Disney Family - Thoughts on First Trip to Universal

[Madani]

Top line: After several trips to Disney, we decided to give Universal a try. We had a wonderful trip. I, plus DH, and DD12 had three full days, park to park tickets, and express passes (included with our stay at Royal Pacific). We went primarily for DD who wanted to see the Wizarding World. It was awesome and she loved it. We are so glad we went. However, I don’t see us planning a return trip as there just wasn’t enough that I want to experience again.

What went right: Express Pass was critical for us. DH and DD are not morning people and I was amazed that we made it to the park by 9. DD loved Escape from Gringott’s and we rode it at least 6 or 7 times over the three days with very little time in line. Same with Forbidden Journey and she even went on Flight of the Hippogriff 4 times at least. She doesn’t like standing in line but I explained it would be required for Hagrid’s experience and she sucked it up and did it. We got a bit of luck with an 80 minute wait one evening, and then a 105 minute wait (which I think might have been shorter than that) one afternoon. Worth it! We both LOVED it! I brought earbuds and my phone (you can only have what will fit in a pocket) while in line and we passed the time with Harry Potter trivia, and then she watched a movie on my phone while we waited. I also purchased robes for her to wear in the Wizarding World before we left which was another good decision. She had fun wearing them and I was happy when I saw the price of robes in the park. The close proximity of the Royal Pacific and the water taxi made taking an afternoon pool break simple. We also popped over to Volcano Bay one afternoon and DH and DD enjoyed some water slides.

Universal is doing so many things right. I really appreciated not having to stress out about reserving fast passes or making dining reservations. I liked how quick it was to get from the park back to the hotel. The staff members were all terrific - everyone was friendly and smiling. Shuttle bus transportation to and from MCO was included in our package and even that ran smoothly - we waited about 15 minutes at the stop on arrival, and driver was at the resort promptly at our scheduled pickup time to return to MCO.

What could have been better: The only thing I would do differently would be to get a grocery order with water/soda and some food delivered, or maybe use ride share for a grocery run. It killed me to pay $2 for a banana. :-(

Favorites: DD said picking her wand was her favorite, followed by Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I liked Hagrid’s a lot as well, but I have to admit I laughed a bunch on the Simpson’s ride and the Twirl n Hurl.

Why we won‘t plan a return visit anytime soon: The Wizarding World is great but that is really about it for me. I enjoyed the 3D screen rides but not enough to want to experience them multiple times, and they all started to feel kind of the same. Velocicoaster and the other roller coasters are too intense, and I have no interest in mummies or King Kong. I found myself wishing for a Jungle Cruise or a Small World -type experience instead. I have zero regrets about our trip, it really was fun, but this was a one and done for us.

 

[georgina]

Top line: After several trips to Disney, we decided to give Universal a try. We had a wonderful trip. I, plus DH, and DD12 had three full days, park to park tickets, and express passes (included with our stay at Royal Pacific). We went primarily for DD who wanted to see the Wizarding World. It was awesome and she loved it. We are so glad we went. However, I don’t see us planning a return trip as there just wasn’t enough that I want to experience again.

What went right: Express Pass was critical for us. DH and DD are not morning people and I was amazed that we made it to the park by 9. DD loved Escape from Gringott’s and we rode it at least 6 or 7 times over the three days with very little time in line. Same with Forbidden Journey and she even went on Flight of the Hippogriff 4 times at least. She doesn’t like standing in line but I explained it would be required for Hagrid’s experience and she sucked it up and did it. We got a bit of luck with an 80 minute wait one evening, and then a 105 minute wait (which I think might have been shorter than that) one afternoon. Worth it! We both LOVED it! I brought earbuds and my phone (you can only have what will fit in a pocket) while in line and we passed the time with Harry Potter trivia, and then she watched a movie on my phone while we waited. I also purchased robes for her to wear in the Wizarding World before we left which was another good decision. She had fun wearing them and I was happy when I saw the price of robes in the park. The close proximity of the Royal Pacific and the water taxi made taking an afternoon pool break simple. We also popped over to Volcano Bay one afternoon and DH and DD enjoyed some water slides.

