Decided to Cross Over to the Darkside

[Karbase8]

I suppose I could have done... I rarely start threads so I am not up on thread etiquette on how many threads are "too many" on a topic! If more than 3 or 4 is the threshold then I apologize... Next time I will look more carefully and count before I start a thread....

Don't worry about it OP, I have seen far worse post on this thread and I hope you have a great time at US, I am sure you will any family vacation is a great one!!!!!!! Enjoy!!!!

 

[karenklo]

We are going dark side too in August! However, we are still going to slide over to WDW for 3 days! Can't be that close and not ride the New mine train ride! However, we were at WDW in July and DEc for NYE and actually loved FP+. We were big FP- users, but it was nice to know that our rides were reserved! We got to ride TSM on arrival day when we didn't get to DHS until 4pm! That would have never happened before!

 

[johde]

I would suggest if you do decide to do US to go to the Universal Boards, lots of helpful people there. Also, try not to go this summer They are opening a new section to WWOHP and it will be crazy busy and might not be a good first visit.

We go to both, US is a good 3 or 4 day trip for us to relax. We stay onsite at one of their 3 deluxe hotels and use the express pass so we are spoiled with very short wait times normally. WDW is at least a week for us, and there is a bit more planning involved.

I agree that with the new section of WWOHP opening open this summer it could be busy. If the OP is serious about the switch they should probably consider making reservations onsite now while there are still rooms available. For a more relaxing section to their vacation they could consider throwing in Seaworld, Busch Gardens, Aquatica, or a day at Discovery Cove.

For my trip this coming January, the plan is to fly into Tampa, spend a day or 2 at Busch Gardens, a day or 2 at Sea World, 4 days at Universal, and just 1 at Disney (out of 3 left on a no expiration ticket).

Islands of Adventure used to be my favorite theme park. I still love it, especially after WWOHP opened. There's no doubt that Universal trumps Disney in terms of rides, and Express Pass is awesome for on-site guests (although I remember when it was for everyone, like Fast Pass, and hated when they took it away).

However, I have never felt the same "magic" at Universal as I do when I go to Disney. I am a local and have APs to both, but I go to Disney much more often than Universal. I love being able to pop into WWOHP whenever I want and sit on the patio at Three Broomsticks and then hop in the single rider line of Forbidden Journey. I cannot wait until Diagon Alley opens. And Hulk is still my favorite roller coaster of all time.

But for me, Disney is special - and yes, even with Fast Pass and all that. It's hard to explain, but I'm sure many people on this board understand. the only place that's come close to that same "feeling" for me is WWOHP.

All that said, there's no reason why a Universal vacation shouldn't be fun and exciting for your family, if that's what you choose. Just know not to expect Disney when you go to Universal, and not to expect Universal when you go to Disney.

For me, I don't know if I'd call it "magic", but Disney holds a special place for me that Universal doesn't. For me, it's more memories. My first trip to Disney was in 1976. My grandparents had just moved from California to Florida and the 7 of us drove down for a visit. Prior to that they visited in Oho but we didn't visit them in California. So for me, Universal is a great theme park, Disney brings back memories of childhood.

 

[damo]

I have no expectations of what Universal will be like. We are staying on site to get the express pass. That is a must! I know the Disney magic won't be there..... That's ok... My boys are 15, 11, 11... So maybe it is time for us to try universal... And FP+ gave us the push we needed.

I think we will go back to Disney.... In time.... I'm sure all of the kinks will be worked out. Since DH and I are teachers, we can only go at the busiest times of the year. We are commando park planners and rope drop people who used 6-7+ FP a day.... 3 is just a disappointment.... And i don't want to wait in more summer lines than necessary.

Oh gosh, your boys will adore it!!! Just be prepared that they may start preferring Universal to Disney!

 

[agavegirl1]

I have been to Orlando and done WDW only, US/IOA only, and now do split trips between the two. This time I am adding a day and a half at Sea World. You will have a great time with a darkside only trip. Mine was very relaxing. Plenty of pool/downtown...lots of great meals. The restaurants at the resort hotels are very, very good!

