This one is long, so sit and get comfortable. 
Going it solo at US and IOA for three days, Friday through Sunday; this is my trip report from a weekend at the two theme parks. I was a solo traveler looking for thrills, not kiddie adventures. So, you will not read anything about Dr Seuss in this report. Also, there are no pictures, there was nothing I saw or encountered that you guys and gals haven't already seen. Now, stay with me here, because although day one wasn't so great, it does get better.
I was spending a cheap weekend in FL, traveling solo, as I said. I purchased the package through the Universal web site, it included theme park tickets for seven days (I was only going to use 3, but the price was cheaper) and the hotel came to about $50 a night. The actual reason for my visit to Orlando was to spend some time with a friend, which I did, in the evenings when the parks were closed. I am a guy, 47, who still acts like 17.
I had added the Fast Pass option for Sunday. The last time I visited US there was no IOA, no Men in Black and Terminator 2 3-D had just opened. So, most of what I was going to go through was going to be new. I did not stay on site, but at the Quality Inn on Int'l drive. I was doing this as cheap as possible and the $49 room rate at QI was too good to pass up.
Friday, I arrived at the parking garage around 1:30 or so. I debated whether or not I really wanted to spend $12 for a couple of hours, but my friend would be at work until after 6, so I decided to take a walk around both parks and Citywalk and get the lay of land. But, $12 for parking is nuts, especially for only four hours or so, but it was way too late for the hotel shuttle (whose schedule sucked anyway). I had budgeted the parking fees into my plan, so this is just really complaining about the cost. But, it is a covered garage, so the car does not sit and bake in the sun all day. Just my luck, though, parked all the way at the far end of the row. This pattern would be repeated all weekend; I just never timed my arrival right!
All three days had perfect weather, sunny and in the upper 80's, but unusual for FL, very little humidity.
First Impressions: Be ready to walk. Then walk some more. Then, when you think you have walked enough, you realize you need to walk some more. It is about 10-15 minutes from the garage to the entrance to either park. Some of the moving walkways were working, many were not.
I went through IOA first. There really wasn't much of a crowd at all. Hulk wait was about 15 minutes, Spiderman about 20 or so. Being stupid, I left my glasses strap in the car, so the coasters would have to wait. So, I walked through Dr. Seuss area, but since I had no children, really didn't care for much here. This area seemed artificial and fake to me, though. This held true about all the Islands, the décor seemed forced, not natural. The borders were stark and the décor spills over them, from land to another. It seemed to me to be a second rate attempt to copy the Magic Kingdom and its lands, but without anywhere near the attention to detail that Disney has. This was a bad habit I developed on day one; comparing everything to Disney (we were there 18 months ago). It isn't fair and the parks and purposes are not the same. But, if you've been to either one, you really can't help yourself.
Moving past the far too fiberglassed area of Dr. Seuss, I entered the Lost Continent, which, really, other than Poseidon's Fury, has NOTHING AT ALL! I saw a few shops, but no true attractions, it just is a path to Jurassic Park and the DD. All the waterfalls, except one, surrounding Poseidon's Fury were turned off. I think there was a path to the Sinbad stunt (yawn, seen it all before) show, but it wasn't running on Friday. The mystic fountain wasn't being mystic (it was in permanent snore mode).
Finally finding the entrance, Dueling Dragons was down and as been previously posted, the dragon décor has been removed. I wasn't disappointed it was down as I wasn't going to ride it today, but it kept up the far less than impressed mood of the afternoon. Furthermore, it seemed a pretty good chunk of the park was closed due to the HP construction. Still far too early to see how this area is shaping up. Of course, Poseidon's Fury didn't have the tunnel of water either. Wow, I thought, not really impressed, this place is expensive to park and not all features are operating and a major ride is down. I just didn't like the vibe IOA was giving me. 
Well, the wait for Jurassic Park was only 5 minutes, and it had the free locker, so in went the cell phone (water rides and electronics don't mix, so why risk it) and my wallet and I rode Jurassic Park. Now that I was finally on a ride, the day began to get better. I really didn't get wet, but the ride is fun and it does have one great finale. I did this one at US in California, so it wasn't new to me, but fun, never-the-less.
Since I still had locker time, I went over to Ripsaw Falls, the log ride. This one has a Dudley Do-Right theme. Okay, let's talk about themeing. Compare Splash Mountain to Ripsaw Falls, the singing and theme areas of SM are far more impressive and complete. Disney uses tunnels to put you completely into the ride. The characters and scenery totally surround you, and no one make animatronics like Disney can. Ripsaw falls uses fiberglass characters which have not been properly maintained. You can see cracks in the fiberglass and peeling paint on the ride. You can tell how the lights and scenery are activated as you go by. You are not completely immersed into the experience, you pretty much just go from one fiberglass piece to the next, trying to follow along the theme of the ride. I was wearing jeans (I did not have a chance to change, but I took the risk), which got pretty wet on the second drop when a wave poured over the side of the log. No big deal, it was sunny and warm, just letting everyone know where the wet moment occurs on the ride. The final drop is pretty fast and exciting, but being in the third seat, I did not get very splashed. No one was manning the water cannons, so I left the ride with just a damp left side.
