HELP!! Is anyone willing to be my UO mentor?? :)

[lornak]

I'm looking for someone who might want to hold my hand as I plan a one day visit to UO!!! I am a seasoned Disney traveler. I visit about 4 times a year. I know the ins and outs of itinerary planning and where to be when. But I have no idea where to start with UO! I have been reading the FAQs and the boards and now have more questions than answers. I'm hoping someone will have pity on me!!

Some background info----- I haven't been to Universal in 15 years. Now, however, I have promised my daughter a trip to see HP. So, during our land/sea Disney vacation in October I am going to try and squeeze it in. We will be staying at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. It will be me and two DDs (12 and 11).

My big questions----
When to go??
My choice of dates to visit UO are Fri, Oct 22--Sat, Oct 23--or Sun, Oct 24.

How to get there?
From reading the sticky it looks like the two options I would consider are MEARS and a taxi. Is one cheaper for the three of us? Is one faster or more reliable?

What kind of ticket to get?
Is it reasonable to see both parks in one day? Or should we just stick with IOA to focus on HP??

Should we buy the express pass thing?
If we go on Sunday the express pass is the lowest price offered. Is this worth it?

What is the best way to tour? [/B]
Are there touring plans available like I can get with Disney? Are there attractions to definitely see first? When should we do HP??

I welcome any and all advise!!!!
THANKS!!

 

[bubba's mom]

My big questions----
When to go??
My choice of dates to visit UO are Fri, Oct 22--Sat, Oct 23--or Sun, Oct 24.

How to get there?
From reading the sticky it looks like the two options I would consider are MEARS and a taxi. Is one cheaper for the three of us? Is one faster or more reliable?

What kind of ticket to get?
Is it reasonable to see both parks in one day? Or should we just stick with IOA to focus on HP??

Should we buy the express pass thing?
If we go on Sunday the express pass is the lowest price offered. Is this worth it?

What is the best way to tour? [/B]
Are there touring plans available like I can get with Disney? Are there attractions to definitely see first? When should we do HP??

I welcome any and all advise!!!!
THANKS!!

I don't think it matters which of your choices of dates you go...they are all durning HHN and the crowds will be relatively equal.

You can hire a Mears taxi....taxi's probably all run the same rate.

I can't help with the ticket question...but if the crowd levels are low, you can see the hilights in both parks in 1 day. Buying 2 park express pass will definitely help....esp if it's crowded.

If the express pass is cheap ($20some or $30), crowds aren't expected to be busy...therefore, express pass not needed.

You can always get to IOA, check out crowd levels and see what's up. You can always upgrade to 2 day ticket before you leave the park. During those dates, the Studios will close earlier because of HHN and IOA will be open later. If you start at IOA, you might not have enough time to see the Studios.

I don't believe there are touring plans...it's not like Disney. Universal Orlando by Kelly Monaghan is a great planning book.

If I were you, for those HHN dates you are considering, I would get a 2 day ticket and start at the Studios since IOA is open later.

 

[damo]

I agree with Bubba's mom, you can purchase the 1 park ticket and then if you find you have time left and want to see the other park, you can go to guest services and upgrade to the two park tickets. That makes one less thing you need to stress about.

Sunday seems to have had the lowest crowds, so you might want to plan on that.

Cab and mears will cost you about the same since you have 3 people. Cab is more convenient.

Don't buy the express pay beforehand. Get into the parks, check out the lines and then decide if you want it. You can purchase it all over the place inside the parks.

 

[lornak]

Thank you so much for the advice! I had no idea you could upgrade your pass and purchase the express pass once you were already in the park! That is a great way to handle that!!

Do the HHN nights make the crowds any heavier during the day? Or do people just come for that event??

 

[canadiankim]

If you go on the UO and IAO website you can look at the maps and 'put a pin' in the attractions you are most keen to do and then print off the maps in advance. Whilst you might not know the rides in advance, the descriptions give a good idea if this might be something you want to ride. Then you can fill in the gaps.

DH, Me, DS 10, DD 8

4 weeks, 2 days till our IOA/UO and WDW holiday

 

[Metro West]

Do the HHN nights make the crowds any heavier during the day? Or do people just come for that event??

You will see an increase of people on the afternoons of HHN but only at the Studios...IOA isn't usually affected. People usually start arriving at the Studios around 3-4pm in order to get into the park or start waiting in line outside the main gates.

 

[Brit_Jude]

I love the UO website for information on the rides/attractions. I found clicking on the link for each ride and looking at the description, photo's and video helped a lot. There are also Youtube video's to be found for each ride and attraction for those where more info is needed.

You could use these web tools to make a list of your must do attractions and then the 'put a pin' feature on the maps as described by Canadiankim.