Cry for help from Norway :)

[Hedvig]

Hi
We are a small family from Oslo, Norway planning our third stay in Orlando, this time no Disney (DD 11 yrs says OK) so mostly SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove (and shopping, lots and lots and lots of shopping )
BUT the more I check the more confused I get…

This is our plan: We go to Orlando in June, plan to stay for 1 week and want to do the following:
• Stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites at SeaWorld for the entire stay – it seems like a nice hotel, ok price and close to SeaWorld.
• One day in Discovery Cove
• Visit SeaWorld
• One day in Aquatica

And this is where my confusion begins…

SeaWorld does NOT offer a package that combines hotels stay and Discovery Cove, and Fairfield Inn does not have a package that includes Discovery Cove You have to buy two separate packages and get double tickets…
I’ve even called SW to check, and they had no good answers for me (I talked to 2 different representatives)

My solution so far is to buy Discovery Cove tickets with the extra park upgrade (even though we’re not going to Bush Gardens) and just a regular hotel package, but then we miss out on the “extras” the hotel offer includes: Fasttrack, discounts and a toy, SW offer free dining+++. Since riding roller coasters is mostly DH thing, he goes alone and therefore doesn’t have to stand in line “forever”.

I guess that my question really is, has anybody found a really great solution for this, or are the “extras” not worth it?

Greeting from a cold, icy and dark Oslo

 

[JLR]

Hi
We are a small family from Oslo, Norway planning our third stay in Orlando, this time no Disney (DD 11 yrs says OK) so mostly SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove (and shopping, lots and lots and lots of shopping )
BUT the more I check the more confused I get…

This is our plan: We go to Orlando in June, plan to stay for 1 week and want to do the following:
• Stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites at SeaWorld for the entire stay – it seems like a nice hotel, ok price and close to SeaWorld.
• One day in Discovery Cove
• Visit SeaWorld
• One day in Aquatica

And this is where my confusion begins…

SeaWorld does NOT offer a package that combines hotels stay and Discovery Cove, and Fairfield Inn does not have a package that includes Discovery Cove You have to buy two separate packages and get double tickets…
I’ve even called SW to check, and they had no good answers for me (I talked to 2 different representatives)

My solution so far is to buy Discovery Cove tickets with the extra park upgrade (even though we’re not going to Bush Gardens) and just a regular hotel package, but then we miss out on the “extras” the hotel offer includes: Fasttrack, discounts and a toy, SW offer free dining+++. Since riding roller coasters is mostly DH thing, he goes alone and therefore doesn’t have to stand in line “forever”.

I guess that my question really is, has anybody found a really great solution for this, or are the “extras” not worth it?

Greeting from a cold, icy and dark Oslo

Velkommen til Disboards! (I was an exchange student in Esbjerg, Denmark during my youth).

I think you have the right plan.

The all-day dining if I recall correctly costs about $45 per person, you can purchase it at the park, but make sure it lets you eat what you want. I don't think it allows you to eat at the table service restaurant or get you into the luau if you want to see that.

You can buy the upgrade to the DC tickets which will allow you to go to aquatica. If your husband will ride the coasters alone, you have 2 choices at SeaWorld: he can purchase the front of the line pass just for himself instead of for the whole party (I think it is $50 ish?). Or he can ride them the first thing - he could ride them with minimal wait in the first hour the park is open. Sea world only has 4: Manta (unique and not to be missed), Kraken (fun), Journey to Atlantis (a flume ride), and Wild Arctic (kind of like disney's Star Tours). (Your dd might like Journey to Atlantis and Wild Arctic - my dd loved everything!) If your husband loves coasters, you may want to go to Busch Gardens for one day - you could see the attractions and he could ride the coasters. You can take a shuttle there and back.

I hope this helps!

 

[happymommy]

Often times, when I price out the Marriott brand hotel packages that include the theme park tickets, they are basically the same amount of money I'd spend if I bought the tickets myself and booked the hotel room myself. So I don't know what the Fairfield Inn's prices are, but that's been my experience.

It sounds like you may be best doing what you're planning: booking DC and upgrading your tickets.

We're also going soon - and buying a ticket from Sesame Place (a little children oriented theme park in nearby Pennsylvania) which includes Busch Gardens, Sea World, and Aquatica (and we'll get a discount on DC). We are thinking about going to Busch Gardens in Tampa for a day, as we've never been (I did as a teenager, but barely remember it). It's only an hour away - and with your tickets you can take the shuttle bus for free, as the PP said.

For us, the Super Grover ticket is good, since we live only 3 hours drive from Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I am wanting to go there this summer, and the ticket is good for this year for all the parks.

One idea: maybe your DH and DD might want to see Busch Gardens, and you could do the shopping for a day? I don't know, if she's like my DD, who hates to shop, or like most girls who love to!

I looked into the meal plan for SW, but we plan on eating breakfast in our condo, a lunch only there, and dinner nearby (we enjoyed the Outback Steakhouse which is close and has very reasonable prices). So for us it's not worth it to pay for more than one meal at SW.

At the Fairfield Inn, you'll be getting breakfast included, so that's covered!

I hope you have a nice trip! I am also tired of the cold, but we don't get it as cold as I think you do. Sun and warmth will be nice!