* ~** ThemeParks megathread **~**

wendell borton

Gardaland is decent and located in one of the most scenic parts of Italy.

schemingbohemia

Haven't been myself but heard good reports on this
http://en.futuroscope.com/

rawn

Excellent I'll have a look through them later! Will definitely be avoiding Disneyland, I can imagine that it's just crazy expensive

XsApollo

Phantasialand in Germany is another.
I enjoyed it.
Disneyland is more child orientated.

Greentree_uk

Alton towers is the best one I've been to in Europe, been to Disney and Garda land. At was best

rawn

Greentree_uk wrote: »

Alton towers is the best one I've been to in Europe, been to Disney and Garda land. At was best

Really? How was AT in terms of pricing compared to the other places?

Greentree_uk

rawn wrote: »

Really? How was AT in terms of pricing compared to the other places?

I found accommodation cheap, car hire cheap from East Midlands as for pricing I can't remember but the experience is really what mattered. Last time I went was for Halloween and it was a great time to go.
Have been to at four times, and would have no problem going again as for the others I wouldn't bother again. That said. Lake Garda in Italy is beautiful And I would go there again! Lake Garda area was cheap enough. But as said would not go there for garda land again


Is your sole purpose for visit a theme park? U can get good deals on AT if u hunt for them

rawn

Greentree_uk wrote: »

I found accommodation cheap, car hire cheap from East Midlands as for pricing I can't remember but the experience is really what mattered. Last time I went was for Halloween and it was a great time to go.
Have been to at four times, and would have no problem going again as for the others I wouldn't bother again. That said. Lake Garda in Italy is beautiful And I would go there again! Lake Garda area was cheap enough. But as said would not go there for garda land again


Is your sole purpose for visit a theme park? U can get good deals on AT if u hunt for them

Yes it would be straight from the airport to the park. Thanks I'll have a look now Did you stay in the accommodation there or stay further away?

TireeTerror

Alton Towers is awesome, I loved it when I was there. I would imagine they might be doing some deals as they have been struggling to get people in since the accident a few months back.

keithclancy

https://www.groupon.nl/deals/ga-tulip-inn-oosterhout

The Efteling is Great

Also cheap flights Dublin-Eindhoven with Ryanair.
http://www.efteling.co.uk/?l=14645&_ga=1.106216388.677107397.1440444463

bajer101

rawn wrote: »

I want to surprise my fiance with a trip to an amusement park. We live in Ireland. We will definitely want to be confining it to Europe. Can anyone recommend a good one, or a particularly good value one? I was looking at Europaland in Germany, has anyone been there?

bajer101 wrote: »

Europa Park in Germany or Portaventura in Salou are both fantastic. I'm on my phone at the moment, but I'll write up more details later.

As I mentioned, Europa Park and Portaventura are both fantastic theme parks. Europa Park is regularly voted the second best theme park in the world (behind Cedar Point). It is a great park for a couple of days, but can work out expensive if you plan on staying longer as they don't really do any value tickets for longer durations and there isn't much else to do in the area.

It is also a bit tricky to get to from Ireland although Ryanair have recently introduced flights to Basel which is only an hour away. Another option (which I did last year), is to fly into Frankfurt Hahn with Ryanair. This is a three hour drive but it does give you an interesting option which is to stop off halfway and spend a night and day in Holiday Park. This is a small theme park but it boasts one very interesting feature - Expedition GeForce which has been regularly voted the best coaster in the world.

Portaventura offers a different type of holiday in that it is in Salou so you can combine it with a sun holiday. Portaventura's best coaster is Shambhala (which is my favourite coaster). When I have visited there I have stayed in one of the on site hotels. These hotels are fantastic with great food and facilities. If you stay in these hotels theme park tickets are included and they also offer cheap fast passes. We always get the fastpass wristbands (about €50 each), which get you straight onto the main rides without queuing. These can be very good value if you are staying for a week or longer as they are valid for the duration of your stay. There is also a water park beside Portaventura.

