* ~ ThemeParks megathread ~**

Sunny Dayz · 15-05-2014 9:37am

Thanks a mill for the replies. I am now on the look-out for one of those UV t-shirts but seem hard to find for a tall 9 year old. They are all designed for tots. Have strong water resistant sun cream 50+ to cover himself.

Any idea what the height restrictions are on the rides?

_Brian · 16-05-2014 11:58am

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Thanks a mill for the replies. I am now on the look-out for one of those UV t-shirts but seem hard to find for a tall 9 year old. They are all designed for tots. Have strong water resistant sun cream 50+ to cover himself.

Any idea what the height restrictions are on the rides?

Are the surfing rash vests not all UV protectant and available for all ages

naughtyfox · 19-05-2014 11:30am

Watch out in lidl or aldi for the rash/ surf tops they may come out in there specials, also heatons and dunnes do water shoes which are better than flip flops in my opinion as you can wear them into most areas and not lose them. Also some waterparks have a cashless wristband that you preload with money and can spend in all shops and at the end of the day you get whats left back. Have fun..

Gatica · 19-05-2014 11:37am

naughtyfox wrote: »

water shoes which are better than flip flops in my opinion as you can wear them into most areas and not lose them

Sounds like a great idea, I just hope all rides allow you to wear them in the water.. they may not.
Don't forget to reapply sun-cream to feet when you're taking off/putting on your sandals/flip-flops! First place to get burnt on many as sun cream gets easily wiped off and it's easy to forget the feet.

mhb457 · 26-05-2014 9:48pm

I see elsewhere someone else asked the question about theme parks for people on honeymoon, we are in a similar situation, the general consensus seems to recommend Universal. We have been to the Universal in LA so would we be better concentrating on Disney? We have 8 days there and plan to go to Kennedy for one of those days. I'm thinking 2 days Universal, 2 days Disney and a waterpark thrown in somewhere, could anyone advise? Also places to eat and drink would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

rossie1977 · 26-05-2014 9:58pm

there are two universal parks in orlando. one is similar to the one in la (universal studios) and the other is quite different ie islands of adventure. given you have been to universal hollywood one day in islands of adventure is probably enough.

would recommend a trip to seaworld and busch gardens in tampa..you can buy a twin ticket for both parks which includes a free bus to tampa from orlando. if you go to disney the two best parks are hollywood studios and magic kingdom. the fireworks/video screens and parade at the end of the night is the probably the best thing about disney so well worth staying till after magic kingdom is scheduled to close.

as far as places to eat, Ponderosa have a number of chains on international drive and there are numerous Miller's Ale Houses scattered throughout town. both are cheap.

naughtysmurf · 26-05-2014 10:22pm

mhb457 wrote: »

I see elsewhere someone else asked the question about theme parks for people on honeymoon, we are in a similar situation, the general consensus seems to recommend Universal. We have been to the Universal in LA so would we be better concentrating on Disney? We have 8 days there and plan to go to Kennedy for one of those days. I'm thinking 2 days Universal, 2 days Disney and a waterpark thrown in somewhere, could anyone advise? Also places to eat and drink would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

I think you have probably got the balance right, maybe something to consider would be a one night stay at one of the Universal hotels, this will get you early entry plus a front of line pass for two days so no Qing, (doesn't apply with Cabana Bay Beach Resort) you can check in early, say 7am, room may not be ready but you can leave your bags.

Maybe also consider a day at Discovery Cove, that's very enjoyable

mhb457 · 27-05-2014 12:03pm

We are booked into the crowne plaza for 8 nights seems like a decent location?

Dolgirl · 28-05-2014 5:21pm

just a few ideas for you to think about. Universal is deffo a must do! You could get the two park one day ticket and go and spend the whole day there. Be sure and bring change of clothes for some of the water rides in islands of adventure. There are lockers there to store your bags. We usually wear flip flops and togs just for those rides. In the evening it gets a bit quieter and the queues aren't as long and city walk is also nice to hang out.
Kennedy is probably a full day as it takes about an hour to get there but its well worth it. if you are driving try and go on to Cocoa beach for a visit, very nice and laid back.
For me Magic Kingdom really is the essence of Disney is you are considering picking one.
Also Disneys Typhoon Lagoon water park is imo better than the others. Aquatica gets very busy and last year they stopped admitting people in at 3pm on busy days. Wet and wild is only ok. Typhoon lagoon has a brilliant wave pool that freaked me out but was great fun. Very nice manmade beachy areas and food stalls very good.
Now onto eating out, we really like the Olive Garden. very nice food with an Italian flair and prices are good. There is a nice one on intl drive. Chillis is another good restaurant where its always happy hour 2 for 1 drinks.
If you are driving (and I would really recommend it) head down on intl drive south to Kissimmee where there is a huge range of restaurants, Smokey Bones, Cracker Barrel, Applebees etc. Don't forget to leave time for shopping! Prime outlets and Premium outlet.
We find its hard to do theme parks on consecutive days as you are really tired from all the walking and the heat. Hope this helps and hope ye have a ball. We are heading off again in 3 weeks. Cant wait !!

ciaramc · 30-05-2014 12:30am

If you what you can get hopper passes for Disney Parks in either Florida or LA

For Universal you could get VIP (skip the queue) passes - depending on the time of year if busy, Also you could hopper passes for Universal Parks for Florida or LA.

