Newbie trying to plan Spring Break trip to Universal Studios

[ShannonBS]

Hi! I am feeling completely unprepared for our trip to Universal Studios next month and I’m not even sure where to start! I have 3 kids, 8, 11, and 13...11year old is a HUGE HP fan...none of us have ever done Universal before. Any tips, anything I need to know, from food, to rides, to planning our day, I need help with it all! I know we are staying off site, but haven’t bought our tickets yet. Also, I might be able to squeeze in a 3rd day, do you think it’d be worth it?

 

[macraven]

Does your offsite hotel have a shuttle to the parks?

Or do you plan to rent a car?

If so, book the car rental soon so you can get better rates

March is spring break for many sections in the States

Read the stickies and trip reports to get an idea about the darkside

Look at universalorlando.com
Familiarize yourself with the park layout
Look at the walkways to the rides-shows your family wants to do

See in advance locations for first aide and restrooms
It will come in handy if you have a spur of the moment to have to rush to one of them

Read the descriptions of the rides so you can decide what NOT to do

I find trip reports give a lot of interesting tips of what is inside the park
Many have pictures and describe how well a person liked or did not like a ride

Since you do not have the ep, you will use the regular line rides or can do single rider line
People in the SRL are placed in ride seats that are not filled

Have the two adults be first and last in that line, if your family uses it, so you don’t lose a kid if you all don’t get off the same time from the ride

First adult off will watch for the kids to get off

Pick up the park guide map once you enter the park
It will have show times listed and outside entertainment times listed

Potter shows also will be listed

The uo website will list park hours and any closures that week
If another ride-show is closed that day which was not previously planned, signage will be listed at the park by the ticket sales lines

Citywalk.com
You can check out menus on that site

Universal also has menus listed on their site

Wishing you a fun vacation!


Sending you Mummy Dust it will be a great family vacation!

 

[ShannonBS]

Does your offsite hotel have a shuttle to the parks?

Or do you plan to rent a car?

If so, book the car rental soon so you can get better rates

March is spring break for many sections in the States

Read the stickies and trip reports to get an idea about the darkside

Look at universalorlando.com
Familiarize yourself with the park layout
Look at the walkways to the rides-shows your family wants to do

See in advance locations for first aide and restrooms
It will come in handy if you have a spur of the moment to have to rush to one of them

Read the descriptions of the rides so you can decide what NOT to do

I find trip reports give a lot of interesting tips of what is inside the park
Many have pictures and describe how well a person liked or did not like a ride

Since you do not have the ep, you will use the regular line rides or can do single rider line
People in the SRL are placed in ride seats that are not filled

Have the two adults be first and last in that line, if your family uses it, so you don’t lose a kid if you all don’t get off the same time from the ride

First adult off will watch for the kids to get off

Pick up the park guide map once you enter the park
It will have show times listed and outside entertainment times listed

Potter shows also will be listed

The uo website will list park hours and any closures that week
If another ride-show is closed that day which was not previously planned, signage will be listed at the park by the ticket sales lines

Citywalk.com
You can check out menus on that site

Universal also has menus listed on their site

Wishing you a fun vacation!


Sending you Mummy Dust it will be a great family vacation!

Thank you for all of this! Trying to wrap my head around Universal has me spinning a bit. We booked our hotel and car as soon as we knew we were going, I am afraid it is going to be crowded but this is the only time we can do it!

 

[macraven]

If it is crowded, you’ll still have fun

Decide on 5 rides the family can do together

Hit potter first thing in the morning and about an hour or two before the parks close

Don’t be shy to hop between the parks
Won’t take more than ten minutes to walk from one park to another

Do HE at least once
( train ride to and from Potter sections)

 

[bchbetha]

If your hotel has a free cancellation policy, and if it’s all in budget, consider one of the onsite hotels that give you Express Passes. Otherwise, aim to be hitting security at least 30-45 minutes before park opening to allow time for security, walking through CityWalk and ticketing. Have your tickets in hand too.
Hit all your must rides in the AM, shows and less popular rides midday, back to rides around 4-5pm. Eat at off times. Lunch 11-11:30 arrival, early dinner or just lots of snacks and a late dinner at CityWalk (or near your hotel).

Get the wait time app. Be sure and put your phone in airplane mode or adjust location services as the apps are battery killers otherwise. Bring a back up portable charger.

Pack light! We made do with my small cross body bag. Lockers are free at the rides that require them- many do. PSA for the day- there is no reason for the whole family to go to the lockers. Some of the areas are very small and unnecessary people are just clutter.

3 days is always better. Plenty of time to relax and see everything. Buy at least one interactive wand. You can have the empty box sent to near the park exit for pick up on your way out that night. Better than carrying around an empty box all day.
Have fun!

