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Orlando| I-Drive 360 | Merlin Entertainment Complex

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
SilverArrow said:
It reminds me of K'Nex.

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Yeah, I see no difference.
 

gavin

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This whole thing actually suits International Drive to be honest, which is basically full of cheap, tacky attractions. I say cheap meaning the style rather than the costs as I've got no idea on prices since I didn't try any of them, but as long as Merlin don't try to outprice themselves compared to the other s**t around there, this could do quite well.

They're bound to do a package for the three attractions though, possibly even an add on with Legoland - the Legoland shuttle bus goes from here - so they'll be able to offer seemingly "bargain" packages while still fleecing people.
 

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
They already have made it a bundle where you get all three for the price of one. And they offer a shuttle bus from the parking garage to Legoland! (And for now, at least) Legoland season passes get the Wheel for free.
 

gavin

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^Ah, the old "three for the price of one" deal. A surefire way to charge the maximum possible and yet kid people into thinking they're getting a bargain. "We've got no interest in Madame Tussauds, but it's FREE* because of the 3-for-1 deal!"

*absolutely not free
 

Martyn B

CF Legend
CanobieFan said:
They already have made it a bundle where you get all three for the price of one. And they offer a shuttle bus from the parking garage to Legoland! (And for now, at least) Legoland season passes get the Wheel for free.

How often does that shuttle bus run to/from the park? I'd like to go to Legoland (just for the credz if I'm being honest) but I don't want to waste an entire day down there.
 

gavin

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One bus there. One bus back after the park closes. You're trapped there all day.

4 (crap) coasters, but it's really not worth it. The ticket price is also ridiculous.
 

gavin

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^ Nope, and they also have the audacity to charge an extra $5 for the shuttle bus, when Busch do theirs for free.

Dreadful, dreadful place on every conceivable level.

They're currently offering an introductory, 4-attraction package, including the shuttle to Legoland, for $99, which doesn't seem too bad in comparison. When you consider that The Eye, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds will together take up a single afternoon at most though...
 

SilverArrow

Certified Ride Geek
It seems odd that they want to invest in these half day out-of-resort attractions considering how the main resorts have been pushing to keep more and more people onsite over the last few years. Attractions like water mania, arabian nights, skull kingdom and dixie stampede all struggled and closed and I'm sure other businesses have seem some business declines. The 192 seems too far to go for a lot of people now and seemed at it's worst (that I've seen) when I visited last year. The attraction hub seems to be getting smaller. Some stand alone attractions obviously do well though so it's not impossible.

I assume it's their way of claiming an Orlando plot so that they can flog Legoland et al to the masses more easily. Shame it is such a copy and paste, seemingly overpriced addition to the area. I am more interested in unique attractions like the pollercoaster and fun spot america!
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
SilverArrow said:
It seems odd that they want to invest in these half day out-of-resort attractions considering how the main resorts have been pushing to keep more and more people onsite over the last few years. Attractions like water mania, arabian nights, skull kingdom and dixie stampede all struggled and closed and I'm sure other businesses have seem some business declines. The 192 seems too far to go for a lot of people now and seemed at it's worst (that I've seen) when I visited last year. The attraction hub seems to be getting smaller. Some stand alone attractions obviously do well though so it's not impossible.

I assume it's their way of claiming an Orlando plot so that they can flog Legoland et al to the masses more easily. Shame it is such a copy and paste, seemingly overpriced addition to the area. I am more interested in unique attractions like the pollercoaster and fun spot america!
Yeah, it's weird, but I think the problem is perceived cost of these places.

Merlin will offer combo tickets which dominate the niche market, where all the other attractions are stand alones. Even if Merlin's combo ticket was more per attraction than doing a few of the others, I think Merlin would win out with the perception of it being a good deal.

That's why Merlin spent so much money clustering the attractions in London in one place. The only reason they've not moved Tussaud's is because it is a historic site, otherwise you can guarantee they'd have shifted that down to London's southbank too.
 

Ben

CF Legend
Sometimes I feel like the only height measurement in America is 'taller than X amount of Statues of Liberty'

TBF, we do the same with 'as tall as X amount of buses'
 
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