I wasn't that impressed with Gardaland. It's a nice area but the theme park was a bit meh. If you do go there, there is an option to drive to Miribilandia which has a couple of great coasters, iSpeed and Katun and Divertical. I found Italy to be quite pricey though.

If you are just looking at a short break, then you would have to consider Alton Towers. It's worth visiting for Nemesis alone. It's awkward to get to, but Stena do organised trips. You would probably be better off renting a car though.

Disneyland Paris might be worth considering. Even though it is aimed at kids I quite enjoyed it and there are some decent rides there. I would only consider it if I got a good deal as it can be very expensive. I'd definitely stay on site and look for a deal with meals included. I've stayed in the Newport and Sante Fe hotels. The Newport is more expensive but has an indoor pool and it was worth the extra for this alone.

If it was me doing a three or four day trip, I would recommend the Europa Park, Holiday Park option. Fly to Frankfurt Hahn and rent a car. There's a fair bit of driving involved but it is on the Autobahns which are nearly a ride in themselves! For real roller coaster enthusiasts it is the best bang per buck. Expedition GeForce and Sky Scream in Holiday Park and then in Europa Park you have Silver Star, Blue Fire, Wodan, Euro Mir, Euro Sat, Arthur ride...and a bunch of others. You definitely need two days here. On site hotels are very expensive, so I'd recommend cheap rooms nearby.

If you need any other info feel free to PM me.

Loughc

Another recommendation here for Alton Towers and Europa Park both excellent parks and not as expensive as you might think.

Alton Towers is struggling for visitors at the moment after all of the negative press so the queuing times will be at an all time low for them.

Also I'm not sure when you're planning on going but if you can plan to go around October the Halloween events in both Alton Towers and Europa Park are some of the best around.

Dodge

Spent last week in Disneyland Paris (well 4 nights, 5 days). Had an amazing time. It isn't full of roller coasters (there are still a good few) but the experience was great. We went with a 5 year old so a "pure" park full of rollercoasters wasn't an option. Would heartily recommend it to any family though. Stayed on site and got cheap enough Aer Lingus flights and felt it gave great value for money. We ended our holiday with a weekend stay in Paris city so that's another option for any young couples/families

We've been to PortAventura in the past (without the little one) and enjoyed it but I wouldn't spend more than a day (albeit a full day) in the park. Furios Baco was my favourite ride (and probably the quickest rollercoaster I've been on). Ryanair flights to Reus can be quite cheap and we stayed in Salou both times (not on site). They were sun holidays (in September) rather than "theme park" holidays (if that makes sense)

rawn

bajer101 wrote: »

As I mentioned, Europa Park and Portaventura are both fantastic theme parks. Europa Park is regularly voted the second best theme park in the world (behind Cedar Point). It is a great park for a couple of days, but can work out expensive if you plan on staying longer as they don't really do any value tickets for longer durations and there isn't much else to do in the area.

It is also a bit tricky to get to from Ireland although Ryanair have recently introduced flights to Basel which is only an hour away. Another option (which I did last year), is to fly into Frankfurt Hahn with Ryanair. This is a three hour drive but it does give you an interesting option which is to stop off halfway and spend a night and day in Holiday Park. This is a small theme park but it boasts one very interesting feature - Expedition GeForce which has been regularly voted the best coaster in the world.

Portaventura offers a different type of holiday in that it is in Salou so you can combine it with a sun holiday. Portaventura's best coaster is Shambhala (which is my favourite coaster). When I have visited there I have stayed in one of the on site hotels. These hotels are fantastic with great food and facilities. If you stay in these hotels theme park tickets are included and they also offer cheap fast passes. We always get the fastpass wristbands (about €50 each), which get you straight onto the main rides without queuing. These can be very good value if you are staying for a week or longer as they are valid for the duration of your stay. There is also a water park beside Portaventura.

