Help! Can you enlighten me about US and IOA and hotel packages?

[nurseypoo5]

So we recently got back from Disney and LOVED it. However, we feel we missed out not going to US and IOA. Were planning to return May '07, taking my son out of school his last week (isnt that sneaky lol).

We have decided to do 4 nights at Disney, do the DDP if its still going on, and 3 nights at US/IOA. I'm so confused as to the que lines and stuff for univeral. If i want a front line pass (or what ever you call them) do i have to buy them for each day? Will i need that for late May? Is it worth staying in one of the elite hotels at universal, or is it safe to stay at one of the other ones.

We will have a car, so thats not a huge issue, but i'm just wondering. I do not want to wait for 3 hours to ride a ride. Were early people and will get to the parks at rope drop, but other than that we just dont want to be miserable.

Whats the best way to do this? Also am i reading right that is appears to be more expensive than Disney? Any heads up you can give would be great. Thanks a bunch! I appreciate it!

 

[macraven]

if you go to universal in the early part of may, lines will not be long.

i have gone around mother's day time and did not experience tremendous line.


i have done the package and also have booked separately.
have stayed off site in the early years and then only stayed on site.
i check out any special packages and then compare it to as if i was booking everything separate.

if there are lines, you can buy the express pass plus. depending on the time of year will determine the cost of those passes. if you stay off site, and do not want to stand in lines, then buying the optional passes is for you.

if you have a family of 4 and if the epp costs $35 a day during your time period, you would be paying out $140 a day for that extra cost.

times that by 3 days as that is what you stated you wanted to do, it would cost you $420 ........

for one day if the extra passes would cost $140, stay on site. for one thing, the fotl is a free perk for all guests staying on site. if you took a motel room off site and paid $100 a night, you would come out ahead by staying on site and applying the cost of what you would have paid out for the epp to your budget.

if you stay off site, the epp is valid for one time only per ride and attraction.
staying on site, there is no limitation how many times you can do the front of the line lane.

you will feel a part of universal by being on site. you can walk, take the water taxi or bus shuttle to the parks. you can walk around city walk anytime. you will feel like you are in the middle of it all.

there are specials for universal/master card holders, AAA discounts, and annual pass for UO discounts.

go to the UO website and see what it has presently.
you can call universal and ask them what packages have they had in the past and if any new ones will be available in the future.

wish you the best.
half of my trips are in the fun of planning them.

 

[ChrisFL]

So basically what macraven is saying is that instead of going to a cheap motel or something and buying express passes, just stay at one of the 3 excellent resorts and you'll get BETTER than express passes as you can use them unlimited every day and its included in the hotel cost

 

[macraven]

chris says it so well.


he is my translator.........
i do get carried away and become wordy at times....

 

[ChrisFL]

chris says it so well.


he is my translator.........
i do get carried away and become wordy at times....

I know, I just know that people dont always recognize what fotl means and I figured I'd just give a quick comparison

 

[Amity 3]

if you can reconfigure your trip to the first part of May rather than the end, it'll be much better at WDW and UO as far as crowds.

 

[macraven]

if you can reconfigure your trip to the first part of May rather than the end, it'll be much better at WDW and UO as far as crowds.

the op said they were taking the son out of school his last week which would be the end of may. maybe they can't take him out earlier.

i took 2 of mine out the first part of may thru mothers day one year and had no lines at disney or universal. best part was schools were not out in early may, very few families with older kids in the park at that time of the year.

amity is correct.
early may is great.
end of may is busy at both theme parks.

school out in the south for the most part and the summer rush starting up.

for schools north, where i am above chgo, the second week and on in may, things are wrapping up and books are returned. its just busy work at that time.
this past school year our board voted to start school earlier and get out later. june 7 or around that so it no longer is easy to take kids out of school where i am for the beginning of may.

 

[Amity 3]

the op said they were taking the son out of school his last week which would be the end of may. maybe they can't take him out earlier.

call them in sick. the first week of May is one of the best secrets of Florida theme parks.

and it's about the same time snow starts to finally melt in Illinois.

 

[macraven]

call them in sick. the first week of May is one of the best secrets of Florida theme parks.

and it's about the same time snow starts to finally melt in Illinois.

we have had snow flurries before in early may......


yes, call them in sick.
that's what i do in october and i teach school.
shhhhhh

 

[nurseypoo5]

I'm sure i cant take him out until close to the end of school. Missing more than 9 days in 18 weeks is grounds for retention in texas. VERY strict.

I might try to take him out the last 2 weeks with a note from his Dr saying he was ill...if i can find one that will write it.

So you think May 15th for a week is good? Probably the best we could do. I would rather skip Orlando nad just do the beach if we thought we would hit huge crowds.

 

[nurseypoo5]

I'm sure i cant take him out until close to the end of school. Missing more than 9 days in 18 weeks is grounds for retention in texas. VERY strict.

I might try to take him out the last 2 weeks with a note from his Dr saying he was ill...if i can find one that will write it.

So you think May 15th for a week is good? Probably the best we could do. I would rather skip Orlando nad just do the beach if we thought we would hit huge crowds.

Thanks for your answers tho. Are there ever any discounts etc in May? Its not considered the high season. Anyway thanks ever so much for your informative answers!

 

[robvia]

Taking kids out of school is tuff, because they miss tests, especially as they get older.

Not only do you want to stay onsite for the UEPs (Unlimited Express Passes), but the pools are amazing. Start saving a little each month now and think of it as a splurge.

 

[macraven]

I have been at universal up to the 25th of may only once. my other may trips had me out of there and back home by may 14th.


i thought the crowds were minimal at universal and disney for the first half of may.
closer to the end of may, both parks had more people in them due to the fact some schools were out by may 21st. families were getting a head start before the summer rush was to begin.

for the last 6 years, i have switched over to late sept with the exception of a june trip, 1st week of june back in 2003 as an additional trip for that year.

maybe some of the others can give better more current info on the 3rd week of may crowds. my info is from 2001 for the last may trip i took there. lots of changes in crowds may have happened since then.

i do yearly trips in the fall and sometimes another short trip at another part of the year. with a son in college, early may is out as he finishes up school may 10th now.

 

[Amity 3]

mid-May is still a good time to go. there are high school field trips to IOA later in the week during this time.

when we lived in Illinois, we'd pull our daughter out of school for two weeks with no problem for an Orlando trip. I'd tell that school district that's its my kid, and to kiss my butt.

but that's me.