AmericanAshley · 31-05-2014 11:24pm

Magic Kingdom is really for young children. I'd skip it if you don't have anyone under 10. We had a much better time at Universal.

Salmon · 31-05-2014 11:26pm

Cant beat discovery cove, a little pricey but you get what you pay for and wont be dissapointed!

padocon · 01-06-2014 5:44pm

Are ye into thrill rides like roller coasters or more relaxed less thrilling attractions? If you hate thrilling rides/coasters then theres not much point on going to Island of Adventure. So let us know first but you had a nice mix in what you decided yourself. I would try get to Seaworld too

danois · 07-06-2014 7:08pm

Sorry to drag up an old thread. I'm thinking of booking a few days in Barcelona. I'm looking for some advice on where to stay and where to avoid. I will be going from a wed to a sat will there be much to do or would going fri to mon be better?? Thanks.

mfceiling · 08-06-2014 9:11am

danois wrote: »

Sorry to drag up an old thread. I'm thinking of booking a few days in Barcelona. I'm looking for some advice on where to stay and where to avoid. I will be going from a wed to a sat will there be much to do or would going fri to mon be better?? Thanks.

Regardless of when you want to go there is loads to do. Look up AIRBNB for somewhere to stay. Try and avoid Las Ramblas for food or drink...shockingly touristy and expensive with a good few pickpockets for good measure!!

grimm2005 · 13-06-2014 1:49pm

danois wrote: »

Sorry to drag up an old thread. I'm thinking of booking a few days in Barcelona. I'm looking for some advice on where to stay and where to avoid. I will be going from a wed to a sat will there be much to do or would going fri to mon be better?? Thanks.

I was there recently enough, did a Wednesday to Sunday and it was brilliant! I stayed in a hostel called Hostel One Parellel and it was the best place I've ever stayed on any holiday. Really really friendly place, made loads of friends, free dinners and socialising every night, and I would genuinely return to Barcelona just to stay at this hostel, it really made my trip! It was rated #4 best small hostel in the world and it wasn't hard to see why.

There's loads to do in Barcelona on any day of the week, although the only thing I will say is that the main tourist activities are pretty pricey so budget accordingly!

SanfranCal · 15-07-2014 5:20am

I presume you mean Las Vegas, Nevada when you say Vegas; and that your plan is to drive
about 4.5 hours from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area; i.e., Venice Beach.

Just another suggestion for you is to drive Las Vegas to Anaheim, California. Anaheim has the original Disneyland. I am finding out just this evening that it looks like Disney also built an adventure park called Disney California Adventure (DCA).

Either way, I think the Disney people always do things with class -- more so than Six Flags America. But this is just a matter of opinion.

You can google Disney and Disney California Adventure to get an idea of what theme park prices are.

Also, you can use Yelp.com to get a flavor of what people are saying about these theme parks. In the search box, just put in Disney or Disneyland and for the city, just put in Anaheim, CA.
It should give you an idea of how people are rating these activities.

It seems a shame for you to be so close to a wonderful place such as Disneyland and not to take advantage.

I was not very impressed with what I read about the Cadillac Hotel. If you still plan to go to Venice Beach, I think I noticed that there is a large Marriott Hotel in Venice Beach. Some times the bigger hotels have more rooms and better deals.

Post again if you are going to stick with the Venice Beach area or if you are going to try Disneyland. I think if you were to go to Disneyland and DCA, you would need two days to cover them. Also, if they have hotels within the theme parks, it is always better to stay within the theme park.

Another advantage is that the kids will be back in school by late September, and so these activities and hotels will be less crowded in September, I would think.

SanfranCal · 15-07-2014 5:20am

I presume you mean Las Vegas, Nevada when you say Vegas; and that your plan is to drive
about 4.5 hours from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area; i.e., Venice Beach.

Just another suggestion for you is to drive Las Vegas to Anaheim, California. Anaheim has the original Disneyland. I am finding out just this evening that it looks like Disney also built an adventure park called Disney California Adventure (DCA).

Either way, I think the Disney people always do things with class -- more so than Six Flags America. But this is just a matter of opinion.

You can google Disney and Disney California Adventure to get an idea of what theme park prices are.

