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Most people are blown away at how much there is to do here in Orlando. We have Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, numerous dinner shows, quite a few smaller attractions, and a plethora of putt putt golf courses.

In the Planning Guide our goal is to assist you in planning your vacation. Below we have broken out each major attraction with a few of our top money saving tips and links to some of our most popular articles to assist you in planning your vacation. If you need personal assistance please call us at 1-800-641-4008.

Disney World

Walt Disney World is the largest attraction in Orlando and really the main reason why Orlando is the number 1 travel destination in the entire world. Disney consists of 4 major theme parks, 2 water parks, golf courses, a downtown area, and an indoor theme park. In short Disney World is huge. We have dedicated over 500 pages to the Walt Disney World Theme Park click here to view the Disney World Section.

Here are a couple Money Saving Tips when planning a Disney World Vacation:

• Buy the base tickets and add the different options when you get here. The base tickets are the cheapest ticket to buy and then you can add different options such as park hopper option, water park fun and more option, or the non-expiration option. Each one of these options will cost you roughly $50 to add to each guest’s ticket; the tip here is that it cost $50 to add it to your tickets before you come or $50 if you add it when you are on vacation. The park hopper option is the most popular option guests add, but in a recent survey over 60% of the people who purchased the hopper said that they would not add it to their ticket again. Here is a great article to make sure you order the right tickets.
• Plan on spending 1 day in each park. The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT will take you a full day to see and experience majority of the attractions; quite frankly, you will have to hoof it to get through either of these parks in one day. The other two parks (Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios) have been labeled half day theme parks, but remember you are on vacation so why rush?
• If you want to save the most money on your vacation, we suggest sticking with just Disney World as compared to trying to see Disney World and Universal Studios. A few years back, Disney World rolled out the Magic Your Way Ticket System and one of their themes is “Longer You Stay the Less You Pay Per Day”. Here is an article which outlines how picking 1 major park to visit on your vacation will save you a lot of money.
• All tickets to Disney World have the fast pass already included with it; you do not need to pay to have the fast pass option available on your tickets.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios has 2 main theme parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. We have dedicated over 200 pages to our Universal section, here you will be able to find information on all the rides as well as touring plans.

Important facts and money saving tips regarding Universals Studios

• Harry Potter is part of the Islands of Adventure Theme Park. In fact, the entire Harry Potter attraction is quite small, so if you are coming during high season it is suggested that you wake up early and visit Harry Potter Attraction first.
• You can buy a fast pass option on your Universal Studios tickets. This will cost you around $20 per person per day, and it has been our experience this option is not worth the extra money.
• If you are visiting with small children you might not want to visit the Islands of Adventure theme park unless your children are 48” tall. Majority of the attractions at Islands of Adventure is thrill rides and children must be 48” tall to ride most of them.

SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld is a great park to visit and one of my absolute favorites. The great thing about SeaWorld is that majority of the park is built around shows, which means no lines. SeaWorld will only take you a half a day to a full day to visit; it is much smaller than Universal Studios and Disney World. Visit the Sea World Section Here.

Important facts and Money Saving Tips

• Shamu Harbor Town is a great place for kids. We recommend bringing your child’s bathing suits and letting them play in the splash park. This provides the children a great way to cool off in the summer and parents can enjoy a few minutes of relaxation.
• Since majority of the park is centered on shows it is best to start at the Shamu arena and work your way clockwise through the park. Other people have suggested going counter clock wise through the parks, but following this advice at SeaWorld throws you all track as to the show times.

Dinner Shows

Dinner shows are extremely popular and they also provide a great value. My personal favorite is the Pirate Dinner Show Adventure. The other ones are nice as well; I just feel that Pirates  because it offers a Broadway type show with good food.

If you are coming during high season you will want to make sure you order your tickets and make reservations before coming on your vacation. The seating at any Dinner Show is limited.

Budget Attractions

So what is a budget attraction? Well it is an attraction which cost less to get into as compared to Disney World or Universal Studios. My favorite budget attraction is Fun Spot on Highway 192. They have quite a few go cart tracks, and it is like a fair or carnival type of atmosphere. A family of 4 can really have a lot of fun at Fun Spot on $40 a day.

There are also quite a few budget attractions on I-Drive here is a great section that goes into great detail on each one of them.

We hope this quick can assist you in planning your vacation. If you need more personal assistance we are only a phone call away 1-800-641-4008.

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