Would going to US/IOA 3 times be over kill??

[edk35]

I am trying to plan out our Jan. trip. We pretty much stay at WDW for all of our trips. We just went for a week in Nov. and Aug. so this Jan. my older two kids really want to go to Universal. Matter of fact my 15 year old has been wanting to go for the past couple of years. I see they have some good specials going where you can get a ticket good for both parks for a week usuage. We only have 2 days left on our Magic Your Way passes so I was thinking just going to MK one day and Ec another and then getting these US passes and going to maybe one Universal park one day, the other another day and then going back to hit our fave rides on day 3. I am trying to avoid buying our WDW AP's this trip and waiting til July when we go back.

I also figured since we are staying on WDW at OKW it would be better to go to Universal in Jan. vs. July when it is much hotter and more crowded at US/IOA.


Would love any advice on this. Thanks.

 

[macraven]

I am trying to plan out our Jan. trip. We pretty much stay at WDW for all of our trips. We just went for a week in Nov. and Aug. so this Jan. my older two kids really want to go to Universal. Matter of fact my 15 year old has been wanting to go for the past couple of years. I see they have some good specials going where you can get a ticket good for both parks for a week usuage. We only have 2 days left on our Magic Your Way passes so I was thinking just going to MK one day and Ec another and then getting these US passes and going to maybe one Universal park one day, the other another day and then going back to hit our fave rides on day 3. I am trying to avoid buying our WDW AP's this trip and waiting til July when we go back.

I also figured since we are staying on WDW at OKW it would be better to go to Universal in Jan. vs. July when it is much hotter and more crowded at US/IOA.


Would love any advice on this. Thanks.

i would buy the 7 day 2 park passes and do the 3 days at universal as you posted.

even though you would only be using 3 days out of the 7 day passes, you would come out ahead.
it would be costly to buy a 2 day, 2 park ticket and then a one day 2 park ticket for everyone in your group.
the 7 day pass is ideal for those wanting a total or partial universal experience.

since you will be driving from the disney area, give your self time and be at the parking garage around 7:45. the garage opens at 8 and you will be in and out of the parking area within minutes then.

if you start one of your days when the park opens, you will be able to accomplish your 3 day schedule easily in january.

if you arrival early, go to the IOA side.
they have more rides open if you are let in before the official opening time of the parks.
parks officially open at 9.
there are times they will open around 8:30ish if there is a long line at the turnstile.


i think you will do fine with the schedule you have.
do disney for the 2 days. switch to universal for the 3 days.
you'll find enough there so you won't be bored.
then you can renew your disney ap in july.

try eating at Hard Rock Cafe when you are at universal.
it is located in city walk.
your teens will like it.
i think you will too.

 

[Muushka]

We are staying at WDW in Jan also, and have the same plan of attack. We don't have WDW APs (such a rip!) but we do have them for Universal. We plan on doing WDW for just 2 days and USF for 3. We will get there early, hit the coasters (sadly, I have to ride them alone, husband has no interest in them), grab a bite, probably at Mythos (that he will do gladly)!

Enjoy!

 

[edk35]

i would buy the 7 day 2 park passes and do the 3 days at universal as you posted.

even though you would only be using 3 days out of the 7 day passes, you would come out ahead.
it would be costly to buy a 2 day, 2 park ticket and then a one day 2 park ticket for everyone in your group.
the 7 day pass is ideal for those wanting a total or partial universal experience.

since you will be driving from the disney area, give your self time and be at the parking garage around 7:45. the garage opens at 8 and you will be in and out of the parking area within minutes then.

if you start one of your days when the park opens, you will be able to accomplish your 3 day schedule easily in january.

if you arrival early, go to the IOA side.
they have more rides open if you are let in before the official opening time of the parks.
parks officially open at 9.
there are times they will open around 8:30ish if there is a long line at the turnstile.


i think you will do fine with the schedule you have.
do disney for the 2 days. switch to universal for the 3 days.
you'll find enough there so you won't be bored.
then you can renew your disney ap in july.

try eating at Hard Rock Cafe when you are at universal.
it is located in city walk.
your teens will like it.
i think you will too.

Thanks I am thinking this will be a fun trip to really try something new. I really want the AP's to be summer to summer anyway.