So, I turned around and did it again (there was very little wait). This time, I admonished myself, STOP comparing everything to Disney and just ENJOY THE RIDE. Finally taking on the right attitude, I very much enjoyed the second time around and focused on having fun and not making comparisons. I got wet at the same spot and only slightly splashed at the final drop. I came off smiling and humming Dudley's theme song.
As I was not prepared to get fully soaked, I avoided Popeye.
On my way out to get to US to see The Simpsons, I encountered the "Super Hero Parade". Sorry guys, but this was a joke.
6 people on ATVs with "costumes" right out of a cheap rental place. Captain America was a the worst, followed by Wolverine and the others. No one, and I mean not even the 4 year olds, were ready to believe any of this. It was sad, because mostly they stood alone, practically begging people to come up for a picture. If you want this work, spend some money on convincing costumes, these just looked ridiculous. Oh, and if the performers look really bored, 
well that doesn't help either.
Then, being that it was 4PM, and I really, really wanted to see the Simpson's, I took the 15 minute walk over to US and then another 15 minutes to actually get to the attraction. Thankfully, the wait was only 15 minutes. This was the best part of the day. This attraction fully caught the silliness of the Simpson's. They had Simpson episodes (the one with the Itchy and Scratchy theme park) playing in High Def on the monitors. They just could turn the sound up just bit so it was easier to hear. The Pre-show with some of the characters on the monitors is funny, and even when you start the loading process, the pre-show cartoon, which begins your adventure, is pure Simpson's. I knew this attraction originally as BTTF, so I was curious how they had changed it. Well, this one is much better and much funnier. I'm not going to give anything away, but if you like The Simpson's, their ride at US is a top notch can't miss attraction.
It was only a little past 5, so I had time for one more adventure. I decided on Disaster. I liked parts of this attraction, but as a whole, it runs a bit long. There are three parts until you get to the big finale so be sure to allow for 20-30 minutes to go through the entire "ride". It starts in the typical queue room where "cast" members are chosen. Then you have, really, the most impressive piece where the live cast member is interacting with the "director" (I won't give who plays the director away) who is filmed. The timing is precise and quietly effective. You then film some "stunts" with the cast before you finally get on the "subway" car and have the actual disaster (the old earthquake ride). Over, pretty fun, but once was enough.
I left around 6, which was closing time, and ran into, literally, thousands of teens who were showing up for Grad Night, so returning to Citywalk for dinner later with my friend was not going to be an option. Saturday was Grad Night too, so I would avoid then as well.
Quality Inn was fine. The room was clean and the bed okay. I wasn't going to spend much time here, so I didn't expect much. Only two real complaints: the 45 minutes to check-in (which was the longest wait I had all weekend) and a shower head that only came up to my neck. I mean, really, no one is that short! The room was made up everyday and pretty quiet, although I was so tired at night, it probably didn't matter. It has two pools, which were heated. The hours were 8AM to 10PM. I would have liked this to be a bit later, no big deal, I only used them a couple of times. For $49 a night there is no free breakfast, but the Worlds Largest (and, IMHO, the worlds slowest) McDonalds is right there, along with other restaurants. What is nice is that the QI's convenience store, which is very well stocked, is open from 6AM to midnight. Interestingly, the hotel is widely used by travelers from Europe and most of the people I met at the hotel were from the UK, Sweden or Germany. Being actually from the US, I was in the minority! But all of the people I met were friendly and we had some nice visits.
Day Two
Although QI offers a shuttle, the times suck and it only runs in the morning and evening. If you are planning a half-day, well, you're out of luck. So, after a Texas Egg and Ham sandwich at Sonic (need a car to get there) and a smoothie, I was at IOA by 8:30, expecting to get early entry, as advertised in the package I brought. There was no early entry. No one at the gate had even heard of it. This was the one part of the package that was not delivered. However, they opened the park at 8:50 and I, and dozens (rather than the hundreds that US would prefer) make our way to the major attractions.
What attracted me to US and IOA were the thrill rides. Today I was going to ride as many of them as I could, concentrating on IOA. I went right over to Hulk and took my first coater ride of the weekend. Now, I am a HUGE coaster enthusiast. If it is on rails I am going to ride it! I prefer the old fashioned wooden coasters (the Beast rules), but, really, I love them all. Hulk rates right up there with the best. Rocketing out of the tunnel right into a loop is a great start. It just goes on from there, turning you upside down a total of 7 times, with each time via a different method. There are internal loops, external loops, tear-drop loops and corkscrew loops, each one in a different direction. I came off of Hulk pumped and ready for more!
Spiderman was next. Here US and IOA really know how to turn on the originality. There is nothing like Spiderman, at least as far as I am aware. It is totally new, different and exciting. I turned around and did it again, just letting the experience wash over me. Like coasters, I do like good themeing (I think I made that point earlier) and Spiderman is outstanding themeing. When words fail to properly explain what a ride is about, that ride is a winner and Spiderman falls into this territory. I then wasted 10 minutes for Dr. Doom. Yawn. Boring. I've done free fall and push up rides like this before and Dr. Doom, other than a decent pre-show, really doesn't cross any new ground.
