Orlando Master Thread

[Shua]

So this TR is pretty long but want to keep a record for the future (and maybe it will help someone out!)

Went to Orlando for 5 days over Yeshiva week in January. We decided to spend all our time in Disney world as there are 4 main parks.

January is one of the slowest months in the park. If you can I would try to go when it's a slow time as it makes the trip far more enjoyable.

Weather worked out great as the first 2 days was in the 80’s Friday 70, Shabbos and Sunday in the 60’s

Food we bought from home and went to Walmart and Publix. Was too exhausted to go to any restaurants at night.
We bought a 5 day pass at undercovertourist so we saved about $14 a ticket.

There is a major reason to buy tickets in advance. Every ticket comes with 3 free fastpass’s (and once you use up the 3 fatspasses you can then add a 4th in the park) You can book the fastpass up to 30 days in advance (if you stay at the resort you can book up to 60 days in advance). Some rides (the Frozen ride in epcot) book up really early.

Its extremely important to plan your trip beforehand. The more you plan the smoother and less line filled day your vacation will be. While you don’t have to be at the parks from the second it opens till it closes the more time you spend in the park the more you will see.

Magic Kingdom need 1 and a half to 2 days, Hollywood needs 1 day, Epcot a half to 1 day, Animal kingdom a half to a full day.

I didn’t do it but the hopper isn’t really recommended especially if you have small kids as it takes a long time just to get from one park to the other

Fastpass can be the difference between having a great vacation and a line filled one. If you plan it well you really can do most of all the parks without any waiting! The most we ever waited on any ride was a half hour (besides for one ride that only 4 people in our group of 18 went on as we couldn’t get a fastpass to that). We made sure to fastpass the popular rides, which we found out from researching beforehand

Get the app! It’s a bit buggy at times it shows the wait times as well as your fastpass’s for the trip. We linked up all 3 families accounts so anyone could add/change a fastpass for everyone.

It is very important to see what time shows are (especially in Hollywood which has a lot of shows) so you can plan your day around it.

There are photographers in all the parks. Many of the rides have pictures on the rides. It is free to take pictures (make sure you scan your card) and it will show up on your app. For a flat fee you can order all the pictures. If you link up a bunch of families together and split it, its not too bad of a deal

We were 3 families all together so we rented a house in champions gate. House was brand new and had a game room which was perfect for Shabbos.

Day 1 Hollywood.

You should Fastpass: Toystory ride, Fantasmic show, Aerosmith ride (unless you do single rider), Startours, Frozen show

Was in Hollywood at 945. We were planning on seeing the Beauty and the beast show at 11, so the big kids went on Aerosmith ride (excellent) and little kids went to meet Jake, Doc Mcstuffins and Sophia. Tip for Aerosmith, if your party doesn’t mind do the single rider. While our wait was about 20 minutes in the morning, the single rider was under 5 minute wait. Beauty and the beast show was a half hour show very broadway like. Kids enjoyed. After that we went to the 12PM Indiana Jones show which the older kids liked. Then we all went to the muppet 3D movie which was just ok, kids enjoyed but you can definitely skip. Then we did a fastpass for startours. Startours was fantastic. They have over 20 different “rides” so if you go on again odds are you wont have the same ride/stimulation twice! Then we headed over to toystory where we had a fastpass which was excellent. Much better than the buzzlight year ride in Magic kingdom. Then we saw the little mermaid show. Was told with puppets, cute but can skip. Then the liitle kids went to see the Disney Jr show (fastpass) and the bigger kids went on tower of terror (fastpass). Tower of terror was a real letdown. Really not scary and a small drop. We then did the great movie ride. Lots of old movies can be skipped. Then we went to the frozen show. While we had fastpass for this not really necessary. This was a great/hilarious show. They had 2 comedians tell over the story with small apperances by Anna and Elsa. Lots of humor that went right over the kids heads. We ended our day with Fantasmic show. As we couldn’t get fastpass for this we made sure to get there about 45 minutes early and ate dinner while we waited for the show to start. Even getting there this early we still sat off to the side. This is a fantastic show. Show is a half hour long and park closes at 8. There was a starwars show that some people went to go see, but others went back on the toystory ride as there was zero wait! Went on the ride 3 times before they closed.

Day 2 Magic Kingdom

You should Fastpass: Peter pan ride, Seven Dwarfs ride, Space Mountain, Storytime with Belle, Thunder Mountain, Meeting Mickey, Meeting the princesses, Splash mountain 

Every other park you park your car and walk right in. Not in magic kingdom. You have to take a monorail or a ferry (which is slower) from the parking lot till the park. Takes about a half hour extra. We got in and went straight to storytime with belle. One of the best character meetups (as opposed to meeting mickey). They involved all the kids in the story. After that some of the older kids wanted to go on the Seven dwarf rollercoaster. As we didn’t have fastpass and the wait was 80 minutes most of the group decided to do other things. In the time they went on the seven dwarfs, the group did winne the pooh ride, little mermaid ride and dumbo ride. All 3 are geared to little kids so was good that we split. Then everyone met back up and went on barnstormer which is a small rollercoaster. After that we all went to buzzlight year ride (fastpass) not nearly as good as the ride in Hollywood (but if you aren’t going to Hollywood still worth checking out). Went to the monsters Inc show. Pretty funny (text your joke in while you wait and it will be part of the show!) Then we went to pirates of the Caribbean ride. After that we saw the 3PM Move it! Shake it! Parade. Kids had a blast dancing with the characters. Then the bigger kids went on space mountain (fastpass) and the little kids went to meet cinderella (fastpass). Space mountain is pretty much completely in the dark. I personally liked Aerosmith ride in Hollywood better. Then we all went to it’s a small world ride. Then right across is peter pan (fastpass). At this point was getting late so some of us went to get good seats for the 2 shows that were back to back at the castle that night, while other people went to see mickey Philharmagic. Cute 3D movie. Then we all met up to see the shows at the castle (once upon a time and wishes). Had great seats right in front of the castle. Both were fantastic. A must see.

