Help for a Universal Newbie

Hi all! We are considering adding Universal onto our next Disney trip and have a couple of questions. Reading the forums is just as overwhelming as it was when we first started at Disney
1) How many days/nights do we need to take in the two Universal parks?
2) What Disney park would you compare the two at Universal to size wise?
3) Is there a favorite hotel everyone has for being able to walk to the parks and food?
4) What might cab fare cost us to MCO at the end of our visit?
5) Has anyone extended their stay at their WDW hotel and go to Universal each day to avoid the move? Thoughts on that?

Thanks so much!!
With this info I can get started

canadiandisneynut said:

1) How many days/nights do we need to take in the two Universal parks?

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if you're into Harry Potter, 3 days for both parks, if not 2 might be enough (1 day per park)

2) What Disney park would you compare the two at Universal to size wise?

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really hard to say. Size means nothing. If you don't do thrill rides for example, universal suddendly gets smaller.

3) Is there a favorite hotel everyone has for being able to walk to the parks and food?

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all 4 onsite hotels are within walking distance of the parks.
the 3 deluxes have water taxi (free) and offer unlimited express (cabana bay beach does not)

this is not WDW, hotels are in close proximity, so it's up to you

4) What might cab fare cost us to MCO at the end of our visit?

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roughly $60

5) Has anyone extended their stay at their WDW hotel and go to Universal each day to avoid the move? Thoughts on that?

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we stay checked in at our disney resort, and do onenighters at Universal. This gives us 2 days of express (check in and check out day) for one night at universal, then we go back to disney. This avoids packing.

@chmurf Thank you very much this is great. So you choose two days of your stay at Disney and head to Universal on both days? Does your hotel rate include the tickets or you simply book the hotel in order to get the express pass? How does your family travel from WDW to Universal each day?

canadiandisneynut said:

Hi all! We are considering adding Universal onto our next Disney trip and have a couple of questions. Reading the forums is just as overwhelming as it was when we first started at Disney
1) How many days/nights do we need to take in the two Universal parks?

With HP2 open we spend 3-4 days in the parks to really see everything and enjoy the HP areas. We are HP nuts and love thrill rides/rollercoasters.
2) What Disney park would you compare the two at Universal to size wise?

Hard to say, overall I think we walk much more during our WDW stay.
3) Is there a favorite hotel everyone has for being able to walk to the parks and food?

We love HRH and find the walk to the parks to be very short 3-5min to US. HRH is our favorite!
4) What might cab fare cost us to MCO at the end of our visit?

I have not taken a cab before, we always use a towncar service. We have a towncar pick us up at MCO then to Disney, pick us up at Disney then to US and then from US to MCO. It is cheaper than renting a car and we like the towncar service better than using Magical Express.
5) Has anyone extended their stay at their WDW hotel and go to Universal each day to avoid the move? Thoughts on that?

We enjoy WDW 1st and then move over to US at the end of our trip. I don't mind the packing and really enjoy staying on site at US.

Thanks so much!!
With this info I can get started

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Hope you have a great trip!

Thanks @heidijanesmith !

canadiandisneynut said:

Hi all! We are considering adding Universal onto our next Disney trip and have a couple of questions. Reading the forums is just as overwhelming as it was when we first started at Disney
1) How many days/nights do we need to take in the two Universal parks?
2) What Disney park would you compare the two at Universal to size wise?
3) Is there a favorite hotel everyone has for being able to walk to the parks and food?
4) What might cab fare cost us to MCO at the end of our visit?
5) Has anyone extended their stay at their WDW hotel and go to Universal each day to avoid the move? Thoughts on that?

Thanks so much!!
With this info I can get started

Click to expand...

1. I would say this depends on crowds. We went in early Feb and crowds were non-existant. We also had an Express Pass (we stayed on-site at Hard Rock, so it was included) and never waited more then 10 mins for a ride that had an Express Pass Line. Other rides that don't have Express Pass - I think we waited up to 40 mins for the Harry Potter rides that don't have the Express Pass (Forbidden Journey and Escape from Gringotts). Because of these factors (low crowds, Express Pass) we did 2 park days and did it all. Actually, at the end of the 1st day, we had done about a park and a half, and used the 2ns day to do the other 1/2 park and the things that take up more time, like the interactive wand stuff at WWOHP. We also stayed and watched more performances, etc, in WWOHP. We could probably spend 2 days in just those 2 areas - But we're all REALLY into Harry Potter.
2. Size-wise, I would say it's closest to HS. Everything is very accessible. It is amazing to be able to walk be in your hotel room within 10 mins of walking out the park gates. We had park to park tickets and went from one to the other freely (Hogwarts Express) and I think I walked more on our Epcot days than I did during our Universal Park days.
3. We stayed at the Hard Rock and LOVED it. It was very, very easy to get to, we could see the park from our room. We didn't eat at any of the restaurants there, but instead grabbed pizzas from Red Oven in CityWalk. We walked back to the hotel with them and they were still hot when we finally settled in the room to eat. City walk is SO accessible. It felt similar to my morning walks from my room at CSR to the lobby to get breakfast/coffee in the mornings as it did for me to walk from Hard Rock to City Walk. about 10 min walk... CSR to the lobby was actually more like 15-18 mins each way, because I would be gone from the room for at least 45 mins each morning.
4. I don't know - we drove down, so we had our own car. I've read that you can get it for $100 from Disney to Uni and then a few days later Uni to MCO (sometimes even with a grocery stop!), both trips, $100 all together. Search the boards - lots of threads about it, but I stopped looking once we decided to drive.
5. We made the move, and I'm so glad we did. I liked Hard Rock 100 times better than Coronado Springs. And by being on site, you'll get the Express Pass! (Keep in mind, it's not included if you stay at Cabana Beach. Only HRH, RPH, or PBR)

Hope I helped. Feel free to contact me if there are any specific questions I can answer... glad to be of help! (We just did our first Universal trip... 5 days at Disney, 2 days at Universal - earlier this month.)

