It's been a while since my last trip to Florida and I have to say I'm feeling a little 'home' sick. The girls are 5 and almost 7 now and it's got me thinking that maybe it's time for them to take their first trip to the parks over there. They are huge fans of Disneyland Paris and I think 2 weeks in Florida would just blow their mind! So Ive been thinking about Florida park tickets and with a bit of research, I finally know where to start.
Florida park tickets - Which parks to choose?
I'd love to take them for a flight on Soarin' in Epcot, which just happens to be my favourite theme park ever, go on safari in Animal Kingdom and take a train ride to Hogwarts at Universal Studios. Not forgetting me being
able to visit some of the newer rides/parts of Magic Kingdom that i've not had the pleasure of visiting yet.
I've written about planning a trip to Florida before, I've looked at places to stay, but this time I've been thinking about the Florida park tickets. Where should I buy them from and what do I need to look for?
In the past we've always done package deals, with mum being a travel agent, it's just made sense for her to do it all at work and get the best deal. But now i'm a 30-year old mum myself, I don't have the luxury of a £300 single parent deal (ahh to live in the 1990's again!), so I've taken to the internet to start thinking about the best way to sort out my Florida park tickets - more specifically Disney, Universal and SeaWorld.
Walt Disney World, Universal Resort (and Islands of Adventure), SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, Bush Gardens, Legoland Florida and Kennedy Space Center. With so many different amazing Florida parks to choose from, I'm starting to wonder if 2 weeks will be enough - maybe I should look at 3. The great thing about Florida theme park tickets however, is that there are some great deals on 14 day Walt Disney World Tickets and even an Orlando all in one pass to let you experience it all.
How many days do you need in your Florida park tickets?
The first thing you need to think about is how many days you want to be in the parks. For Walt Disney World I recommend 2/3 days in Magic Kingdom, 2 days in Epcot and 1 for both Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. You also want to keep in mind that Disney has two amazing water parks - Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. For Universal I recommend spending at least a day in each park (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) and of course for those that love SeaWorld, make sure you keep a day free for that too.
Thats already 12 days and we've only covered the main 3! (See why I need another week now). Another thing to think about is how many rest days you want during your trip. Walking around Florida is very tiring. Not only is the heat hard to handle, but you'll find you do far more stops than usual. Plus when you're abroad and in a nice hotel, you have to take time out to enjoy the pool, right?! Make sure you schedule a rest day at least every 5 days - if not more. The great think about getting a 14 day pass is that you don't have to use it all in one go and every day. Plan ahead for rest and you'll enjoy your trip much more.
Finally, don't plan to do it all! I've been to Florida multiple times and yet there is still so much more for me to explore and do. Plan to go, have fun and fall in love. Make magical moments and plan to come back year after year.
What are your top tips for purchasing Florida park tickets? Leave me a comment below.
*This is a collaborative post*