How often do YOU visit USF/IOA?

[MsDisney]

There has been some discussion lately on the number of times people have the opportunity to visit the parks...so I thought I'd ask, how often do you all have the opportunity or inclination to visit USF/IOA?
I know lots of you don't have the good fortune to live nearby :(, but I know when I lived in Boston, I managed to get to Florida alot more than I should have...being obsessive about the parks will do that to ya!! :rolleyes:

We haven't stayed at any of the resorts, but I'm hoping that we'll have the chance to check out the HRH soon! :bounce:

MIB999999 and I figured we've been to the parks at Universal very close to 100 times over the past year. Just about every weekend, often times both days...and several times a week during mardi gras and school vacations, etc.

It's definitely a plus to live 15 minutes away :), we'll be moving in March so we'll be over a 1/2 hour away...that will be tough! :mad: :eek: :eek: I know we won't get much sypathy from some of you! ;)

So tell us your travel pattern!
Karen :smooth:

[ksdave]

I visited Florida once per year for quite a while, both growing up and again after college. Then, after I got married and had my first, things slowed quite a bit for a while. One reason was we lived in CA for a while, the other, lack of $ and time. Now that the kids are older (12 & 10), we try at least once per year, more if I can swing some biz trips that way.
If I lived as close as you, Karen, I'm sure it would be at least 2-3 times a month. My kids would definitely come with me everytime, my wife, probably not.

[Robinrs]

I don't live as far as most people, but nowhere near as close as you lucky two...

But since I'm a car drive away I do go more than most. Since my son is in school we can only get away about 4 times a year which is great for me. I would love to go more but I'm afraid it'll lose it's "magic" if I can steal a Disney term for a second. I can't imagine not wanting to be there but I tend to bore easily.

[ucfdude01]

5 Days a week for the past 6 months

I work there, :)

[MsDisney]

5 Days a week for the past 6 months

Cool ucfdude! It looks like a fun place to work... :)


Karen :smooth:

[pathubia]

Living in Boston it is tough to visit USF as much as I want to. We went to Dis and USF in Sept 2000 and fell in love with USF. Since then we have stayed onsite at the HRH 3 times with one night at the PBH. A month from today we will be checking out the RPH.

Next month's visit will be an adventure, we will be draggin my 18 year old daughter along. It has taken me 2 years to convince her that she wont be bored with USF. Cant wait to get her on Dueling Dragons. (we got a rate air rate from southwestern from Providence, $119 R/T to Orlando each).

Patty

P.S. Karen, had a great meatball sub from Thats Italian Too, last week!!

[MsDisney]

P.S. Karen, had a great meatball sub from Thats Italian Too, last week!!

Awesome, Patty!!! :bounce:

What I wouldn't give for some clam box fried clam strips and onion rings! Wanna bring some down in your suitcase? :rolleyes:

I think your daughter is going to LOVE USF/IOA!!! :) What's not to love, after all!?!?

That's a great rate, I love Southwest! My kids' flew up to Providence in May for $224 round-trip total for both! :)

I hope we can get together to say HI when you're down! :)

Karen :smooth:

[robvia]

7 Times this year.
Really picked up since I got the season pass. Last year it was only 3. Drive is 3.5 hours from South Florida. Will go 2 more times this year. I've never stayed onsite either since I drive up. Stay at the cheap www.hojo.com 5 minutes away. I've been to BGT/SWF about 5.

[pathubia]

Karen, It would be great to get together. We will be there October 19 to the 24. The teachers wont be too happy though, pulling the kids out for 4 days. Oh well, the price I pay for no crowds!!! I think we will be hitting HHN on the 23rd.

Can you believe the looks I would get if my suitcase smelled like fried clams????LOL!!!!

Patty

[UKDEB]

Visiting from the UK is <i>majorly</i> expensive, but we did manage two trips last year! Our next trip is just over 3 weeks away and we'll be there for <b>3 whole weeks!</b> How excited are we?

We're USF AP holders not so much for the discounts and benefits, but so we can convince ourselves we simply <i>have</i> to get in two trips within each 12 month period! :rolleyes:

We absolutely love the US and it's our ambition to visit all the states. In fact, we would love to live there and become US citizens, but that's a tad tricky!

[Aisling]

July 4th week 2003 will be our 2nd time at Universal.
We went to Disney (All Sports) in 2000 (our first big vacation anywhere!), then Universal (Hard Rock) in 2001, Disney again (Beach Club) this year 2002 because we missed so much the first time, and now we are going to Universal again (Royal Pacific.) So this will be our 4th time to Florida.
My friends tell me "you're going to Florida AGAIN?! There ARE other places in the world!" True, but what can I say, we love Universal and Disney.

