ATD

One of the queries we hear over and over again is: How much money will I need to take with me on holiday? The simple truth is that there is no set answer for this. Some people budget for at least one main, sit-down meal a day, while others count on eating mainly at the fast-food counters and buffet diners. Many families like to include a lot of shopping on their holidays while others don’t. In most cases, it is a question of common sense. You don’t want to bring huge amounts of cash, while a mixture of travellers’ cheques (in dollars, not sterling) and credit cards will give you the greatest flexibility.

However, when it comes to saving money and taking advantage of the more budget-orientated opportunities Orlando has to offer, there are a number of good policies to adopt.

One of the biggest expenses for most people is their theme park tickets and, as previously recommended elsewhere, you should definitely have all your Disney and Universal/SeaWorld/Busch Gardens tickets in advance. The sooner you buy, the easier it is to budget, and you may well save money on possible price rises before you arrive, as well as having the peace of mind of knowing you have tickets in hand and can avoid unnecessary queuing.

Another recurring question is: are any of the parks particularly better value than the others? The bottom line here is that it depends what you’re looking for and, to a lesser extent, the make-up of your family. With younger children (generally speaking, those under 8), Universal’s Island of Adventure probably has less to keep them amused, while there are far fewer rides at Epcot than at the Magic Kingdom. But again, it’s a matter of preference and many 8 year olds love IoA and Epcot.

However, the question of value for money on a daily basis is much harder to evaluate as, without exception, all of the main eight parks (Disney’s four, two at Universal, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens at Tampa) require a full day to see and do most of what they have to offer (Magic Kingdom and Epcot really require at least two days), while there is little real difference in the cost of things like meals and souvenirs, too (and we strongly advise you to have at least one main meal outside the parks each day – see Dining Out). Looking at it another way, it depends more on your ticket type than the parks themselves; the Orlando Flex Ticket (covering Universal’s 2 parks, SeaWorld, Aquatic and the Wet ’n Wild water park) could well be seen as better value per day than, say a 5-Day Disney Premium Ticket as it could give you up to 14 days of park fun, as opposed to the 8-day value of the Disney ticket. But, a 14 or 21-Day Disney Ultimate ticket is then even better value on a per-day basis. The bottom line is you really have to know your ticket requirements and, more importantly, how many days you plan for each park, before you go (and, therefore, before you buy your tickets). We cannot stress the importance of planning this aspect of your holiday enough.

Elsewhere, we currently rate Cypress Gardens as superb value for money because, as well as the fact it is cheaper on a daily ticket basis than the main eight, it is offering 2nd Day Free deals if you return within 7 days. And the all-new version of Cypress Gardens, including its new 6-acre water park, now makes for a very full day out with its combination of rides, shows, exhibits and gardens, even allowing for the fact it is a longer journey out to the south of Orlando (in Winter Haven, roughly 45 minutes’ drive from the International Drive area).

Equally, Gatorland is both highly Brit-popular and provides great bang for your buck (as the Americans say!) as it is less than half the cost of a day at one of the main parks and provides entertainment for the better part of a day, especially for families with younger children, now that Gator Gully Splash Park is open. The shows and exhibits here are distinctly more low-key than the theme parks and there aren’t any rides as such, but it can be quite an educational experience, as well as a glimpse of the real Florida, and it offers some unique experiences, like the Gator Jumparoo, Gator Gully Splash Park and Jungle Crocs of the World shows.

By a similar quality, Silver Springs (about a 90-minute drive to the north) is a cheaper day ticket than most and also offers a full day out for the admission price. The pace is relaxed, making it a perfect rest day when you still want to be somewhat active. Floating along the river-way acts as a real tonic, adjusting frazzled attitudes while seeing some amazing geographical features you won’t soon forget.

Other handy diversions, especially if the weather is bad and you don’t want to use up a day at one of the main parks in the rain, are the Orlando Science Center (just north of downtown Orlando), which should keep you amused for at least half a day, WonderWorks (a hands-on fun center by The Pointe shopping and dining complex on International Drive), which usually keeps kids busy for anything up to four hours, and DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney, which is an interactive ‘theme park in a box’ consisting of a host of arcade and virtual reality games that is one of the ‘Water Park Fun and More’ options with a 5 and 7-Day Premium Ticket and is free with all Ultimate tickets.

Orlando on a Budget