Universal for kids?

[The Disney Bunch]

My girls are 5 & 7 & not very adventuresome. Will there be enough at Universal for them to do? They are not really the rollercoaster type & I am not sure I want to spend the money to go if they are not going to find too much to do.

Thanks!

 

[kty]

I had my children at Islands of adventure when they were 2,4,8 and then to both universal parks when they were 5,6,11 The youngest is a girl, and she loved the dr. suess area as well as shrek, jimmy neutron etc. she is a roller coaster nut, but there was only one she was tall enough to ride when she was 2.5 and 5 we did disney last november, and they want to go back to universal this november. They loved Disney, but they also remember universal and want to see it again. hope this helps. Also, depending upon when you are going, the parks are not nearly as busy as Disney. I remember in november at universal the rides at seuss landing were all walk on.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

But it doesn't seem like there is enough for kids if they do not like roller coasters - They are a little too old for Seuss - what else is there?

 

[kty]

I cannot remember everything, but i know my kids enjoyed it and remembered it - but mine were younger than yours when we went. You may want to go to the universal website and check out the attractions and then determine if they might be something your children are interested in. I think there is another thread about what is at Universal on this board - orlando hotels and attractions - i just saw some discussion on it last time I logged in -and it was a new post. good luck!

 

[Darcy03231]

We were there last summer and with what you've said here I would stick with WDW for another couple of years. US/IOA is geared more toward tweens and teens. The children in our gruop were 3.5, 9, 12, 14 & 16. The oldest four love thrill rides and rode everything in the park (the 9 y.o. was too short to ride Hulk, Dueling Dragons and Dr. Doom) and had a blast. They all love coasters and adventurous rides. The 3.5 y.o. was happy to hang out in Suess' Landing and Fievel's Playground.

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

I'd second sticking with Disney for now. My adventurous 8 year old had very little to do when we were at Universal last year. My teens loved the place but he did a lot of sitting around. He was too old to appreciate Dr. Seuss. He liked Spiderman but that was about it. He enjoyed Universal Studios more than Islands of Adventure, Jaws, Twister, Shrek and Jimmy Neutron, but it was still a lot of waiting around for the older kids to get done for him. Stick to Disney and save Universal for when your kids are older.Just my opinion...

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Thanks for the responses - I agree with the last two posters - it just does not seem like there is enough for kids in my girls' age groups - they have for the younger set & for the tweens & older - I just annot justify spending $500 for us to go & my girls just not be able to do too much- a few more years!

 

[Kimberle]

But it doesn't seem like there is enough for kids if they do not like roller coasters - They are a little too old for Seuss - what else is there?

They are not to old for Seuss. It is probably the best themed area I've seen anywhere, including WDW.

I don't agree that you'll not find enought to do at US. Last year, when dd was 7, we spend a whole week at US. We stayed at RPR, went to US, IOA & Sea World. They also had shuttles to Wet & Wild, we just didn't have the time.

My dd is also very timid when it comes to rides.

 

[crusoe2]

"I don't agree that you'll not find enought to do at US. Last year, when dd was 7, we spend a whole week at US. We stayed at RPR, went to US, IOA & Sea World. They also had shuttles to Wet & Wild, we just didn't have the time.

My dd is also very timid when it comes to rides.[/QUOTE]

Kimberle, what all did your dd enjoy at US and IOA? My 5yo is asking to go and, with the deal they've been offering on tix, it is very tempting to try the Universal parks this time. But I'd hate to take time & money from our Disney trip and end up feeling that it was wasted. My daughter would probably try the big thrill rides but she is still too short for most of them and I won't let her do them anyway until I feel she's old enough to understand what she's getting into. I'd really love to hear what other young kids have done and enjoyed BESIDES the thrill rides or if maybe some of the attractions are not as scary as they look. TIA

 

[The Disney Bunch]

They are not to old for Seuss. It is probably the best themed area I've seen anywhere, including WDW.

I don't agree that you'll not find enought to do at US. Last year, when dd was 7, we spend a whole week at US. We stayed at RPR, went to US, IOA & Sea World. They also had shuttles to Wet & Wild, we just didn't have the time.

My dd is also very timid when it comes to rides.

But what did you do? I think Seuss is very babyish - my girls are beyond doing One Fish, Two Fish - they don't do roller coasters - I am not spending the money for them to run through some water sprinklers - what else is there? When Nickelodeon was there, there some shows that were entertaining for different ages - I just don't see anything that would appeal to my girls and justify the expense.

I am going to stick to Disney for the next couple of years - it kills me to do this since I think Universal has the best roller coasters but I have not seen anything that can show me what else there is to do to justify the cost.

Thanks for all the responses!

 

[Mainebound]

But what did you do? I think Seuss is very babyish - my girls are beyond doing One Fish, Two Fish - they don't do roller coasters - I am not spending the money for them to run through some water sprinklers - what else is there? When Nickelodeon was there, there some shows that were entertaining for different ages - I just don't see anything that would appeal to my girls and justify the expense.

I am going to stick to Disney for the next couple of years - it kills me to do this since I think Universal has the best roller coasters but I have not seen anything that can show me what else there is to do to justify the cost.

Thanks for all the responses!

You know your kids best, and it sounds like you have made a good decision.
I think the story may be different for boys.

