Skip to Content

Florida holiday tips: Where to go and how to save money

Are you thinking of taking that dream trip to Disney World? There are many things to consider, so take a look at this guide for money-saving tips for travelling to Florida.

Florida holiday tips


I love Florida and would go every year if we could afford it. I even went on my honeymoon there. But exchange rates haven’t been kind to us Brits over the last 15 years. On my first visit, we received $2 for every £1. Now we only get around $1.2, so it’s more important than ever to ensure you get a good deal.

You can get fantastic deals on package holidays, but they can be slightly restrictive. If you fancy more freedom, then booking your own holiday is the way to go.

Florida holiday tips, Disney castle


Money-saving tips for travelling to Florida

This post will focus on the Orlando region, but many tips can be used for the whole of Florida. The example prices below are for a two-week holiday in November and should be used as a rough guide only.

When should you travel?

Obviously, travelling outside the school holidays will save you a lot of money.

If you visit in the summer, expect daytime temperatures to average 33 degrees. However, the parks and attractions will be very busy. If you prefer cooler weather, October/November reaches the high to mid-’20s. The parks will be much quieter too. Take a look at average temperatures in Florida to help you decide.

You can also look at the Undercover Tourist which will tell you when to expect the park to be at its busiest.


Passport validity

Check that your passport is valid for the dates you travel. If you’re British, contrary to popular belief, your passport only needs to be valid for your stay in the States and not an extra six months. Check out the government website for the latest guidance.

ESTA

An essential item that can be easily overlooked. The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) replaces the little green card you used to fill in before landing in the US. If you qualify under the Visa Waiver Program (we Brits do), you must complete an online ESTA. It will cost you $14 per person and is valid for two years or until your passport expires (whichever is sooner). You can apply here https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/

Be careful if you search for the ESTA site on google. There are a few unscrupulous companies that look like the genuine ESTA site. They will then charge you extra money to put in an application.

Insurance

Do not forget to book travel insurance! It won’t cost you a fortune and is essential especially when considering medical costs in the States. And always be open and honest about any medical condition you may have.

Make sure the insurance is tailored to your needs. If you’re taking expensive tablets and phones, insurance for your gadgets may be wise. Also, think about whether you require cancellation insurance. Most insurance companies offer you some compensation if you have to cancel your holiday due to unforeseen circumstances, but the basic level is only around £750. If you want the total cost of your holiday reimbursed, expect to pay a bit more for your premium.

Take a look at some travel insurance comparison sites such as https://www.moneysupermarket.com/travel-insurance/ to get an idea of prices. When you’ve found reasonable prices, pop over to a cashback site and see if the best value providers are listed.

Booking a flight to Orlando

There are two airports to choose from when flying into Orlando – Orlando International and Sanford. Although Orlando International has better facilities and is more central, you may be able to get better deals through Sanford.

Check regularly and check often and you’ll see ticket prices fluctuate. Generally, the earlier you book, the cheaper the price. Also, consider that you may have to pay extra if you’re travelling as a family and want to sit next to each other. This can be around £25 for each seat but can vary.

Airport parking

Many people neglect ways to save money when parking at the airport before you leave for your holiday. A park-and-ride car park will usually be your cheapest option.

To start, use a comparison site such as Travel Supermarket or Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) to get an idea of prices.

Next, look at cashback sites to see if your provider is on there. The major sites, such as APH, can offer as much as 20% back.

Also, check any offers on your credit or debit cards. I have Nationwide, Santander and Halifax cards and they all have special offers. Check your bank’s website or your online account for more details.

You can usually combine cashback from these cards with the money received from cashback sites. I found a space with APH for £66.91 for my two weeks in November. APH was listed on TopCashback and I also found an offer on my Nationwide credit card for 12% (please note that Nationwide has now stopped their Simply Rewards scheme). In total, I received £13.18 from TopCashback and £8.03 from Nationwide, taking the grand total to £45.70 for the two weeks.

Save money on airport parking


Why you should consider booking a villa in Florida

I have stayed in hotels in Europe, UK and America. Yes they come with the advantage that you don’t have to do any cleaning and food is just a telephone call away, but they also come with quite a few disadvantages. My main gripe is noise. My last stay in a hotel in Florida wasn’t pleasant. I’m sure in the room next to us, there must have been at least 20 people who all loved to be up at 5 am!

A villa comes with so many plus points. Most have a swimming pool, free WiFi, a games room and many TV channels. Best of all, you don’t have to listen to your neighbours stomping around in their bedrooms. If you want time to relax after a day of walking around the parks, then a villa is the way to go.

