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* ~** ThemeParks megathread **~**

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  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭sadista


    Wow heaps more advice berty thanks a mil! I know about the whole touristy aspect but thats what I'm lookin for to be honest. Just go, be active, have a good time, take it all in and the best thing is not having to go and LOOK for entertainment cuz its all right there!

    Last holiday we were on was tunisia 2 years ago and while it was lovely and the hotel staff were great, once you went outside there was F all to do except lay on the beach, which I personally hate doing. We could have saved hundreds by goin down to a hotel in Kerry for a week instead! was practically the same thing only with more camels/sand.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭sadista


    Finally managed to get a quote, but on reading the T&Cs I cant tell whether it includes young driver package?? Where it says includes tax does that mean that its included in the total cost given?

    Heres details:

    EUR 201.01for 7 days
    Collision damage waiver (CDW)
    Included in pricetick.gif
    Third party liability protection (TP)
    Included in pricetick.gif
    Theft waiver (TW)
    Included in pricetick.gif
    Tax
    Included in pricetick.gif
    GPS - Satellite Navigational System
    Included in pricetick.gif
    Placement fee
    Included in pricetick.gif
    Breakdown assistance
    Included in pricetick.gif

    Drivers Age25 to 98 Years
    Young Drivers Age: 21 to 24 Years Charge 25 USD per Day (Includes Tax)
    Drivers LicenseDrivers must hold a full license for minimum 1 year with no major endorsements.
    Additional Driver (Can be booked on arrival)Charge per additional driver: 10 USD per Day (Excludes Tax)
    Insurance CoverageCollision damage waiver (CDW): (Includes Tax)
    Theft waiver (TW): (Includes Tax)
    Third party liability protection (TP): (Includes Tax)
    Special Equipment / Optional Extras (Can be purchased on arrival)Child toddler seat: 9 USD per Day (Excludes Tax)
    Infant child seat: 9 USD per Day (Excludes Tax)
    GPS - Satellite Navigational System: (Includes Tax)
    Breakdown Assistance(Includes Tax)
    Fuel PolicyPick up full, return empty.
    Your vehicle will be supplied with a full tank of fuel and must be returned empty. No refunds will be given for unused fuel. (Suppliers fuel policies change from time to time, please confirm at rental counter)
    Payment Method (Driver must have one of the following credit cards when collecting vehicle)American Express, MasterCard, Visa
    VoucherYou must produce your voucher on arrival at Rental desk.
    Failure to give the Rental Agent your voucher, means we cannot be held responsible for any additional charges.
    No refunds will be issued unless Agent received voucher from Renter.
    Please note: We are not responsible for overcharges on rentals where the voucher was not presented to the local agent on collection of the vehicle
    Conditions of Optional ExtrasPlease note the price of optional extras are subject to change without notice.


  • Registered Users Posts: 26,147 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    Sometimes the young driver surcharge must be paid on arrival at the desk.

    You should ring to find out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28 Bodhi


    Hi

    I am looking into going to lake garda for a week with my girlfriend in august. Can anybody advise an area to stay in as i dont know much about the area and where the best place would be to stay. thanks in advance


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 448 ✭✭ve


    Is it possible to just buy a single day pass for this park?

    I was on www.portaventura.co.uk and the min is a 4 day pass which costs approx €65 (a lot IMO). I would only really be interested in going for a day or 2 at the very most. It depends on the price.

    Also is there really only one site online (above) to buy these tickets in advance that is genuine?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭sadista


    i tried calling em twice over the weekend and finally got through early enough on sunday. I was in the middle of asking them and I got cut off, tried to call back and couldnt even get it to ring... sounded like an engaged tone.
    I tried to call back this morning and I was left on hold waiting to be answered for ages. Dunno whats going on but the customer service is a load of sh1te!


  • Registered Users Posts: 13 drakiel


    HI
    We went to Lake garda last year. We stayed in Riva del Garda which would be one of the main towns on the Lake. Beautiful place. We found these apartments which were a 5 minute walk from the centre of Riva and were gorgeous. WE got the free use of bikes also which are great to get around on. Very reasonable prices and practically a private pool. Would highly recommend as friends of ours stayed in hotels which cost 3 times the price and wasnt half as nice as where we were and not central. Here is their website and the pictures do not do it justice. It really is a great place to stay if you are going there. Enjoy
    http://www.gardalake.it/allepalme/


  • Registered Users Posts: 44 zemphis


    Hi Bodhi,

    I'm just back from a week in Lake Garda. The best place to stay will probably depend on what you plan to do. If you won't have a car, it would probably be better to stay in one of the bigger towns, like Sirmione or Malcesine. If you plan on hiring a car then it's easier to get around and makes it easier to stay in some of the smaller towns and villages.

