* ~ ThemeParks megathread ~**

topper75 · 04-02-2008 5:51pm

Can recommend the Ebro Delta. (Delta de l'Ebre). See rice paddies and wild flamingoes. Do the boat trip.

Nice sea view in Tarragona at top of the Ramblas (pedestrian street) - Balconi de Meditteraneo.

WindSock · 04-02-2008 7:21pm

Sounds nice. Can you recommend anywhere nice to stay? What are accommodation prices like?

folkswagen · 04-02-2008 10:02pm

explorers hotel beside the parks have rooms for 5/6 and 9/10 - you can book it through www.activehotels.com

topper75 · 05-02-2008 9:21am

Myself, I always had the fortune of being able to stay with locals who I befriended in Ireland. I would suggest moving around accomodation-wise to max your exposure to the place. I am not as familiar with the area south of BCN as I am with Northern Catalunya. The east coast of Iberia is really one huge tourist resort. There is a big spectrum of prices but you predictably get what you pay for. There could be some nice hostels available this time of year and many of them offer single rooms. B&B type 'pensions' are also good value. Barcelona is considerably dearer I think than places like Reus or Tarragona. It has become one of these international all-year-round destinations. BCN has a great buzz of course but it is refreshing to escape to quieter places like Reus and see the true local life.

sgt.bilko · 06-02-2008 11:18am

hi, we went to Busch a few years back.

was not very impressed as the animals didn't look very well cared for. Maybe things have improved since.

we got our tickets in advance of going over for the theme parks. 1 suggestion, go for the bus ticket if you are not hiring a car, it worked out at something like $1 unlimited per day.

Enjoy yourself!

tonyg · 06-02-2008 9:54pm

Hi ya,

The Elesyes Hotel is handy also for travelling to Disneyland Paris. Its in Val De Europe and only one stop away on the train. Massive shopping centre beside it too!

Tony

Ponster · 07-02-2008 12:41pm

What kind of research have you come up with yourself?

If it's for one night then I don't see why you should stay in Paris.

What airport are you flying into? Do you intend to arrive in Paris and head to Disney the same day ?

df1985 · 03-03-2008 7:34pm

busch gardens is amazing, the rides are more catered for teenagers and adults, some terrifying coasters there. disney is really just for little kids in my opinion. islands of adventure and busch gardens are the best parks.

Basq · 23-04-2008 12:00am

Possibly a number of these questions have been answered in previous threads but I'm looking for some fresh information and opinions.

Am heading away for 10 days in Orlando in June... so I've a couple of questions for anyone who's been there before in a similar timeframe:

Firstly.. with regards to the theme parks, myself and the girlfriend have been investigating investigating these "bundle tickets" (such as the Magic Your Way tickets). But no real ticket does all the sights and involves you buying a number of ticket bundles (which works out at about €250 each). Basically, the theme parks we're aiming for are Disneyland (The Magic Kingdom), Epcot, Seaworld and Universal Studios. Any recommendations for the tickets (or bundles) to get and where to get them?

Secondly, will the theme park queues be as bad as I'm imagining? I'm relying on Fastpass a fair bit but you can only have one Fastpass ticket at one time.

Thirdly, any recommendations on restaurants and / or shopping centres? Staying on International Drive in the 'Best Western Movieland' (across from Wet N Wild Water Park).

More questions to follow in time probably.

Thanks in advance.

rossie1977 · 23-04-2008 12:30am

disney are a pain in the ass that way, they do not participate in those bundle deals :mad: you have no choice but to buy disney tickets separately i am afraid and at $75 a day they will set you back alot, i just boycott disney now, they aren't worth the hassle, huge queues and lame rides to be honest.

Early June is pretty quiet by Orlando standards, the queues shouldn't be too bad, having said that the only way to be sure is to arrive at each park BEFORE the gates open and bobs your uncle. We were over there during Easter week and arrived at 8.30am and had all the rides in Islands of Adventure done by 12, amazing stuff, no queues early in the morning

Fastpass is the biggest load of BS ever, universal did away with it because it actually means more queueing, Disney are the only ones that participate in this scheme now, just arrive early and everything is grand, apart from seaworld where you have to wait for the shows throughout the day at specified times but that ain't a problem because they are held in large stadiums so you will get a seat.

loads of restaurants next to Wet and Wild, Ponderosa Steakhouse‎ is my favourite you can get a 16oz sirloin here with full buffet for $14, other good ones include Black Angus Steakhouse‎, Bennigan's Grill & Tavern‎, Shogun Restaurant and Sizzler. Finding a restaurant on I-Drive near Wet and Wild is easier than finding a pub in an Irish town

Festival Bay Mall is the closest big mall to wet and wild approx 1 mile north http://www.shopfestivalbaymall.com/html/

Basq · 24-04-2008 12:15am

Thanks for your reply rossie1977.

rossie1977 wrote: »

disney are a pain in the ass that way, they do not participate in those bundle deals :mad: you have no choice but to buy disney tickets separately i am afraid and at $75 a day they will set you back alot, i just boycott disney now, they aren't worth the hassle, huge queues and lame rides to be honest.

Well, the girlfriend is a huge Disney fan so it's unavoidable I'm afraid. I'm not arsed to be honest.. but we're getting a 6 day MYW (Magic Your Way) ticket from UndercoverTourist.com (reputable seller) which allow you to go to one of these a day for 6 days (and that's $221):

* Magic Kingdom®
* Epcot®
* Disney's Hollywood Studios™
* Disney's Animal Kingdom®

But unfortunately it's looking like Seaworld and Universal Studios are gonna set us back an extra $120 - $140. Phew.. I got the holiday for a great price but these ticket prices do take the shine off it!

rossie1977 wrote: »

Early June is pretty quiet by Orlando standards, the queues shouldn't be too bad, having said that the only way to be sure is to arrive at each park BEFORE the gates open and bobs your uncle. We were over there during Easter week and arrived at 8.30am and had all the rides in Islands of Adventure done by 12, amazing stuff, no queues early in the morning

That's the plan.. be up at the crack of dawn alright. Try and get most stuff done for lunch and then just stroll around for the rest of the day.

