question about theme parks (Tampa, Orlando: apartment, work, home)

[jessizadorable]

I will be moving into my newly-acquired apartment in Orlando in a couple of weeks and I was just wondering something. (I'll be living at Villa Tuscany near lake Sherwood if anyone has any info about them...they seemed very nice and not in a bad area when I visited).

Orlando has lots of theme parks and "touristy" stuff to do. Being a girl from the small-town midwest, I am actually excited about the ability to be a tourist whenever I wish. I was wondering, do people who actually live in Orlando ever take advantage of the theme parks, etc? I was just wondering. i've been a disney fan as long as I can remember and I am just excited about the ability to spend an afternoon at WDW or a day some weekend at Universal. Is this odd? Also, do the theme parks still offer "florida resident" discounts? Are they really a good discount or just a couple of dollars?

Just wondering. Oh, and any other advice about Orlando is good too. I appreciate it all.

Thanks y'all for any help you can give me. I'm so new to this area that I can't even believe I'm moving here.

[Moo Du Kwan]

I used to live in Hunter's Creek and I can tell you that (being a Disney/theme park fanatic myself) we practically LIVED at the parks. A lot of people said that the novelty will eventually wear thin.......Not even close. Then, of course, with family, friends and newjacks coming to visit, it's alwayf fun to take them to the parks as well. We had a two year annual pass to Universal, Seaworld and premium annual pass to WDW. Good times!
The passes EASILY paid for themselves in a matter of weeks!
And yes, the Florida residency offers significant savings.
Hunter's Creek was so centrally located, it was nothing to hop in the car after work and go ride Tower of Terror, Kraken or The Mummy!
Can't stress this enough....Get annual passes!!

Having said all that.....Don't sleep on places like Clearwater, Silver Springs and the state parks. Those places can be almost as cool as the theme parks.

As soon as wifey takes the bar a month from now....We're SO gone from Boston, headed right back to Hunter's Creek.

Anyway....Good luck!

[Ruslan124]

Originally Posted by jessizadorable

I will be moving into my newly-acquired apartment in Orlando in a couple of weeks and I was just wondering something. (I'll be living at Villa Tuscany near lake Sherwood if anyone has any info about them...they seemed very nice and not in a bad area when I visited).

Orlando has lots of theme parks and "touristy" stuff to do. Being a girl from the small-town midwest, I am actually excited about the ability to be a tourist whenever I wish. I was wondering, do people who actually live in Orlando ever take advantage of the theme parks, etc? I was just wondering. i've been a disney fan as long as I can remember and I am just excited about the ability to spend an afternoon at WDW or a day some weekend at Universal. Is this odd? Also, do the theme parks still offer "florida resident" discounts? Are they really a good discount or just a couple of dollars?

Just wondering. Oh, and any other advice about Orlando is good too. I appreciate it all.

Thanks y'all for any help you can give me. I'm so new to this area that I can't even believe I'm moving here.

Most parks still offer resident discounts.
My experience is that now I live here, I very rarely go to the theme parks but that is because I have been to them all at least once before. If you have never been, you must do the rounds. Be careful not to buy annual passes unless you really believe you are going to make use of them..

[Lisa_from_Debary]

My daughter and I have had premium annual passes to Disney for years now, they include the 4 main parks, Animal Kingdom, The Magic Kingdom, MGM and Epcot as well as the 2 water parks.

My daughter and I like to spend the day at a water park and the head over for dinner and the evening to another park depending on what is going on where.

Its a very convenient way to go and they give a DEEP discount to Florida residents. There are some other benefits but they differ from year to year. I believe you still get 10% off at one of the stores in Downtown Disney as well.

This year we are going to get some passes to Universal, we have never been and want to try that out as well.

[Moo Du Kwan]

"This year we are going to get some passes to Universal, we have never been and want to try that out as well."

You won't be sorry.

[blueoktober]

I got tired of the parks after about 5 years but I still have passes to them all. The best is having a pass to go to Epcot anytime I want so I can eat at the pavilions.

Universal is great if only for Mardi Gras in the Spring and Grinchmas at Christmas.

Seaworld is nice for the concerts and the Budweiser BBQ festival.

Heck I even have a Cypress Gardens pass for their concerts too! And don't forget about the Strawberry Festival in Tampa during the winter months... So much to do here it's insane.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by Moo Du Kwan

"This year we are going to get some passes to Universal, we have never been and want to try that out as well."

You won't be sorry.

My daughter loves roller coasters so I know she will love that.

I didn't know SeaWorld had a barbeque festival, maybe we need to go down and get a pass so we can enjoy that as well.

I don't think we will renew the full passes for Disney, just the waterparks for the summer...I love going there and basking in the sun all day.

[blueoktober]

Seaworld has a special where you buy a full day ticket and you can come back for the rest of the year for free! I love the waterparks but all my friends are boring and won't go. I'd go every day if I could.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by blueoktober

Seaworld has a special where you buy a full day ticket and you can come back for the rest of the year for free! I love the waterparks but all my friends are boring and won't go. I'd go every day if I could.

I had heard about the Seaworld deal but isn't that only part of the year??

I know what you mean about the waterparks, my daughter and I love to go. I casually dated a guy once, he wouldn't go, I dropped him. He wouldn't go to the beach, he wouldn't get in the pool, he certainly wouldn't go to the waterparks...clearly NOT the person to hang with me...I was a FISH in a previous life.

[RobinRS]

I had annual passes to all the parks when I lived in Orlando 2001 to the end of 2002. They are fantastic!! It's so nice because you can drive over to any park, (parking is included in the annual tickets) spend an hour or two, leave, go home or go to TYPHOON LAGOON..sorry, that was my favorite place, and not worry about rushing or time limits. Dang, I loved it. I wasn't working for several months and I never seemed to tire of walking through Animal Kingdom and walking right out. heh Going over to The Magic Kingdom and riding the monorail a couple times, maybe the train, definitely had to hit Big Thunder Mountain Railroad...then going home. I lived right off Lake Buena Vista and I4 and I honestly thought I was in heaven.

And now there is going to be a Harry Potter Park at Universal??? Oh please let me last until 2009. :

Seriously, at least get annual passes the first year and see how much you use them. You can not go wrong.