Orlando: What NOT to do in Orlando, Florida
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- Heading to Orlando for Disney World, Epcot Center, Universal Studios or any of the fun tourist activities and adventures in the area? Well if you are heading on that Orlando Vacation here are some of the tourists do's and don'ts you should know before you visit Orlando... and no, there is no beach in Orlando, let's just get that out of the way first.
Filmed in Florida
Copyright Mark Wolters 2019
The Don'ts of Travel Playlist:
• The DON'Ts of Traveling
The Shocks of Travel Playlist:
• Visit USA - 10 Culture...
Grab Wolters World Merchandise & Travel Gear at
www.woltersworld.com/shop
Help Us Keep Make More Honest Travel Videos: / woltersworld
Our Gear:
We travel with a Microsoft Surface everywhere we go. I edit my videos on it & use it to backup my pictures and vides while we travel. It’s light and the best travel laptop on the market in my opinion.
amzn.to/2L55pDR
We use Sony Alpha series cameras to film our videos. They are compact so you don’t look like a super tourist when you take great pictures and videos while you travel.
amzn.to/2WbTNFH
We use Manfrotto Tripods. They are compact, travel well, and honestly I would not use another tripod for my nice cameras.
amzn.to/35AWqUs
Travel Plug that works in pretty much any country & has four USB ports. A must for any traveler.
amzn.to/2YDeADt
Want to grab some great gear? We have used Osprey Packs for years & swear by them. Check them out here
Need some clothing for your next adventure? Patagonia has some pretty good stuff for all kinds of travelers.
tinyurl.com/woltersworldpatag...
Hey There Fellow Travelers! Thank you for watching our honest travel vlogs from all over this wonderful world. If you would like to get in contact with us please follow us & send us a message via our social media channels below. Also, if you like our travel videos please feel free to share them with other fellow travelers.
Follow Us At
/ woltersworld
/ woltersworld
/ woltersworld
/ woltersworld
www.woltersworld.com
I’ve lived in Orlando my whole life except for 5 years in Tallahassee at Florida State University. I’ve had year passes to Disney and all the other parks for years as well (not at the same time, because that would be silly). I worked summers during high school and college at Disney, Universal and Wet N’ Wild, which sadly doesn’t exist anymore... but anyways.... so I’ve got a secret… if you’ve ever wanted to visit a park here in Orlando and want to do EVERYTHING in that park in one day with no need for fast passes or anything like that...
Super Bowl Sunday. Parks are mostly empty. You’re welcome.
Brilliant! Thanks.
Doing gods work
I live here. Why am I watching this?... 😂
to see if I got a few things right ;)
Me too :)
same
Me too. Just checking to see if he got stuff right.
Ikr
If you're going to Orlando and can't afford Disney but want a Disney experience go to Disney Springs (downtown Disney)
And take the disney busses to hotels amd walk around hotels for free
@@historychannel2317 yes, forgot about that part
It's not a Disney experience. It's an outdoor mall
True, but i take my wife to disney springs, then get on a bus to a hotel such as the contemporary, walk around play lawn chess, cornhole then get on the ferry boat to animal lodge, walk around there, then ride bus to grand floridian hotel amd walk around, then as it gets closer to the fireworks we goto the polynesian and walk out to the hill, lay down and watch the fireworks for free. Its the best free disney expierence :)
Go to Disney Springs if you want to max out your credit card in a hurry
Don’t go to Walmart near Disney, busy as hell!!!! Like Black Friday. Busy
my truck got broken into at CHUYS in Kissimmee and i went to the Kissimmee walmart to get some duct tape and garbage bags to cover my window and you're so right. It was like black friday in there! Thank god I was able to leave my toddler son with my in laws so my wife went with me to walmart.
Cassy Spears My Disney resort hotel had bee bugs so the gave my mom and sister $100 each to go get clothes to wear for the trip because they took all of our things to be taken and cleaned and everything. It was 3 am and it was crazy busy. Some weird people there too.
