Looking for all the help I can get...First time to Universal

[Mastiff]

I have been reading up as much as I can for our Spring Break trip to Universal! Yes, I know dreaded Spring Break crowds!

Have done Disney many many times but this is our first time to Universal. We will be staying on Sanibel for a week and then heading over to Universal March 28th-30th.

We will be staying at PBR. Plan to arrive around 10:00 a.m on Friday, March 28th. We will have most of the day on the 30th. Will need to head to the airport around 5:30 p.m.

Here are my questions:
1. Did we pick a nice hotel?
2. Where/when do I buy tickets? We would like to be able to park hop.
3. Any ticket specials I should know about?
4. Will be have enough time to see both parks?
5. Can we swim usually at this time of year?
6. Since we are staying onsite do I need to purchase the unlimited express?
7. What do I need to do to get the express pass benefit from staying onsite?
8. Which park would you go to on which day?
9. What are the not to miss shows?
10. Your favorite restaurants in the parks and hotels. We usually like a sit down dinner.
11. How do you like Mardi Gras? I think it is going on the Saturday we are there.

Sorry for so many questions! Thought I would try and get them all out of the way in one posting!
Any other tips/tricks for US/IOA would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[RMulieri]

1) Portofino is our absolute favorite resort.It is gorgeous and the rooms beautiful.It is the furthest from the parks, but still an easy walk or dedicated boat to citywalk ( the parks are both connected and encircled by citywalk)
2)Undercover tourist.com has great prices, fast shipping and if you sign up for the newsletter on mousesavers.com there is an additional discount
3)Not that I am aware
4)Allow one day for each park.We stay a lot longer, but we enjoy downtime at the resort and only doing the parks for a few hours
5)Swimming will be hit or miss.Pools are heated
6)You get the unlimited epress for staying onsite.It is tied to your room ressie, not park tickets.
7)When you check in you will receive your room key.You take it to the express pass kiosk in the lobby area near the checkin desk and you make your photo-express pass.
8)We do the parks in whatever order we choose.We prefer the studios so we start there
9)WE LOVE Beetlejuice, Blues Brothers, Horror makeup show
10)Mama Dellas and Trattoria del porto at Portofino are our absolute favorites.we ate there 2x each last visit.We love Mythos and Confiscos at Ioa.Ressies can be made at Opentable.com about 60-90 days in advance
11)never been so i cant comment

 

[damo]

I'll fill in a couple. There is a ticket special right now...it is buy 2 days get one free and it is good for when you are there.

Mardi Gras has a nice parade with lots of beads being thrown and then a concert. It is a nice addition!

My favourite resort is Portofino too.

Since you'll probably be wanting to do Wizarding World and early admission, you'll most likely be starting at IOA. We park hop back and forth several times a day. The parks are right beside each other, so only a couple minutes walk.

There is a food sticky with lots of info in it for you.

 

[bumbershoot]

Here are my questions:
1. Did we pick a nice hotel?

IMO Portofino is the best of the onsite resorts!

2. Where/when do I buy tickets? We would like to be able to park hop.

When we were just using tickets (vs the APs we have now) we bought once from mapleleaftickets and once from undercovertourist.com. Always got the park to park option, mainly because we like the option of a butterbeer whenever we want one.


4. Will be have enough time to see both parks?

You'll have a nice start on seeing lots! My family loves re-rides so 4 days really is the minimum for us, but not everyone is like us and there'll always be next time. Hint: maybe budget to upgrade to an AP, just in case.

5. Can we swim usually at this time of year?

It's Florida. It's usually warm, or at least warmer than where most of us are coming from! We swam when it was in the 40s. I don't recommend that; the water is warm, but any part of you that gets wet won't be warm when the air hits you!

6. Since we are staying onsite do I need to purchase the unlimited express?

No! With Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, and Portofino the unlimited express pass is INCLUDED with your hotel room.

7. What do I need to do to get the express pass benefit from staying onsite?

Check in, take your room key over to the picture kiosks, have each person take a picture, have each person take their newly printed express pass! SO easy!


9. What are the not to miss shows?

We were very surprised how good the Beetlejuice show was. DS liked the Sindbad show but it's pretty loud. Poseidon's Fury is sort of a show, and my son HATED it. Too scary.

10. Your favorite restaurants in the parks and hotels. We usually like a sit down dinner.

We like Lombard's, though we don't eat fish. DS could eat their cheese ravioli with pesto for the rest of the meals of his life. I like Sal's at Portofino, but only for dine-in. They have forgotten about us entirely 2/3 times when doing pickup for pizza and salad. Love the 3 Broomsticks and Richter's Burgers for the things we get (all vegetarian items).

If you have coffee drinkers in your party, I cannot recommend having a Rock Cake (from the candy shop, it's like a scone) and a cup of coffee from 3 Broomsticks more. Probably horribly cheap coffee but there's something about that combo that brings me extreme joy.

11. How do you like Mardi Gras? I think it is going on the Saturday we are there.

I've been there twice in feb and have yet to be able to partake in MG activities. Seems the parade days are never when we are there.

