Having a hard time getting interested in Universal

[Ragtime Gal]

We are Disney lovers and I thought this trip we should try Universal too, but I'm having a hard time getting interested in it.

My biggest problem is that most of the movies they reference my kids have never seen....so I don't think they would appreciate (and they don't seem to when I show them on the website) rides based on ET or Men in Black, etc.

Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks!!

 

[Metro West]

We are Disney lovers and I thought this trip we should try Universal too, but I'm having a hard time getting interested in it.

My biggest problem is that most of the movies they reference my kids have never seen....so I don't think they would appreciate (and they don't seem to when I show them on the website) rides based on ET or Men in Black, etc.

Can anyone help me out here?

Thanks!!

Just go with an open mind. The studios park is what you described but IOA is not. I think you'll find IOA is a lot of fun and the themeing rivals anything that Disney has done. Plus, they both have some killer rides that I'm sure you and the family will really enjoy!

 

[gschmerl]

Why not rent ET and Men in Black and Shrek 2 and watch them before your trip. Then you and the children could relate better to the attractions.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Last year was the first time we tried Universal. We had only been at Disney before the loved it. We did both. I had a hard time getting as excited about Universal and kept thinking that maybe I'd made a mistake, maybe my kids were too young. THe kids were 4, 5 and 6 and let me tell you they had a ball. Universal was so much fun that we're doing both again this year. Just don't compare it to Disney. They are totally different but both great. We stayed at HRH and the hotel was fantastic and the FOTL just can't be beat.

 

[phamton]

Funny you should mention this:

The first time I took my kids to Disney, they weren't familiar with Disney characters. They weren't in to Disney films and had no affection for Tinkerbell or Snow White. But they knew all of the Nickelodeon icons and Suess characters like Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and 2, the Grinch, SpongeBob, Rugrats, and Jimmy Neutron. They loved dragons and wizards like in Lost continent and dinosaurs like in Jurassic park. They knew Popeye and Dudley Do-right, the Flintstones, Woody Woodpecker, Spiderman, Shrek, and Hulk.

Your kids really don't need to have seen Men in Black or ET to enjoy the rides.

 

[F-L-A]

Your kids have never seen ET? Blockbuster is your friend.

 

[mill4023]

Why not rent ET and Men in Black and Shrek 2 and watch them before your trip. Then you and the children could relate better to the attractions.

This is what I did. My kids had already seen Shrek and ET, but I rented MIB and Back to the Future last week. On a Disney note, I also rented Raiders of the Lost Ark so they would "get" the stunt show at MGM. Well, that and the fact that it is one of my all-time favorite movies.

 

[XAVIER]

We did both Universal parks in 2000 when the kids were 4 and 6. WE all loved it so much we stayed on site at the Hard Rock Hotel the next year!
This year we are staying on site again at Universal and will only be making the odd trip down to disney (Well, okay 5 days worth).
Don't underestimate these parks, IOA is the best there is! My kids are now 9 and 11 and still prefer Universal to Disney.

 

[wicket2005]

My kids love IoA the best too. If I were you I wouldn't worry about the rides being film based, just treat it as a theme park and enjoy each and every ride. Remember though the water rides in IoA will leave everyone absolutely soaked.

I like the Universal parks just as much as the Disney ones and am constantly amazed that lots of people just concentrate on Disney; never bothering with the other parks in the area.

 

[Ragtime Gal]

Thank you all for your comments!

With my youngest being six, I wouldn't rent Men in Black just yet. I don't think she would get the Indiana Jones movies either. I did try to get all of them interested in ET when it was on TV a year ago, but they just weren't into it.

Regarding the water rides....do people wear bathing suits and then change? What about your shoes? Wet shoes is always the worst part to me!!

Thanks again!

 

[Metro West]

Regarding the water rides....do people wear bathing suits and then change? What about your shoes? Wet shoes is always the worst part to me!!

Thanks again!

You could buy some inexpensive "water sandals" that strap on like shoes. Personally, I wouldn't like flip flops..too easy to lose one and then you're in real trouble.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Ragtime Girl - My youngest was turning 4 when we went last year. He really hadn't watched ET (although his sisters had) and he LOVED the ET ride. We rode it over and over again. THank you FOTL. My 4 and 5 year old weren't tall enough to go on some of the bigger rides so dd (7) and DH rode the bigger ones and the little ones rode ET and Woody Woodpecker's rollercoaster. Put a bathing suit on or under their clothes for the Curious George water play area. THe kids have a ball. Believe me I was unsure of Universal and the kids loved it. This coming from true Disney addicts!

 

[Motherfletcher]

Regarding the water rides....do people wear bathing suits and then change? What about your shoes? Wet shoes is always the worst part to me!!