Day 3 Epcot

You should Fastpass: Frozen ride, Soarin, Test track (single rider available), Spaceship earth

We couldn’t get fastpasses to frozen and meeting Anna and elsa don’t have fastpasses. So we tried to get to epcot early. As this was also Friday we wanted to do as much as we can before Shabbos. So we got into the park at 930 and ran to the frozen ride. As it was still a bit early, we only waited 30 minutes. The ride itself is just OK but my kids are big frozen fans so they loved it. Right next door (in norway) is meeting anna and elsa. The wait was pretty good and only 20 minutes (shhh dont tell the kids but there are 3 sets of anna and elsa characters!). They were both great. Personable, talkative and making my kids feel special. One of the highlights of the whole trip. The bigger kids meanwhile ran to testrack as we decided to use our fastpass on soarin. As testrack has a single rider line they only waited about 20 minutes (instead of 90!). Then we all met up at Mission Space. There are 2 rides. A more intense ride that had a 20 minute wait and a less intense ride that had a 5 minute wait. So we all did the less intense ride, which all the kids really enjoyed. Then we went to Spaceship earth (fastpass) which is a great ride but the future part at the end is laughable (we already have robots which clean our floors as well as self driving cars etc). Then we went to the  living with the lands show (which is a movie about the environment) and circle of life ride (cute but skippable). Then we did soarin (fastpass). Was fantastic (make sure you get the front row, preferably B1) one of the best rides we did. After that we did journey in to imagination and the sea with nemo ride. Both which the kids enjoyed. At this point it was getting close to Shabbos so we left the park to go back to the home. We did skip all the countries in Epcot. Some people say it’s a waste some people love it. If you are going to skip the counties you only need a half day in epcot. If you are going to do the countries you need a full day.

Day 4 Magic kingdom

Sat night, magic kingdom closed at midnight. So we booked the fastpass to meet mickey for 8 (shabbos was over 640 so worked out perfectly). Was pretty disappointing. Mickey "talks" but says preprogrammed words so not much personable interactions. Kids enjoyed though. As it was night time, there was no wait on splash mountain (checked the app) so the big kids went on that while the little kids did the Aladdin ride. Splash mountain is a very cool experience at night, definitely better then your average water drop  ride at other amusement parks. Then we all did the Jungle cruise together. If you are going to do the safari at animal kingdom you could definitely skip this (all the animals are fake). Lots of corny jokes but it's a nice experience to do at night. Then the older kids did thunder mountain (fastpass) and younger kids did its a small world again. Then we all met up by the teacups and then headed to speedway (fastpass). As the cars are on a track you can't stear off the road. Which made it perfect as my 7 year old was able to drive (he couldn't reach the gas so it was good I went with him). At this point it started raining and was close to 11 but the older kids went on space mountain again and the younger kids did buzz light year again. Then we finally left.

Day 5 Animal Kingdom
Fastpass: Safari, Everest (single rider available), river rapids, dinosaur.

Originally we were planning on doing Magic Kingdom again on Sunday and skipping Animal Kingdom completely. But since we went back Saturday night to magic Kingdom we were able to do all the things we wanted to see there. It was raining in the morning but the forecast said it would stop by 11. As our flight was that night we packed up the car which took a bit longer so it worked out. We also decided to stop off in one of these cheap stores that sell all types of Disney memorabilia for half the price. By the time we got to the park the rain had stopped. We started with a bugs life a 3D movie that the kids enjoyed. Then went to see the Finding Nemo show. Was a live show similar to Lion king on Broadway (where the actors were dressed up like fish/animals). Very good. Then the little kids did tricetop spin while the big kids went on Everest. As we couldn't get a fastpass to Everest we did single rider. The wait was under 5 minutes! Everest might be the best roller coaster in Disney while it doesn't go upside down (only Aerosmith in Hollywood does that) the drop is fantastic and it has a whole backward in the dark part. We wanted to do Dinosaur (which is in that area) but couldn't get a fastpass till later. River rapids was closed for repairs so we couldn't go on that. Walked all the way to the Safari (animal kingdom is huge!) which we had a fastpass for. The Safari is fantastic. Our guide was great! Saw a lot of cool animals. After that we quickly walked through the gorilla trail as we had to make the Lion Kong show. Gorilla trail is very similar to the one on the Bronx zoo (Bronx zoo is better) so if you have been to that one you could skip it. Went to the Lion King show which was a lot of fun. Then as it was getting late we quickly ran to the dinosaur (fastpass) which is just ok, very very bumpy and jerky. Took a few pics in front of the tree and left. While animal kingdom was fun I would say it was probably the least amount of activities of all 4 parks. Lots of walking not as many attractions. Kids really enjoyed the Safari but there many places that have that. They are opening up Avatar in a few months so might be different once they do that.
We got into the car and drove to the airport and our luck we were flying Delta on Jan 29th. Worldwide computer failure. Supposed to fly out at 8pm, didn't leave till 1230 AM. Not fun with 3 kids. But at least I got 5 $200 vouchers!

I am sure I'm leaving out a lot so I might come back to edit from time to time.

[Abebee]

Food we bought from home and went to Walmart and Publix.

Just to add
Winn Dixie (11957 S Apopka Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32836)
Had everything we needed for Shabbos, challah , fish (frozen) meat, cold cuts , liver and everything in between.

[shulem92]

I am sure I'm leaving out a lot so I might come back to edit from time to time.

Great write up. Thanx for taking the time to map out exactly what you did in each park. I'm quite impressed that you remembered every single ride...
As a side note, you only have 3 hours to edit your original post

[Shua]

Great write up. Thanx for taking the time to map out exactly what you did in each park. I'm quite impressed that you remembered every single ride...
As a side note, you only have 3 hours to edit your original post

Ah didn't realize that. If I remember anything new I'll just make a new post.

[mplaisir]

Does anyone know if there will be a Minyan for Pesach 2017 , in Windsor Palms, that is not part of the "Different Kind Of Pesach" program?

[VLK]

Was thinking of going to Orlando with my wife for a few days before pesach. Anyone know of a hotel with villas and private pools in Orlando area ? (Not looking to do any of the parks so if someone has a better destination that's Zika free in the US that would also be helpful

[VLK]

Not interested in staying in rental I want the hotel amenities

[aacracksam]

Selling tickets to seaworld Orlando pm for more info.

[shmoe joe]

Disney world going to the sky's
 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-bz-disney-world-gondolas-cable-cars-plans-20170418-story.html

[shie123]

Want to go to Orlando in July with 3 young kids.
I want to do a very nice hotel, with points.
I have mostly SPG and Marriott can anyone recommend?

[itreu001]

Do any of the kosher restaurants in Orlando deliver to any of the hotels? Does anyone have experience doing this and care to share. Thank you.

[A3]

Legoland Florida Awesomer annual pass is on sale for $99 normal $149

[itreu001]

Just was in Orlando for a week and went to Disney. I've never done a TR yet. But I figured I'd do one to help people out based on our experiences.