Universal is doing so many things right. I really appreciated not having to stress out about reserving fast passes or making dining reservations. I liked how quick it was to get from the park back to the hotel. The staff members were all terrific - everyone was friendly and smiling. Shuttle bus transportation to and from MCO was included in our package and even that ran smoothly - we waited about 15 minutes at the stop on arrival, and driver was at the resort promptly at our scheduled pickup time to return to MCO.

What could have been better: The only thing I would do differently would be to get a grocery order with water/soda and some food delivered, or maybe use ride share for a grocery run. It killed me to pay $2 for a banana. :-(

Favorites: DD said picking her wand was her favorite, followed by Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I liked Hagrid’s a lot as well, but I have to admit I laughed a bunch on the Simpson’s ride and the Twirl n Hurl.

Why we won‘t plan a return visit anytime soon: The Wizarding World is great but that is really about it for me. I enjoyed the 3D screen rides but not enough to want to experience them multiple times, and they all started to feel kind of the same. Velocicoaster and the other roller coasters are too intense, and I have no interest in mummies or King Kong. I found myself wishing for a Jungle Cruise or a Small World -type experience instead. I have zero regrets about our trip, it really was fun, but this was a one and done for us.

Glad you enjoyed your trip. It's not everyone's cup of tea. Personally I love roller coasters and could not imagine riding Small World 5 times in a trip like I do Velocicoaster.

I have not found the price of beverages and fruit to be that different from those at Disney World? Especially with the recent inflation.

 

[namelessoracle]

The value in coming back to me is Horror Nights. Its basically them having a new park every year to go visit, then during the day (or the day you arent doing Horror Nights) you get to chill at some old favorites.

 

[Skywalker3]

Top line: After several trips to Disney, we decided to give Universal a try. We had a wonderful trip. I, plus DH, and DD12 had three full days, park to park tickets, and express passes (included with our stay at Royal Pacific). We went primarily for DD who wanted to see the Wizarding World. It was awesome and she loved it. We are so glad we went. However, I don’t see us planning a return trip as there just wasn’t enough that I want to experience again.

What went right: Express Pass was critical for us. DH and DD are not morning people and I was amazed that we made it to the park by 9. DD loved Escape from Gringott’s and we rode it at least 6 or 7 times over the three days with very little time in line. Same with Forbidden Journey and she even went on Flight of the Hippogriff 4 times at least. She doesn’t like standing in line but I explained it would be required for Hagrid’s experience and she sucked it up and did it. We got a bit of luck with an 80 minute wait one evening, and then a 105 minute wait (which I think might have been shorter than that) one afternoon. Worth it! We both LOVED it! I brought earbuds and my phone (you can only have what will fit in a pocket) while in line and we passed the time with Harry Potter trivia, and then she watched a movie on my phone while we waited. I also purchased robes for her to wear in the Wizarding World before we left which was another good decision. She had fun wearing them and I was happy when I saw the price of robes in the park. The close proximity of the Royal Pacific and the water taxi made taking an afternoon pool break simple. We also popped over to Volcano Bay one afternoon and DH and DD enjoyed some water slides.

Universal is doing so many things right. I really appreciated not having to stress out about reserving fast passes or making dining reservations. I liked how quick it was to get from the park back to the hotel. The staff members were all terrific - everyone was friendly and smiling. Shuttle bus transportation to and from MCO was included in our package and even that ran smoothly - we waited about 15 minutes at the stop on arrival, and driver was at the resort promptly at our scheduled pickup time to return to MCO.

What could have been better: The only thing I would do differently would be to get a grocery order with water/soda and some food delivered, or maybe use ride share for a grocery run. It killed me to pay $2 for a banana. :-(

Favorites: DD said picking her wand was her favorite, followed by Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. I liked Hagrid’s a lot as well, but I have to admit I laughed a bunch on the Simpson’s ride and the Twirl n Hurl.

Why we won‘t plan a return visit anytime soon: The Wizarding World is great but that is really about it for me. I enjoyed the 3D screen rides but not enough to want to experience them multiple times, and they all started to feel kind of the same. Velocicoaster and the other roller coasters are too intense, and I have no interest in mummies or King Kong. I found myself wishing for a Jungle Cruise or a Small World -type experience instead. I have zero regrets about our trip, it really was fun, but this was a one and done for us.

