single parent offers with Virgin

hello there :)

i wondered, has anyone stayed in %26#39;quality inn international%26#39; or %26#39;sheraton safari%26#39; with the virgin single parent offer?

if there is anyone, did you pay one adult price and 1st child price?

which hotel do ppl recommend?

thanks for all your help, it will be my first trip to florida!

best wishes

single parent offers with Virgin

i forgot to say-

i wont be driving and so i want somewhere central.

i was opting towards the single parent deals as otheriwse i have to pay adult price for my son, however im open to other hotel suggestions at reasonable prices.

thanks!

single parent offers with Virgin

Hi natty snow

How much are they charging for this single parent offer?

Why not try to book your flights and hotel seperatley?

Just done a quick check on the flights and hotel, this is just to give you an idea.

Flying form Manchester 14th April to Orlando

For you and your child the price is 471 pounds return.

A hotel in the middle of I-drive and easy for public transport and free shuttles to and from theme parks except Disney (for this you have to pay from this hotel).

The Quality Inn Plaza. for the 2 weeks it is 497 pounds.

All calculated it is 968 pounds. This is just to give you an idea.

Hope it helps.

hi salfordlad,

thanks for replying to me.

for the quality inn international its 拢999 for the 2 weeks and flight, then a further 拢500 for my son.

is that worth it, do you think?

hello, when you planning on going?

Hi natty, we haven%26#39;t seen you for a while, welcome back. When are you hoping to go ? and what Parks are you interested in ? There are some very nice deals right now and you may want to book seperately :)

In terms of overall location, you can%26#39;t really do better, for a non-driving holiday, that I-Drive. For your general information, here is the current ';getting about'; detail:

===========================

There are two regular bus services; LYNX (the city bus service) and I-Ride (an independent limited service aimed at tourists, but which strangely doesn%26#39;t actually go to the major tourist destinations).

Your best choice for a non-driving option is to use LYNX buses. These have a much, much more comprehensive coverage than the I-Ride trolley. They also pretty much duplicate the I-Ride route so you don%26#39;t really need tickets for both. If you are going to be using buses with any frequency to get to and from the attractions, only LYNX will take you.

From anywhere on I-Drive between Premium Outlets and Prime Outlets to:

- Universal - 8 or 42 to a stop two lights North/East of WetNWild (look out for the Sheraton Hotel - distinctive cylindrical building with a wire-frame globe on top); cross the street if necessary and take 37 going West/South every 30 minutes.

- Sea World, Aquatica and Discovery Cove - bus 8 (frequent) from a stop on I-Drive.

- Disney Parks (option 1) - bus 8 to any one of three or four stops near Sea World, then transfer to bus 50 express to Disney%26#39;s Transportation %26amp; Ticket Center. Use Disney%26#39;s free bus/boat/monorail to the parks.

- Disney Parks (option 2) - bus 8 or 42 to Canadian Court (adjacent to the southern end of the Convention Center) and then take bus 111 (hourly) to the Transportation %26amp; Ticket Center. Use Disney%26#39;s free bus/boat/monorail to the parks.

(I mention both of these mainly for coming back; you can get on 50 (destination DownTown Orlando) or 111 (destination Airport) - whichever comes first.)

- DownTown Disney - buses 50 and 111 both call there en route to the transportation %26amp; ticket center.

- Busch Gardens - you%26#39;ll need the Busch Gardens shuttle express which picks up at three places in the area - at ';Gooding%26#39;s Plaza'; (this is in the parking lot adjacent to Ripley%26#39;s Believe It Or Not and Charley%26#39;s Steakhouse, half a block to the south of Sand Lake Rd; I understand that Goodings has closed so the name may change at some point); at Premium Outlets, and at Sea World. (There may be other points, too). This is a once-per-day scheduled service, but you need to book in advance by phone to be sure of getting a seat. The price is very low and it%26#39;s free for holders of certain multi-park admission tickets (e.g. the type of Orlando FlexTicket which includes Busch). This service is not part of LYNX, but you can, of course, use LYNX to get to the pickup point if necessary. More details and online bookings here https:/鈥uschGardens.asp

You can also go by LYNX to

- Premium Outlets - 8 or 42 south

- Prime Outlets - 8 or 42 north

- Florida Mall - 42 north from anywhere on I-Drive **or** 111 from Canadian Court interchange (runs once per hour but may be a lot quicker than the 42).

