Moving hotels for IOA - Help!

[n2mickey]

From prior threads I see that most people recommend you switch to a Universal hotel if you are going to do IOA - to get the benefit of the front of the line passes. (My husband won't go if we don't do IOA). I have a 11 year-old and a 9 year-old. The 9 year-old will do no roller coasters - probably Spiderman and water rides. The 11 year-old will likely chicken out and do no coasters. We are going in Feb 2005. So....

We get in Sat to our Disney hotel - probably around 4:00 and will be staying 7 days. We do Disney that day thru Thursday. Would you do a Disney park on Thursday but plan to move to the Universal hotel on that Thursday night - so you can use the FOL for the Friday at IOA? Then Saturday we have to leave for the airport around noon. So we either could go back to IOA for the morning - or just do the pool.

I kinda feel like by moving we are wasting time - if we were at Disney we could do a park the Sat. morning before we leave. Also since it shouldn't be big crowds - maybe the FOL passes aren't that important - and we'd be better off just staying on Disney property and taking a cab to IOA for Friday. Any thoughts will be appreciated!!!

 

[ajksmom]

n2mickey,

Don't forget that you get FOTL the day you check in, and the day you check out.Perhaps you can stay at WDW through thursday night, check-in at IOA early Friday am, that way you will have FOTL access for both Friday and Sat am before you go to the airport?

 

[Jen S]

n2mickey, you could always just purchase an Express pass for you day at IOA. We did this on our trip in October, for $15 per person, in addition to our ticket price. It allowed us to go to the front of the line one time for each of the big rides. There was a phone number on the Universal boards that you could call and preorder your express pass. They only allocate a certain number for each day. If your husband is the only one likely to do the rollercoasters, then you would only have to buy an Express pass for him. I would check on the Universal boards to see if they are still offering the chance to purchase these Express passes.

Personally, if you're just going to IOA for one day, I don't think it would be worth it to change resorts. We did the IOA/USF two park/one day pass in October, along with an Express pass for Universal. We had more than enough time to do both parks in one day. We got to IOA right at opening time and there was no one in the park. We walked right on to most of the rides we wanted to do and were ready to go to Universal by noon. With the express pass for Universal, we zoomed through all of the major rides there, and had just enough time to make it to our dinner at Emeril's that evening. If it were me, I would much rather have the extra time at the Disney parks. For us, there was just so much more there to see. Hope this helps.

Jennifer

 

[phamton]

The express pass booklets range in price between $15 and $30 depending on how busy the parks are expected to be that day. So don't count on just paying $15. Also the express pass booklets only give you one pass per ride whereas with FOTL you can ride multiple times on each ride.

 

[johare]

Originally posted by phamton
The express pass booklets range in price between $15 and $30 depending on how busy the parks are expected to be that day. So don't count on just paying $15. Also the express pass booklets only give you one pass per ride whereas with FOTL you can ride multiple times on each ride.

And it's per person so if there are four of you that would be $60 to $120 for the express passes. Plus if your children don't like roller coasters, you may want to do certain attractions more than once. Don't underestimate the lines in the summer....they aren't just long for the coasters. Popeye, Ripsaw Falls, Spiderman and even Cat in the Hat can all be quite long waits. If you plan on checking out the Mummy ride at USF, I've heard that the wait there has been 180 minutes!

Personally, I'd check out of Disney on Thursday morning and go straight over to Universal and spend two days at the parks there. Saturday morning you can just enjoy the pool (all 3 Universal hotels have really nice pools) or take a walk over to Citywalk for a bit. My favorite hotel is the Hard Rock because it has a 240' pool slide (almost water park quality imo) and some neet displays of costumes and instruments all around the hotel (ie, Elvis, KISS, Elton, etc...).

 

[steelmans DW]

We completely agree with johare. This upcoming trip in 17 days we have 8 nights at CSR and then 3 nights at HRH for all the reasons johare listed. We are very eager to try FOTL especially for the mummy ride. The cab ride between WDW and IOA would be awful and expensive IMO. We have been stuck in HORRIBLE traffic at all times of the day between these 2 parks. Once we get to one or the other that's where we stay until we move on to the next one.

 

[n2mickey]

Thanks everyone for your help!! Jennifer - did you run into traffic problems when heading over to IOA from Disney? How much would a cab run for four of us?

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Thought I'd add my 2 cents, and say that I would move to one of the US/IOA resorts, too! The FOTL privileges are worth it, IMO. We were there a few years ago, and it was in July or Aug., lines were very long for all the rides. We were staying in the HRH, and knew we had FOTL, but didn't know how it worked, so stood in the reg. line for several rides. Even early in the day, we waited an hour to ride the Hulk, and about that for Spiderman and Dr. Doom's Fear Fall, before we finally asked a park attendant how to use the room key for FOTL!

I agree with johare, you should move over to a US/IOA resort early on Thurs. and enjoy the parks for Thurs. and Fri.

Good luck, sounds like a wonderful trip, let us know how the Mummy ride is!

 

[robvia]

You won't need FOTL in February, it is one of the best times to visit crowd wise. Temps range from a low of 55 going up to 75 in the afternoon and all rides run. But the crowds are very light. The place feels like a ghost town in the morning, but picks up in the afternooon.

The thing about the resort, is that staying onsite would make you "feel" like you are a part of the action. And if you stay at the HRH, you could literally walk back and forth to the parks and Citywalk. If you stay at PBH or RPR, then you take the water taxi. Even if your kids don't care for coasters, there are many things they will enjoy.
Sun-Wed is 4 days at Disney, plus your Saturday night, that's plenty of time to see all 4 parks. On Thursday you could do the early park for a couple hours, check out, drive to USF, check in, get your magic keys, store your luggage, and go do a park. Then you are a part of the action and you'll enjoy the place more knowing you can walk back and forth to your hotel.

 

[n2mickey]

Thanks everyone for all your advice. Now we just need to decide - I'd rather not leave Disney - cause that's, of course, where I want to be. But trying to be fair to the family too. Decisions, decisions, decisions....

 

[Figment22]

Originally posted by robvia
You won't need FOTL in February, it is one of the best times to visit crowd wise.

This is certainly true UNLESS it's President's week. Then the crowds can be horrendous and FOTL would be a necessity.

 

[d4est]

This is certainly true UNLESS it's President's week. Then the crowds can be horrendous and FOTL would be a necessity.

Which is exactly when we are going. You have confirmed my fears...AND my decision to stay on-site! Thanks

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Yes, stay onsite if it's during President's Day weekend! Good decision. The Universal parks are a lot of fun and my kids like it as much if not more than WDW. You'll have a great time and you'll be much better off being there during the Friday/Sat leading up to a holiday. I was at WDW the same time of the year last year (returned the Friday before Pres Day) and the crowds had really picked up at WDW.

T&B

 

[zaxmom]

The Universal Resorts are awesome. I let my kids talk me into going back over and over because I love the resorts and City Walk being right there. I would definitely check out of Disney and Check in to one of their resorts. You will love them. If it is President's Week, I would not even go if I did not have FOTL.

 

[2BigKIdz]

Just a note about the water rides, if your children don't do coasters because of the "drop", then they might not want to do Ripsaw or Jurassic Park, both have pretty steep drops.

 

[n2mickey]

Yes we are there the week BEFORE President's Day - but I never thought about the weekend. We will be leaving Orlando the Saturday before the holiday but I'm sure people will be arriving at that time. We just may have to make that move - the FOTL passes will be valuable. Heck - I might even enjoy myself. It's just that this might be our last Disney trip for a long, long time - that's why it makes it hard for me to check out and move to Universal. But I think you guys are convincing me to do it...

 

[n2mickey]

Well I just checked and President's Day is the third Monday in Feb - so it will NOT be the holiday week or the weekend before the holiday - Sooo - crowds should be down and I'm back to my delima...

 

[Teris]

I don't know where you stay when you are at Disney,, but all three of the resorts at Universal, are of the quality or better of the Deluxe resorts at Disney. Theming, the restaurants, and atomsphere. The pools are all very well themed, and you can visit all three of them while you are staying at one of the resorts.

Until January 2003, I had been a 'Disney' only type person too,, but I was completely won over by the Universal expirence. Don't be afraid to try it, you may find that there is a different kind of Magic at the resorts at Universal

 

[msr709]

No one has mentioned that you could get a very good rate if you ask for an Entertainment rate at any of the USO hotels. BTW if you stay at RPR you can also walk back and forth its just a little longer than HRH but not as long as PFB. Where HRH is about 5 minute walk to US, RPR is about 7 to 8 minutes walk to IOA and its rates are a little more reasonable. I love Disney too but I have been visiting almost every year since 1999 and I always stay at both places, it feels you're getting more out of your vacation because you are seeing more. Just as an example, this is our up coming trip planned: We (party of 11, 8 adults and 3 kids ages 4, 5, 7) are staying at RPR from 8/29 to 9/1 (selected these dates because the rates are cheaper at the beginning of the week as opposed to the weekend rates. Moving over to ASMo from 9/1 to 9/5 (got a great AAA rate of $61.60 for our entire stay, Disney does not change the rates for weekends). It is actually costing us less to do it this way than to stay at one hotel which we had originally booked because of a $76 rate, but we hadn't figured in the cost of renting 2 cars, gas, parking which adds up. Anyway, just wanted to let you know there are tons of options to get the most out of your vacation. Keep looking into these boards for more tips before you make concrete plans. Good luck!