Worried about crowds!

[brazilgirl]

I will confess- I am crowd hater!

 

Now I am fretting about my timeline and what to expect as far as crowds go on the cruise and in Orlando...

 

Here is my schedule:

Arrive in Orlando -November 28th (day after Thanksgiving-call me crazy )

Good news -leaving from Sao Paulo , Brazil , connection in Panama City , then on to Orlando International. No Thanksgiving in Brazil or Panama , so flight shouldn´t be a huge issue.

 

Should arrive around 2:30 in the afternoon.Have Saturday free as well as Friday night. My cruise leaves Sunday the 30th (Mariner of the Seas -Western Caribbean).

 

Will Orlando be a zoo on Friday and Saturday?Any suggestions on fun things with my 3 kids that don´t involve enormous lines?

 

We get back on the 7th ( a Sunday) and of course we will be herded off the ship in the a.m and have the rest of the day free. We then have Monday free and we leave Tuesday afternoon.I am planning our brief Magic Kingdom visit for Monday the 8th (between Thanksgiving/Christmas).Should the lines be nice and short??Any suggestions for Sunday post-cruise?

 

I have never been to Orlando , have already researched extensively , but I´d love fellow expertise from all of you...Thanks!

 

Last question-should the cruise be terribly crowded (starts Sunday after Thanksgiving)?

Oh , kids ages 11 , 8 , and 4 (girl is eldest , plus 2 boys)

 

Thanks! Kim:)

[onthelake]

Sea World is a great option. It is wonderful and a different experience than Disney. There are plenty of shows going on all the time with lots of seating. It never seem crowded like Disney and Universal even though there are tons of people.

[sunandseagirl617]

I agree with onthelake..definitely Sea World. You could not be visiting Florida at a better time. The humidity is wayyyyyyyyy down. I wish I could tell you that the crowds would be down at the time of your visit but I'm afraid that will be very busy. The good news is the weather will ease some of that pain!

 

I can offer this, since I have lived in Florida my whole life, the hours of the major parks are extended on holiday/summers. Its much less crowded in the evening hours. You can also ride the major rides with no wait during parade times onward.

 

If you want to avoid crowds or have "less crowds" definitely see Orlando when you return. Also, if you pick, say the Magic Kingdom, check out the Very Merry Christmas evening. That is from 7pm to 11pm (I think)and its separately priced. My kids love it and the "Not so scary halloween." Since its in the evening, its cooler and typically less crowded....! We are going to the "Not so Scary" this year on Sept 25th....! We go every year and it coincides with Epcots Wine and Cheese festival! (I think the wine and cheese events ends Mid Nov)

 

There is so much to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Also, I think you picked a great time to cruise, it will be full but not as full as the week before.

[sunandseagirl617]

Just one last thing to think about........

 

You will do tons of walking and more walking.....if you go before (to any park) its a good thing to be cruising so you can relax......trust me you'll need it:D

[Cuizer2]

I will confess- I am crowd hater!

 

Now I am fretting about my timeline and what to expect as far as crowds go on the cruise and in Orlando...

 

Here is my schedule:

Arrive in Orlando -November 28th (day after Thanksgiving-call me crazy )

Good news -leaving from Sao Paulo , Brazil , connection in Panama City , then on to Orlando International. No Thanksgiving in Brazil or Panama , so flight shouldn´t be a huge issue.

 

Should arrive around 2:30 in the afternoon.Have Saturday free as well as Friday night. My cruise leaves Sunday the 30th (Mariner of the Seas -Western Caribbean).

 

Will Orlando be a zoo on Friday and Saturday?Any suggestions on fun things with my 3 kids that don´t involve enormous lines?

 

We get back on the 7th ( a Sunday) and of course we will be herded off the ship in the a.m and have the rest of the day free. We then have Monday free and we leave Tuesday afternoon.I am planning our brief Magic Kingdom visit for Monday the 8th (between Thanksgiving/Christmas).Should the lines be nice and short??Any suggestions for Sunday post-cruise?

 

I have never been to Orlando , have already researched extensively , but I´d love fellow expertise from all of you...Thanks!

 

Last question-should the cruise be terribly crowded (starts Sunday after Thanksgiving)?

Oh , kids ages 11 , 8 , and 4 (girl is eldest , plus 2 boys)

 

Thanks! Kim:)

 

The big travel days for Thanksgiving are the Wednesday before and the Sunday after. So, spend Saturday night near the port, as traffic might be an issue on Sunday.