A few people have said June will be pretty quiet alright.. but I assumed it was peak season.

rossie1977 wrote: »

Fastpass is the biggest load of BS ever, universal did away with it because it actually means more queueing, Disney are the only ones that participate in this scheme now, just arrive early and everything is grand, apart from seaworld where you have to wait for the shows throughout the day at specified times but that ain't a problem because they are held in large stadiums so you will get a seat.

Yeah, I never really got it myself. Queuing to get a Fastpass ticket to go back an hour later into a "priority queue"!

Very odd, impractical and pointless alright!

rossie1977 wrote: »

loads of restaurants next to Wet and Wild, Ponderosa Steakhouse‎ is my favourite you can get a 16oz sirloin here with full buffet for $14, other good ones include Black Angus Steakhouse‎, Bennigan's Grill & Tavern‎, Shogun Restaurant and Sizzler. Finding a restaurant on I-Drive near Wet and Wild is easier than finding a pub in an Irish town

Yeah, there seems to be a load around there alright. Someone recommended Bahama Breeze to me too.. it's like a caribbean restaurant. Meant to be lovely. $14 steak buffet sold me!

rossie1977 wrote: »

Festival Bay Mall is the closest big mall to wet and wild approx 1 mile north http://www.shopfestivalbaymall.com/html/

Pfft.. showed that to the girlfriend who never heard of any of the stores! :mad: Think I might leave her behind..

.. but her parents said there's a decent mall a few miles away called The Millennium Mall (or something like that).

Cheers for your help again rossie1977.. it was much appreciated!

rossie1977 · 24-04-2008 1:15am

well advance purchase of Seaworld/Busch Gardens combo tickets and Universal/Islands of Adventure 2-Park Unlimited Admission Ticket will set you back roughly $170. $170 for four parks for 7 successive days ain't bad and a free bus to tampa (to busch gardens) and free in to all the clubs and pubs on universals city walk
http://commerce.4adventure.com/eStore/scripts/skins/swf/ticketsmultidaySWBG.aspx

http://www.universalorlando.com/tickets.html

seaworld, busch gardens and islands of adventure are must dos in orlando, islands has consistently been ranked as second best park in the world, spiderman, duelling dragons, hulk, popeye and dudley do right murder nearly all the disney rides, sitting front row on sheikra in busch gardens is an experience and a half, its a billion times better if you don't hold on to the bar as i found out second time round

Disney is a long way from Wet and Wild so keep that in mind, Magic Kingdom is 20 miles away and i believe Epcot is the closest some 13-14 miles away.

easter (spring break), christmas/new year, labour day and weekend and fourth of july weekend are peak periods in orlando. the weather will also affect crowds. We rode the water rides last time out in islands of adventure on an overcast day about 19C, we were the only ones riding them, they even let us stay on

in that mall i linked there is a place called Bass Pro Shops, its probably the greatest store in the world for guys, if you like guns, fishing, camping, hunting, sports, BBQs you will love this place, they have tents bigger than Irish houses http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Shop_10151_-1_10001

BJJDUB · 24-04-2008 1:43am

For shopping go to the Prime One Mall (formerly known as The Belz Mall) on the northern most point on I-Drive (just past the Festival Bay Mall).

Also try the Premium Outlet Mall which is several miles further south on I-Drive.

If you are not driving, the I-Drive Trolley will bring you to and from both Malls.

Bahama Breeze is okay - it is a Caribbean themed bar / restaurant.

There are numerous new restaurants located at the Wonderworks attraction (the I-Drive Trolley will bring you here also) which is located south on I-Drive which are worth a visit. Actually, there are restaurants all over I-Drive as a previous post pointed out.

Try to get to a Superwalmart if you are looking for value for money shopping. The nearest one to your hotel is located on the corner of John Young Parkway and Sand Lake Road. If you are driving its easy to get to and its open 24 hrs.

Basq · 25-04-2008 1:15am

rossie1977 wrote: »

well advance purchase of Seaworld/Busch Gardens combo tickets and Universal/Islands of Adventure 2-Park Unlimited Admission Ticket will set you back roughly $170. $170 for four parks for 7 successive days ain't bad and a free bus to tampa (to busch gardens) and free in to all the clubs and pubs on universals city walk
http://commerce.4adventure.com/eStore/scripts/skins/swf/ticketsmultidaySWBG.aspx

http://www.universalorlando.com/tickets.html

Think I was looking at this at one stage alright. Another $170 on top of $220 (as I can't avoid the Magic Kingdom etc.) though works out at about €250. Mad money really!

rossie1977 wrote: »

seaworld, busch gardens and islands of adventure are must dos in orlando, islands has consistently been ranked as second best park in the world, spiderman, duelling dragons, hulk, popeye and dudley do right murder nearly all the disney rides, sitting front row on sheikra in busch gardens is an experience and a half, its a billion times better if you don't hold on to the bar as i found out second time round

Never heard of 'Islands Of Adventure' but sounds great alright.

Friend of my mother said Universal Studios is the best of the bunch she visited... that's what I'm most pumped about (as a big film fan).

rossie1977 wrote: »

Disney is a long way from Wet and Wild so keep that in mind, Magic Kingdom is 20 miles away and i believe Epcot is the closest some 13-14 miles away.

That is a good distance.. buses are probably quite reasonable though, right? And i'm sure there's one leaving every 20 minutes or so.

rossie1977 wrote: »

easter (spring break), christmas/new year, labour day and weekend and fourth of july weekend are peak periods in orlando. the weather will also affect crowds. We rode the water rides last time out in islands of adventure on an overcast day about 19C, we were the only ones riding them, they even let us stay on

I'd imagine Spring Break would be mad alright. I'm hoping for a few overcast days.. if just to salvage my poor delicate Oirish skin - as I don't tan, I just crisp!

rossie1977 wrote: »

in that mall i linked there is a place called Bass Pro Shops, its probably the greatest store in the world for guys, if you like guns, fishing, camping, hunting, sports, BBQs you will love this place, they have tents bigger than Irish houses http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Shop_10151_-1_10001

Not my bag.. but looks cool nonetheless.

