|
Home > Features > Orlando > Need_To_Know
|
|
|
Fred Mawer reports on The Land of Make-Believe - Need To Know
Posted On
12.04.07 |
 |
|
|
|
Factor in the weather, crowds and cost when you’re deciding what time of year to go. Weatherwise, spring is best – summer is unpleasantly hot and sticky, August to October is the likeliest period for hurricanes and tropical storms, and in winter, though the days are normally warm and sunny, evenings can be nippy. In terms of crowds and cost, bear in mind that queues in the parks will be significantly longer, and air fares much more expensive, in any school holiday period.
Two weeks in Orlando is too long. Spend 10 days there maximum, and ideally add on time by a beach.
Hire a car. Though Walt Disney World does have a comprehensive, free public transport system, in general if you don’t have your own wheels, your mobility will be severely restricted.
Disney and Universal hotels are relatively expensive, but they’re fun, conveniently close to the parks, and guests get queue avoidance privileges. Each day, Disney hotel guests get exclusive access to some attractions in one of the Disney parks outside of the regular opening hours, while Universal hotel guests are allowed to skip the main queues in the Universal parks by simply showing their room key.
Consider renting a private home instead of cramming the whole family in to a hotel room. As well as acres more space, you can expect great mod cons (big American fridges etc) and your own pool. But note that these homes are not in the thick of things. Most are on modern estates out in the countryside, around 30 minutes’ drive from the theme parks.
Buy multi-day, multi-park tickets instead of single-day, single-park ones. This will save you money and give you increased flexibility (for example, you could visit two parks in one day).
Make full use of Disney’s free FASTPASS timed ticket system, which reduces queuing enormously at the most popular attractions. To its shame, Universal has recently done away with its similar system. Now, to skip its main queues you need to pay up to £25 (€37) extra per person for something called Universal Express Plus – or (see above) stay in a Universal hotel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
