The NYC Magic Traveler: Tips For Your Theme Park Adulting Trips
- Nov 9
- 7 min read
Tips for Your Trips to Disney, Universal and other fantastical places. Not just for kids!
Theme Park Adulting
Welcome to the NYC Magic Traveler. Ready to experience the parks as a grown-up? Check out other our articles for Tips for Your Theme Park Trips!
Did you love theme parks as a child? Are you just getting the opportunity to explore them again? Are you rediscovering them with the kids in your life? Travel with us as we explore and discover it's not all about the kids. Family friendly usually means that children can explore an experience along with the adults. And theme parks have discovered how to make their locations appealing to children while keeping the appeal for teens, young adults and the older adults who actually may be footing the bill.
Companies, in general, need to maintain their businesses solvent for years to come. And one way to do that is to generate loyalty brand by attracting customers in the first place and keeping them. The way to do that, is to keep your product fresh, keep up with trends, stay ahead with the latest technology and know which older features to keep and which ones really have finally finished their run and should be retired.
Sometimes, older customers want to see sentimental aspects of their childhood but today's adults are keeping pace with the rest of their families and friends and may want to enjoy the newer projects just like everyone else. Still others are traveling without park goers who are under age 21. More and more are enjoying theme parks on another level. They are organizing solo vacations, group ventures and romantic getaways. Smart theme park companies know this and are marketing many of their features strictly to adults.
Theme parks can be total resort experiences. Even the franchises that some may deem as smaller businesses are incorporating features of the resort experience into their business design. This can be something as simple as an expanded location, a second location, lodging, or other additional aspects onto the property that's beyond the traditional theme park experience, meaning more than just rides and games.
Let us help you to plan the best itinerary personalized just for you. In addition to being travel agents, we are travel consultants and advisors. There will be no obligation to book your trips with us. We will host a virtual planning session with you to give you tips, ideas, assistance with the theme park apps or just for basic information with research. But keep reading, follow this blog and our other social media offerings for our tips and experiences.
Here are some of our tips for your theme parks trips including Disney, Universal, Hershey, Busch Gardens, Six Flags and more.
~Remind everyone that this is an experience for you, too and when plans are being made, there will be times when you're the star. If you're traveling with a group, this may mean getting away from the group for adult activities. Some theme park resorts offer information for child sitting services. Or, if you are traveling with a group, you can swap out times for each other to getaway.
~Some theme park hotels and lodging offer spas, either as part of the package or for an extra fee. Come back from the theme park early, after walking around and book a massage as a treat to yourself. Better yet, let them all go to the park and stay back at the hotel. Almost all theme park resort hotels have a lounge area for relaxing after a day or while you're poolside. Some of the shops in the hotels have been quite expansive, letting you browse to your heart's content. Still other hotels are connected to full sized 18 hole golf courses. Ask about other amenities such as catch and release fishing, a launch ride on the lagoon or beauty salon/barbershop services.
~Watch YouTube videos, such as ours, to determine if a ride is something you can handle. Although adults would love to behave as if getting older is no big deal, it is a little bit of a deal. Read the advisements listed for each ride and ask social media groups about their experiences. Everyone is different, you have to know your own body.
~The big amusing phrase for Disney World's Epcot is "drinking around the world," but many theme parks now serve drinks for adults aged 21 years and older. Drink responsibly, especially if you are responsible for children who may be with you, and be careful about riding the attractions. Know your limits and snack or eat while you are drinking. Almost all of the theme parks will give you a cup of water for free: carry a water bottle with you and refill. And have the theme park app on your phone so you know where the restrooms are located before the situation becomes crucial.
~Speaking of walking around the world, many theme parks offer food and wine festivals at various times throughout the year. Look for Epcot's four international offerings: Festival of the Arts, Flower & Garden Festival, Food & Wine Festival, Festival of the Holidays; stop by Universal Studios Orlando's Mardi Gras; sail over to Sea World's Seven Seas Festival or browse through Busch Garden's Bier Fest.
~Entertainment is a great way to enjoy the theme parks as an adult. Look at concert schedules for your favorites that will play the venues, particularly at Epcot, Hershey Park and Six Flags. Sometimes the concert is part of the theme park ticket, sometimes the concert is held on the property of the theme park but outside of the attractions.
~Many theme parks will have brief shows throughout the day scattered in different locations, check the app for the most up to date info, especially if weather can affect the performances. And some parks have indoor theaters for shows that will play regardless of the weather: Disney's Animal Kingdom has two, Universal Studios will offer How the Grinch Stole Christmas during the holiday season and Hershey Park, Sea World and Busch Gardens will have animal shows.
~Some theme parks have incorporated ride through or walk through zoo/aquarium exhibits: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Busch Gardens Tampa, Hershey Park, Sea World and Six Flags others all have great zoos and/or aquariums, making your theme park ticket (which is expensive enough) almost a 2 for 1 experience.
~The water parks are known for their thrill slides but all of them have wave pools, calmer pools and lazy rivers for those who want to enjoy the water experience. Check out the offerings at Universal's Volcano Bay in Orlando, Disney World's Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon; Six Flags' Hurricane Harbor; Dorney Park's Water Country and much, much more.
~Enjoy special seasonal events and parties. Usually, these are separated ticketed events, featuring pop-ups, performances and special merchandise that is not even sold in the park during regular hours. Universal's Halloween Horror Nights leads the pack with rave reviews every year but there are other events as well: Six Flags' Fright Fest, Magic Kingdom's Mickey's Not So Scary Party and MIckey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Disney;s Hollywood Studios' Jollywood party, Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream, or Christmas Town Oktoberfest parties at numerous theme parks. Some theme parks that close for the summer will have limited hours for seasonal events until Christmas and then shutting down entirely for the winter, so check their respective websites for all of the details. Theme parks in more tolerable climates will remain open all year long and may have winter events, such as Epcot's International Festival of the Arts in January.
~Adults are certainly targeted at the various food and wine festivals at theme parks. We've already mentioned Busch Gardens and Epcot, but Disney's California Adventure including their own Food and Wine Festival, Festival of the Holidays, variously themed Disneyland After Dark events (Disneyland), Disney Viva Navidad and the Oogie Boogie Bash.
~Look for places to go on the resort outside of the theme park themselves, such as the shopping, dining and entertainment districts like City Walk (Universal) and Disney Springs. There are often whimsical type boutiques and themed shops or actual attractions such as escape rooms. Take in a movie, go bowling, play miniature golf or hang out in the sports bars and lounges. During some holiday seasons there may be a scavenger hunt (not just for kids, go out and have some fun and get some exercise at the same time). Some of the Disney hotels in California are in walking distance Downtown Disney. Ditto Disney World's Old Key West and Saratoga Springs to Disney Springs. And Orlando's City Walk has several of it hotels around the perimeter making it convenient to go there. Most of the districts stay open to 11PM or even later. Check the websites and apps.
Don't worry, we have tips for your theme parks trips for kids, teens, and the whole family. Happy Travels!
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