 

The Friday after Thanksgiving is the first "official" day for Christmas shopping, so stay away from any malls (which will have crowds to rival Disney World).

 

The kids will be off from school those four days (Thursday through Sunday) and the parents will be off from work. So any good family place to be will be crowded. That includes Disney World (and all of its parks), Universal Studios, Sea World, Wet & Wild ...

 

Discovery Cove is not as well known, so you might try that. Here is a link ...

 

http://www.discoverycove.com/default2.aspx

 

The Kennedy Space Center is also not as well known, but very popular. I found it so interesting that I want to cruise out of Orlando again, just so I can go to the Kennedy Space Center again. Here is a link ...

 

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

and ..

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html

 

For a very interesting dinner experience (if you like chicken) I highly recommend Medieval Times. Here is a link ...

 

http://www.medievaltimes.com/Locations/Kissimmee-Castle.aspx

 

and more information about Medieval Times ...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_times

 

Here are some links with more information about Orlando ...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g34515-Activities-Orlando_Florida.html

http://www.orlandoinfo.com/

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2820552-orlando_things_to_do-i

http://attractionguide.com/orlando/

http://orlando.about.com/od/attractions/Attractions.htm

 

As for a place to stay, I would recommend Cocoa Beach, which is just south of the cruise port (which is about 50 miles from Orlando).

[sabbie]

I think someone already mentioned Discovery Cove but I would highly suggest that, it's not as big a draw as Magic Kingdom and you can do cool things like swim with the stingrays or dolphins if you choose.

[CruizinMom2c]

 

Last question-should the cruise be terribly crowded (starts Sunday after Thanksgiving)?

Oh , kids ages 11 , 8 , and 4 (girl is eldest , plus 2 boys)

 

 

 

Well..even though the cruise might be booked...you can still find places where you can sit down and relax and avoid the crowds.....

 

 

 

Some days we would go to the library (no one is ever there) and sit down, have a drink and let our toddler walk around and get some energy out. Or you can go to the lounge during the day and sit and relax and read a book or have a drink.

 

Same thing with the decks..there are always places where you can find some relaxation and away from the crowds.

[brazilgirl]

Thank you everybody for the fantastic tips.

 

I am definitely interested in Seaworld, but...we will be visiting Cozumel , Grand Cayman , Labadee and Ocho Rios. I am planning Stingray City in GC and the Dolphin Swim in Cozumel. Will Seaworld be "different" enough to offer a "new" and unique experience after doing all these beachie/sealife things?

 

I had planned to go to Discovery Cove in past planning sessions , but I think that experience will be to similar to the island trips.

 

What about Hollywood Studios?Hugely crowded?Is it cool?

 

I forgot about the After Thanksgiving shopping frenzy..darn , was planning an outlet visit!Let´s see , as shopping is a must!

 

The Medieval Dinner sounds really nice. Has anyone been to the Pirate Dinner?I am trying to decide between the two.

 

Kim

[Cuizer2]

Thank you everybody for the fantastic tips.

 

I am definitely interested in Seaworld, but...we will be visiting Cozumel , Grand Cayman , Labadee and Ocho Rios. I am planning Stingray City in GC and the Dolphin Swim in Cozumel. Will Seaworld be "different" enough to offer a "new" and unique experience after doing all these beachie/sealife things?

 

I had planned to go to Discovery Cove in past planning sessions , but I think that experience will be to similar to the island trips.

 

What about Hollywood Studios?Hugely crowded?Is it cool?

 

I forgot about the After Thanksgiving shopping frenzy..darn , was planning an outlet visit!Let´s see , as shopping is a must!

 

The Medieval Dinner sounds really nice. Has anyone been to the Pirate Dinner?I am trying to decide between the two.

 

Kim

 

 

Yes, I have been to both, and I much prefer Medieval Times.

[TexanInBrazil]

Kim, if you shop on Sat/Sun or after your cruise it will be less crowded than on "Black Friday" (the day after thanksgiving). Crowded, but less than on Friday, which is the busiest shopping day of the year in the US.

 

Also, curious where in Brazil you are, if you don't mind saying - we are in Campinas and love it here.

 

Have fun in Florida and on your cruise! Your kids will have a blast. (and, yes, Sea World should be different enough, as it will have other creatures/sea life besides the ones you'll be seeing on your excursions).

