Just back 7/10 to 7/12

[MickeyNicki]

Well this was a very last minute trip, DH had a business meeting in the area so we decided to stay in Orlando a few days more. Since our WDW passes are blocked out for the summer we decided to check out Universal.

We have not been to Universal ince 93 and Islands of Adventure since they opened (the very first weekend they opened) so we were excited to check it out. I got a great FL resident rate at the Royal Pacific and a one day 2 park ticket with passes to City Walk that waves the club cover charge.

When we arrived we received a great big ALOHA! The resort is gorgeous but the people working there are weird, not friendly, not knowledgable at all. The transportation here stinks, the buses only come every 30 minutes, the water taxi is small and fills us quick so we walked the trail most of the time. The room was gorgeous, we were in Tower 2 on the 7th floor. Very clean room.

We arrived around 8pm and headed to City Walk. All the restaurants had an hour or more wait so we went to Jimmy Buffetts and snagged a high top table near the bar. The place was jamming that night and it was a blast. We each had salads, mango margheritas, I had the jambalaya and it was awesome and very spicy, loaded with shrimp. DH had the teriyaki steak with veggies and mashed potatoes, it was so tender you could cut it with a fork. A few more drinks and then this huge thunder and lightening storm came in..it was pouring like crazy so we tried to wait it out but 30 minutes later it was still coming down so we said the heck with it lets go get the bus. The girl at the bar gave us the wrong directions to the resort bus and we had to trek all the way back to Universal but luckily the bus was right there waiting.

NEXT UP: Ok so what do we do now??

 

[MickeyNicki]

So we slept in a bit, get down to the buses and it was packed with people (the boat was too) and we wait, and wait and wait some more (we should have just walked) and finally a huge bus shows up and it is for Wet and Wild and Seaworld. Everyone but us gets on that bus...then a mini baby bus comes up for Universal (we were the only 2 on it), we went to the other 2 resorts and no one was there at the stop.

We get off right at the entrance to Universal and Bart and Marge Simpson are out front taking pictures. Dora was inside the park and that was it for characters the entire day (not like WDW at all). We grabbed a chocolate croissant and bacon egg and cheese croissant, water and cappuccino at the first bakery (I think it was the Cheesescake Factory). It was very good and fresh.

The park was just about empty. And it was scorching hot (no wonder why we do not go to Orlando in the summer) No one at all and it was almost 11. LOVE the cut the line passes we got just by staying at the resort. We walked onto Twister (that was fun), Mummy (that was AWESOME!) Men in Black (just like Buzz Lightyear) Earthquake, ET (this ride is so lame and dated) Shrek 4 D (this is so much better than the Muppets show in MGM), Jaws (is it just me or does the fire get a little too close to you??) When we got out of Shrek it looked like it was going to rain very bad so we popped into Mels Dinner and took a booth, we ordered 2 cheese burgers, onion rings, fries and a coke. The food was very good, hot, fresh and delish! When the rain ended we headed to IOA.

Man this park is so lame. Seriously, what a waste of a park. We did all the big thrill rides and skipped the kiddie stuff...just not a place that we like I guess. It reminded me of the small town amusement parks that we went to as kids. We were just bored I guess. We decided to go back to the hotel, shower and rest and hit City Walk again that night.

Next up: Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!

 

[MickeyNicki]

So we get back to the resort, shower and rest..watched the Fantastic 4 on HBO and around 8 decide to go to dinner. DH liked the menu for the Island Cafe in the resort so the first night we arrived we tried to get in but no luck so we called tonight and they said come on down..we have plenty of tables.

We arrive about 10 minutes later and were seated right away in a very empty restaurant. Our waitress comes right over with water and these yummy rolls a bit on the sweet side with sunflower seeds and onions baked in them. DH ordered a banana and coconut liquour in a martini glass with a sugar rim a (Leilani something) and I order a raspberry vodka with bananas, coconut, peach and light rum (Bali Hai). She said "Dont order that get the Tsunami, I love to get all my customers to order it because it is hard to make and pisses the bartenders off" Well my jaw hit the ground, did she really just say pisses them off?? I looked at the drink again and did not like the ingredients and say no thanks we will stick with what we ordered and she said "Aw come on dont you want to help me piss them off? Look at that table over there, they ordered it bases on me telling them to and they havent complained yet!"

Ok, something is seriously wrong with this chick.

I say no thanks just bring us what we ordered. She entices DH to order the appetizer for 2 sampler (4 different asian items on it for $23). DH ordered the shrimp fried rice and I order the lo mein. She says which lo mein? I say do you have more then one because I just see the veggie on the menu. She says, maybe there is only one..I guess it would help if I knew the menu right and she starts to laugh.

She brings the drinks out and they are so delish, they were the best thing ever! We were so glad we stuck with our choices.

So 10 minutes later this guy brings out our entrees and I said to him what about the appetizer platter and he said it was never put in the system. Ok fine, DH tells him not to worry about it because the entrees look huge. DH fried rice is LOADED with shrimp, he cannot get a forkful without getting 2 shrimp on it! My lo mein was to die for, tons of fresh veggies and the noodles were cooked perfectly.

