First Time @ Universal (And it's my job to organize it!)

[Apothecary]

Our family is heading to Florida in February 2006, and while it will be our fourth trip to Disney, we are going to hit Universal for the first time. Our sons will be turning 8 (twins) during our trip and this year they really want to try Universal/Islands of Adventure. My wife is a Disney expert/fanatic, and has planned all of our previous Disney trips, with great success I might add. But apparently, she has tired of my freeloading and is telling me that the Universal component of this vacation is my responsibility.

So, with that in mind, I have decided to turn to all of the experts on these boards, which my wife visits regularly. This is my first post, so please be kind to a newbie asking what is, I am sure, an oft-repeated request...what should we do at US/IOA??

We will probably have five or so days to spend there, with the rest of our time at Disney. Our sons, as I said will be 8, and both have autism. Loud noises and scary stuff doesn't really appeal to them (Stitch's Great Escape at MK was a good experience for one, and a terrifying ordeal for the other). So we will likely need to be on the milder end of the spectrum when it comes to rides/attractions.

Any help would be appreciated and help me keep up my end of the planning.

 

[bubba's mom]

WELCOME to the DIS!!
I am also planning our vacation to US/IOA next year. The last time DH and I went to Universal was 1992--just after opening! There wasn't City Walk, IOA or resort hotels yet!! I just finished reading a really good book titled: "Universal Orlando 2005" "The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure" by Kelly Monaghan. It's VERY informative: all the resorts, all CityWalk, ALL the places to eat (inside/outside the parks, resorts, & CityWalk)....descriptions of all the rides and strategies. I recommend it. I have linked some sites below that you might find helpful also....I have MANY sites bookmarked (cuz I haven't had time to check them ALL out yet ), so I have more if you might want them. Good luck, ask any questions (lots of informative people here) and again.....WELCOME to our family!!
http://themeparks.universalstudios.com/orlando/website/index.php?a=introend&m=3
http://allearsnet.com/uni/tp/ioa/ioa_attr.htm
http://allearsnet.com/uni/tp/us/us_attr.htm

 

[cinderelly76]

Well I love US and IOA!!!
If they like water rides like splash mountain then I would recommend the Jurassic Park ride. They have a ride like Kali River Rapids there but it is Popeye and less intense.
There is a GREAT ride there where you ride in a mini hangglider but it is such a long wait. There is a Jurassic Park "museum" sort of thing that I think they might like.
You get to sort of hatch your own egg and there are slides and big statues and neat little things like that. For food we usually eat at a McDonalds type thing that is in The Jurassic Park area.I am pretty sure all that is in Universal Studios. In IOA there is alot of Comic book things. Some times even the superheros come out and sign autographs.
I would recommend the spiderman ride but I am not sure if they wiould like it. I am pretty sure that they would not like the hulk ride though, lots of flips.
Okay I think I got a few things backwards but I am sure that all those things are eather in IOA or Universal so sorry if I got them messed up.
Have a great time on your trip.
Any questions about IOA or US just PM me and I will be more than happy to help you on your planning ideas.

Jessie

 

[Motherfletcher]

Welcome to the Dis! I'd buy one Annual Pass to get the discounts and start reading to see which on-site hotel you want to stay in. RPR is the least expensive. They have tickets that are 7 days for the price of 2. Do you have to go so far as planning where to eat?

 

[Apothecary]

Wow! What fast responses! I might actually pull this off!

Bubba's Mom - Thanks for the links! (I love it when other people do my research for me )

Cinderelly76 - The Jurassic Park ride is likely a winner, as is the hangglider. As for The Hulk, uh, well, the kids wouldn't like that. Yeah. That's it. The kids. Me? Oh, well, you know, I, uh...allright! I wouldn't go on that thing if you paid me okay? Are you happy? I'm scared of such beastly contraptions. *whew*. I'm glad that is out in the open now. Spiderman is intriguing, as they love him, but 3-D things tend to freak them out at times.

Motherfletcher - An AP? Sounds interesting, will have to investigate the perks. We will be renting a villa however and not staying on-site. As for planning where to eat...I hadn't even thought of that!! Any suggestions? The kids will be happy with Nuggets & Fries/Pizza, but we'd like to try something different.

 

[phamton]

Since your kids have autism, a few rides might be too scary or loud for them. I would suggest you look at these two articles which explain the rides.


Kids at Universal

Kids at Islands of Adventure

Also, I might suggest going to Guest Services inside the parks and getting a Guest Assistance Pass (GAP). It might help to keep your kids from getting overstimulated.

 

[goofy!]

