Trip Planning - Miami, Orlando and Vicinity

[blitzwing85]

Any of you lot done a trip to Miami and other areas of Florida (plus Bahamas?)

I have only 7 full days and plan to see South Beach, Downtown and other local areas in the first couple of days without a car.
I then planned to do an Everglades tour maybe - need to see if it looks interesting or not

My girlfriend also wants to do a 1 day cruise to the Bahamas so I will probably fit that in next.

I'm then thinking we should get the car, as she loves road trips and we will go to Key West. I know there isn't much down there but thought it could be a nice driving day and exploring.

Lastly we have a spare day and thought about making a trip up to Orlando. I went a lot as a kid but she hasn't been.
My plan was to do Islands of Adventure / Universal Studios in 1 day. Unfortunately we are going at a peak time so I'm guessing we will have to buy the Express Pass to make this feasible?
Just how crazy are the lines at the end of July?

I read a lot of message board posts and everyone says it's not ideal to cram them into 1 day - but this is our only option and to be honest there are plenty I will skip - such as any shows. Basically just want to do the best stuff. No kids so the main rides and any more interesting or unique experiences.

Anyone got any useful tips on how best to tackle it in 1 day?
Or any must see's around this area near the centre of Miami or for the days I will have the car?

It was kind of spur of the moment when they added direct flights from Reykjavik to Miami so I haven't done my usual planning!!

 

[Rifte]

Lastly we have a spare day and thought about making a trip up to Orlando. I went a lot as a kid but she hasn't been.
My plan was to do Islands of Adventure / Universal Studios in 1 day. Unfortunately we are going at a peak time so I'm guessing we will have to buy the Express Pass to make this feasible?
Just how crazy are the lines at the end of July?

I read a lot of message board posts and everyone says it's not ideal to cram them into 1 day - but this is our only option and to be honest there are plenty I will skip - such as any shows. Basically just want to do the best stuff. No kids so the main rides and any more interesting or unique experiences.

I have just spent 5 weeks in Orlando.....all of May and the start of June.

July is peak and the crowds only start to die down at the end of August.

Doing both of the Universal Parks in one day is only really possible if you express pass both parks, and take into account that you might not be able to have time to do shopping, eating at a restaurant etc and generally taking your foot off the gas.

Hit Islands of Adventure first and do what you need to do (aka all of the rides) and head towards the back of the park for the Harry Potter stuff and catch the Hogwarts train to Universal Studios.

Universal Studios seems to have a bottle neck getting into the park form our experience, Islands of Adventure was a lot quicker.

Repeat your ride missions there (AKA all of them) and make your way to the front of the park.

It will be doable, but it will be a long day and also VERY hot. Get there early, and head out late, dont get distracted by the Universal City Walk until you are heading out of the park.

Rides not to be missed :

1)Hulk Coaster
2)Rip Ride Rocket (even better than the Hulk IMO)
3)Kong : Skull Island
4)Harry Potter : Escape From Gringotts
5)Harry Potter : Forbidden Journey
6)Harry Potter : Dragon Challenge (its hasnt changed since it was Dueling Dragons pre the potter brand)
7)Revenge of the Mummy
8)Transformers
9)Minions

We went to Orlando with both of our kids, but on one day both me and the missus did both the Universal Parks whilst my mum did the baby sitting (she came over for a fortnight).

Ok it wasnt peak at all, but we managed to do pretty much all of the rides without an express pass. So it is possible....

There are not many shows in Universal, and the ones they have (Sinbad etc) are not good. Disney and Seaworld have the great shows.

 

[blitzwing85]

Thanks for the detailed response man. Appreciate it!

I'm prepared for a long, hot, busy day but the purpose of the trip wasn't to visit Orlando and I don't have enough spare days to make it into a 2 day visit.
Unfortunately it also means a 4 hour drive each way the same day but i'm pretty used to that sort of thing anyway.
I also hike constantly so being on my feet all day isn't an issue - although the hot conditions will be eventually.
Don't intend to do any shopping so at least I don't need to spend any time on that.

Thanks for the tips - IoA is the primary interest so doing that first would be ideal.
I've been probably 6 times but the last time was abut 15 years ago so I think most of the things you list are all new for me.

Also I'm not really so desperate to cram every little thing in. It's really just a fun day out to do something we don't normally do.
With such regular and cheap flights from here we could go back anytime for a week if we wanted so I'll just follow this plan and do what we can do and see how it goes.
If I miss things I miss things. As long as the overall day is fun!

