How to get daughter excited about going

[reenie1]

We are planning our first trip and I was showing my 9 year old daughter and 7 year old son the Universal website last night. My daughter thought it looked like it was for boys and doesn't want to go! I must say, it does seem from the website that the rides/characters are those that would be more interesting to boys in general. Can someone help me convince her otherwise? She wants Hannah Montana to be there- I told her she's out of luck!

 

[rebecca06261]

Now that I think about it, a good majority of IoA is a bit brutish- but that's part of it's charm, even for a girly-girl like me If your daughter is a HM girly-girl and prefers Phenias and Ferb to Spiderman, then either just convince her by tellin her about all of the awesome rides or don't waste your breath and just let her find out for herself when you go

That said, I know you want her to be as excited as the rest of the family...but that may not happen. I'm sure she'll be a happy camper once she gets there though.

 

[Metro West]

Hmm...that's tough but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I know she'll get excited once you arrive...if not before.

 

[LilMommyBug]

Hmm...that's tough but I wouldn't worry about it too much. I know she'll get excited once you arrive...if not before.

I agree, my kids weren't thrilled with the idea of going somewhere that wasn't Disney World, but they ended up loving it.

 

[myprincessgirlisa]

my DD is 7 too & she LOVED universal!!!

scooby doo
spongebob
shrek
madagascar

lots of characters both boys & girls love
sure there arent alot of princesses, but i bet once she walks in & sees all the fun rides & stuff...she will really enjoy it!!!

 

[reenie1]

Thanks, everyone! I guess I'll put up with her moodiness and know that she will be excited once we are there!

 

[Kath2003]

If she needs her girly-girly pink pixie dust fix, take her to one of the Disney hotels for a Princessy meal or something.

My sisters and I went age 12, 10 and 7 and we LOVED Universal WAY more than Disney. The rides are awesome!

 

[SLK1]

Take it from a teenager who hits Universal/IOA every weekend!: All kinds of girls (including some lookers) are ALWAYS at Universal!

Dora the Explorer, among other Nick Jr. TV characters, are always walking around at Universal Studios. Also, while some rides are predominately male (Men in Black, Mummy, Twister), the rides are unisex--the website edits the rides for all the crazy parts, but the experience as a whole is enjoyable for everyone. Each ride and show at Universal is packed with humor, enjoyable characters (whether you know them or not, like The Simpsons, E.T., Barney, Curious George, Shrek, Fiona, and the Nicktoons) and a fun little experience. Plus, it's a good place to go to just enjoy family time.

Meanwhile, at IOA, the rides are not about the characters (which are admittedly mostly male-oriented except for the Dr. Seuss characters and rides scattered around the lake), but about the experience. Think about it--it doens't matter if it's a boy or a girl, if you're screaming and having a good time speeding on a roller coaster or rocking around on a thrill ride, all that's important is that every gender is having fun. Did any girl ever complain about just a generic thrill ride? That's IOA


BOTTOM LINE: Take your daughter. Sure, more attractions are male-directed, but only a slight few. The experience is unisex, and fun for the whole family. (WARNING: Mummy, Twister, Jaws, Poseidon, and Jurassic Park are intense--think twice about those...everything else is safe.)