 

Enjoy!

[brazilgirl]

Hi Texan !

 

We live in Lorena , a city in the "interior" of SP`. It is between SP and Rio. I have a children´s clothing store , so I frequently go to Campinas to showrooms. It is a great city!

 

I will definitely shop on Saturday. Is your husband American?My husband is Brazilian -I grew up in California...

 

I´ve decided Seaworld sounds great. Any other tips or advice from you all??Keep em coming!

 

Kim

[TexanInBrazil]

Hi Kim -- my husband is American; we were transferred here for his job. 10 months and counting (we expect to be here 2 to 5 yrs total).

 

-Heather

[Karysa]

We enjoyed the Arabian Nights dinner show when our girls were 7 and 9. I have seen the Medieval dinner show in Toronto and I thought that it was pretty gruesome, but then again my daughter and husband are in the next room watching the Mummy and I just left to come to the office!!

Our family really enjoys the water parks when we are in the Orlando area.

Karysa

[brazilgirl]

I just wanted to give Cuizer2 a special thank you for all the fantastic site referrals- they have all been very helpful.

 

Anyone else going to Orlando , be sure to check em out.

 

Kim

[timmy1958]

Sea World is a great idea. Otherwise, I personally would recommend booking a room in Port Canveral and hanging out at the beach or the pool - if you want to get away from the crowds, that is. We're going to Sea World next time we cruise out of Port Canaveral, since we did the hotel thing last time. Good luck.

[familycruising4us]

I will give my 2 cents since I go to Disney almost every year, and have gone the past few times the day after Thanksgiving.

If you really want to go to a Disney park, the key is to get there 30 minutes BEFORE they open. Then hit the major rides first, if you have little ones, then head directly to Fantasyworld at Magic Kingdom, then go hit the other major attractions, and use Fastpasses!! Get out of there around lunch time, bcuz it'll be CRAZY!

If you go to Hollywood Studios, hit Tower of Terror and Rockin rollercoaster first, then the others. Again, try to use fastpasses if you can.

Another idea, if you just want to see some characters, is to book Chef Mickey's for a lunch or dinner. It's at one of the resorts, and has Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, etc. You'd need to book asap tho, bcuz they fill up fast.

The Christmas parties don't start back up until usually the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so unless you hit it after your cruise... It's a lot of fun tho.

Either way, the parks are all decked out in Holiday decorations, it's very festive.

Enjoy!

[crusinmama06]

The week AFTER Thanksgiving is a great time to cruise, the prices are low and so are the crowds.

 

As far as Disney, one great way to do the park and avoid crowds is to buy tickets to the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas at Magic Kingdom...

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/specialEvents?id=MickeysVeryMerryChristmasPartySpecialEventPage

 

Someone from here turned me onto this idea last year and we have done 2 more special parties since.

 

The special parties (they have different ones throughout the year) are only open to those that have tickets to THAT event. You can get into Magic Kingdom as early as 5pm (party officially begins at 7pm) and the party runs till midnight. Most of the popular rides are open, but there are LESS lines than on a normal day because, like I said, Disney Park tickets do NOT include these parties, only those with these party tickets can get into Magic Kingdom on those nights.

 

At the last one we attended, we kept riding our fav rides over and over again with NO wait. We just kept getting off and hoping back in line. :D

 

We have another one we are going to in a few weeks - Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

 

But like I said, you just buy the tickets online through Disney's web site to that event. Someone holding park tickets only will not be admitted on that night.

[brazilgirl]

Oh thank you both for such great advice.....I love this Very Merry Christmas party idea. Does the park close for the non party ticket holders at 5 or at 7??

 

 

To eat with characters at resort , do you have to be a guest there? We have booked a hotel on International Drive.

 

I am glad to confirm that there will be less crowds post-Thanksgiving. My idea was that probably people would use there vacation time and money for Thanksgiving or Christmas travel.....Hope I am right!My kids get off school for summer vacation right at the end of November , so it is great for me!

 

How do we get the fastpasses?

 

Thanks

Kim

[sunandseagirl617]

It closes at 7pm! However, you will notice at 5pm or 6pm the crowds will weed out a bit.....

 

If you decide to do the Merry Christmas Party or Not So Scary...you can always go to the gate at 5pm or so. You do not need to be a resort guest or have tickets to particpate at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort. You will need tickets if you choose Liberty Tavern in the Magic Kingdom. A good rule of thumb is if the Character dining is in a park, you will need to have park tickets. If you purchase a Character dinner in a resort you do not need to purchase park tickets or hotel tickets to enjoy!

