Visiting in July/August 2019 from the UK

S

scritchell

Active Member
Hello Everyone,

I am a single father who is looking at taking a 3 week trip to Walt Disney World from the UK, in the summer of 2019 (July/August) (my son will be 7 at the time of travel)
It will be the trip of a lifetime so i am writing to ask if anyone has any tips/money saving advice
I don't drive so will have to rely on public transport to travel in and around the area
In the 3 week stay we will look to stay within the Disney Resort, probably the Sports or Music Hotels, and would like to visit:

Sea World
Universal Studios
Kennedy Space Center
and of course Walt Disney World

Is 3 weeks too much or just right?
Could i do all the above within 2 weeks or should i stick with 3 weeks?

Does anyone else recommend anywhere else to visit whilst we are there?

Is it worthwhile buying the WDW food package?

I have heard about the Kids Eat free cards etc, do they qualify for any places within the WDW resort?
How far is travel between WDW and the places I've stated above, how could i get there, cost etc
Also how far is International drive, again how would i get there, cost etc

All your advice would be greatly appreciated

Also, as I will be new to WDW (we have only visited Disneyland Paris in 2017) any other advice/info would be superb.

thank you all so much

Scott x
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
wdwmagic

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Welcome to WDWMAGIC!

3 weeks is a great length of trip, particularly coming from the UK. It will give you enough time to see a lot, without being under crazy time crunch.

Transport won't be an issue. Stay onsite at a Disney hotel (I'd recommend for the entire trip), and you will get Magical Express transportation from the airport to the resort. When at Disney, all the transport to the parks will be available and free.

Traveling outside to Universal, International Drive and Sea World can easily be done via Taxi or Town Car. (Check out http://www.wdwmagic.com/transportation/discounted-town-car-service.htm for WDWMAGIC reader discounts on transport)

Both parks and I Drive are within a 15 - 30 minute drive from any Disney hotel.

Space Center is further away, and will be quite expensive to take a Town Car. It is possible Mears may run a coach service there. Anyone know?
 
Upvote 0
S

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
Hi
Thank you for the info
When you say you recommend staying onsite for the entire trip, does that mean there’s an option of staying outside?
What is a town car?
Also how does magic hours work, in particular, in the evenings?
TYIA
Scott
 
Upvote 0
DreamalittleDisney

DreamalittleDisney

Well-Known Member
Heya you can get a coach that picks up at different resorts to the space centre.

I wish I could go for 3 weeks you could do in 2 spending on how much you want to be on the go ... Also 3 weeks non stop with your little man not even getting peace at bed time will be quite a lot on you.

With you not driving id recommend staying on site so that you can use disney transport for hotels and disney park travel .
.its a lot of walking even for a 7 year old and this gives you more of an option to pop back for pool breaks or afternoons off and still return comfortably on an evening.
 
Upvote 0
DreamalittleDisney

DreamalittleDisney

Well-Known Member
All disney hotels offer buses that run from about an hour before park opening to after parks close the buses conform each resort to the parks but not from park to park

Certain hotels offer altenative transport to some locations i.e some deluxe resorts offer monorail to magic kingdom and epcot. Port Orleans offer a boat to Disney Springs so there are options of getting around DW without transport.. I also sometimes use Uber if I'm running late.
 
Upvote 0
S

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
Thank you both for this info
So I’d be able to get from my hotel to the parks no problem
I can use that site for Space centre
What about universal and sea world?
 
Upvote 0
Bullseye1967

Bullseye1967

Is that who I am?
Premium Member
scritchell said:
Thank you both for this info
So I’d be able to get from my hotel to the parks no problem
I can use that site for Space centre
What about universal and sea world?
Click to expand...

You can use the town car service listed above, we have used them and thought they were great! There is also Uber, taxis, and Mears run a shuttle van/bus service. There are plenty of options to get around. There is also a trolley service that runs up and down all the I drive attractions when you spend time there.

http://www.iridetrolley.com/maps.htm
 
Upvote 0
Bullseye1967

Bullseye1967

Is that who I am?
Premium Member
scritchell said:
Sorry, forgive me for coming across as stupid, but can you explain what it all is please
Click to expand...

