# Tickets for Disney flordia



## Kev (6 Jan 2011)

I will be going to Disney Florida in April with 2 grandchildren and their parents 5 in all travelling.   What is the best way to purchase tickets for parks and also for car hire ie euros or stg.?   Also does anyone know about a disability pass for pensioners are there any concessions for queuing for long periods?  



Thanks


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## shesells (6 Jan 2011)

Check out www.disboards.com for all the inside info. 

For car hire check out www.arguscarhire.ie - we got AMAZING deals for them in California in the autumn. Cheaper than the others, included a free tank of petrol, all insurances (which is usually a massive extra), and we were able to choose our car out of a rank of cars in the class we'd booked.


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## browtal (6 Jan 2011)

Dont worry too much about the long queues for rides. They are so well organised and the motorised wheel chairs are available at low cost, you will not feel the delays too difficult. 
They seems to be very good at organising everything that the delays are minimum. I was there during school holidays and the place was packed we tried all the rides with our children and no complaints about queues. Good luck enjoy- dont forget Epcot and their nightly fireworks display.
Good advice from shesells,   Browtal


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## Kev (6 Jan 2011)

Many thanks all for your kind advice.  Will it be very hot in April Easter time.  Will there be a lot of walking in the parks, I have been told that it will be about 6 miles a day is this correct.


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## browtal (6 Jan 2011)

April should be lovely, not too crowded or hot. The distances between rides and activities are not very long. All is so well served by transport. Browtal


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## minkydog (6 Jan 2011)

browtal said:


> April should be lovely, not too crowded or hot. The distances between rides and activities are not very long. All is so well served by transport. Browtal


 
The last two weeks in April 2011 are the Easter holidays. This is the busiest time of the year along with Christmas. The parks will be well packed. They were closing the parks over Christmas at 10.00am some mornings due to over crowding.


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## Tintagel (7 Jan 2011)

browtal said:


> April should be lovely, not too crowded or hot.


 
But the OP is going at Easter time.


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## tallpaul (7 Jan 2011)

Tintagel said:


> But the OP is going at Easter time.


 
If it is during the American Easter school holidays, the theme parks will be jammers. Best to go when US children are back in school!!!


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## Kev (7 Jan 2011)

It is also the UK children half term from school that is why we are going at Easter.  I understand the summers in Florida are also very hot as well.  

Well if it gets too crowded and shut we can go off somewhere by the sea to cool off. 

Thanks for all help.


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## minkydog (8 Jan 2011)

Kev said:


> It is also the UK children half term from school that is why we are going at Easter. I understand the summers in Florida are also very hot as well.
> 
> Well if it gets too crowded and shut we can go off somewhere by the sea to cool off.
> 
> Thanks for all help.


 
Try St. Pete's beach over on the Gulf coast, south of Tampa. Voted best beach in the US on several occasions. Will be there in four weeks ourselves, can't wait.


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## Kev (12 Jan 2011)

minkydog said:


> Try St. Pete's beach over on the Gulf coast, south of Tampa. Voted best beach in the US on several occasions. Will be there in four weeks ourselves, can't wait.



Thanks Minkydog for infor, no need to say to enjoy your time there 

Do I need a visa to travel to Florida, my passport is Irish but reside in UK my family were all born in UK and have a UK passport.


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## shesells (12 Jan 2011)

You don't need a visa but you need immigration clearance...an ESTA. Since the middle of last year there is a fee payable if you don't already have a valid ESTA. It's valid for two years or to the expiry of your passport if that is less than 2 years.

See https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/


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## Kev (12 Jan 2011)

Thanks Shesells, I will fill out the application before I leave, can you print it off from a home printer.


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## shesells (12 Jan 2011)

You don't need to print it out BUT they say you should complete it at least 72 hours before you travel. It's not automatically approved and you need to be approved before an airline will accept you on board. It's connected to your passport number and will show up when your passport is scanned.

[broken link removed]


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## rescue16 (12 Jan 2011)

I would book any theme park tickets and car hire i would get through the travel agent you used as this works out much cheeper. Were are you staying in florida i have been there and there are some on the hotels that cost a bomb to park in the crowne plaza universel has free parking and also the i- ride leaves from just outside the hotel think it come every twenty minutes i hired a car and i found that i did not really need it as the i -ride was just as hand and i think it is wheelchair friendly also. There is only one thing to watch out for in the hotels there is a sales rep in the lobby trying to sell park tickets at a discount price now these are fast pass tickets which you dont have to que but you will have to go on a property sharing tour of apartments near buy but the one thing about the tour you get a free breakfast  Be wary of them tough and if you are staying in the crowne plaza universel douglas the guy that takes your bags up to your room is very nice and helpful and has discount tokens for most of the resturants and will also book the table for you . Hope this helps !


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## shesells (12 Jan 2011)

rescue16 said:


> I would book any theme park tickets and car hire i would get through the travel agent you used as this works out much cheeper.



Are you serious??? That is utter BS. How do travel agents make their money? Commission...either by charging the customer more or being paid by the provider which isn't necessarily the cheapest. 

I've priced our last 2 long haul trips with a number of TAs and managed to get the same flights and hotels, and car, for at least 20% less myself. That's not me using the TA to get the flights and hotels and then booking myself, I always do my own ground work. If the OP is clued in enough to ask the question on AAM, they are clued in enough to book their own park tickets and car hire using advice from the posters on this thread.


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## TheShark (13 Jan 2011)

I always buy my park tickets direct from Disney , trust me you will not get a better deal anywhere else.


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## Kev (13 Jan 2011)

Many thanks everyone for really helpful information.  We booked the flight and villa through a travel agent because it is protected by ABTA,  due to children traveling and the current climate you never know what will happen in 2011. 

I have looked at the Disney website for tickets and passed the information to the rest of the family that will be traveling with me for them to see.  It looks good though.  

At the time of booking we took out insurance through the agency and it transpires that it is with White Horse Insurance Ireland ltd, do anyone know anything about this insurance company.  I have google it but not much information came up on it.


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## rego (13 Jan 2011)

I will be in Orlando for a week this Summer. Children want to go to Disney & Universal. Any ideas on the best way to buy 2/3 day passes for both Disney & Universal? 2nd week in Anna Maria Island just south of Tampa. Was recommended by soem American friends but wondering if anyone has been there and what they thought of it?


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## shesells (13 Jan 2011)

Have you checked out the links on disboards.com for info on all the current discount deals?


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## slave1 (14 Jan 2011)

I'm researching this myself for a 3 week break over Easter and have found http://www.attractionticketsdirect.ie
to be just as good as anywhere regarding ticket pricing


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