Disney/Universal Trip

[denily]

So, our plans have changed. We were going to go to Disney in Feb, but now DH would really like to see the Harry Potter attraction at Universal...so...we are thinking about postponing our trip until sometime next fall.
Now I need some advice on how to plan this trip...would you do Disney first or Universal? Stay at one of the Universal hotels for the perks, then transfer to a Disney hotel (or vice versa)? Or stick with Disney? Rent a car? Is there transportation available to Universal if we don't have a car?
There are 4 of us: me, DH, DD (will be 10), and DS (will be 5), we would most likely stay for 7 days.
Thanks for any recommendations!!

 

[Purseval]

The answer depends entirely on your financial comfort level. Personally I would compare the prices between the two hotels you want to stay in and see if staying at Hotel B and renting a car was cheaper than just staying at Hotel A. If you are staying in WDW a car is more efficient than their transportation system, especially if you are park hopping. Plus, you are only talking about a 15-minute ride between WDW and USF so it's entirely feasible to stay at one park and commute to the other. So, for instance, if you got a good deal at WDW with the dining plan it may be cheaper to stay there for 7 days, rent a car and drive to USF than it would be to stay 4 days at WDW and 3 days at Hard Rock Hotel then have to buy your meals every day. It's a complicated process but you have a long time to figure it out.

 

[Darcy03231]

We've done this.

1. Do the WDW portion of your trip first. Take ME from the airport.

2. Transfer to an on-site hotel at US/IOA. We rented a car, but you could take a taxi or towncar service.

You want to do the US/IOA portion second because once you've have the FOTL perk you won't like standing in line at WDW. The first time we did a split trip we did the US/IOA portion first. Once we transferred to WDW my kids did nothing but complain about the lines (even the short ones) at WDW and kept asking if we could go back to US/IOA.

 

[Metro West]

We've done this.

1. Do the WDW portion of your trip first. Take ME from the airport.

2. Transfer to an on-site hotel at US/IOA. We rented a car, but you could take a taxi or towncar service.

You want to do the US/IOA portion second because once you've have the FOTL perk you won't like standing in line at WDW. The first time we did a split trip we did the US/IOA portion first. Once we transferred to WDW my kids did nothing but complain about the lines (even the short ones) at WDW and kept asking if we could go back to US/IOA.

 

[francie57]

Guess we do the opposite of others. We do Universal first and then Disney. We have done it this way for years. We love the FOTL perk but we enjoy the Boardwalk Villas at Disney more than the HRH at Universal. Don't get me wrong, we really like the HRH and have stayed there for years and will be there in two weeks again. We just have done this for years - our first ever trip to Universal was after Disney and we just decided we liked to the other way around.

 

[DeblovesPoohbear]

I second the do Disney first, that way, your not waiting in lines at the end of your trip, that is the best part

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I agree with doing Disney first and staying onsite at Universal in general, but we are probably doing the opposite on our next trip. If my dates hold, we'll be arriving in Orlando on a Friday evening. We plan to do Universal first since we will have FOTL access over the weekend, then we will stand in line at WDW during the week. The thing that is messing with my planning is the WWOHP opening date. I'm a bit nervous to be at Universal on a weekend if Harry Potter has just opened, even with FOTL access - the crowds will be crazy. I'm hoping WWOHP opens by late spring or early summer, so many of the locals might have been a few times by the time we go in August.