DVDizzy Forum

We're going to WDW in September. We've never been to Florida before. We're planning to stay for 12 days and are planning on a 6-dayWDW pass or whatever it's called. Any info on WDW would be helpful. Any maintenace on rides at WDW as there are in Disneyland. Any other things to do in the Orlando area would also be helpful.

Well, are you going to all four parks? I would assume so..

What kind of rides do you like to go on?

As for other attractions around Orlando..Universal Stuidos or SeaWorld are really fun.

Ride closures will be listed on Disney Worlds official website closer to September. They seem to post closures around 4 months in advance. From what I was hearing when I still worked there, Space Mountain will probably be closed when you are there. I don't know when in September you will be there, but check dates for "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party." It's held at the Magic Kingdom select nights in September and October and is a lot of fun. It is an extra ticket, but if you buy in advance you save money and it's the only way to see the Halloween parade and fireworks.

Are you staying at a Disney resort? If you are you get extra magic hours which means that each night, one of the four parks (or a water park) will be open an additional 3 hours later than scheduled close and a different park will be open 1 hour earlier than scheduled open. This is ONLY for Disney resort guests, so if you aren't staying at one, it doesn't apply. Also, if you book over the phone for a Disney resort, ask about the free dining plan promotion. They've done it the past several years, but only for the month of September.

As far as other things in Orlando, I wasn't very pleased with Sea World. If you are going to see the aquatic life, then you will get your money's worth out of a one day admission. But if you are looking for lots of rides, there are only two (a roller coaster and a water ride) and then a little kids ride are that are no fun for anyone over the age of 10. However, I do enjoy Universal Studios. You could easily spend two days there, one in each park. Both parks have attractions themed towards kids, but Universal mostly exists to cater to teens and adults, whereas Disney caters to families.

I would recommend the following publications as a start to your information gathering and planning process: 1) Birnbaum's Walt Disney World and 2) The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World. Both books are updated and published annually so you can borrow a prior year's version from a friend, if your funds are limited. These books sell for under USD$20 each. Also, there are several other books in publication that even include the surrounding Orlando area so you have plenty of reading material available - better get started!

If you have any specific questions, please post them.

I didn't even know there are 2 parks at Universal. No kidding my travel agent said everything is bigger in Florida than in California. We went to Universal Studios in California over 20 years ago as well as Disneyland. What are the names of the 2 parks at Universal?

What's the weather like in September in Florida? What is the temperature range in September? Are there any misquotoes? What kind of clothes should I bring? Are there mountains in Florida?

Nala wrote:What's the weather like in September in Florida? What is the temperature range in September? Are there any misquotoes? What kind of clothes should I bring? Are there mountains in Florida?

It's pretty hot in September. Sometimes it rains every morning. The thing about Florida is that the weather can be pretty unpredictable. But always have a sweater or long-sleeved shirt or sweatshirt with you- air conditioning can be quite cold (in restaurants and indoor shows). The average temperature is probably 80-something in September- it could be hotter and could be cooler, but September is still fairly warm (especially early September, but even later on in September can be warm). I always find myself with mosquito bites, so bring your bug spray! Bring many different kinds of clothing- shorts & t-shirts, a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a raincoat or umbrella...be prepared for everything from hot and sunny to hot and rainy to cold-because-of-the-air-conditioning. There are no mountains in the Orlando area that I know of except for Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Expedition Everest...there are some hills in Clermont, which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from Orlando.

I live in the West Coast of BC in Western Canada and we don't really have misquotes. I better bring my metric calculater as we use the metric system up here. Do you have any info on Busch Gardens and what it's like?

Nala wrote:I'm live in the West Coast of BC in Western Canada and we don't really have misquotes. I better bring my metric calculater as we use the metric system up here. Do you have any info on Busch Gardens and what it's like?

Mosquito bites don't hurt, but they sure do itch. I don't usually ever use bug spray- I just use itch cream when I have bites, but the smart thing would be to use bug spray. Or just keep itch cream on hand, I guess!

I haven't been to Busch Gardens, so my advice would be just go on their website (http://www.buschgardens.com/bgt/default.aspx)

And as for the 2 Universal parks, I believe they are Universal & Islands of Adventure.

Don't waste your time at Busch Gardens. I went there once before, and while there was one or two attractions I enjoyed, overall it just wasn't fun.

The two parks at Universal are Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. IOA is more of a thrill park, with an Incredible Hulk roller coaster, 3D Spiderman ride, Jurassic Park water ride, dueling dragons coaster, and then a Dr. Seuss land geared towards families with kids. The other park I hear is very similar to the one in California, but they have a lot of newer rides including the Mummy roller coaster and The Simpsons ride should be opening this May.

Like PeterPanFan, I also have been to Busch Gardens and don't recommend it. It's an hour away from Orlando and even though they have around 5 coasters, only two of them are actually fun/thrilling and the lines for those two were horrendous. The layout is awful (everything is so far apart) and you see the same kind of animals at the Animal Kingdom with better ambiance. Don't waste your time with Busch Gardens.

What about the Kennedy Space Centre? Is that good to go to? What about Medieval Times? Is the show good? Would you suggest these 2?

The Kennedy Space Center is pretty fascinating. I don't think you can spend a whole day there, though.

I haven't been to the Space Center since I was very young, but I have heard it's worth seeing.

Medieval Times is a good show, but I wouldn't go if it is going to take away from your time in Disney. I never went to the one in Orlando, but I'm assuming it is the same show as the one in Chicago, and I've been there three times. I know there are other Medieval Times throughout the country and it is not something unique to Orlando. There are two other popular dinner shows right around Disney property. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede is supposed to be really amazing if you like animals (horses in particular). Arabian Nights was voted Orlando's best dinner show and seemed to be the most popular amongst guests at the parks. When I would work main entrance and guests would come all dressed up, I would ask if they were there with a wedding and they would often say "no, we were at Arabian Nights." I had planned on going based on so many strangers telling me how wonderful it was.

goofystitch wrote:I haven't been to the Space Center since I was very young, but I have heard it's worth seeing.

Medieval Times is a good show, but I wouldn't go if it is going to take away from your time in Disney. I never went to the one in Orlando, but I'm assuming it is the same show as the one in Chicago, and I've been there three times. I know there are other Medieval Times throughout the country and it is not something unique to Orlando. There are two other popular dinner shows right around Disney property. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede is supposed to be really amazing if you like animals (horses in particular). Arabian Nights was voted Orlando's best dinner show and seemed to be the most popular amongst guests at the parks. When I would work main entrance and guests would come all dressed up, I would ask if they were there with a wedding and they would often say "no, we were at Arabian Nights." I had planned on going based on so many strangers telling me how wonderful it was.

We'll be going to Florida (Orlando area) for 2 weeks in mid-September.

Nala - I did the same kind of trip three years ago and it was a bit of a culture shock. I had been to California a lot and found people there not to be much different than those in British Columbia. When I went to Florida I found people to be unfriendly and unhelpful. But I guess that is why they call us the laid back west coast.

Then only non-Disney thing I did was go to visit Daytona International Speedway. But then again my daughter's name is Daytona.

While your their spend as much time in Animal Kingdom as you can since we dont have anything like it. Epcot is kind of neat too(once). Canada's pavilion is pretty good although I thought Norway's was the best. Fantasmic is not as good as Disneylands but still worth the price of admission and the seating is far superior.

If you can afford it I would take one of the short Disney cruises, especially if your kids are over five and go to the daycamps. The food and entertainment are great and Castaway Cay is amazing.

Some good sources

www.disboards.com and send Aaron a message. He is a wealth of info on Disneyworld. Escapay too.

Mr. Toad - I've only been to Disneyland once and that was over 20 years ago.

Nana - hope you really enjoy yourself.

I just made the comment so you can prepare yourself for what is an entirely different culture. We have organized this continent politically running our countries politically east-west. However, it is not how our cultures have organized themselves. People on the east coast are relatively the same from north to south, same with the prairies, same with the industrial states and provinces in Ontario/Michigan/Ohio and same with the west coast.

It's official. We're going to WDW in September. We took the 7-day park hopper to WDW. We're also going to Sea World and Universal/Island of Adventure. We're going for 2 weeks.

Have a grand time, Nala!