Travel

Ask me anything about Disneyworld Vacations and Golf /shopping and Food

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Newbie
Sep 3, 2014
23 posts
WINNIPEG
hello... I will be going to LA next month (5days trip) and I'm planning to visit Disney & Universal .... Please answer my questions
- can anyone please recommend good hotel to stay for a couple ?
- should we rent a car?
- where should i buy Disney/universal tickets?
- I understand it's a short trip, Can anyone recommend what is the plan to make this LA trip better. ( My hubby and I love to travel. However, this trip has been hard to plan)
- Can anyone tell us if there is any deal for Disney or Universal.
- Where can i go for shopping is there any premium outlet mall nearby?

Thanks! :)
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Oct 6, 2005
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canada2014 wrote: h
- I understand it's a short trip, Can anyone recommend what is the plan to make this LA trip better. ( My hubby and I love to travel. However, this trip has been hard to plan)
- Can anyone tell us if there is any deal for Disney or Universal.
- Where can i go for shopping is there any premium outlet mall nearby?
For Los Angeles, absolutely rent a car.

How has it been hard to plan - Los Angeles is one of the easiest places to plan a vacation.

As for outlet shopping, there's plenty in Los Angeles - Citadel Outlets is probably the closest, but there are plenty of other ones: https://www.latourist.com/index.php?pag ... ks-outlets

Ross Dress for Less also has a lot of discount name brands.
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Jan 10, 2010
348 posts
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Oakville
Good luck no advice on Los Angeles but Orlando questions please just ask
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Apr 24, 2006
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Toronto
osgoode3 wrote: Good luck no advice on Los Angeles but Orlando questions please just ask
Heading to Orlando in a few weeks, will have a rental car. Any recommendations on good local (read: not tourist trap) restaurants for a nice evening dinner? Nothing super fancy, nice pair of jeans and a button down type thing.
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Jan 10, 2010
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Oakville
Best place is Mannys in Haines Ciry casual great food and fun not a tourist trap yet !! But very popular there is a new Mannys on the 192 west it's ok but not like the original one in Haines City. Get reservations before because I have seen 2 hour waits that's how good it is !!


Couple of nice restaurants in downtown Celebration more than expensive but very unique.

Surprisingly Bob Evans is still one of our favorites if you want a great turkey dinner with all the trimmings they are the best .
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Apr 24, 2006
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Toronto
osgoode3 wrote: Best place is Mannys in Haines Ciry casual great food and fun not a tourist trap yet !! But very popular there is a new Mannys on the 192 west it's ok but not like the original one in Haines City. Get reservations before because I have seen 2 hour waits that's how good it is !!


Couple of nice restaurants in downtown Celebration more than expensive but very unique.

Surprisingly Bob Evans is still one of our favorites if you want a great turkey dinner with all the trimmings they are the best .
Thanks! That place has 'Murica! written all over it!!
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Jan 10, 2010
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Oakville
Lol it truly is American ... Fantastic steaks and Prime Rib in a very southern casual atmosphere not quiet but fun place.

That's why we like the original one in Haines City than the new one on 192.

If your looking for a cheap fun very casual place fir a drink and bar type food go to the Orlando Ale House many locations throughout the area happy hour get rum and cokes for $2.50 and doubles for $4.99 jugs of beer for $5.00 usual bar type food but prime rib night was very good think the prime rib night is Sunday night.

Good cheap places we enjoy are

Pei Wei this is the smaller version of PF Changs usually get a great meal for under $8.00 Asian

BJ Brewhouse lots of food selection more expensive
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Oct 6, 2005
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cwb27 wrote: Heading to Orlando in a few weeks, will have a rental car. Any recommendations on good local (read: not tourist trap) restaurants for a nice evening dinner? Nothing super fancy, nice pair of jeans and a button down type thing.
Not dinner - but gas - DO NOT FILL UP NEAR THE AIRPORT. There are two gas stations which look like legitimate gas stations (i.e. Shell) but their per Gallon prices are insanely expensive. Most tourists don't notice the price before 1/2 their tank is filled up.