And expensive!!
Don't go to Wal-Mart in general. Especially if you're use to European priced groceries. Wal-Mart is v expensive for basic shopping essentials.
The Orlando Science Center is a great place to visit if you have kids. If you’re coming with older kids or by yourself, the Orlando Art Museum and Lue gardens are great spots to see.
Side note: while most Orlando tourism is low in October, the large theme parks are very crowded. Micky’s Not So Scary Halloween party and Halloween Horror Nights are big events. Worth going, but don’t expect low crowd levels at theme parks.
Thanks for the great helpful comment! you are really good at getting the kids to come visit pennywise :)
This is especially applicable this year (2019) as it is the longest time both events have ever run with Not So Scary running from Aug. 16th - Nov. 1st and Horror Nights running from Sept. 6th - Nov. 2nd.
My son and I were in the Science Center Feb. 2017. Great experience. Also the lake ride in Winterpark was a nice touch to the last day of our stay. Generally - there are so many "other" sights than the obvious, and maybe it's time to put them on display more...
I'll have to check out the Science Center. They are so much fun. We found one in San Francisco and it was a blast.
@@woltersworld Pennywise needs love too, and no one will beat that clown's dance moves
Don't drive on I4 right now and think you're going to get some where fast.😁
Facts I take the SunRail
Never come to Florida during the summer, ESPECIALLY if you’re going to one of the parks. So many people are sent to the hospital or get crazy sick because of the heat. It’s really serious. And the lines are way too long
We went in late July a couple years ago it was fine, but I don't know because since we are Latinos lol we can stand the heat and humidity. Also, the humidity makes your skin really soft and clear from excess sweat coming off your pores. I was amazed especially coming from Northern California near San Francisco. We have dry and hot weather for the majority of the summer. So we tend to lotion up if not we get dry flaky skin. During late summer it's almost hurricane season so when we were there it rained and it was windy on "some" occasions. It did not hurt the vacation. It was actually really nice. The rain is warm, not cold like here in Northern California. When it does rain a lot and the wind picks up than the park urges the people to find shelter unless you have a raincoat, the rides remain open like Indiana Jones only the ones that have indoor shelter, outdoor rides are closed for the time being until weather clears up again. If you are in a hotel pool they remain open unless the rain and wind are too excessive they closed it down.
We knew the lines were going to belong so fast pass was awesome. We used the mobile app and reserve rides 2-3 days in advance. Worked well, the food we dodged it, too expensive and ok in quality inside the park unless high-end restaurants or Disney springs but Disney springs. We instead went to a super Walmart bought cereal, bread, and meat for sandwiches and occasionally inside the park, we do get some snack or lunch if it was necessary but for us eating twice a day while going to the park is enough.
exactly! as a native floridian, not enough people understand that florida vacation is a winter thing, not a summer thing. it's way easier to walk around universal studios while it's 50 degrees than it is in 90 degree heat.
is going in December a good idea?
@@Nocredit11208 in terms of weather yes! but also that’s when all the latin america tourists and people from new york are here it gets crazy packed
Get good
I live in orlando and can confidently say: don't come during the summer, all you're see is rain and awful weather. Come during spring if anything
Best time to come is mid Sept-late Oct. Just after the Summer rush, but just before the start of the Holidays. It's significantly less crowded, temperature cools down, humidity drops, and it's just at the end of our rainy season
My experience with Orlando, FL:
Service: I found that when I treated the server well, the server treated me well. I smiled at them. I asked how their day was going. No one else did that, and that made me stand out in their minds. And they remembered me. When I went back, I got service with a smile.
Transport: I have done Orlando with a car and without; that is, shuttles. I prefer shuttles. Why the blue bloody hell would I take a vacation to subject myself to the stress of driving in Orlando when I have the shuttle option? Every hotel I have used in Orlando had shuttles.
h lynn keith I agree, the traffic here is awful, and driving in Orlando, especially on I4, is horrific, shuttles and anything else is better for tourists
I’ve always enjoyed driving in Orlando find it pretty chilled and relaxed. It has its moments but for the most part I enjoy it. I supposed compared to where I’m from it’s a novelty all the craziness as we don’t have traffic problems.
