Anyone just back from Orlando

[Elaine Guidi]

We will be going to Florida for 2 weeks 7 Feb 2003. I would love to hear from anyone who has just been there. Details like weather, crowds and particularly details about Presidents Day do's and dont's

anything goes, looking forward to hearing from anyone

Thanks
Elaine

 

[DisneyObsessed]

Hi. We got back Feb 16. This is the third year we have gone the first week and a half in Feb. The past 2 years were gorgeous. 80-85 and sunny every day. This year was completely different. Very overcast and cloudy most days. Very breezy too. Bought more sweatshirts this year than ever. It was also the most crowded year we have been. By the beginning of Pres weekend it was nuts. The first day at MK was a Sat and the wait for Splash Mt. was 45 min. The second day we went was the following Fri (beginning Pres weekend) and the wait was 120 min. So I would say the holiday really impacts the crowds. All in all, we found we were very glad that we took the week before to do all our stuff. Hope this helps a little bit.

 

[DJT]

We were there 2/13 - 2/15. Epcot on Wednesday, the 13th, was great. Not very crowded. It was cool and we had to wear a light jacket. In the afternoon it started to rain and we put our ponchos on. We went to Celebration on Thursday and had to wear a light jacket because it was quite cool that day and overcast. On Friday, the 15th, we went to MK. It was really crowded. Some attractions had 45, 60 and 120 minute waits. We talked to another family who had been to the MK on Monday and they said it was as crowded on Monday as it was on Friday. The weather on Friday was absolutely wonderful though - warm and sunny.

 

[jdm]

We flew into Olrando on the 9th and stayed until the 22nd. We did spend the 10th thru 14th on the Wonder (Disney cruise ship). The only day that was cool (for us anyway, Seattle- ites)
was Thurs the 14th. We did just return from the Bahamas so that may be why it felt cool.
Other than that, the weather was great. The kids swam every day and while we did not do Disney, we did do Universal, IOA, Sea World and Gatorland. We were at Universal on Sat. Presidents Day weekend and it was busy but managable. We were at Sea World on Presidents Day and it again was a little crowded but managable. It was a busy time in Orlando though as we stayed at the Vistana and they said the resort was booked to 106% capacity. I kinda chuckled as to where they put the 6% (maybe the roof?).
Jenn

 

[jeff968]

We were there from 2/13 through 2/25. We usually visit at this time since my wife is a teacher and she and the kids are both off from school. In 2001 we had great weather seeing the eighties every day but not this year. From 2/13 through 2/19 the weather was nice, sunny, 75 during the day, but cool at night dipping into the high fifties. We swam at night anyway since the pools were heated. 2/20-2/21 were our nicest days, highs in the eigthies and lows in the high sixties. 2/22-2/23 were the worst, non-stop 24 hour rain days. I've never seen rain like that in Florida but I guess they needed it. The days and nights were cold, 60s-50s. 2/24-2/25 were nice days with sun and blue skis and highs in the seventies. We only hit the park (MK0 on the 24th and after two days of rain it was very busy.

 

[JennSaint]

We were there Feb 12-23. Feb 12 -17 weather was only in the 60's most days. February 17 -23 it warmed up into the low 70's.
Saturday we went back to MK. I know alot of you avoid MK but we just had some things left to do which we hadn't done yet. If you get there right at park opening and use fast pass you can do quite a bit of the park. Here's what we did between 9am-3pm. Buzz lightyear, DH did Alien Encounter while boys and I did teacups, carousel, we were at Toontown for the rope drop so we could do Goofy's Barnstormer, Space Mountain (using Fast Pass), Splash Mountain once with fast pass one time without, Hall of Presidents, Tiki Room under new management, Big Thunder Mtn (fast pass), and watched the parade from a table by the ice cream parlour. Keep in mind we had done most of MK on Wednesday February 13. Of course on Saturday we repeated a few that we had already done too.

Sunday Feb 17 we went to MGM. Not too crowded and was able to get quite a bit done.

On President's Day we hung around by the pool until about 1:30pm. Then we went to Animal Kingdom just to do the things we missed the week before. Got there about 2:00pm. We did Rafiki's Planet Watch, Flights of Wonder, Tarzan and my son got his face painted. Animal Kingdom was quite crowed but manageable if you didn't need to see the whole park on this day. We then took a bus to Epcot around 5:30pm. Epcot never really seems crowded to me. We had dinner at Rose & Crown so we really didn't walk around the park too much.

If I had to choose a park for President's Day I'd go with Epcot.