Disney Virgins

[Macmaster]

Hello All,
I am taking my family to Florida for first time, wife and two girls aged 5 and 9, We are not into the thrill rides and would not go to alton towers and the like over here because we simply would'nt be going on any of the rides, My question is what can we afford to miss out given this information, we only have two weeks and don't want to waste time and money walking round a park that doesn't cater for our needs.
Any advice gratefully received.:blush:

[bevc]

When we went to Disney for the first time, it was at DH's insistance. I hate places like Alton Towers and thrill rides held no interest for me at all. I went to Florida quite convinced that I would hate it actually. That was fifteen years ago and we have been every year since - does that answer your question??

Bev C

[sammimac]

:wavey: hi there
all of the disney parks have something for everyone when we first went DD was 4 and she just loved it they can go in mickey and minnies houses at magic kingdom,thypoon lagoon has a man made beach,animal kingdom has a lot of shows,as does mgm and a honey i shrunk the kids playground,epcot is really cool as they get to see al the different buildings from around the world

trust me they will love and seeing all the parades and charactors around the parks definatly take them to see fantasmic its a cant miss :grin:

hope this helps also go to allearsnet.com they have lots of planning tips and parades times and dates

[Diane]

Hi, welcome to the Dibb :wavey:

Pretty much all of the Disney Parks have plenty to cater for the non-thrill seeker, you will find plenty to occupy you even if you don't like coasters.

There are many more thrill rides at the Universal parks in my opinion.

You will have a wonderful time and may find that you are even tempted to try out some of the 'tamer' coasters at WDW, I'm not a huge coaster fan but even I manage some of the rides like Big Thunder Mountain and Test Track etc.

Feel free to ask questions about individual rides to see if you or your family might like to try them out...or by using the search facility you will find lots of information about particular attractions.

Have fun!

Diane x

[RuddClan]

There is much more than rides, imagine the look on their faces when they see MK's castle for teh first time or start having pictures taken with the characters or the princesses

[Macmaster]

Bev,
:) Yes and No, We are on a very tight budget and don't want to miss too much we also don't want to spend everyday at the parks, whats the best ticket combination in your experience.

[loadsapixiedust]

:wave:Welcome to the Dibb!

You and your family are in for such a treat! There is something in all the parks for everyone. Apart from the thrill rides there are tamer rides, lots of shows, parades, fireworks and the character meet & greets. Sometines it is great to just walk around and take in all the sights and sounds.

All the Disney parks will have plenty to interest you. Don't forget the water parks. There is a video on this site (http://www.cosmos.co.uk/florida/) which shows you a selection of the rides and attractions.

Seaworld is a great park to start off with, only 2 big rides so you won't feel you are missing much if you choose not to do them, and lots of shows and walk through attractions.

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure both have more big thrill rides but also tamer attractions and some specifically for younger kids. There are also shows and characters there.

If you were to miss out any parks on your first visit I would suggest you concentrate on Disney with a day at Seaworld and miss the Universal parks. It is impossible to see and do everything as there is so much and once you experience it all for yourselves, you will want to go back again.

As far as tickets go Disney are offering a 14 day ticket on their website for the price of a 7 day one just now, this would give you the ultimate flexibility to come and go as you please. You might find whole days in the parks are too much, it is nice to be able to just spend a few hours then go off and relax or just spend the evening watching the parade and fireworks.

Happy planning!

[Nikki'Andrew]

We have 2 kids about the same age and one is not a thrill ride fan and one was to small for most of the thrill rides. My advice is definately do Magic Kingdom, MGM,Animal kingdom, Sea World and i also think that Epcot and Universal will be good for you.I would avoid Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens .The water parks will be brilliant fun as well. I hope this helps ,if there is anything else just ask:cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

[Macmaster]

All,
Thanks for the amazing reponses, Nikki interesting that you say avoid Busch Gardens?? It would seem from the posts that there is indeed something for everyone, a suppose what I was really asking was which parks are mostly just rides so we can avoid them, Is this what you were hinting at regarding Busch gardens Nikki?