Neither do Fire and Ice, however, that doesn't mean that these coasters don't rock. I live near Chicago and go to Six Flags every year. Batman the ride is very similar to DD, being the seated, no floor type of design. I love swinging my legs free as the coaster climbs the hill. I find Batman to be very rough and it beats you up a bit. Fire and Ice are better. I started on Fire, in the second row. Now, for Hulk, IMHO, the row doesn't really matter that much. But, for DD, the row matters a big deal. Since the coasters inter-act, you really get the full effect from this by riding in the front. Granted, this is a much longer line, but you actually see the two trains running directly at each and feel the interaction of the lines better from this seat.
So, next, I rode Ice from the front. It wasn't even 9:45 yet and this area was still pretty empty. Also, I was a single rider, so I found groups of 2 or 3 waiting for the front that I joined with to move up the line. This was a great strategy! I was cutting without actually "cutting"; and I did ask permission before moving in front of anyone. Another rider agreed that the front seat was cool, but advised me to try Fire from the back. So I did. Wow, what a blast. The zero G moments here are more intense. You don't get the interactions, but it just feels faster. Overall, I liked Ice better, but it is close. Thankfully, they had to re-ride areas open, so I did not have to hike the 5 miles or so back to the end of the line to re-ride. Did I mention the walk? To get to the ride is a long, long, long way through a dark passage. When one has glasses that change (automatic sun glasses), walking through the dark, in an empty queue, with no one to follow, waiting for your glasses to change, results in bumping into a lot of walls!
To ride DD 3 times took no more than 15 minutes.
I then did Jurassic Park and Rip Saw falls again. They didn't open Popeye until 11, but it was about 11:30 when I got there. So, in a little over 2 hours, I did Hulk, Spiderman (twice), Dr. Yawn, DD three times, Jurassic Park and Ripsaw Falls. This includes the time it takes to walk from Hulk to DD, which, if you have been there, is not that short of a walk. I think I also stopped for a drink somewhere along the line.
So, this time I was ready for raft ride (Popeye). I had a locker for the electronics and a plastic zip lock bag for my money and ID. The jeans had been traded for light shorts and a t-shirt. Actually, I kind of enjoy getting wet (it was sunny and hot), so I was only concerned about my cell phone. Everything else will dry, so sit back, get wet and enjoy the ride. I actually laugh at those who go to great lengths to stay dry. Other than electronics, if you don't want to get wet, don't go on the ride! And, really, ponchos won't help you. So much water pours over the side and onto your seat, the poncho don't protect your rear. Furthermore, most of the time, Orlando is warm to hot, so just get wet, smile and have fun. Popeye is the best, wettest and fastest raft ride I have ever rode. The ride is blast and you do get soaked, from your feet to your head. Water comes at you from every direction. The finale, which occurs after Popeye has slugged the raft (after eating his spinach), is really fast and quick. A wonderful ride that, even during mid-day, had no line at all. I rode it three times in a row. Of course, I was soaked, but, as I said, it is part of the fun.
Now I noticed the park was getting a bit crowded. Hulk and Spiderman were up to 45 minutes each. DD was up to 50 minutes and all of the attractions were getting lines. It was close to 1, and, truthfully, although I like to think I am 17, the truth is much harder to take and I needed a serious break. So, knowing my friend and I had a busy evening planned (he works for Disney and was treating me to a free evening at MK), I decided to call it day. The reason for the crowds became evident as I was leaving. It was another Grad Night and many were coming early. I didn't feel cheated as I hit the rides that I wanted to hit and I had the Fast Pass for Sunday.
Besides, did you know that Orlando has other nice places to visit besides theme parks and shopping? Once you grow tired of the crowds at US, Disney and the malls, I suggest you look up Moss Lake Park and Wekiva Springs. These parks provided quiet and solitude, away from the crowds and noise. Moss Lake has a small swimming beach amongst tall trees, covered in Spanish Moss. Wekiva Springs has a huge natural swimming pool formed by the spring. Moss Lake park is just SE of the Orlando airport (but NOT in the path of any of the planes, it is very quiet. It is a bird sanctuary and you can hear the birds, on their own island, quite clearly) and Wekiva Springs is just 10 miles north of Orlando. Let me know if you want more info or use Google as your guide. My friend, who lives in Celebration, had not heard of either place! BTW both offer full campgrounds, so if you like to camp, look them up. Moss Lake is a county park and Wekiva Springs is a state park.
Day Three
Sunday, my last day and it was time to concentrate on US itself. I got there at 8:30 and lo and behold, they were allowing early admission. As advertised, only Jimmy Neutron and Shrek 4-D were open, but it was what they said it was. Not being interested in Jimmy, I saw Shrek 4-D. This one picks up where movie 1 left off, Shrek and Fiona just married. Won't go into detail, but suffice to say, I can listen to Eddie Murphy do Donkey any day of the week. They do a good job of bringing in other members of the cast and overall, it is funny. Not exactly a "thrill" ride, but a nice remembrance of the movies.
By the time that got out, US was fully (ha ha, not Twister, not ET, not Jaws, not Woody Woodpecker play land, not Terminator, not Fear Factor, which wasn't even being performed) open. So, I walked over the ROTM. WOW, WOW, WOW.
