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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

Did anyone else find it too much going to the Orlando parks?

95 replies

Gezzagirl · 29/07/2017 23:20

I do like theme parks but not as much as my kids and dp. I'm finding 12 hours at a park way too much for me, but everyone seems to love it, am I the only one flagging!!?

OP posts:

Hulababy · 03/08/2017 22:43

If you watch Blackfish also make sure you watch/read some stuff from the other sides too for balance. Blackfish only gives one, and now slightly outdated, viewpoint.

We never actually do sea world anymore - not been since mid 2000s. But I do think that some people only look at that one source and nothing more, and def nothing more recent.

We now only do the parks for a week at a time - 6 full days of Disney and Universal. And not been in the summer for years either.
I think if we ever did the summer these days we'd do a week there and then move down the coast for a week.

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 03/08/2017 22:49

The kids loved seaworld so much we're going back! Yeh and had a few days off so managed to recover from my cold . Thanks for all your help and suggestions

OP posts:

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 03/08/2017 22:56

And 2014 you just seem so aggressive about everything anyway

OP posts:

Rockhopper81 · 03/08/2017 23:00

Gezzagirl - I'm glad you're recovered and are now enjoying yourself!

As to the whole Sea World thing - the OP wasn't looking for opinions on the ethics of visiting the park, so the aggressive viewpoints are a little unnecessary (although I appreciate people's passion about it).

Unihorn · 03/08/2017 23:05

We paid for the VIP experience one year which gets you front of the line access to your chosen rides, priority seating at shows, animal encounters and a meal. It was only about $100 at the time so by far the cheapest of all other parks' equivalents and well worth it. I see it is now double the cost however! SeaWorld definitely has some of the best rides but just not the same feel as the other parks I don't think.

And if anyone is really interested, the production of Blackfish was definitely not above board. I'm not excusing the containment of animals, but that film is just bullshit micechat.com/53915-blackfish-exposed/

ColossalKalamari · 03/08/2017 23:18

When I didn't know any better I went behi d the scenes on a tour and saw the size of the tanks the orcas are kept in. I can't bring myself to watch black fish but I assume the evidence of my own eyes is enough to say their orca facilities are so far from adequate I can't see how anyone can defend it

SleightOfHand · 04/08/2017 03:10

I've not seen the Blackfish film but common sense tells you the tanks could never be big enough. I don't think most people appreciate the area size the whales need. Surely now most people aren't for animals circus, elephants etc, why is a whale circus acceptable these days. We're so disconnected from animals and the natural world, very sad.

2014newme · 04/08/2017 09:08

When these whales die, seaworld aren't allowed to get any more. It's migrating to being a rides based theme park with an aquarium. It's a commercial decision. The number of people who want to see sea animals kept in confined conditions for entertainment is declining massively. That said there is a beluga whale at epcot

2014newme · 04/08/2017 09:08

Couldn't give a flying fuck if you think that's aggressive

juneau · 04/08/2017 09:53

Re: Blackfish - so that trainer felt that the production team misled her as to what kind of film it was that they were making - that doesn't make the content of the film untrue. I've watched Blackfish twice and I'm struggling to see how any of it was untrue. The whales are kept in tiny tanks, this makes them aggressive and frustrated, there have been several incidents where trainers (and one homeless man), met their deaths or were badly injured by captive whales, SeaWorld has since stopped its captive breeding programme, etc. I wouldn't visit SeaWorld if you paid me. Orcas are wild animals used to roaming thousands of miles of the Pacific ocean - of course they're going to be damaged by being kept in what are just large swimming pools for their whole lives. It's hardly rocket science.

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 04/08/2017 15:03

Well another exhausting day yesterday at a Disney park, we all were though the intense heat didn't help so we're spending a day round the pool today, well I am anyway! But the best bit for me is coming up, we're driving up to tampa we're doing bush gardens for a day and then we're staying in a hotel for 2 nights by crystal water beach can't wait. Dp knows I struggled so has arranged it, I can't wait 😊

OP posts:

SleightOfHand · 04/08/2017 15:14

This is a petition to free the Disney dolphins if anyone is interested.

www.freethedisneydolphins.org/

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 04/08/2017 15:23

Anyone been to bush gardens?

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Hulababy · 04/08/2017 16:15

Gezza- we were at Busch Gardens for a couple of days earlier this week. Although we've been to Orlando many times this was our first visit to BG.

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 04/08/2017 16:53

Did u enjoy it?

OP posts:

Hulababy · 04/08/2017 17:06

Yes we did but we are seasoned theme park goers and do love the Disney and universal parks too, and so long days when there.

It's a little like a cross with Alton Towers (re rides) and Animal Kingdom.

We only really did the roller coaster type rides, none of the spinny/drop ones nor the children's rides. We are coaster fans here and Dd is 15y. Though we did go on the bumber cars :) we also watched the animal actors show and the do wop show over lunch.

We did the 30 min up close tour on the Serengeti safari and fed giraffes. And we went round all the animals too as one day I took my big camera for that purpose.

There are no free lockers near rides like at universal. Instead you can pay $5 dollars for the day but can take things in and out of any locker area.

Our first day started very wet - we bought ponchos. This meant it was empty and there were no queues anywhere at all. Even when the weather dried up and got sunny in the afternoon the crowds stayed away. Next day started sunny and it was a lot busier - queues still not bad though.

It doesn't have the theming of the Disney and Universal parks but it has some great coasters.

Park opens at 10am and closes at 9pm until Aug 6. Earlier after that I think.

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 04/08/2017 17:26

Yeh we're coaster fans too, I can't do spinning things either, right I better chill a bit more so ready for tomorrow as still feeling shattered after yesterday 😴. Thanks for the info, didn't realise there were animals there.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 04/08/2017 21:05

Yes, lots of animals. The train is nice to just sit and relax in in some shade - goes right round the park including the savannah type part which is lovely.

Original poster

Gezzagirl · 05/08/2017 18:58

Yep lovely park, again a lot of animals so I'll probs get abuse for going here, but it's more chilled here compared to universal and Disney but boiling hot again! The rollercoasters are awesome !

OP posts:

Hulababy · 05/08/2017 21:43

Glad you enjoyed it. Tbf the savannah part is very big and it overcrowded from what I could see. And the other animals had bigger areas to and not just the areas you can physically see.

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