I wasn't that impressed with Gardaland. It's a nice area but the theme park was a bit meh. If you do go there, there is an option to drive to Miribilandia which has a couple of great coasters, iSpeed and Katun and Divertical. I found Italy to be quite pricey though.

If you are just looking at a short break, then you would have to consider Alton Towers. It's worth visiting for Nemesis alone. It's awkward to get to, but Stena do organised trips. You would probably be better off renting a car though.

Disneyland Paris might be worth considering. Even though it is aimed at kids I quite enjoyed it and there are some decent rides there. I would only consider it if I got a good deal as it can be very expensive. I'd definitely stay on site and look for a deal with meals included. I've stayed in the Newport and Sante Fe hotels. The Newport is more expensive but has an indoor pool and it was worth the extra for this alone.

If it was me doing a three or four day trip, I would recommend the Europa Park, Holiday Park option. Fly to Frankfurt Hahn and rent a car. There's a fair bit of driving involved but it is on the Autobahns which are nearly a ride in themselves! For real roller coaster enthusiasts it is the best bang per buck. Expedition GeForce and Sky Scream in Holiday Park and then in Europa Park you have Silver Star, Blue Fire, Wodan, Euro Mir, Euro Sat, Arthur ride...and a bunch of others. You definitely need two days here. On site hotels are very expensive, so I'd recommend cheap rooms nearby.

If you need any other info feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the detailed reply! I should have mentioned that neither of us drive, so we will be reliant on public transport. I'm leaning towards Alton Towers, possibly around Halloween. I need to see his college timetable before I can pick a date really so at the moment I'm just sussing out the travel part!

bajer101

rawn wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed reply! I should have mentioned that neither of us drive, so we will be reliant on public transport. I'm leaning towards Alton Towers, possibly around Halloween. I need to see his college timetable before I can pick a date really so at the moment I'm just sussing out the travel part!

If you don't drive, that definitely rules out Europa Park. It also makes Alton Towers quite tricky too as it takes a few hops on public transport to get there. The Stena packages would be your best bet as they organise the transfers.

http://www.stenaline.ie/ferries-to-britain/ferry-accommodation/hotel-breaks/themeparks/alton-towers-resort

But I'd recommend Portaventura. Reus is the nearest airport with cheap bus transfers, but you can also get there from Barcelona airport which can often work out a good bit cheaper. Coach transfer is about an hour. Portaventura also do a very good Halloween theme and the weather would still be very there. Whatever option you choose - enjoy.

Loughc

Alton towers is easy to get to by public transport. Fly to either Birmingham or Manchester. Train to Stoke on Trent and from there there's a local bus that services Alton towers.

bajer101

Loughc wrote: »

Alton towers is easy to get to by public transport. Fly to either Birmingham or Manchester. Train to Stoke on Trent and from there there's a local bus that services Alton towers.

So just a plane, then a train and then a bus with waiting time at each leg while hauling luggage. That's not my idea of easy. It's definitely doable but AT definitely suffers from the lack of an onsite train station. Compare that to DLP where you can fly into CDG and hop on a TGV and be in DLP 15 mins later.

Loughc

To be fair the flying part is a given for any park and the bus is very regular and only takes about 20mins.

fabvinny

hi folks,thinking of going to orlando for the first 2 weeks of june 2016, just wondering what is best to do as regards tickets for the parks? buy before i go or when i get there? now looking at doing 2 days in magic kingdom and getting a 14 day flexi for the likes of universal,aquatica,islands of adventure,busch gardens. would appreciate any advice on what best to do and rough cost of these type of tickets if any of you know.
thanks in advance!!