"Don't try to do everything" is such good universal advice. Especially on a short trip!
Amen. The FOMO that people get makes them do too much so they don't actually enjoy anything
We used to try to do it all in one trip. We just got exhausted. We learned on other trips to just relax. I love your advice.
Also, if you're on International Drive, don't think you need to stay on that road while traffic is moving like a herd of turtles. You can choose Universal Blvd. or one of the other adjacent roads and then just cut over to your destination on a cross street. This from a native in the area.
As a person who was born in Altamonte Springs, Fl. I can attest that this video is real, raw, and informative. great video sir.
I'm from Altamonte too and I agree! 😂👍
Really good advice coming from a local! Stay hydrated at the parks please! Go up to any stand that sells drinks and ask for a cup of water. It's free! Also don't try to do everything. I work in the parks and I see people all the time get wayyyyy too stressed on their vacation because there's so much to do. Also if your a rollercoaster junkie go to Busch gardens Tampa. It's just over an hour drive but some of the best coasters in Florida are there!
matthew mcguire and there’s a free coach bus to tampa to visit busch gardens!
Also be very careful walking small dogs near Florida lakes, ponds, swamps, etc. Gators see them as prey too.
They attack big dogs too. One just recently killed a 100 pound pit bull
Go to Disney in November.As a local I can tell you the weather is so nice! Pretty much after Christmas it's back to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.also go to Disney springs (downtown Disney) if you can't afford to go to Disney but you will still get a Disney vibe.it's a bunch of shopping centers and experiences.it's free to get in if you just want to take a stroll and kill some time.great for kids and adults.everyone will have fun!
Great advice
Don't forget things like Kennedy Space Center, Sea World and Fun Spot.
And legoland
Funspot Kissimme??
Kennedy and seaworld were amazing when i was there
Both funspot are great. Orlando has more rides, Kissimmee has old town Kissimmee.
Kennedy space center isn’t in Orlando lol
I highly recommend touring Pine Hills and Mercy Drive at night . Very scenic places
Keatan please don’t forget Richmond heights and carver shores
Lmao I was waiting for this comment.
Take a leisurely stroll along Orange Blossom Trail if you're looking for a good time 😉
@@HaunaMyKiki Oh the wonders they will See, Its a magical place almost as magical as Disney
Keatan LMAOOOOO
Two things:
1). Fall is one of the best times to go to Orlando if you want to avoid crowds. However remember that hurricane season lasts all the way through November and is commonly the most active from late July to early October. So just try to be safe, while down here, no vacation is worth losing your life!
2). A little background to the customer service is simply: the people at disney and universal are happier because they are paid better. Disney and Universal both have company-set minimum wages that are currently at $13 and will continue to rise gradually to $15. However the state of Florida has a low minimum wage at $8.45. When you combine that with the droves of tourists that are in Orlando, year round, it puts a lot of stress on service industry workers. So next time you're vacationing in Orlando; DO be kind and have some patience, whatever inconvenience you have is likely that service worker's day-to-day.
I'm a Floridian, and I haven't experienced super crazy hurricanes, but they can happen. Hurricane Andrew was very dangerous and deadly.
many disney employees are also part of the college program. so they're college age kids that choose to come down to florida and work their for a while, it makes sense they would have better service
I'd also add, Orlando is more than just our theme parks. We have so many places to catch various shows, do fun activities, and even just enjoy nature like our beautiful springs with ICY cold waters. Plus gardens and museums. You could easily make a day out of Mills Avenue outside of Downtown or the Winter Park area. We also have SO MANY awesome places to eat so PLEASE don't just eat at chains. Check out local places even if they look a bit dumpy or small and basic, the food will probably be way better and better priced than at a chain.