- Orlando International Airport - 42 north from anywhere on I-Drive **or** 111 from Canadian Court interchange (runs once per hour but may be a lot quicker than the 42).

- Millenia Mall - 8 or 42 north to Prime then 24 (hourly) to Millenia. Note the last 24 going back towards I-Drive from Millenia is at 6.18pm Mon-Sat and 5.48pm Sun. If you are later than this, you%26#39;ll need to use a cab. To minimise cost, you could take a cab back to Prime and then go the rest of the way by bus.

- US192 in Kissimmee (e.g. for Old Town) - travel to Disney%26#39;s Transportation %26amp; Ticket Center using either method above and then get LYNX 56 every 30 minutes to US192.

etc............

Obviously, if you are starting out close to a transfer point (e.g. if you are at the Sheraton Studio City, then you are already close to the 37 stop) you%26#39;d walk rather than taking the first bus detailed above.

Download timetables for all these and other LYNX services at

www.golynx.com

LYNX costs:

$2 ($1.75 until Jan 2009) each person one-way regardless of distance. Transferring buses (eg from 8 to 50 at Sea World for Disney) is at no extra cost so long as you ask for a transfer ticket when you board and pay.

or

$4 for an all-day ticket (if you are going to make %26gt;2 one-way trips in a day)

^^^^^ buy from the driver, no change given

or, ** for best value and convenience **

$16 for a week%26#39;s unlimited use ($14 until Jan 2009). Buy in advance from the Official Visitor Center 1/2 a block north of Bahama Breeze on I-Drive, set at the back of a parking lot and indicated by an orange, yellow and black ';i'; sign. I understand, also, that you can pre-purcase passes on the website and they will mail to the UK. In any case, passes are validated on the bus the first time of use and the period of validity starts then.

All the services I have mentioned above have a frequency of every 30 minutes or better except where stated. Most also run well into the evening. The last 50 out of Disney, for example, is at midnight. But do study the schedules for precise timings to minimise waiting and note that the number 8 bus stops running earlier in the evening on Sundays and you%26#39;d also miss the last 8 if you leave Disney later than 11 on a Saturday. 8%26#39;s are also less frequent later on than in the daytime. So take care if you are returning from Disney late on, esp. on a Sunday.

Once you have LYNX passes, you won%26#39;t also need I-Ride passes. On the odd occasion that you do feel the need to ride the trolley, I suggest you just pay cash fare.

I would also emphasise that LYNX bus drivers are helpful, patient and co-operative for the most part and will answer questions and give guidance. You will quickly get the hang of it.

---------------------------------------

And just to emphasise...........

LYNX stops in pretty much all the same places as the I-Ride.

LYNX services on I-Drive run until the small hours of the morning (earlier on Sundays). They do get less frequent later on, so do take copies of the schedules with you.

You will not need I-Ride tickets as well as LYNX tickets. If you%26#39;ve bought LYNX passes as I recommend you do, you can use LYNX for any trips you would otherwise use the I-Ride main line for.

Hi natty,

What dates are you looking at going,there are some really good flights at the moment. I am pretty sure you could get it cheaper than the 拢1500 you mention. with a bit of research.

Shirley

Sometimes booking separately doesnt work out cheeper...or easier. If you book seperately then you have to pay to get yourself from the airport to the hotel and back again. That can be quite scarey for an adult and child first time to orlando. 拢1500 doesnt sound too bad but it does depend on what time of year

Travelbug I agree entirely, it doesn%26#39;t always workout cheaper.Having been a single parent I tip my hat to Natty going all that way, I got myself and son to Majorca one year and the sense of achievement was fantastic.

Shirley

hiya :)

i wanted to go next summer, just wanted an idea of prices and good locations/hotels.

all the main parks we would want to go too.

it does feel a little daunting going all the way there but i am sure we will be fine.

thanks for all your help, its much appreicated.

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