Booking a Universal Orlando Resort Vacation

[JJZMgailey]

In this week's episode of the Dreams Unlimited Travel Podcast, the panel discusses the ins and outs of booking a Universal Orlando Resort vacation.

If you're like me and have never been to Universal, this show is a must watch! And, if you have, you might just learn something that you never knew about!

 

[damo]

This was an excellent podcast. Such a change in attitudes towards Universal now. However, a few pieces of misinfomation? Or maybe I am misinformed.

1. Universal offers transportation to and from a Disney resort...............I don't believe this is true.

2. Secret Lives of Pets has been announced for Universal Orlando................. It was announced for Hollywood.

3. You can wait with a stroller in the child swap................. Strollers are not allowed in the queue.

 

[JJZMgailey]

This was an excellent podcast. Such a change in attitudes towards Universal now. However, a few pieces of misinfomation? Or maybe I am misinformed.

1. Universal offers transportation to and from a Disney resort...............I don't believe this is true.

2. Secret Lives of Pets has been announced for Universal Orlando................. It was announced for Hollywood.

3. You can wait with a stroller in the child swap................. Strollers are not allowed in the queue.

Hey, damo!

I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the show!

1) I believe this is private transportation that is available at a cost. It might be something that is not openly advertised unless Guests specifically ask for it.

2) Craig didn't specify which location when he talked about it during the show, but SLoP is coming to Orlando!

3) Strollers are allowed on a ride-by-ride basis. If the stroller has a Stroller as a Wheelchair pass then it can go anywhere. If it is just a regular stroller coming in from the exit it can go into the child swap assuming that the child swap is not upstairs like it is at Forbidden Journey. But this can also change. For example, at Dragon Challenge no loose articles are even allowed in child swap so most of the time the stroller will just get parked out front and have to stay there. Or if it's a busy child swap then Team Members can use their judgement on whether or not strollers are allowed in as it could become unsafe.

I hope this helps!

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't "do" podcasts (make transcripts! I don't want to watch or hear people!) so I'm only going by damo and WJ.

1.Do you mean the black vehicles parked outside of (at least) RPR, PBH, and HRH? I've taken them to Whole Foods when we were sick sick sick and I needed all the healthfood store type help I could get. Expensive. Convenient and useful, but expensive.

3. I have truly NEVER seen a stroller inside a queue. Not sure what exactly was said in the podcast (since I don't watch them), but if you guys are saying they are allowed, I seriously strongly vehemently question that. (not talking about stroller as wheelchair, but I've not seen that at Uni, either, since Uni does the return time thing) "If it is just a regular stroller coming in from the exit"...but why would that be happening, apart from stroller as wheelchair? Kid are allowed in queues, so you would just take them through the normal line to the swap area.


Damo, apart from those items, did they say anything much different than what we say daily here?

 

[safetymom]

Take Two Transfer [Walt Disney World® to Universal Orlando® Hotel to Airport], Ground Transportation

Enlarge Photo

Take Two Transfer [Walt Disney World® to Universal Orlando® Onsite Hotel to Airport], Orlando

Meet & Greet Transfer service between Walt Disney World® hotels, Universal Orlando® Resort on-site hotels and Orlando International Airport (MCO).
$40 per person.

 

[damo]

I don't think those transportations are anything other than just cabs and outside transportation. The podcast said that Universal provided transportation. I think that was a bit misleading. There is definitely transportation at Universal but it isn't provided by Universal....like Mears and Take Two. There isn't a bus or anything waiting to take people to Disney. There is a bus that takes people to SeaWorld. They do provide transportation for that. I can't see WDW ever allowing a Universal owned free transportation system to take people away from WDW when they are trying their darnedest to keep people onsite.

We were never allowed a stroller in any queues and I've never seen a stroller in a queue. Even if the baby was sleeping we were told he had to be removed. For sure any stroller used as a wheelchair would be allowed, though. I think it was misleading to say that you can take your child to the kid swap room in the stroller as that is not normally the case. The TMs at the front will tell you to park the stroller and remove the child.