Walked right on, no waiting. Did it again, no waiting and it was even better. The guys loading the ride were totally in character, possessed by the Mummy. I tried to engage the ride operator, but he never even blinked. ROTM is another of those rides you can't explain. And, yes, there is a roller coaster element to it, but it is mostly illusion (you don't go very fast, and it is in the dark so it seems faster) and isn't even very long (30 seconds or so). But the effects and themeing (there is that word again) are monstrously impressive. Brandon Frasier's exit is great.
I walked over to Twister, where the lady in front had said that it opened at 9:30. I confirmed with her the time. So, I went back and did ROTM again. It hadn't lost it charms. It was 9:30 and back to Twister (they are practically next door to each other) and now she said 10AM. I, rather sarcastically, asked her if at 10 was she going to say 10:30? So, back to ROTM and a fourth time, with no waiting! Now, I had the Fast Pass for Sunday. Since there was no grad night, the park was very slow in filling. Very slow. Finally, 10AM, and Twister was open, hooray! About 30 minutes later, I wanted the time back. It was a long, slow, painful, and wholly uninteresting attraction, made even more so by Bill Pullman's could I be more bored intro pieces. Really, I could have read his dialogue in a far more interesting manner. By the time you finally get into the soundstage (a clear re-make of the Backdraft set that was here long ago), you just want out. Okay, there is wind (a fan), a spit of rain (whoopee) and some ghastly awful and unconvincing effects. Heck, the Drive-In movie screen doesn't even come apart, only a corner comes off. You can see the wires on the flying cow and the twister itself is the exact same thing you can produce at your local weather exhibit in just about any science museum. It is laughably fake and time to be closed.
Okay, two really good attractions and one awful, odds were good the next one would be fun, and it was. MIB is just plain fun, although being 47, the spinning got to me bit, you can throw me, turn me upside down, hang me from a coaster, but twirling and twisting ended long ago. That is my bad, not the attraction. I asked the ride operator what was the attraction like and she said "have you been on Buzz Lightyear at MK?" I nodded yes and she said, "this isn't like that one at all". Her timing was perfect and everyone, including me, laughed. But, in truth, it is very similar; you shoot and try to score points. Will Smith filmed a couple of spots for it and it is just like what you got in the movies. I only did it once (the spinning don't you know) but still gave it a thumbs up. From there, onto the Simpson's again (no line at all). It was Sunday, but since there was no grad night, the park wasn't filling up. Now, it was around 11, so off to Jaws. Again, a short line and a boring trek through we've seen it all before.
Okay, I've seen Terminator before, but I still like it. The film itself, with the live action is fun and the effects are really good.
So, now it is noonish, and I've done all I wanted to at US. I didn't use the Fass Past once. I would advise those that are interested in it, wait until you are at the park to purchase it and only do so if it will really save you time. The only advantage I had with it was not walking through the endless maze at DD and Ripsaw falls.
I'm not a show person, so Sinbad, Animal Actors, Horror Make-up are not my thing. Going towards the exit, I walked past the kids area and most of the stuff was closed. There is a large water playground, hidden in the back, which looked like the kids were having a blast. There was a short wait for ET. I've done it before and other than naming myself "snot monkey" really didn't see the need to go on it.
As you can tell, I didn't eat much at US or IOA. First, it takes time away from the rides, second, it tends to be very expensive and not very good. I had some snacks (popcorn, ice cream, fruit cup, soda), but not a true meal, so I cannot comment on the meal service. I tended to load up at breakfast and just use the snacks to supplement my day. Not unexpectedly, everything was expensive. It is far cheaper to find sustenance elsewhere. The only disappointment I had was that somehow, I never made it to the Whopper bar. Maybe paying $7.00 for a Whopper turned me off and I just wasn't committed to it.
So, on to IOA in the afternoon. It was empty. Hulk, walk on, DD walk on, DD Front row, maybe three or four rides (single riders can sneak ahead if they find a party of three, like I did every time), Spiderman, 5 minutes, Ripsaw, unusual in that it had a 30 minute wait, Popeye, walk on, Jurassic, walk on. So, not really needing my FOTL, I went a coasting. Hulk twice, DD 4 times, all from the front (confirmed that I like Ice a bit more), Jurassic Park, Ripsaw (skipped the 30 minute wait) and Popeye another 3 times. It was only 3 in the afternoon and I was exhausted. I decided to end my US adventure. I went to Wekiva Springs and just vegged for a couple of hours.
Final thoughts:
Parking A rip off at $12, a monster rip off $17 for "preferred parking". This is a huge joke as they park you on the same level as the entrance, but it really doesn't save you any steps at all. I investigated before I paid, so I didn't use it.
Impressions Don't apply Disney themeing, but use an open mind to enjoy what US does and does well, and that is thrill rides, much more so than Disney.
Hours I would have like one evening to see some rides at night, but other than Grad night, US doesn't really offer evening hours.
Great Rides Hulk, Spiderman, DD, Jurassic, Ripsaw, Popeye, ROTM, The Simpson's, MIB, Terminator, Shrek, and (maybe) Disaster
Skip Jaws, Twister, Dr. Doom, Poseidon's Fury (unless they do it all), Fast Pass, unless the park gets crowded, if you get there early enough, you can do pretty much all of the great rides by 1PM.
I look forward to returning when RRR opens, that one looks awesome. The crane was still in place at the lift tower, but didn't see a whole lot going on, but then again, I wasn't looking very hard.
Feel free to ask my questions, I will answer all that I can.