 

[mefordis]

I suppose my point was join in on the discussion that so many people have been having regarding FP+. Since this is a discussion board, I thought this would be a good place to do so. I don't think my post was any different than other people who have said they would not be going back???

I'm sorry if my post offended you...

Well I am glad you posted! I feel the same way (see my ticker!) I don't understand why people read posts they that clearly make them upset. Just don't click on it, folks!

 

[ougrad86]

Your boys are a great age for Universal! We are doing a split stay this time around. Last spring break we stayed only at Universal and visited Disney a couple of mornings - and ended up with a quick visit in November because that wasn't enough Disney for us! So we have a 4 + 4 this time. But planning for our Disney parks are like a military campaign this time around, whereas with Universal, we will just go wherever, whenever...we do the hotels, so even during Spring Break it is not that bad.

We will go to Disney again. DS is going off to college, so it will just be me and DH or my friend or DM. We will go during less crowded times (the few that are left), so we can relax and not worry too much about the length of the SB lines.

 

[clsteve]

Oh gosh, your boys will adore it!!! Just be prepared that they may start preferring Universal to Disney!

Trust me, it can happen- whether they're thrill-seekers or not. I have one who isn't but many of the other rides are based on movies that are more relevant to him. If you stay on-site, the pool hopping was a big plus for both.

Our next trip will be all on-site Universal. But, I'm holding out hope there's a better off-site plan for FP+ than there is now so DW and I can get them over to WDW for at least a couple of days. If not, we'll be joining the DL westward migration for the family Disney fix.....

 

[Planogirl]

Magic is in the eyes of the beholder. I find that Universal has its own distinct type of magic but to each their own.

You might find that a break actually helps your outlook. I became much less impatient with Disney once we started to enjoy other places.

 

[prudence64]

My husband and I had an absolutely lousy experience at IOA about 3 years ago and don't plan on going back anytime soon. However, I can see it appealing greatly to the teen-age crowd and it might be a better choice for your family at this point in time. If everyone is tall enough to ride the thrill rides, they will enjoy that. I don't recommend to families who have some smaller who will feel left out and who don't have people who enjoy roller coasters.

We did like the spider-man ride. The Harry Potter experience was broken. The rest of that area was too crowded to breathe (try 30-45 minute wait to enter a gift shop). It was relatively new then though.

 

[2girlsmom]

Magic is in the eyes of the beholder. I find that Universal has its own distinct type of magic but to each their own.

You might find that a break actually helps your outlook. I became much less impatient with Disney once we started to enjoy other places.

I completely agree with this statement. At this point we are semi-local and have passes to both (and SW/BG). Up till this year, Disney was the primary location, with a few secondary trips or maybe 1 day out of a 3 day weekend at the others, etc. We've found, however, that the FP+ actually makes it easier for us to do less time at Disney. For example, we are going up to Orlando for 3 days for my dd15's birthday next month. We will be staying at Royal Pacific, and primarily we will be doing Universal and IOA. However, Saturday night we have dinner reservations at Ohana, so I went ahead and scheduled FP+ for that evening after dinner at MK, and Monday my dd wanted a couple hours at AK, so I booked those FP+ for Monday afternoon before we head home. The rest of the weekend we will be quite happy at Universal. We do find it as "magical" in its own way, even dd15 who picked Uni as her primary this trip but who rides NO thrill rides loves it there.

I know Disney has said the point was to make it more amenable to staying at Disney for the full time, for us that goal is a failure, as all they have accomplished is making it EASIER for us to spend most of our time elsewhere.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

You guys will have a great time at Universal, especially because you're staying onsite. And it will definitely be more crowded than usual with the new HP area opening, but still enjoyable.

We are hoping that WDW sorts this FP+ mess out soon because we were going to buy WDW APs in August (our daughter is going with a friend in April so we're getting her an AP and figured we may just as well all get APs when we go in August). If they don't fix the FP+ mess by the time we visit in August, we will skip WDW altogether and just go to US/IOA and the beach this trip. If they don't fix it EVER, we will probably only go to WDW once every 3-4 years as opposed to every year as we have done in the past.

