Having visited Orlando six times at different stages of my life thus far, I feel qualified to provide some answers to questions I am often asked: when is the best time to go and where are the best places to stay?
Your options will obviously be dictated by personal preference and when you are able to travel, and remember, I am just a big kid at heart who loves a family holiday.
I've stayed in all types of accommodation and travelled at different times of the year, as part of a large family group split across two 5 bed villas, my own smaller family group through to a trip just for two.
My very first trip was back in 1993 and boy have things changed considerably since. Back then, there was Universal Studios (no Islands of Adventure) and Disney had just three theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot plus the two waterparks - Typhoon Lagoon and River Country, the latter of which is sadly no more.
Our group of eight included two toddlers and only British Airways were offering a direct flight from Gatwick. We stayed in a huge 3-bed villa with a private pool and had a couple of cars to get us all around.
We discovered that early July is not the wisest time to travel though, as the heat and daily storms producing torrential rain were testing and we hadn’t researched well enough to discover that 4 July celebrations meant the Magic Kingdom would reach visitor capacity by 10am!
That first Orlando experience did ignite my desire and our next adventure in the autumn of 2000 saw the same family gang return with the addition of a couple more children.
This time, we opted for an on-site stay at one of the Disney properties, a great decision and a huge hit with the kids, who loved the themed rooms, facilities, pool and restaurants, and of course, the bonus of free transportation to all the Disney parks.
Disney had added Animal Kingdom and a new waterpark, Blizzard Beach, and we still had our hire cars to visit Universal Studios and the new Islands of Adventure. We were certainly kept entertained.
October was a better time to visit, too, with the weather more pleasant for us and the parks so much quieter as we weren't staying during a US school holiday period.
A few years later, it was just the four of us (my husband and two children) who decided our fair skins may be a little too at risk with a summer trip and opted for a three week Easter extravaganza, two in which to cover theme parks and then a week on the beach.
Our first base was a basic motel just off the 192 in Kissimmee, where we discovered what has since become a firm family favourite, Old Town, a vintage recreation of a classic Florida town with 18 acres of tree lined streets and more than 60 unique shops and restaurants.
Every weekend the sidewalks are buzzing with people watching and admiring classic cars and trucks as they drive down brick-layered Main Street.
Our final week was spent at St Pete Beach on Florida’s west coast, where the award-winning beach stretches for miles and we were delighted to see dolphins as we sat enjoying the surroundings. It has a very rustic, laid-back feel and was a perfect way to end two weeks of theme park madness, even though we couldn’t resist the allure of an additional Bush Gardens visit.
St Pete's is busy at Easter, though I would still advise it as a good time to travel in the school holidays and to avoid the intense summer heat.
Our trips in 2008 and 2014 were again with large family groups, staying in villas for the additional space and convenience.
The first was a three-week theme park pilgrimage as we travelled with a family who hadn’t previously been. Spreading the parks out worked brilliantly with more down time in between very full days, and we also managed an amazing visit to Crystal Rivers where we swam and snorkelled with the wonderful manatees.
Our return in 2014 was for a family celebration as a multi-generational group of 14! Travelling in late autumn, we were thrilled to discover Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. On select nights throughout September and October, Universal Studios is filled with original scares and authentic horror-movie moments. You can explore terrifying haunted houses and make your way through multiple scare zones, where gory and grotesque creatures lurk around every nook and cranny. This is an over 13s experience and not for the faint-hearted, with lots of jumping out of your skin - but it is huge fun. I fully recommend a drop of Dutch Courage beforehand!
The lure of the Halloween Horror Nights drew my husband and I back a couple of years later, staying at a Universal Hotel that included complimentary fast track access to all the rides. We had preceded this with a relaxing week in Mexico which was a good job as we found our arrival in Florida coinciding with that of Hurricane Matthew.
Ours was one of the last flights to land that day before the airport was closed. Driving to the hotel was eerie with little traffic on the normally busy highways. The storm hit later that night and the following day we were safely locked down in the hotel, fortunately only catching the edge of the storm.
The theme parks had also been shut but the following day it was business as usual with the sun shining, all debris cleared and as if nothing had happened.
That last trip now seems a distant memory.
There is a new waterpark that we saw being built so we have planned our next trip for 2023, and we will obviously coincide this with Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and will include a weekend trip to Old Town.
My Top Tips
If possible, try to avoid travelling during the school holidays. If that's unavoidable, then the May or October half terms will see less crowds and avoid searing heat.
Have a plan. A rough itinerary of what to do each day will avoid wasting time deciding where to go.
Build in some down time. We go with two full on theme park days and either a water park day for some floating relaxation around a lazy river or spend the day at the pool at your villa or hotel.
If you want space, then a villa, town house or condo (apartment) range from 2 bedrooms and upwards. Most hotels are single room with two queen beds to sleep a family of four, so with older children you won't get much personal space.
If you don't want to drive, then stay on site if possible. A week at a Disney hotel followed by a week at a Universal one will enable use of their transportation to and from the theme parks. Some hotels off-site do offer free transportation to the theme parks.
Purchase your theme park tickets in the UK before you go. Although the cost may seem high compared to the daily gate fees of around $99 per person per day, they will work out to be great value.
Book as early as you can. Orlando can be booked almost two years in advance, giving you time to budget and plan.
I think you can tell I'm a bit of an Orlando fan and I'd like nothing more than to help plan your trip, whether it be your first time or like me your fifth or sixth visit! Either way, I'll help to make it memorable with plenty of suggestions of things you can also do outside of the theme parks. Contact me if you'd like to have a chat.