[Nan]

Now, to be perfectly honest, I have the "inclination" to go to Universal every single day, especially after I read the posts on this board:p But we seem to only actually make it down there once a year!:Pinkbounc

My children have never been to WDW and don't want to go because they don't want to stand in long lines!! We love just about everything about the parks and resorts - from walking around the "street scene" areas to riding the most exciting rides. I have never gotten to spend as long as I wanted at the parks. I would love to have time to just sit in the shady park areas and soak it all in!!

Nan

[Cindy B]

Not often enough... But we did just spend 14 days in Orlando last month.

We have gone to Orlando for four years (the first two being another widely known tourist attraction in Orlando), but last year we fell back in love with Universal, since we hadn't gone since 1985! (Yes, Hollywood!)

As my letter to Universal management said, there is no othe tourist area that I love more than Universal.

I think about it everyday, same with my family.

[rocketman23]

A lot... about once a week or once every other week if I go to the Busch parks some weekend...

[rangebob]

More times than I can count. Since I moved up from South Florida and now have a position that I actually have nights and weekends off it will be more often. I stopped by tonight to check out the progress of HHN and Universal.

[Disney Talker]

When our kids were home we could only afford an Orlando vacation once every two years..now that the kids are gone and no one is in college we come once a year, and love it!!!

[Judge Doom]

hmmm lets see....5 days a week times 52 weeks plus all the overtime...I'd say about...275 times a year :eek: :p :jester:

[Buschfan]

We go about once a month. We drive over early Saturday and hit both parks. We book a cheap room on Priceline and stay Saturday night. We then go to Sea World until about 3pm on Sunday and head for home. We hit Busch Gardens a day or two each month between our Orlando trips.

[nhrenee]

Patty! We might be there from Oct 23-30! Looks like I'm just going to miss you:( .

Gotta love the direct flight from Manchester-Orlando on SW!
I've been there 5 times since 99. First time with family, 2nd time w/just hubby (we had a BLAST!), thirde time alone(not as much fun as I thought), 4th time with family, 5th time alone for "MOLOKAI-CON"-met many people from the boards!

I envy everyone that lives close by!

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by Judge Doom
hmmm lets see....5 days a week times 52 weeks plus all the overtime...I'd say about...275 times a year :eek: :p :jester: sounds like me. i've been doing that for almost 4 years...

[usfkid14]

i go there every year or 2 years if im not lucky. i luv universal out of all the parks there

[Judge Doom]

sounds like me. i've been doing that for almost 4 years...

I'll have 5 years in December

[WebmasterBarry]

Originally posted by Judge Doom
I'll have 5 years in December

Do you get a watch after 5 years? :)

[Judge Doom]

Do you get a watch after 5 years?

HAHA I get a silver globe that says Universal and 5 right below it to wear on my nametag.

[Molokai Gram]

Whenever I can find really cheap ways to go ;)
We actually have always liked Universal better than the Disney parks since we started visiting the California ones. We first went to UO in 1994 - with one DGS; repeated in1999 with 2 DGS; then 2001 - only me and DH (and Barry LOL); and then this year at MG where I went solo, but stayed at HRH with Renee. :bounce:
Ohai and I love Mardi Gras at UO and would go every year if we could. :jester: WOW, almost evey year, maybe they made the RPH in our honor?? LOL (I tried this reasoning on Ohai when trying to convince him that we NEEDED to go again in 2003) But I think we have run out of luck and I have nothing planned because I can't find any more really cheap fares for us. It is at times like this that I really miss the Web Cam!!!!:(
Also, I am still trying to figure out a way to get to US Japan. It would actually be closer for us to go there. Because not only does it cost alot to go to UO, the flights are horrid and the 5 to 6 hour time difference makes jet lag a given.
We do love UO and envy you that live close by, so think of us and if you go to MG, catch us some beads!

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by Judge Doom
HAHA I get a silver globe that says Universal and 5 right below it to wear on my nametag. but you gotta settle for the woody woodpecker pin for now. i just think they should have a 3 year pin...

[DocBosch]

From my calculations, since about seven or eight or so years ago, I started visting Universal at a moderatly average rate.

My family normally went to Orlando during the holiday season, many times taking in USF and a Disney park. Then later that summer, with out of the country family, we would again drive up to Orlando, and, thanks to me, experience Universal on atleast one day. In fact, it was an odd time when we would be in Orlando and NOT go to Universal.

Then in the last couple of years, maybe three or four, my dad an I started taking more trips just by ourselves. HHN became a yearly event for us, and after IOA opened, my average Universal Orlando attendace became five or so times a year, counting school trips and all.

Last year, finally with my independence in tow, I visited USF by myself for the first time on the way up to Shreveport for a BTTF convention, IOA with two friends, USH/DL on a trip to LA, HHN in october with a female friend, IOA/MK with my mom and aunt for Christmas, and IOA with my best friend a week later (I had three two day passes with one more day left from the Christmas trip).