SLOP is rumoured to be coming to Orlando, but that can change. It definitely hasn't been announced. This podcast was about Orlando, so I assume anything that was said on it was referring to the Orlando park and not the Hollywood park. It's been green lit at Universal Hollywood. Pretty sure it hasn't been formally announced there yet, either.

Damo, apart from those items, did they say anything much different than what we say daily here?

The podcast had no new info for us regulars here on this website. What I found very interesting was the shift in attitudes to how good Universal is now and how food, lodging and workers have all vastly improved and are just as good, if not better, than at WDW.

 

[Teleclashter]

3. I have truly NEVER seen a stroller inside a queue. Not sure what exactly was said in the podcast (since I don't watch them), but if you guys are saying they are allowed, I seriously strongly vehemently question that. (not talking about stroller as wheelchair, but I've not seen that at Uni, either, since Uni does the return time thing) "If it is just a regular stroller coming in from the exit"...but why would that be happening, apart from stroller as wheelchair? Kid are allowed in queues, so you would just take them through the normal line to the swap area.

We were never allowed a stroller in any queues and I've never seen a stroller in a queue. Even if the baby was sleeping we were told he had to be removed. For sure any stroller used as a wheelchair would be allowed, though. I think it was misleading to say that you can take your child to the kid swap room in the stroller as that is not normally the case. The TMs at the front will tell you to park the stroller and remove the child.

True, you should never see a stroller inside of a queue, but if you've never seen one in child swap that doesn't have a "Stroller as Wheelchair" pass then chances are you've never worked at Universal. Regular strollers are never allowed in a queue, but some TM do have hearts and don't want to disrupt a child sleeping in a stroller and suggest that the parent who is waiting first can take the stroller up the exit and wait in child swap for their party. The exception is attractions that have stairs at the exit and now attractions with metal detectors. Yes, it is not "policy" to let strollers into child swap rooms, but if it isn't affecting safety and it has a positive impact on guest experience then TM are going to be okay with it on a case-by-case basis.

SLOP is rumoured to be coming to Orlando, but that can change. It definitely hasn't been announced. This podcast was about Orlando, so I assume anything that was said on it was referring to the Orlando park and not the Hollywood park. It's been green lit at Universal Hollywood. Pretty sure it hasn't been formally announced there yet, either.

It hasn't been formally announced for either park and all Steve Burke said was an attraction was in the works with no park specifically mentioned, but considering Universal is in the business of cloning both Orlando and Hollywood, it is safe to say that SLoP is coming to both parks at some point.

The podcast had no new info for us here on this website.

While I don't post often here or anywhere on the boards, just keep in mind that there are new registrants on the boards every day and some of them might prefer to watch or listen to an overview of basic information then digging through posts to hear the basics

 

[damo]

True, you should never see a stroller inside of a queue, but if you've never seen one in child swap that doesn't have a "Stroller as Wheelchair" pass then chances are you've never worked at Universal. Regular strollers are never allowed in a queue, but some TM do have hearts and don't want to disrupt a child sleeping in a stroller and suggest that the parent who is waiting first can take the stroller up the exit and wait in child swap for their party. The exception is attractions that have stairs at the exit and now attractions with metal detectors. Yes, it is not "policy" to let strollers into child swap rooms, but if it isn't affecting safety and it has a positive impact on guest experience then TM are going to be okay with it on a case-by-case basis.



It hasn't been formally announced for either park and all Steve Burke said was an attraction was in the works with no park specifically mentioned, but considering Universal is in the business of cloning both Orlando and Hollywood, it is safe to say that SLoP is coming to both parks at some point.



