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Florida - Theme Parks
Hi all,
I'm looking to go to Florida in September, and I was hoping to go to the area of Florida where all the adult theme parks are located, such as Bush Gardens and all those rides which are not really for children (Not really interested in DisneyWorld resorts, unless they have scary adult rides)
Which area of Florida would I need to be flying to? Is this Orlando, and which airport would I need to fly to?
If anyone can give me some details/websites that would be marvellous! :)
Many thanks in advance!
I'm looking to go to Florida in September, and I was hoping to go to the area of Florida where all the adult theme parks are located, such as Bush Gardens and all those rides which are not really for children (Not really interested in DisneyWorld resorts, unless they have scary adult rides)
Which area of Florida would I need to be flying to? Is this Orlando, and which airport would I need to fly to?
If anyone can give me some details/websites that would be marvellous! :)
Many thanks in advance!
Answers
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Bush Gardens is a good two hours away from Orlando, it is in Tampa. The parks are fairly spaced out in Orlando, Universal is on International Drive, but Disney is near Kissimmee. Any area around Disney village or Crossroads or Kissimmee should be fine. You can fly into Orlando main airport with a schedule flight, but I think that the charters go to Greenway Airport (or a name like that). On the day you go to Bush Gardens, drive there, or spend a week in Clearwater and go there then.
There are no "adult" theme parks. The theme parks are very, family orientated.
Whithin each park there are rides that have height restrictions so in those terms could be classed as adult.
Busch Gardens are in Tampa, which is on the other side of the pan handle from Orlando, and is really a zoo with some rides.
Whithin each park there are rides that have height restrictions so in those terms could be classed as adult.
Busch Gardens are in Tampa, which is on the other side of the pan handle from Orlando, and is really a zoo with some rides.
PS If you do Disney, get a current guide book and read all about the FastPass system before you go. Map out a plan for each day you are there, and stick to it. Never get in a line that is longer than 45 minutes. It really requires a military-campaign level of planning, or you can pretty much waste an entire day standing in lines.
You really should buy a couple of guide books. They may only cost you £10 or so each, but they will save you much more, and probably help you have a far better time by following their advice.
There are two main companies in the Orlando area (just South of Orlando actually): Disney of course and Universal Studios.
Disney have 4 main parks and 2 large water parks.
Universal have 2 main parks.
Both companies also have hotels, night clubs, shopping areas and so on.
But there are also other parks in the area like Sea World, Wet and Wild and others, who are not owned by Disney or Universal.
(Universal do have a deal with Wet and Wild where you can buy a combined ticket for the Universal parks AND Wet and Wild).
All the parks have "adult" rides, even Sea World.
Note these parks are HUGE (easily spend 2 or 3 days in some) and they are a long way from each other. Note the complete Disney site alone is larger than Manchester.
So it does pay to spend time planning your visit. Which parks you want to go to, how, long you may want to spend in each park, how you are going to get around from park to park, what tickets you are going to buy (they are not cheap), in which area do you want to stay and so on.
Planning up front can make your holiday far better.
There are two main companies in the Orlando area (just South of Orlando actually): Disney of course and Universal Studios.
Disney have 4 main parks and 2 large water parks.
Universal have 2 main parks.
Both companies also have hotels, night clubs, shopping areas and so on.
But there are also other parks in the area like Sea World, Wet and Wild and others, who are not owned by Disney or Universal.
(Universal do have a deal with Wet and Wild where you can buy a combined ticket for the Universal parks AND Wet and Wild).
All the parks have "adult" rides, even Sea World.
Note these parks are HUGE (easily spend 2 or 3 days in some) and they are a long way from each other. Note the complete Disney site alone is larger than Manchester.
So it does pay to spend time planning your visit. Which parks you want to go to, how, long you may want to spend in each park, how you are going to get around from park to park, what tickets you are going to buy (they are not cheap), in which area do you want to stay and so on.
Planning up front can make your holiday far better.