Dolby1000
Going it solo at US and IOA for three days, Friday through Sunday; this is my trip report from a weekend at the two theme parks. I was a solo traveler looking for thrills, not kiddie adventures. So, you will not read anything about Dr Seuss in this report. Also, there are no pictures, there was nothing I saw or encountered that you guys and gals haven't already seen. Now, stay with me here, because although day one wasn't so great, it does get better.
I was spending a cheap weekend in FL, traveling solo, as I said. I purchased the package through the Universal web site, it included theme park tickets for seven days (I was only going to use 3, but the price was cheaper) and the hotel came to about $50 a night. The actual reason for my visit to Orlando was to spend some time with a friend, which I did, in the evenings when the parks were closed. I am a guy, 47, who still acts like 17.
I had added the Fast Pass option for Sunday. The last time I visited US there was no IOA, no Men in Black and Terminator 2 3-D had just opened. So, most of what I was going to go through was going to be new. I did not stay on site, but at the Quality Inn on Int'l drive. I was doing this as cheap as possible and the $49 room rate at QI was too good to pass up.
Friday, I arrived at the parking garage around 1:30 or so. I debated whether or not I really wanted to spend $12 for a couple of hours, but my friend would be at work until after 6, so I decided to take a walk around both parks and Citywalk and get the lay of land. But, $12 for parking is nuts, especially for only four hours or so, but it was way too late for the hotel shuttle (whose schedule sucked anyway). I had budgeted the parking fees into my plan, so this is just really complaining about the cost. But, it is a covered garage, so the car does not sit and bake in the sun all day. Just my luck, though, parked all the way at the far end of the row. This pattern would be repeated all weekend; I just never timed my arrival right!
All three days had perfect weather, sunny and in the upper 80's, but unusual for FL, very little humidity.
First Impressions: Be ready to walk. Then walk some more. Then, when you think you have walked enough, you realize you need to walk some more. It is about 10-15 minutes from the garage to the entrance to either park. Some of the moving walkways were working, many were not.
I went through IOA first. There really wasn't much of a crowd at all. Hulk wait was about 15 minutes, Spiderman about 20 or so. Being stupid, I left my glasses strap in the car, so the coasters would have to wait. So, I walked through Dr. Seuss area, but since I had no children, really didn't care for much here. This area seemed artificial and fake to me, though. This held true about all the Islands, the décor seemed forced, not natural. The borders were stark and the décor spills over them, from land to another. It seemed to me to be a second rate attempt to copy the Magic Kingdom and its lands, but without anywhere near the attention to detail that Disney has. This was a bad habit I developed on day one; comparing everything to Disney (we were there 18 months ago). It isn't fair and the parks and purposes are not the same. But, if you've been to either one, you really can't help yourself.
Moving past the far too fiberglassed area of Dr. Seuss, I entered the Lost Continent, which, really, other than Poseidon's Fury, has NOTHING AT ALL! I saw a few shops, but no true attractions, it just is a path to Jurassic Park and the DD. All the waterfalls, except one, surrounding Poseidon's Fury were turned off. I think there was a path to the Sinbad stunt (yawn, seen it all before) show, but it wasn't running on Friday. The mystic fountain wasn't being mystic (it was in permanent snore mode).
Finally finding the entrance, Dueling Dragons was down and as been previously posted, the dragon décor has been removed. I wasn't disappointed it was down as I wasn't going to ride it today, but it kept up the far less than impressed mood of the afternoon. Furthermore, it seemed a pretty good chunk of the park was closed due to the HP construction. Still far too early to see how this area is shaping up. Of course, Poseidon's Fury didn't have the tunnel of water either. Wow, I thought, not really impressed, this place is expensive to park and not all features are operating and a major ride is down. I just didn't like the vibe IOA was giving me. Well, the wait for Jurassic Park was only 5 minutes, and it had the free locker, so in went the cell phone (water rides and electronics don't mix, so why risk it) and my wallet and I rode Jurassic Park. Now that I was finally on a ride, the day began to get better. I really didn't get wet, but the ride is fun and it does have one great finale. I did this one at US in California, so it wasn't new to me, but fun, never-the-less.
Since I still had locker time, I went over to Ripsaw Falls, the log ride. This one has a Dudley Do-Right theme. Okay, let's talk about themeing. Compare Splash Mountain to Ripsaw Falls, the singing and theme areas of SM are far more impressive and complete. Disney uses tunnels to put you completely into the ride. The characters and scenery totally surround you, and no one make animatronics like Disney can. Ripsaw falls uses fiberglass characters which have not been properly maintained. You can see cracks in the fiberglass and peeling paint on the ride. You can tell how the lights and scenery are activated as you go by. You are not completely immersed into the experience, you pretty much just go from one fiberglass piece to the next, trying to follow along the theme of the ride. I was wearing jeans (I did not have a chance to change, but I took the risk), which got pretty wet on the second drop when a wave poured over the side of the log. No big deal, it was sunny and warm, just letting everyone know where the wet moment occurs on the ride. The final drop is pretty fast and exciting, but being in the third seat, I did not get very splashed. No one was manning the water cannons, so I left the ride with just a damp left side.
