Is anyone concerned...

[Seeker615]

Is anyone a bit concerned of how the dynamics will change once the new hotel is open? Do you think it will be really crazy crowded on City Walk and the parks?

I know that the new hotel will not have the express passes so hopefully that will help as far as rides go, but what about crowds in general?

I know the Harry Potter expansion will be bringing in the crowds next year but the hotel also has me wondering...

 

[damo]

I think that the people who used to stay at the Holiday Inn and those places on Major may just switch over to Cabana Bay.

There are also a lot of new rides planned for the next 5 years, so that increased capacity should offset some of the increase in attendance (I hope).

 

[Bluer101]

I think that the people who used to stay at the Holiday Inn and those places on Major may just switch over to Cabana Bay. There are also a lot of new rides planned for the next 5 years, so that increased capacity should offset some of the increase in attendance (I hope).

I agree. I think it gives the opportunity for Universal to bank more money for a captive audience.

The only thing I want to know is how are they handling the other 3 resorts? As in checking hotel keys to take the boats or amenities at the hotels.

 

[macraven]

as of now, the only restrictions for using the water taxis to the hotels occur late at night.

remember when we left hhn and saw the sign at the boat dock in city walk that hotel cards were required to use the boat?
think it was in effect at midnight...

any park guest or city walk guest can use the water boats to do dinner at the hotel restaurants.

Tchoup chop and Islands at rph, Bice at pbh and the Palms at hrh get many offsite guests to their restaurants.


i hope that the 3 hotels will require room keys to use the pools.

 

[Seeker615]

I just loved my stay on Universal property in November and look forward to going back probably in 2015. (I want to wait until the hoopla of new hotel and HP expansion dies down)

I just don't want to go back to a huge crowd of wall crushing people! Also with all the commotion of the new Disney fast pass plus mess I wonder if more people are going to discover how nice it is over on the dark side!

 

[RMulieri]

I just loved my stay on Universal property in November and look forward to going back probably in 2015. (I want to wait until the hoopla of new hotel and HP expansion dies down)

I just don't want to go back to a huge crowd of wall crushing people! Also with all the commotion of the new Disney fast pass plus mess I wonder if more people are going to discover how nice it is over on the dark side!

I am nervous too..I love Universal trips because they are so much more relaxing than the Disney trips I have taken.I am sure things will change bit at Universal, and I am also sure people will branch out from Disney more the next several months with the whole FP+ thing, maybe not the diehards and apologists, but people like our family that were interested in something new, something less frantic and a good value for our money.I am still heading down in 2014 though.Probably November or December.I am expecting larger than normal crowds though

 

[schumigirl]

I just loved my stay on Universal property in November and look forward to going back probably in 2015. (I want to wait until the hoopla of new hotel and HP expansion dies down)

I just don't want to go back to a huge crowd of wall crushing people! Also with all the commotion of the new Disney fast pass plus mess I wonder if more people are going to discover how nice it is over on the dark side!

I miss the good old days like in 2007/08 when there was no-one there....I mean no-one........both parks were so quiet in September.......I have to say we loved it. Still love it now but it was just so different.

I know those days are gone for good and I`m pleased that Universal is doing so well...........I`m reading from so many people that up until recently they would never consider going to the Darkside........but now it is the place to be.

 

[damo]

......

I know those days are gone for good and I`m pleased that Universal is doing so well...........I`m reading from so many people that up until recently they would never consider going to the Darkside........but now it is the place to be.

I am seeing the same thing. I believe the tides are turning and as long as WDW isn't putting in anything new, people will be turning to Universal. And once they start going, it will be added to every Orlando trip.

 

[Florida Bill]

Before we moved to Florida we used to come down every summer and do either Universal or Disney and a few days on the West Coast of Florida with my family. I remember it use to be pretty slow at Universal and uncrowded, definitely much more crowded now but I am happy that more and more people are discovering The Dark Side (my first time using that term, did I do it right? ) It's so cool to see Universal Studios Florida getting bigger and bigger, like watching a kid grow up!

 

[Seeker615]

I remember going with my sister not long after Islands of Adventure opened. It was so quiet there! We went to ride Jurassic Park and were shocked that there was no line at all! We thought the ride was broke. We were the only ones on it and it was quite a weird experience.

Even in 2011 I made trip with my daughter and the parks were nice. No big crush of people and our wait times were small. We rode HP so many times in the dingle rider line! I have pics in the mornings and there was nobody around!

Fast forward to this past November. It was a bit more hectic then I thought it would be but very manageable overall. We had issues with getting into restaurants and we really didn't need our express passes but used them anyway.

I just hope things don't become a mess.

 

[cbsnyber1]

I remember going there when Nickelodeon studios was a major drawing card - you came to Universal to tour the Nick studios and see shows in process, plus "ride the movies". Sure has changed, and for the better IMHO.

The excitement level now rivals that of those earlier days, but for different reasons. You still ride the movies, but more so "experience" the movies - Mummy, MIB, DM, Spiderman, Transformers, and now HP - you are immersed in them in ways the original attractions could not begin to approach (think Twister vs. Spiderman - the latter integrates you so much more as part of the experience). That's why Universal has become such an exciting place to visit - the attractions thrill and challenge us in ways those in other parks cannot.

 

[islands]

I remember going there when Nickelodeon studios was a major drawing card - you came to Universal to tour the Nick studios and see shows in process, plus "ride the movies". Sure has changed, and for the better IMHO.

The excitement level now rivals that of those earlier days, but for different reasons. You still ride the movies, but more so "experience" the movies - Mummy, MIB, DM, Spiderman, Transformers, and now HP - you are immersed in them in ways the original attractions could not begin to approach (think Twister vs. Spiderman - the latter integrates you so much more as part of the experience). That's why Universal has become such an exciting place to visit - the attractions thrill and challenge us in ways those in other parks cannot.

Universal used to have more focus on actual production and housed more exhibit-type attractions (like Alfred Hitchcock, Nickelodeon Studios, Production Studio Tour, etc.). It was almost like a museum in a way. Love that they're updating but at the same time miss the old days where they were more focused on the actual industry of film making rather than just thrill rides with "themes".

The new hotel is a nice addition, but it's a bummer that Express Pass is not offered. Although, if it was offered, then you definitely have a reason to feel concerned!

 

[macraven]

3 of my boys were crazy for nick..

we were introduced to Ren and Stimpy there........

anyone remember that show?


on one of our visits the boys and i were in a commercial for Nick.
they gave us tshirts to wear, told us what to do and bingo, a commercial was made right in front of the green geyser fountain by the old nick building.

friends in NC saw us in that commercial and called us....

 

[buckeev]

3 of my boys were crazy for nick..

we were introduced to Ren and Stimpy there........

anyone remember that show?


on one of our visits the boys and i were in a commercial for Nick.
they gave us tshirts to wear, told us what to do and bingo, a commercial was made right in front of the green geyser fountain by the old nick building.

friends in NC saw us in that commercial and called us....

My son was not very happy when they took away the slime geyser! But he sure LOVES his MINIONs!

Won't be long until we get to share the holidays with the big twinkles!

 

[Minniesgal]

I don't really see the motivation to stay at the new hotel without express pass to me that is the only reason to stay onsite otherwise there are much better accommodations to be had with more space in Orlando

 

[Seeker615]

My kids loved the Nick Studios. Two of them played on a mock games how with their dad. It was so funny. It was based on the Angry Beavers. I miss the slime fountain!

I do miss some of the production type stuff as well. I really liked the Alfred Hitchcock theater.