Disney addict doing Universal

[MinniMama]

This will be our first time doing universal our kids are 3,9,12 and we go to WDW twice a year usually. I can't imagine not seeing the mouse but DH wants to try Universal he loves coasters and scary stuff I do not. ANYWAY we are staying offsite HIFS and have 5 day 2park passes to save $$. My question is which park to see first IOA or US amd what will interest my kids. It seems we have not seen a lot of the movies highlighted by rides and I think I will just be missing WDW so tips for a newbie to get the most out of this trip also I plan one day for MK probably MOnday. Also how are crowds on Sundays are these parks mobbed and are there any better days for crowds. Thanks- can you tell I wish I was going to WDW- not ot offend Universal lovers-

 

[the Dark Marauder]

When, speicifically, will you be going?

 

[MinniMama]

Feb 21-28 roughly still trying to get tickets or we may drive how are the crowds. We will have 5 days in parks.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

MinniMama, try not to assume that you will miss WDW too much. The parks are very different, but there are a lot of advantages to Universal, too. The first time we went to Universal we combined it with a trip to WDW. The next time we bought Universal annual passed and skipped WDW and will skip WDW again this spring.

I am bringing my 4yo to Universal and WDW next month so I don't have anything against WDW (and will then be getting WDW annual passes for one year), but there is a lot to do and enjoy at both places.

What types of rides do your children enjoy (especially the older two)? There are more thrill rides and my older children prefer Universal/IoA (my kids are 4, 10, 13, and 16).

How tall is your 3yo?

Five days is plenty of time to see everything at a slow pace and to repeat what you want to repeat.

T&B

 

[wdwphanatic]

We'll be going on our first USF-only trip next month, and although I'm sure we'll have a great time I am already worried that I'll miss WDW a lot. I know the two are very different, and I'm afraid that I'm just more of a WDW person. I am not a coaster or water ride fanatic (so IOA will probably not be a whole lot of fun) and I love the variety and theming of the Disney parks... Ah well, I shall make the most of it and hope that it turns out to be as wonderful as everyone on these boards says it is!

Anyway, back to your questions... From what I've read, it sounds as though your kids will love IOA if they like coasters and water rides. Your youngest will probably also enjoy Seuss Landing there. I guess if I were you, I might start at that park. Perhaps you could see a few of the Universal movies before you leave for the trip so your kids could get a bit more out of US. My kids are 5 and 8, and we just rented Back to the Future, which they really enjoyed... Now they're really looking forward to trying the ride! We'll also be renting ET and MIB, so they can get more out of those rides, too. I'm not sure about Jurassic Park, as it might be a bit scary (especially for my 5-year-old)... Anyway, just thought I'd mention this as an idea.

Hope you end up having a great vacation with your family -- and really enjoy USF!

Take care,
Sarah

 

[MinniMama]

My children love the disney characters and the shows. The little one loves fantasyland toontown, princesses and mickey, The older ones enjoy those things and have liked all the big rides in Disney. The aren't big on being scared. We did Heshey this summer and my oldest DD went on all the coasters. They do like water rides on hot days but in late Feb I am not sure it will be warm enough. I am trying to be excited about it but WDW is so special to me. Lots of magical memories. Anyway I am sure I will enjoy it plus I do plan one day at MK and shopping at Downtown for my fix. This is really an extra trip we did WDW twice last year. And to save $ universal is much cheaper for tickets and we got a real deal at HIFS buy one night get one free so for the week tickets and room are really reasonable for 6 people. Anyway I am going with a good attitude but since I don't know much about the parks any tips what to see first which park should I go to first? Sounds like universal studios is the one. Thanks for the tips.

 

[RescueRanger]

Minnimama-
I noticed you said you were getting the 5 day passes. If you are talking about the Bonus passes sold online, they are for 5 CONSECUTIVE days. So if you were planning on going do Disney, you would need to go before or after you went to Universal or else you would lose a day on your passes. Just thought I would give you a heads up. By the way, we went to Universal for our first time in 2002 and loved it. In fact, our kids like it better than Disney . My wife would get a sad look on her face everytime we drove down 535 past the Disney entrance on our way to Universal, but when she got there, she would forget all about WDW.

 

[SpideyHulk24]

You will have a great time. Do both parks! Obviously you will with the pass, but the great thing is you can just walk from one park to the other so it doesn't matter where you start. I am a huge WDW fan and LOVE Universal just as much if not more after being there. You can have a different type of "magic" at those parks.

 

[silverspark]

Originally posted by MinniMama
Feb 21-28 roughly still trying to get tickets or we may drive how are the crowds. We will have 5 days in parks.

thats when i'll be there!!! feb 21-25!! hope you have fun!!

i hear that that time of year is one of the least crowded times!

 

[Armadillo4]

Another Disney fanatic here who will be trying Universal for the first time...this weekend!!! I only have a day, so I'll be doing IOA since I've been to USH a bunch. I'm hoping to find a different kind of "magic" but one just as enjoyable!

I read in another post that you can't take backpacks/bags on certain rides, especially the more extreme thrill rides (coaster and water). Does anyone know how much the lockers are?

