More US/IOA help

[stephensmum]

After much help from you & US bit we have decided to book the RPR BB for 1 night, second Monday of our 2 week stay. We plan to have CS brekkie at CBR (DDP), after a little sleep in, taxi to RPR, 1 of parks for 10 am. Next day another little sleep in before brekkie & hitting the other park for 10 ish, taxi back to CBR at park closing (8pm). What do you think? Which park first? Which do you get wettest at? Know very little about US/IOA so all tips welcome.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Sharon,

We love Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure.

Two great parks walking distance apart, Citywalk compliments both with good shopping, bars and restaurants.

You could in theory visit both on the same day. Don't think it matters which you do first.

IOA is definitely the wettest, there are some great water rides here such as Jurassic Park (Splash Mountain type), and Ripsaw Falls (Splash Mountain type with attitude)...JP will get very slightly wet and RF quite wet but....Popeye's Barges (Kali River Rapids with attitude) will get you soaked - all over!.
Good advice - take a towel.

Only Jaws at US is likely to get you very slightly wet.

Popular rides at IOA are Hulk, Spiderman and Duelling Dragons, popular at US are Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, The Mummy and no doubt The Simpson's when it opens.
Many of these rides are close to the park entrance and it's common for people to head to them first.
Personally think Shrek and Spiderman are the best rides in Orlando.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks Johnny, what's Joshua on in the water photo?
Anyone else got any tips for me?

 

[wicket2005]

You definitely get the wettest at Islands if you go on the water rides, best take flip flops or easy dry sandals. Nothing worse than being in wet socks and trainers after these rides especially the Popeye one. We tend to go straight to Spiderman and work our way anticlockwise round the park by doing this you miss the crowds which tend to head straight for The Hulk. However, you do have express passes which are brilliant. I would tend to do this park first because of you getting wet.

Universal is another brilliant park (these 2 are our favourites). The only wet ride here is Jaws (row 7 I think which express passes always get and if you sit on outer right). However, the Curious George play area (I think that is what it is called near ET) is a place you can get soaked if you choose to go in and have a play. We usuallly do to cool down.

The Royal Pacific is a lovely hotel, we very much enjoyed our stay there last year. It is only about 10 minutes walk from Islands.

I use a waterproof bag to safeguard my electronics when in the parks (Aquapac) but there are lockers. The lockers are finger print recognised and you need to remember the block and number of your locker.

With Universal we tend to head passed Shrek and Jimmy and start at The Mummy. I cannot remember how old your children are but though this is a good rollercoaster you can get your head banged about a bit if you are not tense. Particularly at 2 points when you head down after the main room with the statues and second after a mad ride round, heading into mist and see a window up above to your left. I have to sort of plant my body down and hold it there otherwise I get knocked all over the place. The smaller you are the more room for movement.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks Bev. Do you mean you get wettest onJaws if you sit on the right?
Which room did you have at RPR?

 

[wicket2005]

You go in a boat shed, on the right hand side is a barrel that explodes and sends a load of water at roughly row 7 (I think), the water gets the person sitting right at the right hand side in that row. With water rolling down the seat to the remaining riders in that row. We sat in that row a lot last year because of the way they were feeding the express customers in. We didn't mind because we are glad to cool down.

I cannot remember the rooms we had, other than they were on the first floor and you could see Dr Doom. The first floor was good because it is the same floor as reception and the Orchid Lounge were you can get a buffet breakfast, no getting lifts.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Thanks Johnny, what's Joshua on in the water photo?
Anyone else got any tips for me?

Hi Sharon,

There are a number of water fountain's for little one's close to where the Barney and ET attractions are at Universal.
Curious George water play area is just one of them - I have numerous photos of Universal , and Joshua has always loved water so it's good fun for him.

 

[stephensmum]

Thanks Bev, I'm getting excited.
Thanks Johnny, Joshua certainly looks content in the piccies.

 

[stephensmum]

Can anyone else share their us/ioa visits with me.

 

[The Fetherstons]

Hi Sharon, its not long now...................
We love US and IOA but you will definitly get wetest at IOA take spare clothers or a towel.(The sun dries you quite quickly though) Great fun
The Spiderman ride is brilliant, we dont go on rollercoaster so couldnt tell you about that we are to They look brilliant if its what your into.
Dont miss Shrek our DS Adam loves that at US.
We will be going this year but getting a taxi or Mears shuttle accross the parks shut earlier than Disney Parks I think it was 5 or 6pm when we were last there, City Walk is open late though and there are some nice restaurants

 

[wicket2005]

The restaurant in Islands, Mythos is lovely. We had the best meal of the holiday in here last year.

 

[GarryK]

Sharon

US/IOA have always been my favourite parks and, although my girls love WDW, they're the girls favourites too now that they are older (14 and 16).

We always stay at US for 3 nights at the end of our holiday - usually at HRH but this year we're trying the RPR. Love the fact we can have a bit of a lie-in and stroll around the parks without thinking about queues (other than ROTM) because of FOTL access.

We dont' really have a strategy for tackling either because of the FOTL access.

IOA definitely the wettest. We all wear flips-flops or sandals (like you get from Next). Never wear socks and trainers cos walking when they are wet is horrible - and unpleasant in a air-conditioned restaurant afterwards.

We often take a change of clothes to IOA and change once we've been on all the wet rides - several times usually !!!!!!

Garry

 

[stephensmum]

Hi Kerry. Thanks for info. I think we will get a taxi,shuttle won't do as staying over night. My ds loves rollercoasters, i'm a bit of a scardey cat. We send dh on first, then he talks me thru it. I do love Everest, so i'm gonna try pluck up the courage.
Thanks Bev, We are on ddp, so are just going to have CS meals this time.
Thanks for info, Garry do you mean that ROTM does'nt have FOTL access? Are DD & Hulk as bad as there look?