Vacation Planning – Orlando Aug./Sept. 2012

[jcgoble3]

I'm in the very, very early stages of planning for my 2012 vacation. Every two to three years, a Star Wars convention is held somewhere in the U.S. The last one (in August 2010) was in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center, and I was able to go to that, albeit on an extremely tight budget because I only had a couple months to save for it. As a result, I was not able to hit any of the Orlando area parks during that trip, except for one evening at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The next convention will be held August 23–26, 2012 at the same location. This time, I have almost an entire extra year to plan and save money for it, so I would like to spend a couple of weeks after the convention hitting the area's parks if I can afford it. The budget is going to be tight, though; depending on how much I can save, I'm looking at a projected budget of around $2,500, maybe $3,000, for the entire trip. I have a credit card that I can charge a little excess over that to, but the credit limit is low ($1,500) and 1) I want to make sure there's enough room on there to cover emergency car repairs, and 2) I strongly prefer to pay off the card in full every month and don't like carrying a balance.

I'm looking for general money-saving tips in the field of hotels and tickets right now. I will be traveling solo and plan to drive to Florida and back and find a cheap motel just south of Atlanta for the night (just like I did in 2010), as I can do so significantly cheaper than what it would cost to rent a car in Florida after flying down. The specific questions I have right now are:

—Considering the budget, would it be better to 1) find a cheap hotel/motel in Orlando to stay in for the entire trip or 2) spend more to stay in each park brand's resort hotels to take advantage of the benefits each offers? Ideally, I'd like to do 2), but I'm not sure my budget will allow that.

—Assuming I stay in the area for 14 days after the convention (through Sept. 9), how many days should I plan for at each park or group of parks? I know nothing about any of the parks in the Orlando area, so I'm going to need some guidance here. Remember that 1) I'm traveling alone, 2) I'll be visiting all of the parks for the first time, except for Disney's Hollywood Studios, and 3) the weekend in the middle of those two weeks is Labor Day weekend. I'm looking to hit the Disney and Universal parks, as well as SeaWorld and maybe Busch Gardens Tampa, but I may have to cut something for time or budget. If I can figure out a way to do any associated waterparks as well within my budget, that would be a bonus.

Any general tips that will help with planning will be a huge help right now, as I'm trying to come up with a total price estimate that I can use to set a specific savings goal. Thanks in advance.

[Avatar]

So so so many things to consider such as is it possible you could get someone to travel with you or even meet up with you for part of the trip to help pay resort expenses. You still may want to consider flying down and let Disney pick you up and return you to the airport for free and then while visiting the Disney parks use Disney free transportation. When you are ready to go to other parks group them together and rent a car just for those days. Many rental car companies will pick you up at your resort. During your time of Visit Disney has for many years has offered free dinning and maybe they will offer that offer when you are down there.

I usually insist 1 off day (Water Park, shopping or resort hopping ect) after 2 days of theme park visits. but many time s we will do a water park then go to a Disney park afterwards just for dinner and to take in their night show.

When doing Orlando parks and you are tying to keep expenses down remember to group your visits to a chain of parks for you same visit for that year. Such as do not do one day at Sea World and then one day at Universal, because you would be paying for a one day pass for each park versus getting a discount in doing Universal and IOA during the same visit year. I hope that makes sense.

I will stop here and get some feed back on what I have suggested so far, to get insight which direction to proceed.

[jcgoble3]

So so so many things to consider such as is it possible you could get someone to travel with you or even meet up with you for part of the trip to help pay resort expenses.

There's no chance of getting somebody to travel with me; I've always been a loner and have few friends, and I know them and my family well enough to know that they wouldn't be interested.

You still may want to consider flying down and let Disney pick you up and return you to the airport for free and then while visiting the Disney parks use Disney free transportation. When you are ready to go to other parks group them together and rent a car just for those days. Many rental car companies will pick you up at your resort.

Will Disney pick me up at the airport on 8/22 if I'm not going to stay at a Disney resort until 8/27; likewise, if I check out of the Disney resort around the beginning of Sept., will they take me back to the airport a week later? I already know there's no way I can afford the expense of a resort hotel during the convention as well, so I plan to just find the cheapest hotel or motel I can until after the convention. Also, I don't know yet whether I'll need a car during the convention; it depends on what hotel I end up at and whether shuttle service is provided for that hotel or it's within reasonable walking distance to either the convention center or public transportation.