BJJDUB wrote: »

For shopping go to the Prime One Mall (formerly known as The Belz Mall) on the northern most point on I-Drive (just past the Festival Bay Mall).

Also try the Premium Outlet Mall which is several miles further south on I-Drive.

If you are not driving, the I-Drive Trolley will bring you to and from both Malls.

Bahama Breeze is okay - it is a Caribbean themed bar / restaurant.

There are numerous new restaurants located at the Wonderworks attraction (the I-Drive Trolley will bring you here also) which is located south on I-Drive which are worth a visit. Actually, there are restaurants all over I-Drive as a previous post pointed out.

Try to get to a Superwalmart if you are looking for value for money shopping. The nearest one to your hotel is located on the corner of John Young Parkway and Sand Lake Road. If you are driving its easy to get to and its open 24 hrs.

Cheers BJJDUB but you're giving the other half a bit too much options in your post.. we'll keep this post between ourselves!

I've told her there's no malls in Orlando.. and that there's no point even looking for any!

Won't be driving anywhere as i'm just under the minimum age (25) to rent-a-car. Shame!

And cheers for the restaurant recommendations.

One more question.. is it worth e-mailing my hotel asking have they any special deals for tickets to theme parks? Not likely really, is it?

Loomis · 25-04-2008 11:12am

The Disney hopper passes are good tickets to get as you can go from park to park within the one day. The ticket never expires either in that you can use it for 3 days on your holiday and use your remaining two days in ten years time if that's when you're back.
As people have said you can get bundle deals where you get access to say Universal and Sea World. Shop around for them though and try to avoid pokey souvenir shops as they'd be pricey.
There are tons of restaurants all along International drive. I like Tony Romas (the ribs are gorgeous) and TGI Fridays.

rossie1977 · 25-04-2008 12:11pm

basquille wrote: »

Never heard of 'Islands Of Adventure' but sounds great alright.

Friend of my mother said Universal Studios is the best of the bunch she visited... that's what I'm most pumped about (as a big film fan).

islands is part of universal except they are two parks, its like a few hundred yards from one park to the other through universals city walk. universal is ok, many of the rides are outdated now though, the likes of ET which should have been closed years ago imo. The best universal studios is in LA where they actually film the movies and take you around to the backlot to see the sets of past classics like Jaws, king kong, war of the worlds, psycho, the mummy, terminator etc, nothing like that in Orlando

if you like rollercoasters and other high-powered rides, islands of adventure and busch gardens are worth every penny. Busch gardens is a giant zoo with its own safari adventure where you get to feed zebras, giraffes and other animals up close, it also happens to have some of the best rollercoasters in the world too

a sample of islands of adventure and busch gardens coasters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT0981dRxxM

That is a good distance.. buses are probably quite reasonable though, right? And i'm sure there's one leaving every 20 minutes or so.

Lynx and I-Trolley are the public bus services serving I-Drive. I-Trolley doesn't go as far as disney but it serves Seaworld and the malls. I-Trolley costs $1 per ride and they do day passes as well http://www.iridetrolley.com/

Lynx is a much more comprehensive service and does serve disney but not direct from Wet and Wild, you have to change at Seaworld, lynx costs $1.75 per ride Route 50 goes from close to Seaworld to Disney http://www.golynx.com/index.cfm?fuse=cstm&app=route&view=sched&cid=50

More than likely your hotel will offer a shuttle bus to disney/universal/seaworld, some hotels charge for this service especially the disney shuttle, some don't

Another thing Disney is massive, the 6 parks and downtown cover an area bigger Dublin city, about 120 km² or 30,000 acres :eek:

One more question.. is it worth e-mailing my hotel asking have they any special deals for tickets to theme parks? Not likely really, is it?

once you walk in the door of your hotel you will see the deals don't worry

There will stand in the lobby, the tickets come with a catch, you must sit through a 3 hour timeshare presentation with people trying their best to make you buy a week in their condo. If you have seen that episode of southpark set in aspen you know the score :mad: Having done it i would recommend everyone to steer clear its not worth your time even if you get the tickets for half price; unless you tell the guy/girl at the start and over and over again "I am not interested in buying just give me my tickets now"

Time share booths are located all over I-Drive, if you see a sign for half price tickets or heavily discounted tickets in restaurants or outside a store chances are its a time-share.

jph100 · 26-04-2008 11:49am

i think everyone has covered everythin in the previous replies but ill throw in my tuppence worth.

firtsly, i think seaworld is the best park in orlando. the only ones i havent been to in florida are islands of adventure and busch gardens which i hear is amazing.

most hotels near wet'n'wild have buses going to the theme parks, just make sure u can get one back in the evening. for travelling up and down i-drive the buses are grand and u can buy a pass for a few days that isnt too costly.

finally as regards restaurants, theyre are loads. id recommend eating a large breakfast, bring snacks to the park and then eating dinner in the evening cos food in the parks is rediculously expensive. there is a steakhouse just across from wet'n'wild that does a fantrastic buffet breakfast that isnt dear at all!

hope this was of some help

Basq · 26-04-2008 1:21pm

Thanks again all for your responses.. all extremely helpful!

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

The Disney hopper passes are good tickets to get as you can go from park to park within the one day. The ticket never expires either in that you can use it for 3 days on your holiday and use your remaining two days in ten years time if that's when you're back.
As people have said you can get bundle deals where you get access to say Universal and Sea World. Shop around for them though and try to avoid pokey souvenir shops as they'd be pricey.

Was looking at the Park Hopper passes on UndercoverTourist.com but works out at about $45 more for the Park Hopper (than the standard Magic Your Way ticket - 1 park per day) and I don't think I'd do more than one park in a day. Would it be possible and should I pay extra for the Park Hopper?