Also, you can use Yelp.com to get a flavor of what people are saying about these theme parks. In the search box, just put in Disney or Disneyland and for the city, just put in Anaheim, CA.
It should give you an idea of how people are rating these activities.

It seems a shame for you to be so close to a wonderful place such as Disneyland and not to take advantage.

I was not very impressed with what I read about the Cadillac Hotel. If you still plan to go to Venice Beach, I think I noticed that there is a large Marriott Hotel in Venice Beach. Some times the bigger hotels have more rooms and better deals.

Post again if you are going to stick with the Venice Beach area or if you are going to try Disneyland. I think if you were to go to Disneyland and DCA, you would need two days to cover them. Also, if they have hotels within the theme parks, it is always better to stay within the theme park.

Another advantage is that the kids will be back in school by late September, and so these activities and hotels will be less crowded in September, I would think.

TheNibbler · 16-07-2014 9:30am

SanfranCal wrote: »

I presume you mean Las Vegas, Nevada when you say Vegas; and that your plan is to drive
about 4.5 hours from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles area; i.e., Venice Beach.

Just another suggestion for you is to drive Las Vegas to Anaheim, California. Anaheim has the original Disneyland. I am finding out just this evening that it looks like Disney also built an adventure park called Disney California Adventure (DCA).

Either way, I think the Disney people always do things with class -- more so than Six Flags America. But this is just a matter of opinion.

You can google Disney and Disney California Adventure to get an idea of what theme park prices are.

Also, you can use Yelp.com to get a flavor of what people are saying about these theme parks. In the search box, just put in Disney or Disneyland and for the city, just put in Anaheim, CA.
It should give you an idea of how people are rating these activities.

It seems a shame for you to be so close to a wonderful place such as Disneyland and not to take advantage.

I was not very impressed with what I read about the Cadillac Hotel. If you still plan to go to Venice Beach, I think I noticed that there is a large Marriott Hotel in Venice Beach. Some times the bigger hotels have more rooms and better deals.

Post again if you are going to stick with the Venice Beach area or if you are going to try Disneyland. I think if you were to go to Disneyland and DCA, you would need two days to cover them. Also, if they have hotels within the theme parks, it is always better to stay within the theme park.

Another advantage is that the kids will be back in school by late September, and so these activities and hotels will be less crowded in September, I would think.

Yeah I've since had a look on tripadvisor and the reviews are a bit mixed on the Cadillac Hotel. I think I might look elsewhere.

With regard to Six Flags-it's not something I have much interest in, it's my boyfriend who has his heart set on it. He has been to Disneyland as a child I think and apparently it has to be Six Flags.

Slunk · 28-08-2014 11:45pm

Anyone any further recommendations. Heading over for three nights in December. Barca are playing so tempted to go see them. Tickets 50 euro. Not too sure how the OH will feel about it though

.

FunkyDa2 · 01-09-2014 10:16pm

The trip up to Tibidabo is worth it, for the views over the city(useful for getting your bearings). Take the L7 metro up to Avenida Tibidabo, the bus up to the lower station of the funicular, and then the funicular up to the top.
The only negative is that the funicular is pricey.

mylittlepony · 10-09-2014 1:16pm

You can also get nice cheaper or more reasonable genuine stuff here before go paris like in penneys you can tshirt €6-8 mickey ears hands leggings €8.
Pj €12 in nightwear these are adult sizes prizes I have seen on monday and even in homeware paris theme cushion dont know price too high dishcloth 1.50 Effiel tower picture €6 and cup €2.
Why not have a look in the child section for disney theme stuff and other stores.
save money in advance if you know what you would like to get there that you might get for less here.

I'm going in oct to paris and disney so I be getting some here locally to avoid overshopping there as already got them in advance already looking forward and got little things a cup and dish cloth is a lovely reminder where I'm going in 7 weeks time.

Only confusion is what the best cheapest time saving transfer from airport bus or private shuttle car or speed train it the last thing I need to book.
How long waiting time between getting off plane and to train station tvg or arrivals for bus/ private car driver?
read on TripAdvisor that for tvg you need to allow 3 hrs to catch train eeek!
tips advice welcome.

11-09-2014 10:40am

mylittlepony wrote: »

You can also get nice cheaper or more reasonable genuine stuff here before go paris like in penneys you can tshirt €6-8 mickey ears hands leggings €8.
Pj €12 in nightwear these are adult sizes prizes I have seen on monday and even in homeware paris theme cushion dont know price too high dishcloth 1.50 Effiel tower picture €6 and cup €2.
Why not have a look in the child section for disney theme stuff and other stores.
save money in advance if you know what you would like to get there that you might get for less here.

I'm going in oct to paris and disney so I be getting some here locally to avoid overshopping there as already got them in advance already looking forward and got little things a cup and dish cloth is a lovely reminder where I'm going in 7 weeks time.