During your time of Visit Disney has for many years has offered free dinning and maybe they will offer that offer when you are down there.

I usually insist 1 off day (Water Park, shopping or resort hopping ect) after 2 days of theme park visits. but many time s we will do a water park then go to a Disney park afterwards just for dinner and to take in their night show.

Noted, but I do want to hit as much as possible; considering my life situation, I may never again get the chance to do this.

When doing Orlando parks and you are tying to keep expenses down remember to group your visits to a chain of parks for you same visit for that year. Such as do not do one day at Sea World and then one day at Universal, because you would be paying for a one day pass for each park versus getting a discount in doing Universal and IOA during the same visit year. I hope that makes sense.

Makes sense, but keep in mind my note above that this may not be something I can do every year; depending on how things go in my life, it may be the last chance I have to do the Orlando parks.

[Avatar]

1. Understand but maybe if you advertised your trip in the meet up section and listed details you may find a fellow KIC may want to join you during some parts. Just a suggestion
   
2. depends on if you need a car for the convention or not you could stay at the same motel and visit the non Disney ones while you rent a car ( I have some suggestions for that as well but later though)
   
3. you should have plenty of time to get them all in within 2 weeks but you will not enjoy them if you are too tired. tour like a marathon mix light days with other things like I suggested above.
   
4. Best thing yopu can do is get your dates nailed down and figure out what you need to enjoy that part such as motel location and if you need a car or not.
   

[Captain Picard]

If you go to a park and pay for parking keep the receipt. If you go to a second park that same day you give them the receipt and you don't pay. I did it last year going from Seaworld to Universal.

[bkroz]

I also visited on a budget and I can say that everything went pretty smoothly.

Upon arriving at the Orlando airport, I actually took a Lynx bus (which is public transportation) to the vicinity of my hotel (which was the Hampton Inn Near Universal Orlando). There were about three stops, and as I said it is public transportation so I suppose that may unnerve some people, but there were other travelers with us. I believe it cost $2.00 to ride all-day, so I just kept getting transfer tickets and had it all laid out ahead of time. There were a few 10 - 15 minute waits, but it really a non-issue. I'm sure for around $30 or so, you could get a nicer shuttle or even a taxi to make the same journey, and if I were to take the same trip again that's probably what I'd do, but for $2.00, you get what you pay for and it was a way to get to the hotel.

Like I said, I stayed in the Hampton in about a half-mile north of the entrance to Universal Orlando, right at the end of the "International Drive" area. Including the walk through the parking garage or Universal's really beautiful pedestrian area, it was probably a 20 - 25 minute walk to the park gates, but I didn't mind it at all and would easily choose that over renting a car and paying $14.00 each day for parking. (Keep in mind, many of the hotels in the Orlando area also charge you $8.00+ per day to park a car). The hotel (and most others) offered a shuttle to and from the park, but it left once in the morning and twice in the afternoon / early evening, so I rarely used it.

The International Drive area also has something called the I-Ride Trolley, which is basically just a shuttle that goes up and down International Drive. There's a red route and green route, and the green route stopped at our hotel. It didn't have a designated stop at Universal, but it stopped nearby, so that was nice. It did have a dedicated stop at SeaWorld Orlando, right by the front gates, so it was a very efficient way to get there, and no transfers or stops were required. It also stops at the Convention Center. A 14-Day Pass is $17.00, which is extremely reasonable. You can also look at the map and take it to certain restaurants or shops, and I enjoyed that opportunity tremendously.

We used our hotel's shuttle to get to Disney World (which, again, I'd think most hotels have, but definitely watch for it because it's a huge perk). It only stopped at Epcot, so if you wished to get to another park, you needed to switch to the Disney Transportation System (which is free, and there are plentiful busses, monorails, and boats to quickly whisk you from place to place. It's truly not a negative experience at all). When we went, we did three parks in one day (since we were both returners), then went to Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney, so we missed our hotel's shuttle back, of course. My initial plan was to take another Lynx bus to point A, transfer there and take the bus to SeaWorld, then take the I-Ride Trolley back to the hotel, but we were exhausted after a long day so we just had a taxi take us back. It's quite a drive, and it ended up being $33.00 or something, so still not bad.