So, I turned around and did it again (there was very little wait). This time, I admonished myself, STOP comparing everything to Disney and just ENJOY THE RIDE. Finally taking on the right attitude, I very much enjoyed the second time around and focused on having fun and not making comparisons. I got wet at the same spot and only slightly splashed at the final drop. I came off smiling and humming Dudley's theme song.
As I was not prepared to get fully soaked, I avoided Popeye.
On my way out to get to US to see The Simpsons, I encountered the "Super Hero Parade". Sorry guys, but this was a joke.
6 people on ATVs with "costumes" right out of a cheap rental place. Captain America was a the worst, followed by Wolverine and the others. No one, and I mean not even the 4 year olds, were ready to believe any of this. It was sad, because mostly they stood alone, practically begging people to come up for a picture. If you want this work, spend some money on convincing costumes, these just looked ridiculous. Oh, and if the performers look really bored, well that doesn't help either.Then, being that it was 4PM, and I really, really wanted to see the Simpson's, I took the 15 minute walk over to US and then another 15 minutes to actually get to the attraction. Thankfully, the wait was only 15 minutes. This was the best part of the day. This attraction fully caught the silliness of the Simpson's. They had Simpson episodes (the one with the Itchy and Scratchy theme park) playing in High Def on the monitors. They just could turn the sound up just bit so it was easier to hear. The Pre-show with some of the characters on the monitors is funny, and even when you start the loading process, the pre-show cartoon, which begins your adventure, is pure Simpson's. I knew this attraction originally as BTTF, so I was curious how they had changed it. Well, this one is much better and much funnier. I'm not going to give anything away, but if you like The Simpson's, their ride at US is a top notch can't miss attraction.
It was only a little past 5, so I had time for one more adventure. I decided on Disaster. I liked parts of this attraction, but as a whole, it runs a bit long. There are three parts until you get to the big finale so be sure to allow for 20-30 minutes to go through the entire "ride". It starts in the typical queue room where "cast" members are chosen. Then you have, really, the most impressive piece where the live cast member is interacting with the "director" (I won't give who plays the director away) who is filmed. The timing is precise and quietly effective. You then film some "stunts" with the cast before you finally get on the "subway" car and have the actual disaster (the old earthquake ride). Over, pretty fun, but once was enough.
I left around 6, which was closing time, and ran into, literally, thousands of teens who were showing up for Grad Night, so returning to Citywalk for dinner later with my friend was not going to be an option. Saturday was Grad Night too, so I would avoid then as well.
Quality Inn was fine. The room was clean and the bed okay. I wasn't going to spend much time here, so I didn't expect much. Only two real complaints: the 45 minutes to check-in (which was the longest wait I had all weekend) and a shower head that only came up to my neck. I mean, really, no one is that short! The room was made up everyday and pretty quiet, although I was so tired at night, it probably didn't matter. It has two pools, which were heated. The hours were 8AM to 10PM. I would have liked this to be a bit later, no big deal, I only used them a couple of times. For $49 a night there is no free breakfast, but the Worlds Largest (and, IMHO, the worlds slowest) McDonalds is right there, along with other restaurants. What is nice is that the QI's convenience store, which is very well stocked, is open from 6AM to midnight. Interestingly, the hotel is widely used by travelers from Europe and most of the people I met at the hotel were from the UK, Sweden or Germany. Being actually from the US, I was in the minority! But all of the people I met were friendly and we had some nice visits.
Day Two
Although QI offers a shuttle, the times suck and it only runs in the morning and evening. If you are planning a half-day, well, you're out of luck. So, after a Texas Egg and Ham sandwich at Sonic (need a car to get there) and a smoothie, I was at IOA by 8:30, expecting to get early entry, as advertised in the package I brought. There was no early entry. No one at the gate had even heard of it. This was the one part of the package that was not delivered. However, they opened the park at 8:50 and I, and dozens (rather than the hundreds that US would prefer) make our way to the major attractions.
What attracted me to US and IOA were the thrill rides. Today I was going to ride as many of them as I could, concentrating on IOA. I went right over to Hulk and took my first coater ride of the weekend. Now, I am a HUGE coaster enthusiast. If it is on rails I am going to ride it! I prefer the old fashioned wooden coasters (the Beast rules), but, really, I love them all. Hulk rates right up there with the best. Rocketing out of the tunnel right into a loop is a great start. It just goes on from there, turning you upside down a total of 7 times, with each time via a different method. There are internal loops, external loops, tear-drop loops and corkscrew loops, each one in a different direction. I came off of Hulk pumped and ready for more!
Spiderman was next. Here US and IOA really know how to turn on the originality. There is nothing like Spiderman, at least as far as I am aware. It is totally new, different and exciting. I turned around and did it again, just letting the experience wash over me. Like coasters, I do like good themeing (I think I made that point earlier) and Spiderman is outstanding themeing. When words fail to properly explain what a ride is about, that ride is a winner and Spiderman falls into this territory. I then wasted 10 minutes for Dr. Doom. Yawn. Boring. I've done free fall and push up rides like this before and Dr. Doom, other than a decent pre-show, really doesn't cross any new ground.
