Ripleys Attractions

Could I get some opinions on the Ripley%26#39;s attractions? I%26#39;ve seen good and bad reviews on the aquarium but we are going there regardless. I more or less want to know about the Super Fun Zone Arcade--is it fun, is it one admission price or cash per game? Are the Marvelous Mirror Maze, Moving Theater, and Haunted Adventure any good?

Ripleys Attractions

I personally love the haunted adventure and so do my 15 and 16 year old. We have been several times to the one in Gatlinburg, which is fairly close to our house. We started going three or four years ago. The Mirror Maze my daughters like but I have never been through. It is kind of short though. The aquarium in Gatlinburg is nice and I assume they are about the same, but I may be wrong. If you haven%26#39;t been to a big aquarium, it is definitely worth going to. Living fairly close to Gatlinburg, we have done all of the Ripleys attractions there including the Belive It or Not - which I don%26#39;t care for but the rest of them while being kind of pricey are still fun.

Ripleys Attractions

And I guess I should add that the kids range from 10-11 years old.

I loved the haunted adventure too, it%26#39;s one of those things once you%26#39;ve done it you really don%26#39;t want to do it again anytime soon but it was fun. The moving theater was o.k. it%26#39;s in 3D and the seats move so if your prone to motion sickness i wouldn%26#39;t advise it, (my husband got sick). I think any kid loves an arcade Ripley%26#39;s or not.

The aquarium was okay. Worth checking out. Overpriced for what you get but the kids thought it was neat. Mirror Maze is a major rip off - stay away! We went there yesterday and it is so small. We got to the exit and we thought it was still the enterance. Yikes! We are checking out the movie theater today (because we bought the 3 attraction package) so I can tell you about that soon. We wish we didn%26#39;t buy the 3 package attractions because there are so many other things to do. Seems to be good feedback about Magi Quest! Also the mini golfing at Mt. Atlanticus is amazing!

thanks. keep me posted about other interesting activities if you don%26#39;t mind.

I went to the moving theatre and the Haunted House back in July %26#39;07 and all I can say is that while they are fun attractions they are both major ripoffs, (before I even got to the attractions I had to pay $10 to park, but that%26#39;s another story)

you are paying about $20-25 a person for only about 30 mins of entertainment, or roughly $10-$15 an attraction

You can go to Magiquest and pay that much for 2 hours of entertainment!

or you can play about 4 rounds of mini-golf for that!

There is a competitior to Ripley%26#39;s a block or two north that charges less money I may give them a try on my next visit to MB.

Yeah you%26#39;re right about the parking in 2007 but now since the pavilion been knocked down they use the parking that the pavilion had as the free public parking. So that%26#39;s a big plus now.

We have done the haunted house thing and the moving theater. The haunted house thing was pretty good but the theater was a rip off if you ask me. The show only lasted about 4 or 5 minutes.

The Aquarium is impressive, but a bit overpriced in my opinion. Save that one for a rainy day.

eye mascara

Car Rental GSP

This is our first time to the GSP airport and we will need to rent a car to drive to CLT. Can anyone suggest a ';cheap'; rental car as we are unfamiliar with this airport and area.

Thank you

extension to sqltableprovider

4 nights

I have 4 nights to spend in the Hilton Head/Beaufort/Savannah area and I am not sure how to break it up. Although we like the beach we are not ones to sit for days in the sun. We are travelling with kids. How much time do I need to spend in Savannah to cover the main attractions? Where is the best area to stay in Savannah? Is it a must for an overnight in Beaufort? We will have already visited Charleston. Any help would be great.

4 nights

joscam: If you are asking about Savannah, you need to go to the Savannah forum.

Four nights is not a great deal of time, so would spend it wisely. You don%26#39;t say what time of year either or the age of your children.

Beaufort is about 45 minutes away and is a cute little town on the water. They offer horse and buggy rides. I would google Beaufort SC to get a better idea. I would not say there is too too much to do there with kids.

Hilton Head is a very laid back family oriented place with no neon, amusement parks or large built up waterfront area. Biking is big on the island and there are paved bike paths everywhere. Dolphin excursions, great restaurants, mini golf (no lava %26amp; smoke belching thunderous courses here!)

The beach is wide and great for biking and walking. Dolphins can usually be seen as you ride along the beach.

Take a look at the traveller%26#39;s pics of Hilton Head.

Kids would love the Salty Dog Cafe in South Beach Marina. There are kid%26#39;s concerts outdoors on the island as well.

Where would you plan on staying? Hotel?

D in Muskoka.

York...! help....

Hi all,

We are visiting York next month due to business. We will be flying into Charlotte Airport. Hubby only needs a day to see his client and I%26#39;ll probably stay put in Charlotte.

My hubby has just come home with this news and now I have to squeeze York into our around the world itinerary...I had to Google Earth York..as to tell you the truth i%26#39;ve never heard of it.(apart from York in the UK)

I know absolutely nothing about York or Charlotte, can you please help me out with some tips. All advice greatly appreciated.

Questions,

1. How far in York from Charlotte. ?? A hire car or taxi..?

2. Are there hotels in York. I had a quick flip thru TA and there seems to be 2..are we better just staying in Charlotte or elsewhere ?

3. I noticed Myrtle Beach on the coast, how far is this away from the airport or York. ??

4. We will be flying back to Chicago and onwards to Denver.

Thank You,

EM.

