Add 5th day?

[123SA]

This will be our first trip to Universal Studios. Party: me, DD17, DS 14, DS 11 Arriving on Sunday 8/20 somewhere between 12-2pm. We are driving. Staying in South Carolina or Georgia the night before, so we won't be very tired upon arrival.

We are staying at Royal Pacific checking out on Friday. (I'm trying to move to the Hard Rock.) We will have UExp. We have 4 day/3 park ticket.

My plan is 3 days at the parks, 1 at Volcano Bay. We aren't shoppers or night life inclined so I haven't looked into City Walk at all yet. We check out on Friday and head to Disney where we meet my husband for a 2 week Disney stay.

I initially thought we would just hang out at the resort on Sunday, but research shows that adding the 5th day increases the total price by $42. $42 is pretty cheap for a park day.

So...what do you recommend? Hanging out at the resort or adding the park day?

I've been hesitant to add the day because for some reason I feel like since it is our first time at the park, arriving mid-day is not a good plan. However, with the UExp pass, I would think we could still see and do a lot.

For reference, at Disney we get to the parks before rope drop, we don't take a mid-day break, and we mostly stay all day. We don't "hang out" at the resort. We sleep and shower there. But, we always stay in a value suite, or 2 rooms at value and there is not much incentive to stay at the resort. My kids are competitive year round swimmers. Playing in a generic pool is NOT a vacation for them. However, the pools at Universal look enticing enough to most definitely interest them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[macraven]

$42 is a deal

Pace yourself in the parks and take your time to enjoy everything

 

[soniam]

The pools at Universal are generally cooler than Disney hotels, even some Deluxe Disney hotels. Hard Rock has a really good pool with a slide. Royal Pacific doesn't have a slide. They have a kiddie area, but it's really for little kids. The pools feel bigger to me though than any Disney hotel, except may Storm Along Bay. The pool bars at the Universal resorts feel nicer than the Disney ones. Also, Universal allows pool hopping, so you could go try out the really cool pool, slides, and lazy river at Cabana Bay or the cool looking pool at Sapphire Falls. Adding another day is nice. It might let you feel like you could wonder around the Wizarding World more or like you might have time to wait for a restaurant in Citywalk, like Toothsome Chocolate Factory or Cow Fish. These restaurants do not take reservations.

We are rope droppers at Disney too and often don't take a mid-day break. However, at Universal, we still do rope drop and Early Entry, but we almost always take a mid-day break to swim at the pool. Also, with Volcano Bay being much more convenient than the Disney water parks and also staying open later, like until dark probably, you might spend more time there than you originally thought. The entire resort is so much more compact than WDW, that it's really easy to walk back to your hotel mid-day and go to a park at night. It just seems so cumbersome at Disney at times. This is one of the things that will hook you about Universal

 

[schumigirl]

$42 is nothing.......upgrade and spend some more time in the parks.

You'll have plenty of time to take in so much more........and yes EP will make a difference.

 

[kohlby]

Agree to add the day. It's hot that time of year and thunderstorms can easily pop up. Having that extra day means more flexibility. As for pools, Universal allows pool hopping so they can check out any they want. We also were rope droppers who did all day at Disney. Then we did Disney the first week of September one year with the heat index over 100. Despite us being from SC/GA and used to that heat, it took its toll on a couple people in the family so we had to cut our days shorter than we were used to. We even had to do a mid-day break once and that had always been a disaster for us before.

 

[angryduck71]

DO IT!!!!

 

[123SA]

Thanks for your responses. I didn't think about rain...does the park shut down in the rain?

 

[macraven]

More indoor rides at the studios

So when it rains, this park tends to have more guests in it

 

[soniam]

Thanks for your responses. I didn't think about rain...does the park shut down in the rain?

If there's lightning nearby, then the pools and outdoor attractions could shut down.

 

[disneyavonohio]

Thanks for your responses. I didn't think about rain...does the park shut down in the rain?

When it rains (as long as not lighting and a downpour) is a perfect time to hit the water rides at Island of Adventure-as they WILL drench you anyway. My 2 oldest and I did that our very first day at Universal and we had a blast.

My vote is add the day AND do some pool hopping also--my kids are a bit younger (14,12 and 8), they loved the Portifino Bay Pool and slide.

 

[macraven]

Water taxis stop running when lightning is with close range

Could be 3-5 miles out when they stop operations

 

[keishashadow]

Onsite w/FOTL negates the need or desire to do the Disney commando run. I'd wait & upgrade when there

Willing to bet you will find yourself enjoying down time at the resort pool. There's a big difference between chilling and training in a pool, the vibe is cool; especially @ the HRH one.

It's hard to avoid citiwalk as the boats are located there we don't spend a ton of time there but there are many restaurants you might want to check out as a family. It's doesn't really kick into adult high-gear until 9 pm or so in the club area.

 

[janicept]

I personally don't stay at parks all day so can't relate there. I would add a park day it you're talking about $42 total for the entire family and not each. Even if you don't use it it's nice to have even for a part day or to walk around more in HP. With EPs you will be able to ride things multiple times even without the extra day. Some people like to ride multiple times and sometimes not.