Uber is a car hire service, similar to a taxi, but the driver uses their own car. You contact them using an app on your phone. you tell them where you wish to go and they quote you a price. They are quite popular form of transportation in the USA, as well as cities across the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber_(company)

Mears is the largest transportation company in central Florida. They run buses, taxi cabs, shuttle vans, and town cars all around the area. They are partnered with Disney and are very easy to use. Any resort can hail you a Mears taxi to go to another Orlando destination.

http://www.mearstransportation.com/
 
Upvote 0
Gurt

Gurt

Well-Known Member
Hi Scott,

Fellow UK’er here! 3 weeks is a great amount of time, to try and fit everything in to 2 weeks on a 1st visit with a 7 year old would be tough going on both of you, July / August is hot and humid so having the extra week will allow you to take things at a slower pace.

As for transport when not on property using Disney busses (WDW hotels, parks, & Disney Springs) I would use Uber, I find them better value than Mears and really easy to use, the app is very user friendly you pick where you would like to go and nearby available car pop up on the map, prices vary depending on what ‘standard’ you would like, we have never had a problem with the UberX or UberXL you then select which you would like and watch the little car on the map make it’s way to you. There is no cash involved, when you set up your app you enter your debit or credit details and once your journey is done the money is taken securely from your account (of which your driver has no details of). We use Uber to get to Sea World, Uni, International Drive and have never paid more than $15 per journey (prices may have increased since 2016).

As for Kennedy Space Centre you will need to look for one of the coach trips.

One place we always like to visit is the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf on International Drive, it is less than 10min Uber from Disney Springs, Google it there are some good pictures on Trip Advisor.

As for the dining plan we have only ever had it included ‘free’ as part of our package, when it’s included it’s great however I wouldn’t pay for it I would pay out of pocket for meals, we have never been able to use all of our credits up, generally meals are huge and can be shared, as I said in your other thread this also leaves room for snacks, Mickey Bars are essential for a 7 year old (and his dad). Plus you have a few non-Disney days where you won’t be on property for a good portion of that day so won’t be there to use your credits.

We use Undercover tourist for your Sea World and Uni tickets, they are cheaper than buying direct and usually have some good offers, 3 days for the price of 2 at Uni.

Make sure you book early to take advantage of dining reservations these can be made 180 days in advance which is essential for the more popular restaurants, character dinning might be fun for your son depending on his personality, as you have been to DLP it won’t be daunting 1st character meet for him. Also Fastpass’s can be booked 60 in advance, also essential for the popular rides.

For me planning is key and whilst my planning spreadsheets usually look like a military operation its more of a navigation round each park, I book my fastpasses then depending on time of them work out the best way to logically navigate each park so we are not wasting time zig zagging all over the place.

Apologies for the long post but hopefully it helps with some of your questions, anything you want to ask feel free.
 
Upvote 0
J

jimbojones

Well-Known Member
scritchell said:
Hello Everyone,

I am a single father who is looking at taking a 3 week trip to Walt Disney World from the UK, in the summer of 2019 (July/August) (my son will be 7 at the time of travel)
It will be the trip of a lifetime so i am writing to ask if anyone has any tips/money saving advice
I don't drive so will have to rely on public transport to travel in and around the area
In the 3 week stay we will look to stay within the Disney Resort, probably the Sports or Music Hotels, and would like to visit:

Sea World
Universal Studios
Kennedy Space Center
and of course Walt Disney World

Is 3 weeks too much or just right?
Could i do all the above within 2 weeks or should i stick with 3 weeks?

Does anyone else recommend anywhere else to visit whilst we are there?

Is it worthwhile buying the WDW food package?

I have heard about the Kids Eat free cards etc, do they qualify for any places within the WDW resort?
How far is travel between WDW and the places I've stated above, how could i get there, cost etc
Also how far is International drive, again how would i get there, cost etc

All your advice would be greatly appreciated

Also, as I will be new to WDW (we have only visited Disneyland Paris in 2017) any other advice/info would be superb.

thank you all so much

Scott x
Click to expand...
I believe you could comfortably do all the stuff in your list in two weeks and perhaps take the third week to visit another part of Florida or the US, or just save the money. A trip of that length could probably pay for a new car. As much as I adore WDW, my family has had enough after 7 days and honestly its only me that is still happy at the start of the 7 day mark. My wife and kids are done with the crowds, lines , food and "synthetic reality" after 5 days.

regarding transportation: In general the US has much lower quality and fewer public transportation options than the UK. But all the places you are asking about have regular bus transportation between them so you will have no trouble getting around. The Orlando area is just about the most tourist friendly place on Earth so you will have no trouble getting around.