And for the theme parks, a fast pass at Disney is different than a fast pass at Universal. Act like a brat at customer service in Disney and they'll do their best to make up for it, act like a brat at Universal and you'll get the minimum in return. I have friends who are/were at guest service at Universal and the nicer you are the more they gave you.
You forgot the school shootings
Orlando is a city designed with tourists in mind as opposed to a popular city with small sections meant to entice tourists (like New York or other such cities with “tourist trap” locations; Orlando /is/ the tourist trap)
Of all the things to see in Orlando...you recommend Mills ave to tourists...really?? I definitely would not recommend leaving what you're doing, sitting in Orlando traffic for an hour just to get some food, then having to sit in traffic again going all the way back to whatever you want to do next.
Sarah Wasser Not really. Only the SW part of Orlando is like that. Nothing North of Conroy, including Downtown, Winter Park, etc., is designed to entice tourists. There are, in fact, “tourist trap locations,” and they are the Disney area, Universal and I-Drive. The majority of Orlando is not a tourist trap by any means.
What local restaurants would you recommend?
The beach is sooo far. I liked St Augustine as a cool day trip. Very historic and under the radar.
faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar :)
What?! The beach is only 30 - 45 minutes away depending on traffic and how fast you drive. Typically, 45 minutes to get to Cocoa Beach on the 528 at the most, which is a pretty nice beach and most of the time is not super crowded like Daytona or New Smyrna.
Tourists , please use an Uber rather than renting a car. Signed , All Orlando Residents
Appreciated and noted
Maverick_is _right_ let me second this
I had 4 uber drivers while in Orlando, 3 didn't really know were they were going. Omg and don't get me started on all the constructions.
ccanela28 or taxi
People think the same about California and beaches. Great video, thanks.
Born and raised in Orlando. I've travelled the world but I dont think I'd ever leave my home. It's true the people can be rude sometimes and we have to deal with hurricanes and heat but everyday of my life is a vacation. There's always something to do. The scenery and wildlife are beautiful. I couldn't live without my gators and sand cranes. Beaches aren't too far away. There are soooo many theme parks to go to. One thing that's going away here are the orange groves. I'm gonna miss the sweet smell when they're all gone. Everything is getting destroyed for tourists and hotels.
I've lived in orlando for 8 years and I hate it. Parks are crazy expensive and I've been on every ride once you go theres nothing else, only thing here is consumerism. Theres no culture and the people are a hit or miss. Tampa is much better in my opinion, fresh breeze and more peace and quiet than orlando, only problem is the slums
November in Orlando was awesome. My don't: Don't do the TimeShares! They are everywhere!
Totally agree with your comment about driving, either a speedway or a parking lot. Be careful out there!
A tip/don't for those traveling to Disney World or other themeparks that sell balloons. Do not bring your INFLATED balloon through TSA. Do take your inflated balloon to either the Disney Resort desk OR the Disney Store inside the Orlando International Airport to be safely deflate so it does not break into amillion pieces. They also replace them deflated if that happened. Can't tell you how many kids cry because the parents did not know that and TSA says they cannot take it through inflated...so it gets thrown away by mom and dad.
Also don't wear all your theme park gear to other theme parks. It is insulting to them and some will point it out (like in a passive aggressive type way) Plus it makes you stand out to potential theives.
Don't buy your Souvenirs at the parks. There are many shops outside the parks on International Drive that sell the exact same items (or out of season items) for 1/4 the price....this includes embroidered mickey ears, shamoo lunch boxes, lego build your own cups, wands etc etc.
Do bring your own lunch when you can. (Legoland is the exception they don't allow it)
Bring/buy a refill drink cup for the frozen stuff. And USE IT. Bring it back and just get the stickers for the parks that do it.
Check out the museums like the Titanic Museum which does daily shows and sometimes dinners.