And of course, if you purchase a multi-park ticket through SeaWorld that also gets you into Busch Gardens, you can pick up a free bus at SeaWorld that will drive you down to Tampa. It's $10.00 roundtrip normally, but if you have a multi-park ticket, it's free so long as you make a reservation beforehand. They played a movie on the way there and back, too. So basically, if you have that I-Ride Trolley pass, you can take the trolley to SeaWorld and then the free shuttle to Busch Gardens.

I know that's long and complex, but basically what I'm saying is that by utilizing a cheap shuttle, a little public transportation, and an incidental taxi, I managed to visit all the area parks from one hotel. I wouldn't necessarily suggest staying in a Resort hotel unless you're really determined to have that experience. The "perks" are great, but not necessarily essential. For example, early September you're probably not looking at many lines at Universal parks, so their included Express Pass is certainly not worth the $200+/night rooms. Disney hotels are beautiful and it's certainly an experience, but if budget is a factor then staying in one may be superfluous, if you ask me.

As far as park timing, I usually alot 4 days for Universal (because it's my favorite) and spend one at each park, then two just exploring, eating, and re-riding favorites. On one of those "exploration" days I usually buy the Express pass just so that I don't have to wait in line for things I've already ridden. This time of year, for example, an Express Pass good at both parks is $32.00. I think that's worth it. My personal opinion is that each Disney park can be done in one day (as in, a total of four days) but I know that many like to explore there instead of Universal. Universal is also great for changing plans. When I arrived early for my last trip, I was dying to get into Islands of Adventure for the evening, but didn't want to waste a "day" of my ticket. So I stopped at guest relations and found it would be $5.00 plus tax to add another day to the ticket. Obviously, I did, and that positive experience has stuck with me (one of the many reasons I prefer Universal to Disney).

[bkroz]

Also, here's something worth noting:

Universal and SeaWorld both offer the same "Orlando Flex Ticket" (which appears to be their collective attempt to steal business from Disney). Right now, it's $315.00, and it does include unlimited admission for fourteen consecutive days to:

• Universal Studios Florida®
  
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure®
  
• Aquatica^TM
  
• Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay
  
• SeaWorld® Orlando
  
• Wet ‘n Wild®
  

Plus admission to clubs at CityWalk and the free shuttle to Tampa anytime you want. For $40 less, you can get the variation without Busch Gardens. So that's one way to "get it all," and would basically cover all your non-Disney admission for the entire trip.

Another similar option is to do the dolphin-swim thing at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove park. There are different rates for each day, but it looks like every single day of September 2012, it's $199, which includes unlimited access for 14-days to SeaWorld OR Busch Gardens concurrent with your day at Discovery Cove. And for $50.00 more, it's SeaWorld AND Busch Gardens for 14 days. So basically, that one ends up at $250 and includes everything that the Flex Ticket does except with dolphins instead of Universal. Haha. It doesn't initially look like a cheap option, but I would take that Disney-resort money and put it towards Discovery Cove in a heartbeat. I did it last time I went, and it was fantastic. And getting unlimited SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Aquatica for two weeks for only $50.00 is really awesome. Especially considering the budget you've set, you can essentially get SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, an incredible water park, and a day swimming with dolphins for just 1/10 of your budget.

So those are just two package deals that are offered that sort of make things a little simpler.

[jcgoble3]

1. Understand but maybe if you advertised your trip in the meet up section and listed details you may find a fellow KIC may want to join you during some parts. Just a suggestion

Possible, but I'd like to finalize hotel reservations, ticket purchases, etc. no later than May, so I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to commit that early. I may give it a shot though.

2. depends on if you need a car for the convention or not you could stay at the same motel and visit the non Disney ones while you rent a car ( I have some suggestions for that as well but later though)

The issue here is that between gas (34 mpg @ $4.00/gal.), two nights in a motel in Georgia (one each way), and meals on the road, I estimate that it would cost about $500 to drive to Florida and back. A couple quick online searches show that a one-week car rental would cost between $300 and $400, so I would need to keep the airfare, with all fees including baggage fees, under $200 for the round trip to make it worth flying instead of driving. If it turns out I need a car for the convention, then the cost of a rental car alone would exceed the cost of simply driving my own car. I tried several airlines' websites, but none that I checked will let me see rates that far in advance yet. EDIT: As GYK pointed out, I might be able to fly and not rent a car at all. I'll look into all options.

