Disney World side trip on a budget recommendations

[mlkgls]

One of my best friends has decided to get married on the beach near Orlando in July and I am thinking about adding a side trip to Disney since we will already be there. I typically research everything to death, but I know nothing about Disney and feel like I need to book flights and hotels ASAP. 

Are there any must sees at Disney or Orlando? Is Universal Studios worth going to? The wedding is on a Friday and I’m open to either going before or after if it makes a difference in crowds or price. I wasn’t budgeting for a Disney vacation this summer so I’m not sure I’m prepared to go for more than a couple days. I have a 9yo DS who probably won’t be a huge fan of roller coasters, but I think he would like Animal Kingdom. Not sure what else. 

Any budget friendly tips? Is it worth using a Disney agent or would using one of the travel booking sites work just as well?

[mainelyfoolish]

There is not much about Disney or Universal that is budget friendly, unfortunately. Ticket prices cost less per day when you buy multi-day tickets, so if you've got more than one day to spend at theme parks, it's cheaper to pick either Disney or Universal for the trip.

Does the 9 year old like Harry Potter at all? Universal has Harry Potter areas in both parks; buy park-to-park tickets and ride the Hogwarts Express between the two. Universal also has a lot besides HP, but you can do it all with two days. If this were my trip, I would skip Disney and do Universal for two days.

Staying in a hotel that is not owned by Universal (or Disney) is much cheaper, however if you decide to do Universal and can splurge on one night at one of their premium hotels, you would get their Express Pass for the day you check in and the day you check out.

I find it easiest to DIY my own bookings on the respective companies' websites rather than going through a TA. If you go through a third party, either a TA or something like Expedia, they "own" that reservation and any changes or issues would have to be dealt with through the intermediary. If you're staying in a off-site hotel, you can easily buy your own tickets online. Check the prices when buying direct vs. buying from Undercover Tourist (a reputable reseller) to see if you can save a few dollars on tickets.

[ssmjlm]

I would check to see if there is even park availability for your dates for Disney.

[mlkgls]

mainelyfoolish, we’ve started watching the HP movies and I looove HP so I’m thinking we might want to do both. He’s not really into the Disney characters anymore but the thought of going to Disney has put stars in his eyes and I feel like we need to go for at least one day. Disney in July wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I doubt we’ll go back again before he’s outgrown the Disney magic stage.

[was5]

May 11, 2021 16:48:00 GMT -5 mlkgls said:

mainelyfoolish, we’ve started watching the HP movies and I looove HP so I’m thinking we might want to do both. He’s not really into the Disney characters anymore but the thought of going to Disney has put stars in his eyes and I feel like we need to go for at least one day. Disney in July wouldn’t have been my first choice, but I doubt we’ll go back again before he’s outgrown the Disney magic stage.

If you are looking for Disney Magic I'd do 2 days at WDW - 1 at Magic Kingdom and 1 at Disney Hollywood Studios, especially for Toy Story Land and Star Wars. I haven't been to Universal yet, but I know people who have done it as a one-day side trip. Make sure to get the ticket that allows you to go park to park at Universal so you can ride the Hogwarts Express.

Eta: as was stated above, you need a park reservation in addition to a ticket at Disney. I'd check for park availability before making any firm plans.

[mlkgls]

Thanks everyone. It looks like our dates are still open, but I took what you said to heart and went ahead and made the park reservations last night. Animal Kingdom is a given and I chose Magic Kingdom as our second day. Now I just need to decide if a day at Universal is in the budget. I have 2.5 unscheduled days left to fill with Orlando area activities.

[jc2009]

Since it will probably be hot and humid, I'd recommend a day at a water park. There are a ton to choose from. I'd also recommend Spirit of the Swamp, the 2 hour ride. Go as early as you can to increase the odds of seeing gators. If you decide to stay in a condo/townhouse, I'd spend the rest of your time at the resort. Have fun!

[chocolatepie]

What beach are you staying at? Depending on where, the drive to Orlando in peak tourist season can be brutal. We live near the beach and are very strategic in when we drive to Orlando (we have to take I-4, which scares me everytime I'm on it).

Are you going to drive back and forth to the beach each night or stay in Orlando the nights you'll be doing parks?

[mlkgls]

May 13, 2021 11:02:38 GMT -5 chocolatepie said:

What beach are you staying at? Depending on where, the drive to Orlando in peak tourist season can be brutal. We live near the beach and are very strategic in when we drive to Orlando (we have to take I-4, which scares me everytime I'm on it).

Are you going to drive back and forth to the beach each night or stay in Orlando the nights you'll be doing parks?

We’re staying in Orlando near the Animal Kingdom park since we’ll be in Orlando most of the time. Wedding is in Cocoa Beach on a Friday evening, but I’m open to any activities/attractions in the general area.

[gaudi]

Universal is not cheap if you only have a day. We did Universal a few weeks ago when it was "low" crowds. The 2 park tickets for 4 of us cost $850. Once we got to the park, the lines were insane, despite the the app showing reasonable wait times. Hogwarts Express said 25 minutes but we waited an hour. There was no way we could do all the rides we wanted with those wait times, so we ended up buying the express passes- another $950.

We managed to do all the rides we wanted but we were in line when the park closed and we didn't do any of the Harry Potter wand stuff because the kids already did it at the other Universal parks.

[turkletsmom]

If your son is into space at all, Kennedy Space Center is really cool and near Cocoa Beach.

[mlkgls]

I think I may have decided against Universal for this trip; it sounds like there’s too much to pack in during one day.

jc2009, Which if the water parks would you recommend? Discovery Cove sounds lovely, but $$$$ for the dates we’ll be there.

[jc2009]

May 16, 2021 12:58:48 GMT -5 mlkgls said:

I think I may have decided against Universal for this trip; it sounds like there’s too much to pack in during one day.

jc2009, Which if the water parks would you recommend? Discovery Cove sounds lovely, but $$$$ for the dates we’ll be there.

Discovery Cove is amazing! The great thing with Discovery Cove is that you can bundle with Sea World and Aquatica (which is the waterpark I'd recommend) so the overall price isn't so bad if you do all three. Just a heads up, they are very relaxed with masking at their parks.

[mlkgls]

May 16, 2021 21:02:04 GMT -5 jc2009 said:

May 16, 2021 12:58:48 GMT -5 mlkgls said:

I think I may have decided against Universal for this trip; it sounds like there’s too much to pack in during one day.

jc2009 , Which if the water parks would you recommend? Discovery Cove sounds lovely, but $$$$ for the dates we’ll be there.

Discovery Cove is amazing! The great thing with Discovery Cove is that you can bundle with Sea World and Aquatica (which is the waterpark I'd recommend) so the overall price isn't so bad if you do all three. Just a heads up, they are very relaxed with masking at their parks.

I saw that ticket choice and it might be nice to sprinkle in a couple water park days, although I foresee my so-called budget flying out the window. 😂