Thanks @hops&dreams I think our family will make the move as well. We don't like lines so if we can Express some of it that would pay off for us. And it would be great to settle back into the hotel at the end of the day rather than hopping on a shuttle. Do you recommend ending with Universal?

canadiandisneynut said:

[So you choose two days of your stay at Disney and head to Universal on both days?

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Yes we do that on each of the 3 weeks we're at wdw

Does your hotel rate include the tickets or you simply book the hotel in order to get the express pass?

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We're passholders, so we just get the room for the express

How does your family travel from WDW to Universal each day?

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We have a car

canadiandisneynut said:

Thanks @hops&dreams I think our family will make the move as well. We don't like lines so if we can Express some of it that would pay off for us. And it would be great to settle back into the hotel at the end of the day rather than hopping on a shuttle. Do you recommend ending with Universal?

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@canadiandisneynut omg, yes, yes, yes - end with Universal. DH isn't one to really have an opinion on vacation planning, but he actually turned to me when we were walking back to our hotel at the end of the first night and said "I'm SO glad you booked Universal last." His reasons were:
1. Express pass - it would be disappointing having to wait in lines - even FP+ lines - after using the Express pass.
2. New experience - this was our first trip to Universal, so it gave us something to look forward to after leaving WDW, a place we're so familiar with.
3. closeness of the hotel - it was a relief after spending days having to wait for a bus at the end of a park day. It was up to us to walk our own little heinies back to the hotel. And the walk wasn't terribly far - I dreaded those nights after Illuminations - having to walk all the way to the busses!
4. Less young kids at Universal. We lamented over the 60 minute waits for Peter Pan while at MK, and the seas of strollers. We encountered very, very few small children at Universal. Even only a handful of elementary aged kids. Most were jr. high or older. Maybe because Universal's rides are geared toward an older crowd and don't cater to the pre-school set.

We all enjoyed Universal a LOT more than we thought we would. Now, don't get me wrong, it's no Disney, but WWOHP blew us away. We LOVED it. After we left, DH said "pretty sure every trip will now end with a couple of days at Universal!"

That's just awesome @hops&dreams. I think you confirmed my thoughts. I worried that Universal in the middle of a trip would have us hating lines and wanting to go back on a few of those rides. Its an exciting adventure ending with the unknown. Thanks again!

Thanks @chmurf Love your avatar

2 days is probably just enough time to see it all if you don't plan on any resort/down time but at certain busier times it would be a stretch. 3 days is good. 3 days with express pass is better. 4 days with express pass and plenty of time to enjoy the resort and City Walk is best!

HRH is closest to US gate. RPR is not that far of a walk to IOA gate. We've never waited long for a water taxi, not like some of the WDW bus waits! I love HRH but we're staying at RPR this coming trip because the room price was much better. Having been to both there really is not that much difference in the overall experience.

Try Uber or a car service for your trip to MCO. Either should be cheaper than a taxi or ask at the valet or bell desk for options. Not specifically at Universal but, we've gotten great deals on limos and car services through the bell desk when traveling. The bellmen are familiar with the local limo drivers and if someone has an airport pick up they are usually willing to cut you a deal TO the airport so they get paid each way instead of traveling to the airport empty. Last year in San Fran we got a stretch limo ride to the airport for the same cost as the estimated taxi fare. Similar experience in Waikiki. So much nicer than a crowded taxi.

While it may seem easier to "avoid the move" it's really easy to just get it over with so you can completely settle in and enjoy the new place. A tip that I read here on the DIS years ago that we use often when we will be staying at multiple hotels during a trip is to pack with that in mind. Instead of DD and I each having our own suitcase, we'll pack one combined case for both of us for the first part of the trip and another combined case for part 2. We usually have a car when we travel so the suitcase we're not using stays in the trunk for that part of the trip. We do this even for trips where we'll be at a single hotel if we're checking bags for the flight. That way if one bag gets lost we each still have some of our things while the airline finds the bag.

Had only planned one ful day for both US and IOA for our upcoming wish trip and we love Harry Potter as well. Now I'm wondering if that's not enough time.

Had only planned one ful day for both US and IOA for our upcoming wish trip and we love Harry Potter as well. Now I'm wondering if that's not enough time.

I think you could do all of the HP stuff in one day if you are there at park opening and don't mind some waiting. You would still have time for some other attractions, just not for all of them. Looks like you have little ones so the big coasters are probably not on your list anyway...

DH is saying we will need 2 days, now I just need to decide if I should add time onto our 7 day Disney or just break up the week a little differently this time. Life was so easy when we just planned WDW and it became second nature! Now we have a learning curve again with Universal. I am sure it will be worth it. I like what everyone is saying about staying at Universal to fully experience it.

WendyLou said:

Had only planned one ful day for both US and IOA for our upcoming wish trip and we love Harry Potter as well. Now I'm wondering if that's not enough time.

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Pre-Harry Potter, we would do both parks in one day. I think 2 days is the minimum necessary now, unless you only plan on visiting the HP areas and the other stuff is just extra that you won't stress about missing.

Thanks, may try to fit an extra day in, DS10 loves the big thrill rides and DS3 is going to want to take his time and play in the play areas. Maybe that way I wont have to be a commando meanie to try and get it all in. DH is stuck on visiting seaworld but I really need that extra day.