3. you should have plenty of time to get them all in within 2 weeks but you will not enjoy them if you are too tired. tour like a marathon mix light days with other things like I suggested above.

I'm trying to figure out how many days I need at each set of parks. Right now, I'm looking at, in no particular order, a week at Disney, three at Universal, two at SeaWorld, one at BGT, (EDIT: and one at Discovery Cove). Does that sound like it would work, or do I need more time at SeaWorld or somewhere else?

4. Best thing yopu can do is get your dates nailed down and figure out what you need to enjoy that part such as motel location and if you need a car or not.

Like I said in the OP, I'm just trying to come up with a figure that I can use as a savings goal right now. Nothing will be finalized until at least January.

The International Drive area also has something called the I-Ride Trolley, which is basically just a shuttle that goes up and down International Drive. There's a red route and green route, and the green route stopped at our hotel. It didn't have a designated stop at Universal, but it stopped nearby, so that was nice. It did have a dedicated stop at SeaWorld Orlando, right by the front gates, so it was a very efficient way to get there, and no transfers or stops were required. It also stops at the Convention Center. A 14-Day Pass is $17.00, which is extremely reasonable. You can also look at the map and take it to certain restaurants or shops, and I enjoyed that opportunity tremendously.

I'm already familiar with the I-Ride Trolley, having used it several times last year when I needed to go from my hotel to the convention center or vice versa when the free convention shuttle wasn't running.

I know that's long and complex, but basically what I'm saying is that by utilizing a cheap shuttle, a little public transportation, and an incidental taxi, I managed to visit all the area parks from one hotel. I wouldn't necessarily suggest staying in a Resort hotel unless you're really determined to have that experience. The "perks" are great, but not necessarily essential. For example, early September you're probably not looking at many lines at Universal parks, so their included Express Pass is certainly not worth the $200+/night rooms. Disney hotels are beautiful and it's certainly an experience, but if budget is a factor then staying in one may be superfluous, if you ask me.

Interesting. I would prefer to not be totally reliant on public transportation for everything, but I'll consider it. As for the Disney "experience", being that this is my first time doing this and possibly my last as well, I would definitely like to get the full experience if at all possible.

As far as park timing, I usually alot 4 days for Universal (because it's my favorite) and spend one at each park, then two just exploring, eating, and re-riding favorites. On one of those "exploration" days I usually buy the Express pass just so that I don't have to wait in line for things I've already ridden. This time of year, for example, an Express Pass good at both parks is $32.00. I think that's worth it. My personal opinion is that each Disney park can be done in one day (as in, a total of four days) but I know that many like to explore there instead of Universal. Universal is also great for changing plans. When I arrived early for my last trip, I was dying to get into Islands of Adventure for the evening, but didn't want to waste a "day" of my ticket. So I stopped at guest relations and found it would be $5.00 plus tax to add another day to the ticket. Obviously, I did, and that positive experience has stuck with me (one of the many reasons I prefer Universal to Disney).

Noted. I'm not much of an "explorer" but I'll probably do some exploring anyway. As far as Disney, I am looking to do their waterparks as well, so that would add an extra couple of days there.

Also, here's something worth noting:

Universal and SeaWorld both offer the same "Orlando Flex Ticket" (which appears to be their collective attempt to steal business from Disney). Right now, it's $315.00, and it does include unlimited admission for fourteen consecutive days to:

• Universal Studios Florida®
  
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure®
  
• Aquatica^TM
  
• Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay
  
• SeaWorld® Orlando
  
• Wet ‘n Wild®
  

Plus admission to clubs at CityWalk and the free shuttle to Tampa anytime you want. For $40 less, you can get the variation without Busch Gardens. So that's one way to "get it all," and would basically cover all your non-Disney admission for the entire trip.

I'll definitely look into that.

Another similar option is to do the dolphin-swim thing at SeaWorld's Discovery Cove park. There are different rates for each day, but it looks like every single day of September 2012, it's $199, which includes unlimited access for 14-days to SeaWorld OR Busch Gardens concurrent with your day at Discovery Cove. And for $50.00 more, it's SeaWorld AND Busch Gardens for 14 days. So basically, that one ends up at $250 and includes everything that the Flex Ticket does except with dolphins instead of Universal. Haha. It doesn't initially look like a cheap option, but I would take that Disney-resort money and put it towards Discovery Cove in a heartbeat. I did it last time I went, and it was fantastic. And getting unlimited SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Aquatica for two weeks for only $50.00 is really awesome. Especially considering the budget you've set, you can essentially get SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, an incredible water park, and a day swimming with dolphins for just 1/10 of your budget.

