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Planning a family vacation to Orlando? Discover practical tips for theme parks, villas, Florida weather, packing, breaks and getting around Orlando.
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Planning a family holiday to Orlando is exciting, but there is a lot to think about before you get on the plane.
Which theme parks should you visit? Where should you stay? How many days do you need? What should you pack? And how do you keep everyone happy when the children have spent hours walking around a theme park in the Florida heat?
A little planning can make a big difference.
Orlando is one of those destinations where you can easily fill every day with something exciting, but the best family holidays usually leave a little room for flexibility too.
Here are some practical tips to help make your Orlando family vacation more enjoyable from start to finish.
This is probably the hardest piece of advice to follow when you're visiting Orlando for the first time.
There is so much to see and do that it can be tempting to build an itinerary packed with theme parks, shopping, restaurants, water parks and day trips.
The problem is that children, and adults, need time to recharge.
If you're staying for two weeks, you don't need to spend every one of those fourteen days rushing from one attraction to another. Build in a few slower days where you can have a relaxed breakfast, spend time at the villa pool, visit a restaurant or simply decide what you fancy doing that morning.
Visit Orlando also recommends planning downtime, particularly when travelling with younger children, and suggests that a quieter first day can be useful after a long flight and a change in time zone.
You will probably find that everyone enjoys the busy days more when they have had some time to recover in between.
You don't need to plan every ride and meal months in advance, but it is worth doing some basic preparation.
Think about which parks you want to visit, which attractions are most important to your family and how many full days you realistically want to spend there.
Buying tickets and making reservations ahead of time can save you valuable time once you're in Orlando. Visit Orlando's current theme park guidance recommends buying tickets in advance and checking the latest reservation and skip-the-line options for the parks you plan to visit.
It's also worth checking official park websites and apps before each visit, as opening times, entertainment schedules and booking arrangements can change.
A simple list of your family's must-do attractions is often enough. Once those are covered, you can enjoy the rest of the day without feeling like you are constantly trying to stay on schedule.
If your family can manage an early start, it can make a real difference.
Arriving around park opening can help you make the most of the first part of the day, when temperatures are generally more comfortable and you can get some of your most important attractions done before the day becomes busier.
Visit Orlando specifically recommends arriving at or before park opening, noting that the early part of the day can offer cooler temperatures and lower wait times.
This is also one reason it can be useful to have your transportation arranged in advance. When everyone is tired and you're trying to get a family out of the door at 7 am, knowing that your ride is already organised is one less thing to think about.
Florida sunshine is one of the reasons people love coming to Orlando, but the weather can also catch visitors out.
Summer in Orlando is hot and humid, with average highs around 90 to 95°F (32 to 35°C) from June through August. Afternoon rain is also common during the summer months, and showers can arrive quite suddenly.
That doesn't mean you need to change your whole holiday around the weather. It just means you should be prepared.
Pack lightweight clothing, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and reusable water bottles. A small umbrella or poncho can also be useful, particularly if you're visiting during the warmer and wetter months.
This might sound obvious, but it is one of those things people often discover a little too late.
Theme park days involve a lot of walking.
Your favourite holiday shoes may look great in photographs, but they need to be comfortable enough for hours on your feet.
Choose shoes that you have already worn and know are comfortable. If you're travelling with children, make sure their shoes are comfortable too and consider bringing an extra pair in case they get wet.
You know your family better than anyone, but it is usually easier to avoid exhaustion than to recover from it.
If you are spending the entire day at a theme park, consider taking a proper break around lunchtime. You could sit down for a meal, return to your hotel or villa for a few hours, or find somewhere cool and quiet to rest.
This can be particularly helpful with younger children.
Some families find that an early start, a few hours in the park, an afternoon rest and then returning later works better than trying to stay from opening until closing without a break.
Disney also recommends scheduling breaks during park days, with options such as returning to your hotel for a nap or a swim.
There is no prize for being the family that lasts until closing every night.
Orlando has plenty to offer beyond Disney and Universal.
You could spend a day at SeaWorld, visit Gatorland, explore ICON Park, head to the beach, visit Kennedy Space Center or enjoy a quieter day around your accommodation.
For younger children, attractions such as LEGOLAND Florida and Peppa Pig Theme Park can also offer a change of pace. Acre Cars' Orlando services cover many of these destinations, including SeaWorld, Gatorland, LEGOLAND, Kennedy Space Center and other Central Florida attractions.
Mixing different types of days can help keep the holiday feeling fresh, especially if you're staying for two weeks or more.
If you're staying in a vacation home or villa, make the most of it.
One of the big advantages of villa accommodation is having more space. You can prepare breakfast before heading out, have a quiet evening by the pool and give everyone somewhere to relax after a busy day.
It can also make family life easier during a longer holiday.
Instead of eating every meal out, you can keep some familiar foods and snacks at the house, which can be particularly useful for children.
And don't feel as though you have to leave the villa every day. A pool day can be exactly what everyone needs halfway through a busy theme park schedule.
After a long flight, the last thing most families want is another complicated journey.
Knowing how you are getting from Orlando International Airport to your accommodation before you travel can make your arrival much less stressful.
Acre Cars offers pre-booked airport transfers to and from Orlando International Airport, including live flight tracking and the option of a meet-and-greet service.
For families staying in vacation homes, this can be particularly useful because your accommodation may be outside the immediate resort areas and you may have several suitcases, pushchairs and tired children to deal with.
Having your transportation organised means you can get on with the important part of the holiday once you land.
One thing families sometimes forget when choosing a vacation home is how they are going to get around once they arrive.
A villa may have everything you want in terms of space, a pool and the right number of bedrooms, but it could be several miles from the attractions and restaurants you plan to visit.
That doesn't necessarily mean you need to hire a car for the whole holiday.
Private transportation can be a useful alternative, particularly if you only need transport for certain journeys.
Acre Cars provides dedicated transportation for guests staying in vacation homes and short-term rentals, including airport pickups, grocery runs, theme park visits and local journeys around Orlando and Kissimmee.
This can be especially convenient for families who don't want to spend their holiday navigating unfamiliar roads, dealing with parking or deciding who will drive after a long day at the parks.
Not sure what to choose? This article can help you decide!
A family holiday doesn't have to look the same every day.
One child might want to spend the whole trip on roller coasters. Another might be more interested in animals. Parents might want a few mornings by the pool or an evening at a nice restaurant.
That's perfectly normal.
Try to build your itinerary around a mixture of things that different members of the family will enjoy. Orlando is particularly good for this because there is so much choice, from major theme parks and water parks to wildlife experiences, shopping, beaches and day trips.
For multi-generational families, it can also help to plan some activities where the whole group can participate and leave a little flexibility for people who may want to do something different.
Once you've decided where you're staying and what you want to do, think about your transportation as part of the holiday planning.
Acre Cars provides private transportation throughout Central Florida, including airport transfers, Disney and Universal journeys, vacation home and villa transportation, group travel and trips to attractions such as SeaWorld, Gatorland and Kennedy Space Center.
For families staying in villas or vacation homes, we can help with everything from getting to and from the airport to supermarket runs, theme park days and local journeys around Orlando and Kissimmee.
When the bags are packed, the children are tired and everyone has had enough walking for one day, it can be nice to leave the driving to someone else.