Advice on parking and rides

[evoni]

We leave for Orlando on Monday and originally only planned on visiting Walt Disney World (haven't been in 10 years) and at the last minute my Mother who is 77 insists we all go to see Harry Potter as one of her friends told her my son who is 22 and a big fan shouldn't miss seeing it. So I'm changing my plans around to include Universal on Wednesday the 18th and need advice.

I bought the one day 2 park tickets for us. Is the parking lot the same for both parks or do we have to drive to the other park after we do IOA? Any advice on parking?

My 77 year old Mom is in good shape and plays tennis and golf on a regular basis and can walk uphill and such without any problems, but what rides should we avoid considering her age? None of us like roller coasters that put you upside down.

We plan on getting to the park when it first opens and doing IOA first. We are staying offsite so won't be able to get in early with guests staying at Universal so I expect Harry Potter will already be crowded? Any tips on how not to stand in line for hours?

Is there a Iphone app for Universal lines like there is for Disney?

Given that we only had one day at Universal, which rides/shows are a must to see in that one day?

Any tips are appreciated since I haven't had time to study up on Universal before leaving tomorrow.

 

[Bluer101]

Parking for both parks are in the same garages. The parks are a short 5 minutes or less walk between them.

There is an iPhone app , do a search for universal wait times and its free.

With it being the middle of the week and off time, if you hustle you can get most of it done in one day for both parks.

 

[Planogirl]

I don't know if you'll check back but be sure to ride Spiderman. Try to hit this one early because it can get very crowded early. It should be suitable for everyone. Shrek is nice and the Mummy's Revenge is great. If you can ride Space Mountain, you should be able to handle the Mummy. Disaster is interesting. The Men in Black is much like Buzz Lightyear but with more theming and detail. Jaws is a fun classic. The Simpsons is a choppy simulator ride that is quite funny. Terminator is a wonderful show to cool off in and you can go any time. The Gruesome Gory Horror Show (I always mess that name up) is funny too. Poseidon's Fury is a walkthrough that is OK. We love the Jurassic Park ride but it has a BIG drop. Popeye's Bilge Rat Barges will soak everyone to the bone! The Dr Seuss area is the best in my opinion.

We like to eat at Thunder Falls Terrace in IOA and maybe try Finnegan's in the Studios. Most importantly, have fun!

 

[evoni]

Thanks Planogirl and Bluer, appreciate the information!