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Universal Orlando Resort: Where to Stay & Play for a Few Days

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Navigating Disney World During a Pandemic

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Camping near Orlando on a family budget

When my husband and I started planning our trip from Melbourne to Orlando, the first thing that made us pause was the cost of accommodation. With three kids and a budget that needed to stretch across two weeks, the usual resort and hotel options started adding up fast in Australian dollars. We had heard from other Aussie families that the secret to doing Orlando without breaking the bank was to skip the fancy hotels and embrace camping. It sounded unconventional, but we had fond memories of family camping holidays around Wilsons Promontory and along the Murray River, so we figured why not give it a go overseas.

The tipping point came when we did the maths. A week at one of the popular resort properties near Walt Disney World was costing more than our flights from Tullamarine. We started looking into campgrounds instead and were surprised by how many options existed within a short drive of the main theme parks. Kmart Australia had already sorted out our basic supplies before we left, and we picked up a few extra bits from BCF for things we needed at the other end.

What we found completely changed how we thought about a Florida holiday. The campgrounds were clean, family-friendly, and far more relaxing than we expected. We had space for the kids to run around, a proper kitchen to cook meals, and best of all, we were saving enough money to actually enjoy the parks without constantly checking the credit card.

The whole experience turned into one of those trips where the accommodation itself became part of the adventure, and we came home already talking about doing it again.

The decision to camp instead of hotel hop

Our family is no stranger to camping holidays. Every year we usually do at least one trip in our camper trailer, whether it's heading up the coast from Sydney or finding a quiet spot somewhere in the Grampians. So the idea of doing the same thing in America wasn't a huge mental leap. What did take some getting used to was the idea of doing it so close to one of the most tourist-heavy places in the United States.

We spent a lot of time online reading American campground reviews and comparing prices. The cost difference was stark. A powered site at a well-rated campground was a fraction of what we would have paid for even a basic hotel room. For a family of five, that difference added up to thousands of dollars over the course of our stay. That money could go towards park tickets, meals out, and a few extras we normally wouldn't have splurged on.

The kids were a bit unsure at first. They had heard about Orlando from their classmates at school in Brisbane and had visions of fancy pools and big buffet breakfasts. Once we explained that we would still be doing all the fun things, just sleeping in a different kind of bed, they came around quickly. By the end of the trip, our eldest was telling anyone who would listen that camping was the best part.

Picking the right campground close to the action

Location mattered more than we originally thought. We quickly realised that staying twenty minutes further from the parks could save us a decent amount per night, but it also meant longer drives every morning with tired kids in the back seat. We settled on a campground about fifteen minutes from the main entrance of the parks, which felt like a good balance.

The campground itself had everything we needed. There were clean bathroom blocks, a small shop for ice and firewood, and even a pool the kids ended up using most afternoons after we'd finished at the parks. The sites were a decent size, which mattered because we had brought a small tent plus an extra gazebo for shade. Other families we met had set up everything from compact campervans to enormous motorhomes, which gave us a few ideas for the future.

One thing we learned quickly was to book ahead. Australian travellers are used to rocking up to a caravan park and finding a spot, especially outside of school holidays, but the popular campgrounds near Orlando fill up fast. We booked about three months in advance and were glad we did. The site we ended up with backed onto a small lake, which made our morning coffees feel like a proper holiday.

Setting up camp with kids in tow

Arriving at the campground after a long flight and a drive from the airport was a bit of a challenge. The kids were tired, our luggage was everywhere, and putting up a tent in the Florida heat is no one's idea of fun. We made a few mistakes in those first hours, including forgetting which pole went where and putting the rain fly on inside out.

By the second day, we had a proper routine going. The kids each had their own small jobs, from laying out the sleeping bags to filling up water bottles. Having a camp kitchen made a huge difference, because we could cook simple meals like pasta and sausages instead of eating out for every dinner. We even managed to keep some of the snacks we had packed from home, which saved us from paying American supermarket prices for things the kids were used to from Coles or Woolworths.

The evenings became something we all looked forward to. After busy days at the parks, we would sit around with other families, share travel tips, and watch the kids run around until they collapsed. There is something about camping that breaks down barriers quickly, and we met people from Canada, the UK, and a few other Aussie families doing exactly the same thing we were.

Exploring Orlando without draining the wallet

The real win of camping was how much more freely we could spend during the day. We bought multi-day park tickets, treated them to character lunches, and didn't flinch every time we pulled out the credit card. The money we saved on accommodation meant we could do the things that actually make an Orlando trip memorable.

We mixed up our park days with cheaper local activities. There were splash pads the kids loved, free community events, and nature spots we could drive to without paying entry fees. We packed lunches most days and kept snacks in the car, which is the kind of habit Australian families pick up quickly when they're used to road trips down to the coast.

Driving around Orlando also gave us a glimpse of normal American life that you don't get when you're stuck inside a resort. We found local diners, visited a farmers market on the weekend, and stocked up on supplies at Walmart, which felt a lot like doing a big shop at our local shopping centre back home. Those small moments ended up being some of our favourite memories.

What our campground stay actually meant

Looking back, choosing to camp near the parks was easily the best travel decision we made on that trip. It stretched our budget further than we thought possible, gave the kids experiences they'll remember for years, and honestly made the holiday more relaxing than any hotel stay would have.

We have already started looking at camper options for our next big family adventure, and the kids have made it clear they expect a tent to be part of any future Orlando plans. For other Australian families thinking about doing Orlando without spending a fortune, our advice is simple: pack the tent, book early, and give it a go.