We are just starting the planning process and while I did a few searches, I think it might be better for me to describe our trip parameters and let the experts help with my question of "how many days" to devote to the three parks.
We are traveling by car to Florida for a family reunion in mid-July. There is some flexibility with the number of days and when we arrive at Universal (which will be just for my immediate family and not the extended family). Immediate family= me, DH, DD (14), DS1 (11) and DS2 (9). DH and the kids love coasters/thrill rides and will ride anything and everything--we have season passes to Six Flags and have visited a few of the different Six Flags parks, we've been to Cedar Point and Hershey Park and they rode everything, etc. I am more 'selective' (e.g. chicken
) but am fine with them doing what they want, which includes Volcano Bay for at least one day or part of several days.
We have been to WDW twice and Sea World once in the past 8 years (three separate trips) and don't plan on coming back to Universal anytime soon, so we want to make sure we make the most of our time while we are visiting. In my early research, I've already decided that it is probably easiest and less costly to stay onsite so we'll get early entry and the express passes included (probably Royal Pacific Resort). We'll probably also get the park to park tickets so we have flexibility to move around. We haven't gotten the park hoppers at Disney, but it sound like everything at Universal is a lot closer and easier to hop than for Disney.
I know this will be a travesty to some, but we aren't Harry Potter devotees.
Still, though, I know we'll want to check out the rides/buildings/butterbeer, etc.
So, with that all said, how many days would you devote to the entire Universal stay/how many days of tickets would you purchase? My thought is that we won't likely arrive at Universal until midday, so it's likely that we'll just settle in and check out the pool, maybe City Walk, etc. on the first day. I suppose if we have enough time that first day, we could visit the parks (but I don't want to "waste" a day's ticket)--the first day will be sometime either Tuesday or probably Wednesday, not a weekend. I just am not sure if we need 3, 4 or 5 days, given the crowds, heat, likelihood that we'll go back to the hotel to swim/relax midday in July, knowledge that the kids/DH will likely want to ride everything, etc. I'm mainly vacillating between 4 and 5 days of tickets. The last day of Universal, we'd check out of the hotel that morning, go to a park and then stay offsite/perhaps start our drive home.
I guess I'm just asking, what would you do for ticket purchase, with those parameters?
Thanks.
We are traveling by car to Florida for a family reunion in mid-July. There is some flexibility with the number of days and when we arrive at Universal (which will be just for my immediate family and not the extended family). Immediate family= me, DH, DD (14), DS1 (11) and DS2 (9). DH and the kids love coasters/thrill rides and will ride anything and everything--we have season passes to Six Flags and have visited a few of the different Six Flags parks, we've been to Cedar Point and Hershey Park and they rode everything, etc. I am more 'selective' (e.g. chicken
) but am fine with them doing what they want, which includes Volcano Bay for at least one day or part of several days.We have been to WDW twice and Sea World once in the past 8 years (three separate trips) and don't plan on coming back to Universal anytime soon, so we want to make sure we make the most of our time while we are visiting. In my early research, I've already decided that it is probably easiest and less costly to stay onsite so we'll get early entry and the express passes included (probably Royal Pacific Resort). We'll probably also get the park to park tickets so we have flexibility to move around. We haven't gotten the park hoppers at Disney, but it sound like everything at Universal is a lot closer and easier to hop than for Disney.
I know this will be a travesty to some, but we aren't Harry Potter devotees.
Still, though, I know we'll want to check out the rides/buildings/butterbeer, etc.So, with that all said, how many days would you devote to the entire Universal stay/how many days of tickets would you purchase? My thought is that we won't likely arrive at Universal until midday, so it's likely that we'll just settle in and check out the pool, maybe City Walk, etc. on the first day. I suppose if we have enough time that first day, we could visit the parks (but I don't want to "waste" a day's ticket)--the first day will be sometime either Tuesday or probably Wednesday, not a weekend. I just am not sure if we need 3, 4 or 5 days, given the crowds, heat, likelihood that we'll go back to the hotel to swim/relax midday in July, knowledge that the kids/DH will likely want to ride everything, etc. I'm mainly vacillating between 4 and 5 days of tickets. The last day of Universal, we'd check out of the hotel that morning, go to a park and then stay offsite/perhaps start our drive home.
I guess I'm just asking, what would you do for ticket purchase, with those parameters?
Thanks.
