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[Cbrtls5]

Hello- we’ve never been to USO. I’ve just started researching it. We are headed to Orlando next week and thought we might spend some time here. We will only a half day as we wouldn’t get there until 2 pm.

Can we see very much that short of time? Would you recommend a half day or would we better to wait until we can spend more time there? Thanks

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If you can afford it and especially if it is a week day, pick a park to enjoy for the afternoon/evening. Check out the rides at each park ahead of time and pick which park, then prioritize your must-do rides. Download the Universal App for ride wait times to help plan when you're there. Plan to eat before you arrive if at all possible to maximize park time, then after park close relax and wind down with a dinner at whichever City Walk restaurant tickles your fancy.

Hopefully it'll get you jazzed up to more fully enjoy UO in the future!

 

[nkereina]

The parks close at 9pm next week. Arriving at 2pm, you'd have a few hours to see and do things. But IMO, I'm not sure if its worth the price of park tickets, especially since you won't have express pass. A 1 park 1 day ticket is $115+ tax per person, and a 2 park 1 day ticket is $170 + tax per person. I definitely wouldn't recommend the 2 park ticket with that short of time. Also as an FYI, you can't ride Hogwarts Express on a 1 park ticket.

If it were me, I'd save the money and put it towards a future trip where you can stay onsite, have EPs, and really enjoy and immerse yourself at Universal.

If you decide to go for it anyway, I would recommend doing Universal Studios over IOA. We typically spend more time there on our trips.

 

[Disxuni]

Can you do a lot in a half day? Yes, I've done it multiple times, as I'm a solo traveler, and often do half days due to typically having work and other things to do.

Would I recommend it? No, because I've always done it since I was an APH and could afford it since I'll always go back again. However, if you're paying for a full day of Universal, I would recommend trying to wait until you can fully enjoy the experience.

However, if you decide to go for it, because the money concept doesn't bother you and you're confident you'd be satisfied with what you can do in a half day, I highly recommend Universal, there is more variety, more things to do, and more SR options.

 

[mrskay9]

I'll be there next week too!
I am doing this from memory and maybe someone else has more direct info, but I believe the crowds are expected to be lower on Monday and Friday. So, that's when we're going (at this point)
Most people love that you can just wing it at US but I went ahead and got a touring plan because we're trying to cram as much in as possible. (Also, I guess I"m more type A than I realized.) So that might work for you too, knowing what rides you want to go on and not waste your time with others.

Good luck.

 

[Cbrtls5]

Thank you for all the helpful feedback! I appreciate it. Now to decide what to do!

 

[bchbetha]

If you're coming into town to do Disney AND have already done Disney, maybe switch up your days so you can do a partial Disney day and a full Universal day?

 

[Disxuni]

I am doing this from memory and maybe someone else has more direct info, but I believe the crowds are expected to be lower on Monday and Friday.

The two lower crowd days (in general) are Sunday and Monday, due to the fact that most of the people who have already been vacationing in the area are typically going "back to reality" on Sunday, or going back to reality / already left by Monday.

 

[AJA]

As much as I love Universal I don't think the expense would be worth it.
When you factor in that it's a crowded and hot time of year with the expense of a 1 day park to park ticket (if you have a Harry Potter fan with you, seeing the Hogwarts express and not being able to ride it w/o paying for park to park tickets would be a bummer) I would save the money and just spend some down time at the hotel you'll be staying at. Relaxing can be part of an Orlando vacation too

Now if the money really is not a big deal AND you have a Harry Potter fan with you, then I would go. You can do a lot in Universal in 6-7 hours, and the HP areas are amazing, it would be the highlight of the entire trip for most HP fans.

But again the price is a lot by (my) Universal budget standards. To compare we are getting seasonal passes and making at least two 7 to 8 day trips over the next year for around $300 each, so paying $115 to $170ish for 7 hours would be a no go for my family.