I just spent the day at Discovery Cove with my boys. Their customer service was on point. There’s so much to do here, you won’t be bored at all! You can swim and interact with dolphins, and do the animal trek. I did that, plus upgraded bar pass. Well worth every penny!!! Everyone here was just exceptionally friendly and accommodating!!!
That's cool
I'm from Orlando, born and raised. And this was a good video! You really hit all the important tips 👍
Check out the springs around Orlando. Beautiful, great swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and cheap.
Okay seriously who thinks feeding an alligator is a good idea
you would be surprised... just look up online
I live in Florida. Its probably tourists doing it lol
chowt c Florida man
@@ErinDavila76 speaking as someone from England where the most dangerous animal is a group of cows even I wouldn't think of it, makes sense though
@@woltersworld yes I suppose if you've never dealt with an animal you'd have no idea. I remember once on my uni campus (in Brighton England) I saw two foreign students near a fox, at first I thought they were just looking at it but next thing you know they're going in to pet it and of course it lashes back at them (whether they'd never dealt with city foxes or foxes in general I'm not sure). Still in comparison an alligator just looks kinda... I dunno... Like it could kill you?
Awesome tips!! Staying on property is a game changer for the Disney experience!
The don’t I learned the hard way: Don’t take an airport shuttle
1. It’s just as expensive as an Uber for three people.
2. It takes forever.
Great video.
Yeah. transport fun fun fun in orlando could be its own video :)
😂Either a race track or parking lot! So true! 😂 As an Orlando resident I don’t know why I watched this but it was entertaining.
I enjoy your videos but i have to disagree with you about non friendly people outside of Disney. I moved here 8 years ago from New York and it took me a while to get used to how friendly people are here. Just going into Publix here is awesome, most people are very friendly .... if you are friendly to them also. What we see in Orlando is tourists who treat locals like we are there to enhance their vacation instead of realizing that we actually LIVE here and they are visiting us. I think if tourists (anywhere not just in Orlando) are respectful and pleasant, they will find many locals will be as well. Thanks for your videos!
This is a great video. You got straight to the point and had a lot of quick tips without rambling. Please do more videos!
Omg!!! THANK YOU!! I live here and u need to share this to ppls from up north!! Who dont understand here!! I'm going to share this!!
Totally love doing that! Take a stack of hotel pamphlets and looking through things to do
Great tips that helped me when visiting Orlando. Another tip for people wanting to use public transport instead of rental cars... itrolley is a bus that goes up and down international drive. From my knowledgeable it’s around $1.25 one way which can get expensive over a 14 day break. Speak to your hotel or the bus drivers about the 2/7/14/21 day passes that get you unlimited travel on the system for anywhere between $5-30 for the pass! Even after 2 days of travel we would have spent the same buying singles as oppose to the pass!
I LOVE your videos. They are so helpful
I believe I've seen u before and this video again satisfied me as well as the first one. Thanks for a practical Don't video so I can prepare my trip to Orlando next week~
I can definitely attest to the advice regarding down time between parks. All that theme park action though fun can and will burn you out before long.
Thanks a lot man I appreciate it, I'm visiting Orlando with my wife and the little one For a week this weekend:). Thanks a lot for the tips and hope it's not very busy
As a local, I can confirm all these tips are super helpful! I will say though there is exceptional service to be found off site of Universal and Disney. If you deviate from the large corporate chains, you are bound to find wonderful restaurant service!
Staying on-premises in the Disney universe is really nice. There are trams, buses, and I hear a new gondola that are at your disposal to get you around. I can't imagine being out of the Disney area, it would be difficult to go rest - especially with little kids - or getting to other parks/resorts.
If you want to pay an arm and leg, stay on premises.
Thank you for warning people about not messing around with gators. I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I had to rescue tourists for doing something stupid like swimming in the lakes down here.
I have made sure to put that in all our Florida, Orlando, and Tampa videos because you are right it is a serious thing and people don't take it serious enough.
