Is this doable?

[mbb]

We're booked for Aug26-Sept3 at ASMovies, with Dining.

But we'd like to take the kids to US/IOA this trip...and are thinking of purchasing the $86/7 day tix.

Are we crazy to think that we could do a counter service at our hotel for breakfast, jump in the car, head to US/IOA, have fun for the day, and then head back to WDW and have a TS supper at one of the resorts..??

Anyone ever done this?
I know we're going to miss out on some interesting dining adventures (well, we'll eat lunch there ), but we're ok with that

Thoughts??

 

[FayeW]

We absolutely love the UO parks, you will have a great time. I don't know if I would worry about getting back for a TS, though, if you only have the one day to do both parks.

Something to consider would be to book one night at one of their onsite hotels. Even if you don't actually sleep there, it would give you FOTL access for the day and at that time of year, with only one day to spend, you might need it. With a CAA rate it might turn out to be cheaper than paying for express passes for all of you, if it turns out the parks are crowded. It would give you the option of easily taking a mid afternoon break and having a swim, too. It will be very hot and humid when you are there so you might appreciate the option. Personally, I would stay the night, and enjoy the parks again the next morning (since you will have 7 day passes anyway) before heading back to WDW, but we are huge US/IOA fans so I am a little biased.

Disney has the magic....but Universal has the cool! (Don't miss the Horror MakeUp Show, or the Beetlejuice Revue; they are hysterical!)

 

[robvia]

Actually, crowds are very light at the end of August and September. The kids are back in school and the place is a ghost town. The plan will work.
The only negative that happens, is people drive up from Disney and don't feel the magic at Universal. Why? Because they're not staying onsite so they don't get the whole experience.
If you leave at 7am, arrive the parking garage at 8am, and you're first to the gate, then you'll have 2 hours of walk on rides and have a great time.

The problem is when Disney people drive up and arrive at 11am. This is the absolute worst time to arrive, do that and you'll have a terrible time and say bad things when you get back. Arrive at 8am and it will be the opposite, you'll have a great time.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Yeah, I agree with Rob. The parks will be a ghost town at that time (exactly why WDW offers free DDP at that time -- to get folks to come to the parks).

I think it's a great idea. We love our lunches at USO/IOA as much as we love our dinners there. Make sure you try Mythos at IOA for lunch. I've never seen them open for dinner that time of year anyway.

Don't forget, too, you can always do a 2-credit TS at WDW (Jiko, for instance) for dinner to open up a slot for a dinner at US if you're really curious about a certain place.

Hope you have a wonderful time. Let's all hope for a mild hurricane season!

 

[AlexandNessa]

Here's my added thought: skip the TS at Disney that night (you'll be too rushed, unless your TS is late and then you just might be exhausted), and just eat somewhere the next night that requires 2 credits if you don't want to add a day to stay on-siteat Universal. Like the others, I think you'd be missing out on something cool if you didn't take just one night for the UO on-site experience.

 

[scammermom]

Here's my added thought: skip the TS at Disney that night (you'll be too rushed, unless your TS is late and then you just might be exhausted), and just eat somewhere the next night that requires 2 credits if you don't want to add a day to stay on-siteat Universal. Like the others, I think you'd be missing out on something cool if you didn't take just one night for the UO on-site experience.

I agree 100%!!

Plan a TS breakfast the next morning and a TS the next evening!

 

[mbb]

Thanks everyone!

Actually, we're going to have the whole week at US/IOA.

If it was just one day, we'd be HRHing it
Our kids just think the whole underwater music at the pool is just too cool

Our plan was to do mornings, have lunch at US/IOA - somewhere "cool" (thanks FayeW!), and then head back to WDW...swim, nap, relax, and then have a great TS meal at one of the WDW resorts (that we never seem to be able to get to other trips)

If we get desperate for some WDW parks..we'll have that one day base tix for Epcot, I think.

So glad it isn't a crazy idea!! LOL!

 

[JMLBrats]

It could work, but it sounds very stressful to me to go back and forth all week. Not worth the free dining IMO but of course I realize that to stay at the onsite hotels at US are much higher priced than say a value or moderate at disney. If it was me, I'd prob look into the offsite hotels right by US-you could prob get some great deals that time of year.

 

[macraven]

so, lets see if i have this right.
you are staying 6 nights at disney and 1 night at hrh?

you can do the parks with fotl for 2 days then. fotl is valid for the check out day.

if your kids are little, still make a plan for your UO days.
be at the turnstile early, 8:15 and you can accomplish a lot in the parks.

enjoy your trip.

for disney, book hoop de doo and it is 2 ts credits. the kids might enjoy it.

 

[EC0323]

I think it is totally doable. I think the parks close at 6. We went last year Sept 15-22 and stayed offsite. We went to the parks at 11 and we saw everything before it closed. It was not busy. We plan on doing the same thing this year. Except we are staying at ASmu (still offsite). We will try arriving earlier this year so we can leave 4-430. This will give us time (hopefully) to unwind then go to our TS reservations or cs depending on the nite.

 

[Minnie & Me]

We are trying this too for 10 days! But with the 3 day-free kids-UK tickets. We are going 2 early days-leave by 2:30ish and 1 late night just for the 360 show. Plan to have resort TS when we get back. Only problem is trying to fit in CS meals to use up the credits. We got sick of the resort breakfast pretty much after the 3rd day.

Last year during free dining, we did the same thing going to Seaword for 3 days using their 7 day for 1 ticket.