Wine Goddess

fabvinny wrote: »

hi folks,thinking of going to orlando for the first 2 weeks of june 2016, just wondering what is best to do as regards tickets for the parks? buy before i go or when i get there? now looking at doing 2 days in magic kingdom and getting a 14 day flexi for the likes of universal,aquatica,islands of adventure,busch gardens. would appreciate any advice on what best to do and rough cost of these type of tickets if any of you know.
thanks in advance!!

haven't been myself but there is LOADS of advice on the Disney forum which is here
www.thedibb.co.uk plus you can book accommodation there also.
Enjoy - am dead jealous!

Speckydodge

Buy before you go without doubt, pretty expensive to get over there. Busch gardens is amazing. Best park I was ever in. Then the universals are great for the thrill seeker much more then the Disney s depends on your group really

Loughc

I would recommend buy before you go and the 14 day flexi for the likes of universal,aquatica,islands of adventure,busch gardens would be a great purchase.

Jesusaves

Hi,

This question is really for someone who got the Magical Shuttle Bus from CDG Airport to a Disney Hotel.....
Myself and my family are heading to DLP next wk, our flight arrives @15:10, we only have hand luggage so no need to wait for luggage after arrival but The Magical Shuttle bus leaves @15:30, is it possible to make this one? Assuming the flight is on time that is otherwise it's another 2hr wait

Tk you

Dodge

I say no. Even without delays you still have french immigration and CDG is a pretty bug airport.

Have you paid for the shuttle? If not try book a transfer with this crowd http://www.interserviceprestige.com/eurodisney.php

We used them 2 weeks ago. Cheaper than the shuttle and door to door in comfort and at your own timetable.

Jesusaves

Tks so much for your reply. If only I knew of that option earlier, i've booked the bus already 😩 what a shame. Hope you enjoyed your trip though, it's exhausting but worth it! 😆

Dodge

Jesusaves wrote: »

Tks so much for your reply. If only I knew of that option earlier, i've booked the bus already 😩 what a shame. Hope you enjoyed your trip though, it's exhausting but worth it! 😆

Yes it's exhausting, and yes it is 100% worth it. Enjoy!

Trek1974

Hi All

Looking to go to Disneyland Paris next Feb 2016 , Looks like i will be there for 5 days with the wife and three kids , Plan to take in a day trip to Paris but was wondering what type of spending money we would need for a day in the parks , Apart from food & souvenirs is everything else free ???

Dodge

Trek1974 wrote: »

Hi All

Looking to go to Disneyland Paris next Feb 2016 , Looks like i will be there for 5 days with the wife and three kids , Plan to take in a day trip to Paris but was wondering what type of spending money we would need for a day in the parks , Apart from food & souvenirs is everything else free ???

Yep. Your park tickets give you access to all rides, attractions, shows etc

Food and snacks are pretty expensive (eg a 500ml bottle of water is €3.29) but you can bring in your own snacks/drinks if you like. Plenty of water fountains to top up bottles around too

For food prices, check out this site
http://www.dlpguide.com/planning/dining/

rawn

Few questions about Alton Towers.

Do you pay separately for theme park/water park?

Is there any buses that run from there to nearby towns? (we're looking at cheap accommodation and we don't drive)

What is the most convenient route from Ireland? I was looking at ferry to Holyhead and a train to Stoke-on-Trent? (I'm a nervous flyer so would avoid flying if possible)

Has anyone stayed in the on-site hotels, and were they worth the money?

Loughc

rawn wrote: »

Few questions about Alton Towers.

Do you pay separately for theme park/water park?

Is there any buses that run from there to nearby towns? (we're looking at cheap accommodation and we don't drive)

What is the most convenient route from Ireland? I was looking at ferry to Holyhead and a train to Stoke-on-Trent? (I'm a nervous flyer so would avoid flying if possible)

Has anyone stayed in the on-site hotels, and were they worth the money?

Hey Rawn!

Yes the theme park and water park are separate. Water park is free if you stay in the hotel.

But if you're staying in Stoke on Trent there is a bus that goes from the town to the park quite regularly.

Not sure what's the easiest way to get there as I have only ever flied to Birmingham or Manchester.