10 Insider Tips For Traveling To Orlando Theme Parks
There’s nothing funny about having stress and anxiety while paying lots of money for a vacation. One of the great ways of having a blast in any vacation is to have insider tips from people who have been to the place you want to visit.
New environment, time zones and activities can stimulate our senses in a positive or negative way. Your number one priority before leaving for a vacation is to be prepared. Here is our collection of top 10 insider tips to Orlando Theme Parks.
Ten: Skip the jet lag and get an early check in with your hotel
Before we go into the insider tips, one tip that should not be ignored is jet lag and
time difference. If you are flying from the west coast, like Portland, Oregon to Orlando, your time difference is three hours.
Take a mid afternoon flight into Orlando so you can have ample time to relax before dinner and rest early. Even though three hours seems little compared to 12 hours difference for adults, children who need to eat and sleep on schedule may have a hard time adjusting to lunch or dinner at a different time.
When making your
room reservation, make a request for early check in so you and your family can relax after the flight.
Nine: Buy your tickets in advance
Disney, Universal Studios and SeaWorld offer different types of tickets. Decide which type of ticket you would like and which parks should be included in your vacation. Buy those tickets in advance. You will save money and time with advance purchase tickets.
The lines can be long at ticket counters in all theme parks in Disney World even on days when you think it is off peak season.
Eight: Plan out your itinerary
The theme parks’ websites are very useful tools for planning your trip. Use travel guidebooks, theme parks’ websites and tools from Travelmath to help plan out your itinerary.
If you are driving to Orlando, use our
Car Calculator and if you are flying, use our
flight calculator while you plan your trip.
While you are at the hotel, pick up the park’s map, get familiar with the theme park and plan out your must-go places. The map will help you not to wander around the park, get lost or waste time looking for the attractions.
Seven: Consider your hotels wisely
Some people prefer on-site hotels particularly in Disney if they are visiting Disney World for the majority of their stay. On-site hotels provide complimentary transportation, early park hours and are close to all theme parks. For families with young children, they can easily leave the park and take a nap in their hotel and return to the park without the need to drive or wait for outside transportation.
If the theme parks are just part of your vacation and you want to stay somewhere that provides a full kitchen, bigger rooms and cheaper rates, staying just outside the theme parks may be the best options. For example, Wyndham Bonnet Creek, Orlando is a great
accommodation for large families who prefer to make their own meals and like to stay at one location and have theme park visits as one small part of their vacation in Orlando.
Six: Consider the weather
Summer is brutal in Orlando if you are from the north and are not used to humidity. Our advice is to avoid summer visits to the theme parks.
Five: Drink lots of water
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Florida is called The Sunshine State for a reason. It is always sunny and quite warm even in winter months (it could be cold sometimes). Staying hydrated is important to maintain your energy level.
Four: Don’t pack them all in
It is impossible to go on every rides, see shows and visit every part of the theme park. Doing it all will only stress you and their children out. After all you are on a vacation and not a race. Take it easy and plan out your trip appropriate to the age of the children.
Three: Get to know Orlando and the theme parks
Did you know there are four theme parks in Disney World? Each of these theme parks caters to a different audience. Not all the theme parks will appeal to you or your family. Some may prefer Animal Kingdom and not Epcot. Then, there is SeaWorld and Universal Studios.
If your teens like roller coasters and are Harry Potter enthusiasts, Universal Studios may be the place for them.
Two: Save money on kids’ meals
Meals in the theme parks will add up for a large family. Other than staying outside and cooking your own meals, consider the
Kids Eat Free Card in Orlando. Kids Eat Free Card starts at $19.99 where children 11 years and younger can dine at more than 125 theme park area family restaurants in Orlando, seven restaurants in Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort and many more. Each card is valid for one free child’s meal with a purchase of a full-price adult entrée.
One: Choose your favorites
Do the things you like to do and consider what your family members like to do. Pick the places and put them in the must-see list. Start the day by going to the places at the top of the list.
Lines may be long at your favorite rides or shows, if they have a Fastpass, take advantage of those Fastpasses. Studies show that most people are naturally incline to visit the parks from left to right and from the front to the back of the parks. Try doing the opposite to avoid large crowds. This concept may work to your advantage.
Do you have your own insider tips for traveling to Orlando theme parks? Let us know.
