We had several thoughts on how to spend our October Vacation. A cruise or a trip to the Canaries was considered, but the feeling was our summer Orlando vacation ended up being rushed. So, a very last-minute plan was made to book an extra Orlando vacation. However, the aim was to do this vacation on a budget. So, here I am, Back in Orlando, continuing my Orlando Live 2023 blogs.
So, although I said I was doing “Orlando on Budget,” we did splash out on booking Loews Portofino Bay again. While this is hardly a budget choice, the included Universal Express Pass does make this a cheaper option than paying for Express Pass out of pocket. We also booked club level, which does work out good value due to the included food and drinks. If you have your breakfast and dinner in the club each day, you do save compared to what you will pay in the parks for food. Plus, we got this view included from our bedroom window.
However, we have booked some different hotels for the rest of our vacation.
Our flight was direct from Manchester with Virgin, but on return, we will be traveling via New York. Flight prices have increased significantly recently, and we did shop around much more this time using flight comparison sights. We saved about 25% from booking through one of these sites rather than booking with Virgin directly.
Virgin has recently changed its Manchester to Orlando flight from mid-morning to early afternoon. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:50, which does mean a much later arrival in Orlando, but it is a much more sociable experience. Manchester Terminal 2 was very quiet when we arrived, and the immigration hall at Orlando International was empty. We were off the plane, through immigration, and collected bags within 20 minutes of landing. However, a Virgin flight from Heathrow arrived a couple of minutes after us, and I suspect they had much longer waits.
Our first day in Orlando has been spent in both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Crowds so far have been much quieter than what we experienced in July. We completed a very large amount of both parks in very pleasant weather. We also spent a couple of hours at the Character Warehouse looking for “Disney Bargains.”
Back in Orlando, Day 1 in Numbers
- 1 Blocked Toilet (culprit not named)
- 2 hats; I almost lost, but recovered
- 1 Lanyard, room key, and park tickets were lost by Mrs. Modernlifeisgood.
Read more Orlando Live 2023 Blogs.
Keep checking back for our Orlando 2023 Live Blogs as we continue our October 2023 reports.