Regarding the dining plans: I would not pay for a dining plan. I have enjoyed them when they were offered for free but for my family it is not worth it given what and how we eat. that said three weeks of WDW food prices is going to mean your food budget will be very substantial. You can easily spend $100-$150 per person per day on food at WDW.

other places to visit:FL is famous for the theme parks but it is also one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. I'd highly recommend visiting one of the state parks or springs while you are there. Perhaps even one of the 3 national parks that are in Florida. Some of the Springs in Florida look like something out of Avatar, stunningly gorgeous. You can visit St Augustine and walk down streets that look like a set from pirates of the Caribbean, go surfing in water so warm you don't need a wetsuit, or swim in a fish filled Spring so clear that 30 feet of water looks like it is just inches deep. Florida has a LOT to offer beyond theme parks.

Also I think that if you have never been to the US ( have you?) it would be a shame to spend all that time in a theme park and not see more of the country. My UK friends often don't seem to grasp just how big and diverse the US is. You can fit almost the entirety of Britain inside the borders of Florida alone, just for perspective. There is a whole lot to see and enjoy in the US outside of the parks.

In any case it sounds like you have a very fun trip planned! 7 is a fantastic age for Disney, it is young enough that he is probably not to cynical and jaded yet but old enough that he can enjoy everything the parks offer.
 
Upvote 0
dreamfinder

dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
I think reading some of the guide books about the area might be helpful. I think the Unofficial Guide still has a few sections on the parks other than WDW, and would cover some of the questions you are asking.
WDW makes it really easy to stay within their bubble as long as you don't want to go anywhere. They will pick you up at the airport, take you and your luggage to the hotel, and transport you anyplace on property with reasonable speed & efficiency, at all no extra cost beyond your room.

But if you want to leave, then it gets challenging. You said you don't drive. You don't know how to drive/don't have a valid license? Or don't want to drive in the US? If you are planning on spending several days offsite at various attractions then it would be much cheaper if you rented a car and you have more flexibility. The public transit is pretty bad, I think it takes like 2 hours to take the bus from WDW to Universal, but it's only like a 15-20 minute car ride. But you have a few options to get to places outside of WDW. Uber/Lyft, Taxi, Mears Shuttle, Town car service, Lynx bus.
Lynx bus will be the cheapest (public transit), but will take potentially take a long time, and don't even know if you could get to all the places you asked about. On their schedule, and takes a while.
Uber/Lyft is probably second cheapest, is fairly convenient. Basically you use their appropriate apps to call someone who uses their car to drive you to your destination. Many people doing this are just trying to earn extra money, so may not know the ins/outs of getting someplace. (See some of the Uber/Lyft threads here about drop off/pick up points for instance) But they should pick you up within 5-10 minutes most times
Mears Shuttle (or other company) is going to be a bit more, and will essentially be a shared van/bus for a bunch of people going one place. You are on their schedule, and it make take a bit if they have to stop at multiple pickup points. You also pay per person, so it can become expensive quickly.
Taxi may or may not be more than Mears, will almost definitely cost more than Uber/Lyft. Is a taxi, not much else to say about that.
Town Car service is essentially a chauffeured car. Usually more than the other options, but some people like it as many of them will let you do things like stop at a store for groceries for no extra charge.
You should be able to get cost estimates for many of those options on the various websites, just poke around. But for instance an Uber will cost you $10 or so to get anywhere on WDW property, while a cab might cost you $15 for the same trip.

The dining plan is oft discussed, poke around for a bunch of threads on the topic. Basically look at the menus, and add up what you think you might want to eat and see how the cost compares. Unless you eat to the plan (IE would normally order everything included and choose the more/most expensive items) the paid dining plan may cost more than paying out of pocket and ends up just being a convenience of having it prepaid.
Most of the restaurants on WDW are Disney owned&operated and won't do any discounts outside of those offered to annual pass/DVC/etc. Some at Disney Springs may partake in 3 party discounts/offers, but no guarantees.
 