So those are just two package deals that are offered that sort of make things a little simpler.

Actually, I didn't even know about that experience. I would love to do that. I'm going to find a way to shove that into my budget no matter what.

Thanks for the tips. A little more feedback on number of days per park (specifically at SeaWorld and BGT), and I'll be able to come up with an estimated price, which is all I'm looking to do right now.

[bkroz]

SeaWorld is a beautiful park, and I suppose if you're keen to see each show (which really, you should), I'd give it two days. Busch Gardens is also fantastic (though I much prefer its Virginian sister, which puts me in a minority, apparently), but it is sort of a hassle to get there and back. One day with their Quick Queue really seems sufficient to me, but again, I find that the park lacks the atmosphere and immersion of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, so I visit it more for the rides whereas I'd visit Virginia's for the experience.

The Discovery Cove experience is fantastic, and you won't regret it. The website uses a lot of adjectives which may make one think they're over-estimating their own park, but it truly is a very V.I.P. experience. You get a light breakfast and a freshly prepared lunch (or two, or three, as many times through the line as you'd like). That park also has free parking if you end up in a vehicle, and you get a laminated lanyard & ID tag with your name and photo (something to keep).

The dolphin swim experience is very nice, but it's hardly a spiritual, beautiful thing the way you might expect. It's very rigidly designed, and your actual interaction with the dolphins is probably 15 minutes or so. Still EXTREMELY memorable and lovely, but make sure you envision Discovery Cove as a day of sunning, snorkeling, waterfalls, and relaxing that just happens to involve dolphins and not as a day playing with dolphins or you're likely to be let down. The water (all except for the dolphin tank) is warm and relaxing, and the lazy river travels through a bird aviary (with two waterfalls acting as natural doorways. You can then exit the river and feed the beautiful tropical birds with free food. It's incredible.

Also worth looking up on their website is the new Grand Reef experience. It's an up-charge (of, I believe, $50.00), and you get to wear a giant, weighted helmet and literally walk along the floor of the reef. There are also photographers absolutely everywhere who snap your pictures throughout the day and record you with the dolphins, then at the end of the day, you can visit a photo booth and see the entire album of your interactions throughout the day and purchase it if you'd like. Either way, I believe you do get one free image of your dolphin interaction. I also bought some cheap $10.00 underwater cameras from a drugstore and got some of the most interesting photographs of my life, inches from manta rays and clown fish... It's incredible.

Based on size alone, my ideal Disney agenda would involve one day at the Magic Kingdom, two at Epcot, one at Hollywood Studios, one at Animal Kingdom, and perhaps a fifth day to re-visit Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for a half-day each. And yes, the water parks would probably require a day each, too, though I've never been to either.

It's true that, when planning a vacation like this, there comes a time when you realize you may as well go all-out and just enjoy yourself. To me, part of that is creating as much of an "all-inclusive" itinerary as possible. For example, Universal offers $19.99, all-day, you-can-eat dining options. It's really a fair deal and saves the hassle of worrying about a food budget, if even for a few days. I believe SeaWorld offers something similar. Some debate the morality (as you've seen here) but Quick Queue passes and Express Plus Passes really do alleviate the stress of these trips, even if you only plan to have them a few days here and there. It's easier to sleep knowing you'll not be waiting in lines the following day. I had all the transportation paid for beforehand, too. So the only public transportation I used, in a sense, was too and from the airport which, again, could've been shuttles for a little more money. Other than that, I used hotel shuttles and the trolley, which saves a LOT of gas, and a LOT of $14.00 parking days.

(If you drive or rent a car, it may seem more "worth it" than flying initially... But imagining $8.00 a night for parking at the hotel, and $14.00 for each day at the parks, you're looking at (8 x 14 = 112) and (14 x 14 = 196), so about another $300 from parking alone... If you fly, you will literally pay none of that.

[jcgoble3]

SeaWorld is a beautiful park, and I suppose if you're keen to see each show (which really, you should), I'd give it two days. Busch Gardens is also fantastic (though I much prefer its Virginian sister, which puts me in a minority, apparently), but it is sort of a hassle to get there and back. One day with their Quick Queue really seems sufficient to me, but again, I find that the park lacks the atmosphere and immersion of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, so I visit it more for the rides whereas I'd visit Virginia's for the experience.