York...! help....

York is approximately 38 miles from Charlotte. I recommend that your husbamd rent a car.

There are a few chain hotels right on the freeway. I would stay in Charlotte or Rock Hill, SC (right outside Charlotte on the NC/SC state line).

Myrtle Beach is 225 miles away - approximately a 4 hour drive.

A good website for checking travel routes %26amp; distances between US cities is

www.randmcnally.com

I use it all the time.

York...! help....

Thank you Edistotiger, I will do some research on Rock Hill and hire the car. Thanks for the link too.

Out of Charlotte or Rock Hill which is the nicest ??

EM.

Tommy Dew and Ed Grimball tour differences...

We are interesting in trying one of these gentlmen%26#39;s basic daytime walking tours, possibly, instead of doing a carriage ride tour. We would have 3 boys ages 3, 5, and 8 in our party. Any comments, thoughts, and/or assistance would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone out there done a tour with both of these fellows and if so pros/cons?

Thanks in advance.

Tommy Dew and Ed Grimball tour differences...

Hard choice! Both of these tour guides come highly recommended. I know that this is not going to narrow it down for you but I personally would go with either one. You will get a fantastic tour no matter what you decide.

Tommy Dew and Ed Grimball tour differences...

I havent been on either one but my husband and I will be coming down in April and my concierge described the differences as follows:

Ed Grimball is a slower paced, perfect southern gentleman. He shows more of the architecture and beauty, while Tommy Dew is more informative and shares more of the history.

Like I said I have not taken either one but this is coming from a very well experienced charlestonian :)

prove residency

Blogupstate

NEW community site (like myspace) dedicated to the upstate of South Carolina. This is a brand new community and ready for you to mold it. The future of this site is on your hands. Make it what you will.

Head on over to http://blogupstate.com

If you like mafia style online games check out http://goonslife.com. The game is free to play, but site supporters get to compete for cash prizes. One jackpot and one free supporter subscription per round.

Anyone used R & L Properties, Always on Vacation website?

I just put in a deposit on a great deal at Forest Dunes Resort through an independent owner. Their contract calls itself ';R %26amp; L Properties';. Has anyone had experience with them?

Anyone used R %26amp; L Properties, Always on Vacation website?

I am headed to Forest Dunes in a little over a week:-) I almost used VRBO but booked through resort. When I was talking with owner, she told me it would go through resort anyway. So...maybe that is the name of agency that books all the rooms whether you call directly or go through owner???

Anyone used R %26amp; L Properties, Always on Vacation website?

It seems as though this particular owner only owns a few rooms, they also have condos at Ocean Forest Plaza according to Alwaysonvacation.com. I%26#39;m thinking of calling the resort directly to see if they will tell me my particular room number is booked for my dates. Do you think this will work? I%26#39;m a little nervous; I%26#39;ve never booked through an owner directly. This is the only way we can afford to stay a whole week. Have you stayed at Forest Dunes before? It looks nice for the $.

The owner I was talking with charged the same price as the resort down to the penny. I haev not been there before, but I got a great deal. The only negatives I read were that some rooms are really dated in their decor. I am paying $250 for 4 nights oceanfront, 1 bedroom. I can live with how the room looks if I get an older one!! I do have to haev non-smoking and after that requested a ';premium room';. Yes, I would call and talk to them. Ask them the total price for the time you are looking at. It may be the same. GOOD LUCK!

We are paying $562 for a week in Jun. taxes and all, 1 bed/1 %26amp; half bath oceanview. Do you think that is suspiciously low? When I tried booking online on the resort site the price was much higher. Maybe I should just call to make sure. Thanks!

No. I think people are hurting and prices are lower overall. I would still call and ask for the best price from them ( Forest Dunes) directly. Our trip is in April so that is why mine is so low. Remember, it IS an older place and lots of new ones have sprung up so there is a bit of competition.

Resort websites show ';rack rates'; (like ';buy it now'; prices on Ebay). You can often get a better deal by telephoning the resort directly, rather than booking online. Telephone reservationists have room to negotiate.

I don%26#39;t know this particular situation, but renting from the owner is often cheaper than booking through the resort, since the owner bypasses some of the management commission and fees.

The other big advantage of renting from the owner is that you will get the exact property you have booked. (The resort cannot bump out a guest-of-owner for another, sometimes more valuable, booking.) Thus, if the owner is offering the same unit, at the exact, same price as the resort, she is selling assurance that you will get her place, since she controls access to the property you want.

On the other hand, if you have rented from the owner, you are stuck with what you get. The resort will not move you into another property if anything goes wrong.

Thanks for your reassurance. I did call Forest Dunes, and they did say my particular room number is not in their rental program, which is reassuring. They would not give me any info on R%26amp;L properties, which I suspected. Anyway, their rate for the same room and stay is 858 vs. the 562 I signed a contract for. Considerable savings. I guess I%26#39;m just paranoid that I will get down there and realized I%26#39;ve paid $$ for a room that doesn%26#39;t exist or is already rented. Oh, and I figure the condo will probably be dated and worn. But that%26#39;s o.k. as long as it%26#39;s clean, secure and has access to the pools. We%26#39;re not picky people. Have fun on your vacation next week; you got a phenomenal deal! Let us know how it goes.