Mr. Anderson wrote: »

There are tons of restaurants all along International drive. I like Tony Romas (the ribs are gorgeous) and TGI Fridays.

Big TGI Friday fan myself.. was there in Madrid last Summer and absolutely great food (massive portions and very tasty) - got served a bowl of onion rings larger than my head!

Must try and dig out that photo!

rossie1977 wrote: »

islands is part of universal except they are two parks, its like a few hundred yards from one park to the other through universals city walk. universal is ok, many of the rides are outdated now though, the likes of ET which should have been closed years ago imo. The best universal studios is in LA where they actually film the movies and take you around to the backlot to see the sets of past classics like Jaws, king kong, war of the worlds, psycho, the mummy, terminator etc, nothing like that in Orlando

What's in Universal Studios in Orlando then? Would it be worth it? I'm sure there's a certain amount of movie tie-in's but the one in Hollywood sounds fantastic alright.

rossie1977 wrote: »

if you like rollercoasters and other high-powered rides, islands of adventure and busch gardens are worth every penny. Busch gardens is a giant zoo with its own safari adventure where you get to feed zebras, giraffes and other animals up close, it also happens to have some of the best rollercoasters in the world too

a sample of islands of adventure and busch gardens coasters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT0981dRxxM
Cheers.. I love roller coasters indeed. Was at Warner Bros Park in Madrid (which was excellent) and enjoyed every minute. Went on practically every ride there - couple of great rollercoasters!

rossie1977 wrote: »

Lynx and I-Trolley are the public bus services serving I-Drive. I-Trolley doesn't go as far as disney but it serves Seaworld and the malls. I-Trolley costs $1 per ride and they do day passes as well http://www.iridetrolley.com/

Lynx is a much more comprehensive service and does serve disney but not direct from Wet and Wild, you have to change at Seaworld, lynx costs $1.75 per ride Route 50 goes from close to Seaworld to Disney http://www.golynx.com/index.cfm?fuse=cstm&app=route&view=sched&cid=50

More than likely your hotel will offer a shuttle bus to disney/universal/seaworld, some hotels charge for this service especially the disney shuttle, some don't

Will look into it... the hotel's site don't mention any shuttles or anything. They just mention distances to the local attractions (Universal is close anyways! )

rossie1977 wrote: »

Another thing Disney is massive, the 6 parks and downtown cover an area bigger Dublin city, about 120 km² or 30,000 acres :eek:

That is huge. But with less Burberry than Dublin city I'd imagine!

rossie1977 wrote: »

once you walk in the door of your hotel you will see the deals don't worry There will stand in the lobby, the tickets come with a catch, you must sit through a 3 hour timeshare presentation with people trying their best to make you buy a week in their condo. If you have seen that episode of southpark set in aspen you know the score :mad: Having done it i would recommend everyone to steer clear its not worth your time even if you get the tickets for half price; unless you tell the guy/girl at the start and over and over again "I am not interested in buying just give me my tickets now" Time share booths are located all over I-Drive, if you see a sign for half price tickets or heavily discounted tickets in restaurants or outside a store chances are its a time-share.

The girlfriends parents also did this also.. and were telling me about it saying it's not worth your time at all also.

I don't think I could take it to be honest. I'll pay the ticket prices rather than listen to someone drone on for 3 hours. I get that at home!

jph100 wrote: »

i think everyone has covered everythin in the previous replies but ill throw in my tuppence worth.

finally as regards restaurants, theyre are loads. id recommend eating a large breakfast, bring snacks to the park and then eating dinner in the evening cos food in the parks is rediculously expensive. there is a steakhouse just across from wet'n'wild that does a fantrastic buffet breakfast that isnt dear at all!

hope this was of some help

Cheers jph100. Yep, my plan is to eat a large breakfast in the morning as I'd like to avoid eating in the theme parks as much as I can.

Was chatting to someone my company does work for out in Florida and mentioned I was going. She recommended The Kennedy Space Center - it's about 45 minutes away but I would miss the next launch by about a week (one on May 31st! ). Any been there and recommend it?

Oh.. and with regards to drinking in bars, the legal age is 21. I am 24 but I look VERY young. What would be the best form of ID (besides passport) as I don't fancy carrying this around with me? I've an Irish provisional license but I don't imagine they'd be too trusting of it. Also.. you don't pay for drinks as they're served to you, correct? You make up a tab and pay it when you're leaving and add in a $1 tip per drink - am I right in these presumptions?

rossie1977 · 26-04-2008 6:44pm

universal is worth it but islands of adventure is a better park imo, but i wouldn't buy a one day ticket to islands for $60 or whatever when you can get the two parks combined ticket for one week for $79

in terms of whats in each park

Universal Orlando

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast - good ride, disneyesque, fun few minutes

Shrek 4-D - excellent 3D short movie taking place shortly after the first movie, i won't give away the cool bits and there are a few

Revenge of the Mummy - dark indoor rollercoaster, excellent ride if a little on the short size, few surprises here too

Twister - this is ok, you may like it, you may hate it, personally i liked it better second time around, get up to the front and its quite a rush

Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue - lame, bettlejuice, wolfman, dracula sing rock songs, don't bother wasting your time with this rubbish

Disaster - ok if you have time, skip it if not, nothing to write home about

Jaws - get on board a boat around the harbour and battle jaws, depending on where you sit you might get soaked

Fear Factor - just like the TV show but on stage

Men in Black - i hate this, go around shooting alien targets with a fake laser gun, truly truly awful rubbish.

The Simpsons Ride - opening in May so havent been on, looks good though, will be indoor

E.T. Adventure - they should removed this ride about 10 years, so outdated its not funny, really bad, don't waste your time with this either

Universal's Horror Make-Up Show - very funny stage show, one of my favourite things in universal

Terminator 2: 3-D - a mix of live and 3D action, its starting to show its age a bit but its still an great show

Islands of Adventure

Incredible Hulk Coaster - high speed rollercoaster that goes from 0-40mph in something like 2 seconds

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, a 3-D simulator ride, possibly the best ride in the world, there is nothing like this anywhere, disney can only dream have having something as good as this

Storm force - lame teacups ride

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls - highest log flume in america i believe, amazing water based ride, you will get soaked, murders disney splash mountain in every sense

Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges - another truly incredible water ride, this is so much, a river rapid ride like no other, like dudley do-right this has themeing that will make you cry its that good. Again you will get soaked.