Upvote 0
yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
Hey Scott...It's great to hear you will be spending 3 weeks with your 7 yr old son! What a great Dad you must be! I waaant to chime in and give my advice/recommendations.
#1 HOTEL: In order to save some money since you will be here for 3 weeks, I would suggest staying OFF PROPERTY. It will be cheaper and depending on where you stay they usually have shuttles to ALL the major parks, definitely all the one's you are going to! I would suggest The Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista(clarionlbv.com) Pillow top mattresses, microwave, frig, coffee maker and safe in each room. Restaurant, convenience store, deli, bar/grille, 2 pools and a kids Splash Zone. Free Shuttles to the parks. The hotel is decent and will save you hundreds of dollars over 3 weeks! That's extra money to spoil your son! The hotel is 10 minutes from Disney Springs(its so close that you could walk to Disney if you wanted) I booked 8 days WITH Buffet Breakfast each morning for $528! Send me a message if you want to BOOK The Clarion and I will give you the sites I used to get that price! IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, I WOULD RENT A CAR...that would give you more freedom to go to the places that you want and the ability to do what you want, when you want and for how long you want! I would suggest while at Sea World to take the Penguins behind the scenes tour, I think your son would like that, you get to interact and touch a penguin! Universal advice: I would just get a ticket for Islands of Adventure since the studios side is basically thrill rides that he wouldn't be tall enough for! That will save you some money too!

Tickets: If you gave us how many days at each park you are planning, that will help us better to guide you to the best ticket prices! We got 3 Day WDW for $297.95(adult). Sea World $117.14 INLCUDES ALL DAY DINING!!!! Penguin tour $63.90. International Drive has a lot of different things to offer...I Drive 360 includes Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Aquarium and the Coca-Cola Eye(400 ft Observations Wheel)

I hope this helps, if you need any other info on the things I mentioned, start a conversation with me and I can help ya more...I try not to give out my websites I use in the public forum! I will help you in any way I can...I am not a travel agent I just like to help others go to Disney! I have PLANNED 5 trips for friends in the past and hope I can help you and your son get to Disney and save some money along the way! -Will
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
S

scritchell

Active Member
Original Poster
Gurt said:
Hi Scott,

Fellow UK’er here! 3 weeks is a great amount of time, to try and fit everything in to 2 weeks on a 1st visit with a 7 year old would be tough going on both of you, July / August is hot and humid so having the extra week will allow you to take things at a slower pace.

As for transport when not on property using Disney busses (WDW hotels, parks, & Disney Springs) I would use Uber, I find them better value than Mears and really easy to use, the app is very user friendly you pick where you would like to go and nearby available car pop up on the map, prices vary depending on what ‘standard’ you would like, we have never had a problem with the UberX or UberXL you then select which you would like and watch the little car on the map make it’s way to you. There is no cash involved, when you set up your app you enter your debit or credit details and once your journey is done the money is taken securely from your account (of which your driver has no details of). We use Uber to get to Sea World, Uni, International Drive and have never paid more than $15 per journey (prices may have increased since 2016).

As for Kennedy Space Centre you will need to look for one of the coach trips.

One place we always like to visit is the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf on International Drive, it is less than 10min Uber from Disney Springs, Google it there are some good pictures on Trip Advisor.

As for the dining plan we have only ever had it included ‘free’ as part of our package, when it’s included it’s great however I wouldn’t pay for it I would pay out of pocket for meals, we have never been able to use all of our credits up, generally meals are huge and can be shared, as I said in your other thread this also leaves room for snacks, Mickey Bars are essential for a 7 year old (and his dad). Plus you have a few non-Disney days where you won’t be on property for a good portion of that day so won’t be there to use your credits.

We use Undercover tourist for your Sea World and Uni tickets, they are cheaper than buying direct and usually have some good offers, 3 days for the price of 2 at Uni.

Make sure you book early to take advantage of dining reservations these can be made 180 days in advance which is essential for the more popular restaurants, character dinning might be fun for your son depending on his personality, as you have been to DLP it won’t be daunting 1st character meet for him. Also Fastpass’s can be booked 60 in advance, also essential for the popular rides.

For me planning is key and whilst my planning spreadsheets usually look like a military operation its more of a navigation round each park, I book my fastpasses then depending on time of them work out the best way to logically navigate each park so we are not wasting time zig zagging all over the place.

Apologies for the long post but hopefully it helps with some of your questions, anything you want to ask feel free.
Click to expand...


Hi,

Thank you for the info...please do not apologise for the long post, it is all very helpful

So the Uber option, I wouldn't have to pay the driver direct? Would I still tip the driver with cash or would that be done via the app too?

As for the food package, I wasn't going to pay for it, as I have heard similar feedback regarding the credit system etc....Am I right in saying we get a breakfast and a lunch or dinner, but if its a points system, if we had some left over we could technically use them for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on the same day?

Character Dining - Is this something that I would be charged, as I know at DLP it was very expensive

I'd be interested in taking a look at your planning spread sheet if you would be willing to share?

Again, thank you so much for the info

Scott
 
Upvote 0

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom