1 Day, 2 Parks???

[MauraAndIainsDad]

Hey everyone,

First time on the Uni-board! My family and I are planning a trip to WDW next month and are considering skipping MGM Studios (because of the Rock n Roller Coaster closure) and replacing that day with a trip to Universal (our first). For our first trip to Universal, do you think we could do both parks justice? We will probably be there Thursday, Jan. 4; the parks are both scheduled to be open from 9-7. My family consists of my wife and myself, my 14yo daughter and almost-11yo son. Will the crowd levels be low enough that we can at least ride every major attraction once?

Thanks!

 

[mrsklamc]

I don't know what the crowds will be like, but here are my recommendations for trying to do both parks in one day:

Jaws, Twister, and Earthquake are on my list to skip this time around. Twister seriously was not even comparable to a severe thunderstorm. (although there were some cool movie props)

Make sure you don't miss:

Men in Black
Spiderman
Hulk
Jurassic Park
Dueling Dragons

Shrek and the Mummy weren't open when I was last there (2000)

Your kids are probably too old for Suess- but at least walk through. It's like walking into one of the books.

I don't know if the crowds will justify the price, but if I were trying to do it all in one day I would probably invest in a fastpass.

Good Luck!

 

[robvia]

You can do both parks in one day, crowds are very light in Jan/Feb.
Parking garage opens at 8am. If you arrive at this time, you can be first to the gate of IOA and take a lap of walk on rides. You'll be done around 11am, then you can walk over to USF. The movie attractions take longer, because they have pre-shows, but you can do a few.

The only negative with your plan, is you're driving up from Disney, only spending a day, and won't get the full effect. Most people who drive up from Disney for a day have a jaded view of Universal, like it's this alien thing taking a day away from Disney. There are many topics on this board talking about the brainwashing effect.

If you were to stay onsite at a Universal hotel for 2 nights, then you'll "feel" like part of the action. You put the Universal stay at the end of the trip, because once you try FOTL, you'll be spoiled. You won't really need it in January, but the short walk to the parks and the pools are worth it. Otherwise, leave Disney around 07:30am, be first to the gate, and you'll get alot done. But try to keep an open mind about Universal.

 

[MauraAndIainsDad]

Thanks for the quick replies. I've actually spent 1/2 day at IoA and I don't think we'll have an expectations problem versus Disney. I like the idea of doing a full lap of IoA before 11 - that should give us plenty of time to hit the highlights at USF. There are 2 big "if's": IF I can get my family outta bed in time and IF I can drag my kids off of Hulk! They're gonna LOVE it.

An added bonus might be dinner at Emeril's - is there a dress code or will we be OK in "theme park" attire?

 

[mrsklamc]

Robvia, I actually love your response, because I'm going mid-January and would be thrilled to do US/IOA in one day-- but what's FOTL?

Nevermind. Front of the Line, right?

 

[JohnnySharp2]

As you walk easily from one park to the other and the crowds will be light you can do both parks yes, you may not see everything but there is no reason why you shouldn't get on most of the rides.

It is essential to get there early as Rob says.

FOTL - means 'front of the line' access, something you qualify for if staying at a Universal hotel.

 

[kohlby]

We do both parks and hit IOA first. We do the rides more than once though since when there's not a wait, it seems a shame to not to them again! By the time we head over to Universal, we need a thrill ride break. We always end up back at IOA in the evening. Even when we spend 2 days, we do things this way. (We've never had FOTL access and had no problems. We leave in 3 days though and will have FOTL this time!)

 

[robvia]

Well, you're in for a treat on this trip.
I still show up to the parks early so I can get front seat rides on the coasters.
In the afternoon is when the UEPs really come in handy. Lines for some rides will be 20-30 minutes, and we just walk right on. Plus you can walk back and forth to the hotel. That's the fun part to staying on site, is taking a nap at 1pm, then going back to the parks at 4pm. My feet get tired after walking around for 3 hours, so I need a break.

 

[LilyStar]

By the way, yes there is a bit of a dress code at Emeril's. They don't require a suit and tie or anything, but they do ask for no jeans or shorts. Khakis, polos etc. are ok though.

 

[armomof3lvsdisney]

We are also thinking about trying Universal for a day me DH, DS14, DD11, DD9!! Thanks for all of the advice!

 

[FayeW]

The only flaw in the plan might be that it may still be crowded from the holidays if you are visiting on Jan 4th. Some schools don't go back in until Jan 8th.

 

[MauraAndIainsDad]

Thanks again for all the advice. Since we plan to drive from Atlanta to Orlando on New Year's Day, another possible option might be for us to leave very early, purchase a 2-day ticket, spend the afternoon at USF/IoA on Jan 1 and return on Jan 4. But the biggest concern obviously is the crowds on 1/1 - is this worth doing without FOTL priviledges?

 

[robvia]

It can be done, the drive from Atlanta to Orlando is 6.5 hours. More like 7 if you stop and take a break. I drove from Leesburg FL to Atlanta in 6 hours when I visited SFoG. I got up at 2am, left at 3am, checked in the West Gate Inn, and was at the park when it opened. So it can be done the other way around. Driving thru the night is actually a great idea because there is less traffic on the road. You don't get boxed in by other drivers. Plus there is some construction in the south part of Georgia on I-75. In the early morning hours you go thru the construction zones with no delay. Plus the wife and kids will go back to sleep and make it easy for you to concentrate. You can let the wife drive when you get to Florida and the sun is up. Jan 1 has light crowds because everyone is hung over from the night before. It will be worth showing up on Jan 1st and doing a few rides.

 

[MauraAndIainsDad]

NY Day crowds are light, huh? Sounds like a plan! Thanks for the info.

 

[mickeyholic]

we are wanting to Universal in a day during July 2007! Thanks for the info

 

[robvia]

we are wanting to Universal in a day during July 2007! Thanks for the info

July and the 1st week of August are the most busy time of the year. Will you be staying onsite for 1 evening so you can get the UEPs?
If not, then the plan of attack would be to show up at 8am, tour IOA, then either go back to your hotel and rest for a few hours, or eat a long lunch. From noon to 4pm, it's very hot, and the parks are packed. Since the parks stay open until 10pm, you would have time to leave, and come back. Some warriors can go all day from morning to night, but that's a very long day, especially with the heat in the afternoon.

 

[exbjd]

We did IOA and US yesterday (Monday, December 18th) with no problem. We arrived at the parking garage at 7:50, waited 10 minutes and parked immediately up front. We walked directly to IOA and the gate attendent asked us if we had "early entry". We said no and then he told us that we would have to wait a bit to go into the park. So 30 seconds later, he said "come on in". The only ride open at 8:25 was Spiderman, so we rode it. Then Hulk opened as soon as we got off of Spiderman. We made our way around the whole park and by 11:30 we were heading over to US. We rode every ride there and were done by 4:00, which left us to repeat our favorites.

The one things I was not happy with is we purchased the meal deal and drinks for the day. What no one told us is that the participating restaurants (3 at each park) did not open until 10:30. Which also meant we couldn't get anything to drink until then either. And you can only refill your cup at the participating restaurants.

 

[mickeyholic]

July and the 1st week of August are the most busy time of the year. Will you be staying onsite for 1 evening so you can get the UEPs?
If not, then the plan of attack would be to show up at 8am, tour IOA, then either go back to your hotel and rest for a few hours, or eat a long lunch. From noon to 4pm, it's very hot, and the parks are packed. Since the parks stay open until 10pm, you would have time to leave, and come back. Some warriors can go all day from morning to night, but that's a very long day, especially with the heat in the afternoon.

Thanks for the info.