Harry Potter is killing me

[thepwa]

I am a die hard Disney Fan. We will be in Disney staying at POP for ten nights with a nine day hopper. 15yo DD who has been begging to go to Disney (last trip was when she was 11). I finally agree to the expensive vacation and now she is begging to go to Universal for one day to see the Wizarding World. Give me your best LOL "NO" line. Or your best "Come on Dad they grow up fast" line. It may be the tipping point

Gotta admit, HP was pretty darn cool. Pretty darn crowded, but pretty darn cool. All of Universal is. I love me some Disney and thats my main attraction, but I always make time for a day or two at Universal.

Enjoy the Butterbeer!

 

[dolphindan1]

Dont forget Sea World...Its a great 1 day park also....We even take a day and take the hour drive to Busch Gardens...if you like coasters Busch Gardens is worth it...it is also a beautiful park and lots of things to see and do...we think of it as Animal Kingdom on steroids...

we always take 2 days and go to US and IOA...they are 2 great parks....well worth your effort to leave Disney

 

[Jerseyguy's Wife]

I say go! I would if either of my boys was tall enough to ride the HP ride. They both love the movies and are currently reading the books chapter by chapter as their bedtime stories.
Know this, though: If you go, I will be jealous!

 

[Princess Sleepy]

We added the extra day at the beginning of the trip to do WWoHP. It's a long trip to get there from up here, right? Might as well make the most of it!

 

[lovebug33]

We went all the way to Florida from Nevada just for Harry Potter. It is an experience that is impossible to describe. If you are a die hard HP fan, it is the closest you will ever get to Hogwarts. We, of course, did WDW, too, because it would have been ridiculous to pay all that money just to go to HP, but HP was the highlight of my trip. I can't even describe how awesome it was. Go. You won't regret it!

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

Is one day from ten too much for the sake of keeping your daughter happy? I don't see a problem here at all.

 

[Paradise18]

If you can afford it (and I understand it is a fairly big expenditure for one day), go. US did an amazing job and for a Harry Potter fan, your daughter will be very happy and I'm sure very appreciative. Have a great trip!!!!

 

[21hearts]

We did Universal & IOA on our last trip and we're doing it again. Our kids loved it and my DH is not a huge Disney fan so if it gets him to go back I'm all for it.

 

[minnie411]

Go, you should definitely go. We've stayed at Universals Royal Pacific twice and really liked it a lot. We were there last summer for HP and it was amazing. We can't wait tom go back.

 

[Pembo]

After staying at RPR for 2 nights, going to HP 3 days in a row, and riding FJ 11 times....GO! Cut your Disney portion short and go to Universal. You won't regret WWoHP. Forbidden Journey is so worth it!

 

[Buttercup2009]

I say GO! I LOVE Disney World but I went to US/IOA last year for the first time mainly to experience Harry Potter and I loved all of it! I can't wait to go back. The only reason I'm not going back there this year is because of budget constraints. Planning on seeing it again next year though!

 

[drinkme]

We went to US/IOA last year for the first time. LOVED IT! We didn't do WDW at all. Stayed at RPR for 5 nights and went to the Harry Potter area every day.

I totally understand the budget reasons for not going. When you add up the numbers it's just so expensive to go to both parks during the same trip. I figure that we can alternate between the parks every year. We used to go to Disney every year, so now it's every other year for each one.

I say you should cut your WDW trip short and spend a couple of days at one of the Universal hotels. There is nothing like the front-of-the-line pass.

 

[Rora]

HP is amazing. It's worth the trip to Universal just to experience WWoHP!!

I'm not a big fan of Universal or IoA but we went and stayed just in WWoHP -okay and rode the Dr. Seuss ride- but just that in itself was worth it.

 

[missfigment]

NOOOO! Don't go! For the love of all things Mickey Mouse stay away from Universal Studios!!!!!


Just kidding! Yes by all means go! WWoHP is amazing. I am a total Disney girl, but read the series and LOVED going 2 months ago to Universal to see all things Harry Potter. You and your daughter will have an awesome time! The Forbidden Journey is by FAR the best ride I have been on in my life. (Sorry Mickey)

 

[TLinden16]

This thread would be a better firt on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move it there now.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Definitely with your daughter on this one - go to Universal! We are a split family - some of us like Disney better and some like Universal better. We did a split trip last summer, and we are leaving next week for just Universal. Next year, we will probably do just Disney (maybe - we might go to Universal again too).

The WWOHP is beautifully themed, and fans of the movies and especially the books are transported to another place.

If it is in your budget, I'd do as bumbershoot suggested and stay onsite for a night and go to the parks for two days. Staying onsite gives you Express access to all but three rides (think unlimited fastpasses) and gives you early entry to WWOHP. If that is not in the budget, buy a one-day ticket and get there EARLY. Either way, you will be your DD's hero, which is not an easy feat when you have a teenage daughter!

Definitely check the Universal forums - you will see a lot of Disney converts there, and Universal has many awesome rides to offer (not just WWOHP).

 

[EvangelineG]

If she is a Potter fan, you can't go to Orlando and not take her to the Wizarding World! It's like mecca for us Potter-heads.

 

[lovemy4sweeties]

You could always do what I do with my older kids. We pay for what we planned and they pay for anything extra that they want to do. We haven't been to Universal yet. My kids are still quite young and I hear it's more for older kids (I think my older 2 are old enough, but the younger 3 will get more out of it if we wait a couple years). I think we'll probably add it into our trip the next time we travel to Orlando.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I gotta go with the others. For a 10 night trip, there is definitely time to give a day (or two) to Universal. And I bet with all the thrill rides the teens will like those parks better anyway. If you can fit it into the budget, I say do it. Otherwise she will be moping around the whole time because you didn't.

 

[dmccarty]

We love the Harry Potter books and movies.

We will NOT be going to Universal.

- WWOHP is not a world. It is a few rides and at best a "land."
- The rides are roller coasters that only two family members will ride.
- Because of the ride limitations, the only thing the rest of the family can do is visit the HP shops.
- WWOHP is a crowded mess.
- Universal will not let me in with my camera.
- The money would be better spent at WDW or Seaworld since everyone in the family can find something enjoyable at those places.
- The ONLY reason we would go to Universal is WWOHP but it does not make money sense to go to a "land" while paying for a World that does not exist.

Later,
Dan