Budgeting for Theme Park Tickets

Old May 5th, 2014, 04:16 AM
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Budgeting for Theme Park Tickets

Seeking help to resolve issue of how to plan and budget for theme park tickets for the famous theme parks in Orlando, FL for a large family of 5 elders and 3 kids of 3 to 15 years of age? Any magic formula? The visit is during Oct-2014 for 15 days. Will appreciate any best possible solution.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 04:29 AM
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First of all, plan on staying at the properties... the advantages of being at the parks for location, early acess, and including the tickets in the accomodation are well worth it for both Disney and Universal...

With a large group, its much easier staying there for the ease of splitting up and using the rooms as a central hub... I would split the stay between Disney and Universal and look for group accomodations.... good luck
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Old May 5th, 2014, 04:37 AM
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Fifteen days? Not all in Orlando, I hope? That much time in the parks would certainly be exceedingly expensive, plus there is more to see in Florida than theme parks. While staying IN the park is more convenient, it will also be more expensive, for food as well as lodging. I would be inclined to look for a villa outside.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 05:26 AM
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The only sizable discounts you can get are for online ticket sales. Otherwise, none of the parks really discounts. With regard to Disney, you get much cheaper per-day rates after the first four days, then the cost of the ticket price rises only incrementally. Art of Animation Resort, though distant from most of the parks, has relatively inexpensive family suites. If you stay off-site, you'll pay $17 per day to park at Disney now, so consider that in the cost of your vacation; if you stay on-site, you get the Disney transport for free.

For such a long trip, I'd also schedule some time on-site at Universal Studios. You can buy a combo ticket that includes Universal, SeaWorld, and Wet n Wild, and that will save a bit of money.

You can save tremendously by renting a house in Orlando and staying off-site, even considering the cost of transportation. But you give up a lot in terms of convenience by doing that. One thing you might consider is to spend several days at Walt Disney World and then rent a house for the remainder of the trip. Visit the rest of the theme parks from there.

But for this much time, I can't even begin to imagine visiting that many theme parks. especially considering that 5 of the 8 people are adults and one of the kids is only 3 and probably won't enjoy the parks that much.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 06:04 AM
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Dear garyt22, thursdaysd and Doug_Stallings thanks for your experienced views. I have been many times to Orlando, but only with my wife. This time my son and his family is joining.
Staying the Disney has its advantages as well as shortfalls.
The Villa rents there are very expensive but you save on the tickets.
We are renting a 4-bedroom villa and will be having our own SUV, so we have freedom of movement and choice of theme parks and places (like Tampa, K Space, etc.).
For this trip, considering the head count I wish I can budget known places to visit from their ticket values. Understand very difficult as we all have different choices.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 07:19 AM
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Just to be clear, I am NOT recommending you spend 15 days in Orlando or at theme parks. Get out and explore if you will have a car. Go to the Beach, drive to Clearwater. But at about $100 per person per day, the theme parks alone will cost you about $8,000 if you go to one every day, and that to me sounds absolutely insane. There are so many things to do in Florida that I'd never limit myself in this way. I'd devote at most a week to Orlando, and then get out of town, saving both money and your sanity. Spend the second week exploring Florida and all it offers.

There's the Everglades, Cape Canaveral, Tampa, St. Petersburg, etc. Even Fort Lauderdale is only 3 hours or so from Orlando. Or you could go north to Jacksonville and Amelia Island.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 07:46 AM
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Not to mention the Keys and St. Augustine. And the Art Deco section of Miami. Florida's State Parks are excellent, too.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 08:00 AM
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The OP has said he plans to visit other places, guys. He's just asking about tickets.
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Old May 5th, 2014, 08:29 AM
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"how to plan and budget for theme park tickets for the famous theme parks"

start with decide which parks you want to visit and for how long. There are several website that have much more info about the various parks. disboards and mousears I believe are two. At Disney alone you could easily spend 6 or more whole days at theme parks.

1. Magic Kingdom
2. Epcot
3. Hollywood
4. Animal Kingdom
5. Water park 1
6. Water park 2

The price of tickets basically flattens out at about $300 for anything longer than a 3 day ticket. Personally I find it impossible, or at least not practical to plan on visiting more than one park each day, and equally as impossible to visit different parks day after day without do-nothing down days in between.

Familiarize yourself with the different parks and passes, and just as important to the interests of the family.

If this were my trip I'd book 1 week in Orlando - maybe a 4 day pass to Disney, and 1-2 days at Universal.

After a while rides all start to look the same, lines & crowds get old, and theme park food gets intolerable, tired children melt down, and tired adults minding tired children get on each others nerves ymmv.

I'd use the 2nd week to head to the Gulf coast for a chill out, enjoy the sun sand and water vacation.
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