First TIme visit help/suggestions

[pinkerbell]

With Christmas out of the way (sort of), and DD's 8th b day almost out of the way (the 30th) then New Yrs (party here) I can start my planning... HELP we will be staying at the pacific themes resort arriving on a Sunday morning (leaving from a conference at the Swan & Dolphin) and leaving tuesday night. ANy suggestions, recommendations, tips etc would be appreciated the lose plan is on arrival day go to Universal, next day (monday) go the IOA during extra hour and hit WWOHP hitting olivanders first then the coaster and last day whichever park we liked the most - revisit
Tips? and we have a car, would you suggest driving to the parks (would we have to pay for parking?) or take their transportation?
We also got the dining plan for one sit down meal and one counter service - thinking of three broomsticks and the Bob marley rest. other suggestions?
Go!

 

[RMulieri]

Do early entry.Hit Ollivanders then Forbidden Journey,The 2 coasters both take express pass .No need to drive to the parks.Royal Pacific is literally next to Citywalk ( the entertainment hub connecting the 2 parks.They are both very close to each other).Walk ( very fast and very convenient) or take the boat launch.If you drove to the parks, you would end up putting yourselves further away from the parks since the parking for the parks/citywalk is the HUGE parking garage and then there is a long trek from the garage to citywalk.Mythos is our favorite in park sitdown dining. For CS we like Thunder Falls terrace at IOA and Louies at the Studios

 

[pinkerbell]

Is forbidden Journey a coaster? I am a complete novice - what are the 2 coasters you speak of that take express pass - thank you so much and sorry for the confusion but I'm learning a lot all at once :

 

[RMulieri]

Is forbidden Journey a coaster? I am a complete novice - what are the 2 coasters you speak of that take express pass - thank you so much and sorry for the confusion but I'm learning a lot all at once :

Forbidden journey is part 3d film/part motion simulator /part ride . It is the signature attraction in the Harry Potter area.It is inside Hogwarts Castle.It is the ride everyone wants to ride and does not accept express pass, though single rider is an option .There are 2 coasters in Harry Potter.Both are not new rides per se, they were simply rethemed when the area became Wizarding World.The first is Dragon Challenge.It is an intense roller coaster.The 2nd is Flight of the Hippogriff.It is similar to Barnstormer over at Disney and can be ridden by most.BOTH of those attractions take express pass.Also of note, if you have kids under 56 inches tall, the Pteranodon Flyers over at Jurassic Park does not take express pass either, so that should be your next stop after Harry Potter.The ride is restricted to kids 36- 56inches and one parent may accompany the child

 

[pinkerbell]

Forbidden journey is part 3d film/part motion simulator /part ride . It is the signature attraction in the Harry Potter area.It is inside Hogwarts Castle.It is the ride everyone wants to ride and does not accept express pass, though single rider is an option .There are 2 coasters in Harry Potter.Both are not new rides per se, they were simply rethemed when the area became Wizarding World.The first is Dragon Challenge.It is an intense roller coaster.The 2nd is Flight of the Hippogriff.It is similar to Barnstormer over at Disney and can be ridden by most.BOTH of those attractions take express pass.Also of note, if you have kids under 56 inches tall, the Pteranodon Flyers over at Jurassic Park does not take express pass either, so that should be your next stop after Harry Potter.The ride is restricted to kids 36- 56inches and one parent may accompany the child

Thank you so much, especially for the comparisons - that really helps!

Anything else you care to share is greatly appreciated. We will not likely be back for some time and would like to see as much as we can in our three days. I believe going in early January and having the express pass will help

 

[bumbershoot]

Tips? and we have a car, would you suggest driving to the parks (would we have to pay for parking?) or take their transportation?

Just leave the car parked at the hotel. You'll be paying for that parking (everyone who stays onsite and has a car pays to park at the hotel), and to move your car to the themepark/citywalk lot gets you charged again for parking AND it's no closer at all.

So you'll just walk, take the boat, take the shuttle (though that drops you off at the themepark/citywalk parking structure, so actually I take it back, don't take the shuttle), take a pedicab! Those are the ways to get to the parks from the resorts. Don't drive. (once you are there and SEE it all, you'll understand the setup of everything a bit more)

I think at this point it's only Forbidden Journey, Ollivanders, and Pteranodon Flyers that don't accept Express Pass. Everything else does.

