Dec 23 - Dec 30 Orlando
 

Hello Everyone,

We are going to be in Orlando Dec23-Dec30. We is my parents (50's), myself and brother (25-28) and younger sister (7).

We will be staying at the Silver Lake Resort, does anyone have comments or recommendations about this hotel?

Our plan is to go to Disney/MGM Dec 24 and Dec 25, are those nice places to spent x-mas or is there another park in Orlando thta is better for x-mas? Also, what nights and where do they offer the best fireworks?

My parents and little sister will spend 2 more days at Disney while my brother and I will go golfing, any recommandations on courses, discounts?

On the other days, I think we will go to Sea World and a waterpark assuming weather permits which is very unlikelly.

Last time I went to orlando was when I was in grade 3!! So is there anything new that I should not miss? I know there is Universal, however we are not very much into rides so we will probably skip it.

What about outlet shopping?

Thanks for all your help!!

From Dec 30-Jan 5, we will be in Weston Florida, staying at the Weston Vacation Village.

My only comment would be, yes, visit Disney as early in the trip as possible as the crowds/lines will triple starting Dec 26th. And the 7 year old should definitely visit the Animal Kingdom which is new at Disney since your last visit.

thanks for the reply.

She doesnt really like animals, so I dont think it will be part of the plans.

Does anyone have golf suggestions?

Will water parks/pools be an option on a least a few days in Dec or will it be too cold?

What about outlet shopping?

YOu and your brother would really enjoy Islands of Adventure at Universal. It's not all that far from Disney World. I think you would like that much more than Sea World.

alpinemccain,
All of the Disney parks are beautifully decorated at Christmas. Disney/MGM has the Osborne Family Lights display (complete with "snow" falling from the sky), but no fireworks that I am aware of. Check out allearsnet.com for info on what is happening in each Disney park during the season. It was a wealth of information and can answer just about any question you might have about Disney. Since your sister is 7, I'd suggest plenty of time for her at Magic Kingdom - possibly including Mickey's Very Merry Party, a separate ticketed event at night after the park officially closes.

Sea World is a local favorite (hardly any lines!!!). Lots of fun and interesting.

There are many, many golf courses in and around Orlando, but you are unlikely to find discounts at that time of year. For more golf info try http://www.golforlandoinfo.com/ocvb/...lf-courses.htm

There are also plenty of outlet malls - a big one at the north end of International Drive and one with lots of designer stores that you'll see by I-4.

You'll be in Orlando at a very busy time of year, so be sure to pack plenty of patience along with your sunscreen!

Have fun!

I think it would be a mistake to miss Universal, which has much more than thrill rides.

From my understanding there is Universal and Island of adventure...ar they similar? Is there one more towards rides?

Is MGM similar to Universal?

Universal has two theme parks: Islands of Adventure is the newer one and has more thrill rides. I don't go on thrill rides but still found it worthwhile for the theming, which is very well done. The other one, Universal Studio (can't remember the offical name off-hand) has more movie-themed rides and shows, and is somewhat similar to MGM only it seemed newer and fresher to me when I was last there (which, granted, was now several years ago).

Between the two parks is a large area with restaurants, movie theaters, bars, and looked like a fun night out if you weren't exhausted from theme parks.

MGM and Universal Studios are similar in that they are both movie-themed.

Universal has one big-time thrill ride: Back to the Future, and many other exciting rides that you can go on and not get sick such as Earthquake. It also has sit-down theatre shows such as Terminator and simulator-theatre type shows like Shrek. Lots of fun.

MGM has two big-time thrill-rides: Rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Shows include Muppets, Beauty and the Beast, and Indiana Jones, as well as Fantasmic (which is great). It has a Star Wars simulator ride. Both parks have many other things; take a look at websites or find a copy of the WDW Unofficial Guide for more info.

Islands of Adventure is chock-full of thrill rides.

Be sure to use Fast Pass at Disney - Universal has a similar feature although I can't remember what they call it. It gets you into particular rides at specific time-ranges. VERY useful.

I beg to differ, but Universal Studios has more than one big thrill ride. You forgot the Mummy which is FANTASTIC!! Men in Black is also a fantastic ride.

Do you automaticly get fast pass with your tickets or is that an extra add on?

Also, which water park? Wet and Wild or one of the disney water parks?

Fast Pass at Disney and Express Pass at Universal are free. There are machines near each attraction where you insert you park ticket to get a fast pass ticket. Universal also offers Express Plus which is extra. You get one express pass for each attraction. The difference is, you don't get an assigned time to come back. You just go to the attraction and show your pass.

About fireworks, Magic Kingdom has Wishes and Epcot has Illuminations and both have fireworks. Epcot's is usually at 9 pm every night and Magic Kingdom's varies.

Disney's parks and resorts are all decorated for Christmas and I love Disney at Christmastime.

Outlet shopping - The Premium outlets are great. They have stores like Burberry, Tod's, Ferragamo, etc. They're in Lake Buena Vista right off exit 68 on I-4. Here's a link:
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=17

Also, there are the Belz outlets off I-4 near the Turnpike. There are different sections of them.

Since you'll be in Weston later and you're interested in outlets, there is Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise. The mall is huge.

Thanks for the info!

ticketmania.com and mapleleaftickets.com are reputable companies both have discounted tickets. Ticketmania will have tickets delivered right to your hotel, which is a nice perk. So does AAA.

Some entertainment books have Seaworld discount tickets - you also get a ticket for showing your AAA card.

Disney is going to be super-busy. Get on the disboards.com and ask for suggestions. Tourguidemike.com is a subscription service (about the cost of a guidebook) with excellent information and planning help for avoiding crowds and getting the most out of your day. I believe that themouseforless.com has a $3.00 discount code for tourguidemike.com.

wow thanks! When you mean discounts...do you mean significant 10-15% plus or just $1-$3?


do you think waterpark will be an option in December?