So glad you had such a wonderful trip. Hey, never say never. We used to go to Universal about every 2-3 years, and it may be something y'all want to revisit in a few years, especially if they change/add more attractions. Now that our kids are older, they want more thrills for sure. Also, we've discovered how wonderful it is to try Universal at various times of the year. They do such a fabulous job for Christmas holidays, Mardi Gras is super fun, and now I"m an HHN addict, and already planning for Oct next year. This was our first year with APs, and we enjoyed them a lot. So, as Universal adds stuff, and Epic opens, it might be something to look at again. Thanks for sharing all the fun and good experiences! Glad y'all enjoyed it.

 

[MousetersInc]

I feel like in some ways we're enjoying a special time in Universal's history, and the way Disney fans reminisce about the parks a few decades ago (or even a few years ago) is how this period of Universal will look in retrospect. Hey, 15 years ago there wasn't even any Harry Potter! Seems to me the addition of Harry Potter really stepped up Universal's game into "imagineering" levels, and I don't think there's any question it's driven traffic to them. Right now there are so many policies that compare favorably with Disney—the hotels are cheaper, you get more for what you pay, the "fastpass" is unlimited, free, and easy, etc. etc. But meanwhile they're announcing they're going to add an entire third "land," doubling the park size. Here's hoping it's just as amazingly themed as the Wizarding World. But if that keeps driving traffic and demand, maybe years from now we'll see a day when they too can let us wake up at 7am to fight tooth and nail for the privilege of paying to secure a place on a ride.

(Meanwhile, Madani, thanks for a helpful mini-trip-report! We too are planning a first Uni trip soon with daughters 11 and 13.)

 

[akadada]

Great report. We're going for our first time (had to reschedule due to Nicole) because our kids are Harry Potter Fans and we stopped doing Disney 4 years ago. We have EP and Royal Pacific. We bought a Harry Potter package (Whatever that means).

Personally, this is a kids trip and I'm hopeful this will be great. Your report is exciting to read and feels realistic for us as well. I hope our kids love it.

Oh, and I appreciate the comment on food. We plan to uber from the airport, but hope to pay to have driver stop at the grocery store on the way in to stock up on snacks, water, and booze.

Cheers!

 

[akadada]

I feel like in some ways we're enjoying a special time in Universal's history, and the way Disney fans reminisce about the parks a few decades ago (or even a few years ago) is how this period of Universal will look in retrospect. Hey, 15 years ago there wasn't even any Harry Potter! Seems to me the addition of Harry Potter really stepped up Universal's game into "imagineering" levels, and I don't think there's any question it's driven traffic to them. Right now there are so many policies that compare favorably with Disney—the hotels are cheaper, you get more for what you pay, the "fastpass" is unlimited, free, and easy, etc. etc. But meanwhile they're announcing they're going to add an entire third "land," doubling the park size. Here's hoping it's just as amazingly themed as the Wizarding World. But if that keeps driving traffic and demand, maybe years from now we'll see a day when they too can let us wake up at 7am to fight tooth and nail for the privilege of paying to secure a place on a ride.

(Meanwhile, Madani, thanks for a helpful mini-trip-report! We too are planning a first Uni trip soon with daughters 11 and 13.)

Great point. Maybe my kids will some day look back at Universal with the same way I used to think about Disney. My kids have no interest in Disney any longer - stopped a few years ago when so many things got unmagical. I personally have come to hate Disney now and won't go back. I'm optimistic about Universal and hopefully beyond the possibility my kids love it, Universal doesn't screw it up as it gets bigger. Let's cheer for Universal doing things right!

 

[ClapYourHands]

Thanks for your trip review. I think we’re so used to frequent visitors on these boards that it’s good to remember not everyone wants to go again and again. I think it’s really cool that you had a fantastic trip, and that was enough for you. My husband and my bank account wish I felt the same way. Best wishes for wherever your future travels take you!