We traveled from NYC area to Orlando, and spent a week there. We went to Disney Parks for 4 days. If you do the Disney Parks it is important that you plan in advance, do research, and use the Fastpasses, and use the Disney Fastpass app in the parks. We only waited on 2 lines in the park the entire 4 days (other than fastpass lines). It made the entire difference in the world between an amazing trip, and a trip in which you are waiting on lines the entire time. You must bring with you in the park a battery charger to ensure that your phone does not die. We had a heavy duty Anker fast charger that we use.

If you use Fast Pass, you are allowed to book your Fast Passes up to 30 days in advance, (and 60 if you stay in a Disney Resort). I suggest you get your Fast Passes 30 days in advance. Make sure to book them all for the morning or as early as possible, because once you use up your 3 passes, you then can get them one at a time. What we did, is immediately after going on the ride for the Fast Pass, is book something else right away on the app, even while waiting to get on the next ride, or even on the ride itself. It works. If you can't necessarily find what you want on the app when you are booking when you are in the park, play with it by time, instead of just a generic "afternoon" or "evening". In Magic Kingdom we used more than 10 fast passes alone on a single day.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the times on the Disney App for wait times, is almost like using Waze. The goal of the App is to spread you around the park and to get people from long lines to short lines, and then even them out. So if a line is 20 minutes, it might really be 30 or more. 

We also went out to eat in the few kosher restaurants in Orlando, and the prices are very very expensive. Its the price to pay for having kosher food in a community that is reliant on tourists for seemingly 85-95% of its business.

Day 1 - Flight from EWR to MCO on JetBlue using JetBlue points. We visited the Air Canada Lounge in EWR courtesy of Chase Sapphire. We got there after breakfast was over so slim pickings on the Kosher end. We got a few cans of soda and some lemon water. Our flight was uneventful. Jet Blue now gives free wifi, so that was helpful and the legroom was nice. We rented a minivan from Alamo which we got from Priceline. Alamo is a pain, and they would not give us  free spousal driver privileges. Even though the car was fine, I would not rent from them again just for that.  Since we were going to be staying over the weekend, and it was not high season for orthodox jews, we wanted to stay within walking distance of a shul. So we elected to stay at Westgate Palace with the Chabad Rate. We also wanted to stay at a place that had a full kitchen that we would kasher the oven. Based on my research Westgate was the only decent option. The room was a 2 bedroom suite with a queen in one bedroom and 2 twins in the other BR. There was a pullout coach in the living room. It had a full kitchen with self clean oven (electric flat range though) microwave, full fridge freezer, full washer dryer, 2 bathrooms, and dishes and glasses. We also had free wifi, up to 5 devices at a time. On shabbos if you went to the front desk they would escort you to your room and open the door for you.  The few times we had a maintenance problem (with the toilet and ac), they were at our room within 10 minutes to fix it. The hotel is a time share place, and over the weekend it is crowded with people taking advantage of reduced rates, and having to hear a time share pitch. As a result, on the weekdays we were there, it was empty, including the heated pool, on the weekends (Friday-Sunday) it was packed with people, and even the parking lot was full making it hard to find a parking space in their lot.  There is also a gated basketball court, sand volleyball court, tabletennis, and small playground which my kids played in. (We bought a basketball, so we wouldn't have to rent one at $3 a time, and also we found cheap table tennis stuff there too as well so we wouldn't have to rent it).

We drove to the Winn Dixie to pick up food for the room and our stay. They had a full selection of refrigerated and frozen goods, although many of their stuff (at the end of May) was still kosher for passover, that they were stuck with, and were still trying to sell at Passover prices. The baked goods that they had, especially the challah were not that fresh. We understand, we were there in off season. There was not much turnover when we came.

We went out for supper at Kosher Grill which was 5 minutes from our hotel. The food was good, but like every kosher restaurant in Orlando, pricey. Otherwise they cannot stay in business. At the same time, this restaurant was the only one where we saw "locals", and the only restaurant that actually had in stock everything on their menu.

Day 2- Disney - Hollywood Studios- It was day 1 for us at Disney. We bought a special 4 day "Magic Ticket" from Disney (through undercover tourist) which came out to a little under $1500 for 5 people. It allows 4 days, one day each park, with reentry allowed to the park that day. So one day you can go to Magic Kingdom, and that's it. You can't go to Epcot that day. But unlike a regular 4 day ticket, you can leave and reenter the park. So you were not stuck in the park all day. Also, it was cheaper than a 3 day ticket for us. Its a limited time offer, and the price for it, was actually cheaper for winter admission but we missed it by a few days.

Back to Hollywood Studios, We got there early as we needed to pick up our tickets. Make sure to take a picture of all your tickets and email it to yourself, as we misplaced one ticket during our trip. If you do not have a picture you will be out of luck. If you show them the picture, they will reissue you the ticket without any problem. We Did the Fast Pass for Hollywood, as the Other parks 30 days in advance. Our fast Passes were 1) Star Tours 2) Frozen Show 3) Toy Story Mania, and then later in the day Fast passes for 4) Beauty and the Beast 5) The Great Movie Ride and 6) Fantasia.

This park was the park we spent the least amount of time in. It might be because we are not Star Wars Fans, or it might be because its a park in Transition, that they are building Toy Story Land, and Star Wars Land. You must get fast passes for Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. The lines for those rides are insane. We started with signing the kids up for Jedi training. We waited about 10 minutes to sign them up and then had to pick a time for them later. We didn't end up doing it later because it rained (and we left the park for the afternoon). We then went to Star Tours. Its a cool ride with 3D glasses and simulation.  We then used our second fast pass on the Frozen Show. It was 30 minutes, seated and nice. The kids liked it. Not much Anna and Elsa, but all the songs. After that we went to "Star Wars The Path of the Jedi", with no wait, which was a 10 minute movie about Star Wars. Again, if you are a Star Wars fan, its good, we didn't care so much. Then we went to Muppet Vision that had no wait. Its a 25 minute 3D show with the Muppets. Its was cute and the kids liked it. We then went to everyone's favorite ride in the park the Toy Story Mania. It was a fun ride, and the adults and kids all loved it. You must get a fast pass for this. We then got a Fast Pass for the Beauty and the Beast Show. We ran to make it. Its a 30 minute live show, which the Broadway show is based off of. Its good. The kids then wanted to get a fastpass for The Great Movie Ride. The ride is about 20-25 minutes. Its an original ride from when the park opened in the 80's. Its really outdated, but the kids liked it. Our family is not into roller coasters so Tower of Terror or the AeroSmith ride were not options for us. The forecast was severe thunderstorms and we took a break, went back to the hotel. We got a fastpass for Fantasia.

