US/IOA Trip (March 13-15)
Wrap up Trip Report, Helpful Hints and Tips
My brother and I stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort. One should ABOSLUTELY stay on-site if possible! I would gladly pay $100 a day for FOTL access, and you can get it for your whole family! You can even do it so you only stay one night but get two days use out of it (and stay offsite the other days!). I would NEVER go without FOTL! We literally walked on to rides that had 60-90 minute waits! The convenience factor is huge!
RPR WRAP UP: We had a great time at RPR. I would rate this on par with some of the top Disney hotels (Yacht Club, etc.). The rooms were not too huge but suited our needs perfectly. TV channels are great (MTV!). I requested a high floor, which gave us a beautiful view of the grounds. The pool looked beautiful. I liked the location and the serene atmosphere (not as crazy as Hard Rock). Also, during the whole time at RPR, we never used the water taxi, and I am so glad we didnt. The boat looked slow and infrequent, and it was only a gorgeous 7-minute walk to the park.
Helpful hint: We asked the RPR check-in girl to punch a hole in our room keys, and then we placed them on Caribbeaners (bean-shaped clips typically used for climbing ropes that you can buy at hardware stores). We then clipped them to our belt loops. Problem solved for carrying the card around!
FOOD WRAP UP: We loved the food at Universal! We are not picky eaters, so Im not sure if vegetarians or dieters might have trouble, but the cheeseburgers, sandwiches, and restaurants are great! Tchoup Chop rocks! And surprisingly, the food everywhere was a lot less expensive than Disney.
Helpful hint: We brought some of our own food in our suitcases for the park (bottled water, granola bars, rice krispie treats). No one ever bothered us about bringing our own food in, and it saved us from searching for food when we needed a pick-me-up snack.
IOA WRAP UP: IOA was amazing! Every inch was perfectly groomed and styled, and it was flawlessly maintained. The Lost Continent has the most elaborate staging around, and places like the outside of Poseidons Fury really show you how elaborate the setup is. Dont bother with the carnival games (ripoffs), but the medallion-making booth is fun to watch. Go around IOA in a clockwise pattern and start with Hulk, Dr. Doom and Spiderman (extremely busy in the afternoon). Bring a poncho or swimsuit to Blutos rideyoull thank me later! Ice is better than Fire, but doing both right after another will leave you very dizzy!
Helpful hint: Go to IOA at night! The world takes on the most incredible magical feeling (especially Lost Continent), and it is pretty quiet. Confiscos is great for dinner and empty!
Helpful hint: Especially at night, make sure you listen closely to the music that they play in each world. The themes reflect perfectly in the music choices, and it is a great subconscious signal that gets you in the mood of each world. Even at the Port of Entry has a cool sound effect under the bridge (sounds like carts are overhead). And the bridges between worlds have cool chimes that change the music!
US WRAP UP: Older park but still amazing! Go to MIB first and ride it until the line gets too long, and then go counter-clockwise to Jaws. Wander around and look at the details in places like NYC and the fishing village truly perfection. The street performers are great (we happened upon the Blues Brothers, an Irish band for St. Paddys Day, and the Breakdancers). DO NOT MISS THE BREAKDANCERS! They were amazing and had a family-friendly show. Richters has amazing burgers and a fast-moving line.
FOR ADULTS: sometimes we forget how magical/scary/exciting things are. But the kids know better! It was amazing watching the kids around usdefinitely keep your eyes peeled for their expressions the first time they see something new. Jaws was so amazing when youre next to kids, as was watching their jaws drop when they meet their heroes (like Shrek). Even if youre jaded and tired, it makes you smile to watch a little kid at Universal for their first time.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: These parks are really special with all the rides and events, but dont miss out on the little things! Take time and relax a little! We had fun playing with a duck in the magic fountains pond, took pictures with the froggies at the RPR bridge, sat by the Jaws ride to watch the boats, wandered around the NYC streets and sat on the stoops, and just looked around a little at all the special details and moments that make a trip memorable. Sometimes the best things at the parks arent the rides!
Hope youve enjoyed reading this. Have fun at the parks!