I know what you mean. My daughter always seems to get her shoes wet and it isn't long before she is complaining that her feet hurt. We end up putting the shoes over the A/C vents at the hotel to dry but they never do totally dry.
I usually save the water rides for when we are staying on site and make a separate water ride trip where the kids where flip flops. We do Ripsaw and Popeye over and over then go back to the room and change. If I ride with them I'll wear a poncho and try to keep my feet up in Ripsaw and put my shoes in the center storage on Popeye.

 

[wicket2005]

I don't think you are allowed to just wear a swimsuit on the water rides. I know when we went on Ripsaw Falls a man was told to put his tee shirt back on.

 

[FrostyFriend80]

I'm also having a hard time getting excited about Universal. It all seems overwhelming to plan. I don't know if we should get a 1day/1park pass or a
1day/2 park pass. Some of us would like the rides at IOA others would not. It is really expensive to pay for 2-3 people who are not going to enjoy the rides of IOA. Is it doable to have a 1day/2park ticket? We would also like to go to UC for Margaritaville, but may do that on another day of our trip. Has anyone done 1day/2park? Just want to be sure it is not to much. Kids are 16-13-9. Any info would be great!

 

[CEO]

Ragtime Gal, I think too much is made of knowing the source of the rides. Your kids love Splash Mountain, right? How many have seen Song of the South?

Just as you really don't have to have seen Toy Story to enjoy Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at the Magic Kingdom you really don't have to see Men in Black to relish the same laser shooting gallery, with more bells and whistles, there. Will you not understand what happens when Will Smith dons his glasses at the end of the ride, lifts a pen device and you see a flash? Sure, but it won't take away from the ride experience itself.

If your kids have ever watched Nickelodeon they WILL want to tour the place and take part in the mock game show. Have they never read Dr. Seuss? But, even if they have never been exposed to Seuss they will enjoy the whimsy just as a foreign kid would enjoy Fantasyland without ever having seen Snow White or Peter Pan.

In the end you have to experience it all once so you can then leap to the rightful conclusion. Have a great time!

 

[Motherfletcher]

Has anyone done 1day/2park? Just want to be sure it is not to much. Kids are 16-13-9. Any info would be great!

Kids 16 and 11 and I have done 2 parks in one day and it is too much. If you want to try it let me know and I'll give you an itinerary that might work if you are willing to commit to some early morning commando touring.

 

[mill4023]

Thank you all for your comments!

With my youngest being six, I wouldn't rent Men in Black just yet. I don't think she would get the Indiana Jones movies either. I did try to get all of them interested in ET when it was on TV a year ago, but they just weren't into it.

Regarding the water rides....do people wear bathing suits and then change? What about your shoes? Wet shoes is always the worst part to me!!

Thanks again!

I let my 4, 7, and 10 year olds watch MIB and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Probably not the best idea. MIB was scary for the 4 year old and I ended up covering her eyes for half the movie. Raiders was more violent than I remembered.

 

[goofy!]

Wet Shoes hint:

Wear Crocs. I have been wearing them since they first came out on the market because I live in the same town as the inventors/owners. Everybody here wears them to the grocery store, kids wear them to school, my husband has worn his to work.

We have all toured USF (3 six day trips) wearing them and they are comfortable and waterproof.

You can see them at www.crocs.com, but don't order them from their website. They have become so hot that they are SO backed up, orders aren't being filled till May.

There is a huge thread going on about them in the Planning Section - Theme Park Attractions and Strategies - the thread's name is "What CROCS did for me."

Now back to the original thread:
My 8 year old has been going to USF since he was 4 and much prefers it over Disney. We love both, but all three kids (8,15,17) want to stay at RPR and then go over occasionally to Disney. My Ds8 was just recently allowed to see MIB, but he has loved it since he was 4. Not seeing the movie has not deterred him from loving the ride. His other all time favorite in Studios is Jaws and he certainly hasn't seen that movie But the Curious George area is the favorite, even for the DS15. They can spend hours at the cannons and balls and water.

In IOA, DS8's favorites are Dr. Doom and Unicorn. But Spiderman and JPR run very close seconds. Again, Camp Jurassic is their favorite place to just run around. They can spend an hour there just running across the bridges and playing in the water. There is something to be said to just let them go off to play rather than riding rides all the time. And the people watching is fantastic for the parents while you wait.

Give it a try, but remember to not try to compare with Disney. It is unique in its own way and you can love both WdW and USF equally

 

[fiveforall]

As previous poster said, don't try to compare the two. My kids are 10, 7, and 5. While they love Disney, after our last year's trip to US/IOA, they have begged to go back to US/IOA. We stayed onsite for about a week, so our US/IOA vacation was very, very relaxed. When I go to Disney, yes I get those warm, fuzzy feelings that I'm in a magical place. When I went to US/IOA, I felt like I was in a totally cool, highly entertaining place. Both Disney and US/IOA are wonderfully themed and have great dining and awesome rides. For our next trip, we'll do three days Disney, four US/IOA(if we can get RPR at a decent price!)

Anyway, I feel quite certain that you and your kids will love US/IOA!