This year started off kinda slow, when I visited Orlando for the second BTTF convention event, but negelcted to visit USF. I started to cacth up half way through the year, by purchasing my Annual Pass in June (right on my b-day, BTW). Thanks to that, I'm on a current pattern of visiting Universal about once month. Currently I have plans of attending HHN about three times next month. I will also most likly be at USH come December.

I live in So Fla, so with the minimal 2.5 hour drive up (robvia, whats this talk of 3.5 hours?), I could technically go to Universal every weekend, but once a month seems better to me. I would hate to become spoiled of Universal, and start taking it's charm for granted. Then again, maybe if I go with more frequentness, I could begin enjoying the park on a different, more layed back level. I have always said, if I lived in Orlando, I would go almost everyday, and just hang out; maybe read a book, or do some work.

I'm currently planning a one (or two) night stay at the Royal Pacific maybe next month, a weekend stay at the Hard Rock sometime this year or next, and a weeklong getaway at the Portofino sometime down the road.

-Kevin

[pauldents]

We go to UO twice yearly. My first trip was to USF, over ten years ago. Its amazing how much the place has grown now !! Our next visit is in 5 days :D and we will be staying at the HRH for 12 nights with length of stay passes for the duration.

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by pauldents
We go to UO twice yearly. My first trip was to USF, over ten years ago. Its amazing how much the place has grown now !! Our next visit is in 5 days :D and we will be staying at the HRH for 12 nights with length of stay passes for the duration.

I'm just curious...wouldn't annual passes be more economic??? :confused:

Karen :smooth:

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by MsDisney
I'm just curious...wouldn't annual passes be more economic??? :confused:

Karen :smooth:

Yes, and I would think the Power Pass would be even more so.

[pauldents]

Karen, we usually book through Virgin Holidays and length of stay passes come included in the package if you are staying at a Universal hotel for a minimum of 5 nights. Otherwise if we booked independently, without a tour operator, yes it would be cheaper to buy Annual passes.

regards

Paul

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by pauldents
Karen, we usually book through Virgin Holidays and length of stay passes come included in the package if you are staying at a Universal hotel for a minimum of 5 nights. Otherwise if we booked independently, without a tour operator, yes it would be cheaper to buy Annual passes.

regards

Paul

Ah, well that makes sense!
Do you find it's less expensive, or just more convenient to book a package like that? I always found that packages, while convenient, cost a LOT more to do than if you did the bookings on your own...so I'm just curious, I have no experience with having to deal with international flights/cost, etc.

Karen :smooth:

[pathubia]

nhrenee,

We will overlap by 1 1/2 days!!! Where are you staying, we'll be at the RPR. Hope we like it. DH has been second guessing my plans and wants to go back to the HRH, but there are no discounted rates for our dates. (Now we will definately have to go back for Mardi Gras:smooth: )

I cant wait.

Patty

[pauldents]

I have found if you book a trip independently to Disney/Florida, yes, it can be a lot cheaper over the package deal. However, If you are going to Universal, Virgin Holidays offers some great discounts on their packages. As an example, for this upcoming trip, i managed to get a 40% discount off the brochure price (10% discount for booking online, 10% for being frequent Virgins and another 20% for clickng a link on their website which took me to their Universal special offers ( At the time Virgin were trying really hard to promote Universal Hotels over here). Combine these discounts with the Length of stay passes and it works out a lot cheaper than booking independently, plus its a lot more convienient. The one thing Virgin do TRY to rip us off with, is the car insurance. Fortunatley American Express has a policy at half the price :D

Regards

Paul

[Straycat]

I have been to USF/IOA hundreds of times. Granted it is only 45 minutes from my driveway to the parking garage.
I used to homeschool my son and we could go a couple times a week or so to the parks. but now, he is public school and I am in college fulltime which really limits how often we can go now.
My annual pass expired in February 2002 and I did not renew it until the end of August this year (got in on the 2 year deal). That was the longest I have been without an annual pass to a themepark in the last 16 years. I really really really missed IOA the most. It is so good to be back.

[Judge Doom]

but you gotta settle for the woody woodpecker pin for now. i just think they should have a 3 year pin...

Most people in my department don't wear their service pins anyway. I don't even wear my woody pin...

[All Aboard]

About a dozen times a year, we live in Miami.

[nhrenee]

Patty,
I'm not sure if we're still going now.:( We were thinking Oct 23-oct 30).

We'll see!:smooth:

[MsDisney]

Originally posted by nhrenee
Patty,
I'm not sure if we're still going now.:( We were thinking Oct 23-oct 30).

We'll see!:smooth:


:confused: :( :eek:


Karen :smooth: