Contrary to what the internet says, people still play Pokémon Go. It may not have the popularity it once did, but I see people playing all the time in the parks. I play all the time. I have only messed up getting my seven day streak twice in my entire time playing. That means I have only ever gone two days without catching a Pokémon or getting a Pokéstop. Yes, I have a problem. Tell me something I don’t already know. Duffy has a Pokéball hoodie and I have Pikachu and Eevee from Build-a-Bear.
[lgc_column grid=”50″ tablet_grid=”50″ mobile_grid=”100″ last=”false”]
Gringotts is a gym. Take that Voldemort.
[/lgc_column][lgc_column grid=”50″ tablet_grid=”50″ mobile_grid=”100″ last=”true”]Orlando is one of the best places to play Pokémon Go. The theme parks are practically infested with the digital creatures. Cinderella Castle is a gym and there’s at least four Pokéstops on the Jungle Cruise alone. I remember a friend of mine posting on Facebook about catching a Charmander in the Gryffindor Common Room, just like in his fanfiction. Busch Gardens had an event last summer where every Pokéstop in the park had a lure on it until a certain time every day and you could get discounts based on what team you were on. It was a common game for Cast Members at the hub who were people watching to play: “Lost or playing Pokémon Go?” [/lgc_column]
Even though the hype has died down and there are less events there are still plenty of Pokémon to catch and trainers to battle in gyms.
Trainer Tuesdays is going to be a series about where to catch ’em all in Orlando, and tips and tools of the trade. There are days when knowing how to recharge your phone makes all the difference in the world. There are some rides that move slowly enough to count as walking to help you hatch eggs and earn candy, and there are some that you’re going to lose all service anyway so no need to waste your battery and data.
Shamu and friend.
Now before you write this off because you think Pokémon Go is stupid, let me tell you about the time my mother saved $110 by playing Pokémon Go.
Last August I decided to spend my birthday in Tennessee for a variety of reasons, but the primary one was that we were trying to save money to take my grandmother to Disney for her 80th birthday, which happens to be about a week after mine. It was going to be a fairly short trip and a frugal one, so I decided I was just going to go to all my favorite places at home and play Pokémon. At least it would be cheap. My main concern was I did not want to be playing alone, so I got my iPad out and started my Mom her own account so I could get her to level five so she could help me with gyms. (Remember way back when and you were just starting out, and you had to be level five to choose a team?) I made her Team Valor naturally.
I had her keep playing on the iPad because I thought it would be easier for her on a bigger screen, and I remember the first night in Knoxville walking around downtown and trying to teach her how to play. I had Duffy with me in his Pokéball hoodie, I forget that a twenty-something carrying a stuffed animal draws a lot more funny looks when you aren’t at Disney.
A wild Pidgey appears!
The Knoxville Zoo, or Zoo Knoxville as they’ve rebranded but I think is a silly name, was hosting a Pokémon event that Saturday with $10 admission, lures, giveaways and the chance to meet Pikachu. I had wanted to spend my birthday at the zoo, but this seemed like a better plan. My friend Adam wanted to hang out that day so he picked me up for lunch then we met Mom at the zoo. Mom had decided buying an annual pass would be the better option even over the $10 tickets so we went to the window, and it turned out Adam had forgotten to buy his online so it was full price. (A zoo annual pass gets you in free or half off to other zoos around the country, plus admission to special events.) We paid the extra five dollars for me to have my own second pass with my name on it, and I figured out it was $25 to add a guest and $20 for a ticket, so Adam handed my Mom $20 and we put an extra guest on the pass.
A little after three, we had most of the animals covered, but the giveaway were not until five. They had three boxes set up in the center of the zoo at the educational area, one for each team. You put your username on a slip and put in the box, and the gym standings at the end of the day would determine the prizes. Adam asked us, “Do you really want to stay for the giveaway? I think they’re just zoo tickets.” “Yes, we like winning things!”
We went on a quest to catch a Pikachu that popped on radar. We went round and round in circles before concluding it was in the middle of an exhibit we could not reach, at least not without being eaten, before I dragged them to meet Pikachu. He certainly was not up to Disney standards but I was not going to pass up the opportunity.
We wandered around the zoo looking at animals we had already seen and just catching anything we could. Generally when playing Pokémon Go in my experience you just sort of blurt out whatever critter appears, so Adam said, “Ooh, Bellsprout!” My mother, in what may be one of the cutest things she has ever done, responds, “S-P-R-O-U-T. Do you not know how to spell sprout?” Adam and I spent the next minute and a half laughing too hard to explain. Admittedly, my Mom has known Adam as long as I have and I used to proof his English papers for him and he was bad at spelling…
At five we joined the crowd of people waiting for the giveaway. Each team held one of the zoo’s three gyms so the prizes were going to be determined by gym levels. Instinct had a level two gym so that put them in third place to win two zoo tickets and Mystic’s level three put them in the running for a family four pack of tickets. Valor and their level five gym was in the running for a family annual pass good for two adults and two children. The first name they called was not there, and you had to be present to win. The next name was “ilovethemouse” and Mom goes, “That’s me!” She had to show them her screen to prove it was her, but it died right as she got up there. Thankfully they took her word for it. They handed us a reusable bag with a stuffed otter and the paperwork to redeem the pass. We had just bought an annual pass and won an annual pass, all in the same day. So we headed back to the front gate where, thankfully, the same girl was still at the annual pass booth.
“So I think I’ve got a question for you that’s probably never happened before. I don’t know if you remember us, but we were here earlier and bought an annual pass. Well, we just won one from the Pokémon events. Any chance we can get our money back?”
“You’re right. I’ve never gotten this one before. Let me go ask my manager.”
To my shock, we got a full refund and got to keep our extra guest and two printed passes. So my Mom literally saved $110 because I taught her to play Pokémon Go, and she still plays whenever we’re together.
The bag and stuffed otter that came with the pass.
Next time on Trainer Tuesdays, we’ll start looking at some of the best places to catch ’em all in the Orlando area.
Stay up to date on all things Twenty Something in Orlando by subscribing to our newsletter or supporting us on Patreon! You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram!