My boys were 7 and 5 in 2007 when we last went to USO. They spent a LOT of time in Seuss land -- they loved Red Fish Blue Fish, the Cat in the Hat Ride, the water play playground area, the new ride (forget name: it is a train on a high track that lets you see all of the park), and even the Caroseussel. They also enjoy the toy shop and candy shop and meeting the characters from their favorite Seuss books.

But then again, they also love Fantasyland in MK. I would compare the above rides to the similar rides in Fantasy land.

Then there is the whole rest of the park: Spiderman and Storm Force and meeting Spiderman are great for younger kids, and they love the two water rides (Dudley Do Right and Bilge Rat Barges), which are a lot like Kali River Rapids and Splash Mountain at Diseny. there is also a coaster, the Flying Unicorn, which IMO, is perfect for this age: it is longer, higher and faster than a kiddie coaster (think Goofy's Barnstormer), but not too intense for children.

They also love to play in the themed playground with the water guns and caves and rope bridges. And my older son loves the Jurassic Park River Adventure.

Basically, at this entire theme park, there are three rides my 5 and 7 y/o could not do: the two coasters, and Dr. Doom's Fearfall.

We'll spend a few days at Universal in two weeks. My boys are now 6 and 8, and they are PSYCHED to be going back.

 

[FayeW]

No offense, OP, but it seems to me you had already made up your mind as to what you wanted to do, so why did you ask for opinions?

My kids were 7 & 9 the first time we went to US/IOA, and they totally loved the Suess area. They were 10 & 12 on our last trip, and they still enjoyed that area. There are only 3 coasters between the 2 parks (Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and Mummy) so there is plenty to do for the non-adventurous type. Now, if they won't do any of the rides then you have made a good choice to stick to WDW.

 

[Darcy03231]

No offense, OP, but it seems to me you had already made up your mind as to what you wanted to do, so why did you ask for opinions?

My kids were 7 & 9 the first time we went to US/IOA, and they totally loved the Suess area. They were 10 & 12 on our last trip, and they still enjoyed that area. There are only 3 coasters between the 2 parks (Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and Mummy) so there is plenty to do for the non-adventurous type. Now, if they won't do any of the rides then you have made a good choice to stick to WDW.

I have to disagree here. I don't think "there's plenty to do for the non-adventurous type". I'm a big ride chicken. I think that if her kids are non-adventurous then they won't like most of the rides there. Earthquake (now Disaster), Men in Black, Mummy, Terminator, Twister, Spiderman, Dudley Do-Right, Popeye, Jurassic Park and the Flying Unicorn are all "adventurous" in my book (and, for the record I did all of these rides, at least once), not to mention Dueling Dragons, Dr. Doom and Hulk (which I didn't do). That leaves Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, Fievel's Playland, ET, Pretedon (sp) Flyers and Suess' Landing, with the possibility of Posieden's Fury. I don't think that's a lot for the kind of money a family will shell out for a day or two at US/IOA, especially as she doesn't think her children will enjoy Suess' Landing (personally, I love Suess' Landing, but she knows her children better than I do).

OP, given how you described your children I think you made the right decision to wait until they're a bit older. Once they hit the tween/teen years I'm sure they'll enjoy US/IOA as much as my family did. I have teens and they're now at the point they don't even want to go to WDW anymore so enjoy it with your children while they still want to go. All too soon they'll be begging to go to the parks with the bigger, more adventurous rides.

 

[LSU]

No offense, OP, but it seems to me you had already made up your mind as to what you wanted to do, so why did you ask for opinions?

My kids were 7 & 9 the first time we went to US/IOA, and they totally loved the Suess area. They were 10 & 12 on our last trip, and they still enjoyed that area. There are only 3 coasters between the 2 parks (Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and Mummy) so there is plenty to do for the non-adventurous type. Now, if they won't do any of the rides then you have made a good choice to stick to WDW.

I agree Faye. (my name too).

My kids were 5, 7, 10 and they loved it. They did everything that they could including the small coasters (some did the large ones), water areas, etc. etc. etc. They were not lacking for fun at Universal!!! This time, however, we're doing Disney again. (it's been 6 yrs).

 

[Bearvet]

We just returned from a week in Orlando and spent 4 days at the Universal parks. We love Universal - our boys are now 12, 14 and 18 - and DH and the boys love the roller coasters. I spend a lot of time shopping and people watching while I wait for them. I commented to them on this trip that Universal is really not geared to little girls - I saw too many waiting for the rest of their family to ride.

Even the rides that aren't "thrill" rides can be scary - even Shrek 4D (which I love) is really pretty scary. I think you're smart to stick with Disney for now - by the time they're teens they'll be more ready for Universal. While you'll find some things for them at each Universal park, you really won't get your money's worth out of it like you will at Disney.

 

[Razzy]

We are going to WDW for our first time next month and my DH wanted to go to Universal but at this time I want my kids to go to WDW, I have one that may/maynot be able to ride the rides to do health issues but they have been begging to go to WDW

I think if we go in another 3-5 yrs we will check out universal

 

[calgarygary]

Just a thought, but if the OP or anyone else wanting to get information about Universal (no dis intented towards those that have already answered) why not post these type of questions on the Universal Boards? Scroll down the opening page of forums and you will find them.