If your kids don't quite measure up to all the rides, Universal's rider switch (chip swap, etc) allows everyone into the line. Towards the seating area of the ride is when you split up, with a designated waiting room for the too-short kid(s) and a parent.

 

[pinkerbell]

Just leave the car parked at the hotel. You'll be paying for that parking (everyone who stays onsite and has a car pays to park at the hotel), and to move your car to the themepark/citywalk lot gets you charged again for parking AND it's no closer at all.

So you'll just walk, take the boat, take the shuttle (though that drops you off at the themepark/citywalk parking structure, so actually I take it back, don't take the shuttle), take a pedicab! Those are the ways to get to the parks from the resorts. Don't drive. (once you are there and SEE it all, you'll understand the setup of everything a bit more)

I think at this point it's only Forbidden Journey, Ollivanders, and Pteranodon Flyers that don't accept Express Pass. Everything else does.

If your kids don't quite measure up to all the rides, Universal's rider switch (chip swap, etc) allows everyone into the line. Towards the seating area of the ride is when you split up, with a designated waiting room for the too-short kid(s) and a parent.

Oh thanks for reminding me, that was another questions I had DD 7 (8 next week) DOES NOT like rides, she;s more of a shows kinda girls, But I would like to do FJ - we cant leave her out in the park alone, can she walk up with us - have DH & DD 10 go then when they get off wait with her and I go? again she may be tall enough, 47-48 inches??
but does not want to ride, she wont even do Soarin, the great movie ride, even hunney I blew up the audience and a bugs life are not her style (but she will do barnstormer?goofini) and every street show shge can find in EPCOT and DHS!
TIA

 

[RMulieri]

Oh thanks for reminding me, that was another questions I had DD 7 (8 next week) DOES NOT like rides, she;s more of a shows kinda girls, But I would like to do FJ - we cant leave her out in the park alone, can she walk up with us - have DH & DD 10 go then when they get off wait with her and I go? again she may be tall enough, 47-48 inches??
but does not want to ride, she wont even do Soarin, the great movie ride, even hunney I blew up the audience and a bugs life are not her style (but she will do barnstormer?goofini) and every street show shge can find in EPCOT and DHS!
TIA

Rider swap is different at Unviersal..EVERYONE gets in line together.You let the ride Tms know that you are doing a child swap.Once in line, On the rides that have a height restriction , there is a child swap room near where the ride boards.The people not riding can wait in there.At forbidden journey they show Harry Potter movies in the room.Spiderman shows spiderman, Mummy shows the Mummy cartoons.Another tip....Keep in mind that at a few attractions NO bags of any kind are permitted( except small unobtrusive fanny packs).So they will need to be locked up in the provided lockers ( they are free for length of ride) or they can be left with a non-rider..These rides are:: Forbidden Journey, Dragon Challenge, Men in Black, Mummy, Hulk, Rip Ride Rocket

 

[Seeker615]

Have a great trip.

We ate at Pat O'Briens and Pastamore with the dining plan. Both were very good. (We ate a Pastamore twice actually. My husband loved it.

Finnegans was also a good sit down choice. It is in Universal Studios.

If you are staying at Royal Pacific it is a very nice easy walk to both parks. We walked about 90 percent of the time and the other 10 percent we used to water taxi.

There are a lot of great shows for the kids and the rider swap is very easy.

Also - Loved the express passes! Even when it isn't busy it is so much faster to get through an attraction if you don't want to walk through the long queues. Plus you get priority seating at the shows as well.

 

[Eureka]

We ate at Margaritaville and had the best time. The food was good but the atmosphere is festive and just a lot of fun. Three broomsticks food was ok, nothing special but they give you a lot of it and the theming is great. I can't tell from your post, did you mean you are staying onsite at the Royal Pacific? If so, no need to drive to the parks. It is a short walk or water taxi (free) away.

 

[pinkerbell]

thanks for the tips, I love them and for all the good comments about the food, makes me think that we will be pretty happy no matter where we eat! :