Never been. December trip planned.

[JudyAL]

Hi everyone! We always go to Disney and have always skipped Universal. This year, we're planning on doing both but staying at Disney the whole time. We'll be there on December 14th and 15th so it's right before the Christmas rush, or so I hope. Will we be ok without early entry or express passes? Please share any tips you may have. I'm feeling overwhelmed by this whole new experience. TIA!

 

[agavegirl1]

Your timing should be very good for not having the onsite unlimited Express. Just use your normal common sense for Disney Touring and apply it to Universal. The days you have chosen are a Monday and Tuesday. Perfect. There is an "Unofficial Guide" for the "Orlando Beyond Disney" crowd. It has several one and two day touring plans. There are also "Harry Potter's Journey" specific plans you can google if that is your focus. Your timing is spot on, really.

 

[johde]

Universal doesn't have the "over the top" Christmas decorations that Disney does but there are a lot of great Christmas events that are worth trying to fit into your schedule. USF has Macy's Parade, special Blues Brothers and Barney show. And on select nights Manheim Steamroller plans (probably 12th and 13th). IOA has Grinchmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas show.

You are probably avoiding the major Christmas rush. So, the crowds won't be horrible. If you could squeeze 1 night onsite it's always nice. You get Express Passes both check in and check out day.

 

[JudyAL]

Thank you for the information. I'll check out those guides. We're actually going to Universal in the middle of our Disney trip. We'll have 1 day at Disney, then 2 at Universal and then back to Disney. I wish I could have planned it so we'd go to one or the other first. We're getting the military tickets so I have to check and see if we can add front of the line to them or not. We really don't know what to expect so we're looking forward to going. If we like it, I'll plan better for future visits. Thanks again!