First time Universal Studios and IOA visitors

[WDWfanfam]

We are planning a short, first time visit to Universal and IOA over the New Year holiday. My husband and two daughters (ages 20 and 18) have been to WDW many times, but never to Universal. We are going to Orlando for a soccer tournament and will only have a day or two for the parks. We are mostly interested in WW of Harry Potter, but would also love to see the other highlights in both parks. I'm hoping to get some suggestions on what to see, where to eat and generally how long it takes to visit each park. Thank you for any ideas and suggestions!

 

[Disney-Chick]

We are planning a short, first time visit to Universal and IOA over the New Year holiday. My husband and two daughters (ages 20 and 18) have been to WDW many times, but never to Universal. We are going to Orlando for a soccer tournament and will only have a day or two for the parks. We are mostly interested in WW of Harry Potter, but would also love to see the other highlights in both parks. I'm hoping to get some suggestions on what to see, where to eat and generally how long it takes to visit each park. Thank you for any ideas and suggestions!

We did Universal/IOA 2 years ago. If I remember correctly it is quite big. But a couple of rides that are sticking out at me are the Revenge of the Mummy Ride, Simpsons Ride and Jaws. We had 7 day passes so we spread it out over that time. I don't think you would be able to do all the rides, especially with HP being new and over the holiday's as it will be quite busy. As for eating, we just stopped at any fast food location within the park. We did enjoy ourselves at Uni & IOA.

Good luck with planning!

 

[DCTooTall]

The time it takes to visit the parks can vary greatly depending on factors such as time of year, crowds, FOTL access, etc.

As for other things to see, that depends a lot on what you guys are into. There are a lot of coasters around the Universal parks, so if you enjoy "thrill" rides, there is a lot worth checking out. If you prefer the more "tame" rides, your options are a bit more limited.


Spiderman at IOA would definately be something worth checking out as it is a very impressive ride. The combination of the ride vehicle and 3D effects is pretty interesting. I also Really Enjoy the Poseidon's Journey show.


At Universal Studios, The Mummy is very impressive and fun, though be warned it is techincally a coaster. (But no more intense than BTMRR). the Show elements however are quite impressive. The Simpsons ride is a quite enjoyable motion Simulator ride.... and Men in Black can be a ton of fun as well. (think cross between a traditional ride and TSM/Buzz Lightyear w/ it's shooting elements). If you don't like spinning however, be warned since MIB does spin you several times.

Since you've never been to Universal, i'd also recommend checking out ET if you can. The Indoor Queue area is very impressive with it's own little show (if you pay attention), and the Pine smell from the indoor line has almost the same memory recall as the Orange Smell from Horizons does to old-school Disney people. The ride itself is a tad dated these days since it was one of Universal Orlando's opening attractions, but it's a cute little family ride and worth experiencing at least once.


If we knew what kind of rides you enjoyed, it might help us in pointing you to things definately worth checking out.

 

[Planogirl]

We love to escape the crowded parks around lunchtime and walk to Citywalk to eat. It's quieter and we like the break. There are also a few decent restaurants in the parks so read and read the threads to get an idea of what might appeal to you.

As for rides, a lot of that will depend on your taste. We like the Mummy's Revenge, Men in Black, the Simpsons, Jaws and Shrek best in the Studios. In IOA, we love Spiderman (the best!), Jurassic Park and Cat in the Hat. There are other good rides and good shows too. I recommend seeing Terminator when the crowds are big and you want the chance to sit down for a while.

 

[Invisable89]

I love Universal Orlando!

I won't go into too much detail as others have done.

I would say though a day to visit Universal Orlando & probably another day at IOA.
But you can park hop to each during the day if you wish. I've done this as i find i'm done at IOA in a few hours, but it completely depends on what kind of rides you like. Just read the park maps.

As for eating, there's plenty of choice as always! Try eating before everyone else does (before lunch & inbetween lunch & dinner) as i would guess New Year is a busy time of year.

x

 

[Metro West]

We are planning a short, first time visit to Universal and IOA over the New Year holiday. My husband and two daughters (ages 20 and 18) have been to WDW many times, but never to Universal. We are going to Orlando for a soccer tournament and will only have a day or two for the parks. We are mostly interested in WW of Harry Potter, but would also love to see the other highlights in both parks. I'm hoping to get some suggestions on what to see, where to eat and generally how long it takes to visit each park. Thank you for any ideas and suggestions!

You are going at the busiest time of the year for all local parks so be prepared for long lines everywhere. I would suggest checking out www.universalorlando.com to get a feel for the parks and attractions as well as looking at the stickys on the boards. You can also go to YouTube and look up ride videos. It will take you a full day to do each park...especially that time of year.

As far as dining recommendations, mine would be Margaritaville at CityWalk, Thunder Falls Terrace and Mythos at IOA and Louie's and Finnegan's at the Studios.

 

[amery]

Ideally, you need 2 days (1 for each) but if you only have 1 than spend it at IOA where WWOHP is.

As for dining, my vote would be for Mythos located in the Lost Continent about a stone's throw from Poseidon's Fury (must see).

http://www.universalorlando.com/Ove...os.html&expID=13-5795&contentID=13-3788&seq=1