Daytona & Orlando

[decadence]

Hi,

So I am wondering how expensive Daytona & Orlando are to have a vacation in for a week? I mean I heard on here Miami FL is mucho expensive how 'bout these places?
Student budget y'know so I need to work out how feasible it is.

Also, if you were going to these places for a short time - where would you go/what would you wanna do or see.

Thanks!


edited for spelling

[ZTAMich]

All the times I've vacationed there we saved on hotels by staying with family. And now that my parents live outside of Orlando we tend to avoid all the tourist stops.

To make it less expensive I would either pick one theme park to visit or get a pass of some sort where you pay more money but can park hop or go back the next day. I would also reccommend a little grocery shopping so you aren't eating out for every single meal because that gets expensive real fast. Some of the parks have free areas like Universal's Citiwalk where there is no admission feee to go but you do pay to go to the clubs and bars.

Hope this helped. I know there must be more Floridians here to help out!

[DeltAlum]

Try checking out www.Hotels.com

You can find inexpensive hotels, or really good deals on the better hotels.

Edited to add, the only problem (although it might actually help to spread out the costs), is that when you make a reservation, your credit card is charged right then. When you check out, the only bill you should have would be for incidentals like phone calls, meals, etc.

[sherbertlemons]

Uh, it can get pretty expensive. I live in the area, so I've never actually vacationed here, but I'll tell you what I know.

Tickets for the theme parks run about 50 dollars a day. However, if you check into it, there are multi-day passes which tend to provide pretty substantial discounts. I'd say if you really want to spend substantial time in Disney, definitely look at getting a park hopper, which allws you to visit multiple parks in one day.

Staying off-site tends to run much cheaper than staying on park property, but onsite has definite perks. Disney may be offering some pretty decent package deals right now, with the tourism crunch right now. All Star, their cheapest resort, runs somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-150 a night. I know Universal lets their resort guest use their room keys as automatic Express passes, which cut lines down to less than 15 minutes.

Keep in mind that now to about early November is about the slowest season area theme parks have. There should be good discounts availible.

As for food, eating out does get expensive. Prices at the parks are at a premium, so you may want to look into eating breakfast off site, and then bringing snacks into the park to munch on during the day, thus cutting your expenditures for food down a lot. Keep in mind you can also leave the park and return later if you get your hand stamped at the exit and hold on to your ticket.

[ZTAngel]

I'm going to echo sherbertlemons' statement.

Orlando can get expensive. Disney is about $50 for a ticket. I'm not sure if you can get student discounts at the gate. (I know UCF provides them to their students but you have to purchase them at the Student Union) Universal, Epcot, MGM all run about $50 for a ticket.

The dinner theater shows such as Arabian Nights and Medieval Times are tons of fun and I suggest you go there but, once again, they are expensive.

The Wet and Wild water park is probably one of the least expensive attractions around. They do provide student discounts. Also, if you go there are 3pm, I think tickets are about $15 (but don't quote me on that).

Hotels and restaurants around that area cost a lot of money. You're best bet is to stay somewhat further away from the attractions in a nice hotel. Nice hotels around the theme park area can be about $200/night for the least expensive room. Just make sure if you pick a hotel outside the area that it's not too far away. Orlando is one big toll road and can run you about $8 roundtrip to get to Disney from some parts of the city. Also, the roads here are HORRIBLE. Too many people, too little highways, and too many bad drivers create one of the worst highway systems in the county. There's even a website out called www.ihatei4.com that describes our most hated roadway. There's an area where the two biggest highways in Orlando (408 and I-4) meet up and it's almost laughable to watch people trying to merge (my Orlando peeps know what I'm talking about!).

Restaurants around the Disney are are great but, once again, expensive.

Disney's Pleasure Island and Universal's City Walk provide great night life. They are expensive. Drinks can be in the $10 range. I suggest you go downtown to enjoy the nightlife. It's more of a college scene there anyway. (The Pleasure Island and City Walk area attracts a bunch of 40-year-olds who are trying to relive their youth while their kids are asleep in the hotel room)

Make sure you visit UCF while you're in Orlando. I hear that it's a great school!

[G8Ralphaxi]

Being an Orlando native, I would encourage you to try and do some NON theme park stuff. As much as I like Disney (I'm a stockholder!), there are lots of other things to do. We have a lot of wonderful lakes and great weather that time of year.

Also, downtown has really experienced a revival in the last couple years. lots of great bars along Orange Ave/Wall St. area. Also some really great restaurants in the Thornton Park and Winter Park areas.