I should add that I think there are so many parks in the Orlando area it is not worth driving or going all the way to Busch gardens.
While it is a good park, there is more than enough to keep you amused for two weeks in the main Orlando area.
Here is a map you may find useful.
The light blue "box" just left of centre is I guess the "centre" of the theme park area, around International Drive. There are many hotels here and many people stay on International Drive.
Universal Studios is at the top of International Drive.
The mauve area on the left is Walt Disney World, and look how huge it is. It has its own road network, and the parks and hotels are dotted all over the site.
The main "town" of Orlando is that fairly small pink area near the top. You can jist see the red world "Orlando" on it
I hope the map shows OK
http://orlandonewscen.../06/1308056058-31.jpg
While it is a good park, there is more than enough to keep you amused for two weeks in the main Orlando area.
Here is a map you may find useful.
The light blue "box" just left of centre is I guess the "centre" of the theme park area, around International Drive. There are many hotels here and many people stay on International Drive.
Universal Studios is at the top of International Drive.
The mauve area on the left is Walt Disney World, and look how huge it is. It has its own road network, and the parks and hotels are dotted all over the site.
The main "town" of Orlando is that fairly small pink area near the top. You can jist see the red world "Orlando" on it
I hope the map shows OK
http://orlandonewscen.../06/1308056058-31.jpg
As you are still looking at this topic I will add some more comments and suggestions.
You dont say how old you are, who will be going with you, and the ages of any people in your party, but some general things to think about:
You have a choice of booking an "all in" holiday with a company like Virgin where you get the flights, hotel, possible a hire car etc.
Or you can stay at one of the Disney hotels on the Disney complex. This has advantages as Disney provide buses to all the Disney parks, but it is not cheap to stay in the Disney hotels.
Or you can "do it yourself" and book the flights and accomodation yourself.
If you "do it yourself" decide if you want to stay in a hotel or in a house. Many many people rent out houses in Orlando so you can rent a house off them. Of course there are advantages and disadvanatages in staying in a house. For example houses are more isolated and not near shops and restaurants.
Decide if you want to hire a car or not. If you stay in a hotel they often provide buses to take you to the parks, but it is much much easier to have your own car. But that does cost extra but gives you lots more flexibility.
Think carefully about theme park tickets. Ticket prices for individual days are VERY expensive and both Disney and Universal offer tickets for longer periods (like a week or two weeks) that cost far less per day.
However these can still cost hundreds of dollars each so you may want to buy Disney tickets for one week and Universal tickets for the other week.
As I said these parks are huge, and you can do a lot of walking, so think carefully if you party includes children or older people.
You can also get "theme park burnout" if you go to a theme park every day so it is good to vary it, maybe a theme park one day, and a water park the next day and so on.
The queues can be very long for rides so try to get to the park early before the crowds get there, or stay there late after the crowds have gone. If you get there early go round the park ANTI clockwise as most people go round clockwise.
Take a rucksack and make sure you have plenty of liquid as it can get very hot.
Be prepared to spend a LOT of money. By the time you add up the cost of flights, hotel, hire car, theme park tickets, food and drink it can easily cost £2000 or more per person.
If you need any more help just ask.
Here is a good web site and book that may help you the "Brit guide to Orlando"
http://www.britguideorlando.net/
You dont say how old you are, who will be going with you, and the ages of any people in your party, but some general things to think about:
You have a choice of booking an "all in" holiday with a company like Virgin where you get the flights, hotel, possible a hire car etc.
Or you can stay at one of the Disney hotels on the Disney complex. This has advantages as Disney provide buses to all the Disney parks, but it is not cheap to stay in the Disney hotels.
Or you can "do it yourself" and book the flights and accomodation yourself.
If you "do it yourself" decide if you want to stay in a hotel or in a house. Many many people rent out houses in Orlando so you can rent a house off them. Of course there are advantages and disadvanatages in staying in a house. For example houses are more isolated and not near shops and restaurants.