Here is the story about it: http://www.today.com/money/florida-gas- ... lon-t26806

I got caught myself ... the station looks busy but midway through I noticed all the cars were empty. It was staged.
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Apr 24, 2006
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coolspot wrote: Not dinner - but gas - DO NOT FILL UP NEAR THE AIRPORT. There are two gas stations which look like legitimate gas stations (i.e. Shell) but their per Gallon prices are insanely expensive. Most tourists don't notice the price before 1/2 their tank is filled up.

Here is the story about it: http://www.today.com/money/florida-gas- ... lon-t26806

I got caught myself ... the station looks busy but midway through I noticed all the cars were empty. It was staged.
No kidding... Thanks for the tip!
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Jan 10, 2010
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Oakville
Another one of these are at the Outlet stores at Vineland and the 1-4

Normal looking gas station very modern yellow colors gas is $5.00 a gallon it's posted but hard to see people drive in not expecting fill up and then see they have paid more than double than any other gas station .

They are well known in the area they pry on vacationers .

Beware this gas station as it's very close to the outlet stores which is one of the busiest intetsections in the area now .

The ones close to the airport do it because many renters forget to fill up their tank before getting to airport , car rental agents always warning you to top up within 2 miles of the airport.

Another thing to remember their are 2 tolls between the airport and the 528 bee line expressway that brings you to 1-4

Very conveniently located beside the airport no way to avoid it on either toll rode .

Bring $3.00 I believe it's $1.25 a toll booth and there are 2 to go thru.

Still not worth most people to get a sunpass or transponder they really try to upswell you but not worth it .
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Nov 21, 2013
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Montréal
Alexo wrote: We are going on a last-minute trip to Orlando, so have to buy tickets tonight.

For kids aged 11,14,18, would you recommend Universal or Disney?

Any other survival and/or money saving tips would be appreciated!
I have been to both places. Disney on 2 different trips, all parks, and Universal one time in 2014. For kids that age I highly recommend Universal. The rides are really more thrilling than Disney ones. If you stay at one of their partenered hôtels on the site you have free "fastpasses" included for 2 days with one night stay. For a party of 4 one night hotel price Worth the 2 days of fastpasses.
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Alexo wrote: For kids aged 11,14,18, would you recommend Universal or Disney?
Hard to say, the 11 year old is borderline for Universal - personally I would opt for Disney.

What about 3 or 4 days at Disney, 1 or 2 days Universal, with 1 day of rest / shopping?
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Aug 10, 2011
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coolspot wrote: Hard to say - personally I would opt for Disney.

What about 3 or 4 days at Disney, 1 or 2 days Universal, with 1 day of rest / shopping?
I agree. Until kids are at least 15/16 and reach the height limit (and BALLS) for the major thrill rides, I would go with Disney.
:confused:
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iEyeCaptain wrote: I agree. Until kids are at least 15/16 and reach the height limit (and BALLS) for the major thrill rides, I would go with Disney.
went to Universal 2 years ago when my son was 15 and my daughter 13. Never been refused in any single ride becaus of their height. And the girl is not tall at all. Both parks (Disney and Universal) are very different regarding the rides...
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Most any normal sized kids would have reached the height limit for all the rides well before they are teenagers.
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Is it Disney or Universal that has the most thrilling and entertaining rides? I'll be going with my gf to Orlando in Sept and we are in our late 20's. Where can I read about the time saving strategies?
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cn_habs wrote: Is it Disney or Universal that has the most thrilling and entertaining rides?
Disney has more entertaining attractions. Universal has more thrilling rides. Take your pick?
cn_habs wrote: I'll be going with my gf to Orlando in Sept and we are in our late 20's.
Both park should be empty in September, excellent time to go. Lines at Disney should not be longer than 15 - 20 minutes and many rides will have no lines at all :D

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