I realize that we are only 1 family too, and others will chime in that we'll be one less family in line in front of them, yadda, yadda, yadda, but we have been one family who has gone at least once a year for the past 20 years and we're about as diehard as they come.

 

[HereForMinnie]

Your boys will more than likely love US/IOA. It's more of a teen/young adult spot.

I've visited US/IOA several times and also stayed onsite at Royal Pacific. RP is a beautiful resort but the rooms were small and the customer service just wasn't there. There was only one restaurant open at the resort during our weekend stay (I never was given an answer as to why). The parks aren't kid friendly (and yes I'm aware of the Zeus Landing area but that obviously pales in comparison to Fantasyland) and the nightlife that takes over can be more than obnoxious.

It's much cheaper than WDW but I'll always pay Disney's premium for a total resort experience, FP+ or not.

 

[lugnut33]

We decided to cancel our WDW + DCL trip for this summer and are heading out to the San Francisco Bay area instead. I think our frequent WDW vacations may be coming to an end (I know, less people in line and I doubt Disney will miss the thousands we spend).

 

[Planogirl]

Your boys will more than likely love US/IOA. It's more of a teen/young adult spot.

I've visited US/IOA several times and also stayed onsite at Royal Pacific. RP is a beautiful resort but the rooms were small and the customer service just wasn't there. There was only one restaurant open at the resort during our weekend stay (I never was given an answer as to why). The parks aren't kid friendly (and yes I'm aware of the Zeus Landing area but that obviously pales in comparison to Fantasyland) and the nightlife that takes over can be more than obnoxious.

It's much cheaper than WDW but I'll always pay Disney's premium for a total resort experience, FP+ or not.

We had great customer service at the Royal Pacific plus everything was open. I hope that you complained to Loews.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It's as simple as this many people don't like change. period.

Time, and the way people remember it, is a funny thing. We've been to WDW many times, and I do things like time how long it take me to get from point A to point B. Yet whenever I post how long it actually takes, I usually get castigated by folks who insist my times are too high. I assure you, I am a quick walker.

I think when many folks complain about 3fp, they are not factoring all the time it took to collect old FP, and how much mental energy it took to coordinate old FP. There were LOTS of times, we'd walk all the way to a FP kiosk just to discover: FP were gone for the day, or the FP return window would not work.

Now you ARRIVE with a FP on your band. (Unless you are one of the folks who needs to go to he kiosk upon park entry. If you are in that category, then you will spend approx. 20-30minutes getting them- depends how long the line is...could be more could be less. that was the estimated wait on MLKjr weekend.)

Also, previously, the FP return line was not immediate. Soarin' waits are historically quite long, even with a FP. With FP+, our waits were mostly under five minutes. (Though we skipped Soarin' this time around.)

A third factor is the advantage of the wristbands all day. That one is harder to measure, but I know the idiots used to annoy me. You know, the folks who get to the front of the line and STILL have their KTTW card still in their wallet. The folks who could not figure out how to use the old turnstiles, the folks who did not have their cards out during emh. The new bands make it easier to access your hotel room when your holding two coffee, when you go to the pool or water parks, and any time when you might otherwise have put your ticket or wristband in your pocket/wallet.

So Yes, FP+ does = change. he gain of FP+ is that you don't spend any time obtaining FP, or trying to obtain FP. Instead, the trade off is that once your FP+ are used, you do trade some of the time gain time in standby lines. For us, I'm confident that we came out ahead.


My two points of comparison are also not equal. My most recent visit was during a fairly busy time. My most recent pre FP+ visits were during relatively low crowd times. Even still, I'd say the new FP+ was a gain.