I am parent with a child with mild special needs - (very high functioning daughter with Down syndrome) who has some of the sensory integration sensitivities that kids with autism might experience. She is 17 now and completely desensitized (bad, bad parents - we keep dragging her on everything ) however Mummy is still a bit loud for her. Although she loves the coaster part at the end.
Up till this year, Spidey could become a bit overwhelming - so we just taught her to take the glasses off if she was feeling uncomfortable. When she was 8, the one ride that really freaked her out was Jimmy (then Hanna Barbera). I don't know what it was with that simulator, but it totally, totally ruined the rest of her day. She now loves it, but back then - the thought of her seat moving was a weird sensation for her. Hulk and Dueling dragons are now her favorites, as is Jurassic, Popeye, and MIB. She thinks ET is cute - nothing overstimulating there. Doesn't care much for Acceletron (teacups), but I think that is because she would rather ride Hulk next door.

Jaws has some loud bangs when the skipper is "shooting" the shark. All our kids could spend their entire vacation (and I am including DH in the "all kids" category) in the Curious George Ball Pit. The kids also have a blast in Camp Jurassic - the play area in IOA.

So, really, Mummy and Spiderman are really the two most sensory loaded rides there. Mummy does have flashing lasers during the coaster part if that would bother your boys. But if they close their eyes - it is just a coaster somewhat akin to Space Mountain.

The AP's are fantastic! The savings really add up if you remember to use them. 20% off at all the stores for those must have souvenirs. 10-15% off all meals.

However, I would rething moving onsite for a few days. With kids, the FOTL is even more priceless than ever. And if your boys become tired - it is a quick walk back to the hotel for some downtime in the pool, and then a quick walk back when everybody is recharged. Did I say the FOTL is invaluable? Even in a downtime like February, being able to walk up to a ride and walk right on is wonderful. Not even a 5 minute wait.

AND, last but not Least

Welcome to the DIS! The good people here have helped us so much and I am sure they will turn you into a Universal expert in no time!

 

[robvia]

Welcome aboard, you've come to the right place.
You'll have plenty of time to plan. Like others have said, staying onsite makes walking to/from the parks very easy, but if you need to save money, there are offsite hotels.
I'd stay at Disney first, because you'll be spoiled once you stay onsite and have short lines.
With 5 days, you will easily see everything, and could probably take the shuttle to Sea World Florida (SWF).
I have a site with trip reports and a bunch of info to help people like you.
www.nogodforme.com
It's all common sense stuff and you'll be an expert in no time.

 

[Apothecary]

Thanks for all of the advice, guys. I really appreciate it.

 

[macraven]

gee, when i read you have two 8 yr olds, the first thing i thought of was jimmy neutron and shrek. they are animated and have the motion seats.

it is set up on the same style as disneys' body wars and star tours.

there are motionless bench seats in the front for both of these universal attractions.

men in black is kewl.......my kids loved that. i have two sons that were born with hearing problems and the loud noises on these three rides did not upset them.

i know you wil love universal/ioa

more ?'s ,,please ask us here.

 

[Cindy B]

With the autism, there may be some attractions that will/can be a problem.

Mummy is loud, but if they can just close thier eyes they will be ok. Spiderman, well.. there are explosions, fire effects, loud soundtrack, motion, plus 3D. If they can handle it, its a great ride. However, I've seen some pretty terrified kids on it.

Men In Black is pretty overstimulating as well, but fun to watch. There are some sudden jerking movements. If they like video games, and getting bad guys type thing, you can approach it that way. At the end of the Men In Black ride, there is a giant bug that pretends to "eat" you. There is a large visual, smoke effects and echoing sounds .. that could be too much. If you tell them to close thier eyes, they might be ok with it. It is at the end of the ride and last a few seconds.

ET is visually nice, but not over the top. There are a lot of sensory things as you walk through the loading area (forest/tree smell, nightime lighting ) but it isn't truly scary.

They would enjoy the Curious George area. Its a water play area. I consult for autistic students and all my students LOVE water play. There is also a ball factory which is full of foam balls and nerf style guns. They could love that or hate that since there is a lot of activity and frenzy.

The animal show may be cute for them. There is nothing too noisy or scary there.

Back to the Future, well its a simulator. Its a pretty old school jerky simulator as well, but the film itself isn't that scary. They may like the idea of going for a moving car ride, but again, you may only know thier tolerance level.

Shrek, moving seats 3D effects. If they really like the characters, they will like this. I think (and I may be wrong) there are stationary seats for Shrek.

Jimmy Neutron, there is definetely stationary seats as well as a fun play area after the ride. There was a meet and greet with Spongebob last year in this area.

Jaws, can be thematic. There is some tense scenes in the boathouse, dark, gunshots and such. Of course there are the appearance of Jaws as well.

Earthquake. Well the preshow is a bit long and drawn out. They might actually like the "ride" part. But, there is a gas tanker explosion, majorly bumping, and water effects. It all depends on where you sit where you will see the effects.

Twister: Stand up ride. If they don't like thunder, wind, lightning or loud noises skip entirely.

 

[macraven]

there are stationary seats for shrek.
it is the front row.

we used it once before.