So here comes the waitress to check on us and apologizes over and over about the appetizer. She said the kitchen must not have read the slips right and we said no prob. Dinner was so good and we would have loved to try the other items but we were so full.

So we head over to the boat area and walking right in front of us is this HUMONGOUS black rat with a long nasty tail and it was right there on the walking trail to the boat. I freaked out! It disappeared into the brush area... I almost died, I have this thing with rats...snakes and spiders I can handle but rats???

The boat guy was a jerk, we had a ton of empty spaces on the boat but he would not wait 2 minutes for another family to get on, he told then to bad they would have to wait. You dont get that crap at WDW.

We head over to City Walk and shopped and had a nice Cinnabon with a Starbucks to end the night.

Here is what I learned on my trip to Universal:

1. We are WDW people and everything else cannot compare.

2. The CM's at WDW are so much nicer than at Universal.

3. The food at WDW and Universal are both very good.

4. I love the fact that there are Starbucks in the theme parks at Universal, wish WDW would do that.

5. I hate the fact that on the Mummy and MIB rides you have to put your belongings in a locker....what a pain in the butt! They should put in mesh bags on the rides like WDW.

6. There is no control at Universal...kids walking around in diapers and nothing else, barefoot people everywhere, men without shirts on everywhere, no workers anywhere to be seen.

7. The skip the line thing at Universal works so much better than the fast passes at WDW.

8. The resorts are just as nice as the WDW ones.

9. The transportation and attitude of the people at universal SUCKS!

10. We will never go back to Universal again.

 

[AlexandNessa]

10. We will never go back to Universal again.

Wow, I'm not even sure what to say to all this, except that it sounds like you've come to the right decision for you.



Bummer, though, I thought for sure we were done with insipid threads who insist upon comparing Disney v. Universal.

 

[lindalinda]

Is this report for real? It sounds like you had a good time on the rides, then you say its lame. You complain about a waitress that sounds like she was trying to be fun to me. Then you say some outrageous things about the people at universal , and say you wont return.
You certainly have the right to your opinions, but I am not sure what they were.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yes the report is for real. Over all it was a nice time away from home. Some of the rides are ok and I feel that some are lame.

The waitress was ok but when have you had someone say pissed off to you? I thought she could have used a better choice of words.

Would we go back again, no. THere is just not enough here that captures our interests. We have not been in many years and went back to see what was new and exciting with the parks. No need for us to go back for another long time.

And as far as putting the parks up against WDW I am just voicing my opinion take it or lump it, doesnt matter to me. We visit WDW many times each year and yes we have seen kids without shoes and women in bikini tops but I have never seen a grown man without a shirt on and I bet there would be a CM nearby that would tell him that is not acceptable. At Universal the only workers we saw were the ones behind a register or at the ride cue.

 

[GemmaPixie]

The part I don't understand is you say Islands of Adventure is lame, but you said you went on all the big rides and skipped the kids rides. Isn't WDW all kids rides? So why did you skip them when obviously that's the sort of stuff you like. Sounds like another Disney fanatic to me who just had to compare when really, there's no need.

 

[t-and-a]

The part I don't understand is you say Islands of Adventure is lame, but you said you went on all the big rides and skipped the kids rides. Isn't WDW all kids rides? So why did you skip them when obviously that's the sort of stuff you like. Sounds like another Disney fanatic to me who just had to compare when really, there's no need.

Excellent point!
I understand that it's just an opinion, but I just can't see how IOA reminded the OP of a town amusement park, unless of course I have missed some AWESOME town amusement parks. If anyone knows of a town amusement park that compares with IOA, point me in that direction, because I want to go!

 

[Timmy Boy]

Man this park is so lame. Seriously, what a waste of a park. We did all the big thrill rides and skipped the kiddie stuff...just not a place that we like I guess. It reminded me of the small town amusement parks that we went to as kids.

What?! Are you sure you went to the right park? IOA gets a lot of votes for being best themed theme park, and most technogically advanced theme park.

So you did Hulk, Spiderman, Dragons, River Adventure, Dudley? What all did you do at Islands?

Did you see Suess Landing? Just because it's for kids doesn't mean its bad! (Look at Fantasyland! Cardboard cutout rides, tents to house them in).


Hm so you did Hulk? Pretty good? Can't find a ride like that at Disney. Spiderman? Can't find a ride like that ANYWHERE. Dragons? Only dueling inverted coaster in the world. The theming? What small town amusement park were you going to? I'd love to see one that can create Jurassic Park, a mythological continent, and be surrounded in sunday comics like IOA does.

I'm sure when you go to Disney, you focus on lots of things, cuz you love it... such as "wow the flowers there are very nicely trimmed" and "that ride is really well themed." Did you not notice that at IOA?

I just don't get how you can think it was a waste of a park.

The locker thing is for safety. If you ride on Hulk, and you have a camera bag with you, and it comes lose, and flies backwards, and smacks someone in the face, or flies off and hits someone walking under the ride, it wouldn't be pretty. Also, we can't have anyone leave anything at the station, because of liability issues. When you're out on the ride track, other trains are pulling in, people are getting in, getting out, and for the Team Members to watch your things, as well as perform their job safely? It won't work.