Jurassic Park River Adventure - river based ride in a boat through jurassic park with a huge drop at the end, great ride

Dueling Dragons - duelling inverted roastercoasters (fire and ice) that come within 18 inches of each other 3 times during the ride. Fantastic rollercoaster and you must ride both fire and ice as they are different rides

Poseidon's Fury - an indoor special effects show

The Cat in the Hat - an indoor disneyesque ride

Doctor Doom's Fearfall - a spaceshot ride

frodi · 26-04-2008 10:20pm

I'm heading to Orlando with the family in June as well. Love the advice above. One further thing I would like to know. The water parks have that you should wear "water shoes" because the ground can get hot. I am presuming that this is something like flip flops or jelly shoes or are they talking about something else altogether?

Sorry for the minor hijack.

monkiscool · 27-04-2008 9:12pm

hi my friend and i are planning on going to alton towers the first weekend in june...but we have no idea how to get there..we are both students and don't drive,and we'll be travelling from cork.also if anyone has any other theme parks that aren't too far away to recommend that would also be great
any info would be appreciated
thanks:)

The Artist · 28-04-2008 12:58am

theres weekend trips to oakwood in wales from your local travel agents
http://www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk/home/default.asp
As for Alton Towers
http://www.altontowers.com/pages/home

Qprmeath · 28-04-2008 3:37pm

Been to Alton Towers. Well worth a visit. Pay as much as you can afford for tickets as it helps you beat the queues. We flew into East Midlands and hired a car but Im sure you could get a bus from Nottingham 4 or 5 miles from East Midlands Airport. Alton Towers really is in the middle of nowhere with very narrow roads leading to it so a bus would probably be your best bet.

Phaetonman · 28-04-2008 8:09pm

That's the plan.. be up at the crack of dawn alright. Try and get most stuff done for lunch and then just stroll around for the rest of the day

What kind of holiday is that?

Orlando is an absolute hole. I was there in mid June and it was disgustingly hot and humid. Very expensive for the states as well.

rossie1977 · 29-04-2008 12:30am

frodi wrote: »

I'm heading to Orlando with the family in June as well. Love the advice above. One further thing I would like to know. The water parks have that you should wear "water shoes" because the ground can get hot. I am presuming that this is something like flip flops or jelly shoes or are they talking about something else altogether?

Sorry for the minor hijack.

yeah flip-flops is what they are talking about

frodi · 29-04-2008 12:18pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

yeah flip-flops is what they are talking about

Thanks for that. do you know if you can wear them on the ride or do you have to leave them behind.

JD1763 · 29-04-2008 1:54pm

Apologies in advance for any repetition and for the long post - alot of the above posters have already mentioned good places to go but heres my two cents:

We always purchased our tickets at the park gates but there are loads of different ways to get them just make sure you are getting what you want. Sorry cant be more help with a ticket source.

Usually head over in September as its very quiet, unfortunately June is high season its going to be hot and crowded. Drink lots of water especially walking around the parks.

Malls:

Mall at the Millenia - very nice mall, more high end shops such as Tiffanys, Abercrombie, Banana Republic, Victorias Secret, Bloomingdales etc. Recommend you eat at the Cheesecake Factory but not on Sunday after church is finished as its madness to get a table. Theres a nice shortcut (avoids the I-4) to the Millenia from International Drive as well, head down the end of International Drive towards the Prime. Go past the Festival Mall and you'll come to a set of lights (entrance to Prime is across the road) turn right and head up over bridge, at the lights turn left. Go straight down and the Millenia is a short distance down on the right.

Festival - this mall is still quite empty, theres Steve and Barrys which is great for cheap t-shirts and jeans etc. Vans Skate shop (expensive) also has a skate park in the shop. Hot Topic is here also. Foodcourt is not great but Coldstone Creamery does nice Ice Cream. Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy have stores across the road - theres a Dollar Tree too. Think this used to be called Beltz (I hate the place with a passion).

Florida Mall - this is on the road to/from the airport. Older mall but its absolutely huge - well worth going to. Varied shops, decent food court and theres a nice mexican restaraunt here too.

Outlets:

The Premiums are to put it simply the best outlet. Designer gear - Ralph Lauren, Tommy, Zegna, Armani, Reebok, Adidas, Nike, Gap loads of places. Food court is crap tho. There also another outlet near the Premium, as you are heading into the Premiums from the I4 you'll cross the Orange Blossom Trail turn right and head back towards the 192 and theres an open air outlet a short distance down on the left, last year they opened a Tommy outlet there and theres Old Navy and Gap as well. Can be better value here than other shops. Also has the first roundabout we found in the US!

Prime - they were still renovating this when we were there in December (it was a complete kip before) hear its quite nice tho (second hand info).

Activities:

Seaworld is fantastic, fun attractions great shows were the Sealions, Dolphins, Killer Whales - dont ask me for their names

and rollercoasters. The Kraken is great fun plus the Budweiser horses. We will definitely go back.

Universal Studios - the old park is definitely a bit dated and tbh boring. We much preferred Islands of Adventure and would really only go back to Islands. There are some redeeming elements - The Mummy, Jurassic Park. Islands of Adventure is far superior - better rides such as the Hulk, Duelling Dragons, Spiderman, Jurassic Park, Popeye (you get soaked) Ripsaw falls (again you get soaked), and Doctor Doom.

Disney - it can be magic if its the first time, but I feel its more for younger children. The magic kingdom is very dated and Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain just dont compare to the other parks roller coasters.

MGM - Some good shows Lights Motors Action, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones. Queues for the Rock n Roller Coaster were nuts even with the Fast pass was a 3 hr wait so we skipped that since it was late in the evening.

