Orlando, Florida Vacation

There's lot of less expensive stuff to do in Orlando. There's Gatorland, Wonderworks (on International Drive), Ripleys Believe It or Not (on I-drive as well) .... There is Wekiva Springs and Rock Springs (I'm not a big springs person... but someone else mentioned it) .. New Smyrna Beach is about an hour from Orlando. It's quieter than Daytona....more of a locals beach. But, Daytona Beach is only a little bit further than New Smyrna and has tons of shops and stuff. Aquatica is Seaworlds waterpark and is so pretty (but that is about 40$ each to get in) ... Oh, you could go to the Kennedy Space Center (again, a bit of a drive.. maybe an hour or so) Of course downtown Disney has restaurants & shops that are cool.. If you look up International Drive in Orlando there are lots of things to do in that area.

Downtown Disney is great. There are a lot of shops, restaurants. There is the Lego Store there that has stations outside in which kids can make whatever they want and a station there for kids to make toy cars and race them down the ramp. I have 2 boys and both times we have gone to Downtown Disney, they have spent at least 2 hours just playing at the store. There is Disney Quest there as well (an indoor theme park), I am not sure how much admission is though. Like the other post said, Kennedy space center is only about 1 hour away and very worth it. Going to Disney in August is going to be stifling hot!!! The air barely moves because you are very much inland. Definitely look for indoor stuff. Check out the largest McDonalds: http://www.mcfun.com/restaurants/view/7 It is 2 stories and has an arcade on the 2nd floor with a playstructure for younger kids. It is a great place to get out of the heat.

You should look into some of the natural springs near Orlando. There are several pretty close, and you can tube, snorkel and play is amazingly beautiful water. Google Florida Natural Springs Orlando or go to Southern Living.com and check in their archives. They had an article on them last summer.

Also -it's a little drive, but you can be at some beautiful beaches at an hour or hour and a half drive. That may be a fun way to spend the day! Daytona, St. Augustine, Palm Coast, etc. We're going to St. Augustine in several weeks and taking a day trip to Disneyworld just for the day one day.

I think you've got a lot of good suggestions of things to do. As for saving money while you're in the Disney parks, I can't stress enough how great it is to bring your own snacks (and lunch if you can fit it in the backpack) and a refillable water bottle! My husband and I took our 2 kids in April (3.5 year old and 9 month old - I'll admit: the trip was just as much for me as it was for them at those young ages) and I calculated that we probably saved $24 each day by having our own water (which costs about $3 per bottle in the parks). We were there during a week where temps reached the mid to high 80's so water was important. The water fountains around the parks allow you to refill as often as you want and I was actually surprised that the water out of the fountains was always very cold and didn't taste funny.

As for snacks, I made sure to buy yogurt tubes and put them in the freezer of our condo. Then I took them out each morning before going to the parks so that by the time the kids were ready for a mid morning snack or lunch, the yogurt had unfrozen and was the perfect temperature. You can do the same thing with grapes for a snack or supplement to a meal. Obviously, crackers, etc, store well too and are good for both snack and a meal supplement (then you just have to purchase a burger or sandwich to go with it).

My other advice is to eat your breakfast in the timeshare. We just had cereal and fruit each morning which was less expensive and healthier than eating in a restaurant and MUCH less expensive than picking something up in one of the parks. And since you'll have your own car, you can find a close grocery store to visit when you arrive so you can stock up (make sure to reserach one before you leave - that will help you avoid shopping in a more expensive but easy to find convenience store).

As for souveniers, we told our daughter on the first day that she was going to be able to pick whatever souvenier she wanted on the last day (with a dollar limit, of course!) This helped to avoid a lot of the "mommy, can I have this" questioning. Or, at least when she did ask the question, we would remind her that she was going to be allowed to pick one thing at the end so she might want to wait to see what else was available. And then when she was finally able to pick it out, she really cherished it because she'd put a lot of thought into it.

Swimming in the pool is always a great, free activity. And we loved the Kennedy Space Center as well (just over an hour drive out of Orlando) - we didn't do it this trip but my husband and I did it a number of years ago before we had kids. A couple good unofficial websites to visit to get tips are mousesavers.com (for money-saving tips) and wdwinfo.com (for general information, including park hours for the days you'll be there since the hours do change quite often).

Most importantly, have fun!!! Even doing the Disney parks with two younger kids, it was honestly one of the most fun vacations I've taken. I was anticipating it being a lot of work (due to our kids' ages) but it really was just a lot of fun :)

First off skip blizzard beach and do Typhoon lagoon. It is a disney waterpark but my kids like it so much better than the blizzard beach not sure why lol but they do. We always take a day and go to old town. it is on international drive. doesn't cost anything. it is set up like an old fashioned main street. has a board walk and a million shops to go into. there is a taffy shop you can watch them make the taffy, a candle shop that you can watch candles being made. lots of stuff to "do" some rides, free entertainment in the sqaure, little food places etc. good for several hours of fun. we always did that day and then just swam at our hotel. a downtime day. and you only spend what you want there. we always got our kids a tshirt and stuff like that. they have the disney stuff cheaper at some of the little stores. our daughter got a jade bracelet, our son got some samurai swards. one year we got some of those old time photos. and last time we went the kids got their portraits done by a sidewalk artist.

Congratulations! We're headed there in August as well. Last year was our first in Downtown Disney and I must say--the T-Rex Cafe is a MUST for you to do with your wee one. Reservations are highly recommended...and you should make them asap. It's a bit pricey but waaay worth it! Also, if you are interested in doing an amusement park, Sea World is offering a buy one day, get the 2nd day free via their website. There's the dinner shows--Pirates, Arabian Nights and a few others... Who are you staying with? If you are not staying with Westgate, let me know and I'll send you some info over for one of their offers. Most places who offer timeshare sales will provide you with tickets to shows, etc. Enjoy your trip!

Don't skip Disneyworld. At 5 yo it is truly magical and it will be for you and your husband too! (except for the hot August heat). Unfortunately with out staying at a Disney resort or being a Florida resident there aren't discounts for park admission. Check out www.allears.net for information about the parks. You can skip Blizzard Beach, although great waterpark, you can do a waterpark at home and most kids are just happy to be in a swimming pool at the timeshare. All suggestions below are good options, but everything costs $$$ in Orlando. I know my son 6 yo would be happy just to be in a hotel, order in pizza and swim in the pool! It's mostly the simple things that will make them happy and if she's happy you guys will be too! It beats dragging a child around in the hot August sun and trying to have a fun family vacation! Did I mention it's HOT in August! Go to the beach!!!!

So much fun! I also suggest skipping Blizzard Beach. We have taken my son to Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and both are really difficult to get your money's worth out of when you have small ones. At five, she may do better than my son did, but she needs to be an excellent swimmer on her own to be able to do most of the rides. If you are set on going to a water park, go to Typhoon Lagoon. It is much better for smaller ones than Blizzard Beach.

As for cheap ideas...another poster was right in that it is going to be harder to find deals on tickets if you aren't staying on Disney property, but if you belong to AAA, you may want to talk to them. Also, Seaworld is offering a deal that every child's ticket is only $5 if you buy an adult one. That would save you money on your daughters.

Downtown Disney is fun. It is mostly shops however, which makes it easy to buy more than you need. Disney Quest is way too old for your daughter and is very expensive for what you get. If you want to eat at Disney parks, look into eating your big meal at lunch time and having sandwiches at your condo when you get back. Lunch is almost always cheaper than dinner in the parks.

Hope this helps and have fun!