And if you have a large family or friends you can travel with, staying in a villa could work out much cheaper than a hotel.

My family at Disney


Where to find recommended villas in Florida

There are plenty of places to choose a villa. Major sites such as James Villa Holidays have great choices but generally charge more. You can find some much better prices if you approach villa owners directly.

Our last villa, we found on a Facebook page called It’s Orlando Time Villas. The page states: Every villa is verified for ownership, taxes are paid up to date and also that they have a State Licence so all our members can feel assured that they are booking a genuine villa.

The villa we stayed at was excellent, the owners were very helpful and came with plenty of recommendations. We will certainly be using the page again when we return to Florida.

I have also used Airbnb to book a villa in Orlando. Although you probably won’t find as good value compared with going to villa owners directly, you will have extra protection and a lot more choice.


Also worth reading


Villa location

If you decide on a villa the roads around Orlando are great, so it’s pretty easy to reach the major parks no matter where you are. As a rule of thumb though, when somebody says it takes X amount of time to drive to a park, I would add at least 5 minutes. The majority of villas are based around Clermont, Davenport and Kissimmee which are around a 20-minute drive to Disney.

Car hire in Florida

Transport in Florida is generally quite good and it’s easy to travel to and from the parks. However, if you want extra freedom, a car is the way to go. A car is a must-have if you choose to stay in a villa.

Check some price comparison sites (like Travel Supermarket) to get an idea of the cost. Make sure you choose a suitably sized car – that includes luggage too. You don’t all want to pile in at the airport, only to realise you can’t fit your suitcases in.

Next, look to see if you can find some special offers. Most car rental companies are on cashback sites, so expect to receive around 10% back.

For example, I booked a car through Affordable Car Hire for £355. I received £35.50 through TopCashback and £53 when I used my Nationwide card. That meant I paid just £266.50.

Epcot centre


Car seats

If you have a family with young children, you may need to hire children’s car seats. Take a look at the current laws in Florida. Some rental companies will charge you a set rate of between £50 and £70. Others charge £11 per day, which would cost almost £150 for two weeks!

If you really must hire car seats, look at Alamo and Avis. They have the lowest set price, although their car rental may be more expensive.

Some airlines allow you to check in booster seats for no extra cost. And some of these seats allow you to store extra items. So you could take extra luggage for free!

You could also hire a car seat for just one day. There are plenty of Walmarts all over Florida and it would be cheaper to buy a seat from there compared to two weeks rental.

SatNav

I get easily confused by maps, so a SatNav is a must for me. I would avoid hiring one from a car rental company though as it will set you back between £120-£150. Enough to buy your own.

If you are taking your smartphone with you, you could download http://navmii.com/. It’s free and can be used without affecting your data.

But if you would prefer a more traditional SatNav to guide you, and you already own one, download the US maps and take your device with you. Expect to pay within the region of £30-£40 for your new maps. Before you purchase, Google your provider and ‘voucher’ (for example type ‘tomtom voucher’) as I found an £8 off code in a matter of seconds. And remember to use a cashback site before you download!

Alternatively, take a look over at eBay. You can rent a SatNav with US maps for around £23. It will be sent to you in the post, but you must pay for return postage. Although a decent enough idea, I would be slightly worried that it would be lost in the post and I would end up travelling without one.

There are plenty of US SatNavs you can buy on eBay, starting at £25 – although this depends on how up-to-date they are.

Your final option is to buy one when you arrive in Florida. Walmart sells them for around £50; you could always sell yours on eBay when you return to the UK. Your only issue is finding Walmart in the first place!

And don’t forget, you could always sell your SatNav once you’ve finished with it.

Which parks to visit?

All of them! Seriously, they all have something to offer.

Disney is a must as they have four large parks and two water parks. There’s plenty to do for the whole family and the parades are always a lot of fun. Plus, you could stay for the fireworks at the end of the evening, which puts anything we do to shame.

You will need at least two full days at each park to see everything. Be warned though – it can be very tiring. We don’t have the stamina for full days and tend to spend 5-6 hours there.

Universal also has two large parks and one water park. These parks are aimed more towards thrill-seekers, although you’ll find plenty of rides for the not-so-brave.

Busch Gardens is home to Orlando’s fastest roller coaster and other massive rides. There is also some impressive wildlife to visit if you fancy a more relaxed day.