    We hired a car for the week and stayed in a villa/apartment in a small village, Moniga del Garda, near to Salò, which is roughly on the SW of the Lake. To be honest, without the car we would have be lost! It was a lovely village, just not a lot to do. We ended up driving around most of the Lake, which wasn't too bad, though it was May and the roads were still relatively quiet. I would guess they would be a lot busier in August.

    If you stay in one of the larger towns, and don't have a car, you can catch the ferry around the lake for day trips. Of the towns we saw, I thought that Sirmione and Malcesine were the nicest and had good ferry links. Sirmione is at the South of the Lake, on a peninsula. Malcesine is on the East Coast about half way up.

    The one thing to remember is that August is the main time that Italians take their holidays so you will probably find the place very busy. Also a lot of places shut during August, though this might not affect tourist areas as much.


  • Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭Narsil


    Stayed in Riva Del Garda too and it was gorgeous! We booked excursions to Gardaland which is a theme park with lots of rollercoasters (great fun!) and to Venice for a day which was also cool. All in all a really nice holiday!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    My hubby and I are 30ish and have been to Orlando twice with no kids (hoping to get again this year) and both times we have concentrated mainly on the Disney parks. I would certainly not say that they are 'just for kids'. The theming of the Disney parks is amazing and there is plenty to keep adults and children entertained.

    Magic Kingdom is probably the most 'babyish' of the 4 parks, but also my favourite as it is the 'quintessential Disney' park. The child in me still gets my breath taken away when I see Cinderella's Castle for the first time. This isn't the park for you if you are only interested in thrill rides, but it so pretty, only the hardest hearts would fail to like it!

    Epcot is split into 2 parts, Future World and World Showcase. Personally I find Future World a bit boring, but for me World Showcase is worth the price of admission alone. It is split in to different countries, with shops, restaurants and attractions native to that country (albeit in a sanitised Disney way). Some of the best restaurants on the Disney property are here, but you do need to book in advance.

    Hollywood Studios is a nice movie themed park, it is a good deal more compact than MK and Epcot, you could easily do this park in 5-6 hours. There are a couple of good thrill rides, Rock n Roll Coaster and Tower of Terror, and some other good movie based rides.

    Animal Kingdom is my favourite park after MK, it is a cross between a zoo and a theme park, with a mock safari and animal exhibits along with some rides (including the best Disney ride, Expedition Everest). It is a visually stunning park and again is a manageable size, so you could complete your touring in 5-6 hours.

    If you do decide to visit Disney, be very careful where you buy your tickets, some places will offer free or cut price tickets, but in return you may have to sit through hours of a timeshare presentation or else they may be unused days of other peoples tickets. It is illegal to sell these and there may not be any valid days left and you have no comeback in this situation. You can buy multi day tickets at the Disney gate, or a lot of the reputable sites offer pick up at your hotel. They may work out a little cheaper than the tickets at the gate. Try www.undercovertourist.com or www.mapleleaftickets.com

    It is your holiday and no-one can tell you what you will or will not enjoy. I know people who have gone to Orlando and never set foot in Disney, whereas, I couldn't imagine not basing my whole holiday around Disney. Personally, I think it would be a shame to go all that way and not see at least one Disney park. If I had to chose just one, then I would chose Magic Kingdom, but if you are not at all into Disney, then Epcot may be a good choice for you as it is the most grown up. If you fancy experiencing Disney without the price tag, Downtown Disney is a shopping/eating/drinking area that is free to visit.

    Make sure you factor in a couple of rest days in your holiday. The weather will be very hot and the parks are exhausting. Don't make the mistake of filling every day and then burning out by your 2nd week! Whatever you decide, have a great time.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 26,147 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    We split 5 days in Orlando/Disney and 9 days in St Petersburg in the Tradewinds Island Grand to detox our brains after Disney.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,204 ✭✭✭Kenny_D


    There's plenty in the universal theme parks to keep ya busy. If you're getting a flex ticket I think it includes Busch Gardens. If you're renting a car then definitely drive to Tampa bay and go to it. Great theme/safari park. Wet n Wild is great too. Have a great holiday. Orlando is great, I want to go back in the next year or two


  • Registered Users Posts: 515 ✭✭✭ZOLTAN28


    We have done it a few different ways - most of the English and Irish bars in Salou and Cambrils sell tickets for the park and they can be quite cheap although tickets bought at the park are a similar price - you may get some discounts or extra prices by shopping around..

