The following is the latest in a series of guides about entertaining things to do in town instead of attending an Amway event.
This year's WWDB Amway Free Enterprise Days will be hosted in the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California from October 5th to October 7th, 2012.
You can visit a variety of sites and beaches within an hour or two of Irvine, and I believe the majority of people are already aware of these destinations, so there isn't much more I can say. And just to give you a heads up. It is certain that every attraction and beach will charge you more than a few dollars to park in their lot. Shops and big malls such as the Irvine Spectrum Center and the South Coast Plaza are plentiful in this neighbourhood, and there is no shortage of restaurants. If you're married to an ambot who wastes money on Amway, there are several great locations to visit and shop to drown your sorrows!
Disneyland is the most popular tourist site in southern California, and Anaheim is not far from Irvine. It is also significantly more enjoyable and less expensive than visiting the WWDB Amway FED. If you are over the age of ten, a one-day ticket costs $87. Those under 10 pay slightly less, and costs vary depending on whether they are purchasing a two-day package, whether they are California residents, and whether they purchase in advance. I'm having trouble figuring out the October schedule, so please check ahead. I'll state that the hours are roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The problem is that Mickey's Halloween party is taking place in October, and the park will be open after regular hours for spooky enjoyment in the evenings. Admission costs and hours vary from one location to the next. The cost of parking, purchasing a ticket, eating meals in the park, and purchasing souvenirs is likely to be close to the same as the cost of a ticket to FED, but you'll have a lot more fun in Disneyland than you would at FED! http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/
The Orange County Zoo is located within Irvine Park and is an excellent value at $2 per person. Think of letting the bears go in the middle of an Amway event. The hours are from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. http://www.irvineparkrailroad.com/content/orange-county-zoo
I'm going to throw in Knott's Berry Farm because even though it's not my favourite park, there are folks who would probably want to go there because it's so close and in October it transforms into Knott's Scary Farm, which is a Halloween attraction. When I was there the last time, it was during the day in October, and the crew was having a good time with the nighttime effects and dropping large fake spiders on us while we were waiting for the Timber Mountain log ride to begin. Yeah, that scared the very daylights out of me. A one-day pass costs $57.99, with discounts available for children under 12 and seniors. It will also cost less if you purchase your tickets in advance online. The Scary Farm admission price starts at $36 if you purchase your tickets in advance, but there is no information available yet on the pricing at the gate or the hours of operation. A constant stream of coupon books featuring Knott's discounts seems to be flying about the place. During the FED weekend, hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. http://www.knotts.com/
There are numerous beaches in the surrounding area. Take the car to the Pacific Coast Highway and drive north or south until you discover a beach you enjoy.
Alternatively, travel outside of Irvine and spend the day at Universal Studios or on a tour of the stars' residences. Alternatively, drive down to San Diego and see the zoo or Sea World. Everything you could possibly want is within a two-hour trip. Several of my favourite activities are free, with the exception of parking, and are not located in this area - hint hint, head north or south instead of east or west.
However, it is possible that the FED will be the main tourist attraction in Irvine on October 5. You need to keep this a secret so that you don't ruin the enjoyment, but Joecool will be in town that week, and we intend to get together while there. I know someone whose kid has a buddy who works at the Bren Center; he hasn't confirmed his shifts for that weekend yet, but he has assured me that he will be able to get us into the building to take a look around behind the scenes whether or not he is working. Yes!!!!! What type of mischief are we capable of causing? Distractions such as air horns and other amusement that can be attributed to Halloween spooks racing around the building I'm going to be reporting back on the ambot convention with top secret information!
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