Have awesome fun!

 

[Ofinn]

I have been reading up as much as I can for our Spring Break trip to Universal! Yes, I know dreaded Spring Break crowds!

Have done Disney many many times but this is our first time to Universal. We will be staying on Sanibel for a week and then heading over to Universal March 28th-30th.

We will be staying at PBR. Plan to arrive around 10:00 a.m on Friday, March 28th. We will have most of the day on the 30th. Will need to head to the airport around 5:30 p.m.

Here are my questions:
1. Did we pick a nice hotel?
2. Where/when do I buy tickets? We would like to be able to park hop.
3. Any ticket specials I should know about?
4. Will be have enough time to see both parks?
5. Can we swim usually at this time of year?
6. Since we are staying onsite do I need to purchase the unlimited express?
7. What do I need to do to get the express pass benefit from staying onsite?
8. Which park would you go to on which day?
9. What are the not to miss shows?
10. Your favorite restaurants in the parks and hotels. We usually like a sit down dinner.
11. How do you like Mardi Gras? I think it is going on the Saturday we are there.

Sorry for so many questions! Thought I would try and get them all out of the way in one posting!
Any other tips/tricks for US/IOA would be appreciated.
Thanks

As far as swimming goes it the pools will feel great. The pools are heated to about 78-80. If it's 60 out the pool is going to feel like a bath tub. If its 90 out the pool is going to feel cool. It's all about the ambiance. I love the Hard Rock Café and Margaritaville. If you get a chance see the Blue Man group it's a great show.

 

[Metro West]

11. How do you like Mardi Gras? I think it is going on the Saturday we are there.

Since the other posters have answered your questions, I thought I would elaborate on MG for you. The parade and concert is included in your park admission...nothing else to buy. The parade is not to be missed! There are new floats every year and there are LOTS and LOTS of beads thrown. I did pretty well last year...better than in previous years. Even if you don't care for the concert, don't miss the parade.

The concerts are held at the Universal Music Plaza inside the Studios and are standing room only...no seating. If you are interested in getting near the stage for the performance, you will need to get there early and stake out a spot. Unfortunately that means you won't have a very good view of the parade. The parades and headliner concerts are normally on Saturday and Sunday nights with an occasional Friday night thrown in. The full schedule should be released over the next few months so keep an eye out for it.

 

[mrsabbott]

We will be there at the same time! We aren't staying on site though.

 

[Mastiff]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information! You have eased my nerves and I am so excited to visit US and IOA!

So I see the ticket deal going on now which would be great for us, my question is, once I order the tickets do they send me hard copy tickets or do we get cards? Again, sorry for the stupid questions! Just not sure how it all works at Universal.

Also, I know being spring break time, we are in for some heavy crowds but how bad do you think it will be? With our onsite express passes what are typical line wait times for the big rides during spring break?

I am also assuming that we should make dinner reservations far ahead of time for that time period too! How quickly to the restaurants book up? Is it like Disney?

 

[Hug the Mouse]

You seem to be prepared for a great time! Staying on site, you are in for a treat...crowds are not as much of a concern when you have on site guest express...warning though, it will ruin every other theme/amusement park experience for you by not having to wait.

 

[damo]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information! You have eased my nerves and I am so excited to visit US and IOA!

So I see the ticket deal going on now which would be great for us, my question is, once I order the tickets do they send me hard copy tickets or do we get cards? Again, sorry for the stupid questions! Just not sure how it all works at Universal.

Also, I know being spring break time, we are in for some heavy crowds but how bad do you think it will be? With our onsite express passes what are typical line wait times for the big rides during spring break?

I am also assuming that we should make dinner reservations far ahead of time for that time period too! How quickly to the restaurants book up? Is it like Disney?

You can choose how you want your tickets delivered. You can have them sent or you can pick them up at the kiosks at the hotels or parks or Citywalk.

You can make reservations at opentable.com but it isn't as necessary as at WDW. Your waits will be under 20 minutes most likely.

 

[RMulieri]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information! You have eased my nerves and I am so excited to visit US and IOA!

So I see the ticket deal going on now which would be great for us, my question is, once I order the tickets do they send me hard copy tickets or do we get cards? Again, sorry for the stupid questions! Just not sure how it all works at Universal.

Also, I know being spring break time, we are in for some heavy crowds but how bad do you think it will be? With our onsite express passes what are typical line wait times for the big rides during spring break?

I am also assuming that we should make dinner reservations far ahead of time for that time period too! How quickly to the restaurants book up? Is it like Disney?

wait times for express pass at that time of year shouldnt be more than 20 mins.The restaurants are NOT like disney and dont usually book up that fast.That said, there is a new dining plan at Universal ( though it doesnt include the resort eateries) so I am not sure how that will change the ressies at all.MOST dining can be booked at opentable.com 60-90 days in advance.Bubba Gumps on citywalk does not take any ressies, and some of the restaurants may vary in timeframe as well.