Neither do Fire and Ice, however, that doesn't mean that these coasters don't rock. I live near Chicago and go to Six Flags every year. Batman the ride is very similar to DD, being the seated, no floor type of design. I love swinging my legs free as the coaster climbs the hill. I find Batman to be very rough and it beats you up a bit. Fire and Ice are better. I started on Fire, in the second row. Now, for Hulk, IMHO, the row doesn't really matter that much. But, for DD, the row matters a big deal. Since the coasters inter-act, you really get the full effect from this by riding in the front. Granted, this is a much longer line, but you actually see the two trains running directly at each and feel the interaction of the lines better from this seat.
So, next, I rode Ice from the front. It wasn't even 9:45 yet and this area was still pretty empty. Also, I was a single rider, so I found groups of 2 or 3 waiting for the front that I joined with to move up the line. This was a great strategy! I was cutting without actually "cutting"; and I did ask permission before moving in front of anyone. Another rider agreed that the front seat was cool, but advised me to try Fire from the back. So I did. Wow, what a blast. The zero G moments here are more intense. You don't get the interactions, but it just feels faster. Overall, I liked Ice better, but it is close. Thankfully, they had to re-ride areas open, so I did not have to hike the 5 miles or so back to the end of the line to re-ride. Did I mention the walk? To get to the ride is a long, long, long way through a dark passage. When one has glasses that change (automatic sun glasses), walking through the dark, in an empty queue, with no one to follow, waiting for your glasses to change, results in bumping into a lot of walls!
To ride DD 3 times took no more than 15 minutes.
I then did Jurassic Park and Rip Saw falls again. They didn't open Popeye until 11, but it was about 11:30 when I got there. So, in a little over 2 hours, I did Hulk, Spiderman (twice), Dr. Yawn, DD three times, Jurassic Park and Ripsaw Falls. This includes the time it takes to walk from Hulk to DD, which, if you have been there, is not that short of a walk. I think I also stopped for a drink somewhere along the line.
So, this time I was ready for raft ride (Popeye). I had a locker for the electronics and a plastic zip lock bag for my money and ID. The jeans had been traded for light shorts and a t-shirt. Actually, I kind of enjoy getting wet (it was sunny and hot), so I was only concerned about my cell phone. Everything else will dry, so sit back, get wet and enjoy the ride. I actually laugh at those who go to great lengths to stay dry. Other than electronics, if you don't want to get wet, don't go on the ride! And, really, ponchos won't help you. So much water pours over the side and onto your seat, the poncho don't protect your rear. Furthermore, most of the time, Orlando is warm to hot, so just get wet, smile and have fun. Popeye is the best, wettest and fastest raft ride I have ever rode. The ride is blast and you do get soaked, from your feet to your head. Water comes at you from every direction. The finale, which occurs after Popeye has slugged the raft (after eating his spinach), is really fast and quick. A wonderful ride that, even during mid-day, had no line at all. I rode it three times in a row. Of course, I was soaked, but, as I said, it is part of the fun.
Now I noticed the park was getting a bit crowded. Hulk and Spiderman were up to 45 minutes each. DD was up to 50 minutes and all of the attractions were getting lines. It was close to 1, and, truthfully, although I like to think I am 17, the truth is much harder to take and I needed a serious break. So, knowing my friend and I had a busy evening planned (he works for Disney and was treating me to a free evening at MK), I decided to call it day. The reason for the crowds became evident as I was leaving. It was another Grad Night and many were coming early. I didn't feel cheated as I hit the rides that I wanted to hit and I had the Fast Pass for Sunday.
Besides, did you know that Orlando has other nice places to visit besides theme parks and shopping? Once you grow tired of the crowds at US, Disney and the malls, I suggest you look up Moss Lake Park and Wekiva Springs. These parks provided quiet and solitude, away from the crowds and noise. Moss Lake has a small swimming beach amongst tall trees, covered in Spanish Moss. Wekiva Springs has a huge natural swimming pool formed by the spring. Moss Lake park is just SE of the Orlando airport (but NOT in the path of any of the planes, it is very quiet. It is a bird sanctuary and you can hear the birds, on their own island, quite clearly) and Wekiva Springs is just 10 miles north of Orlando. Let me know if you want more info or use Google as your guide. My friend, who lives in Celebration, had not heard of either place! BTW both offer full campgrounds, so if you like to camp, look them up. Moss Lake is a county park and Wekiva Springs is a state park.
Day Three
Sunday, my last day and it was time to concentrate on US itself. I got there at 8:30 and lo and behold, they were allowing early admission. As advertised, only Jimmy Neutron and Shrek 4-D were open, but it was what they said it was. Not being interested in Jimmy, I saw Shrek 4-D. This one picks up where movie 1 left off, Shrek and Fiona just married. Won't go into detail, but suffice to say, I can listen to Eddie Murphy do Donkey any day of the week. They do a good job of bringing in other members of the cast and overall, it is funny. Not exactly a "thrill" ride, but a nice remembrance of the movies.
By the time that got out, US was fully (ha ha, not Twister, not ET, not Jaws, not Woody Woodpecker play land, not Terminator, not Fear Factor, which wasn't even being performed) open. So, I walked over the ROTM. WOW, WOW, WOW.
Walked right on, no waiting. Did it again, no waiting and it was even better. The guys loading the ride were totally in character, possessed by the Mummy. I tried to engage the ride operator, but he never even blinked. ROTM is another of those rides you can't explain. And, yes, there is a roller coaster element to it, but it is mostly illusion (you don't go very fast, and it is in the dark so it seems faster) and isn't even very long (30 seconds or so). But the effects and themeing (there is that word again) are monstrously impressive. Brandon Frasier's exit is great.