The only [part of the new system I really hate is the idea that ALL TS meals are now cc holds. That is a loss. I will no longer book arrival day ADR's, will reduce our ADR's, and will trade 180 day ADR's for same day ADR's. (more GF Café and less 1900PF)

Look up old threads on almost ANY change WDW has made in the last five years and you will find LOTS of naysayers. try reading a few posts about the Epcot giant wand, or the change in stroller rental pricing. Now, most of us actually happy that there are less of those giant plastic behemoths clogging walkways in WDW.

 

[HereForMinnie]

We had great customer service at the Royal Pacific plus everything was open. I hope that you complained to Loews.

Good for you. That wasn't our experience. And of course I complained; unlike most people on these boards we want our problems resolved before we head home.

 

[MsMagical]

We went to Universal for the first 3 days of our September trip and we really loved it there. We had at the time a 19 year old, 4 year old and 1 year old so of course for us, it was a bit different than the OP's experience will be with older kids. We loved the close proximity to the parks. We stayed at Hard Rock and LOVED the pool with. My kids loved playing in the sand and the pool movies.

Universal is full of fast paced and fun rides and WWOHP is such a treat for Potter fans like me and my oldest son. It really felt neat to just be "in" the magic of that area. We actually really loved the Dr. Suess area (with our little ones) and that many of the rides are just movies with moving seats so our daughter could "ride" without feeling too scared. Universal does rider swap the right way (with air conditioned rooms right off of the loading zone!) and the rider who is "swapping" gets to ride immediately after the first party gets off. They have Disney beat hands down in this particular area. (I recognize that this would be entirely different at Disney which caters to families with small children on a whole other level that Universal does not.) The employees were friendly but I prefer the "pretend" magic and happiness you get from most Disney cast members. Just a personal preference.

All this said, we are heading back to Disney World in a couple of weeks and did not schedule out time for Universal. But, we are not commando about our park touring and never have been so these changes will not significantly change our trips. I totally understand a family like the OP where park touring and rides are priority struggling with this system.

As far as getting a Disney fix from Disneyland (mentioned by a couple PP), it's a really wonderful place but has a different demographic and in the summer it can be just as busy (or more!!) than Disney World because it is much smaller. If you can go on a low season, it's so amazing and relaxing but if you go in a busy time - it can be equally frustrating to having only 3 fast passes per day in my opinion. (We have been several times during all the seasons and have a lot of experience with what each season means regarding crowds and ride availability. We are not local but are west coasters so it is easier for us to visit.)

 

[mm1971]

We were planning to come to the Motherland in July but I just can't wrap my head around FP+. This is not the way we vacation. Three FP's is not enough... the tiers are just crazy, and I have a feeling the lines will not be any better (if not worse) by the summer.

Look, we love Disney and have spent many great vacations (and lots of $$$) there... but we only take one big family vacation a year so we have to make it count. I'm sure no one is going to care that we are going to Universal (and one less family will make the lines shorter for some else!) however, I really do hope that Disney gets this FP+ situation sorted so we can go back! (I know.... some people love it... but I don't like the way it stands now and will not be back...)

While I understand where you are coming from, I plan to give it a shot first before making the final decision on the future. We are going in August and I'll see how it goes. It seems there are a lot of opinions both ways on this one.

Universal is not a big draw for my family as my kids are not really thrill riders. We love the HP areas. If we find that the FP+ is not for us, we'll start to look at other places to take vacations and visit Disney less often.

I hope you have a great vacation! That FOTL benefit to staying on property sure is a good benefit.

 

[Shaden]

I'm not trying to be rude, but honestly, what was the point of making this post?

This!

We don't need another "we're not going" thread. There's already a bunch of them. Why didn't you respond to one of those threads instead of creating a brand new thread with the exact same topic.

On the first page I saw 2 threads already started about this topic.

Oh but you know, these two will be first on the list to tell you that that VAST majority of people LOVE FP+ and there are only 3 or 6 or 12 people here on the DIS that don't like it and are overly vocal about it and make it SEEM like people aren't enjoying FP+...


Good post OP, glad you voiced your concerns, they seem fair, and if our May Trip isn't as enjoyable as the last have been, it will be the of WDW for us as well. We are a little locked in though as we rented DVC and bought APs last spring ...