Noted.

The Discovery Cove experience is fantastic, and you won't regret it. The website uses a lot of adjectives which may make one think they're over-estimating their own park, but it truly is a very V.I.P. experience. You get a light breakfast and a freshly prepared lunch (or two, or three, as many times through the line as you'd like). That park also has free parking if you end up in a vehicle, and you get a laminated lanyard & ID tag with your name and photo (something to keep).

The dolphin swim experience is very nice, but it's hardly a spiritual, beautiful thing the way you might expect. It's very rigidly designed, and your actual interaction with the dolphins is probably 15 minutes or so. Still EXTREMELY memorable and lovely, but make sure you envision Discovery Cove as a day of sunning, snorkeling, waterfalls, and relaxing that just happens to involve dolphins and not as a day playing with dolphins or you're likely to be let down. The water (all except for the dolphin tank) is warm and relaxing, and the lazy river travels through a bird aviary (with two waterfalls acting as natural doorways. You can then exit the river and feed the beautiful tropical birds with free food. It's incredible.

Also worth looking up on their website is the new Grand Reef experience. It's an up-charge (of, I believe, $50.00), and you get to wear a giant, weighted helmet and literally walk along the floor of the reef. There are also photographers absolutely everywhere who snap your pictures throughout the day and record you with the dolphins, then at the end of the day, you can visit a photo booth and see the entire album of your interactions throughout the day and purchase it if you'd like. Either way, I believe you do get one free image of your dolphin interaction. I also bought some cheap $10.00 underwater cameras from a drugstore and got some of the most interesting photographs of my life, inches from manta rays and clown fish... It's incredible.

All noted. I've actually been shopping for a new digital camera to replace my five-year-old Panasonic for a few months, and I've been considering going the waterproof route.

Based on size alone, my ideal Disney agenda would involve one day at the Magic Kingdom, two at Epcot, one at Hollywood Studios, one at Animal Kingdom, and perhaps a fifth day to re-visit Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom for a half-day each. And yes, the water parks would probably require a day each, too, though I've never been to either.

That's pretty much what I was thinking for Disney.

It's true that, when planning a vacation like this, there comes a time when you realize you may as well go all-out and just enjoy yourself. To me, part of that is creating as much of an "all-inclusive" itinerary as possible. For example, Universal offers $19.99, all-day, you-can-eat dining options. It's really a fair deal and saves the hassle of worrying about a food budget, if even for a few days. I believe SeaWorld offers something similar. Some debate the morality (as you've seen here) but Quick Queue passes and Express Plus Passes really do alleviate the stress of these trips, even if you only plan to have them a few days here and there. It's easier to sleep knowing you'll not be waiting in lines the following day. I had all the transportation paid for beforehand, too. So the only public transportation I used, in a sense, was too and from the airport which, again, could've been shuttles for a little more money. Other than that, I used hotel shuttles and the trolley, which saves a LOT of gas, and a LOT of $14.00 parking days.

I don't have a problem with paid line jumping systems (I've used KI's Fast Lane once myself), so I'll definitely look into them. Question: can you buy the Disney Dining Plan without staying in one of their resorts, or is it for resort guests only?

(If you drive or rent a car, it may seem more "worth it" than flying initially... But imagining $8.00 a night for parking at the hotel, and $14.00 for each day at the parks, you're looking at (8 x 14 = 112) and (14 x 14 = 196), so about another $300 from parking alone... If you fly, you will literally pay none of that.

I had never considered paying for parking at the hotel, since no hotel I've ever stayed at, including the one I stayed at in Orlando last year, has charged for parking. I will take that in consideration.

[bkroz]

I believe Disney's Dining Plan is only for resort guests, since a lot of the restaurants you can get your snacks and meals in are actually located within the resorts. I don't know for sure though, so I'd look that up.

[Avatar]

First; The Disney Dinning Plan is for resort guest and Disney Vacation Club members stays. It is offered property wide in and out of the parks to include Downtown Disney, resorts, water parks, sports complex and golf center. It offers quick service as in pizza and burgers and some plans offer both quick service and full service ((wait staff). Some restaurants on Disney property are owned by an outside company and may not honor the Disney Dinning Plan but most due. If you choose to go with the plan you will have a list to tell you which ones do. Basically about 90+ percent do.