The gators aren't really the reason that we don't swim in lakes. We swim in plenty of springs with gators, it's the microorganisms that grow in warm stagnant water that make it a bad idea to swim in the lakes. I definitely wouldn't suggest having a small dog or child near a lake, and I'm glad he mentioned to not feed gators because that's what makes them dangerous.
@@Primalxbeast Yeah, the marshmellow throwers... talking to them :)
Thanks Mark. Orlando is on the to-do list for sure
Thank you from London, UK. Very informative. A video about driving, parking and tolls will be useful.
Spot on my friend 👌 September is the slowest season in Orlando.
Welcome to Florida Mark!
Great tips! We are coming in January. Can't wait to check out the area!
Thank you so much! I’m planning to come here.
9:00 is probably the most important tip he gives no matter where you are. Making the mistake of wearing flip-flops (and suiting out your child in flimsy Tevas) instead of walking shoes can even cause fights when you're on vacation.
Boas dicas. Quando estivemos em Orlando observamos essas coisas e foi muito legal, sem surpresas
Great advice thank you!!
Central Florida is a definite two week vacation. Or if a local, a full year of weekends!😀
there you go!
Another tip is when visiting the parks (universal, Disney, sea world, etc) get there for opening!! We completed all the rides by 11-12 and instead of spending money on the ridiculously overpriced food in the parks, we went outside the parks. Don’t stress if you don’t get everything done in one day, if your on a 14 day break you will find yourself having spare days where you can re-visit some of the parks to get on the rides you missed
Another tip when visiting the outlet stores (both ends of international drive) if you visit the information desks within the outlet stores, they will have voucher booklets that you can buy for around $5 which give you MEGA savings off shops! We saved around $50 in Michael Kors on one shop so highly recommend
I just visited a week ago for that week. I had such a great time! I wish I lived there lol
...I Like Bush Gardens....Sunken Gardens....It was A Fun time during the 80's...
I was born in Orlando and still enjoy visiting my family out there usually during the Summer.I agree it gets really packed during June and July so longer lines for rides at the park as well as other attractions are expected for the most part.I'd love to someday return maybe during a March sometime so it's more relaxed we'll see.Anyway I know this video is from a few months ago so you probably wont respond but great videos!
Thanks this was quite helpful
If you're not from the US like me, don't forget to visit a basketballgame from Orlando Magic in Amway Stadium. Even if you don't like basketball or don't know anything about it (like me), you WILL like it. Great energy and vibe in the stadium, I consider it as one of my best memories from Orlando.
As a swede I appreciate the shirts your kids are wearing :)
Here’s some advice for anybody planning on going to Disney. They sometimes offers special ticketed events called After Hours where you get to spend some more time inside of the parks after everybody else leaves. It’s only a little over $100 per person but totally worth it. You get free refreshments and ice cream and you also get to ride all the rides with very little wait time whereas during the day, you would probably have to wait over an hour to ride it. *It’s not Extra Magic Hours where if you stay at a Disney resort, you get to go in the parks early. This is something different!*
Great advice. We live near Tampa and have a RV. We took our 4 y/o grandson (and his parents :) ) to Ft. Wilderness .. Didn't even go to a Disney Park. He had a lot of fun riding the boat ride from Ft. Wilderness to the Contemporary Hotel, the Monorail from the Contemporary out and back, playing in the kiddie pools at the campground and in the playgrounds, roasting marshmallows at the Chip and Dale Campfire. So, much to do there for a small child when they might be overwhelmed by a visit to a Disney Park. BTW, similar experiences can be had at on property hotels and if you don't have a RV Ft. Wilderness has cabins for rent.
Thank you! I’m going here in April
You can go to Cocoa Beach from Orlando. Its about an hour and an easy drive. Living beach side we go to Orlando all the time for parks on the weekends
The person who owns the vehicle at 4:48 lives in Winter Haven. I see that car everyday and it never gets old 😂
As a Floridian I'd say be prepared for a different climate, snakes, insects etc. Some "free" activities: City walk, downtown disney (whatever they're calling it this week) are free, besides parking now. Use the buses there to go to all of the Disney hotels and the boats at downtown disney, to sample their foods and explore their activities on property. Hit up the contemporary resort balcony to catch the fireworks from disney at night. Planet Hollywood and O' hannas are my two all time date restaurants.
