WDW trip planning - where to start?
Pretty much all of my trip planning starts by looking at flights - and this was no exception. To be honest, I look at flights so much that Google Flights must hate me. I like to dream about travel and sometimes I’ll look at flights just because I’m bored! Other times I do have some sort of a plan but I may abandon the search because of cost, logistics or other reasons.
This time the trigger was an email to let me know that RetroMagic was happening, in early October. So I did what I would automatically do and started searching for flights to Orlando and quickly realised that they were expensive. I tried various strategies for keeping costs down (stopovers, weird airlines, arriving in other airports rather than MCO, etc) and the math really wasn’t working. I looked at flying on unusual days, of staying only a few days… I even tried the incredibly unrealistic booking where I’m not allowed any sensible luggage, but even then it was coming up pricey.
This time the trigger was an email to let me know that RetroMagic was happening, in early October. So I did what I would automatically do and started searching for flights to Orlando and quickly realised that they were expensive. I tried various strategies for keeping costs down (stopovers, weird airlines, arriving in other airports rather than MCO, etc) and the math really wasn’t working. I looked at flying on unusual days, of staying only a few days… I even tried the incredibly unrealistic booking where I’m not allowed any sensible luggage, but even then it was coming up pricey.
Especially when added to the hotel - and of course my super-low budget would not allow for anything fancy so Disney hotels were 100% out. I quickly checked some hotel prices for those dates and indeed, the trip was increasingly looking like it wasn’t going to happen. I resigned myself to missing out on RetroMagic again, just because the costs were too much just for flights and accommodation.
The next day, I was looking at something completely different and I noticed an ad for TUI. It wasn’t even for Florida or the USA but it reminded me that indeed, these guys do fly to Orlando - and use lovely Dreamliners for these routes, too. As soon as I had a chance, I quickly jumped onto the TUI website and… was pleasantly surprised. There were several, very affordable, options and this time including a direct flight (on a lovely aircraft) with reasonable bag allowances and staying for a whole week.
Not only did I have a chance to get on a fantastic 787 but I discovered that TUI no longer seems to be using SFB for their base in Orlando. I’ve never liked Sanford, I don’t know why so it was good to know that I wouldn’t have to suffer through it. TUI fly into Melbourne (MLB) which I didn’t even know existed. To be fair, this is quite the way out of Orlando so I don’t know how they get away with including this in their official name, but with the hotel transfer included, I wasn’t that bothered. Will be good to discover a new airport, although I will miss not arriving at MCO which is one of my favorite airports of all time (and I was hoping to get a chance to buy the carpet socks!)
I began to look at the accommodation options more carefully, thinking about where I wanted to stay. Disney hotels were still out (too expensive) but this is where my area knowledge came in handy. I am not a huge fan of the I-Drive area so kind of ruled this one out straight away. LBV is my favorite but nothing there was within my budget, so my option here was Kissimmee, along the 192. We’ve stayed in this area before and it was fine, so it would do the job nicely for this trip too.
I found a place that wasn’t too expensive, not too fancy but not a total dump and that provides shuttle transfers. This meant I wouldn’t really need to rent a car although I know that shuttle transfers can be a little crazy. In any case, I can Uber from this location and it would be a reasonable cost, as it is not too far.
The issue about car hire did make me think. I’ve never gone to Florida and NOT hired a car, but usually, we’d go for 2 or 3 weeks, as a family and we wouldn’t be spending the entire vacation just visiting Disney parks. This trip was just me, only for a week, and the only driving I’d be doing would be mainly to the parks where I’d have to pay for parking so I just couldn’t see the benefit. It would add cost and be mostly sitting in a parking lot somewhere.
Once I had researched the 3 or 4 potential hotels (using mostly TripAdvisor although Google reviews are handy too, taken with a massive pinch of salt) I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to book. So I booked it!
So far, planning for this trip was pretty much the same as I do for all others: lots and lots of research, little hacks to try to keep costs down and then narrowing down to a few choices that I research further. But a Disney vacation is not like others - and I was about to move into the travel elements that I know less about…
In my next blog post, I’ll continue the story and let you know how I got on with booking park tickets, park reservations and that famous My Disney Experience app!
The next day, I was looking at something completely different and I noticed an ad for TUI. It wasn’t even for Florida or the USA but it reminded me that indeed, these guys do fly to Orlando - and use lovely Dreamliners for these routes, too. As soon as I had a chance, I quickly jumped onto the TUI website and… was pleasantly surprised. There were several, very affordable, options and this time including a direct flight (on a lovely aircraft) with reasonable bag allowances and staying for a whole week.
We were ON.
Not only did I have a chance to get on a fantastic 787 but I discovered that TUI no longer seems to be using SFB for their base in Orlando. I’ve never liked Sanford, I don’t know why so it was good to know that I wouldn’t have to suffer through it. TUI fly into Melbourne (MLB) which I didn’t even know existed. To be fair, this is quite the way out of Orlando so I don’t know how they get away with including this in their official name, but with the hotel transfer included, I wasn’t that bothered. Will be good to discover a new airport, although I will miss not arriving at MCO which is one of my favorite airports of all time (and I was hoping to get a chance to buy the carpet socks!)
I began to look at the accommodation options more carefully, thinking about where I wanted to stay. Disney hotels were still out (too expensive) but this is where my area knowledge came in handy. I am not a huge fan of the I-Drive area so kind of ruled this one out straight away. LBV is my favorite but nothing there was within my budget, so my option here was Kissimmee, along the 192. We’ve stayed in this area before and it was fine, so it would do the job nicely for this trip too.
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I found a place that wasn’t too expensive, not too fancy but not a total dump and that provides shuttle transfers. This meant I wouldn’t really need to rent a car although I know that shuttle transfers can be a little crazy. In any case, I can Uber from this location and it would be a reasonable cost, as it is not too far.
The issue about car hire did make me think. I’ve never gone to Florida and NOT hired a car, but usually, we’d go for 2 or 3 weeks, as a family and we wouldn’t be spending the entire vacation just visiting Disney parks. This trip was just me, only for a week, and the only driving I’d be doing would be mainly to the parks where I’d have to pay for parking so I just couldn’t see the benefit. It would add cost and be mostly sitting in a parking lot somewhere.
Once I had researched the 3 or 4 potential hotels (using mostly TripAdvisor although Google reviews are handy too, taken with a massive pinch of salt) I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to book. So I booked it!
So far, planning for this trip was pretty much the same as I do for all others: lots and lots of research, little hacks to try to keep costs down and then narrowing down to a few choices that I research further. But a Disney vacation is not like others - and I was about to move into the travel elements that I know less about…
In my next blog post, I’ll continue the story and let you know how I got on with booking park tickets, park reservations and that famous My Disney Experience app!
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