New Go Orlando card

[SimonV]

Here's a curiosity from today's Orlando Sentinel. The Go Card series (originating in Boston, I think) has been brought to Orlando for many of the smaller attractions (Kennedy Space Center, Cypress Gardens, Water Mania, Gatorland, Ripley's, Arabian Nights, Pirates, WonderWorks, Titanic, various mini-golf course, Winter Park Scenic Boats, Morse Museum and many more).

The Card allows you 'Free admission' (their phraseology, not mine - and not one I like very much) to these attractions if you purchase a 2, 3, 5 or 7-day Card, which is then valid for 14 days until used up. Now, the price of a 5-day Card for adults (13 plus) is $219 (plus tax and shipping) and try as I might, I am struggling to fit in 5 days' of the smaller attractions that add up to $219. Would anyone else like to take a look and tell me if they think this is good value or not (irrespective of the fact that it's hard to see people devoting 7 or even 5 days of a 2-week holiday purely to doing these smaller attractions)............?

Here's the website:

http://www.goorlandocard.com/whatis.html

 

[wicket2005]

The main 3 attractions that jump out are Watermania, the Space Centre and Gatorland. For a family of 4 to visit these attractions it would roughly cost £188. The actual Go Orlando ticket is about £338 which when you take the 3 main attractions out it leaves you with about £150 for the smaller attractions. Playing mini golf each night for 5 nights would cost about £85. A trip to Wonderworks would cost £32. This would leave you with about £33 which is probably already used up in tax and the fact that I have only been halving the dollar price to find the £ price.

Realistically it would probably be better just to pay for the smaller attractions as and when you want to use them. A lot of the attractions on the ticket are not what the vast majority will be going for. However, if that is all you intend doing for five days it probably is good value for money but in the real world it just isn't because people will be going to Disney/Universal/Sea World and just filling in with an odd small attraction or two.

The best value tickets are the Ultimate for Disney and the Flexticket for Universal/Sea/Busch/Wet/IOA which apart from being excellent value for money also offer the best quality of entertainment too. The attractions on this ticket, barring the Space Centre, are in Division 1 as opposed to the Premier League for the top parks.

 

[Miffy2003]

Simon, it would not be value for money for us. With all the Disney parks and Universal we don't normally have time for much else!

I guess it depends what sort of ticket you have as well. We always buy ones that include the Disney waterparks so couldn't justify spending extra on Water Mania!

 

[SimonV]

Any more thoughts on this?? I am meeting with one of the promoters of this new card tomorrow, and any feedback/ideas/thoughts would be useful.

 

[Madjock]

Have to say I'm with the others on this, as we too would only visit possibly one or two other attractions it would be too expensive an option for us. When you say 14 days until used up does that mean it never expires? If that is the case then that is a good perk I guess because then you could use it the following year(s)!

Annmarie

 

[Tron[ADS]]

I wonder if the ticket will cover all the "optional extras" at the space centre, ie would it include "all" of the IMAX films ?

The ticket doesnt really impress me that much, most of those attractions are ones I wouldnt be bothering with again. May be of more interest to first time visitors though, but it does look expensive.

 

[SEVANS2208]

IMHO it would only be good value if you could do 7 of the "main" attractions within the 14 day period (average £20 per attraction per person approx). I think though this is unlikely as most people go to Orlando for 2 weeks and struggle to fit all of the Disney & Universal Parks in as it is.

Perhaps ok for people staying longer or return visitors wanting to do other, smaller attractions.