While I don't post often here or anywhere on the boards, just keep in mind that there are new registrants on the boards every day and some of them might prefer to watch or listen to an overview of basic information then digging through posts to hear the basics

Oh definitely there was lots of great information, but my response was actually supposed to be directed to another old time Universal board member who specifically asked me, two posts up, if there was any new information on it that we don't see here every day. I should have quoted her directly. I will go back and change that.

And I understand about the stroller issue, I just don't think it is a good idea to make everyone think that they can just take their kids in the stroller to the kid swap because that won't be allowed most of the time. We were always told to wait outside the ride with the sleeping baby in the stroller. Never once was it suggested to use the exit to get to the child swap. There have been some recent reviews of scared children being allowed to go through the exit to the child swap room to avoid the scary queue at Kong but that's about it.

 

[Teleclashter]

Oh definitely there was lots of great information, but my response was actually supposed to be directed to another old time Universal board member who specifically asked me, two posts up, if there was any new information on it that we don't see here every day. I should have quoted her directly. I will go back and change that.

And I understand about the stroller issue, I just don't think it is a good idea to make everyone think that they can just take their kids in the stroller to the kid swap because that won't be allowed most of the time. We were always told to wait outside the ride with the sleeping baby in the stroller. Never once was it suggested to use the exit to get to the child swap. There have been some recent reviews of scared children being allowed to go through the exit to the child swap room to avoid the scary queue at Kong but that's about it.

Totally get it! Yeah, if you ask a TM and they are in a mediocre or bad mood, most likely they are going to hold you to the rules, but if you get a caring person at the right time then 9 times out of 10 they will bend the rules. It is definitely a situation of if you're nice to them about it then they will most likely go out of their way to help you too. And when in doubt, if you just start walking up the exit of any attraction to the child swap, most of the time no one will bother to stop you.

 

[littlejimmy]

So if an employee holds you to the rules, they must be mediocre or in a bad mood? I am having a hard time with that train of thought. I think damo is right on this one and we should not hope that the employees break rules. I think this will lead to anarchy of biblical proportions... Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

 

[phamton]

Totally get it! Yeah, if you ask a TM and they are in a mediocre or bad mood, most likely they are going to hold you to the rules, but if you get a caring person at the right time then 9 times out of 10 they will bend the rules. It is definitely a situation of if you're nice to them about it then they will most likely go out of their way to help you too. And when in doubt, if you just start walking up the exit of any attraction to the child swap, most of the time no one will bother to stop you.

As a former Guest Service Coordinator at Universal I can say that the team member may be caring but they can be pointed* or fired for this. The only exception is if the guest has a pass that designates the stroller as a wheelchair and those strollers look at bit different than regular strollers. The reason that strollers are not allowed in the queue is because of the chance of an e-vac, fire, or other emergency. In an emergency, the strollers would most likely be abandoned in line and become a hazard for others during an evacuation. Even if the stroller isn't abandoned during an emergency, the strollers could still be a hindrance for others trying to exit the building. Please don't ask a team member to bend the rules especially for a safety issue, whether it be a stroller in line or a height requirement on a ride. If your child is sleeping, just plan on riding later or have someone stay with the the child.

*I mentioned the team member being pointed. This is called a safety violation. When you get a safety violation it is much more serious than just regular point. You are pulled from the ride and put on a ride Like Twister, Shrek, Terminator, etc that are walk through rides and don't have much chance of safety violations in the future. You can't work on rides with cars or coasters.

 

[agavegirl1]

I think the transportation referred to is the Superstar Shuttle service to/from MCO to the Universal hotels. It can be booked through your hotel reservation. There is a charge.

 

[pfalcioni]

I'm trying to figure out why the Dis podcast folks aren't just accepting the fact that they made a few mis-statements, correct them, and get on with life? Newspapers and tv shows do it all the time, it's not a big deal, mistakes happen.

It just seems weird that Jackie and Craig aren't willing to do this, and are actually promoting bending (or breaking) the rules just so a few words on a weekly podcast don't have to be taken back.