Depending on when exactly you come, you might be able to catch the Orlando Shakepeare Festival - they pick two plays and perform them alternating nights at Lake Eola. They actually have decent actors/set design/etc. so it's a good show.

If you like improv theater, check on "SAK Comedy Lab" - it's similar to the "Whose Line is it Anyway?" TV show. They consistently seem to have a really fun show. Check it out: www.sak.com

If you like shopping, there are some killer outlet malls along International Drive. They have an Off 5th (Sak's), and the hugest Ann Taylor Factory Outlet (my home planet! )

As far as hotels go, you could stay closer to downtown for a lot less than by the themeparks - depending on traffic, you can just take I-4 to the parks. If you're getting up early to go to the parks, you'll miss the main rush hour.

Again, nothing against Disney, but there is a lot more to do here. Plus, if you're here for 5 days and spend 5 days at theme parks you will be BROKE and EXHAUSTED at the end. Whoever had the hint about bringing food - definitely! Go stock up on granola bars, etc. Bring a backpack and take turns carrying it - good way to carry little souvenir stuff too.

- G8Ralphaxi

[Optimist Prime]

You're Back?!!

[smiley21]

dont forget orlando's mall of millenia!!!

*sigh* i love orlando. i wish i could live there again

[G8Ralphaxi]

Originally posted by ZTAngel

There's an area where the two biggest highways in Orlando (408 and I-4) meet up and it's almost laughable to watch people trying to merge (my Orlando peeps know what I'm talking about!).

Haha! You're right - what the heck were they thinking? The off ramp is a blind turn, then two lanes of traffic merge into each other and you have about 1.2 seconds to figure out whether you need to be in the left or right lane, then you're in an impossibly tight circle on ramp, slowed down to about 20 mph, then they fling you on I-4 to merge with the crazies driving 70 mph. Faaaaaaabulous!

I had to take the 408 to work this summer downtown, and would get off on Orange Ave and take Rosalind into town because I can't stand the train wreck that is the I-4/East-West interchange. It is without a doubt the WORST intersection in Orlando.

[ZTAngel]

Oh, don't forget that there's usually an accident on that section because either a) someone tried to switch over at last minute and clipped someone or b) someone didn't look before merging and clipped someone.

Since that's the only point where I-4 and 408 connect and it's a one lane connection area (kinda hard to explain unless you've seen it), when there's an accident, traffic will be backed up for miles. The biggest road in Orlando will be at a standstill for about 3 hours. And, since people in Orlando don't understand the concept of moving an accident to the shoulder of the road instead of leaving their cars sitting in the middle of traffic, traffic can be backed up all the way to the UCF area (which is a good couple miles away from this interchange). God I love Orlando!

[decadence]

I don't drive too so I'll have to think about other transport .
What's the mall of millenia?

[ZTAngel]

The Mall of Millenia is a beautiful new mall that has a bunch of high-end stores. Louis Vuitton, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Burberry, Tiffany's, Gucci, Chanel all have stores there. Basically, if you're on a college budget, it's somewhere you go to look but not touch.

[G8Ralphaxi]

Originally posted by decadence
What's the mall of millenia?

Only the most fabulous mall in Orlando! Although somewhat a little too ritzy for my current budget. Lots of "good name" stores (keep in mind when I was growing up, Dillard's and Burdine's were the "nice" stores in Orlando - that was it) There's a Macy's, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Bebe, Ann Taylor (2 stores! the regular one and a Loft!), Banana Republic, etc. etc. etc. And a Tiffany's - when the mall opened, mom and I went and pretended we were Audrey Hepburn. (It's true - you really do feel like "nothing bad could ever happen in a place like Tiffany's")

The mall is actually pretty well done - doesn't feel like your usual cheesy mall. Again, most of the stores are out of my student budget, but there are some deals still. I got a wonderful gray lightweight wool suit at Banana Republic - jacket, skirt, pants, for only $95 total! cost $400-500 originally.

a little inside joke - the "Mall at Millenia" is trying to be all high class, but they misspelled "millennia" - i think it is supposed to have 2 N's. Good job, people.

[G8Ralphaxi]

ZTA - I think we are both posting at the same time. We sound like echoes.

[ZTAMich]

Orlando traffic is one thing...but my parents from NY who deal with it now will tell ya'll that it is NOTHING like NYC traffic.

When they first moved down my sisters asked them what traffic everyone was talking about. LOL