We enjoyed the plan with every visit to Disney and use it on days we go to other parks such as on a day we go to Sea World we would eat the breakfast using the quick service at our resort, then either snack all day or eat a light lunch at Sew World. After the park closes (most non Disney parks close early evening) we go back to Disney and eat at a full service restaurant that we have made a reservation for. That saves us money as we do not need to eat heavy at other parks.

Have said this, with your schedule Disney my not be your best choice but should not be ruled out at this point either. We have done trips similar to what you are wanting and for us staying at Disney would be the only way to go, but we are not solo like you.

Thoughts about You driving; Since you are trying to do it all in one trip a car (yours/rental) would come in handy during certain parts of it while other times it would just be sitting around and costing you money because you need to pay to park it. You could use Mears Transportation to get you a round trip ride to say Disney to Universal for about $25, keep in mind it would cost you 15 to park plus the rental for that day. I usually can find car rentals to run about 175 per week and you should not need a car that big.

If you plan to tour aggressively as you say: Are you sure you want to be driving?. You will be wore out and worried about what is next on your schedule but wait you need to figure out where you are going and how to get there. Like in the morning when you are trying to remembers everything you need for that day you will also be taking on a driving mindset too. Versus letting someone else drive through traffic and front gate backups while you relax and look forward to or reflect on your day. With the trip you are set to take you need to take every opportunity to relax. Just something to think about since you have time too. Make no mistakes we have driven and used the local transportation both have their advantages and disadvantages.

The Discovery Cove option is one I would highly suggest if you have even a remote interest in but DO NOT trade that for a Disney park but rather find another way to allocate money for it. After all seeing all the parks is your goal. I have done it and want to so badly to go back and hey I may just join you if you do go. I am having trouble making a suggestion on how many days to suggest for each park as you seem to say you want to do it all but in other post you do not want to explore. If you are going to just ride coasters and rides then you will miss the a big part of the Orlando area parks have to offer. It appears you have enough time to do it all but if you do want to do it all keep in mind you will not need a unlimited pass for any certain park. Keep in mind parks like Animal Kingdom closes like 5-6PM so you could do dinner at the lodge then go to bed early so you will be rested for a full long day at EPCOT or a drive to Busch Gardens Tampa. Another thing to keep in mind some Disney night shows (not to me missed) only show on select nights of the week if you go to that park on that day to ride all day expect long lines. We tend to do a water park that day and then a dinner at the park or another resort then just go into that park for the show. You will be rested and have a better time. trust me on this one.

Keep soliciting others for information and figure out what is important to you like sprint through rides, go go go, or a mix of adventures for a whole experience like a marathon, neither is bad but it makes a difference when asking others for advice.

I would be happy to assist you in planning knowing this may be your only trip to the Orlando parks and you have time to plan properly. I think you can do it all for about the $3,000 you say you may have but it sure would help you if you got someone to join you for all or part of the trip. At this point I would suggest figure out what is most important and how much you can come up with realistically and not just hopeful. Good luck let us know

[jcgoble3]

First; The Disney Dinning Plan is for resort guest and Disney Vacation Club members stays. It is offered property wide in and out of the parks to include Downtown Disney, resorts, water parks, sports complex and golf center. It offers quick service as in pizza and burgers and some plans offer both quick service and full service ((wait staff). Some restaurants on Disney property are owned by an outside company and may not honor the Disney Dinning Plan but most due. If you choose to go with the plan you will have a list to tell you which ones do. Basically about 90+ percent do.

We enjoyed the plan with every visit to Disney and use it on days we go to other parks such as on a day we go to Sea World we would eat the breakfast using the quick service at our resort, then either snack all day or eat a light lunch at Sew World. After the park closes (most non Disney parks close early evening) we go back to Disney and eat at a full service restaurant that we have made a reservation for. That saves us money as we do not need to eat heavy at other parks.

Have said this, with your schedule Disney my not be your best choice but should not be ruled out at this point either. We have done trips similar to what you are wanting and for us staying at Disney would be the only way to go, but we are not solo like you.

Noted.

Thoughts about You driving; Since you are trying to do it all in one trip a car (yours/rental) would come in handy during certain parts of it while other times it would just be sitting around and costing you money because you need to pay to park it. You could use Mears Transportation to get you a round trip ride to say Disney to Universal for about $25, keep in mind it would cost you 15 to park plus the rental for that day. I usually can find car rentals to run about 175 per week and you should not need a car that big.

