My children have been bugging me for a trip to Florida, since they have so many theme parks there. However, I'm wondering whether there's any good package deals or discounts that will save me for a week's trip. I've heard of timeshares <snip> but I'm not sure of whether they'd be a good investment. What would be the best way to plan a week in Florida, without it straining my wallet too much?
[Edited: 2012 Jun 19 02:37 - Rat on the Road:23681 - Link removed]
Reply to this Hello Sara,
Please know that these are my personal opinions.
I love Florida and hope you will go. You will have a fantastic time. If you want to go to theme parks in my opinion it will strain your wallet. I am always amazed at the prices they charge for theme parks. Florida is jam packed with them.
Yes, you can buy package deals from hotels and the site that you have above. You can google Disney tickets and a slew of options will pop up. One day tickets generally start between $80 & $90 per day per person. If you bought a ten day pass the tickets get much cheaper per ticket. They drop down to about $30 or $35 per person per day. You can get tickets for multiple days and a combination of parks. They are a pretty good deal.
With all of that said you will have a blast!!
Florida has some spectacular beaches so I hope you will leave the Orlando area and see some other things.
If you contact the Chamber of Commerce they will send you a lot of information. Yes, you can rent a time share or a condo. That will save you money on food as you can go back to the room for meals. The Chamber of Commerce can help with suggestions. A website like homeaway.com can also help you with accommodations.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Reply to this For theme parks, plan on spending LOTS of cash. There is basically no way around it. The only real discount is to go during late fall, winter (outside Christmas season) or early spring. Fewer people go then and the parks sell discounted packages combining tickets, meal plans, and hotel rooms. The lines are more tolerable too. Of course, those are also the times most kids have to be in school.
WARNING: There are many sites on the internet advertising 'discount Florida attraction tickets'. These are all run by time-share condo companies. To get the ticket, you need to endure a high pressure, highly manipulative sales pitch. Google 'Florida time share ripoff' and see for yourself. The Chamber of Commerce can point you to legitimate ticket sites.
AAA members can order discount packages to many theme parks. The discount is not enough to pay for the membership, though.
Carefully weigh the cost/convenience trade off. Staying outside a park will result in cheaper accomodations and lower meal costs, but you will have long lines to both get in and get out, and will pay for parking. You will almost certainly get stuck in longer attraction lines also, because on-site guests usually get into the park early. Spending the extra cash may be worth it, especially at the lower priced Disney resorts.
If you have to go during the high season, research the parks VERY throughly. The lines wil be very long and stressful, and the only way to handle them is to be at the gates when they open and hit the most popular attractions first. Staying on site helps with this.
[Edited: 2012 Jul 24 05:44 - Roosta:95057 ]
Reply to this I am also visit to Florida because it has very fantastic attraction and spectacular beaches. you can get cheapest hotels by travel agencies.
Reply to this It's true that there are lots of theme park in Florida including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, Marineland, Wannado City, SeaWorld Orlando, The Holyland Experience and many more. <snip>
[Edited: 2012 Sep 18 03:27 - Rat on the Road:23681 - URL removed]
Reply to this How are your bargaining skills? Disney has a toll free number you can call and speak to a booking agent who usually works on a commission basis. If you talk with them about what parks and how many nights/days you want they can work a deal with you. If you remain hesitant and not impressed with the price they will usually come down a bit to accommodate you. I've had friends have success with this before and I used to know someone in one of the call centers. It's worth a try. 😊
Reply to this This time of year the beaches in the Panhandle Of Florida are slow and the prices of condos and hotels are very reasonable. Destin, Fort Walton area of FL has fantastic beaches and great eating places. That is my favorite beach in all of Florida.
<snip>
[Edited: 2013 May 14 04:33 - Roosta:95057 - No promotional links on the forums, please. See TOS]
Reply to this I think the state of Florida is the most amazing of the United States of America. The climate there is similar to the climate of Brazil. Hot all year round. Last year I spent the summer in Saint George Island. It is a wonderful place and worth a visit. You can take a look at how live there: You can take a look now live: <snip> removed link - Indispensable for those who pass near Saint George Island. It is my tip.
[Edited: 2013 May 14 00:01 - bvchef:65357 ]
Reply to this In Florida there are many places to visit. Some of them are Everglades National Park , Myakka River State Park, Biscayne National Park, Amelia Island, Castillo de San Marcos, Universal Orlando Resort, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Kennedy Space Center, Key West, Florida Keys and South Beach. We went to Florida and had a nice holiday there. We rented a luxurious Limo and enjoyed
the road trip with my family.
Reply to this Florida is a really attractive and beautiful city, there are many spot for visiting and that place can refresh your mood for fun you can go Walt Disney World, and for any other activity can visit The Everglade, Key West, Sarasota, National Forest etc.
Reply to this 
