Help plan my days at US/IOA! :)

[AJ1983]

Hi everyone!

I have only been to US twice, and by the time I get there in May 2013, 7 years will have passed since my last visit. Also, I have never been to IOA. My bf and I are planning to do a day at each, and just wondering what people would suggest as a good touring strategy, based on the rides/attractions we want to experience.

We plan on arriving at the park for opening/close to opening, taking a long lunch break each day, and remaining at the park until shortly before close. I would prefer to avoid crisscrossing all over the park, but would like to use my time efficiently. If anyone could advise on what are the most popular attractions and what we should try first , suggest an order of attractions, etc would be most appreciated And of course, please feel free to offer suggestions that are not on our list, or attractions I've listed that you don't think are worth it.

To assist, I'll highlight the rides I've done before (bf has never been, so he's done nothing)

Universal Studios
Disaster! (didn't do this, but did Earthquake back in the day)
E.T. Adventure
Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket
Men In Black: Alien Attack
Revenge of the Mummy
Shrek 4D
The Simpsons Ride
Terminator 2 : 3D
Animal Actors on Location
Bettlejuices’s Graveyard Revue


Islands of Adventure
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Dragon Challenge
The Amazing Adventures of SpiderMan
Doctor Doom’s FearFall
Dudley Do Right’s Ripsaw Falls
The Incredible Hulk Coaster
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges* (this one is a maybe because I've read we will get soaked haha

We would also like to have lunch at the Three Broomsticks. Can anyone advise how busy it is there and what would be the best time to go? I'm thinking either early lunch or early dinner?

Thanks everyone!

 

[macraven]

suggest you stay onsite and have usage of the free express lines for the rides and shows.

if you look at the UO map online, you'll get a great layout of the parks to help you.

 

[AJ1983]

suggest you stay onsite and have usage of the free express lines for the rides and shows.

if you look at the UO map online, you'll get a great layout of the parks to help you.

Thanks but we'll be staying at a Disney Value...the prices I've seen for the Universal on site hotels are just way out of my price range - $250/night!

I have found the park maps helpful, thanks for the suggestion! How big is it, in size, compared to Disney?

 

[Maytrix]

If you can just swing one night onsite, you can use the express pass the day of and day following. So stay Saturday night and enjoy full use of it all day Saturday and Sunday.

The expense is well worth it - you'll be able to do everything you list, plus the things you don't list, plus ride the stuff you enjoy multiple times. You can also enter the park up to an hour early sometimes.

I was down for a few days in June and stayed offsite Friday, onsite Saturday and offsite Sunday. Wasn't a big deal swapping rooms and we saved $200/night by staying offsite and the one night allowed us to do everything Saturday and Sunday.

If you absolutely can't, your best bet will be to use single rider lines as often as possible. You'll spend enough time together that it shouldn't matter if you aren't on the ride right next to each other and in some cases you might be. It will save you a ton of time on rides that have it. Also get there when it opens (preferably before). My first stop is almost always Dragon Challenge so we can ride a few times front row before a wait starts. We've done it 6 times in a row without more than a 1 car wait - all front row, which is really the only way to do it!

Other thing to do on the 2nd day might be Despicable Me if its of interest since when we were there, that wait got up to 2 hours and there's no single rider line - no express pass either. We skipped it - no way I'm waiting 2 hours!! 15 minutes at most

As far as size, it's much smaller than Disney as a whole. Each park is probably similar in size to some of Disney's though. For me, there's far more rides and shows I enjoy at Universal though than Disney.

 

[AJ1983]

If you can just swing one night onsite, you can use the express pass the day of and day following. So stay Saturday night and enjoy full use of it all day Saturday and Sunday.

The expense is well worth it - you'll be able to do everything you list, plus the things you don't list, plus ride the stuff you enjoy multiple times. You can also enter the park up to an hour early sometimes.

I was down for a few days in June and stayed offsite Friday, onsite Saturday and offsite Sunday. Wasn't a big deal swapping rooms and we saved $200/night by staying offsite and the one night allowed us to do everything Saturday and Sunday.

If you absolutely can't, your best bet will be to use single rider lines as often as possible. You'll spend enough time together that it shouldn't matter if you aren't on the ride right next to each other and in some cases you might be. It will save you a ton of time on rides that have it. Also get there when it opens (preferably before). My first stop is almost always Dragon Challenge so we can ride a few times front row before a wait starts. We've done it 6 times in a row without more than a 1 car wait - all front row, which is really the only way to do it!

Other thing to do on the 2nd day might be Despicable Me if its of interest since when we were there, that wait got up to 2 hours and there's no single rider line - no express pass either. We skipped it - no way I'm waiting 2 hours!! 15 minutes at most

As far as size, it's much smaller than Disney as a whole. Each park is probably similar in size to some of Disney's though. For me, there's far more rides and shows I enjoy at Universal though than Disney.

I know, I don't get when people think you have to do Disney OR Universal...I can't imagine going all the way to Orlando and NOT going to both

 

[2girlsmom]

Not sure of your dates, some of May is very busy and some not so bad. IOA- since you aren't going to be in a Universal hotel, you won't get early entry to WWoHP. IOA is a big circle, if you go to the left you will start with Hulk, Spiderman, Doom, followed by Toon Island, where you will find the water rides. Up to you, you may or may not want to get wet, and the rides in this area will get you SOAKED. Next is Jurassic Island, JP is a fun ride and you don't ALWAYS get completely soaked on it, but you can, followed by WWoHP. Expect lines for Forbidden Journeys, Olivanders Wand shop for the show, and Dragons to be @ 45 minutes or so, I think. From there you go into what is currently the Lost Continent and finally Seuss.

