I need LOTS of your help planning! July 4-14 vacation

[SandraC]

Hi All ~ We are going to stay at Pop Century for 10 nights, July 4-14, but do mostly Universal Studios. [probably 2 Disney Park days].

I haven't been to Universal Studios in YEARS! And NEVER been to IOA.

I need your help planning!

Want are the best days to go to US and IOA?

We have those $82 tickets, 7 days, 2 parks.

We think 2 half days at each park will be a relaxing pace for us. What do you think?

Thanks! Sandra

 

[Metro West]

Want are the best days to go to US and IOA?

We have those $82 tickets, 7 days, 2 parks.

We think 2 half days at each park will be a relaxing pace for us. What do you think?

Thanks! Sandra

During the week are the best days to go especially in the summer. The lines will be long so take advantage of getting there early and doing what you can before the crowds start rolling in around 10:30 or so. Since you have the seven day tickets, take your time and relax.

 

[mpstm]

Not sure what "Pop Century" is or what you're paying per night, but I'm curious - if you're going to spend most of your time @ Universal parks, have you considered staying "onsite" @ Universal ? We've stayed onsite @ HRH our last 3 trips, and we'll NEVER stay offsite again. The FOTL bonus is worth it's wait in DIAMONDS (gold doesn't come close). We always go in the summer, and while everyone else waits in line for 45 min. to 2 hours, our wait is usually about 5-10 minutes , and we've never waited more than 30 minutes (the regular line that time was 160 min., aka almost 3 hours). We will also be going this year (first time for 4th of July & first time without our teenage kids ) and we'll be staying onsite @ RPR this time. I will say, if there's no possibility of staying onsite for you, get there very early! Also, are you traveling with kids (what ages?), do you like roller coasters, etc. If I had a little more info, I might be able to give you a heads up on which rides to hit first.

 

[macraven]

if you are driving from disney, be at the parking garage lane by 7:45 at the latest.
the garage opens at 8:00.
once it opens you will be able to park quickly and get to the park entrance gate by 8:15.

if you wait and get to the garage to park your car around 8-8:15, you will have a LONG line to wait in. it is better to wait the first 15 minutes than 30 at that time of the morning.

crowds start in the parks around 11 ish.
the day guests that travel to the park usually don't figure in the travel time and rush hour traffic in getting there.


hope you have a grand time at the parks.

like someone else suggested, stay on site and you can come out ahead.
disney pop for the summer is close to $110 or more a night with an increase for the weekend dates during the summer.

if you buy the express pass for everyone in your party, it would end up exceeding what you could have paid for a room with the free fotl perks.
you stated you were spending most of your time at UO, why not immerse yourself in the entire atmosphere there?

be at the parks at any time, have the fotl perk, take an afternoon break and use any of the 3 onsite hotel pools, dine at city walk in the evening, etc....

that time in july you are planning on is a busy time for all parks.

 

[MouseGirl]

Sandra,

We have stayed onsite at both the Royal Pacific Resort and the Hard Rock Hotel on our two visits to UO and IOA, and I would second the recommendation to stay onsite at least a couple of nights if you can. The Front of the Line (FOTL) benefit truly has to be experienced to be believed. Far superior to fastpasses at WDW...you can just walk onto your favourite rides over and over again.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Summer is really busy and unless you have either Front of the Line (FOTL) access from staying at an on-site resort or buy express passes, I don't know that 2 half days for each park will be enough if you are coaster fans and want to see the shows too.

We went for 1 day at US and 1 day at IOA last year with no FOTL or express passes and it wasn't enough to see everything we wanted. The lines were hair raising too. I'm taking the kids back this summer so we can do more and we are staying on-site.

FOTL will get you unlimited ride access and the express pass will allow you to ride each ride once in the express line.

If at all possible, I'd recommend staying on-site for FOTL.

Weekdays are a bit less crowded than weekends but we still stood in line for MIB for an hour and we went during the week.

There is a book by Kelly Monaghan about Universal Orlando that is great. It has tons of useful information about US and IOA and plenty of fun info too.

For IOA - I'd head for Marvel Island first and ride Spiderman and then head for the Coasters if you are coaster fans.

For US - I'd head for the Simpsons ride first since it's new and then plan other rides around the shows you want to see. Ride Jaws at night if you can - it's kinda cool in a hokey way then.

For food - everyone says Mythos is the best at IOA. I've never gotten there though.
US - well - the food is ok but there's no outstanding eating places that I'm aware of.

 

[Cadillac_Dreamgirl]

If you cant afford the onsite hotels...

Get there early..IOA opens at 8:45 am when i was there.. and everyone runs to the left....

Maximize the single rider line if possible...
Men in black has it.
dudley do right has it too

Spiderman has it on busy days...