We swam at the hotel, and went for supper to Lower East Side Restaurant. When we got to the restaurant, we thought it was deserted, as there was nobody in the restaurant. The door was open though. There was a sign in the restaurant, that they are looking to sell the restaurant. So who knows how much longer they will be in business. We were served quickly, and the food was good (although pricey).  The cook/waiter was nice, and there was nothing to complain about. We took our leftovers to the park where we returned to Fantasia.

Of the 4 Parks, the Fantasia show was the best show that we saw. The show is in an outdoor amphitheater that seats thousands, and is half an hour long. Its good with pyrotechnics and water involved. Its Disney Themed of course. You can bring your own food, which we did, so everyone ate while we waited for the show to start. We had a Fastpass so we didn't have to wait in line (which were long) to get in. There is a crush to get out of the show, so you pay want to sit closer to the back if getting out quicker matters to you. After the show we saw fireworks from the park as well.

Day 3- Magic Kingdom - As anyone who has been to Magic Kingdom knows, they try to maroon you there, so you can't leave during the day. The Park is "on an island". It takes a while to park, get into the park and to leave.  We booked fast passes in advance for this park as well. Our Fast Passes were 1) Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin 2) Tomorrowland Speedway 3) Peter Pan's Flight, and then 4)Haunted Mansion 5) Its a Small World 6) The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, 7) Mad Tea Party The Barnstormer 9) Dumbo 10) Journey of the Little Mermaid 11) Pirates of the Caribbean 12) Splash Mountain.  Our kids won't do big rollercoasters so Spacemountain, Big Thunder, and Seven Dwarfs Mine train were out.

We started with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, its almost a similar version to the Toy Story ride in Hollywood. The kids loved it and was allot of fun, we had a Fast Pass for it. We then went without a fastpass to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. It was an interactive comedy show. It was cute and the kids liked it. We had no wait. We then went with a Fast Pass to the Speedway, these are the cars (on a track) that the kids love. We then went to the Carousel of Progress, its a 20-25 minute show. There was no line. This is one of the original Disney rides in the park, and selected by Disney himself. Its a bit outdated, but cute. We then went on the Peoplemover, which had no line, and is a 10 minute ride around Tomorrowland. By that time it was time to walk to Fantasyland and go on the Peter Pan ride. We took a Fast Pass for it, because it has one of the longest wait times in the Park. Its a cute ride.  We then saw the Mickey's Philharmonic 3D show which was fun. Then we went with a Fast Pass on the Haunted Mansion, and it was nice for everyone. We then grabbed a Fast Pass for Its a Small World and went on that. We then took a fast pass for Aladdin's Flying Carpets (which is just a giant carnival ride) and then walked through the Swiss Family Tree House. We were then hungry. We went to Cosmic Ray's Cafe, where were ordered Dairy Kosher meals (pizza and lasagna). They were nothing great, but something to eat. While we waited for them to be heated up, some of us went on the Mad Tea Cups (with a FP of course), which are right there. We then got a fast pass for The Barnstormer, while we waited for the time to kick in, the little ones played in the Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station. We then went on the Barnstormer, (small roller coaster) and then got a Fast Pass for Dumbo (which is just another carnival ride) , we then got a Fast Pass for the Little Mermaid, its a cute ride, and the kids liked it. We then got a fast pass for Pirates of the Caribbean, but in the interim, we went to the Winnie the Pooh ride, where we waited in line for 40 minutes, even though the time wait was 20. This was our only line we waited in, in MK. We then went to the Pirates of the Caribbean, which is a cool ride, that everyone enjoyed. Then we went to the Enchanted Tikki House, which nobody really liked, and they don't even list it as a ride anymore. We then snagged a FP for Splash Mountain, which some of us went on and loved. We then saw the fireworks from there, which is a great location, and then were exhausted and left the park. We took the local monorail which made a stop at the hotels to get back to the parking lot. Otherwise it might have taken us an extra 30 minutes back.

Day 4- Friday. We took a well deserved break from Disney. We woke up late, and did a late morning swim. We then went out for lunch at Kosher Gourmet Restaurant. On Friday they only serve dairy. They only had whole pizzas (14"). They do not have dairy seating there, because the seating is only for meat. You can eat the Pizzas outside on the picnic tables. The Pizzas were surprisingly good. Unfortunately, it was 90 degrees outside in Orlando and there was no shade by the picnic tables. We ate quickly and went back into our car for a leisurely day of shopping and getting ready for shabbos. We picked up a few items at Winn Dixie. We ate Friday night at the hotel, we were able to cook ourselves.

Day 5- Shabbos Day. We walked to Chabad from our hotel. It is at least a 30 minute walk from the Westgate Palace, even though Chabad's website says 20 minutes. It was also hot. We prepaid for lunch for our family at Chabad. Davening is called for 9:30.  Davening was nice. There were about 25-30 people there for davening total. Davening ended at about 12:30. Lunch ended at about 2:30. The food was good and the company was nice. We got back to our hotel at about 3:15.  The kids played the rest of the day. We went swimming after shabbos.

Day 6- Sunday - Animal Kingdom. We had our reservations about the park, since its an animal park. The kids loved it and had a great time.  We also got there day 2 of Pandoraland and Avatarland. We did not go. The lines for that part of the park were insane. 4-5 hour waits for rides, and a 3 hour wait just to get into the giftshop. 

The park has this thing called "Wilderness Explorer" that the kids can explore parts of the park and get badges and stickers. Its essentially a giant scavenger hunt for them all over the park. They love it, but frankly its kind of annoying, because its a way to make you stay in the park longer, and make you (the parent who has $$ to spend) travel all over the park.

Fast Passes for Animal Kingdom - 1) Dinosaur, 2) Primeval Whirl 3) Safari 4) Festival of the Lion King 5) Finding Nemo 6) Primeval Whirl (again), 7) Kali River Rapids.

