Is it worth considering taking time from Disney?

[pixeegrl]

There are rides at Busch Gardens that are similar...tea cups, a drop tower, big boat that drops you....I don't think anyone ripped rides off from anyone. Amusement parks are in it to make money and we are there to have fun so you are gonna find similarities where ever you go. As long as you're having fun that's all that matters Now come on over and enjoy the Darkside.....we have cookies

 

[Royal Consort]

Now come on over and enjoy the Darkside.....we have cookies

I like cookies. Hang on... chocolate chip?

 

[Tarffri]

Hi everyone,
But even in that lot only a couple really excite me (i.e. Potter, Spiderman, Simpsons).

IMO, those three rides alone make Universal totally worth it! Those rides were our absolute favorites and were far better than anything we experienced at Disney. Just fantastic! We stayed on site at the RP so we got Express privileges to Spiderman and Simpsons and early park entry. These perks enabled us to do those rides multiple times. We also really loved the shows that we saw, especially the Beetlejuice Rock 'N Roll show and the Animal Actors show. The sets/stages were elaborate and beautiful, and the music was great (Beetlejuice). I think there is a Blues Bros. show which we missed, but I've heard that it's good.

We enjoyed the theming of the Universal parks. They are pretty, well landscaped and clean. We really loved Universal, and this surprised me so much. I didn't expect much from Universal, and it far exceeded my expectations. We were there for Mardi Gras, and it was a lot of fun. They had good music piped in around the park, and some good bands too.

 

[Royal Consort]

It's good to hear positive things about the theming. In Australia we get promotional material about Disney but never anything about Univeral. I guess that sort of thing is covered by our own Warner Bros theme park which focusses on film and comics. I only recently discovered that they no longer had the King Kong ride!! That's how outdated I am. Some of the rides I was wanting to experience aren't there anymore.

I think the Spider-Man ride would be my greatest motivating factor. I really enjoy Harry Potter too.

 

[2littlestitches]

Thanks everyone!


PS: 2littlestitches; I noticed your signature. I'm glad you really enjoyed Australia! Where did Adventures take you?

Hi there,

We went to Sydney, Uluru, and Cairns/Great Barrier Reef with Disney. It was so totally amazing and I'd recommend it to anyone. The best trip I've ever taken! Such a beautiful country, and just the nicest people, too! Good luck with your trip planning to the U.S.!

 

[disneychic2]

I think a trip to Universal would be enjoyable for you, but I wonder if 7 days at Disney will be enough since it will be your first visit there. If you think you might come back in a year or two, I would say wait until your return trip to experience Universal. Then maybe you could do a couple of days there to do it justice. Either way, I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

 

[Southernmiss]

I think a trip to Universal would be enjoyable for you, but I wonder if 7 days at Disney will be enough since it will be your first visit there. If you think you might come back in a year or two, I would say wait until your return trip to experience Universal. Then maybe you could do a couple of days there to do it justice. Either way, I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

I have to disagree somewhat. Our first Disney trip was Thanksgiving week. We had 8 days and were able to do most everything we wanted at Disney in the first 3 or 4 days as crowds were light. In the middle of the trip we did a day (maybe 2) at Universal and were able to experience what we wanted there at both parks (of course that was before WWOHP). We then had a couple more days for Disney and were able to go and enjoy what we missed and our favorites again at Disney. Completely magical and amazing trip.

So, OP if it were us, it would be worth it to go to Universal in the middle of a Disney trip.

We just went to Universal for the second time in Dec of 2011 and it was well worth it again. Simpsons and WWOHP and Seussland are must sees for me.

And yes, we've been back to Disney, too.

 

[glocon]

IMO, if you are not planning on coming back to Florida, you should take a day off and get an express pass to fit in all the rides you want at UO.

If you will be coming back to FL than do WDW this time and UO next time. That way you won't feel rushed, and you can stay onsite at UO next time to enjoy the perks of onsite guests, and roam the parks at a slower pace to stop and smell the roses.

 

[Planogirl]

I'll just mention that Disaster is nothing like the Great Movie Ride.

 

[ChisJo]

I'll just mention that Disaster is nothing like the Great Movie Ride.

Totally agree...however, if you've never been, and are reading just the description of it, it sounds like the Great Movie Ride - they are completely different.

 

[LUVIOA]

I would put Disaster more along the same as the Back Lot Tour. Although anything similar between Disney and Universal, Universal's "versions" are 150%better. Just my ever so biased opinion

 

[ChisJo]

I would put Disaster more along the same as the Back Lot Tour. Although anything similar between Disney and Universal, Universal's "versions" are 150%better. Just my ever so biased opinion

Thats actually the one I was meaning to put - I couldn't remember if it was the great movie ride or the back lot tour....its been years since I've been forced to go on those two rides.

 

[ChrisFL]

For the record, I'm a huge USO fan, and personally would never venture into Disney again if it weren't for my stepson. But, if we want to look at rides that are comparable to disney, look at Jurassic Park and/or Dudleys Ripsaw falls (like Splash Mountain), Storm Force (tea cups), Popeys Bilge (like that ride in Animal Kingdom), MIB (like Buzz Lightyear), The Simpsons (or the old Back to the Future) (like the old Star Wars), and Disaster (great movie ride or whatever that ride is in Disney Studios). Now, I'm not saying I believe that they are a rip off or that they are comparable in any way, and in fact, I don't know which ones came first in what park. But, if you have Disney blinders on (sorry OP, don't take offence), and have never ridden them before I could kind of see the similarities and think that maybe they were ripped off. If we looked at probably every single ride, we could probably find something comparable to each one in Disney, so I can see how someone may see them as rip offs. However, having ridden them multiple times, I can guarantee that they are amazing in their own right and shouldn't be compared to Disney, IMHO.

