I've NEVER been to Universal. Soo many questions.

[Walker86Girl]

So, I've always been a Disney girl. Disney this, Disney that. So whenever i heard FLORIDA...my mind went to DISNEY!
Now i'm curious about Universal.

A. Do they have dining plan? (if so. is it similar to Disney? or better/worse?)
B. Fast Passes?
C. How many days does one need to see it ALL.
D. Is the park worth it if one isn't a roller coaster fan?
E. Is there Park Hopping?
F. Does the park have transportation to/from airport?
G. Hotels? Does Universal have it's own Hotels like Disney w/ transportation to/from park?

 

[mkramer1121]

We have our first trip booked for February so i just went though this...
A. Dining plan is suspended indefinitely
B. They have Express Pass, which lets you skip the lines, but it is pricey. You can stay at one of the Luxury resorts and it's included (stay at a luxury resort one night, and you get express pass for day you check in and check out)
C. I've heard 3 days is a good number
D. We're taking our 6 & 4 year old, I'll let you know how it goes. But in all seriousness, there seems to be a ton to do, especially the Harry Potter areas.
E. Yes, but you need to buy a park 2 park ticket, but then its unlimited with no time frame
F. Yes, if booked through universal you can purchase Mears transportation
G. Yes, a number of moderate and luxury selections to choose from. We'll be at Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

 

[kbelle8995]

A). Well sort of but not really Not one quite like Disney. There's one that is good during your day in the park and for mostly quick service options. And i think they haven't had it since the pandemic. I've never used it
B). Yes you pay for them or you stay at one of the higher end hotels and get them as part of your stay
C). It depends
d). Yes. I still find things to do without having to the roller coasters. And there are coasters that are different in degrees
E) Yes you can do park hoping
F). No.
G) OH yes. Ranging to cheaper and more budget friendly or more expensive options. Yes they have transportation to the parks

 

[Kit Jackson]

Three days if you are rope drop to close, four to five days if you like to take breaks in the afternoon or want to go to Volanco Bay (the water park). I am a ride coward who is not a roller coaster fan at all and have had a fantastic time during my Universal Orlando trips. There is park hopping and it is incredibly easy to do. You have to pay for it, but you can walk from one park to the other. There are resort hotels. The more expensive ones include ExpressPass, which may be worth it depending on your budget, how many people are part of your group, and when you are going.

This book is a fantastic guide and will answer many of your questions. It was incredibly helpful when I was planning my trip.

https://smile.amazon.com/Unofficial...48-b3cb-02907c146ce7&pd_rd_i=1628091355&psc=1

 

[CynBeth]

We stayed on Universal property for 2 nights before a Disney trip in
November 2021 and loved it! We do not go on roller coasters or anything with a drop. There are a lot of motion simulator rides and had heard that Forbidden Journey is more intense than motion sims at Disney so we got the prescription patch to wear behind the ear. We stayed at Portofino Bay so the express pass was included and got 2 day park to park tickets so we could take the Hogwarts Express you have to do it both ways it is a slightly different experience. Even if you don’t take the train it is very easy to walk from one park to the other park. The premier hotels have a boat to the parks and City Walk. We loved that you did not have to do much planning we did not make any dining reservations or have to book rides could just go with the flow. At the parks we ate at a few CS and one TS where we had an early dinner at Finnegan’s we walked right in with no wait for a party of 3. Due to travel we only had a day and a half could have used a full 2 days or a 3rd. We went on a lot of rides and saw some shows Bourne, Horror Movie Makeup, the animal actors, evening cinematic whatever it was called, and projections on Hogwarts plus the parade but missed a few rides and a few of the Harry Potter shows. We always rent a car so that is how we got there from the airport.

 

[helenb]

Just want to add that there are different kinds of Express Pass: there is a 'once per ride' version and an 'unlimited' version. If you stay at one of the 3 closest hotels. you get the unlimited version. We have been able to do the parks in 2 days with the unlimited version, and that includes plenty of re-rides. The unlimited Express pass will spoil you and you'll never look at Disney FP/G+ the same way again.

 

[CamillaF]

A. No
B. Yes. 1000% better than Genie +. Do the calculations it might br cheaper to stay in a deluxe resort and get the passes included,
C. With fast passes we did every ride at least once in two days. I did not have a chance to spend as much time as o wanted in Harry Potter world nor did I get to see the shows. I would do three days with 2 days having fast passes.
D. Yes. However you won’t need 3 days.
E. Yes and if you like Harry Potter it’s a requirement. As the hogworts express goes between parks.
F. Does the park have transportation to/from airport? No
G. Hotels? Does Universal have its own Hotels like Disney w/ transportation to/from park? Yes. But closer and better

Other stuff. The on site hotels allow for 1 hour early entry. Get they’re real early because they do not pre scan, check bags like Disney does so it’s a long line.

The theaming of Potter world is as good as if not better than pandora or star wars in Disney. Not to take away from those worlds it’s just really good.

A lot of the rose are 3-d and roller coasters. I got sick and threw up on the bus back to the resort. I never got even a little sick at Disney. Universal is a lot more intense.

 

[disneyseniors]

OP, I suggest that you go to the Universal thread on this site. There is a lot of helpful and informative information from Universal experts.

 

[Kit Jackson]

OP, I suggest that you go to the Universal thread on this site. There is a lot of helpful and informative information from Universal experts.

This is the Universal thread. The OP posted on the correct thread/board.

 

[macraven]

walker girl, I no longer do the coaster rides at UO
Just not my thing anymore and still can spend my days at the parks

Nothing wrong with them as used to hit them each visit until I had a hip issue.

Read some of the trip reports as many include their experiences of what they enjoyed

 

[DL1WDW2]

I have learned to love Universal over Disney .
My favorite plan is to walk in to Universal Studios and eat breakfast , lunch, or dinner at the Today Cafe and the first showing for Bourne Stunt Show which is next door to the Cafe.
My first visits I always wanted the Express Pass included with resort stay .
If you plan to visit for any holiday , Yes get the Pass . It even helps with the round trip ( different scenes ) on the HP Train .
Many many locals with the AP that gives the express after 4:00 …so yes get a Pass if it is in your budget. No matter what you decide USO is so much easier than dealing with WDW currently.
Hotels are operated by an actual Hotel Company and are really deluxe in comp to Disney not so deluxe…and the water transport from Hard Rock and Portifino and Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls is very very convenient and fun for quick trip to the CityWalk .
I also love Cabana Bay Resort so much which is more reasonable pricing and prefer to find a rate for the Family Suite with pool preferred interior entry ! My one big splurge for that location . Their bus service is also excellent and fast and easy !
I recently stayed at the Dockside for one night to check it out and wow was I surprised at how nice it is . Next time might try the Summerside Next door for a quick one night stay.
But all the resorts have great food courts or quick service options .

When do you plan to visit ? Want more suggestions?
My favorite time to visit is for Holidays with the Grinch and Blues Brothers Holiday Show (haha)
But Mardi Gras istarts immediately almost and their Parade floats are designed by the same as the New Orleans Parade Floats and so much fun for families with children that collect tons of Mardi Gras beaded necklaces thrown from the floats.
And the team members all seem to enjoy visiting with the guests usually before the Parades for photos, etc
You must Go
Universal Studios Orlando still loves and appreciates their guests.

 

[disneyseniors]

This is the Universal thread. The OP posted on the correct thread/board.

Oh, I meant the one with the heading Universal trip reports, hotels, etc.