[Nikki'Andrew]

If you are on a tight budget I would definatley go for the 14 day disney pass which allows you to go to all the parks and water parks and Disney quest every day.This will be the best value and it means that you can visit parks every day when you want, so you may choose to go for a full day of half day or go to a park in the morning and water park in the after noon. you will need rest days in between.I would highly reccomend Seaworld though as this is totally different to the Disney parks :cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

[Nikki'Andrew]

You may want to consider Bush Garden but there are a lot of roller coasters ,but there is probaly a bit more to do there than just roller coasters,maybe have a look on there website and check out what is available :cool2: :cool2: :cool2:

[JudyC]

If you were to miss out any parks on your first visit I would suggest you concentrate on Disney with a day at Seaworld and miss the Universal parks. It is impossible to see and do everything as there is so much and once you experience it all for yourselves, you will want to go back again.

We did this on our first trip to WDW when our kids were younger. Unless your 9 year old really wants to do bigger coasters I think this is the best tactic for a first time. The ultimate tickets are great for flexibility and they includes both water parks and Disney Quest which are not to be missed.:)

[Big_Mark]

Hi and welcome,

The Disney parks have so much more than thrill rides, the parades, shows, characters etc

Please don't miss any of the parades and definitely the firework shows, Wishes, Fantasmic and Illuminations with Spectro magic parade, you will not believe these when you see them for the first time or second time ........

Seaworld is a fantastic park, very laid back and suited so that its not rushing about from show to show, they stagger the shows so that you can't go from one show to the next.

The Disney water parks are fantastic too.

Where are you staying? This may help in answers.

For 2 weeks I would go for a 14 day Ultimate ticket. This wil give you the chance to park hop. And a 1 day Seaworld ticket. I think you can buy a one day ticket and get seven free at the moment.
http://www.themepark-tickets.com/florida/index.asp#parks-12

[Macmaster]

Mark,
We are staying in a villa in Davenport 5mins off the i4 apparently!, though it means nowt to me at the moment!, doesn't look too far from the parks on google earth ;-)

[Big_Mark]

Never stayed in a Villa, yet.

But at least your not relying on the free shutle buses from the local hotels because these can leave the parks before the firework shows.

With a short drive back to the villa you could always pop back in the afternoon if the kids get tired and head back in the evening for the fireworks.

[JudyC]

Have a look at the Dibb villa map, this might help http://www.thedibb.co.uk/villa/map.htm

[Big_Mark]

With your girls ages it would be great to book some character meals in the Disney parks.
YOU CAN BOOK THESE 180 DAYS BEFORE YOU GO.


Crystal Palace in MK is very good with Pooh and friends. Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary resort, short walk from MK or ride the monrail, for breakfast with Mickey, goofy, chip n dale.

I don't know much about the princesses ones as I have 2 teenage boys and I don't think they would appreciate this unless it was date. LOL

[Jay66UK]

Hiya Macmaster. Not only have you picked a great place to holiday, but you've also come to the right place for your questions.

Just wanted to add a couple of things to that already said.

Firstly, get hold of the 2006 Passporter from amazon.co.uk - it will help you work out what you want to see and do on-site at Disney. It's relatively cheap and contains loads of information in a clear way.

Secondly, echoing what others have said, all four of the Disney parks are varied and have loads of attractions that will appeal to you as "non-thrill riders". My family is the same. But we have gone twice for 14 days and stayed within Disney and never yet got bored...and we plan to go back many more times.

The Disney parks each have very few thrill rides. Magic Kingdom has the "Mountains" (Space, Splash and Big Thunder) and Goofy's Barnstormer, Epcot has Test Track & Mission Space, MGM has Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror, Animal Kingdom has Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. The whole rest of all four parks is shows, 3D movies, more gentle rides, and "attractions" to look at.

There are also lots of themed areas in the resort hotels. And the waterparks are great for lazing and swimming, without the need to participate in the swimwear-removing thrill bits.

I can't comment on the other parks as we have so far stuck to Disney. But there is just so much to see and do - we've barely scratched the surface. Our trippy from last time shows what a fortnight can be like with no thrill rides (though we did Test Track and I did Mission Space).

Oh, and don't miss Soarin'. Make it your first stop at Epcot (or the queue is huge). It is NOT a thrill ride, and is unmissable imo.

[Claddagh]

Mark,
We are staying in a villa in Davenport 5mins off the i4 apparently!, though it means nowt to me at the moment!, doesn't look too far from the parks on google earth ;-)

We stayed in a villa here in 2004 and will be doing so again this year. It is in a really great position for everything. You will enjoy it I'm sure.

:wave: