10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of an Orlando Holiday
Orlando is full of incredible theme parks, and they attract some 59.3 million visitors a year. With numbers so high, it’s understandable that you’ll be searching for ways to beat the crowds and get the most out of your trip; nobody wants to spend a day queuing. With this in mind, we’ve gathered together ten tips to make any Orlando holiday more enjoyable.
Plan in Advance
Orlando isn’t the type of place you just turn up to. There are so many attractions spread across the city and it’s pretty overwhelming, so you’ll waste most of your day deciding where to go and navigating the city. However, if you put a detailed itinerary in place first, you’ll know exactly what your holiday has in store – even if your plan simply details the attractions you’ll visit each day.
Buying Tickets
Theme parks in Orlando are busy, and the queues for box office tickets will be enormous. Therefore, we recommend buying tickets well in advance. As well as saving time, digital ticket sales often come with exclusive discounts. Once you’ve bought your tickets, which you can likely pay in instalments, you won’t need to worry about inflated park prices.
When you’re in Orlando, the chances are you want to see as many attractions as possible, which is why multi-day tickets exist. Combination theme park tickets allow you to visit any park included with your ticket, and it will save you money.
While you’re searching for tickets, you need to be wary of bogus retailers trying to fool tourists with too-good-to-be-true deals. The best way to avoid being scammed is to buy from the theme park or official partners.
Prepare for the Weather
Unless previous adventures have taken you into the tropics, nothing will prepare you for Orlando’s climate. You will have to face blistering heat (up to 38°C in the summer), high humidity levels, and short thunderstorms during the summer months. Make sure you pack appropriate clothes, drink plenty of water, and get shelter from the sun at the hottest times of the day.
Visiting in Spring or Autumn
If you have time to visit Orlando in spring or autumn, you’ll benefit from fantastic weather and fewer crowds. This doesn’t mean you’ll have no queuing to do (that’s unavoidable in Orlando) but you won’t have quite as long to wait in line. If summer is the only time of your you can visit, aim for the end of August when American children go back to school.
Outside of summer, you should avoid visiting any of America’s holiday periods. In particular, Spring Break (near Easter), Thanksgiving (November), and the entire Christmas/New Year period. These dates will be busy, which may ruin your holiday.
These Parks are Enormous!
Looking at a tourist map, you may be tricked into thinking these parks are fairly close together – you’d be wrong. Walking between attractions in Orlando is practically impossible, especially when you factor in the heat. Therefore, to make life much easier and avoid being bound to public transport, consider getting a rental car in Orlando.
Arriving Early
The main theme parks open their gates around 30 minutes before the official opening time. Therefore, to get the most out of your time in Orlando, become an early bird for the duration of your stay. Once you get into the park, head to the big rides before the queues become overbearing. Then, when it’s sweltering in the morning, take time out to relax and watch a show or two.
Remember to Relax
Visiting Orlando theme parks is tiring, no matter what time of year you visit, so make sure you schedule plenty of times to relax in the afternoon. Relaxing doesn’t mean the fun needs to stop, as there are plenty of pools and indoor activities to enjoy, like visiting the air-conditioned shops. Once you’ve slowed down for a moment, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to get back to exploring.
Dine Outside of Theme Parks
Theme park restaurant prices are notoriously high, so do yourself a favour and eat outside of the parks. There is more to Orlando than theme parks, and it is home to some of the most incredible restaurants. For example, these brilliant all-you-can-eat restaurants will help your family fill up for cheaper.
Fast Passes During High Season
Each park will have a different program for fast pass tickets, but they’re well worth buying during the peak season. The amount of money you spend will easily pay you back in less time spent queuing in the heat for attractions.
Walt Disney World has FastPass+ included with all theme park tickets, which means you schedule 3x attractions per day in advance. Seeing as it’s free, you may as well beat the queue on your favourite rides or shows. However, you will need to book well in advance because tickets will run out.
Universal Orlando offers Express Plus, which is a paid-for fast pass. During the summer months when queues are enormous and the heat is fierce, having an Express Plus pass for everyone in your group will feel like a blessing.
Seaworld and Busch Gardens also operate a fast past system, and it’s similar to Universal’s Express Plus. If you’re searching for coaster thrills at Busch Gardens, you’ll be thankful for having a fast pass once you see the queues, especially during summer.
Children Will Get Tired
There’s no denying that children have an incredible time in Orlando, but you need to be prepared for the exhaustion kicking in, which happens when you pair high levels of excitement and hot weather. Therefore, to avoid facing meltdowns during the day, be sure to stop regularly to have a rest and a drink.
Orlando is guaranteed to deliver on its promise of fun, but you need to be smart and spend time preparing for the trip of a lifetime. Remember, if you can visit in Spring or Autumn, these are the best times to see fewer crowds across the parks.
