a Q& A by Megz OLena (Travel Agent & Theme Park Blog Editor)
What is the difference between an amusement park and a theme park?
What is the difference between an amusement park and a theme park? The biggest difference between an Amusement Park and a Theme Park are the immersive elements.
Six Flags, Lake Compounce, Cedar Point are all amusement parks, while Walt Disney World and Universal Studios are Theme Parks.
For more specific examples:
-In Walt Disney World, in Toy Story Land (Hollywood Studios) you are a toy in Andy’s back yard.
-At Galaxy’s Edge/The Black Spire Outpost: you are an interactive Star Wars land, unlike anything else on planet earth!
-In Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure) and Diagon Alley (Universal Studios Orlando): you are immersed in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (JK Rowling is a TERF).
-In Disneyland’s California Adventure: Cars Land is an imersive step into Radiator Springs on Rt 66, with Lightning McQueen and all of his pals.
What is the cheapest day to visit Walt Disney World?
What is the cheapest day to visit Walt Disney World?
There are two times of year that typically cost the LEAST to travel. The last week of August to the second week of October are consistently less expensive than the rest of the year, especially if you tend to stay on Disney property.
The 2nd week in January to the 2nd week in February are the other least expensive time to travel. These lower-cost times are conveniently timed with the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, and the EPCOT Festival of the Arts (affectionately, FARTS), respectively.
The best way to narrow down the exact lowest cost times for your family’s needs is to look 6-9 months in advance with a Travel Agent who specializes in amusement park travel.
There are huge benefits to traveling during these times of year. Working with a Travel Agent who specializes in theme parks also comes with unique benefits and also at no cost to you!
What is the cheapest day to visit Universal Studios Orlando?
What is the cheapest day to visit Universal Studios Orlando?
Universal has SOME seasonal discounts to keep an eye out for; while there is some dynamic pricing, there are also some pretty specific ways to save a lot or max out your budget at Universal depending on what your travel’s goals are.
My FAVORITE low cost week to visit Universal is the first week in December, (typically Grinchmas has started by then,) and usually during that first week there’s a free Mannheim Steamroller concert at Universal Studios.
Universal Studios Orlando also has lower cost times in September (after Labor Day) and Mid-January through Mid-February (aka Aquarius Season). There are REALLY awesome benefits to booking your Universal park tickets with a Travel Agent, like early park entry at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.
Is Disney busy today?
Is Disney busy today? Probably!
No, but for real, there ARE crowd calendars that you can find online. We don’t presently have a crowd calendar set up, but usually a quick internet search will bring you to one!
How can I get cheap or discounted tickets?
How can I get cheap or discounted tickets? This is an EXCELLENT question!
There are a variety of ways to get lower cost tickets.
In the case of both Disney and Universal, the longer you stay, the less expensive each day of your trip costs. Park tickets with more days and hotel packages with more days are always less expensive as a result.
Disney releases discounted tickets several times a year on their website, and these can be obtained through a Travel Agent if you’d like to support a small business!
Memberships to AAA or Costco can gain you access to discounted entry, as well as becoming a travel agent with a CLIA card.
To find out the best value for tickets on a given day, reach out to Megz, or another Travel Agent specializing in Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando!
Pro Tip: Maxing out a standard hotel room by bringing 4 people per standard room will lower the cost of the trip per person.
What are the best rides for my Risk Adverse Son/Daughter/Spouse/Friend at Walt Disney World?
According to Jr Reporter Harper:
“Slinky Dog Dash to try a roller coaster or Mickey’s Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios”
According to Jr. Reporter Ned:
“Take them to see Fantasmic, it’s a show, but it’s better than ALL of the rides. The visuals are cool, it’s very very nice.”
According to Megz: There are a ton of attractions that are fun without being thrilling. Mickey’s Philharmagic, Jungle Cruise, People Mover (though Ned will tell you that it moves people much too quickly), Spaceship Earth, Journey into the Imagination with Figment, Kilimanjaro Safari, N’avi River Journey. Check out our full article: Top Family-Friendly Rides at Disney World
What are the best rides for my Risk Adverse Son/Daughter/Spouse/Friend at Universal Studios Orlando?
The first rides that come to mind are most of Seuss Landing, Flight of the Hipogriff (if they’re ready to try a small coaster), ET, and most of Dreamworks Land, but, I have a full length in-depth article that addresses this one:
Check out our full article: Top 10 best Universal Studios Orlando Family-Friendly rides
What are the best rides for my Thrill Seeker at Walt Disney World in Florida?
Easy Answer: Guardians of the Galaxy
According to Jr Reporter Harper: Guardians of the Galaxy
According to Contributor Brian Spinetti: “Go back in time and ride on Alien Encounter (before Stitch ruined it.). ” He also stated, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, it’s a really good coaster.”
What are the best rides for my Thrill Seeker at Universal Studios Orlando?
This one feels relatively easy too: Velocicoaster, Stardust Racers, Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Battle at the Minstry, Monsters Unchained, Revenge of the Mummy
What are the best rides for Families at Walt Disney World in Florida?
Check out our full article: Top Family-Friendly Rides at Disney World
What are the best rides for Families at Universal Studios Orlando?
Check out our full article: Top 10 best Universal Studios Orlando Family-Friendly rides
Are theme park rides safe?
As with many things in life, safety is not guarunteed anywhere, and your milage may vary. With that being said, theme park rides are tested on a regular basis, and maintained on a regular schedule. Theme park rides are generally very safe, with a serious injury rate of approximately 1 in 15.5 million rides at fixed-site amusement parks in the US.
Rides are designed, tested, and inspected using rigorous standards to ensure safety, including computer simulations and sensor-loaded testing before opening.
Daily inspections for damage or malfunction are standard before opening to the public.
The risk of a fatal injury is exceptionally low, with a reported rate of 1 in 6 million, making it far safer than driving to the park.
Can you bring your own food into the park?
Disney and Universal both allow outside food to be brought in, though neither of them allows glass containers to come in.
If you’re using a VOSS [glass] water bottle purchased in EPCOT, you’ll not get it back through security into EPCOT.
Bringing in water bottles and snacks can be an excellent way to save on food during the day.
Something worth noting is that food at other amusement parks is often more expensive, lower quality, and those spots (*cough six flags cough*) don’t like folks to bring in their own.
What should I wear to a theme park?
Comfortable, cool, weather appropriate clothes will be your best bet. High quality walking shoes can make or break a theme park vacation; if your feet are covered in blisters it’s MUCH harder to walk 12 miles a day.