Is it worth going to Orlando for a week?

Ive been to Orlando for a week.

However, i wouldnt have only done a week if i wasnt staying onsite at a Disney hotel.

Have also stayed out on I drive for a 2 week holiday, and found the shuttles not great tbh.

Very limited timings.

We did! 19th - 26th December 2004!

We stayed at a hotel on Universal Studies, got the transfer from Airport to the hotel. To be honest I could not stay in Orlando for more than a week. Whenever we have been to Florida for longer than a week, maximum time in orlando is a few days, then onto Naples, Keys, or Clearwater etc.

We have also been to Vegas for a week to. So jet lag horrid but you just work though it.

Many years ago we did Orlando for just a week, in fact it was Sept 2001 as Disneyland was evacuated when the terrorist attack in New York happened.

We only went for a week and relied on shuttles because neither of us were old enough to rent a car. It was ok, although the shuttle timings were not great for evenings. That said, it was fine for a week. I didn't particularly like Orlando, so a week was just enough.

Jet lag wise, I guess it could be a problem but we have never found it to be an issue. We have done Vegas for a couple of nights and often go to Texas for just 3/4 days with no huge jet lag problems. The time difference isn't so bad on the east coast.

I am sure you will have blast.

I guess that's a very personal thing. For me, the flight wouldn't be worth it for less than a fortnight (I'm not a huge fan of flying, not phobic just not that keen) but then my best friend has flown to Australia for 48 hours there so it's horses for courses really.

Thanks all, I am having the annual locking of horns with the OH about where we go.

......as usual I want USA, and as usual, he wants anywhere but. ?

Flight and jet lag wise I don't see it as a problem (we often go to Vegas for a long weekend) but I don't think you'd be able to get everything done in a week. Of course if you're not interested in the Disney Parks etc then you'll be fine but I'd want to go to EVERYTHING!! ?

7 days in Orlando is plenty! If you were planning on seeing more of Florida, then I would say you need 2 weeks and a car..but you will do fine with the shuttles or taxi's in Orlando.

I love Miami and the Keys and the west cost of Florida!

It depends on what you want to do when you're there. Personally i wouldn't go for any less than 2 weeks. We've been 5 times and still haven't seen everything.

Whenever we've been we've stayed either in I-drive or kissimee and done fine using the shuttle buses that were on offer. To be honest we prefered the hotel and shuttle bus option to a villa and car. We found the villa to be a bit out of the way so we had to go everywhere in the car which was a pain if you went for a meal and wanted a drink.

As others have said really it depends where you want to visit, where you're going to stay and whether or not you're bothered about seeing 'everything' or just happy to cherry pick the things you really want to see and concentrating on them. We went in 2000 and stayed in a hotel in Disney (the Carribbean Beach from memory) which worked out really well as we were able to get the shuttle bus anywhere within Disney that we wanted to go. The buses were very frequent, free and importantly air conditoned!!

We also took a couple of day trips outside Disney, one to Sea World and the other all the way over to NASA - which was absolutely scorching!

Have fun whatever you decide to do ?

We didnt go to disney at all and still spent 2 weeks with something filling every day. It really depends where you want to go /see. There is more than enough for 3 full weeks. We stayed in a villa and drove, I didnt want to stay in a hotel with hundreds of other tourists, it was bad enough having to put up with them while we were out.

I did it with 6 nights last summer. First day was spent in Universal, did a days shopping, 3 and 4 did a road trip to a friend in Sarasota. 5 was soo raining then day 6 was sleeping ready to work home.

Admittedly I have been to Orlando on numerous occasions before including 2 2 week trips in the mid nineties. If you want any tips let me know.

Thanks again all. I think we would want to do the parks, definately Universal anyway and other than that I'm open to suggestions. Any recs for sites to pre book tickets here would be handy. How much are you talking roughly for 2 adult tickets to the parks?

We use undercovertourist.com for our theme park tickets.. they are based in the USA but do free postage and very quick and reliable. Have used them 4 or 5 times and never had any problems

They sell different tickets to what you can buy here.. and usually have some discounts.

2 day Universal tickets are roughly $120 per adult

Disney tickets vary depending on how many days you want.. and whether you want to park hop etc.

Seaworld & Busch Gardens cost £55 per adult (thats for both parks)

Kennedy is about £35 per adult.

Never used a shuttle bus as we prefer to use a car and come and go as we please

Hell yeah I would! But then I love Orlando/Disney etc and I'm not ashamed to say so.

H & I did do just 1 week actually, on our second visit, it was all the holidays we had left from work and it was a bit of a late decision to go.

I wouldn't go and not hire a car personally. I prefer the freedom to come and go as I please and not wait around for shuttles. However it would depend on where you were staying and what palces you planned to visit, it might well be do-able.

Yes - but i have done miami for a long (4 day) weekend - i really hate flying but it was worth it

I'd just be scared to death to drive over there - I have been twice to Orlando and both times I was under 21 (it was 12 years ago now) so couldn't drive but from what I remember it looked bloody scarey!!! Six lanes of traffic etc......and I'm not particurlarly keen on driving on the motorway over here!! I just wouldn't want to hire a car then totally freak out over there ?