New to Universal, tips???

[Laura17]

Hey everyone, im flying out to orlando on June 27th from london till july 7th, just my friend and i. Were both only 17 and 18 so it's pretty exciting, and were just wondering does anyone have any tips about going out there.
We have paid for the orlando flextickets, so were going to universal studios, islands of adventure, seaworld, wet n wild and busch gardens.
Were staying on the international drive and neither of us have ever been there before.

We would love if anyone had any tips about what to expect in orlando, what to do at theme parks for example tips on best rides to go on, queue times?? also if there is anything happening during the time we are there? for example 4th of july celebrations where's the best places to go? Also wt the weather is like, i know its gonna be very hot but what's the chances of a hurricane?? lol were brits so we do not have a clue what to expect!!

We are grateful for any replies. Just 10 days to go!!!!!!
xxxxxx

 

[Melanie230]

Be prepared for a busy park, and VERY hot weather. We will be there the same time you are. I dont know much about staying offsite but I can tell you that you will have a BLAST! Have a safe flight.

 

[NotAmused]

You guys will have tons of fun, especially since you are going to ALL of those places!! International Drive is a great place to stay----plenty of shopping and restaurants within walking distance. My only tip for Universal Studios/IOA is to get there for park opening and you should be able to ride most of the rides with a shorter wait time.

More than likely, there won't be a hurricane, but be prepared for the usual Florida afternoon rain/thunder storm. They usually only last for an hour or so, and then they clear up so it won't ruin your day. You might wanna bring a poncho just incase.

All of the rides are fantastic so I can't choose the best. Of course, you guys may want to skip the kiddie zones/shows/rides and do more thrill rides. For Universal Orlando, I highly recommend Men in Black, The Mummy, Jaws, Shrek, Jurassic Park, Spiderman, all of the rollercoasters, and of course the water rides to cool off

 

[wilma-bride]

If you haven't already bought it, go out and buy The Brits Guide to Orlando. Some excellent information in there, especially the busy days guide.

Which hotel are you staying at? International Drive is a good location, very busy but bound to be restaurants and bars within easy walking distance. When we stayed on I-Drive, we used the I-Ride trolley (a bus that runs constantly up and down the length of I-Drive) a lot to get to places in the evening. We also used it to get to Sea World - you can also catch the Lynx bus from Sea World if your hotel doesn't provide transport to Disney. You can buy a multi day pass for the I-Ride trolley from most hotel lobbies - take a look at www.iridetrolley.com for more info.

Also, you should pop over to the UK trip planning boards - you should pick up loads of handy tips for travelling from the UK there.

Believe me, you will have an awesome time. Although we love Disney, the Universal parks are our favourites especially IOA - just can't beat the fantastic rides like Hulk and Spiderman. If you're into thrills and spills, you'll love it.

I know you're only young but the best advice I could give would probably be get to the parks early You can get most rides done before it starts to get busy.

If you want any more specific advice, just ask. We were first-timers just 2 1/2 years ago and we're currently planning our 4th and 5th visits

 

[cbdmhgp]

hey we will be there at that time too! the most important things are, once again, getting there early, hitting the major rides first (i.e. MIB, Mummy, Shrek, Spiderman, Hulk, Dr. Doom, etc.) and then coming back to the other smaller ones. Also, be sure to eat at restaurants either before or after the major eating hours! Have fun!

 

[dana1003]

subscibing

 

[Laura17]

Were stayin at the quality inn international. We coodnt afford a major luxury hotel and we thought quality inn was located in a good area and will provide most of our beakfasts at a very cheap price mcdonalds!! next door to us.

 

[Metro West]

I hope you guys have a great trip and will enjoy all the parks. The weather will be hot and the crowds are getting bigger by the week but don't let that bother you...just have fun!

Again...have a great trip and be safe!

 

[wilma-bride]

Were stayin at the quality inn international. We coodnt afford a major luxury hotel and we thought quality inn was located in a good area and will provide most of our beakfasts at a very cheap price mcdonalds!! next door to us.

Quality Inn International (also known as Lo Q) is fine - we stayed there on our first trip in 2004. It is basic but the staff are friendly, they do a nice buffet breakfast, there is a Dennys within easy walking distance as well as McDonalds (HUGE!!!) and a Chillis across the road (very nice )

They don't provide transport to the Disney parks but the transport to Universal is very good - 3 times to choose from in the morning and again coming back.

 

[highlander447]

As said QII is okay, although wouldn't bother with their food as you have McD's, Denny's, IHOP, Golden Corral, all within a few minutes walk and many more within 10 mins, the pool area at QII is ok as well, a taxi from QII to Florida mall is $17, to Universal its $6, to get to Disney get the Iride trolley to SW and get the lynx bus no 50 to the Disney ticket center from there u can use free disney transport to get to all the disney parks, but to get to DTD or a disney water park u need to get a bus from a disney resort, also you'd be better off getting the 14 day pass for the Itrolley will help u get around I-Drive they sell the tickets at QII , wet and wild is only a 10 min walk up the road

 

[robvia]

The biggest piece of advice I have is to arrive early each morning. Hotel shuttles usually don't start running until after 9am. Your early morning advantage is gone by that time. Take the taxi over at 07:30am, walk up to the gate, and get in line. Waiting is fun as you see the long line of people form behind you. By 08:30am the line goes past the ticket booths. Sometimes the park opens early, but they don't have it in writing, it just happens. When that's the case, you can do the major attractions with no wait for a couple hours.

Starting July 4th, Universal will stay open until 10pm, and there will be a show at that time. So you want to plan on visiting Universal on July 5th or 6th at night.

I usually tell people to do the two visit approach each day. Arrive early to a park, stay until 1pm, then go back to your hotel room to rest. Return at night around 5pm as the tired are leaving. This would cost you money in taxi rides, but it's better than staying in a packed park in the afternoon.