Appeal to the experts

[pattyannke]

My husband and I are taking our first non-disney trip without our children tagging along. Arriving in Orlando on May 15 through May 23. Our touring will start on Wednesday and continue til the following Tuesday. Must see things on our agenda: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Sea World. Have passes already -- two day Seaworld and a 14 day unlimited pass to Universal and Islands -- also bought four meal deal tickets to US and IOA -- any and all suggestions are welcome as I am a big pre-planner and need to know before we go. Staying on I Drive -- how are the shuttles? Any don't miss places to dine -- we will not have a car so will be counting on buses, shuttles and taxis. Thanks in advance for any suggestions --

 

[macraven]

My husband and I are taking our first non-disney trip without our children tagging along. Arriving in Orlando on May 15 through May 23. Our touring will start on Wednesday and continue til the following Tuesday. Must see things on our agenda: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Sea World. Have passes already -- two day Seaworld and a 14 day unlimited pass to Universal and Islands -- also bought four meal deal tickets to US and IOA -- any and all suggestions are welcome as I am a big pre-planner and need to know before we go. Staying on I Drive -- how are the shuttles? Any don't miss places to dine -- we will not have a car so will be counting on buses, shuttles and taxis. Thanks in advance for any suggestions --

which hotel on I drive are you staying?
has the hotel informed you that they provide shuttles to the park?
if they do, and hopefully it is free for the hotel guests, take the earliest shuttle to the park.

be at the park and in the ticket line by 8:15. park officially opens at 9 but the ones in the ticket line usually get in around 8:30ish.

i think there are no busses that go down universal blvd from I drive. you will have to depend on the hotel shuttle or taxi then. there are some hotels on I drive that would only take a 15-20 minute walk to the park garage area.
don't know how you feel about that though.

if you stayed on site at one of the hotels, you could get a sweet deal with aaa or ap discounts for the time period you will be in orlando.
if you stay on site, no transportation mode is necessary.
you also get fotl so no need to buy express pass if the park is crowded.
also, there is a free shuttle to sw from the hotels.

robvia who posts regularly on the UO forums has a lot of info for off site guests for dining and various other topics. hopefully he will see this thread and jump in here.

do the UO parks on the weekdays to be able to avoid crowds.
eat at 11ish when the crowds start to come in.

the most important info for us to give you is to be at the parks early.
you will be able to do a lot more at a leisurely pace and enjoy yourselves to the fullest.

have you read the meals that are included in the meal deal plan?

hope you have a wonderful stay !

 

[Fan2CSkr]

My husband and I are taking our first non-disney trip without our children tagging along. Arriving in Orlando on May 15 through May 23. Our touring will start on Wednesday and continue til the following Tuesday. Must see things on our agenda: Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Sea World. Have passes already -- two day Seaworld and a 14 day unlimited pass to Universal and Islands -- also bought four meal deal tickets to US and IOA -- any and all suggestions are welcome as I am a big pre-planner and need to know before we go. Staying on I Drive -- how are the shuttles? Any don't miss places to dine -- we will not have a car so will be counting on buses, shuttles and taxis. Thanks in advance for any suggestions --

Welcome to the Universal Boards! You have a nice long time to really enjoy the parks and that's great! Some dont rely on the shuttles from the nearby hotels due to the schedules not being so great. Depends on where you are staying.

The restaurants I would consider are:
Mythos - The BEST at IOA - Sit Down, great theme, Incredible Food
Finnegans - Sit Down at Universal - Nice Irish Pub
Margaritaville - CityWalk, lots of fun and good food
Thunder Falls Terrace - Counter Service, great ribs and roasted corn - IOA
Enchanted Oak - Chicken, Ribs Counter Service at IOA
Mama Della - Great Italian at Portofino Bay Sit Down
Ricters Burgers - Counter service at Universal - Big Burgers that are good
There is a bakery located at the entrance to each park. They have breakfast, pastries, coffee and lunch as well as really good desserts.

Have a look at The restaurants at CityWalk
www.citywalk.com
Your dates shouldn't be too crowded.

 

[yaytezIOA]

I love the disney people...I really do. You dont have to "tour" or "plan' like you do at WDW. All of the rest of the parks are smaller, they are less crowded, and as long as you arrive before the park opens.....this means do not do shuttles.......then you'll be able to do most of the rides in one park by noon, and still have time to jump to the other park and check out some stuff before the crowds get there.
I would also like to reiterate that staying on site at one of the hotels, while more expensive....is a perk all in itself. The glorious atmosphere, the wonderful pools....the free fotl access, the walking distance to the parks. Its all unbelievable.

 

[pattyannke]

Thanks for your thoughtful insight -- Macraven we are staying at the Quality Suites at 7400 Canada Avenue and yes, they do have shuttle service -- although staying onsight would be wonderful this is a quick getaway that has taken on wings -- we got $49 each way air from philly with southwest -- got our suite through Choice rewards for only $59 a night -- the seaworld for a kid price -- and the universal $85 ticket. It is actually going to be cheaper than going to the jersey shore and we'll be in florida!!! just couldn't resist. I'm sure we'll enjoy whatever fun comes our way --

 

[robvia]

The hotel is located behind Wet N' Wild (WnW) on the south side. Kinda far to walk to IOA, it could be done if you really wanted, would take 30 minutes.
You can try the hotel shuttle service. The problem is they usually don't start running until 9am, and your early morning advantage is gone. You want to arrive the parking garage (or the atrium) at 8am.
The good news is that it won't be too crowded in May, most kids are still in school. So if you arrive around 9am you'll still get on most rides. The crowds show up at 11am. If the hotel shuttle is running late, grab a cab since you're close to IOA.

Plan a morning at WnW since you can walk to that. It's best to go early, ride the most popular slides, then relax in the lazy river and wave pool in the afternoon.