    Last time we went we bought our tickets from budget before we went - cost about 400 which covere the six of us (3 adults, 3 children) for the two weeks we would be there. We did this knowing full well that we wouldn't be going t the park every day (it would kill you) but it meant we could go three and four times and pick the days we went. If you plan on going at leat three days I would seriously consider pre-buying your tickets like this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭sadista


    Thanks for all the replies guys, Im so excited now cant wait!

    I decided against renting a car, I cant find a hire car for less than 340e for 1 week because im a young driver, also the hotel were staying at charges 12 dollars a night for parking (didnt realise before booking) which will rack up the costs even further.

    We could easily bus/cab it on the 'Disney days' for half what it would cost to rent a car, and the hotel is a Universal Partner hotel so it does a complimentary shuttle to all Universal parks, city walk and sea world. also have inclusive travel for Kennedy space center & Busch Gardens. So dont think a lack of car will bother me so much, plus the bit of walking will do us a world of good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 26,147 ✭✭✭✭Berty


    Have a fantastic time!!! :D

    I hate you :mad:


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,852 ✭✭✭ncmc


    sadista wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies guys, Im so excited now cant wait!

    I decided against renting a car, I cant find a hire car for less than 340e for 1 week because im a young driver, also the hotel were staying at charges 12 dollars a night for parking (didnt realise before booking) which will rack up the costs even further.

    We could easily bus/cab it on the 'Disney days' for half what it would cost to rent a car, and the hotel is a Universal Partner hotel so it does a complimentary shuttle to all Universal parks, city walk and sea world. also have inclusive travel for Kennedy space center & Busch Gardens. So dont think a lack of car will bother me so much, plus the bit of walking will do us a world of good.

    I think that's a good choice Sadista, the parks charge for parking too, $12 per day I think, so that would really start to add up. I would be suprised if your hotel didn't have a shuttle to the Disney parks, and as you say, you could 'cab it' to Disney on the couple of days you go for much cheaper than renting a car. Have a great time!


  • Registered Users Posts: 34,788 ✭✭✭✭krudler


    Anyone have any experience buying tickets for Disneyland online? I've had a look around and theres some cheaper sites than buying them at the prk but I'd be pretty cagey about buying tickets for theme parks aside from the park itself or the hotel


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭Brow


    I booked some online from Disney themselves earlier in the year. Got the two parks on one day ticket, printed them off and that was that. Didnt actually find any sites offering them other than Disney so cant recommend whether to or not. But thought id throw in two cents about how easy it is to book with Disney anyway.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 536 ✭✭✭enzo7


    hi, www.attractiontix.co.uk are good havnt got disney tickets as we always stay on-site but we did get our portadventura tickets.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19,015 ✭✭✭✭adox


    Just to piggy back on this thread, booked 10 days in Orlando today, flying out at the end of the month with the Mrs.

    I`ve been a couple of times before but not in the last 4 or 5 years. Really looking forward to it.

    Looking at the exchange rate, I`m going to wait until we are over there to buy any park tickets. Will definitely visit Disney, although much prefer Seaworld and Universal.

    It will be very humid and busy(went around the same time of year once before) but they were the only dates I could get in work. Staying in the Hyatt Place on Idrive which looks quiet nice and is situated in the niced end as well.

    Really lloking forward to it.:)

    One quick question: We are flying through Manchester with Virgin. Never flown with them before. Are they alright for transatlantic flights?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 223 ✭✭micratoyota


    I got the 14 day tickets as for 1 adult 1senior and 2 children the difference in price for the 4 days(in a row) was only €16. Total cost €155. Now we can go when we please. One warning though. I booked and paid for the tickets on 12th May, but did not receive them until last Friday and then only because after 3 e mails 3 phone calls I told them I was going on 15th (to-day) instead of the 22nd June. I like to have everything ready and was getting a little afraid of booking on line. The company was themeparkticketsdirect.ie but the tickets arrived from Keith Prowse and Seatem in Donegal. Give an earlier departure date if you want your tickets in time.

    ZOLTAN28 wrote: »
    We have done it a few different ways - most of the English and Irish bars in Salou and Cambrils sell tickets for the park and they can be quite cheap although tickets bought at the park are a similar price - you may get some discounts or extra prices by shopping around..