I walked over to Twister, where the lady in front had said that it opened at 9:30. I confirmed with her the time. So, I went back and did ROTM again. It hadn't lost it charms. It was 9:30 and back to Twister (they are practically next door to each other) and now she said 10AM. I, rather sarcastically, asked her if at 10 was she going to say 10:30? So, back to ROTM and a fourth time, with no waiting! Now, I had the Fast Pass for Sunday. Since there was no grad night, the park was very slow in filling. Very slow. Finally, 10AM, and Twister was open, hooray! About 30 minutes later, I wanted the time back. It was a long, slow, painful, and wholly uninteresting attraction, made even more so by Bill Pullman's could I be more bored intro pieces. Really, I could have read his dialogue in a far more interesting manner. By the time you finally get into the soundstage (a clear re-make of the Backdraft set that was here long ago), you just want out. Okay, there is wind (a fan), a spit of rain (whoopee) and some ghastly awful and unconvincing effects. Heck, the Drive-In movie screen doesn't even come apart, only a corner comes off. You can see the wires on the flying cow and the twister itself is the exact same thing you can produce at your local weather exhibit in just about any science museum. It is laughably fake and time to be closed.
Okay, two really good attractions and one awful, odds were good the next one would be fun, and it was. MIB is just plain fun, although being 47, the spinning got to me bit, you can throw me, turn me upside down, hang me from a coaster, but twirling and twisting ended long ago. That is my bad, not the attraction. I asked the ride operator what was the attraction like and she said "have you been on Buzz Lightyear at MK?" I nodded yes and she said, "this isn't like that one at all". Her timing was perfect and everyone, including me, laughed. But, in truth, it is very similar; you shoot and try to score points. Will Smith filmed a couple of spots for it and it is just like what you got in the movies. I only did it once (the spinning don't you know) but still gave it a thumbs up. From there, onto the Simpson's again (no line at all). It was Sunday, but since there was no grad night, the park wasn't filling up. Now, it was around 11, so off to Jaws. Again, a short line and a boring trek through we've seen it all before.
Okay, I've seen Terminator before, but I still like it. The film itself, with the live action is fun and the effects are really good.
So, now it is noonish, and I've done all I wanted to at US. I didn't use the Fass Past once. I would advise those that are interested in it, wait until you are at the park to purchase it and only do so if it will really save you time. The only advantage I had with it was not walking through the endless maze at DD and Ripsaw falls.
I'm not a show person, so Sinbad, Animal Actors, Horror Make-up are not my thing. Going towards the exit, I walked past the kids area and most of the stuff was closed. There is a large water playground, hidden in the back, which looked like the kids were having a blast. There was a short wait for ET. I've done it before and other than naming myself "snot monkey" really didn't see the need to go on it.
As you can tell, I didn't eat much at US or IOA. First, it takes time away from the rides, second, it tends to be very expensive and not very good. I had some snacks (popcorn, ice cream, fruit cup, soda), but not a true meal, so I cannot comment on the meal service. I tended to load up at breakfast and just use the snacks to supplement my day. Not unexpectedly, everything was expensive. It is far cheaper to find sustenance elsewhere. The only disappointment I had was that somehow, I never made it to the Whopper bar. Maybe paying $7.00 for a Whopper turned me off and I just wasn't committed to it.
So, on to IOA in the afternoon. It was empty. Hulk, walk on, DD walk on, DD Front row, maybe three or four rides (single riders can sneak ahead if they find a party of three, like I did every time), Spiderman, 5 minutes, Ripsaw, unusual in that it had a 30 minute wait, Popeye, walk on, Jurassic, walk on. So, not really needing my FOTL, I went a coasting. Hulk twice, DD 4 times, all from the front (confirmed that I like Ice a bit more), Jurassic Park, Ripsaw (skipped the 30 minute wait) and Popeye another 3 times. It was only 3 in the afternoon and I was exhausted. I decided to end my US adventure. I went to Wekiva Springs and just vegged for a couple of hours.
Final thoughts:
Parking A rip off at $12, a monster rip off $17 for "preferred parking". This is a huge joke as they park you on the same level as the entrance, but it really doesn't save you any steps at all. I investigated before I paid, so I didn't use it.
Impressions Don't apply Disney themeing, but use an open mind to enjoy what US does and does well, and that is thrill rides, much more so than Disney.
Hours I would have like one evening to see some rides at night, but other than Grad night, US doesn't really offer evening hours.
Great Rides Hulk, Spiderman, DD, Jurassic, Ripsaw, Popeye, ROTM, The Simpson's, MIB, Terminator, Shrek, and (maybe) Disaster
Skip Jaws, Twister, Dr. Doom, Poseidon's Fury (unless they do it all), Fast Pass, unless the park gets crowded, if you get there early enough, you can do pretty much all of the great rides by 1PM.
I look forward to returning when RRR opens, that one looks awesome. The crane was still in place at the lift tower, but didn't see a whole lot going on, but then again, I wasn't looking very hard.
Feel free to ask my questions, I will answer all that I can.
Dolby1000