A little tip: During the month of September through November, Universal Studios has an event during the evening that runs to the late night called Halloween Horror Nights. It's super fun but not kid-friendly unless your child enjoys horror! It's a great even to go to if you want a scare during the spooky season!
Central Florida native here. There is great service outside of the tourist areas and they’re not a long drive. If you’re at tourist restaurants, you get tourist service. Downtown Orlando, Winter Park etc all have great restaurnats and great serviceClearwater is a sketchy and dirty beach. SIesta Key and Anna Maria are nice. New Smyrna Beach is “Orlando’s favorite beach”.
Im going in june..cant wait
Excellent video and content
Great Video MAN !!!! loved it
Great info. Thanks!
Yes, Orlando is very expensive.. but, you are going to have a unforgettable and truly world class experience.
Few things: MCO is way better and way closer than the other airports. “Orlando Melbourne Airport” is at least an hour drive before you get to any place that’d be considered Orlando.
As far as service, idrive and other tourist trap areas will generally have poor service. If you want good service at non Disney places you need to go towards downtown to escape the tourist side of town. There’s a loads of great local restaurants and things to do like Winter Park where you won’t be labeled as a tourist (sucker).
I love orlando area. I especially love universal.
"Don't worry about the price, enjoy the experience... deal with the money later" as a twice a year visitor from PA who has spent over $1k on Transformers, VIP tours, character dinners, this is the best advice ever
Was anybody looking dreadfully at the lake all the video waiting for an alligator to appear ?
We have Gators in every ditch and pond in Florida. An old friend of mine held the record for biggest Gator killed in the gator hunt 14feet 8inches new record hit over 15 feet
yes!
Thats for sure no beaches around. Thank you for sharing.
I don't even know why I'm watching this! I've been to Orlando at least ten times
Hello guy i'm TH-camr from Brazil , your vídeo is really very good.
You don't have to "Book 6 months in advance" to see a princess or any character at Disneyworld.
Disney characters are all over at Disneyworld and they go to specifc spots at specific times throughout the day to meet guests ( called "Meet & Greets). The exact times amd places that they will be out for M&G are listed on the MyDisney App, which anyone can download, and on the the parl maps which you can pick up at the park entrances on your way in.
Then all you do is look and see the character you want and where they are and show up. There will be a line of course but with some you can even fast pass which will let you jump ahead (those you CAN book ahead of time or same day) and other M&G's have multiple characters that u can meet at the same time. And there are some that "roam" - (walk around randomly) that you can also stop and grab a pic with. Or, you might be walking along and see a charcter with a line of peole waiting to take pics --just jump in line.
But ALL pf this can be done on the same day and at the spur of the moment - no "reservation" required. Just look at the app normal and go to wherever that character is.
What needs RESERVATIONS is if you want to DINE with a character. There are many restaurants in Disneyworld where characters come out while you are eating. Those restaurants are very populat and yes, you do need to reserve that ahead of time.
ive been going to florida for about 8 summers now and i'd say if you go there for a beach, i suggest you go to Destin. its become a bit more touristy lately but the beach is still so beautiful. also, if your crowd that youre going to a park with prefers bigger rides, i recommend island's of adventure. magic kingdom was never really a hit with an older crowd unless you have children with you (in my case).
As a local, I urge you to check out Old Florida charm. Kelly Park in Apopka (only 30 minutes north of Universal) is tied into the Wekiva Springs and has a place you can tube. Tubes are for rent outside the park $15 each and admission is only $6 per carload. Pack a picnic lunch and you have a low cost, fun family day. If you are here in early February, don't miss Blue Springs state park where you can see the manatees.
