newbie- question about backpacks and ponchos

[sz9144]

I am a single mom taking my twin 9 yr old boys over christmas to Universal. I would like to take a backpack for sweatshirts, water bottles, snacks, etc. Which rides would not let me take backpack on?

for the water rides, could I send the kids without me? I really don't want to get wet. But if I had to go on, would the average disposable poncho suffice?

thanks for any tips!

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Mummy,MIB,RRR if my memory serves.Lockers are available right at the entrance of each ride.
Disposable poncho is fine.

 

[mesaboy2]

Mummy,MIB,RRR if my memory serves.Lockers are available right at the entrance of each ride.
Disposable poncho is fine.

That I think is everything on the Studios side. If the OP is thinking IoA, you can add Hulk, Dragon Challenge, and Forbidden Journey. I don't think there are any others that forbid loose articles. In these cases, the lockers are free for a time tied to the wait time of the associated ride.

I think 9yo's can ride fine alone as long as they meet the height requirements.

The wettest water rides are Bilge Rat Barges and Ripsaw Falls, both at IoA. A standard poncho is probably fine on those, but I'm not entirely sure. Lockers are available for these as well, but not free since they are offered as a convenience to the guest.

 

[sz9144]

Thanks for the info

 

[libraryfreak]

At Cedar Point, when my kids wanted to ride a ride I didn't, I waited in line with them and then used the chicken exit. All rides have them at CP, I know Universal will too. They can't make you ride, afterall! "You got in line, you must ride".

 

[damo]

A standard poncho will keep your upper body dry. Water pours in over the sides of the barges at Popeye's. You'll have to do some pretty fancy fastening to keep entirely dry.

 

[sz9144]

At Cedar Point, when my kids wanted to ride a ride I didn't, I waited in line with them and then used the chicken exit. All rides have them at CP, I know Universal will too. They can't make you ride, afterall! "You got in line, you must ride".

great idea- thanks

 

[kohlby]

Beware of Bluto's Bilge Rats. I've never been so wet on a water ride in my life. (My husband and I used to do theme park vacations all over the country pre-kids, so we've done a lot of water feature type rides). It's possible to stay mostly dry - but it's also very possible to be soaked 100% from socks to underwear. Water can be poured over your head like bucketfulls if you end up ender a waterfall. I'm not sure how a poncho would keep someone completely dry on that ride, since I would have needed a body bag from feet to head zipped up to stay dry.

I'm thinking that as long as a child is 48", then they can ride without an adult. Look it up to be sure. Disney uses the age of 7 to determine that while Universal/IOA uses 48" I believe. (I know they use 48" on several rides to determine it. I'm just not certain if it's a park-wide rule for all rides or just some).

*Unlike Disney, US/IOA child swaps are in the ride so you wait in line with the kids. If you felt more comfortable being closer to them, you could ask to wait in the child swap room for them instead of outside of the ride.

 

[zack123]

Just wanted to add, at Ripsaw Falls they will probably let you take the backpack, but it will get wet, and the seats are rather tight (you might have trouble getting the backpack on the ride with you).

I got a little bit wet at Jurassic Park and Jaws, did not ride Bilge Rat Barges but got completely soaked at Ripsaw Falls. I was sitting in the back seat and was the lightest-weight person in my car, don't know if seating arrangements/weight distribution make a difference or not.

It was a nice hot dry day though, I started walking towards WWoHP and my clothes were dry by the time I got there.

I think at most rides you can wait in line with them, then just tell the TM when they ask "how many" that you are not going to ride, they will direct you to the best place to wait for them.

You might not want to put the backpack in the car with you at Dr. Doom or Simpsons, but since you enter and exit in the same little "room" with only the other people in your car, you can take it with you in line and leave it next to the car while you ride.