The rule is - no strollers in the lines.

Of course there are exceptions to the rules, but when you're stating the rules you don't state the exceptions, you state the rule.

An example would be that at WDW you need a FP to be in the FP line. Of course there are extenuating circumstances which allow some people without regular FP to use the FP line, but when you're talking about rules and requirements you don't say "CM's let people into the FP line without a FP when they're feeling kind".

Secondarily, Universal itself does not offer ANY transportation options to Disney parks - just as Disney doesn't offer transportation to Universal parks. Of course, external transportation options are available from various sources, but saying those offerings come direct from Universal or Disney is not true. Coming back to say that "It's not something that is openly advertised" is weird, because of course it's not advertised, it's not something offered by Universal.

 

[pfalcioni]

I think the transportation referred to is the Superstar Shuttle service to/from MCO to the Universal hotels. It can be booked through your hotel reservation. There is a charge.

Except that isn't available from Universal to Disney, as stated in the podcast.

 

[DSNYDREAMER]

I am traveling today and not able to relisten to the show for context. But I can assure you there are 2 options for guests at Disney to get transportation to Universal. Universal sells a ticket that includes transfers from WDW resort.

For guests looking to add a Universal resort stay. There is a transportation add on to a package. I believe Kathy posted the link earlier in this thread. It offers transfers from a WDW resort to universal to airport. Or you can do the opposite with Universal first.

Previous replies stating this was private were incorrect.

 

[gotomu212]

I just had one suggestion after listening to the podcast. A lot of time was spent talking about ticket lengths and flex passes but I would have included a discussion of the cost of an annual pass if you're staying more than 4 days even if you don't plan on another trip this year. The cost is so minimal and comes with other benefits that I would have mentioned it.

 

[pfalcioni]

I am traveling today and not able to relisten to the show for context. But I can assure you there are 2 options for guests at Disney to get transportation to Universal. Universal sells a ticket that includes transfers from WDW resort.

For guests looking to add a Universal resort stay. There is a transportation add on to a package. I believe Kathy posted the link earlier in this thread. It offers transfers from a WDW resort to universal to airport. Or you can do the opposite with Universal first.

Previous replies stating this was private were incorrect.

Can you find that information on the Universal site showing the option for transportation to Disney? I've tried every possible way of booking a package and all I can find is this:

Transportation - Other:
Orlando International Airport (MCO): 9 miles​

• • Shuttle †
  • UNIVERSAL SUPERSTAR SHUTTLE provides dedicated welcome service and transportation between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and our spectacular On-Site hotels. Fees apply.

 

[damo]

I am traveling today and not able to relisten to the show for context. But I can assure you there are 2 options for guests at Disney to get transportation to Universal. Universal sells a ticket that includes transfers from WDW resort.

For guests looking to add a Universal resort stay. There is a transportation add on to a package. I believe Kathy posted the link earlier in this thread. It offers transfers from a WDW resort to universal to airport. Or you can do the opposite with Universal first.

Previous replies stating this was private were incorrect.

I don't think it is Universal that sells a ticket that includes transfers from a WDW resort, it is Dreams Unlimited. They talked about it in the podcast. It is one of their tickets that they encourage first timers to use. Pretty sure it is with Mears Transportation.

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/universal/tickets.htm

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't think it is Universal that sells a ticket that includes transfers from a WDW resort, it is Dreams Unlimited. They talked about it in the podcast. It is one of their tickets that they encourage first timers to use. Pretty sure it is with Mears Transportation.

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/universal/tickets.htm

Yes.

 

[damo]

Yes.

We have questions about that ticket on this board frequently. Guests look all over the Universal website and can't find it. We direct them to Dreams Unlimited. There are probably other travel agencies that offer it but, of course, we're going to suggest DU. You purchase the ticket and then contact the transportation company listed to arrange transportation. Universal doesn't seem to be involved.