However, Busch Gardens is around 2 hours from Orlando, so you will need a whole day if you decide to go.

And please make sure that you put Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay into your SatNav. There is also one in Virginia which will take 12 hours to get to!

Legoland is situated around 30 minutes from Orlando. Unsurprisingly, this is a park aimed towards families. One day should be enough to see most things, but you could go for two if you want to be thorough. There are good shows and plenty of chances to meet your favourite lego characters.

Getting the best price for park tickets

Finding cheaper disney and universal park tickets


The fact is, park tickets in Orlando are expensive. Disney may pretend that you’re getting a good deal with 14 days for the price of 7, but the truth is, you’re not. 14-day tickets have always been a similar price to 7. Plus, the longer you’re in the park, the more you’ll spend.

The question is, where is the best place to buy park tickets for Orlando? Search Google and you will find ads for loads of companies, with most of them guaranteeing the lowest price. But where should you go first?

I looked at several companies to see which offered the best prices. These prices are based on two adults and two children.

Disney 14-day park hopperUniversal 3 park explorerDisney & Universal Combo
Disney£1436N/AN/A
UniversalN/A£912N/A
Attraction Tickets Direct£1476£876£2314
Florida Tix£1476£854£2284
Orlando Attraction Tickets£1392£826£2148
Orlando Ticket Deals
£1448£852£2252


So, where is the best place to buy Orlando attraction tickets?

As you can see, Orlando Attraction Tickets offer the lowest prices across the board (correct Nov 2017). That doesn’t mean they will always be the cheapest, so check all the sites.

But before you rush off and buy your tickets though, take a look at some points you need to consider below.

When to buy tickets?

The price we get our tickets for partly relies on exchange rates. Unless you’re a financial genius, don’t try and second guess the markets. Purchase them when you want. Most companies will take a deposit from you and then bill you the rest closer to your holiday date.

Extras

Don’t pay too much attention to the ‘extras’ thrown in. Many companies offer items such as a free Florida Mall Discount Card that will save you $$$. The truth is, you can usually pick these kinds of things up for free when you’re out there.

Combo tickets

This is where you can look at finding some better discounts. Combine different parks and you could save money. This is worth paying close attention to if you’re planning to visit different parks. Get the combination right, and you could save over £20 for each ticket. That may not sound like much, but it’s quite a saving for any family.

Choose your parks wisely

Don’t feel like you have to buy tickets for every park. Although it would be nice, it would also cost a fortune. Most parks offer several days’ worth of entertainment, so 3 or 4 parks should be enough for a two-week holiday.

If you have younger children, I would recommend Disney parks first. There’s plenty of entertainment and rides to keep little ones’ attention for a long time. Plus, there are Disney water parks you can visit for something slightly different.

Universal is more appropriate for older kids and teenagers. Although there are rides for smaller children, I don’t think they can match Disney.
Other major parks such as Busch Gardens and Sea World are aimed at all ages. They have plenty of rides and animals to keep everybody entertained.

Mobile phones

Check how much your company will charge you when abroad.  If you don’t plan on using your phone much and want it just for emergencies, make sure they know you’re going away so your phone can be activated to work in the States. If you’re planning to use your phone a bit more, for the best value, check out 3. They offer SIM cards with just a one-month contract. Many of these cards come with “Feel At Home Around The World.” This means you can use the internet and phone or text the UK at no extra cost. However, if you were to call a US number, you will be charged.

If you want to call numbers in the US, then one of the best options would be to purchase a SIM card when you arrive at your destination airport. Expect to pay over $30.

Food

Another great way to save money when you’re visiting Florida is the Kids Eat Free Card. Exactly as it sounds, your kids eat free with every adult meal bought. There are lots of venues included across Orlando, with the main restaurants being McDonald’s and Subway.

This card can save you a lot of money if you plan to eat out quite often. Although there is an initial cost, you can make your money back quite quickly.

Some third-party theme park ticket providers will give you the Kids Eat Pass Card for free when you purchase with them, so this is something to consider.

Spending money

Never change your money at the airport as the exchange rates are terrible. Withdrawing dollars from a cash machine (ATM) using your debit card will often come with a charge.  The best option is to find a travel-friendly debit card. It could save you £100’s.

Or, take a look at Revolut too. They offer great rates but will only allow you to withdraw £200 for free unless you upgrade your account.

I hope my money-saving tips for travelling to Florida have given you some valuable help. Anything else you need to know, ask below. Enjoy your trip!