Doing a Day at Universal Studios

[slyster]

I am beginning to plan a trip to disney for 5 or 6 nights and I'm considering doing a day at Universal Studios. Simply, because I'm a big Harry Potter fan!

As it stands, we plan on signing up for the service where Disney picks us up from the airport and brings us to our resort and back. (I believe we are planning for POFQ). So we will be without a vehicle.

Can someone tell me what kind of transporation would be available to do one day at Universal studios? Thanks in advance....

 

[ms1031]

http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/universal/#rt

Dreams Unlimited has a deal for a 1 day - 2 park Universal ticket that includes round trip bus trip through Mears Transportation. With this deal, the transportation is basically free. It's a great deal.

You could also just go with Mears for the transportation only, a cab ride, or rent a car for the day.

 

[Joe'sgirl]

A taxi is also an option but would likely cost more than the bus.

 

[Missytara]

There is a sticky at the top of the transportation board that will give you many options.

 

[PharmerJan]

I am beginning to plan a trip to disney for 5 or 6 nights and I'm considering doing a day at Universal Studios. Simply, because I'm a big Harry Potter fan!

As it stands, we plan on signing up for the service where Disney picks us up from the airport and brings us to our resort and back. (I believe we are planning for POFQ). So we will be without a vehicle.

Can someone tell me what kind of transporation would be available to do one day at Universal studios? Thanks in advance....

We did this in June. Staying at POFQ without a car.

Bell Services will call you a cab (they are actually waiting in the parking lot already). It was $35 plus tip. It was fast and ready when we were. The cab explained to us the procedure for getting a cab back at night (there is a bell stand just off the escalators where you are dropped off). Very convenient and you dont have to stop other places to pick up. I would recommend a taxi for sure!

 

[jandkmom]

We did a taxi last Jan and are planning on doing the same in 3 weeks! My DD is a HUGE HP fan. We had 6 in our party so we caught a taxi van, which were waiting outside of the resort (BLT). If they aren't, have bell services call. Like the PP said, getting a taxi back to Disney was a breeze. My only advice is get there as early as possible...WWOHP gets packed! Have fun!

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

I'd definitely recommend going the taxi route. Depending on the number of people in your family, Mears could end up costing you more because they charge per person (that was our case) and you don't have the flexibility to come and go the way you do with a taxi. It cosy us about $35 for the taxi ride from POR. The taxis were right there when we needed to leave in the am and like a pp said right at the bottom of the escalators at Universal when we needed to head home. Very convenient! Definitely get to HP early and enjoy! We absolutely loved WWoHP!! It was magical!!

 

[bumbershoot]

And the DU deal *has been* including the Early Entrance to WWOHP. I haven't seen anyone on the Universal forum saying "nope, that's not happening anymore", but of course it could end at any time (especially since there's nothing really stating that it WILL happen, apart from word of mouth).

We, personally, like to stay onsite and get the Universal perks, and even for our first visit there we spent 4 days in the parks (and didn't get enough of them), but if one day's all ya got, might as well try for all you can.

 

[Sarahleigh]

We did the 1 day - 2 park deal with transportation through dreams unlimited and it was awesome! And extremely convenient. The only thing I didn't like is that it did drop offs at Sea World, Aquatica, etc. but really I think it only added like 15 minutes or so to the trip if I remember correctly. They plan out the timing just fine that we got to US just in time for opening so it was no biggie. And our driver was very entertaining. Telling us all about places and things to do as we were passing them along the way.

 

[slyster]

thanks for the feedback...I'll check out dreams unlimited package. It's just two of us so it sounds like a round trip cab ride is $70 round trip plus the tip to and from.

I do have a question...it seems you can purchase tickets to different US parks...is WWHP considered a different park from the main park? I obviously haven't done any research on this.

At this point, we are only looking to do one day with the main reason being WWHP and then getting in a few rides at the main park. It's been around 15 years since I went to US.

Appreciate the feedback on getting there early for Harry Potter too...that's not ususally a problem for me...I'm an early riser.

 

[tinka-belle]

The two Universal parks are Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. The HP area is a section inside Islands of Adventure. You can walk between the two parks.

 

[CampbellScot]

My family did this last year. We had a day at Islands of Adventure (I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan!) before heading to Disney World. We always use Tiffany Towncar. They do a "three leg" deal where they will pick up from the airport take you to your first stop (we did a night at Portofino Bay Resort so we could take advantage of the early entry and Front of the Line privileges). Then they pick you up when you are ready to head to Disney and then of course they take from Disney to the airport at the end of the trip. We found it all to be very easy. We actually finished the day earlier than we thought we would (total exhaustion set in!) and we called Tiffany Towncar and they picked us up earlier than we had scheduled. VERY nice group, very professional and very prompt. They also do a free grocery stop if you need one.

If you go to the Universal thread here on the Disboards, those folks are VERY helpful and very well informed on the Universal/Disney trip!!!

We loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. VERY worth it. We are doing it again this summer, but will be doing both parks not just Islands of Adventure.

 

[slyster]

oops, double post

 

[slyster]

Cool! I didn't realize there was a Universal Studios thread I'll have to check that out. Is it here in the disney resort forum? I'll search for it. If it's not here, and you know easily where to find it, can you provide a link?

Island of Adventure....thank you!

 

[POOHDRMR]

My family did this last year. We had a day at Islands of Adventure (I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan!) before heading to Disney World. We always use Tiffany Towncar. They do a "three leg" deal where they will pick up from the airport take you to your first stop (we did a night at Portofino Bay Resort so we could take advantage of the early entry and Front of the Line privileges). Then they pick you up when you are ready to head to Disney and then of course they take from Disney to the airport at the end of the trip. We found it all to be very easy. We actually finished the day earlier than we thought we would (total exhaustion set in!) and we called Tiffany Towncar and they picked us up earlier than we had scheduled. VERY nice group, very professional and very prompt. They also do a free grocery stop if you need one.

If you go to the Universal thread here on the Disboards, those folks are VERY helpful and very well informed on the Universal/Disney trip!!!




OOOOHHHH this sounds very good! can I ask about how much it was if you remember.I am thinking of doing universal for 3 days then heading to disney for 10 and am trying to figure out if I should rent car or not but this sounds like a good option.