The park is open until 11pm now (1am if you stay at a Disney property), because of Pandora (which still has crazy lines).  With regard to fast passes for this park, there really aren't many options (unless you are into Avatar), and the Avatar stuff was booked way in advance before the 30 days that we could reserve. This park is nice because it is shaded in most places. So even though it was 95 degrees, it wasn't that bad. We first went to Dinosaur (with a FP), which was pretty cool (a little scary for little kids) (its a FP must), we then went on Primeval Whirl, (also with a FP), which is a little roller coaster, and the little kids went on Tricera Top Spin at the same time (carnival ride). We then went to Its tough to be a bug, with no wait, and saw a 20-25 minute show about Disney Bugs in 3D, it was cute, and the kids liked it. We then got drinks at Starbucks and went to Africa. We went to Rafikis Planet Watch, where you take a Train to get there. There was no wait. There's an indoor science center (with a Meet and Greet with Doc McStuffins) and a petting zoo. All of the stuff the kids loved and there was no wait. Then a train ride back. Lots of animals. We then went on the Gorilla Falls exploration train, which had lots of animals, was shaded and cool. We then went on the Safari (FP). Its nice, lots of animals. Being in the NYC area, it doesn't compare with the 6 flags safari, but still pretty good. We then got a FP for the Lion King Show. We had to run there, and made it just in time. The show is one of the best in all of Disney. Well worth it. When then got the FP for the next Finding Nemo Show. We then had to go across the park to get to that show. The show was okay. Some kids liked it, some didn't. We then got another FP for Primeval Wheel, first we went to the Tricera Top Spin, which had no wait, we then did the roller coaster again, while little ones played in the playground (the boneyard), and then the rest joined them. We then got a FP for Kali River Rapids. The regular wait for this ride was over an hour. Looked like closer to 90 minutes. Its a water ride, but we were a bit disappointed. There wasn't much water, and wasn't that fast. Maybe I'm just getting old, but all the people on our boat said the same. We then went on the Jungle Trek, which was long, and cool. The kids liked it and so did we. Once again, we don't do roller coasters so we didn't do Expedition Everest.

We then wanted to get kosher food in the park. We first went to Pizzafari, and were told that they no longer sold kosher food, and we needed to go to Kusafari. We went there, and were given the run around, and finally after 15 minutes were told that they didn't have any food either. Going forward I would recommend not to count on kosher food in animal kingdom.

At that point, we basically finished the park. The night show, had 3 shows that night, and we were told that there would be no line for the 2nd and 3rd shows (1030pm, and 1145(only for resort guests). We left the park at about 7, and decided to go out for dinner. We went to Kosher Gourmet for meat. There were 3 other families there that night. The restaurant staff comprised of 3 people, and they were working beyond capacity. The food was good, but expensive. They said that they were out of chinese food and anything with ground beef, including hamburgers.  Its fine, we were happy with what we could get.  We then went shopping a bit, and returned to the park for the Rivers of Light Show.

Rivers of Light Show. The Show was scheduled for 1030, and we were in the park at 10pm. We were seated by 10:15, and we had front row seats since its the second show, and the park was empty. It was a nice show, but only 15 minutes long. Its on the water, and has the water and visual effects like fantasmic, but not as good or as long. In retrospect, maybe would wouldn't have returned just for the show. After the show we left the park and returned back to the hotel.

Day 7 - Monday Memorial Day -EPCOT

The park was packed because it was Memorial Day. However, we had Fast Passes. But, 30 days before this day, was shabbos, so we only were able to reserve the FP after shabbos ended and not at 7am.  So we were more limited in the Fast Passes that we got, but we did okay at the end. Also Epcot has different rules about FP's in Epcot, you are much more limited.

Fast Passes 1) Spaceship Earth 2) Turtle Talk with Crush 3) Soarin 4) Living With the Land 5) The Seas with Nemo 6) Journey into Imagination 7) Mission Space

Epcot is a park that seems outdated. It was also really hot there with not much shade, unless you are in an air conditioned building. They have some cool and amazing rides, but then some real duds. Our FP's were limited as you can only choose one of group A (Elsa, Soarin, and Test Track), and the rest frankly are not so great. We did not spend much time in the World Showcase, and basically just walked around the entire thing.

We started with a FP to Spaceship Earth (the ride inside the ball). It is a cool and nice ride. We only did a FP to it, because we had to pick something in the morning, and it worked with our times. We then went to Turtle talk with Crush, which also worked with our times. It is a nice show, interactive (similar to Monsters Inc. Show in MK.) about Nemo and the turtles. We then explored the aquarium in the building which is pretty cool. Its worth spending some time there.

We then went to the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival. There were a few cute 3D movies. We then went to get a snack and to see Soarin. This may have been the best ride in all of the Disney Parks. However, even with the FP, the line was still 20-25 minutes (The regular wait was 2 hours). Its was worth it. The ride is amazing. We then got a FP for Living with the Land. It was in the same building. I don't understand how people without the FP waited 40 minutes for this ride. It was outdated. With the FP it was fine as there was no wait. We then got a FP for The Seas with Nemo. The kids liked it. Basically its a ride through the aquarium. We then got a FP for Journey into Imagination with Figment. It was okay. After we went to Imageworks, which is a play area for the kids.

We then walked around the World Showcase. The lime for Elsa  was 90 minutes we were not waiting on lines that long. We got a FP for Mission:Space. Its a cool ride. There are two versions, intense and non intense, depending on how old your kids are, is where you should be. We then bent the rules and waited on Single Rider for Test Track, as we were unable to get a FP for it. In fact, I think all FP's were taken 60 days in advance. The Single Rider line was 30 minutes, (standby was 80). The ride is a cool ride, and everyone enjoys it.  We then went on Ellen's Energy Adventure which is a 45 minute (yes 45 minutes!) ride which is 20 years outdated. The kids liked it though, because they are giant Ellen fans. We then were on every ride (other than the World showcase) except Elsa and it was time to go.

We had a great time in Disney, but only because of FP's and we didn't have to wait in lines.

Day 8- Checkout from the hotel was seamless, Flight back to EWR.  Flight was delayed numerous times. Supposed to leave at about 7:20, didn't take off until 10:05 on Jet Blue. However the lounge in MCO was very very nice, with breakfast, and a wii for the kids to play with. We were very happy.

I hope that this is helpful to someone, like other reviews and comments were helpful to us.

[shulem92]

Wow! So much detail. Thanx for taking the time to write it all up!

[helpusout]

Considering going down to Orlando next weekend (June 21- 25) . Any minyanim in any of the housing rental developments? Can't find on godaven..

[itreu001]

Not really. Chabad is within walking distance of some hotels.  We even looked into airbnb near the Chofetz Chaim Community, and there weren't any options. The other option is to make your own minyan if there are enough people near where you are, like it is during Yeshiva Week or Pesach time.

[Aaaron]

Any recommendations on a Disney Springs/Downtown Disney hotel?  There are 7 and I have no clue where to start.  Only going to be there for 3 days.

[yg1836]

Does anyone know of anyway to get cheap tickets to the disney parks this week?
I heard there are people selling  on the street, would they be trustable?

[henche]

Just was in Orlando for a week and went to Disney. I've never done a TR yet. But I figured I'd do one to help people out based on our experiences.

We traveled from NYC area to Orlando, and spent a week there. We went to Disney Parks for 4 days. If you do the Disney Parks it is important that you plan in advance, do research, and use the Fastpasses, and use the Disney Fastpass app in the parks. We only waited on 2 lines in the park the entire 4 days (other than fastpass lines). It made the entire difference in the world between an amazing trip, and a trip in which you are waiting on lines the entire time. You must bring with you in the park a battery charger to ensure that your phone does not die. We had a heavy duty Anker fast charger that we use.

If you use Fast Pass, you are allowed to book your Fast Passes up to 30 days in advance, (and 60 if you stay in a Disney Resort). I suggest you get your Fast Passes 30 days in advance. Make sure to book them all for the morning or as early as possible, because once you use up your 3 passes, you then can get them one at a time. What we did, is immediately after going on the ride for the Fast Pass, is book something else right away on the app, even while waiting to get on the next ride, or even on the ride itself. It works. If you can't necessarily find what you want on the app when you are booking when you are in the park, play with it by time, instead of just a generic "afternoon" or "evening". In Magic Kingdom we used more than 10 fast passes alone on a single day.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the times on the Disney App for wait times, is almost like using Waze. The goal of the App is to spread you around the park and to get people from long lines to short lines, and then even them out. So if a line is 20 minutes, it might really be 30 or more. 

We also went out to eat in the few kosher restaurants in Orlando, and the prices are very very expensive. Its the price to pay for having kosher food in a community that is reliant on tourists for seemingly 85-95% of its business.

Day 1 - Flight from EWR to MCO on JetBlue using JetBlue points. We visited the Air Canada Lounge in EWR courtesy of Chase Sapphire. We got there after breakfast was over so slim pickings on the Kosher end. We got a few cans of soda and some lemon water. Our flight was uneventful. Jet Blue now gives free wifi, so that was helpful and the legroom was nice. We rented a minivan from Alamo which we got from Priceline. Alamo is a pain, and they would not give us  free spousal driver privileges. Even though the car was fine, I would not rent from them again just for that.  Since we were going to be staying over the weekend, and it was not high season for orthodox jews, we wanted to stay within walking distance of a shul. So we elected to stay at Westgate Palace with the Chabad Rate. We also wanted to stay at a place that had a full kitchen that we would kasher the oven. Based on my research Westgate was the only decent option. The room was a 2 bedroom suite with a queen in one bedroom and 2 twins in the other BR. There was a pullout coach in the living room. It had a full kitchen with self clean oven (electric flat range though) microwave, full fridge freezer, full washer dryer, 2 bathrooms, and dishes and glasses. We also had free wifi, up to 5 devices at a time. On shabbos if you went to the front desk they would escort you to your room and open the door for you.  The few times we had a maintenance problem (with the toilet and ac), they were at our room within 10 minutes to fix it. The hotel is a time share place, and over the weekend it is crowded with people taking advantage of reduced rates, and having to hear a time share pitch. As a result, on the weekdays we were there, it was empty, including the heated pool, on the weekends (Friday-Sunday) it was packed with people, and even the parking lot was full making it hard to find a parking space in their lot.  There is also a gated basketball court, sand volleyball court, tabletennis, and small playground which my kids played in. (We bought a basketball, so we wouldn't have to rent one at $3 a time, and also we found cheap table tennis stuff there too as well so we wouldn't have to rent it).

We drove to the Winn Dixie to pick up food for the room and our stay. They had a full selection of refrigerated and frozen goods, although many of their stuff (at the end of May) was still kosher for passover, that they were stuck with, and were still trying to sell at Passover prices. The baked goods that they had, especially the challah were not that fresh. We understand, we were there in off season. There was not much turnover when we came.

We went out for supper at Kosher Grill which was 5 minutes from our hotel. The food was good, but like every kosher restaurant in Orlando, pricey. Otherwise they cannot stay in business. At the same time, this restaurant was the only one where we saw "locals", and the only restaurant that actually had in stock everything on their menu.

Day 2- Disney - Hollywood Studios- It was day 1 for us at Disney. We bought a special 4 day "Magic Ticket" from Disney (through undercover tourist) which came out to a little under $1500 for 5 people. It allows 4 days, one day each park, with reentry allowed to the park that day. So one day you can go to Magic Kingdom, and that's it. You can't go to Epcot that day. But unlike a regular 4 day ticket, you can leave and reenter the park. So you were not stuck in the park all day. Also, it was cheaper than a 3 day ticket for us. Its a limited time offer, and the price for it, was actually cheaper for winter admission but we missed it by a few days.

Back to Hollywood Studios, We got there early as we needed to pick up our tickets. Make sure to take a picture of all your tickets and email it to yourself, as we misplaced one ticket during our trip. If you do not have a picture you will be out of luck. If you show them the picture, they will reissue you the ticket without any problem. We Did the Fast Pass for Hollywood, as the Other parks 30 days in advance. Our fast Passes were 1) Star Tours 2) Frozen Show 3) Toy Story Mania, and then later in the day Fast passes for 4) Beauty and the Beast 5) The Great Movie Ride and 6) Fantasia.

This park was the park we spent the least amount of time in. It might be because we are not Star Wars Fans, or it might be because its a park in Transition, that they are building Toy Story Land, and Star Wars Land. You must get fast passes for Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. The lines for those rides are insane. We started with signing the kids up for Jedi training. We waited about 10 minutes to sign them up and then had to pick a time for them later. We didn't end up doing it later because it rained (and we left the park for the afternoon). We then went to Star Tours. Its a cool ride with 3D glasses and simulation.  We then used our second fast pass on the Frozen Show. It was 30 minutes, seated and nice. The kids liked it. Not much Anna and Elsa, but all the songs. After that we went to "Star Wars The Path of the Jedi", with no wait, which was a 10 minute movie about Star Wars. Again, if you are a Star Wars fan, its good, we didn't care so much. Then we went to Muppet Vision that had no wait. Its a 25 minute 3D show with the Muppets. Its was cute and the kids liked it. We then went to everyone's favorite ride in the park the Toy Story Mania. It was a fun ride, and the adults and kids all loved it. You must get a fast pass for this. We then got a Fast Pass for the Beauty and the Beast Show. We ran to make it. Its a 30 minute live show, which the Broadway show is based off of. Its good. The kids then wanted to get a fastpass for The Great Movie Ride. The ride is about 20-25 minutes. Its an original ride from when the park opened in the 80's. Its really outdated, but the kids liked it. Our family is not into roller coasters so Tower of Terror or the AeroSmith ride were not options for us. The forecast was severe thunderstorms and we took a break, went back to the hotel. We got a fastpass for Fantasia.

