Wanted to add I'm a Potter fan as well. Dressed as Mad-eye for Halloween, kids didn't want to stand anywhere near me they were so embarrassed. But I'm not sure we need to return so soon. Kids are more attracted to Despicable Me, and I'm waiting for Transformers. Maybe dis this time, and wait for 2nd half of WWoHP to complete for a future trip.
Mad Eye...cool. I think my dh could pull that off. Yeah, I want to see the expansion too, it sounds like the Gringott's ride is going to be fabulous, but it'll have to wait a few years.
Does it mean we'd have a fine time either way? Or does it mean we should pick the one with the most 'winners' in a smackdown?
I go for "fine time either way". Hey, it's Florida, and people have put a lot of effort into making you happy.
It'll be hot at the end of August. Make sure you get into Popeye's barges! Our family fav bar none. When you go in Sept/Oct it's still plenty warm, but not so busy. We've gone around 5-7 times without getting off some visits. Loads of fun to hear the occasional person ask "Am I going to get wet?" after the boat has left the dock. I guess people are oblivious to the people exiting the ride.
We really enjoy water rides, but didn't do that one on our first trip. Will make sure to hit it this time, thanks for the recommendation. It was February, after all, and the first week at least it was cool. (Like, May or June at home!) We really enjoyed "Journey to Atlantis" at Seaworld, besides FJ that was probably our favourite ride of the trip.
I much prefer true off season--like warmth but not melting heat, and hate crowds--but with ds in middle school now I don't feel good taking him out for more than a few days of class time. Our first trip with the kids was May/June and we just turned into little puddles of Canuck. So the August heat isn't my first choice, but I hope the crowds will be thinner at least, as so many US schools go back in August. Plus because we have the luxury of time, I don't plan for long days full of must-dos.
Depending on where you're located (East Coast/Central/West) it may not be that much more for you to look into
Disneyland as an option. With only two parks located within walking distance of each other (closer than the walk between IoA/US) and tons of reasonable, decent lodging just across the street, a DL trip can be had for about half of an onsite stay at WDW. Of course, you'd have to trade off the cost of tickets if you are coming from the East side of the U.S. or Canada, but there are often sales that can get you pretty cheaply into LAX or SNA. Three minutes of that time was waiting for the light to cross Harbor Avenue. In fact, it was a shorter walk than what we had the first time we stayed at the Alligator Bayou rooms of the POR to the main lobby and bus stop. That may be an option to get your Disney fix in four days and not break the bank!
I haven't done much research on DL, but it sounds in many ways to be a nice alternative. We haven't yet made it to CA, and we will someday I suppose, but it's nice to see it's more "doable". It must be weird, because I understand the parks are similar and different at the same time...if you've been to both, it could be a little confusing!
As far as our planning goes, it looks like we'll probably buy one set of APs to Sea World and IoA, to test that out...it's pretty much a wash on cost if it covers our parking. Also we want to "Dine with Shamu" and we can get a discount on that with the SW AP. (The AAA discount isn't as good at SW.)
Legoland plans are up in the air. We are definitely going. Ds would revolt if I took that away. (We have thousands and thousands of dollars of
Lego all over the house. He has two of those eight-bin toy storage racks, all filled with Lego. Several other containers with different organizational functions. Plus two big rubbermaid totes. He dabbles with video games and other toys but he's been a Lego freak since he was about 6. It's now into the realm of "socially inappropriate" for his age and he doesn't talk to his peers about it!
But it's not going away any time soon!)
Anyway, the issue with Legoland is our pup, Miss Adorable. The Legoland kennel is "not staffed". "Not staffed", how does that even work for little critters in searing heat? The building is a/c I know that much, but I guess that means there is no access to outdoor runs. Is it like a bigger version of park lockers, put in your coins, drop the "parcel" and walk away with a key? I am very uncomfortable with the idea that there's no one keeping an eye on her if we are to be away for several hours. Just read a TR that someone had spent about 9 hrs in the park with their kids, and that could totally be my kids. So we are looking for options for the pup. Maybe a doggie daycare in Winter Haven (prefer not to leave her "all the way back" in Orlando). But not having any luck finding something. So the best we've come up with is that dh will drop me and the kids at the park and spend the day driving around with the dog. I don't love that option either. And I don't know how many tickets to buy. Sigh.
Oh...hey, I just thought of something. I have a friend who lives in Orlando, we have already arranged to spend time with her and her family. Maybe Feliz would be happier spending the day there. She has two German Shepherds (each of whom has a head that weighs more than my whole dog), and Feliz is very shy...so she might hate that. But even if she spends the day hiding in her crate there, she might be better off than the alternatives. Hmm.
22 weeks today! Tomorrow makes it exactly 5 months! Next week is March break here, and it kills me to see everyone else flying off to warmer climes, but my son especially is looking forward to
doing nothing for a week. (Middle school is hard!) And it'll be less crowded in August!