lake compounce: I need a little help with planning a trip to orlando with my 5 year old son. Its our 1st time going to Orlando, Florida :) I have only booked my flights so far, could anyone recommend a good hotel for the 1st two weeks of march 2011? I was about to book Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orlando - Orange Lake Resort, which looks like a great resort, our own kitchen (to save a bit of money) and the pools and everything looks amazing..however after reading reviews on trip advisor there seems to be a LOT of extra costs, like $9 a day for tubes for the lazy river and $15 each for a shuttle bus to the disney parks etc. :/ and i plan to go to the disney parks almost everyday for the 2 weeks! My friend told me some hotels offer free shuttle buses to the parks and i came across Gaylord Palms, another gorgeous hotel but they only have small rooms with no kitchen so we'll have to eat out everynight. I've searched the internet and the two best hotels i could find (in my price range was these 2 hotels). Would it be too much hassle maybe booking 1 week in the Holiday Inn, Orange Lake and 1 week in Gaylord Palms? As we'd get free shuttles in one hotel and great pools in the other! Or should i book into the same hotel for the 2 weeks? I'm so confused! Has anyone stayed at either of these hotels? Could anybody recommend any other good hotels around the disney area, preferably with free shuttles to the parks, and good pools, and lots of things to do at the hotel, as i plan to spent the rest of the holiday relaxing at the hotel. Also Im not goin to rent a car as its only me and my son and with the cost of parking at disney, fuel and the Daily Surcharge for drivers under 25, it wouldnt be worth it. Whats the weather like the 1st two weeks of March? Also which parks would you recommend for a 5 year old? The Walt Disney Resort or to get the Orlando FlexTicket, or the Orlando Freedom Ticket which lets you visit: * Magic Kingdom Park * Epcot * Disney's Hollywood Studios * Disney's Animal Kingdom * Disney鈥檚 Typhoon Lagoon Water Park* * Disney鈥檚 Blizzard Beach Water Park* * Universal Studios Florida * Universal's Islands of Adventure * SeaWorld Orlando * Aquatica * Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Which would be the best for a 5 year old? If we got the Orlando Freedom Ticket, would we have enough time to visit much diffrent parks, or would it be a waste of money? After looking both of them up, I thought the Orlando Flexiticket looked best, but would my 5 year old enjoy it? Sorry for all the question :) hope someone will be able to help, Thanks.|||Parks: I'd say mostly stick to Disney and the water parts (seaworld and Aquatica). Universal Islands of Adventure has very little for kids and your son isnt quite old enough to enjoy all the movie stuff of Universal Studios so again, little for him to enjoy. A good idea in terms of accommodation might be to book one of the Disney resorts for most of your trip then for the last 3 days or so, book something cheaper on International Drive. You can get hotels there for real cheap and International Drive is where the water parks and both universal parks are. I really wouldnt recommend Busch Gardens for a few reasons: 1. It's in Tampa Bay which isnt as close to Orlando as you may think and will be a hassle to get to without a car. 2. Doesnt cater to young kids too much - not in significant ways anyway. The best rides they have are roller coasters. The animals are cool too but if you're going to Animal Kingdom then you can do without it. 3. It'll end up costing you a lot in transport, hotel (you'll most likely need to spend at least 1 night in Tampa), food, park entry etc. Weather: you can pretty much expect sunshine year round in Florida so it'll be sunny. Not scorching hot but it'll be warm enough to be wearing tshirts on most days. You may occasionally need a thin sweater. Hope that helps a bit!|||Hey, at least your questions are specific. Much better than, "I'm going to Orlando, any tips?" :) If you're not renting a car, I highly recommend staying on Disney property. They have great pools which kids love. More importantly, you will be able to get around the Disney property. Go to TripAdvisor or Expedia and read the reviews of people who stayed at places and relied on a shuttle. Hotel shuttles look nice, but in practice they can be a real pain in the @$$. Many are contracted with a third-party transportation service. This means if you have issues, the hotel can say "it's not our fault, call X transportation service." Some shuttles stop at multiple hotels. If you're the first/last hotel on the list, that can mean quite a long ride. So if you decide to stay off-property and use a hotel shuttle, I suggest you call the place directly and ask plenty of questions, like what happens if the shuttle is full, if you need advance reservations, how often the shuttles run, and how long it takes to get from the hotel to the theme parks. Think about being in a Disney park with a tired/cranky 5 year old and no way back to the hotel. Honestly, with a young child, being able to return to