Only confusion is what the best cheapest time saving transfer from airport bus or private shuttle car or speed train it the last thing I need to book.
How long waiting time between getting off plane and to train station tvg or arrivals for bus/ private car driver?
read on TripAdvisor that for tvg you need to allow 3 hrs to catch train eeek!
tips advice welcome.

Have got the TGV to disney from CDG a few times. Its really handy its part of Terminal 2 and easy walk at most 10 minutes from arrivals. Trains are generally to the minute there so no waiting around if you pick one that is a little after your arrival. You can collect your tickets in train station at one of the automatic machines to save queues. Its only about 10 minutes on the train as well which is great. Fastest and easiest way to bring you right into disney with no hassle.

hoodwinked · 11-09-2014 10:49am

i'm not going to lie, we got lost in CDG airport looking for where we got our (prepaid) bus to disneyland,

in the end we founf the TGV terminal first and when we went ot buy tickets the machines had a message on them saying it was free for the day so i don't know how much it was, what i do know is from the tickets to the platform was a 2 minute walk, quite easy to understand and there was a train conductor person we could ask (they had no english though i had to speak french i have conversational french so we understood one another well) and the train was due 5 minutes after we had wondered down to the platform

getting on the train was easy and we were there so fast, we'll use it from now on i think, (we got the bus back and we've agreed next time to just use the train)

the train also dropped us literally at the gate into the park and the shopping village which made finding our hotel so much easier, while giving us a look around what they had shops/restaurant wise there on our way to the hotel,

MarkR · 11-09-2014 11:00am

I've been there twice. Me, the mrs, and my 7 year old son Dylan. He has autism, so things are a little more challenging.

We flew into CDG, and once I got the shuttle bus, next time I got the hired car. 100% recommend the hire car. I think there was a fiver in the difference for three of us, and it made it so much handier. I'd recommend these guys.

http://interserviceprestige.com/

I stayed in the New York hotel twice, it's nice. Food is super expensive. Places I would recommend to eat are the Earl of Sandwich, McDonalds, and the small shop by the train station. Bring a chill bag, and load up at the buffet in the morning with bread rolls / ham / croissants etc. Eat big, you'll be doing a lot of walking! My phone had a step counting app on it. I walked 14 miles. Every day. With 22 kg bundle of joy on my back for most of it! (I lost weight there actually

)

There's a mini bar in the room, you can squeeze some small items into it to keep cool. You can't get a sliced pan anywhere nearby (I did, once, at the train station shop). One stop up on the train is the nearest town. Good if you need to do snack shopping / pharmacy.

Wifi is available in the rooms, and in McDonalds. Definitely see the fireworks at least once. Bring a back pack / bum bag for the park. TV is rubbish in the rooms, consider a portable dvd player / laptop / tablet with stuff to watch.

In regard to gifts, i'd say fridge magnets. Feck them, it's your holiday! Lego shop is amazing actually. Spent hours there.

Any questions, just ask.

Oh, and in regards to getting lost, you won't top me. We decided to get the train back to the airport, as the bus had been so slow on the way there the fist time. MR CDG was such a narcissist that he named a train station and a airport after himself. I will forever remember booting my wife's arse through a turn stile, while dragging luggage and holding my son!

Had to run all the way to the surface, *ooh! Look! The arch de triumph!* and hop into a cab to the airport. Nearly missed our flights!

mylittlepony · 22-09-2014 4:29pm

Our plane should arrive 3:10pm at T1 in CDG should I allow 2 hours or 2.5 gap to catch train? say 6pm train.

We were planning not to bring luggage to check in just hand luggage going to France and if maybe do end up doing a big shopping spree can add 1 luggage on return to check in for home.
Good idea or better advice very welcome please do comment
Thanks in advance

MarkR · 22-09-2014 4:37pm

We had originally thought not to check in, but by the time I arrived at the desk, I was carrying carry on, plus a 7 year old. Bags probably won't be an issue though, unless you're carrying a kid!

mylittlepony · 22-09-2014 4:58pm

I forgot to add: would it better to book tickets in advance online
or buy at the TVG station to save me agonising over which train time to book worrying what if delay flight, late getting off place, queue in passport control, lost, etc

Jamie2k9 · 22-09-2014 5:11pm

mylittlepony wrote: »

I forgot to add: would it better to book tickets in advance online
or buy at the TVG station to save me agonising over which train time to book worrying what if delay flight, late getting off place, queue in passport control, lost, etc

I would imagine that on-line tickets will be cheaper

Gatica · 23-09-2014 8:02am

I'm pretty sure it's the same price either way. They're also non transferable. If you're worried about getting the train on time, just buy the ticket on arrival. The queue is quite short, the huge queue you'll see will be mainly for Paris, not Marne-la-Vallee with TGV, which is the Disneyland stop.
Train is very quick getting you there, and in my opinion worth the money.

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