Decide if you want to hire a car or not. If you stay in a hotel they often provide buses to take you to the parks, but it is much much easier to have your own car. But that does cost extra but gives you lots more flexibility.
Think carefully about theme park tickets. Ticket prices for individual days are VERY expensive and both Disney and Universal offer tickets for longer periods (like a week or two weeks) that cost far less per day.
However these can still cost hundreds of dollars each so you may want to buy Disney tickets for one week and Universal tickets for the other week.
As I said these parks are huge, and you can do a lot of walking, so think carefully if you party includes children or older people.
You can also get "theme park burnout" if you go to a theme park every day so it is good to vary it, maybe a theme park one day, and a water park the next day and so on.
The queues can be very long for rides so try to get to the park early before the crowds get there, or stay there late after the crowds have gone. If you get there early go round the park ANTI clockwise as most people go round clockwise.
Take a rucksack and make sure you have plenty of liquid as it can get very hot.
Be prepared to spend a LOT of money. By the time you add up the cost of flights, hotel, hire car, theme park tickets, food and drink it can easily cost £2000 or more per person.
If you need any more help just ask.
Here is a good web site and book that may help you the "Brit guide to Orlando"
http://www.britguideorlando.net/
Hi
I would also add in, that if you are an adult only couple going, you can usually get a really good deal for a flight / accomodation package last minute - 2 years ago we paid £ 349 for 2 weeks in June - the motel room was low budget but perfectly ok since we were never in the room, but there was a really nice pool and it was right on International Drive. The low budget room gave us more money to spend on all of the attractions.
We did go to Busch Gardens and I thought it was great but it is a couplf of hours drive - however we saw this as a nice chance to excape the Orlando madness and see some more of the area.
As others have said, you definitely won't want to do a park every day otherwise you will be exhausted, and skint !
I would also add in, that if you are an adult only couple going, you can usually get a really good deal for a flight / accomodation package last minute - 2 years ago we paid £ 349 for 2 weeks in June - the motel room was low budget but perfectly ok since we were never in the room, but there was a really nice pool and it was right on International Drive. The low budget room gave us more money to spend on all of the attractions.
We did go to Busch Gardens and I thought it was great but it is a couplf of hours drive - however we saw this as a nice chance to excape the Orlando madness and see some more of the area.
As others have said, you definitely won't want to do a park every day otherwise you will be exhausted, and skint !
I would advise anyone thinking of taking in the whole Orlando experince to go for it ( dont be put off by the thought that it is all for kids ) it most certainly isn't .
Plan your visit to the parks with millitary precision - the parks are huge and there is so much to see and do within them .
The first time we went we thought that we had seen and done everything - it was only when we returned that we realised that we had only seen and done half of what there is .
Plan your visit to the parks with millitary precision - the parks are huge and there is so much to see and do within them .
The first time we went we thought that we had seen and done everything - it was only when we returned that we realised that we had only seen and done half of what there is .
Disney in Florida is my most favourite place in the world and I'm 34! lol I go every few years. I cant add much more to what everyone has said, except as you are going in September which is off-peak you shouldnt expect much queue time. We went to Disney in California in November last year, the queues went really quickly. Enjoy it, do NOT miss out DisneyWorld....you wont regret it and you become a big kid yourself!
// Disney in Florida is my most favourite place in the world and I'm 34! //
People often ask what is so special about Disney World .
It is difficult to describe , isn't it - it is the whole atmosphere of the place , which untill you have been there , one cant really appreciate .
I'm not being paid by Disney - honest - but noone in my opinion who is in that line of business , does it like the way disney do .
I'm just waiting for that lottery win , so I can relocate to Florida
People often ask what is so special about Disney World .
It is difficult to describe , isn't it - it is the whole atmosphere of the place , which untill you have been there , one cant really appreciate .
I'm not being paid by Disney - honest - but noone in my opinion who is in that line of business , does it like the way disney do .
I'm just waiting for that lottery win , so I can relocate to Florida
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