Animal Kingdom - this park has really improved over the years. Animal attractions are good, Kilimanjaro Safaris and the boat ride are a good laugh with the right driver. The Expedition Everest is a fantastic roller coaster cant recommend it enough. Cant talk about the water rides - was freezing the day we were there so no way were we risking getting wet. Good day out though would recommend it.

Epcot - not really much to talk about. Test Track is ok, restaurants were jammers so we left and got dinner elsewhere. We didnt really do much here again very dated looking now and not a lot we were interested in seeing.

Downtown Disney - good for going out in the evening with bars and clubs. The Lego shop, memorablia shops, etc. Highlight is Cirque Du Soleil (sp) if you are in Orlando you have to see this show absolutely fantastic. Foodwise theres loads of restaurants and a Planet Hollywood. The cinema here is very nice as well but bring a jumper its a freezer inside.

Busch Gardens - memories a little hazy on this one been about 2 years since there. Bit of a drive in the car, but has lots of great roller coasters, shows etc. We had a good day out and would recommend if possible going here.

Arabian Nights - We went to this show last year and had a good time. Foods rubbish (worse than airline meals) but the show is decent enough.

Sky Diving - if it takes your fancy Sky Dive City in Zephyr Hills is a great place. Very friendly staff etc and prices are not too bad.

Last year we also caught a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game. Would definitely go back to one of these and again prices are quite reasonable even for great seats. Real american experience with loads going on around the arena when theres a break in play.

Food:

As a general rule we avoid any of the restaurant chains that you will see all over the place - we've had two bad experiences with these places and wont ever go back.

I can recommend Sweet Tomato its down International Drive past Wet n Wild on the left hand side of the road. You pay about $10 and pick what you want from the salad buffet, then choice of soups, baked potatoes and deserts etc with as much as want. Makes a great break from the usual fast food that everywhere seems to serve for a good price.

If you can head to Celebration, its a bit stepford wives with the perfect families, houses and town etc but has some excellent restaurants - Market Street Cafe is very nice. Cheese and bacon fries are great

. Couple of other places to be checked out as well.

Already mentioned Cheesecake factory - quick tip order the cheesecake for desert as though you are eating in. Have a bite or two then get it boxed to bring home instead of ordering the slices to go (eating in gets a bigger slice).

Theres a few nice looking restaurants down the far end of international drive away from the Wet N Wild part that look very nice. But we havent gone there yet just driven past.

Chilis on International Drive is nice as well - chicken wings smothered in hot sauce are great.

In relation to car rental you can rent if you are under 25 as long as you have a full driving license you just pay a daily surcharge sorry cant remember if its $15 or $25 a day (think its $25). I always use Hertz if booking with them register for their number 1 club online first (its free) this gets you a discount straight off. Prepay if possible - this is basically an all in price for everything you'll need. They try and offer you extra insurance at the desk when collecting but just decline this. I usually return the car full but you can also opt to return empty and its not that much more expensive than the service stations. Just be careful with what you agree to and sign as they will try and screw you for more money if they can.

Again sorry for the long post, if i think of anything else ill add it on or if anybody has any questions i can do my best to answer them. All of the above is purely personal opinion and experience.

Moonbeam · 29-04-2008 3:05pm

I am just back.

Book your restaurants in advance,a few of them said to us we should have booked 4 - 5 months ago!

There is plenty of fast food etc but if you want anything else book now.(yes it sounds crazy)

It is worth getting the day hopper option and the all in one tickets incl fast past.You will need fast pass esp in June.

mcgrate · 29-04-2008 9:19pm

nah rent a small car and you'll be grand. We flew into nottingham, stayed in stoke-on-trent for 2 nights and drove to alton towers each morning. About 40 mins away and you have the flexibility of your own car.
Great weekend - highly recommend it.

The Artist · 29-04-2008 9:32pm

mcgrate wrote: »

nah rent a small car and you'll be grand. We flew into nottingham, stayed in stoke-on-trent for 2 nights and drove to alton towers each morning. About 40 mins away and you have the flexibility of your own car.
Great weekend - highly recommend it.

how much roughly did that cost if ye dont mind me asking as i might treat my kids when they finnished school from cork to start with.

Pythia · 29-04-2008 9:56pm

You can go by coach from Dublin

http://www.celtichorizontours.com/celtichorizon/Main/Product-2006.asp?iEventID=1844

The Artist · 29-04-2008 10:14pm

Pythia wrote: »

You can go by coach from Dublin

http://www.celtichorizontours.com/celtichorizon/Main/Product-2006.asp?iEventID=1844

thats a good deal to me thanks

BJJDUB · 29-04-2008 11:24pm

Prime is almost complete (as of last week) and is far superior to the old Belz Mall. In my opinion its now better than the Premium Outlet Mall.

jimmycrackcorm · 30-04-2008 12:02am

Is it cheaper to book flights / hotels / car seperately or just a site to get a package? Which site is best?

Basq · 30-04-2008 12:51am

jimmycrackcorm.. in my experience, packages are best.

Got 10 nights in Orlando (staying in Best Western Movieland on International Drive) including flights on AmericanHolidays.com

Xavi6 · 30-04-2008 5:52am

Everything has pretty much covered.

Only thing I'd have to add is that if you aren't too interested in the parades/late shows in the them parks then leave the biggest and best rides til then. There's feck all queues while everyone is occupied by the parade, especially in the Magic Kingdom.

Oh and take a drive to Daytona Beach. It's quality. The raceway is also worth a look there too.

EDIT: Just saw this bit -

basquille wrote: »

Oh.. and with regards to drinking in bars, the legal age is 21. I am 24 but I look VERY young. What would be the best form of ID (besides passport) as I don't fancy carrying this around with me? I've an Irish provisional license but I don't imagine they'd be too trusting of it.

I was in Chicago and Vegas when I was 20 with a fake Irish driver's license and it worked everywhere bar one place. Apparently they accept the real ones too!