Right, there's always going to be some rides that are similar, but Universal's attractions are the most high-tech on the planet.

So far, nothing Disney has really compares to the excitment and theming of Spiderman, Forbidden Journey, The Mummy and IMO, MIB is also quite good (MUCH better than Buzz Lightyear)

Universal has been pushing the envelope of themed attractions since IOA first opened in 1999 and Disney, as much as I love it....hasn't.

 

[Friendly Frog]

I'll just mention that Disaster is nothing like the Great Movie Ride.

Oh, I forgot about Disaster. You should add that to your list too.
I think it is a lot more fun and a better ride than the back lot tour!

I agree that Universal is more high tech than Disney.

Also keep in mind, even the rides that sound similar to a Disney ride, are really not that much alike and I recommend that you be sure to try the " Universal Version".

I missed before how far you are traveling. With this in mind I would highly recommend you take a day at Universal. Just remember you need a two park pass.

(Universal regulars on the board, do they ever do the next day free thing anymore?)

 

[Metro West]

(Universal regulars on the board, do they ever do the next day free thing anymore?)

Not in Orlando. With the popularity of HP there is no need to let people in for free.

Universal Hollywood offers specials but only until HP is built...then I would expect any ticket specials to disappear there as well.

 

[AJA]

If you are a big Harry Potter fan I would say yes a day trip is a must.

Universal is such a great experience in itself. I don't know that it's worth the $$ or the time away from Disney if you only have a few hours one day to do everything. I know with a family it can get expensive for one day tickets.

Some of the questions I would ask for our family is: Will we be back within a couple of years and could spend 1-2 days at/near Universal? Is it worth the day away from Disney or relaxing at Disney property on our vacation, pool day? Will transportation to UN from Disney be stressful or expensive?

Of course we LOVE Universal and don't want to sound like I'm steering anyone away. But, everyone has a budget, when you pair a vacation budget and traveling with kids, adding in UN for one day might not be the best option. Again, unless you have a big HP fan, in that case YES it is def worth it.

 

[Royal Consort]

Some of the questions I would ask for our family is: Will we be back within a couple of years and could spend 1-2 days at/near Universal? Is it worth the day away from Disney or relaxing at Disney property on our vacation, pool day? Will transportation to UN from Disney be stressful or expensive?

Of course we LOVE Universal and don't want to sound like I'm steering anyone away. But, everyone has a budget, when you pair a vacation budget and traveling with kids, adding in UN for one day might not be the best option. Again, unless you have a big HP fan, in that case YES it is def worth it.

I think we'd want to do it because we're coming an awful long way (Australia). So we may never actually return within the near future. We have no children though so that's the strength. We can run about and do things very quickly. We're both fast walkers so if we need to get to one attraction after the other we can do so. I think this is why we're hoping we can do the things we want to within a day.

I am interested in hearing people's comments about the rides being more technologically advanced. That sounds like a real plus. I can't wait to experience Spider-Man.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Before you cross the threshold to Universal, there is something you absolutely MUST do: take all your love for Disney and leave it in the parking garage. You want to go to Universal with a fresh, open mind. If a Disney thought creeps into your mind, kick it out immediately! If you're not a fan of roller coasters, you only lose 3 rides: Hulk, Dragon Challenge, and Rockit. The Mummy, while a coaster, is a lot tamer than the others, but is still fun and pleasantly thrilling (3/5).

Have fun, allow yourself to get immersed, and take pictures everywhere! You'll have a blast!

 

[ChisJo]

Before you cross the threshold to Universal, there is something you absolutely MUST do: take all your love for Disney and leave it in the parking garage. You want to go to Universal with a fresh, open mind. If a Disney thought creeps into your mind, kick it out immediately! If you're not a fan of roller coasters, you only lose 3 rides: Hulk, Dragon Challenge, and Rockit. The Mummy, while a coaster, is a lot tamer than the others, but is still fun and pleasantly thrilling (3/5).

Have fun, allow yourself to get immersed, and take pictures everywhere! You'll have a blast!

 

[longing4disney]

It's good to hear positive things about the theming. In Australia we get promotional material about Disney but never anything about Univeral. I guess that sort of thing is covered by our own Warner Bros theme park which focusses on film and comics. I only recently discovered that they no longer had the King Kong ride!! That's how outdated I am. Some of the rides I was wanting to experience aren't there anymore.

I think the Spider-Man ride would be my greatest motivating factor. I really enjoy Harry Potter too.

No offence OP, but having visited Warner Brothers in Australia and Universal in LA, Orlando and Singapore, I really think that Universal is much much better than Warner Brothers. I personally feel that Warner Brothers is a poor cousin compared to the Universal Parks (the Police Academy show did not change for 12 years from my first visit in 1994 to my second visit in 2006!), but again, it's my personal opinion. Give Universal a chance. You never know if you'll like it unless you've tried it. Have fun planning.