Seniors Considering an Orlando Vacation Tips

Orlando is fun for people of all ages, from the littlest tots to senior citizens. If you’re considering taking an Orlando vacation, you may find that not everything was designed for your needs. The good news is that as long as you know how to get the best value and find attractions that work for you, it will be the trip of a lifetime. Follow these seven simple tips to make the most of your vacation.

Travel during the off-season

It’s likely that there’s nothing forcing you to visit Orlando in the typical busy seasons. As a result, take advantage of the lower crowds, more affordable prices, and perfect weather of October, November, January, or February.

Focus on events that offer incredible food and wine options

If you’re savvy enough to already be researching an Orlando vacation then you likely know there’s a lot more than rides in Orlando. One of the things we always want to make sure seniors take advantage of is all the wining and dining options. For example, Disney’s Epcot has the International Food and Wine Festival every year. This gives you the opportunity to try foods and adult beverages from across the world.

Skip the Disney hotels

Even if you had kids with you, staying at a Disney hotel wouldn’t be worth the cost but that’s especially not the case when it comes to a seniors-only trip. Hotels near Disney World or Universal are going to be much more affordable, likely have better amenities, and will be more likely to be quiet.

Maximize privacy by renting an Orlando vacation home

If you want to truly travel in style – without breaking the bank – consider vacation home rentals instead of Orlando Hotels. Choose one that’s within 15 minutes of the park, but has its own private driveway, pool, and kitchen. Get up leisurely, make a cup of coffee, sit outside in your Florida room and enjoy the warm, sunny morning. If you want to relax, this is the way to do it.

Look for vacation packages that cover theme park tickets and accommodations

There are two main reasons you want to stick with Orlando vacation packages versus buying theme park tickets and accommodations separately. First, it will be more affordable. In fact, we find that on average, you can save about 12% just by booking together.

Second, it’s a lot easier. There is so much to do on an Orlando vacation, and finding the right tickets, the right hotels, the right places to eat, can become more of a chore than a delight. When you work with a vacation planning expert who can quickly give you all the info you need to make the best decision about where to stay and what tickets to get, it will be simple and quick.

It’s important to have a plan

If you want to spend as much time as possible enjoying Orlando – and do your best to avoid waiting in line – then we recommend you have a plan before you get down here. Even if you’re traveling during off-peak times, restaurants still book up and the parks will still have tens of thousands of people in them every day.

Look at online crowd calendars to see which parks will be the slowest while you’re there, and stick with those. Get to the parks as soon as they open, ride what you’re interested in, and then leave by lunch. This gives you the afternoon to relax before you head out on the town for your dinner reservations.

Remember: This isn’t the same Orlando you visited 20 years ago

One of the biggest mistakes seniors can make is to assume that if they’ve been to Walt Disney World in the past, they know how to go to Disney World today. There simply is no comparison. First of all, if the last time you visited was 20 years ago, then you were only dealing with a few theme parks. Today Orlando has more than a dozen.

You were also dealing with a world in which you could go to Magic Kingdom and walk into any restaurant to eat with minimal wait. Today, most restaurants require reservations. In the past, if there was a long line, then you simply waited in it. Today, you can make Fast Pass+ reservations that let you skip the lines.

It’s true that a lot has changed about visiting Orlando but one thing still remains the same: There’s a whole world of magic to explore no matter your age.