We swam at the hotel, and went for supper to Lower East Side Restaurant. When we got to the restaurant, we thought it was deserted, as there was nobody in the restaurant. The door was open though. There was a sign in the restaurant, that they are looking to sell the restaurant. So who knows how much longer they will be in business. We were served quickly, and the food was good (although pricey).  The cook/waiter was nice, and there was nothing to complain about. We took our leftovers to the park where we returned to Fantasia.

Of the 4 Parks, the Fantasia show was the best show that we saw. The show is in an outdoor amphitheater that seats thousands, and is half an hour long. Its good with pyrotechnics and water involved. Its Disney Themed of course. You can bring your own food, which we did, so everyone ate while we waited for the show to start. We had a Fastpass so we didn't have to wait in line (which were long) to get in. There is a crush to get out of the show, so you pay want to sit closer to the back if getting out quicker matters to you. After the show we saw fireworks from the park as well.

Day 3- Magic Kingdom - As anyone who has been to Magic Kingdom knows, they try to maroon you there, so you can't leave during the day. The Park is "on an island". It takes a while to park, get into the park and to leave.  We booked fast passes in advance for this park as well. Our Fast Passes were 1) Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin 2) Tomorrowland Speedway 3) Peter Pan's Flight, and then 4)Haunted Mansion 5) Its a Small World 6) The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, 7) Mad Tea Party The Barnstormer 9) Dumbo 10) Journey of the Little Mermaid 11) Pirates of the Caribbean 12) Splash Mountain.  Our kids won't do big rollercoasters so Spacemountain, Big Thunder, and Seven Dwarfs Mine train were out.

We started with Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, its almost a similar version to the Toy Story ride in Hollywood. The kids loved it and was allot of fun, we had a Fast Pass for it. We then went without a fastpass to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. It was an interactive comedy show. It was cute and the kids liked it. We had no wait. We then went with a Fast Pass to the Speedway, these are the cars (on a track) that the kids love. We then went to the Carousel of Progress, its a 20-25 minute show. There was no line. This is one of the original Disney rides in the park, and selected by Disney himself. Its a bit outdated, but cute. We then went on the Peoplemover, which had no line, and is a 10 minute ride around Tomorrowland. By that time it was time to walk to Fantasyland and go on the Peter Pan ride. We took a Fast Pass for it, because it has one of the longest wait times in the Park. Its a cute ride.  We then saw the Mickey's Philharmonic 3D show which was fun. Then we went with a Fast Pass on the Haunted Mansion, and it was nice for everyone. We then grabbed a Fast Pass for Its a Small World and went on that. We then took a fast pass for Aladdin's Flying Carpets (which is just a giant carnival ride) and then walked through the Swiss Family Tree House. We were then hungry. We went to Cosmic Ray's Cafe, where were ordered Dairy Kosher meals (pizza and lasagna). They were nothing great, but something to eat. While we waited for them to be heated up, some of us went on the Mad Tea Cups (with a FP of course), which are right there. We then got a fast pass for The Barnstormer, while we waited for the time to kick in, the little ones played in the Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station. We then went on the Barnstormer, (small roller coaster) and then got a Fast Pass for Dumbo (which is just another carnival ride) , we then got a Fast Pass for the Little Mermaid, its a cute ride, and the kids liked it. We then got a fast pass for Pirates of the Caribbean, but in the interim, we went to the Winnie the Pooh ride, where we waited in line for 40 minutes, even though the time wait was 20. This was our only line we waited in, in MK. We then went to the Pirates of the Caribbean, which is a cool ride, that everyone enjoyed. Then we went to the Enchanted Tikki House, which nobody really liked, and they don't even list it as a ride anymore. We then snagged a FP for Splash Mountain, which some of us went on and loved. We then saw the fireworks from there, which is a great location, and then were exhausted and left the park. We took the local monorail which made a stop at the hotels to get back to the parking lot. Otherwise it might have taken us an extra 30 minutes back.

Day 4- Friday. We took a well deserved break from Disney. We woke up late, and did a late morning swim. We then went out for lunch at Kosher Gourmet Restaurant. On Friday they only serve dairy. They only had whole pizzas (14"). They do not have dairy seating there, because the seating is only for meat. You can eat the Pizzas outside on the picnic tables. The Pizzas were surprisingly good. Unfortunately, it was 90 degrees outside in Orlando and there was no shade by the picnic tables. We ate quickly and went back into our car for a leisurely day of shopping and getting ready for shabbos. We picked up a few items at Winn Dixie. We ate Friday night at the hotel, we were able to cook ourselves.

Day 5- Shabbos Day. We walked to Chabad from our hotel. It is at least a 30 minute walk from the Westgate Palace, even though Chabad's website says 20 minutes. It was also hot. We prepaid for lunch for our family at Chabad. Davening is called for 9:30.  Davening was nice. There were about 25-30 people there for davening total. Davening ended at about 12:30. Lunch ended at about 2:30. The food was good and the company was nice. We got back to our hotel at about 3:15.  The kids played the rest of the day. We went swimming after shabbos.

Day 6- Sunday - Animal Kingdom. We had our reservations about the park, since its an animal park. The kids loved it and had a great time.  We also got there day 2 of Pandoraland and Avatarland. We did not go. The lines for that part of the park were insane. 4-5 hour waits for rides, and a 3 hour wait just to get into the giftshop. 

The park has this thing called "Wilderness Explorer" that the kids can explore parts of the park and get badges and stickers. Its essentially a giant scavenger hunt for them all over the park. They love it, but frankly its kind of annoying, because its a way to make you stay in the park longer, and make you (the parent who has $$ to spend) travel all over the park.

Fast Passes for Animal Kingdom - 1) Dinosaur, 2) Primeval Whirl 3) Safari 4) Festival of the Lion King 5) Finding Nemo 6) Primeval Whirl (again), 7) Kali River Rapids.