I was also told that a photocopy of your passport will suffice, especially if you have that as well as your driver's license. My advice would be to make a copy and keep it in your wallet.

30-04-2008 9:17am

Just to add- if you are there for 10 days ,hire a car and do a bit of driving.
If you like mad lightning/thunder,then drive inland in the afternoon!
Almost guaranteed every day.
Drive the 40 or so miles down to cape canaveral and see the shuttle launch area and the kennedy space centre.
Go to that early though as some of the better tours will be sold out by lunch time.

We actually drove down to Miami which took about 3 or 4 hours aswell.

As for the rides in Universal etc,it's all been said pretty well.
I far preferred the one in LA having been to both now.
But yes of those that you do,the mummy ride is pretty cool in a roller coaster sort of way (theres one very quick sharp drop in almost total darkness!) and the jurassic park one is pretty good as you drop very quick and steep at the end over a waterfall.

When you are there drive out to the Ritz carlton Orlando and eat in Normans restaurant in the hotel.You drive beside their golf club to get to it and the marriot is on the same property (The marriot brand and the Ritz carlton are owned by the same outfit).

The 4 way pork at that restaurant is probably the tastiest meal I've ever had in the states,I kid you not!

cruizer22b · 30-04-2008 10:36am

basquille wrote: »

Possibly a number of these questions have been answered in previous threads but I'm looking for some fresh information and opinions.

Am heading away for 10 days in Orlando in June... so I've a couple of questions for anyone who's been there before in a similar timeframe:

Firstly.. with regards to the theme parks, myself and the girlfriend have been investigating investigating these "bundle tickets" (such as the Magic Your Way tickets). But no real ticket does all the sights and involves you buying a number of ticket bundles (which works out at about €250 each). Basically, the theme parks we're aiming for are Disneyland (The Magic Kingdom), Epcot, Seaworld and Universal Studios. Any recommendations for the tickets (or bundles) to get and where to get them?

Secondly, will the theme park queues be as bad as I'm imagining? I'm relying on Fastpass a fair bit but you can only have one Fastpass ticket at one time.

Thirdly, any recommendations on restaurants and / or shopping centres? Staying on International Drive in the 'Best Western Movieland' (across from Wet N Wild Water Park).

More questions to follow in time probably.

Thanks in advance.

I just got back at the weekend from 2 weeks in Orlando. Int drive is great and is full of places to eat.

IMO The best place for shopping are the prime and premium outlets at either end of I drive. Florida Mall is also good. All about 15 dollers in a taxi.

We went to all the disney parks , unilversal , seaworld / aqutica etc and the ques at disney where a nightmare.

Busch gardens in Tampa is worth a vist to.

rovers_runner · 30-04-2008 1:30pm

basquille wrote: »

jimmycrackcorm.. in my experience, packages are best.

Got 10 nights in Orlando (staying in Best Western Movieland on International Drive) including flights on AmericanHolidays.com

Would agree with you here Basquille but we were in the Quality Inn Plaza last year which was excellent by the way (microwave, fridge, cable tv, air con etc.).
You can get that hotel for €350 for 7 nights on it's official site so if you got return flights for say €500 (aerlingus) you're talking 700 per person.

We got 2 standby places last year for 600 (including charges & transfers).

How much would 10 days typically set you back?

Basq · 30-04-2008 1:36pm

rovers_runner wrote: »

How much would 10 days typically set you back?

Myself and the girlfriend got the package (10 nights in the Best Western Movieland, and return flights) for €1,644 (so €822 each).

EDIT: €500 with Aer Lingus? Don't think so - flights to Orlando in June with Aer Lingus is working out at €686 each!

rovers_runner · 30-04-2008 2:08pm

basquille wrote: »

Myself and the girlfriend got the package (10 nights in the Best Western Movieland, and return flights) for €1,644 (so €822 each).

EDIT: €500 with Aer Lingus? Don't think so - flights to Orlando in June with Aer Lingus is working out at €686 each!

Ah right, was looking at may, works out at €530 return.
Make sure you have everything done by 3pm in the day as the heavens will open like clockwork

Aside, for anyone else looking on interested in Orlando.
Panorama have a sale on today for the first 3 weeks in June:
€500 for direct flights (monarch) and accom. - 7 nights
www.panoramaholidays.ie

30-04-2008 3:23pm

basquille wrote: »

Myself and the girlfriend got the package (10 nights in the Best Western Movieland, and return flights) for €1,644 (so €822 each).

EDIT: €500 with Aer Lingus? Don't think so - flights to Orlando in June with Aer Lingus is working out at €686 each!

Yeah all travel agents including online ones give cheaper flights when you book the accomadation as part of it.
I just did a check there on ebookers.ie by the way flights and accomadation for two on virgin atlantic via manchester which came in at €776.83 each staying at the quality inn international drive from the 4th to the 14th of June.

American holidays aren't necessarally the cheapest if going via manchester isn't a problem-it's a very short sub one hour flight to there.
The in-seat tv's in virgin economy with AVOD (dozens of movies and games etc on demand) would win it for me hands down compared to the awfull old Aerlingus planes and seats with the tv in the distance hanging from the ceiling that sometimes you'd need binoculars to be looking at it.

