Orlando Planning Tips | Gotta Go Orlando

Lets Get Planning

If your planning an Orlando trip then of course you'll want to discover as much info as possible, and here at Gotta Go Orlando our aim is to help you plan an awesome trip to Central Florida.

Here we list just a few tips and recommendations, for in depth planning tips follow our daily vlog with Emma and Shane, where we share all the latest news and info on our gorgeous vacation location!

Get Set, Plan!

A major decision in getting to do as much as possible in Orlando is the time of year you visit, if you can arrange your trip out of season and avoid the crazy busy holiday periods it makes a huge difference.

Visiting in the quieter months means your theme park days will be less stressful and more enjoyable with shorter lines, plus you will enjoy less crowded attractions, restaurants and malls, all with deals too, and as an added bonus you will also enjoy much quieter roads in and around Orlando, plus hotel offer cheaper rates too!

The busiest times of year in Orlando are Spring Break, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and the Holidays, expect it to be super busy!

The longer your trip, the easier the pace, you can plan a rest day if possible to keep from getting worn out, there is nothing worse than having to tour theme parks without breaks, especially if your trip is during the most humid and hottest days of the year!

The thing to remember is with so much to do, you really can’t do it all in one visit, so focus on what appeals most and avoid making too many reservations, dashing from park to park is a guaranteed recipe for exhaustion and confusion.

Restaurants are usually busiest from 12 pm to 1.30 pm and 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm, so try to avoid those times for more relaxed and queue free dining.

Staying at Resort Properties is more expensive but it comes with many perks, so factor them in.

For guests staying on site, Walt Disney World offers exclusive hours before and after opening at it's theme park. It also offers inclusive meal plans and transportation between its parks, and hotels.

Most Universal Orlando Resort hotels allows guests to use special express lines to reduce the wait for rides and shows, this helps get to more rides and shows in a single day. Plus, like Disney, Universal also offers free bus, and boat transportation between its hotels and parks.

Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are all within around thirty minutes or less of each other barring busy traffic, and if your not travelling here by car we recommend renting a car, in fact we cannot recommend it enough!!

A car let's you move easily and quickly between the theme parks and it makes it easier to visit shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment options.

A great way to save money is to purchase combination tickets. Check out our discounted tickets options too!

Also, get discounted admission with Disney World's "Park Hopper" tickets, this allows you to move freely between all four of its theme parks throughout the day. Universal offers something similar for its parks.

Keep in mind, though, that visiting more than one park per day may be too exhausting for children, not to mention the adults, especially in the high temps of summer.

The Orlando theme parks host special events, some of which require a separate ticket Universal hosts Halloween Horror Nights throughout September and October, while Disney World's Epcot has Flower And Garden Festival in spring and Food and Wine Festival in the fall.

If you have the time it's worth the hours drive from Orlando to enjoy the warm waters of the ocean or visit Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for an out of this world experience.

Oh, and our best tip.... Be sure to have plenty of space in your suitcase, Orlando is an amazing shopping destination, with awesome savings!

Vacation Tips For First Time, Orlando Theme Park Visitors

Have A Rough Plan Before You Go

Even if you’re a spontaneous, chilled out, kind of person who prefers to go with the flow on vacation, that's not really going to work here, you gotta get a plan to explore Central Florida!

Visiting Orlando's theme parks means you have to plan, especially when you have to make Disney dining reservations and FastPass selections well in advance, plus with so much to see and do it's impossible to see everything in one trip and you might miss out on some really amazing things too.

Purchase Theme Park Tickets In Advance

You should definetly purchase your theme park tickets before you go, check the prices here.

Tickets are cheaper when you buy them in advance, which makes it instantly worthwhile of course, plus you’ll avoid the queues at the ticket booths when you arrive, which will save you valuable theme park time.

Plan On Needing Extra Luggage Space

Your going to need lots of extra luggage space for all your theme park souvenirs including mickey ears of course, plus if you’re planning to visit any of Orlando's outlet malls during your trip, your going to need a lot of extra space!

Consider A Theme Park Resort Hotel

If you’re weighing up the decision of whether to stay on site at a Walt Disney World Resort or a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, you have to decide if the price premium charged at the resort hotels is worth the perks that's available.

Depending on which hotel you stay at, advantages include early admission to the parks, free transportation to the theme parks and the earliest attraction and dining reservations.

Pack Your Old, Comfortable Shoes

Orlando vacations can be intense, your going to be walking lots, so don't risk new sneakers, and opt for your most comfortable pair.

Don’t Underestimate The Heat

Yes it's Florida and yes it gets hot.... But if your from a colder climate, nothing can prepare you for just how HOT it can be, so make sure you bring lots of suntan lotion and drink plenty too!

Don’t Try To Do Everything

As we have said already, Orlando has so much to experience that it's just not possible to do everything.

Yes, it can be overwhelming and that's why we're here to help, our guide to all the amazing things to see and do in Orlando is a great place to start.