Hi, we have booked the disney pop centery, we booked with firstchoice and are paying £2540.00 including transfers ( no car neeeded). this is quite cheap but we are going later than you last week of august and 1st week of sept took our children out of school for a week (tut tut). the reviews on this forum and others of this hotel are amazing the hotel is very kid friendly. but this may give you an idea on cost because it will be more expensive when you go plus you we need to by park tickets which we found to be pricey for the four of us. just have a look at the reviews and see what you think, Its a start
C.Collett

Hi Kazzzza

As the recommendations are posted check out the reviews HERE

There's loads of Florida info on the forum too

Pippy

I booked on 21/10/07 for 22 July 08 with Direct Holidays. Two adults and two children aged 14 & 12 from Manchester, staying at Somerset/Laguna Apts in Kissimmee for 2 weeks. Flights into Sanford (about 50 mins from Orlando) and car hire included (insurances extra). Cost me £3071.00. Same holiday currently coming out at £3209. I think that's quite a good deal. There are cheaper packages but usually in a one room motel/hotel with two queen beds. Not ideal for a fortnight.

Personally, unless you really ENJOY humid, hot weather, Summer is not the best time of the year to enjoy going to the theme parks in Florida IMO.
In the Summer holiday period you will certainly be doing a fair bit queuing for the rides (in very hot weather), as this is one of the busiest times of the year to go. It is also the most expensive times to go, bar Xmas week.

If at all possible, I would choose any other holiday period - the weather in Florida is pretty good all year round. This may, or may not, of course mean missing a few days of school.........

That's my advice.

Thank you all for your replies.



That is a very good point jdybnsn, which I didn't think off

I will have a look for the end of May, it's not the rainy season there is it?

I don't mind them missing one week off school (shush)

Kaz, the rainfall is less in May than July and August

thanks Starry

I've been late May and early August in past years. Can't say I noticed any difference in the queueing times for either month. The key is to get there when the parks open and get on the most popular rides first. The only difference in August was more rainfall. Even then, it tended to be a sharp burst in the afternoon but it soon dried up.

May 26th 2008 is Memorial Day which starts the official summer season off. Most schools are out for the summer by then except for the Northeast, so it starts to get really busy but the rates are much less than for July/August- and the humidity is not as oppressive. If hot weather doesn't bother you then go whenever..... try to get a place with a pool to go back to. You are basically walking around outdoors on concrete all day, so it can get pretty HOT.
It gets to be hard work trying to see it all/do it all, so it's nice to take a day off and chill by the pool, head to some air conditioned Mall for some shopping.. I sympathise with the travel sickness, I suffered that as a kid. Cars here are automatic which does make for a smoother ride so maybe that will help. If it's the 13yr old can she/he sit in the front seat? that would definitely make it easier on him/her.
Happy travels.
We have been to Disney at the end of May, it's in the mid 80's every day.
Once the summer days start getting really humid then you get thundershowers all the time but they don't last long.

Hi emdia43

26th May is our wedding anniversary too.
I didn't realise that it was there summer hols, that is why there was no different in the prices.

My daughter is 4 at the moment, 5 in Jan, and she get very bad travel sickness.
Two-three stops on a bus and we have to get off, tube not too bad.
Plane no problem We flew to Cyprus without her being sick, and she fell asleep one minute before landing!!!

If you decide to go in the summer school holidays, you should definitely go for the end of August rather than July or early August. Book as late in the month as you can to fit it in before your children go back to school. It may be a bit cheaper and more importantly, the parks will be much less busy as a lot of the US schools go back in mid-August.

If you want the cheapest deal, try Travel City Direct. Much cheaper than the other package tour companies.

For the travel sickness, have you tried the wristbands?

Hi

We have been 3 times now in October and I can highly recommend it. The weather is good and no big queues and its October half term. The kids will love the fact that its Halloween and the celebrations are spread out for about two weeks.

Good Luck with your booking and enjoy every minute

Michelle

Hi thank you for your replies.

We have just booked two weeks in Majorca, and decide to visit Florida when our daughter will be older.

She will be 6 and half.
I like the idea of October
That is a very good idea.

Any ideas where to stay?
We want Room only, S/C.
With a pool would be nice.

Karen

We have visited orlando in April, May, June and August. I hated it in the summer as we spent a lot of time looking glamourous in yellow capes, canaries springs to mind

April was the best month, no rain, bliss

Less crowds in April and got on everything with a 5 min or less queue.

May abit busier because of the holidays, but great weather and was in the 80s.

Never again in June and August hated it, long queues for hours even with the fast pass, humidity high, and as i said rained all the time, i hate spending all that money, then it rains.

My friends go in October after the hurricane season, nice on the same lines as April and May.

We have stayed at The wynfield inn/Travelodge near seaworld - NOT recommended, and also the Sheraton World hotel which was lovely and had great views of seaworld, and a great hop on, hop off trolley to all the sights.

Good luck.

Michelle x

Hi Michelle

So no April showers like here then.

I like the idea of a Hop on Hop of trolley bus.
I wouldn't fancy the big queues, in a hot environment with kids.

So April (my birthday) or October (Halloween) sounds ideal.

I like the idea of October, as it is usually so cold here.

Thanks for you help.

Karen x

When Derwentrocker says April is good, that definitely does not include the week before and the week after Easter! These are the busiest two weeks of the year at Disney. We have done it then several times because we are tied to school hols and the weather is much better than August. (Also been in August twice) Every year at Easter the crowds get worse!

I agree October would probably be best. Your children are young and could miss a week of school if you added it on to the Half-term. The on-site Disney hotels are best, but not s/c. No long queues in late August, only early August, but humidity dreadful.

However if you plan properly, you should never queue for anything longer than 20 minutes. We never do and always ride the top rides several times.

I cannot remember what date i went in april, but compared to the queues in the summer, it was a breeze.

If you go to http://www.touringplans.com , the 'Unofficial Guide' website it has a crowd calendar. Every day around Easter as I said (tho in March this year) it shows 10 on a scale of 1-10! July is mostly 9s with the odd 10. August 1st is a 9 then it goes steadily down thro the month and is a 5 for the last week. So although I would never really recommend August because of the humidity, you do get the advantage of much fewer people especially at the end of the month.

hi all we have been orlando 3 times in october and twice in late may, early june. i would recommend october over may/june as the rain starts 30th may onwards. we have had rain in oct but it was in night and didn't affect us. the main reason i like october is because the weathers usually fab, ques bearable and the halloween theme. i really missed that in may we will go back oct 09 for my daughters 18th...love it!!