First - timers - planning help!

[reenie1]

We go to Disney every year but are planning to check out Universal/IOA for the first time this year. Is there a great guidebook to help me start planning our trip? For Disney I always follow a touring plan and would like help figuring one out for the Universal area.

Also, I don't think we can afford to stay onsite, and we usually stay in Windsor Hills when we go to Disney. We will probably stay there or somewhere similar. I was reading something that made me think you could purchase a Fast Pass type thing? Is this true, and if so, where can I find information on how much this would cost? We will be going February 17-24 2009, which I'm assuming will be a busy time due to school vacations.

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[Metro West]

We go to Disney every year but are planning to check out Universal/IOA for the first time this year. Is there a great guidebook to help me start planning our trip? For Disney I always follow a touring plan and would like help figuring one out for the Universal area.

Also, I don't think we can afford to stay onsite, and we usually stay in Windsor Hills when we go to Disney. We will probably stay there or somewhere similar. I was reading something that made me think you could purchase a Fast Pass type thing? Is this true, and if so, where can I find information on how much this would cost? We will be going February 17-24 2009, which I'm assuming will be a busy time due to school vacations.

Thanks for any help you can give!

February isn't usually busy so you may not need the Express Plus passes. However if you notice the lines getting long, you can always purchase the passes at the park...I definately would NOT purchase them ahead of time.

 

[d4est]

Hello and welcome to the dark side!!

1--Guide book: do a google or amazon.com search for books by Kelly Monaghan. He's got several out there including Universal Orlando 2008: The Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate Theme Park Adventure.

2--You shouldn't really need a touring plan, but since you are staying off site, it might not be a bad idea to have a general idea of how you want to cover each park on a given day.

3--Yes, UOF currently sells an express pass that you can purchase, it's called Express Pass Plus. Prices vary depending on the season. The price is generally indicative of how crowded they expect the parks to be. Prices for Feb 09 are not online yet. There are two types:

2 Park Pass (valid for 1 day)
Make the most of your 2-Park Ticket with a 2-Park Universal Express Plus pass. You’ll be able to skip the lines at rides and attractions in BOTH Universal Studios® AND Islands of Adventure for one day per person, per pass.

Spending a few days with us? Don’t forget to get multiple Universal Express Plus passes for each day of your visit.

NOTE: Valid for one (1) entry per participating attraction. Not valid for theme park admission.

1 Park Pass (valid for 1 day)
You’ll be able to skip the lines at rides and attractions in EITHER Universal Studios OR Islands of Adventure for one day per person, per pass.

NOTE: Valid for one (1) entry per participating attraction. Not valid for theme park admission.

You can check them out here: http://www.universalorlando.com/tickets/express-pass-plus.html

And here is the current calendar of prices: https://secure.universalstudios.com...alID=UOMain&CategoryExternalID=UO2ParkUEPLive

Hope your planning goes smoothly! You will love UO!!

PS, I always mention...if there is any way you can manage to stay on site, go for it! FOTL is amazing and will come in handy as you will be there during Pres. week, it looks like. There are often discounts to be had...AAA is a great source.