Of course, with the calendar turning toward September, our focus does change from taking vacations to planning the next one. Over the next several weeks, we'll be offering more front-page posts on theme park vacation planning, with tips for saving money and finding value for your next family vacation.
But when will you take that next trip to a theme park? With so many parks extending their season with Halloween events, will you be attending one of them, in September or October? Or are you looking to the holidays for a theme park getaway? Maybe it'll be next spring break, instead? Or will you be sitting out until next summer, when another wave of theme park attractions debut, led by Universal Studios Florida's Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley?
Of course, some of us are fortunate enough to live in Southern California, Central Florida, Tokyo, Singapore, or someplace else where the theme parks never close for the season, and we can keep visiting year-round.
For our vote of the week this week, please tell us when you're looking to take your next theme park trip, after this summer ends.
What's your favorite theme park memory from the Summer of 2013? Please share it with us, in the comments.
The second moment was just the experience of going to Carowinds with my cousin. It was my hometown park as child and I spent many summers there enjoying the rides. It has been a few years since I've been back. While Carowinds is nothing compared to Disney or Universal, feeling the nostalgia of riding my favorite childhood coasters was awesome. Experiencing the new roller coasters like Intimidator, Night Hawk, and Carolina Cobra was special too.
Next trip: heading to SoCal in less than a month!!!! First week I will be visiting relatives, but the second week is all about theme parks... five days of Disney + Not So Scary, then Six Flags MM, and Knotts (no Universal Hollywood - too much money for too little park). I cannot wait. Been a long time since I rode the original Pirates of the Caribbean!
Overall, there were lots of new rides for us this year including: The Little Mermaid (DCA), Radiator Springs Racers, Green Lantern (SFMM), Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom, Apocalypse (SFMM), Transformers (USH), Pony Express, Siera Sidewinder, Manta (San Diego), Antarctica, Gatekeeper, and Diamondback. In addition we've enjoyed rediscovering the wonder of theme parks through our son, who's turned into quite a ride junkie before he's even reached 42" tall.
We'll be going to our three local parks (Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion, and Six Flags America) a few more times through the end of October, but that's probably it until next March. We're planning a HUGE Florida trip for October 2014 since there will be three big additions next summer (Falcon's Fury, Harry Potter London, and Seven Dwarves Mine Train), which will probably include our first trip to Legoland since our son will be old enough (4 1/2)and tall enough (over 42" hopefully) to appreciate the park.
Our next theme park visit will probably be to Legoland near San Diego in October for their Halloween family activities.
By the way, for anyone who doesn't know about it, the California CityPass, which provides three days at DL/DCA, plus one day each at USH and SW, is a great deal! And if you buy it online from USH or SW, you get a bonus day there! (We ended up not using our bonus day, though, because a friend who works at DL offered to get us in free with his season pass. Who can turn down an extra Disney day?)
Our next trip will be to one of our favorite places, at one of our favorite times: WDW at Christmastime! We hope the Magic Bands have rolled out by then, so we can give them a try. I'm also considering adding the Dining Plan -- I've never done it. I haven't made any ADRs yet, but it usually isn't too difficult with a party of two. :)
Favorite summer memory? Seeing my brother's 19 year old Girlfriend fitting into the large Belle costume and then making her wear it to Be Our Guest. The Beast danced with her!
Second was having dinner at the Cathay Theater resturant in Disney's California Adventure to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary - and the return to disneyland, the location for our first date six years before.
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