Wrap up Trip Report, Helpful Hints and Tips
My brother and I stayed at the Royal Pacific Resort. One should ABOSLUTELY stay on-site if possible! I would gladly pay $100 a day for FOTL access, and you can get it for your whole family! You can even do it so you only stay one night but get two days use out of it (and stay offsite the other days!). I would NEVER go without FOTL! We literally walked on to rides that had 60-90 minute waits! The convenience factor is huge!
RPR WRAP UP: We had a great time at RPR. I would rate this on par with some of the top Disney hotels (Yacht Club, etc.). The rooms were not too huge but suited our needs perfectly. TV channels are great (MTV!). I requested a high floor, which gave us a beautiful view of the grounds. The pool looked beautiful. I liked the location and the serene atmosphere (not as crazy as Hard Rock). Also, during the whole time at RPR, we never used the water taxi, and I am so glad we didnt. The boat looked slow and infrequent, and it was only a gorgeous 7-minute walk to the park.
Helpful hint: We asked the RPR check-in girl to punch a hole in our room keys, and then we placed them on Caribbeaners (bean-shaped clips typically used for climbing ropes that you can buy at hardware stores). We then clipped them to our belt loops. Problem solved for carrying the card around!
FOOD WRAP UP: We loved the food at Universal! We are not picky eaters, so Im not sure if vegetarians or dieters might have trouble, but the cheeseburgers, sandwiches, and restaurants are great! Tchoup Chop rocks! And surprisingly, the food everywhere was a lot less expensive than Disney.
Helpful hint: We brought some of our own food in our suitcases for the park (bottled water, granola bars, rice krispie treats). No one ever bothered us about bringing our own food in, and it saved us from searching for food when we needed a pick-me-up snack.
IOA WRAP UP: IOA was amazing! Every inch was perfectly groomed and styled, and it was flawlessly maintained. The Lost Continent has the most elaborate staging around, and places like the outside of Poseidons Fury really show you how elaborate the setup is. Dont bother with the carnival games (ripoffs), but the medallion-making booth is fun to watch. Go around IOA in a clockwise pattern and start with Hulk, Dr. Doom and Spiderman (extremely busy in the afternoon). Bring a poncho or swimsuit to Blutos rideyoull thank me later! Ice is better than Fire, but doing both right after another will leave you very dizzy!
Helpful hint: Go to IOA at night! The world takes on the most incredible magical feeling (especially Lost Continent), and it is pretty quiet. Confiscos is great for dinner and empty!
Helpful hint: Especially at night, make sure you listen closely to the music that they play in each world. The themes reflect perfectly in the music choices, and it is a great subconscious signal that gets you in the mood of each world. Even at the Port of Entry has a cool sound effect under the bridge (sounds like carts are overhead). And the bridges between worlds have cool chimes that change the music!
US WRAP UP: Older park but still amazing! Go to MIB first and ride it until the line gets too long, and then go counter-clockwise to Jaws. Wander around and look at the details in places like NYC and the fishing village truly perfection. The street performers are great (we happened upon the Blues Brothers, an Irish band for St. Paddys Day, and the Breakdancers). DO NOT MISS THE BREAKDANCERS! They were amazing and had a family-friendly show. Richters has amazing burgers and a fast-moving line.
FOR ADULTS: sometimes we forget how magical/scary/exciting things are. But the kids know better! It was amazing watching the kids around usdefinitely keep your eyes peeled for their expressions the first time they see something new. Jaws was so amazing when youre next to kids, as was watching their jaws drop when they meet their heroes (like Shrek). Even if youre jaded and tired, it makes you smile to watch a little kid at Universal for their first time.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: These parks are really special with all the rides and events, but dont miss out on the little things! Take time and relax a little! We had fun playing with a duck in the magic fountains pond, took pictures with the froggies at the RPR bridge, sat by the Jaws ride to watch the boats, wandered around the NYC streets and sat on the stoops, and just looked around a little at all the special details and moments that make a trip memorable. Sometimes the best things at the parks arent the rides!
Hope youve enjoyed reading this. Have fun at the parks!
i too am staying at the RPR and reading your report has really got me hyped
