Help! I'm totally lost with planning.

[familyfun3000]

We are heading to Universal for the first time and I am having a lot of trouble getting handle on a good touring plan. We have two teens and a 10 year old. We will be staying at Cabana Bay so we will have early entry, but not express passes. The price and pool make this our best choice for the hotel. We will have at least 2 day park-to-park tickets. The cost is minimal to add more days so we may do that. This trip is more about getting away, enjoying some pool time and letting the kids experience something new with Universal. I don't want to be park warriors this trip. (Disclaimer: I may have gone a little overboard our last Disney trip) LOL And if we don't see/experience everything that's okay.

I think we will be most interested in the Harry Potter stuff. I don't know why I am having such a hard time figuring out the parks and rides. Maybe because I only read one book, or watched the movies in passing. I can't for the life of me remember what attraction is where and what it does. And this is just the Harry Potter stuff. Forget about remembering the rest of the parks! I think I will blame it on the bitterly cold winter and crappy summer we have had this year. My brain is stuck dreaming about better weather and can't retain other information!

If you would be so kind as to give me some tips and suggestions, I would be very thankful!

 

[schumigirl]

Universal doesn't need the same level of planning.

For Universal if Despicable Me is on your plans, go do that first as the queue for that is always long. And apparently the regular queue is not overly interesting.

Then head to Potter. What time of year you are going will affect your trip with differing crowd levels and park hours.

Have a look at the park maps on www.universalorlando.com and see what you and your family would enjoy and want to do. You have EE so that will help you since you don't have EP.

And since you have park to park you'll be able to go between the two parks and use the Hogwarts Express.....if you're a Potter fan it's not to be missed.

Read the stickies on here and utilise the website......loads of info between the two........

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

If you are going multiple days, maybe just concentrate on one park a day and that way you don't have to rush. In IofA I would do Forbidden Journey right upon arriving. That is the heavy hitter on that side. Summer months the water rides (especially Dudley Do Right) can be heavier. Spiderman and Hulk are also longer lines.

On the Universal Side, Despicable Me and Transformers are likely to be the longest waits along with Escape From Gringotts. I would do Gringotts first. The train between parks can also have a line. Note that each way is a different ride so I would one day ride from the park you are doing that day to the other one and then leave and then the next day vice versa.

 

[wookiebeck]

Welcome to the boards! You are in the right place for knowledge.

Our first trip, I was doing the touring plan thing. Found all the non-Disney sites, researched forever. After doing all of the rides for day-1 before lunch, I was like 'Wow, no plan was needed'.

Here are my tips for you. Rope drop. Do Despicable Me then Transformers one day. Do Hulk & Spiderman the second day.

The Harry Potter headliner lines go down around dinner. No need to rope drop those.

Tour however you want to rest of the time. As you said, adding on days is a good value.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

You have received some good advice. Just a few little notes:

First, do the full queues in Forbidden Journey (Hogwarts) and Gringotts once. Then, if want to do them again, use the single rider line. I would just sandwich the 10 year old between two older people and wait for him/her at the end of the ride. DD(12) and I go alone, and she goes first and waits for me at the exit.

Do the train going both directions. It has different dialogue/video each direction.

The Universal app has walking directions, which is great when you are getting to know the parks.

Finally, all of the water rides are in Islands of Adventure. Do them back to back toward the end of the day so you only get wet once and you don't have to walk around soaked.

 

[canadiankim]

I agree with JustCallMeMommy about the water rides, they are all close together and you get seriously wet. You basically have three options when doing the wet rides.
1. Either pack flip flop style shoes and some dry undies
2. Do the rides at the end of the day
3. Do the rides mid-day and go back to CB so that you can change.

I won't go into the whole story of last time we went and were so wet and then there was my DH chaffing problems!