As a Floridian who lives in smaller places here is what I have to say. When people think of Florida, they think of Florida man, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. But when you go to the smaller places, you still find a beauty there. Also, Orlando HAS TONS of gators. Always keep an eye out when you're close to water.
We drive every year from NY straight to Orlando we never book hotels or buy tickets in advance or characters dining we just got back our 18th straight vacation. We get up and say we leave today or tomorrow pack the car and out we go. Take our time 2-3 days on the road. When we reach Orlando we go into either Cabana Bay or Drury Inn no reservations. There are always rooms available. We’ve done character dining with the princess’s and other characters with no reservations. And it’s been great. We know Florida so well my husband uses no gps we love Florida
Orlando native here: keep your eye on the weather (I use DarkSky as it is super accurate down to minutes) and don’t even consider coming during hurricane season as your flights, cruises, etc. will likely be delayed or outright canceled (so if you are coming, make sure you’re not arriving the day of your cruise boarding as you will be stuck if it gets canceled, at least find the airport/nearest hotel if that happens)
Hidden benefit of hurricane season for us locals though: Disney is like /super/ empty right now by /Disney/ standards... like I’m talking “30 minutes to get on Dwarves Mine Train in the middle of Not So Scary” empty; and if you find yourself stranded in Florida during a hurricane: please follow the safety instructions and evacuate if you are instructed to
Orlando is one of my favorite places. Haha I am amazed that people see alligators as tame.
Don't take Flash pictures in dark rides and in dark shows
Great video
A fun side trip/ break day activity that my girls really enjoyed was a sunrise/sunset day. Early morning trip to see the sunrise over the Atlantic ocean (for us Cocoa Beach), a relaxing day in the middle, and a beautiful sunset over the gulf of Mexico (for us Clearwater beach). The kids slept in the car most of the way. Beautiful and relaxing way to get out of the chaos of Orlando.
Good call Michael!
As a resident of Orlando, I must disagree with the notion that all service outside Disney is bad service. This is true when you are in the tourist areas in restaurants, etc that pretty much serve only tourists. On that, you are right. They don't have to worry about building clientele if they serve mostly tourists. BUT....there are entire residential areas of Orlando where you'd never know you were within 30 min of Disney. There are awesome little neighborhoods and lots of great food AND good service. There is historic Winter Park, Church Street, Thornton Park, Lake Eola... Respectfully, this is more of a video on visiting the Orlando theme parks, not Olrando
I think he is talking more about I-Drive and 192 where sadly service is terrible.
As a Florida Resident some advice. Please consider that any body of fresh water contains atleast one Alligator, Do not let yourselves or your small children or pets anywhere near them. Also when visiting the beaches anywhere in Florida NEVER FEED THE DAM SEAGULLS! Seagulls are nothing more then winged rats and will crap on you the first chance they get...
don't worry mark, i'll stay hydrated ;)
I haven’t been to Orlando in a hot minute, but if I had to choose between visiting Universal or Disney, I’m going with Universal. I think the themes are cooler, I’m a huge Jurassic Park(World) guy, and the rides are more thrilling.
Life size FL bug LOL. Too true. I'm from the east coast though, so I'm of course going to tell you to check out Cocoa Beach and visit those beaches plus the space center. Orlando isn't too expensive if you don't do a theme park, but Disney is still pretty great.
Also to echo other in the comment section yes I-4 is hell on Earth. I-95 can be a bit crowded but nothing like the inferno that is I-4
If you are wanting to go to Universal in like September and October get park hoppers and go to Studios first because they will make you leave studios for Halloween Horror Nights but if you get park hoppers then you can go to Islands of Adventure.
Clearwater is amazing , theres a part called honeymoon island where surprised and proposed to my wife in 2010 , book your tickets before for the beat savings, go for three weeks if you can , shopping days as downtime agree about the walking shoes hoping for October 2021 booking this week be our 6th trip