The park is open until 11pm now (1am if you stay at a Disney property), because of Pandora (which still has crazy lines).  With regard to fast passes for this park, there really aren't many options (unless you are into Avatar), and the Avatar stuff was booked way in advance before the 30 days that we could reserve. This park is nice because it is shaded in most places. So even though it was 95 degrees, it wasn't that bad. We first went to Dinosaur (with a FP), which was pretty cool (a little scary for little kids) (its a FP must), we then went on Primeval Whirl, (also with a FP), which is a little roller coaster, and the little kids went on Tricera Top Spin at the same time (carnival ride). We then went to Its tough to be a bug, with no wait, and saw a 20-25 minute show about Disney Bugs in 3D, it was cute, and the kids liked it. We then got drinks at Starbucks and went to Africa. We went to Rafikis Planet Watch, where you take a Train to get there. There was no wait. There's an indoor science center (with a Meet and Greet with Doc McStuffins) and a petting zoo. All of the stuff the kids loved and there was no wait. Then a train ride back. Lots of animals. We then went on the Gorilla Falls exploration train, which had lots of animals, was shaded and cool. We then went on the Safari (FP). Its nice, lots of animals. Being in the NYC area, it doesn't compare with the 6 flags safari, but still pretty good. We then got a FP for the Lion King Show. We had to run there, and made it just in time. The show is one of the best in all of Disney. Well worth it. When then got the FP for the next Finding Nemo Show. We then had to go across the park to get to that show. The show was okay. Some kids liked it, some didn't. We then got another FP for Primeval Wheel, first we went to the Tricera Top Spin, which had no wait, we then did the roller coaster again, while little ones played in the playground (the boneyard), and then the rest joined them. We then got a FP for Kali River Rapids. The regular wait for this ride was over an hour. Looked like closer to 90 minutes. Its a water ride, but we were a bit disappointed. There wasn't much water, and wasn't that fast. Maybe I'm just getting old, but all the people on our boat said the same. We then went on the Jungle Trek, which was long, and cool. The kids liked it and so did we. Once again, we don't do roller coasters so we didn't do Expedition Everest.

We then wanted to get kosher food in the park. We first went to Pizzafari, and were told that they no longer sold kosher food, and we needed to go to Kusafari. We went there, and were given the run around, and finally after 15 minutes were told that they didn't have any food either. Going forward I would recommend not to count on kosher food in animal kingdom.

At that point, we basically finished the park. The night show, had 3 shows that night, and we were told that there would be no line for the 2nd and 3rd shows (1030pm, and 1145(only for resort guests). We left the park at about 7, and decided to go out for dinner. We went to Kosher Gourmet for meat. There were 3 other families there that night. The restaurant staff comprised of 3 people, and they were working beyond capacity. The food was good, but expensive. They said that they were out of chinese food and anything with ground beef, including hamburgers.  Its fine, we were happy with what we could get.  We then went shopping a bit, and returned to the park for the Rivers of Light Show.

Rivers of Light Show. The Show was scheduled for 1030, and we were in the park at 10pm. We were seated by 10:15, and we had front row seats since its the second show, and the park was empty. It was a nice show, but only 15 minutes long. Its on the water, and has the water and visual effects like fantasmic, but not as good or as long. In retrospect, maybe would wouldn't have returned just for the show. After the show we left the park and returned back to the hotel.

Day 7 - Monday Memorial Day -EPCOT

The park was packed because it was Memorial Day. However, we had Fast Passes. But, 30 days before this day, was shabbos, so we only were able to reserve the FP after shabbos ended and not at 7am.  So we were more limited in the Fast Passes that we got, but we did okay at the end. Also Epcot has different rules about FP's in Epcot, you are much more limited.

Fast Passes 1) Spaceship Earth 2) Turtle Talk with Crush 3) Soarin 4) Living With the Land 5) The Seas with Nemo 6) Journey into Imagination 7) Mission Space

Epcot is a park that seems outdated. It was also really hot there with not much shade, unless you are in an air conditioned building. They have some cool and amazing rides, but then some real duds. Our FP's were limited as you can only choose one of group A (Elsa, Soarin, and Test Track), and the rest frankly are not so great. We did not spend much time in the World Showcase, and basically just walked around the entire thing.

We started with a FP to Spaceship Earth (the ride inside the ball). It is a cool and nice ride. We only did a FP to it, because we had to pick something in the morning, and it worked with our times. We then went to Turtle talk with Crush, which also worked with our times. It is a nice show, interactive (similar to Monsters Inc. Show in MK.) about Nemo and the turtles. We then explored the aquarium in the building which is pretty cool. Its worth spending some time there.

We then went to the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival. There were a few cute 3D movies. We then went to get a snack and to see Soarin. This may have been the best ride in all of the Disney Parks. However, even with the FP, the line was still 20-25 minutes (The regular wait was 2 hours). Its was worth it. The ride is amazing. We then got a FP for Living with the Land. It was in the same building. I don't understand how people without the FP waited 40 minutes for this ride. It was outdated. With the FP it was fine as there was no wait. We then got a FP for The Seas with Nemo. The kids liked it. Basically its a ride through the aquarium. We then got a FP for Journey into Imagination with Figment. It was okay. After we went to Imageworks, which is a play area for the kids.

We then walked around the World Showcase. The lime for Elsa  was 90 minutes we were not waiting on lines that long. We got a FP for Mission:Space. Its a cool ride. There are two versions, intense and non intense, depending on how old your kids are, is where you should be. We then bent the rules and waited on Single Rider for Test Track, as we were unable to get a FP for it. In fact, I think all FP's were taken 60 days in advance. The Single Rider line was 30 minutes, (standby was 80). The ride is a cool ride, and everyone enjoys it.  We then went on Ellen's Energy Adventure which is a 45 minute (yes 45 minutes!) ride which is 20 years outdated. The kids liked it though, because they are giant Ellen fans. We then were on every ride (other than the World showcase) except Elsa and it was time to go.

We had a great time in Disney, but only because of FP's and we didn't have to wait in lines.

Day 8- Checkout from the hotel was seamless, Flight back to EWR.  Flight was delayed numerous times. Supposed to leave at about 7:20, didn't take off until 10:05 on Jet Blue. However the lounge in MCO was very very nice, with breakfast, and a wii for the kids to play with. We were very happy.

I hope that this is helpful to someone, like other reviews and comments were helpful to us.

tl dr?

[scr]

ANy advice how to get cheap Disney or Universal tickets?