USF- I would recommend running counterclockwise loop on this one, probably hit Minions Mayhem first (new ride and close to the front), then head for ET, Simpsons, etc. Personally I would skip Disaster, we did it once and it is okay, but nothing too exciting, and you said you did Earthquake, so it is largely the same.

 

[Maytrix]

I know, I don't get when people think you have to do Disney OR Universal...I can't imagine going all the way to Orlando and NOT going to both

I've been many years and don't bother with Disney. Too crowded, too long a wait on rides and only 2-3 rides/shows per park that are really of interest. Then the cost is huge by comparison. My cost per ride at Universal is incredibly cheap.

 

[2girlsmom]

If you can just swing one night onsite, you can use the express pass the day of and day following. So stay Saturday night and enjoy full use of it all day Saturday and Sunday.

The expense is well worth it - you'll be able to do everything you list, plus the things you don't list, plus ride the stuff you enjoy multiple times. You can also enter the park up to an hour early sometimes.

I was down for a few days in June and stayed offsite Friday, onsite Saturday and offsite Sunday. Wasn't a big deal swapping rooms and we saved $200/night by staying offsite and the one night allowed us to do everything Saturday and Sunday.

If you absolutely can't, your best bet will be to use single rider lines as often as possible. You'll spend enough time together that it shouldn't matter if you aren't on the ride right next to each other and in some cases you might be. It will save you a ton of time on rides that have it. Also get there when it opens (preferably before). My first stop is almost always Dragon Challenge so we can ride a few times front row before a wait starts. We've done it 6 times in a row without more than a 1 car wait - all front row, which is really the only way to do it!

Other thing to do on the 2nd day might be Despicable Me if its of interest since when we were there, that wait got up to 2 hours and there's no single rider line - no express pass either. We skipped it - no way I'm waiting 2 hours!! 15 minutes at most

As far as size, it's much smaller than Disney as a whole. Each park is probably similar in size to some of Disney's though. For me, there's far more rides and shows I enjoy at Universal though than Disney.

There is Express at Despicable Me, it opened up when the ride went into full production.

 

[AJ1983]

Not sure of your dates, some of May is very busy and some not so bad. IOA- since you aren't going to be in a Universal hotel, you won't get early entry to WWoHP. IOA is a big circle, if you go to the left you will start with Hulk, Spiderman, Doom, followed by Toon Island, where you will find the water rides. Up to you, you may or may not want to get wet, and the rides in this area will get you SOAKED. Next is Jurassic Island, JP is a fun ride and you don't ALWAYS get completely soaked on it, but you can, followed by WWoHP. Expect lines for Forbidden Journeys, Olivanders Wand shop for the show, and Dragons to be @ 45 minutes or so, I think. From there you go into what is currently the Lost Continent and finally Seuss.

USF- I would recommend running counterclockwise loop on this one, probably hit Minions Mayhem first (new ride and close to the front), then head for ET, Simpsons, etc. Personally I would skip Disaster, we did it once and it is okay, but nothing too exciting, and you said you did Earthquake, so it is largely the same.

We will be arriving in Orlando May 6, and will attend US and IOA on 2 days either May 7 and 9 or May 8 and 10. So, 2 weekdays.

Thanks for the advice, thats exactly what I was looking for, the best direction to travel to avoid much crisscrossing. I may still go on Disaster because my bf has never been to Orlando, but I do have it marked as an "if we have time" ride.

Also, 45 minutes doesn't seem like a terrible wait time for me. I remember waiting almost 2 hours for Splash Mountain when it was new, and this was pre Fastpass! Random question: When were FP introduced? I visited MK in 2006 and can't remember if they had them or not.

 

[Maytrix]

Also, 45 minutes doesn't seem like a terrible wait time for me. I remember waiting almost 2 hours for Splash Mountain when it was new, and this was pre Fastpass! Random question: When were FP introduced? I visited MK in 2006 and can't remember if they had them or not.

45 minutes seems awful to me. 10 rides with a 30 minute wait means you spend 5 hours just waiting. That's 5 hours you can spend riding or watching shows. If you can't stay onsite, then be sure to use single rider and that 5 hours waiting will turn into maybe an hour at most and you'll get a lot more rides in.

After all, you are going there to enjoy the rides and shows and not just spend all day standing around waiting, right?

 

[sarahk0204]

Also, 45 minutes doesn't seem like a terrible wait time for me. I remember waiting almost 2 hours for Splash Mountain when it was new, and this was pre Fastpass! Random question: When were FP introduced? I visited MK in 2006 and can't remember if they had them or not.

According to the WDW Facebook page, FP were introduced July 21, 1999.


(I have no idea about your original question, as I have not been to US since 1992.)

 

[schumigirl]

There is Express at Despicable Me, it opened up when the ride went into full production.

We have made full use of Unlimited Express Pass for this ride since we arrived.

When they originally announced the opening date we never thought it would have EP straight away and was delighted to hear it would have.