your room fairly easily becomes a HUGE deal. As an adult, if I was not renting a car, I would stay in a Disney hotel. Staying on Disney property has other perks besides transportation. The total Disney experience is intangible, but it's worth it. They offer "extra magic hours" where you can visit the theme parks early or stay later than the general public. Getting the first crack at riding Dumbo in the morning---priceless! If the cost of food worries you, you can get the Disney dining plan when you stay on-property, I think the quick-service one (2 counter service meals/ 2 snacks per day) is around $32 for adults and $10 for kids. I don't think the Orlando Freedom ticket would be worth it. I personally think the Universal parks and Busch Gardens don't have much for young children. The only other non-Disney park I'd consider is Sea World. It's great for kids, they can get really close/touch the animals. Sea World's setup means much fewer lines. It's mainly shows and walk-thru exhibits. If you wanted to spend a couple of days at Sea World/Aquatica, move to a hotel on International Drive for a couple of days. They have private buses (the I-trolley) which run up and down International drive, they stop at Sea World and Aquatica. There's plenty of restaurants and other things to do you could reach without relying on a car. Give yourself a pat on the back for thinking ahead. Some people have massive regrets when they don't. :) You'll love Orlando, and so will your son, enjoy your trip!|||You can visit Web Site: funtravelcoach.paradisenetwork.com/ Tab book travel and then Motels---- a list of motels with pictures/prices for different rooms. Tab on H for Hawthrone Suites. I would think you would really enjoy the Hawthrone Suites by Wyndham at Lake Buena Vista..They have suites with kitchens, 2 TVs, pool, kid's pool and playground and are nice size rooms. They have shuttles to all parks. You can go to the web site and tab on Tickets & Attractions to view the different tickets for the theme parks.. Your son would like Disney ( 5 to 7 day pass) and Sea World (2 day Pass).... You may wait to buy your tickets 1 week before your trip to view any specials by the Theme Parks, for March 2011.. If you need help call 561-704-2398 or e-mail me at oyerr@bellsouth.net for more information on the Web site or Hotels/Tickets Specials... Thanks, Richard Fun Travel Coach|||um i would suggest you stay on property in one of the many disney resorts like the wilderness lodge or contemorary. transportation would be a lot easier and you dont have to pay for parking. usually the hotels have 2 or more pools too. as for the tickets it sounds like the orlando freedom ticket would be more wortth it because it lets you get into all the parks within your own time.|||* Magic Kingdom Park * Epcot * Disney's Hollywood Studios * Disney's Animal Kingdom * Disney鈥檚 Typhoon Lagoon Water Park* * Disney鈥檚 Blizzard Beach Water Park* * Universal Studios Florida * Universal's Islands of Adventure * SeaWorld Orlando * Aquatica * Busch Gardens Tampa Bay ok i cant help you with hotels cos ive only stayed in villas. but parks i can. magic kingdom would be good for you and your son but the thing is its very similar to busch gardens which is also great but if your on a budget thats something to consider. hollywood studios i love theres lots of tours and shows and rides which might not be ideal for your kid but is a great park. epcot is absolutely **** and educational and sooo boring! dont inflict it on your son! the water parks are quite alike the disney ones both great bit again i wouldnt do both. unviersal studios is also brilliant if i was you i wouldnt go to islands of adventure as its mostly big rides and if its just you and your son you might not get a lot of things to do. saying that it still has things to do and shows. the other universal is really good and i highly recommend it. seaworld! amazing! the shows are brilliant cant fault it. aquatica, i havent been. and of course magic kingdom is the heart of disney deffo go here its so amazing no matter what your age. have a brilliant holiday.|||No worries about asking a bunch of questions! So hotels anyone you would ask would tell you stay on Disney property!!! You wont have to drive to and from the parks, and of course there is no parking fee because they pick you up from the airport. There is alot of stuff to do at the hotel such as, swim, play arcade games, and just explore the grounds. With a 5 year old son I would set aside a couple days just to relax at the hotel, he is going to get tired. I know you want a kitchen but first of all if youre flying and not renting a car, how are you going to get the food to cook? And some of the Disney hotels that are pricier have a kitchen too. Im not to sure about Universal, Sea World, or Busch Gardens but your son is going to LOVE Disney World and its going to take you at least a week to do everything there. The Orlando flex ticket does not include Disney World, and you are going to want to go there, Disney is amazing! I hope I answered some if not all of your questions for you. Good luck! Have fun!