If you plan to tour aggressively as you say: Are you sure you want to be driving?. You will be wore out and worried about what is next on your schedule but wait you need to figure out where you are going and how to get there. Like in the morning when you are trying to remembers everything you need for that day you will also be taking on a driving mindset too. Versus letting someone else drive through traffic and front gate backups while you relax and look forward to or reflect on your day. With the trip you are set to take you need to take every opportunity to relax. Just something to think about since you have time too. Make no mistakes we have driven and used the local transportation both have their advantages and disadvantages.

I'm now looking more at flying and using public transportation for the trip rather than renting a car or driving at all. However, where are you finding a rental car for $175/week? The few searches I did the other day turned up nothing cheaper than $300/week.

The Discovery Cove option is one I would highly suggest if you have even a remote interest in but DO NOT trade that for a Disney park but rather find another way to allocate money for it. After all seeing all the parks is your goal. I have done it and want to so badly to go back and hey I may just join you if you do go.

If I end up having to trade a park for Discovery Cove, it will probably be one of the Universal parks. Disney is my first priority, followed by Discovery Cove, SeaWorld/BGT, the waterparks, and finally Universal/IOA in that order.

I am having trouble making a suggestion on how many days to suggest for each park as you seem to say you want to do it all but in other post you do not want to explore. If you are going to just ride coasters and rides then you will miss the a big part of the Orlando area parks have to offer. It appears you have enough time to do it all but if you do want to do it all keep in mind you will not need a unlimited pass for any certain park. Keep in mind parks like Animal Kingdom closes like 5-6PM so you could do dinner at the lodge then go to bed early so you will be rested for a full long day at EPCOT or a drive to Busch Gardens Tampa. Another thing to keep in mind some Disney night shows (not to me missed) only show on select nights of the week if you go to that park on that day to ride all day expect long lines. We tend to do a water park that day and then a dinner at the park or another resort then just go into that park for the show. You will be rested and have a better time. trust me on this one.

What I meant was that I'm not usually big on exploring, but I will explore some at each park, particularly if there's something interesting. And the other stuff is noted.

Keep soliciting their for information and figure out what is important to you like sprint through rides, go go go, or a mix of adventures for a whole experience like a marathon, neither is bad but it makes a difference when asking others for advice.

I'm really looking for the "whole experience". If I want to "ride ride ride", I'll go to KI or CP.

I would be happy to assist you in planning knowing this may be your only trip to the Orlando parks and you have time to plan properly. I think you can do it all for about the $3,000 you say you may have but it sure would help you if you got someone to join you for all or part of the trip. At this point I would suggest figure out what is most important and how much you can come up with realistically and not just hopeful. Good luck let us know

I can realistically come up with $2,500 in cash; $3,000 may be a bit of a stretch. I do have a credit card that I can charge another $1,000 or so to if need be. The current plan I'm working on is to fly in on 8/22, stay in a cheap hotel 8/22 through 9/2 or 9/3 while I attend the convention (8/23–26) and then hit non-Disney parks (8/27–9/2), then transfer to a Disney resort on the evening of 9/2 or the morning of 9/3 with an 8-day Disney ticket, flying home the afternoon or evening of 9/10. However, after accounting for tickets, meals, the first hotel, airfare, and a little bit of spending cash for souvenirs, I'm already looking at over $2,500 without Disney, so it's looking like I may have to cut something. I've got a few months to work on it before I plan on finalizing anything.

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The rentals are high now because this far out they do not need to discount the rental. If you punch in a rental with enterprise (Orlando airport code is MCO) for tomorrow and go for a week I get an economy car with taxes and all for under $88 per week. If you get it for your first week and over labor day expect that same car to come out to be about $125.

There is no need to give up on ANY park at this point if you have a desire to do it with your budget. BTW Discovery cove in August is about $60 more to do than any day in September. so plan to do that one in September. Over holiday weekends I tend to do waterparks and light attended parks then when Tuesday rolls around i hit the regular parks for a less crowded experience.

With what you listed i will throw together a loose itinerary and a rough cost of what i would expect to pay. I can not say it enough if only you had at least one more person to join you on all or part of the trip it would make everything more affordable.