Heres the details anyhow of the test booking :

Leave Wed 4 Jun Total time: 12hr 50min Depart Dublin EI.1.gif

Aer Lingus 202
Economy | Airbus A320
1hr 0min 06:30 Dublin Airport (DUB) Stop 1 Manchester 07:30 Manchester Int'l Airport (MAN)
alert.3.gif

Change planes. Layover: 2hr 55min
Depart Manchester VS.1.gif

Virgin Atlantic 75
Economy | Boeing 747
8hr 55min 10:25 Manchester Int'l Airport (MAN) Arrive Orlando, Florida 14:20 Orlando International (MCO) Return Sat 14 Jun Total time: 14hr 15min
alert.3.gif

This is an overnight flight.
Depart Orlando, Florida VS.1.gif

Virgin Atlantic 74
Economy | Boeing 747
8hr 10min 20:40 Orlando International (MCO) Stop 1 Manchester 09:50 Manchester Int'l Airport (MAN)
alert.3.gif

Change planes. Layover: 5hr 15min
Depart Manchester EI.1.gif

Aer Lingus 205
Economy | Airbus A320
0hr 50min 15:05 Manchester Int'l Airport (MAN) Arrive Dublin 15:55 Dublin Airport (DUB) Hotel

Quality Inn At International Drive , Orlando

Change hotel Change hotel
Check-in: Wed 4 Jun 2008
1500 Check-out: Sat 14 Jun 2008
1100
Number of nights: 10
More hotel details Virtual tours
Quality Inn At International Drive

Overview

7600 International Dr., Orlando, Florida 32819
13.5 kilometers Northeast of Orlando 4.3 out of 5
20 user reviews
value_sm.2.gif

ebookers.ie Special Offer: Save 20% on 1 night or more

ncmc · 07-05-2008 4:35pm

Basquille, I was in Orlando at the start of June two years ago. Crowd-wise and weather-wise it was fine, yes the weather is hot, but not unbearably so. You just have to use the noggin and drink lots of water and take regular breaks in indoor, air-conditioned areas. June would be considered the start of the peak season and the further in to June you get, the more crowded it becomes. However June would still not be as crowded as July/start of August.

The Fastpass is not a stupid idea, it is a great time saver! You don’t really have to queue to get them in the first place and then when you come back at your allocated time, you join a vastly shorter queue. If used smartly, you can cut the wait time at the major rides from over an hour down to 5-10 minutes! Plus it is free! The only catch is that you can only hold one fastpass at a time, so make sure to prioritise. www.allears.net is a great site for explaining all the various ticket options and it also explains the fastpass system in depth.

With regards to the park hopper option on the ticket (which allows you to visit more than one Disney park per day) I personally do not think it is worth it. The parks are huge and you will be tired after slogging around them in the heat, I personally could never see myself doing more than one in a day. Plus they are all situated quite far apart, so it’s not like you can just hop from one to the other in a couple of minutes.

To the person who asked about the water shoes in the water parks, I wore crocs when I was there last year and regretted it, you have to take them off going down the slides or else you could lose them and that means you either have to leave them at the top or else hold them as you go down. I would recommend the water shoes that stay on tight, so you don’t have to worry about your flip-flops flying off!

frodi · 07-05-2008 6:17pm

ncmc wrote: »

To the person who asked about the water shoes in the water parks, I wore crocs when I was there last year and regretted it, you have to take them off going down the slides or else you could lose them and that means you either have to leave them at the top or else hold them as you go down. I would recommend the water shoes that stay on tight, so you don’t have to worry about your flip-flops flying off!

Thanks for that

rossie1977 · 08-05-2008 2:46am

ncmc wrote:

The Fastpass is not a stupid idea, it is a great time saver! You don’t really have to queue to get them in the first place and then when you come back at your allocated time, you join a vastly shorter queue. If used smartly, you can cut the wait time at the major rides from over an hour down to 5-10 minutes! Plus it is free! The only catch is that you can only hold one fastpass at a time, so make sure to prioritise.

the theme park experts don't agree with you though, this guy gives reason why fastpass does more harm than good http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200602/45/

getting to the park before it opens, going on single-rider lines when the crowds start to arrive will result in getting through the day quicker. As mentioned we had all islands of adventures rides done 3 times by 1pm on Easter Monday this year. I used express pass (same as disney fast-pass) in islands of adventure 3 years ago and we were lucky to get each ride done once by 6pm with all the waiting around

ncmc · 08-05-2008 12:23pm

rossie1977 wrote: »

the theme park experts don't agree with you though, this guy gives reason why fastpass does more harm than good http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200602/45/

getting to the park before it opens, going on single-rider lines when the crowds start to arrive will result in getting through the day quicker. As mentioned we had all islands of adventures rides done 3 times by 1pm on Easter Monday this year. I used express pass (same as disney fast-pass) in islands of adventure 3 years ago and we were lucky to get each ride done once by 6pm with all the waiting around

I have no experiance using the Universal Express system, so I can't comment on that. However the Disney Fastpass system IS a timesaver.
Example: Aerosmith Rock and Roll Coaster in MGM last August, queue was over an hour long by 2pm, so we got a fastpass for it (didn't have to queue for it) did a few quieter rides while waiting for our allocated time and then strolled on to the ride in less than 10 minutes using our Fastpass. This was one of many times the Fastpass saved us a tonne of time.

I'm not saying the Fastpass system is perfect and I do agree that getting to the parks early is THE BEST way to beat the queues, but surely every little thing that cuts queuing time should be utilised? Especially if it is free like the Fastpass?

As for the above link, I think most websites about Disney/Orlando, advocate the use of the Fastpasses as ONE of the time saving methods, there will always be some that disagree, but I have to say that in my own personal opinion, if used correctly and smartly, the Fastpass is a great time saving tool.

BO-JANGLES · 22-06-2008 10:54am

Hi, Can anyone tell me the best deal or a family ticket to Portaventura Theme Park in Salou? Family 2 adults and 2 children heading there in August and wondering if it is best to get tickets in Ireland or at the Gate of the theme park. Also do tickets cover admitance for the water parks too.

Thanks...Bojangles

BO-JANGLES · 22-06-2008 11:00am

HI, Heading to Salou in August and wonder if it is better to buy the tickets for Portaventura theme park in Ireland or is it better to buy them over there in Salou. Also what does the ticket cover????

Thanks Bo-jangles:)

Ponster · 22-06-2008 11:03am

Did you not find out what you need to know on their website ?

http://www.portaventura.co.uk/

nava · 22-06-2008 11:03am

Hi

if you stay at any of the Hotels they also include unlimited entrance to the park plus I think 1 ticket fot he Aqua park.

* ~** ThemeParks megathread **~**

Comments

* ~ ThemeParks megathread ~**