Thanks in advance. All the Universal fans here have been helpful with trip planning!!!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Here's a tip to maximize your stay: go slow.

You've got 5 days to do two parks, and it will be during one of the slowest times of the year. Allow yourself to be totally immersed in the theming. Look closely at the details of different facades, such as in Hollywood or New York. Look around for various photo opportunities. Go see the characters. Play games. There's so much you can do. It's okay to "get lost" because there are some frequently overlooked areas in both parks. Many skip the Sneetch Beach area or ignore the side of the Discovery Center near the lagoon. The alleyways in NY are often overlooked. Unless it's marked "do not enter" or "production crew only" then don't worry.

As for which park to do first, it's hard to say. I guess it would depend on how you feel. If you want lots of excitement and thrills, head to IOA first. If you want to take it slower and just meander then USF would be better to start with. Either way, you can't go wrong. And Mardi Gras will most likely be going on (if you're there on a Saturday, then see the parade), and that'll be fun to see. Check out the floats and catch some beads. There are viewing/bead catching areas for families with younger children.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Originally posted by Armadillo4
I read in another post that you can't take backpacks/bags on certain rides, especially the more extreme thrill rides (coaster and water). Does anyone know how much the lockers are?

At Hulk and Dueling Dragons they offer free lockers, as long as you don't go over the 45/60 minute time period. Then you have to pay. At JP: River Adventure and Ripsaw they have lockers available, but they are like $2 for an hour or so (I'm not sure offhand). You can bring bags on the water rides if you so desire. Just place them by your feet on JP and they wont get wet. I can't say the same about Ripsaw, though.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would start out in the Studios. If your kids are anything like mine they will prefer IoA and if you go there first they aren't as likely to be as open minded about the shows, etc, that you will want to do in the Studios. I'm not saying that they won't enjoy the Studios, by the way.

T&B

 

[cdntowdw]

I'm another WDW fan, who just did USF & IOA for the first time last week. My son, 12, was very upset that we would not be doing any WDW park days this trip. He now has a different opinion. Our whole family enjoyed our visit to Universal. It is definitely different than WDW, but my DS's aged 9 and 12 had a blast. I would start in US with the Jimmy Neutron and Shrek rides. The best in the place. Go with an open mind and enjoy the fact that you can hop between parks with little effort, and no long boat, monorail rides to get to your car. The boys even found Seuss Landing fun. We also had the 5 day consecutive tickets, but after 4 days we had seen and done it all as many times as we could. We forfeited our last day to enjoy our resort. We did however do 2 dinners, Contemporary Hotel, monorail, Polynesian beach fireworks, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom Lodge for supper at Boma and Downtown Disney. Had to get some kind of Disney fix P.S. We found the Sunday a little crowded, but that was the last day of Grinchmas.

 

[MinniMama]

Wow you guys gave some great ideas I knew the passes were consecutive. but will only be there 5 days and 4 will be enough or me of Universal I think. Your dinner ideas for a disney fix were great I did not really think about that! Thanks you are making me much more encouraged! excuse all the emotes my little one is picking as we go I think we will start with studios and go form there I will also do shrek and jimmy first great ideas- now to make a tour plan!

 

[edie w]

MiniMamma - I'm sure you will love Universal, especally IOA. It is beautifully presented and every bit as magical as WDW.

For me, brought up with Dr Seuss rather than Mickey (I'm from the UK, very strange place!) it was a dream come true!

As the parks are so close, you can even split up for a couple of hours if you and your little one want to do, say ET or see Barney (at US) while your daredevils do the coasters.

Have a wonderful time. I wish I was spending 5 days at Universal Orlando sometime soon!

 

[ksdave]

MiniMamma;
Big time tip here: If you can get it before you leave, buy "Universal Orlando: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure" by Kelly Monaghan. This is THE book about UO, basically the same as Birnbaum's books for WDW, only better. If you can't find it at a local bookstore, try online at http://www.TheOtherOrlando.com

One more tip: Save a little time for exploring the three UO resort hotels, particularly the Portofino Bay Hotel. The boats go from the docks at CityWalk to each hotel evrry 15 minutes, and they're free.

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[SpideyHulk24]

Bring us back a trip report! I am confident that you will be majorly impressed!

 

[MinniMama]

well you have me all encouraged so we booked the flight today got an awesome price! so now to make my tour plan thanks for all the tips! I will be sure to post a report!

 

[Armadillo4]

I just got back from a long weekend in Orlando and spent one day IOA--my first experience with either Universal park as a Disney fanatic.

Oh boy. I wish I had a few more vacation days available. I LOVED IOA! Spiderman is wicked cool. I'm already thinking about a return trip this fall, with the idea of spending 2-3 days at Universal (in addition to several days at WDW, of course). The theming at IOA is really excellent. Better than what I expected, and much better than my experiences at USH here in CA. Even though I was there during a Saturday of a long holiday weekend, the lines weren't too bad, especially using a combination of Express Passes and single rider lines. I can see how IOA appeals to a certain guest more than a Disney park, especially for the thrill-seeking type. My only frustration was not finding any discount for the one-day/one-park ticket...so I paid the full $53. Next time, that won't be a problem since we'll spend more than one day there.