 

[macraven]

i understand in planning for the disney ap.
i had their ap before and needed to schedule one trip for 10 days and then anymore short trips would be free for me when you think of buying park tickets.

those ap's are too expensive for me now. i stopped buying the ap's in 04. even the renewal was high for me. what is it up to now for a new ap, %5?? something...

the universal preferred pass was a $99 renewal until it went up to $117.10 in march of this year. that figure is with tax included.
and with the ap, i save money.
i alternate and use the AAA card for the discounts now as both the ap and aaa card give only 10% discount on all food and merch at universal.

2 years ago was the last time the ap for universal gave the holders a 20% discount on food and merch.

i use undercover tourist and the special code when it is out on mousesavers for the tickets/wdw now.
i get the same disney hoppers but about $45 cheaper.
that group is an authorized disney ticket sale place.

they sell universal tickets also but not with the discounts you can otherwise get cheaper.

i know exactly what you mean in scheduling the 365 ap at disney.
if you don't get 10 or 11 days in for days in the park, it's not worth it completely. you have to plan each year's vacation around the validity dates on the ap.

i do my florida trips yearly in sept/oct.
i am completely and totally addicted to HHN so i have to plan to hit that around the columbus day weekend period.

this year i am aiming for 15 full days and nights.
i have the bounce back at disney for 8 nights and the rest of my trip will be at the darkside at the onsite hotels.


it's such a shame i have to work during the school year to swing these trips.
work is highly overrated...

 

[edk35]

i understand in planning for the disney ap.
i had their ap before and needed to schedule one trip for 10 days and then anymore short trips would be free for me when you think of buying park tickets.

those ap's are too expensive for me now. i stopped buying the ap's in 04. even the renewal was high for me. what is it up to now for a new ap, %5?? something...

the universal preferred pass was a $99 renewal until it went up to $117.10 in march of this year. that figure is with tax included.
and with the ap, i save money.
i alternate and use the AAA card for the discounts now as both the ap and aaa card give only 10% discount on all food and merch at universal.

2 years ago was the last time the ap for universal gave the holders a 20% discount on food and merch.

i use underground tourist and the special code when it is out on mousesavers for the tickets/wdw now.
i get the same disney hoppers but about $45 cheaper.
that group is an authorized disney ticket sale place.

they sell universal tickets also but not with the discounts you can otherwise get cheaper.

i know exactly what you mean in scheduling the 365 ap at disney.
if you don't get 10 or 11 days in for days in the park, it's not worth it completely. you have to plan each year's vacation around the validity dates on the ap.

i do my florida trips yearly in sept/oct.
i am completely and totally addicted to HHN so i have to plan to hit that around the columbus day weekend period.

this year i am aiming for 15 full days and nights.
i have the bounce back at disney for 8 nights and the rest of my trip will be at the darkside at the onsite hotels.


it's such a shame i have to work during the school year to swing these trips.
work is highly overrated...

We are DVC members so we get about 100 bucks off the price of an AP but park tickets to Disney are expensive nonetheless. What is HHN??

 

[macraven]

 

[Muushka]

We are DVC members so we get about 100 bucks off the price of an AP but park tickets to Disney are expensive nonetheless. What is HHN??

We also get the DVC discount and I still think they are too expensive!

HHN is Halloween Haunted Nights. I have never been, looks too scary!

(or is it Haunted Halloween Nights? Maybe I shouldn't have answered! Sorry)

 

[dolphindan1]

i understand in planning for the disney ap.
i had their ap before and needed to schedule one trip for 10 days and then anymore short trips would be free for me when you think of buying park tickets.

those ap's are too expensive for me now. i stopped buying the ap's in 04. even the renewal was high for me. what is it up to now for a new ap, %5?? something...

the universal preferred pass was a $99 renewal until it went up to $117.10 in march of this year. that figure is with tax included.
and with the ap, i save money.
i alternate and use the AAA card for the discounts now as both the ap and aaa card give only 10% discount on all food and merch at universal.

2 years ago was the last time the ap for universal gave the holders a 20% discount on food and merch.

i use underground tourist and the special code when it is out on mousesavers for the tickets/wdw now.
i get the same disney hoppers but about $45 cheaper.
that group is an authorized disney ticket sale place.

they sell universal tickets also but not with the discounts you can otherwise get cheaper.

i know exactly what you mean in scheduling the 365 ap at disney.
if you don't get 10 or 11 days in for days in the park, it's not worth it completely. you have to plan each year's vacation around the validity dates on the ap.

i do my florida trips yearly in sept/oct.
i am completely and totally addicted to HHN so i have to plan to hit that around the columbus day weekend period.

this year i am aiming for 15 full days and nights.
i have the bounce back at disney for 8 nights and the rest of my trip will be at the darkside at the onsite hotels.


it's such a shame i have to work during the school year to swing these trips.
work is highly overrated...

did you mean underground or undercover tourist??? I used undercover tourist

 

[macraven]

did you mean underground or undercover tourist??? I used undercover tourist

oops, i screwed up, you are correct as it is undercover tourist....!! thank you for saving me on that one!

i blame it on my blondness....


i'll go back and edit my error.
i hate for someone to see that mistake and they stop reading then thinking that was the name of the company..

 

[macraven]

We also get the DVC discount and I still think they are too expensive!

HHN is Halloween Haunted Nights. I have never been, looks too scary!

(or is it Haunted Halloween Nights? Maybe I shouldn't have answered! Sorry)

it is nice that the dvc owners get a decent discount on the aps for disney.
it still is high for me but i wouldn't use it, the ap, to the fullest so i stay with the hopper passes.

yes, it is halloween horror nights.
and some people really get scared there!
the make up for the scare actors is quite amazing.

 

[edk35]

i understand in planning for the disney ap.
i had their ap before and needed to schedule one trip for 10 days and then anymore short trips would be free for me when you think of buying park tickets.

those ap's are too expensive for me now. i stopped buying the ap's in 04. even the renewal was high for me. what is it up to now for a new ap, %5?? something...

the universal preferred pass was a $99 renewal until it went up to $117.10 in march of this year. that figure is with tax included.
and with the ap, i save money.
i alternate and use the AAA card for the discounts now as both the ap and aaa card give only 10% discount on all food and merch at universal.

2 years ago was the last time the ap for universal gave the holders a 20% discount on food and merch.

i use undercover tourist and the special code when it is out on mousesavers for the tickets/wdw now.
i get the same disney hoppers but about $45 cheaper.
that group is an authorized disney ticket sale place.

they sell universal tickets also but not with the discounts you can otherwise get cheaper.

i know exactly what you mean in scheduling the 365 ap at disney.
if you don't get 10 or 11 days in for days in the park, it's not worth it completely. you have to plan each year's vacation around the validity dates on the ap.

i do my florida trips yearly in sept/oct.
i am completely and totally addicted to HHN so i have to plan to hit that around the columbus day weekend period.

this year i am aiming for 15 full days and nights.
i have the bounce back at disney for 8 nights and the rest of my trip will be at the darkside at the onsite hotels.


it's such a shame i have to work during the school year to swing these trips.
work is highly overrated...

I agree too that work is higly overrated.

 

[edk35]

Halloween Horror Nights.

universal is famous for their monster make up creations....

it is held the last weekend of sept and goes thru oct 31, may end up in nov if the last weekend has the oct 31 in the friday/saturday dates.

it is a hard ticket and runs every fri, sat, sun.
the second week of oct, thurs is on the list of hhn nights. and it is throughout the rest of the month.

on hell week, which is when the florida schools have their fall break, wed is added to the nights hhn happens.

this year there were 8 scare

houses, 5 maybe 6 scare zones, 2 live shows throughout the night.
it runs on peak nights, which is friday and saturday from 6:30 pm to 2 in the morning.
non peak nights are the wed, thur, sundays. hhn open from 6:30 to midnight.

ioa closes at 6 and the studios close at 5 on any night hhn is on.

no children tickets are sold as universal states it has material that would not be suitable for children. it is basically an adult evening.

you can pull up this year's hhn site by going to :

Halloweenhorrornights.com

i better stop here. oh my, i'm rambling again...
i am completely and totally addicted to HHN.
i have been known to make long posts about it once i get on a roll about it.....

This sounds like a lot of fun. I wish we could take fall trips but with 3 kids in school and two in high school.....too hard now.

 

[damo]

Back to the original question... no I don't think that going three times in a week would be overkill at all. We usually go for at least 4 nights. We just enjoy it at a leisurely pace.

 

[donaldduck352]

Back to the original question... no I don't think that going three times in a week would be overkill at all. We usually go for at least 4 nights. We just enjoy it at a leisurely pace.

Thats the best thing about USO Damo
No planning needed just do what you want and when you want..

 

[edk35]

I am really looking forward to going in Jan. We are getting the 7 day ticket and plan on going 3 days. My older son will be ecstatic about this.

 

[macraven]

sorry for getting off track, it won't happen again.
i'll go back and take out the posts that aren't related to the thread.

 

[damo]

sorry for getting off track, it won't happen again.
i'll go back and take out the posts that aren't related to the thread.

Don't do that. That's what makes the Universal boards so much fun!!!