Also, please don't say all TM's are rude. I've encountered rude ones at Disney as well. I've seen some TM's where I work go above and beyond what I would have thought possible.

One incident was someone left their bag with a phone in it outside, it also had 100 dollars in it. They brought it to the Greeter at the ride, and said someone stole the money. The greeter called the Lead, the Lead couldn't find the person who stole it (honestly, think about it. It'd be hard. Disney couldn't do it either). So, the Lead escorted them to any store they wanted to go to, and complimentary got them whatever they wanted. The bill ended up being around 100 dollars. The family got what they wanted, and the Lead totally turned their vacation around.

Yes, this was at IOA. So, please don't judge us. There's a lot more to us then meets the eye.

 

[Metro West]

I guess some people can't get enough fairy tales and pixie dust.

 

[lookingforward]

I love WDW and US/IOA so much and there are many things that each of them do better or worse than the other, so comparing them is kind of pointless because they are really so different.

One thing, the Universal hotels are a much better deal than the deluxe hotels at disney. The price (with applicable discounts) is usually MUCH better and the level of service is better (food service by the pool, loews first program and frequent quest incentives, full service gyms).

I love both, but on crowded stays we prefer US/IOA for the express ride option that hotel guests get.

And not to get into or start a debate BUT I have to mention that as a Florida resident my annual pass at US/IOA is good 365 days a year while my disney pass is not good summers, holidays and spring break. SO, universal usually gets more of my business.

 

[tlinus]

the OP is entitled to her opinion, but once again she was one who went to Universal with Disney colored glasses on.......its a shame, really, really sad

Oh well, that may be two less people that are in line in front of me

 

[RVGal]

I may get flamed for saying this, but I don't think there is anything wrong with comparing Disney to Universal. They are both theme parks, in the same general area, vying for our disposable income. Doesn't that make comparison a natural thing?

Of course, if you are going to do the comparison thing justice, you have to accept that Universal is NOT Disney... and Disney is NOT Universal. They have both chosen to build a theme park in Central Florida, but they have each put their own spin on it.

If you go to Disney expecting Universal, you will be disappointed. Likewise, if you go to Universal expecting Disney, you will be disappointed.

But that's like saying, "I went to Burger King because I had a taste for a Big Mac and all they served me was a Whopper. Boy, was I disappointed!"

I compare Burger King and McDonalds all the time... what I like... what I don't like... about each one. What I don't do is say that one is bad because it isn't exactly like the other one.

I, personally, think THAT is the problem when the Disney vs. Universal debates pop up. It is the ones who have decided, long before they enter the gates of Universal, that Disney is the pinnacle of all theme parks and nothing else but the Disney way of doing things can possibly be good.

There are some, not as many, but some who are the same way about Universal. If it isn't done as Universal would do, it isn't done right.

The OP makes some valid points in her comparisons, but to start off with "We are WDW people and everything else cannot compare"... well, that sets the tone doesn't it?

I don't think there is anything wrong with being "WDW people". If you already know that is what you want out of a vacation to Orlando, great! What I don't get is when someone says, "We love Disney and nothing can compare... so we went to Universal and, surprise, it didn't compare... so let me list all the things that were wrong (i.e. not like Disney)."

And, yes, there are some who do the same thing with Universal. It just doesn't seem to happen as often.

And it happens SO often with the Disney people that folks on this board get tired of (and defensive about) it.

Sigh.

Just my humble ramblings on the subject.

I happen to enjoy all the parks in Orlando. I have had mostly positive experiences at all of them. I have had some negative experiences at all of them. Overall, I think they each have something unique and wonderful to offer.

But, that's just me.

 

[GemmaPixie]

I wish the OP would comeback and answer the questions we've asked.

 

[MickeyNicki]

I wish the OP would comeback and answer the questions we've asked.

What questions? You guys are all mad that I do not like Universal and that I think it was blah..that is my opinion sorry if it doesnt match yours

Sorry that I compared things to WDW, I did not know that wasnt allowed

 

[GemmaPixie]

Yes it's obvious that you are allowed your own opinion but your not prepared to back them up? People are generally confused by your TR- e.g. comparing IOA to a fun fair?? I wish you would elaborate on what your saying.

 

[MickeyNicki]

All the carnival type games, the rollercoasters etc....what more would you like me to say? I was not prepared for what the park offered, as I said it has been many years since we were there...it was a very last minute trip and if my WDW passes were not blocked out I would have gone there instead but they were so Universal seemed like the next best thing. It was ok just not my first choice.

 

[GemmaPixie]

Well liek others have said I think you went in there with Mickey shaped rose tinted glasses on and didn't get Disney so you didn't like it.

And jsut a sidenote- do you think the same about Dinoland USA in animal kingdom because if I were to choose a part of a park that was most like a fun fair- that would be it.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Maybe I did go with pixie dust in mind, I know they are two totally different experiences and maybe I did set the bar high.

Yes I agree Dinoland is the same thing and we do not visit that part of the park.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Why are you guys paying so much mind to someone that says Islands of Adventure was like a local town fair?