42". between 42"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
*Incredible Hulk Coaster® - Must be at least 54"
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® - Children between 40"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
*Doctor Doom's Fearfall® - Must be at least 52"
The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride!™ - Children between 34"-48 "must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.
*Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ - Must be 48"
Flight of the Hippogriff™ - Children between 36"-48" must be accompanied by a Supervising Companion.

[wszeto28]

Thanks a bunch everyone.

My main concern was the weather at the last week of August. It seems like the general concensus is that is the case in July (Hurricane Season) and August (still very hot).

I found this link which is very helpful to get a good idea of the weather in different months.
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/florida/orlando/

My next question is my 6 year old....and what type of rides he can go on. I understand that it is purely on height but my concern is the actual intensity of these rides.

He loves Spiderman, Batman, Hulk, etc etc and I'm sure he would love the theme of these rides, but for your average 6 year old going to grade 1, are they too intense for such an age?

Harry Potter was a really great ride but it made me slightly nauseous. I remember Spiderman being the same. It may be that I'm just getting old and can't handle the rides like I used to be able to :o

[dubstarr]

I am also planning on going in August (week of the 20th) ... I'm only going two days in the week (we have a place near clearwater). The question is: Where/what is the cheapest way to get tickets?

[shake'n_bake]

Looks like we won't be able to make it for August so next time frame is Oct/Nov.

I'd prefer this time frame as well since it'll be much cooler, and not as busy?

[shake'n_bake]

Ok, looks like back to the original plans but slightly modified.

We found a GREAT deal on a condo so we will be going first week of Sept (probably Sept 1-8 or 2-9), which I heard is a great time since all the kids are back in school and the parks are fairly empty.

A few more questions now that I have to start planning this:

1) Is it worth getting a Park Hopper Pass or a Base Pass? I'm thinking a 5 day pass. Reason why I was thinking of the Park Hopper Pass is if my 6yr old wants to go on the same ride the next day at a certain Theme Park.

2) How are the Waterparks? My 6yr old likes water rides but obviously the kiddy ones. We took him on one at Wonderland which was a bit more intense and he didn't like it (He hates getting water in his eyes, so we have to bring goggles).

Is Undercovertourist the best place to get tickets, or is CAA cheaper? I don't really need the line-bypass option provided by undercover tourist since we're going in the start of the slow season (after labour day).

[webworm]

Check flights with Allegiant from Niagara Falls to Orlando/Sanford.

[chemical_echo]

1. I only use the Park Hopper if I have a short amount of time at WDW and want to go on all my favourite rides before I need to leave (I was there for 2 days once and still able to see all the parks and go on all the rides I planned on riding).
With a 5 day base ticket you're pretty much giving yourself an extra day to repeat a park. If you really think your son will want to keep visiting the same ride at a certain park, then go for it (you obviously know your son better than I do), but I'd be more inclined to say save the money and repeat his favourite park.

2. Water parks there are fantastic with a great mix of thrill slides and easy slides. If he's scared of the more intense ones, I'd say Typhoon Lagoon would be more his pace. Along with their slides and lazy river, they also have a great snorkelling area.

[PCDawg]

Sorry, wanted to bump this up as the OP has similar age group as my kids and we are planning on going November US thanksgiving (yes i know it'll be busy).

We are going to be there for about 6 days. THursday is a holiday and we are arriving early afternoon that day and leaving monday 830pm.
I plan on one day for seaworld (saturday) hoping its the Seaworl Christmas show but no info on their site as of yet as the Christmas schedule doesnt officially luanch til November 17th. The days ill be at WDW would be on Sunday from open til 4pm (where after ill hit Magic Kingdom) and on monday from open to 330pm.

Ill be attending the Mickey Magic Kingdom Mickey Christmas party which starts from 4pm til close and its separate pricing from the regular park tickets.
My question is that with my 18 month old, some of the parks might not be suitable for him. SO it wont make sense for me to get a park hopper as he'll get extremely tired and some of the other parks might not be fun for all of us. I plan on hitting two other parks so a standard 2 day pass would be good. What are the two recommended parks that I can goto at WDW aside from Magic Kingdom.

[Melie14]

I'm now a florida resident, moved here to escape the cold.

Just wanted to add....it is ALWAYS 31-33 EVERY day from June 1 - October 1. There really isn't a whole lot of difference.
Hurricane season is not JUST july. It runs from June through the end of November. August is probably the most active month for hurricanes, followed by September. July is probably 3rd. That said, I've lived here since 2009 and there hasn't been a single hurricane hit Florida, so it's not an every year thing, it's just the threat is there.
Hope this helps.

[wszeto28]

Sorry, wanted to bump this up as the OP has similar age group as my kids and we are planning on going November US thanksgiving (yes i know it'll be busy).

We are going to be there for about 6 days. THursday is a holiday and we are arriving early afternoon that day and leaving monday 830pm.
I plan on one day for seaworld (saturday) hoping its the Seaworl Christmas show but no info on their site as of yet as the Christmas schedule doesnt officially luanch til November 17th. The days ill be at WDW would be on Sunday from open til 4pm (where after ill hit Magic Kingdom) and on monday from open to 330pm.

Ill be attending the Mickey Magic Kingdom Mickey Christmas party which starts from 4pm til close and its separate pricing from the regular park tickets.
My question is that with my 18 month old, some of the parks might not be suitable for him. SO it wont make sense for me to get a park hopper as he'll get extremely tired and some of the other parks might not be fun for all of us. I plan on hitting two other parks so a standard 2 day pass would be good. What are the two recommended parks that I can goto at WDW aside from Magic Kingdom.
Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I liked Epcot a lot as it has attractions that are fun for both adults and children. Hollywood Studios was also fun and you can usually walk the whole park a lot faster than the other theme parks. The Toy Story ride and the twilight zone tower ride were tons of fun.

[choclover]

Just curious if the Orlando attractions (Disneyland, Universal Studios, etc.) are the same as in California or are they different. We just visited Los Angeles in September and had a really good time and were thinking of going to the same in Orlando but didn't know if it would just be a repeat or a totally different experience. Has anyone been to both?