    Last time we went we bought our tickets from budget before we went - cost about 400 which covere the six of us (3 adults, 3 children) for the two weeks we would be there. We did this knowing full well that we wouldn't be going t the park every day (it would kill you) but it meant we could go three and four times and pick the days we went. If you plan on going at leat three days I would seriously consider pre-buying your tickets like this.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 448 ✭✭ve


    What is this posting out tickets mallarky?

    I assumed if you bought your tickets online, you got some e-ticket/code that you can simply bring to the entrance to gain admission. Is this not the case?

    If I go on to the likes of www.portaventura.co.uk and book some tickets, do I have to wait for them to be delivered?

    I am travelling next week and have yet to purchase......f*ck :(

    Anyone know the story?


  • Registered Users Posts: 223 ✭✭micratoyota


    I bought the tickets online from "themeparkticketsdirect.com " enter on the Irish flag and prices will be in euro, and they did actually send out 4 tickets with a lot of Spanish info on them. With the e-ticket code you have to get it changed in the park when you get there. How long that takes I do not know. If you were sourcing the cheapest (but same) tickets this company comes out second cheapest . The cheapest is only for UK residents. Three of the tickets have €69 printed on them but only cost €31 and the adult shows €86 but cost €62. So they are presumably good value.
    ve wrote: »
    What is this posting out tickets mallarky?



    I assumed if you bought your tickets online, you got some e-ticket/code that you can simply bring to the entrance to gain admission. Is this not the case?

    If I go on to the likes of www.portaventura.co.uk and book some tickets, do I have to wait for them to be delivered?

    I am travelling next week and have yet to purchase......f*ck :(

    Anyone know the story?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,113 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    ve wrote: »
    Is it possible to just buy a single day pass for this park?

    I was on www.portaventura.co.uk and the min is a 4 day pass which costs approx €65 (a lot IMO). I would only really be interested in going for a day or 2 at the very most. It depends on the price.

    Friends of mine were there 2 weeks ago and it cost €45 per adult for a two day pass (it was billed as one free day). they had 2 kids so it cost €90 for 2 days for 2 adults and two kids. They bought tickets at the entrance on the day.

    When i last went in 2007, there were loads of Irish/English bars offering two for one discounts if you bought a certain drink etc (eg we got two for one when I bought 2 pints of carlsberg) so if you're staying in the town look out for these.

    Entrance to the waterpark in Portaventura is by a seperate ticket and not covered with general admission. All rides/shows etc are free once in there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 448 ✭✭ve


    Thanks a million Dodge, that's great news. I'll hold out and buy over there so.

    Two days is all we'd be going for anyway. We're only in the area for a week. Christ if we got me and my gf in for 2 days each for under €100, I'd be well happy.

    It was looking like €130 from portaventura.co.uk for 4 days passes which we didn't need. How would you know if a pub has these specials on offer?

    We don't plan (or have the money) to go on massive drinking sessions (not planning that sort of holiday), but I'd neck a couple of pints of Carsberg for discount tickets if that's all I needed to do ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,113 ✭✭✭✭Dodge


    Yeah I wouldn't be going out looking for the discounts but we saw it advertised outside a couple of places as we walked by, so popped in and had a drink.

    It'll be on chalkboard type things outside the bars


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,404 ✭✭✭chewed


    My wife and I are interested in a week in the sun (Algarve or Majorca, etc) with our lively 7 year old son. Anything that's quiet and near the beach with plenty to do for kids would be ideal. We were thinking of going in late August.

    Any suggestions would be very welcome.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,410 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    Any of the kids friendly complex's in the Falcon brochure would suit you. We have used them over the years and they are the best if you have kids.


  • Registered Users Posts: 196 ✭✭meboloxitis


    Have a look at Salou/Barcelona. They have an amazing theme park there called portaventura & the beaches in Salou are lovely.

    This theme park is huge & will keep the kids (large & small) busy all day.

    We are off to Tenerife next week and they have one of the best water parks I have ever been to just beside Playa da las americas.
    Check it out www.siampark.net
    Within the waterpark they have a man made beach & wave pool. The whole place is designed in Thai decor & is beautiful.

    Tons of excursions available in both places.

    Enjoy your holidays


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  • Registered Users Posts: 28 Bodhi


    Has anybody stayed in Sirmione? we wont be hiring a car and we will probly stay here for a few days there we have booked flights for a week so looking now for accomadation.


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