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Thinking about taking the grandson to Disney next year. It’s over 20 years since I last went.

What’s the price these days of a, say, 5 day pass for the theme parks?

https://www.disneyholidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world/tickets/?CMP=KNC-DDI-WDW_FYxx_UK_71700000072274853_Lower_GOOGLE_Always%20On_58700006336928322_p65301939048_3+day+walt+disney+world+tickets&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuMyosqak8gIVAbTtCh2EYwN2EAAYASAAEgL4VPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Expensive!  You can get a couple of options for 7/14 day passes from the UK I think, that are not available in Country here.  You are looking at 300-400 per person, minimum.  Costs more to add Park Hopper and the trend throughout the Covid period could be towards them charging for Fastpass by then as well.

If you want more details, feel free to reach out - I'm popping down there in a couple of weeks and go down two or three times a year.  Not always to Disney, just the area.

That’s great, thanks. I did google it but it looks a minefield.

We’ll fly and book accommodation independently for 2 adults and 1 5 year old sprog.

Tbh, if those prices you quoted are accurate I’d be pleasantly surprised!

Please go careful doing that and make sure you book somewhere that will refund if you are effected by Covid

Yes, the link that Hunk provided is to the tickets I was suggesting.  They are relatively good value vs. getting them over here.  Don't get hung up on the number of days they offer, it's the value they bring vs. getting a few days instead - the prices are $129 ish per day to begin with.  These tourists ones are to try and coax you to spend more time at Disney, where they make the money off you on the purchases in the parks.

Locally you will see lots of adverts for cheap tickets, but they always come with the need to attend a half day timeshare sales pitch.  Disney do not discount - they have no need to.

If you are looking for a hotel offsite and fancy something nice, Rosen Shingle Creek Resort is pretty good and can sometimes be had for a bargain (it's about a 20 minute drive and caters more for Conferences, so likely has peaks and troughs in demand, hence it sometimes being quite good value).

Villa - check out Emerald Island Resort - private community with loads available on aribnb/vrbo.  Close to Disney and you can usually find a home there for good rates.

Onsite - you'll pay premium rates to be on a Disney property, but you can get deals including meals from the UK.  Want to be close but not pay Disney rates then Bonnet Creek is your friend, or around Disney Springs.  You get shuttles to the parks at most of those hotels but at a fraction of the cost.  Use Hotwire or Priceline in this area and you can get great value - the range of hotels is limited, so you know it will be one of only a handful anyway.

Budget hotels - the world is your Oyster.  Within 20 miles of Disney will be every budget option known to man.  I'd avoid non-branded budget options, they tend to be used by long term stays.

Fantastic info! Thanks.

We’ll be flying from Athens so hopefully we can still purchase the Disney tickets via the UK.

10 years since we went to Orlando; so cant help with prices. My one tip would be to use fastpasses and plan the start of your days. Sounded like a pain in the arse (you're meant to be on holiday, not at work FFS) but if you can get a couple of the big / longest queue rides done early in the day using FPs then the rest of the day seems much more relaxed and with less queuing.

And go to the major attraction at the far end of the park first and work your way back. The majority of people start at the front and work their way forwards....well they did in the 90s!

If you can go when the US school kids are are at school even better though I expect that’s a big ask for you. We managed one year to have the best part of a week when they went back to school and our lad had a couple of inset days right at the start of the autumn term so our last two weeks of August worked out exceptionally well.

If it's any help, this is where i purchased my tickets from last we went to the theme parks.

https://www.floridatix.com/

It was a couple of years ago, but our US friends couldn't believe the package we were able to get compared to in the US.

That does require going when it is 95 degrees and 100% humidity, but he lives in Greece these days so assume that should be OK.  Just prep for being moist.  Good time to go if you can take the weather though, Southern States tend to send their kids back to school now (which avoids them being in school in June when it is scorching).  I'll be there in two weeks so can provide a current crowd estimate.

Seems pretty good compared to, say, Alton Towers?!

When I went (20 years ago) we stayed in the most budget motel with a bunch of shady other 'guests' (residents probably). It was how we could afford the trip. I didn't care - loved Disney World!

Used to be able to go on any rollercoaster in the world. They really mess me up now though. I think this stems from the time I had to ride the rollercoaster at Lego Land 6 times in a row to maintain adult:pupil supervision ratios. It's not an extreme rollercoaster at all, but 6 goes around the same helix bend in quick succession had my head spinning for about 12 hours.

I just love the thunder storms actually, though the last two visits have been a disappointment for them.

We used to go in October, weather was good then (warm but not unbearable), usually after hurricane season and less crowds than the summer.

As an aside, I was really touched by the film, "the Florida Project", about a marginalised single mother on welfare with two young kids and a very empathetic motel manager.  The kids so loved their ringside seat to the fireworks displays!!

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/homeless-children-growing-up-in-poverty-just-outside-disneyland-1.3284576#:~:text=Homeless%20children%20growing%20up%20in%20poverty%20just%20outside,2017%2C%2005%3A00%20Updated%3A%20Thu%2C%20Nov%209%2C%202017%2C%2009%3A45

Went in January one, had the run of the place. Burnt my shins one day by the pool, didn’t see that coming, absolute agony.

Been a couple of times when the kids were smalls. Booked self catering villas with pools which made for variety.

Publix supermarkets for provisions (including copious amounts of peanut butter M&M's) with the odd morning visit to a Ponderosa for an all you could eat buffet breakfast- crispy bacon, pancakes, waffles, syrup etc.

Great holidays.

Sounds like our holidays to Orlando, although buying Grape Jelly.

We had a timeshare at Orange Lake for about 25 years, was a great place to stay & close to Disney