[CaraMia]

I was wondering if anyone had info on whether disney offered some type of package that included the driving experience. I am seriously leaning towards getting my husband the KING experience as a bday/fathersday/anniversary gift. His bday is the day before father's day and our anniversary is July. I thought if I was able to get it in a package I could apply some disney dollars towards it. I checked with the School itself and they do not accept the dollars but they said if booked w/disney package we may be able to.

Also, has anyone done the King experience? My father did the rookie experience and he said by the time he got a feel for the car his 8 laps were over. The KING experience gives you 18 laps. I imagine my husband will do it in the fall or winter when it isnt as hot out. Being in the driving suit and in those cars gets really warm. It would think it would be awful if it were 95 degrees on top of that.

[Voldemort]

You should send a PM to disney&byudad. He's done the RPDE a couple of times (although he may have just done the rookie, I can't recall) and I'm sure he'd be happy to share any info he has.

[DisneyTeacher]

I haven't heard a lot about RPDE, especially the King experience. Be sure to ask about refunds due to weather. A year or more ago a member here (sorry, I can't remember who) posted about not getting a refund when weather canceled their experience. They could pick another day but I think they were all booked for the remainder of their trip so they were basically out of luck if they didn't have a RPDE near their home.

I did a little search and here's the thread:
http://www.mousebuzz.com/forum/wdw-t...xperience.html

[smee57]

DH did the 8-lap driving experience a couple of years ago and LOVED it!!!!!!! It was fun for DS and I to watch, too.

[E&B's Mom]

Disney Teacher is right. No refunds due to weather. That's why DH decided against it last time we went. It was too much money to give up if it rained, and we don't have one near us we could have used instead.

[disney&byudad]

Originally Posted by Voldemort

You should send a PM to disney&byudad. He's done the RPDE a couple of times (although he may have just done the rookie, I can't recall) and I'm sure he'd be happy to share any info he has.

Hey, that's me! And I'm more than happy to share. I've done this four times at WDW (rookie, King's twice, and last November the Experience of a Lifetime). CaraMia, if your hubby is a NASCAR fan, he will love this. I agree that the Rookie experience is over way too quick, so the King's experience should be great for him. Before you go out, RPDE spends 45 minutes to an hour orienting you to the cars and the track. They will take you out on the track in a van with the other students to show you how to drive the fastest line, when to accelerate, when to decelerate and how close you should follow your instructor. Once in the car, you do 8 laps then come in to the pits to get advice and tips from your instructor, then back out to do 10 more laps. They do it this way to build your confidence in the car and to also get you more comfortable about going as fast as you can.

I read the post from Disney Teacher regarding the non-refundable aspect of the RPDE and this is one area you need to be aware of. I actually got rained out the first year at WDW, but was lucky enough to get rescheduled for the next day. That could have been because we were there in November, during the week. However, if they can't reschedule you during your trip, you do have up to a year to reschedule at any of their 23 tracks around the country.

I would definitely recommend it. It's an absolute blast and worth every penny. For me, it was a way bigger rush than any rollercoaster. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I went to the RPDE in Las Vegas two weeks ago while we were there for my daughter's wedding. Hope this helps. If you have any specific questions or concerns, just PM me.

[CaraMia]

Thanks for the responses! I am about 95% sure I am going to get dh a gift certificate. I am still trying to decide whether to do the Rookie or King experience. I just cant decide! lol Dh is not a big nascar fan. Once in awhile he watches it but he wouldnt go out of his way to go to a race or watch it. But he was totally into the Petty School. When we went to watch my father do the rookie experience dh wanted to do it sooo badly. I know if I got him either he would be excited but he would NEVER expect me to lay out $600 plus for the King experience. We live about an hour and a half from Homestead Speedway and 2.5 hours from Orlando so if he got rained out he could easily reschedule. I am not concerned about that. He would probably schedule to do it either in November/December or in March. Definitely not in the summer months.

Thanks again for the info...lets get a vote going...King or Rookie Experience?

[disney&byudad]

C/M, my vote is obviously for the King's Experience. If you're concerned about the extra $, try going to ebay and check out any auctions they have going on for "Richard Petty Driving." You may be able to find a bargain. Remember that any gift certificate can be upgraded. For example, in preparation for my Vegas trip, I spent about three months on ebay and won several ride along ticket auctions plus a king's experience auction and used those certificates to upgrade to the Experience of a Lifetime. I spent a total of $920 for an experience that is valued at $1,250. You may be able to save $200 + on the King's experience if you play your cards right. Good Luck!

[lawwin]

My dad works for RPDE in Charlotte. He is one of the guys that trains you to ride on the track. HE wanted to work a Disney in the off season in Charlotte , but he can't - you wanna know why???


Because, he has a beard and mustache. Yeah, he's prohibited by that Disney policy that does not allow for facial hair, even though he actually works for RPDE.

He is going to take my DD on a ride along in Charlotte the next time we go to visit him. She should have lots of fun with that. I did that at the last race school that he worked for as a manager. That Nascar truck driver (MIke Chase) scared the snot out of me.