I also read if you Solo queue it can cut down on lines quite a lot - it's obviously nice to do a lot of rides together but that's an option as the day goes along if we feel we are not seeing as much as we'd like.

 

[cm1179]

i was in miami in march drove to the keys for the day. it's ok but there isn't a great deal to do other than walk around the bustling streets, que for a photo at the zero latitude mark and grab a bite to eat (lots of choice) and the 7 mile bridge is cool but there are cops everywhere

2 days south beach is enough, it will be very hotand travel via uber. then rent a car do the everglades then drive down to key west for the evening/night then to the bahamas for 2 days then drive to orlando for the theme parks

 

[Rifte]

I also read if you Solo queue it can cut down on lines quite a lot - it's obviously nice to do a lot of rides together but that's an option as the day goes along if we feel we are not seeing as much as we'd like.

Never did use the single rider queue, but the queue did seem significantly smaller than the normal one.

 

[Jean-F]

I've never spent more than one evening in Orlando, I think that I'd chance Aleppo, Syria rather than go there again, but to each his own.
I've landed in Miami a couple of times, spent a couple of days there, then moved on to Naples FL, Punta Gorda FL, and Sarasota FL.
I've spent a few holidays on the Gulf Coast, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Hudson, Crystal River, Spring Hill, Brooksville etc.
I did The Bahamas for a week, but I flew there from New York, great place to relax, Nassau.
You're cutting it very fine in trying to do so much in 7 days, it's more than 200 miles from Miami to Key West, but best of luck.

 

[Stolly]

Expect 2-3 hours to clear passport control in Miami, even with an ESTA. Total shambles.

 

[Roar87]

I've never spent more than one evening in Orlando, I think that I'd chance Aleppo, Syria rather than go there again, but to each his own.

We walked around at night, lots of Police around International Drive etc, not something I'd routinely recommend to be fair, but it's hardly Aleppo.

Edit: Meant international drive

 

[Jean-F]

We walked around at night, lots of Police around Universal Drive etc, not something I'd routinely recommend to be fair, but it's hardly Aleppo.

Fair enough Roar, my Aleppo comment was a step too far, and misleading.
I made it sound like Orlando is a war zone, it isn't, and that was not what I meant.
When I go away for a holiday, I want to leave England behind, I'm happy to live there, I pay my taxes, and I obey most of the laws, I have a good time in my home town London and its pubs, I stroll around the city for exercise and walk down alleys and courtyards that I never knew existed when I was driving a black cab there for years, but when I'm in the U.S. I make a point of trying to rent a house in a non international resort area.
The bars and restaurants that I frequent over there, are neighbourhood places, where my wife and I are often the only out of towners, that suits us, and is the main reason that we don't holiday on the Spanish Costas, or the Algarve any more.
We both like Spain, and the Spanish people, but we stick to Madrid, Valencia, and on occasion Seville, and once, and once only, Barcelona.
When we drove across from Spring Hill to Orlando, to visit a family member who'd taken his kids there, the bars and restaurants there were heavily populated by Brits in England, Arsenal, Scotland, Man U. and Chelsea shirts, lots of raised voices, and ****** and blinding on the streets around International Drive.
I'm no shrinking violet, you'll hear me eff and blind in pubs in Bermondsey, Peckham, and Bethnal Green, just as much as my fellow Londoners, but I wasn't expecting it to be like that in an American city, where Americans appeared to be in the minority.
So in short, I was trying to say that given the choice, I'd prefer to stay anywhere else in the U.S., rather than Orlando, I just exaggerated that fact.
I certainly have nothing against the U.S., we'll be in Savannah GA. for Thanksgiving in November, at the home of some American friends.

 

[Rifte]

I have personally never had any issues in Orlando, but I have heard that there can be problems on International Drive.

We tend to stay around Championsgate which is around 15 minutes from any of the Disney parks and about 30 minutes from Seaworld/Universal etc.

We never stay in a hotel and always rent out a villa in a gated resort with our own pool etc. This is also a result for my wife is a vegetarian because she can cook to suit her needs, whilst me and the kids will eat anything you put in front of us.

Championsgate is great and we are seriously looking to buy a property out there for a holiday home and to rent out throughout the year for some form of income.

Back into Universal OP, a friend of mine linked a youtube video showing that Universal now has a projection show on Hogwarts after night (this will be in IoA). We must have just missed it before we left....next time.

The belief is it isnt anywhere as good as the new Happily Ever After show at the Magic Kingdom, but whilst you are there.....take a look...I would.