 

We live within 2 hours of Disney and sometimes on a Saturday night, I'll book a Character dinner at the Contemporary Resort Hotel. We drive up for 2 hours, enjoy the game room for an hour, head over to Pleasure Island, the non bar section and enjoy shopping!!!!! The only time you need to purchase park tickets is if you are actually going to the park!

 

On the nights we have gone to a Character dinner (or breakfast!) we just tell the main parking and the guard at the hotel, we have reservations for dinner (or breakfast), show them our tickets and they let us through without charging us for Magic Kingdom Parking....

 

A secret hint...........if you go the Contemporary Resort for a Character breakfast or dinner, you can ride the "loop" on the monarail!!!!!!!! For FREE! My kids love that to "digest"!!

 

The Contemporary has a section off of the main check in lobby that is a huge game room and they serve "diner" type food, burgers and hot dogs...

[crusinmama06]

Yep, as usual Floridagirl is right on. :D

 

Chef Mickey at the Contemporary would be a GREAT character meal. It's one of our favs. And if you book it on the same night as Mickey's Very Merry, then you could have an early dinner there and head right over to Magic Kingdom on the Monorail. :D

 

Or if you get real adventurous - you could take the BOAT to Magic Kingdom. :D We stay at Wilderness Lodge, next door to Contemporary and we can take the boat over the MK.

[sunandseagirl617]

One other hint..........

 

You can take a ferry ride (ride behind the Contemporary) over to Fort Wilderness......Do the HOOP DE DOO REVIEW with dinner! A 2nd fave of my family!!!!!!!!!! Its a, well, what is it? Its a country western dinner show of sorts..............(well more like a Frontier dinner show) Love it!!!!!!

 

After the dinner show, before boarding your small boat ride back to Contemporary, you can check out the fireworks at 9pm from the pier/beach in Fort Wilderness beach area.......AND better yet the water boat parade.......ahhhh can't remember the name.....electric light water/ river show.........ahh...can't thing of the name but its like the electric parade on Main Street, yet its on the water.......way cool.....PLUS in Fort Wilderness you can do the hay ride which will incorporate a view of the water parade thingy with lights!!!!!!!:D I'm getting old.....kids told me I keep young......have to question them tomorrow!!!!

 

PS-love Cruisinmama06!!! We have so much in common, no shows, pool in the days, casino at night, balcony or suite so kids can sleep,.....could care less if CD makes a peep...:D

[crusinmama06]

PS-love Cruisinmama06!!! We have so much in common, no shows, pool in the days, casino at night, balcony or suite so kids can sleep,.....could care less if CD makes a peep...:D

 

CD???? They have them on ships? :p ;)

 

Yeah I can't wait till the next cruise when Becky Graham Allen Spencer or whatever their names are come after me...lol. I'll have to keep looking over my shoulder.:eek:

 

And the parade on the water is the Electric Light Pageant

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/accomodations/electricalwaterpagent.asp

 

LOVE that! It's one of the best reasons to stay at WL...lol.

[readytolose]

Just want to add my two cents....

 

We cruised right after Thanksgiving last year and the ship was not crowded at all. Unfortunately for your kids we didn't see many kids on the ship either. My guess would be that we saw maybe 20 kids the whole cruise. I'm sure there were more than that, but we just didn't see them.

 

Also if you want to hit the outlets the on Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving I've found that they are usually not very busy if you go around dinner time. Most people get up early to shop on those two days and are home relaxing by dinner time. Just an idea. I didn't get to do my after Thanksgiving shopping last year because my suitcases were already stuffed full and my husband didn't want me trying to do my christmas shopping while on vacation. We were on our honeymoon though so I think he had other things planned. :D

[brazilgirl]

Glad to hear the ships had fewer kids. I personally think it is better that way in order to get one on one attention.....

 

I am curious..what is "CD"?

 

I absolutely loving all these great suggestions. you are all really helping make our trip special.

 

Cruisinmama , I was a bit worried about this having to "just leave" the 4 year old at the kids´club and the bit about not being able to cross the line to pick up on´s child. Do kids have a hard time with that in general?

 

thanks again..kim

[Cuizer2]

I am curious..what is "CD"?

 

On a cruise ship a CD is the cruise director. On land a CD is a compact disc.