 

[ShannonBS]

If your hotel has a free cancellation policy, and if it’s all in budget, consider one of the onsite hotels that give you Express Passes. Otherwise, aim to be hitting security at least 30-45 minutes before park opening to allow time for security, walking through CityWalk and ticketing. Have your tickets in hand too.
Hit all your must rides in the AM, shows and less popular rides midday, back to rides around 4-5pm. Eat at off times. Lunch 11-11:30 arrival, early dinner or just lots of snacks and a late dinner at CityWalk (or near your hotel).

Get the wait time app. Be sure and put your phone in airplane mode or adjust location services as the apps are battery killers otherwise. Bring a back up portable charger.

Pack light! We made do with my small cross body bag. Lockers are free at the rides that require them- many do. PSA for the day- there is no reason for the whole family to go to the lockers. Some of the areas are very small and unnecessary people are just clutter.

3 days is always better. Plenty of time to relax and see everything. Buy at least one interactive wand. You can have the empty box sent to near the park exit for pick up on your way out that night. Better than carrying around an empty box all day.
Have fun!

Sooo helpful, thank you! We are actually pulling this trip together after a Disney cruise so most of our budget is going there Our big kids wanted to hit Universal before we fly home so we’re trying to make it happen. We were able to get 2 nights at our hotel completely free through my husbands hotel points. I’m going to look again though now that I know it’s a pretty big deal, there might be one that offers the Express Pass.

 

[pattyw]

Universal is a relaxing trip especially if you stay at an onsite deluxe with unlimited express pass. I would even consider one night at a deluxe which would give you two full days of express passes.

 

[macraven]

No matter where you stay, familiarize yourself with the park layout and ride locations

This will help you not get overwhelmed once in the park
Especially if there are crowds

Your kids are old enough to look at the uo website and figure out the must do rides/shows

If one in your party is out voted by all others in your group, take advantage of the child swap program
This way your family can stay together in the line queue
They wait it out until you return

If a parent sits out the ride in that ride swap room, other parent can ride with the kids (again) once back from the ride

I think you will be fine as long as you have an idea of locations in the park

I don’t use the ride app
I check the Marques signs for the rides
Many are located in the park different sections of the park
It works for me

If you could get one night in a deluxe room, great!

Free ep for check in and out day worth it’s weight in gold

Sometimes you can’t put a price on costs
Rooms high during spring break but less wait time for rides
And priority entrance for shows

Keep your offsite hotel but stay night #2 onsite

Or do onsite first night and parks with ep for say 1 and 2
Stay at offsite hotel on nights 2 and 3

 

[Claire82013]

I agree with the posts about planning listed above, but I would recommend doing research about food beforehand. Quick service at Universal is much more varied in terms of quality compared to Disney. I think eating at places like the Leaky Cauldron, the Three Broomsticks, and the Simpsons food court instead of the more generic restaurants really made my last vacation great. Try to think and plan ahead to eat at places like this. I would also do the same for table service dining. Reservations aren't as crazy as they are in Disney, so it's easier to make plans closer to your vacation, but some restaurants are not quite as good as others. I learned A LOT from the Universal Podcast before I went. I think they have a podcast about top 5 quick service and top 5 table service restaurants.

Also, make sure to take the train in both directions as the rides are different each way! Also, the queue area is MUCH cooler when you're leaving from Diagon Alley.

 

[Superchikk]

We just went in January. With it being that busy, if it's at all in your budget, I would figure out how to get Express Passes. We were there at low crowd times and the waits for the big e-ticket rides were still anywhere from 40 to 70 minutes. At a higher crowd time, those wait times would be miserable.

We hopped more than we ever have at Disney. We also walked more than we ever do at Disney. It's just not easy to plan your touring as efficiently as Disney. We had a great time, but it's a completely different experience. And if you can add a 3rd day AND do Express Passes, do it. If you had to choose, I would go for 2 days with EPs. Having been there with my family recently, that's what I would do myself if that were the situation.

We did not love the food in the parks. The quick service stuff was just ok, and some places don't have kids' meals at all. We did enjoy the Chocolate Emporium right outside the gate, and if we go again, we'll likely eat at CityWalk more than inside the parks.

 

[schumigirl]

You’ve already been given some excellent advice above.......

There really isn’t a whole lot of planning at Universal. The parks are fairly small and easily covered when you have an idea of the park layout........a little knowledge of the layout and you’ll be fine. It really is easy.

Definitely see what you and your family want to do and make a rough plan from there.........with EP you definitely don’t need any kind of touring plan......just decide where you want to start.

As for food, we find the parks to have excellent choices out with the usual park food that folks think is all there is........Mythos, Confisco Grill, Thunder Falls, Louie’s Pizza, Lombards, Beverly Hills Boulangerie to name but a few that offer something more than park burgers for food. Plenty of choice.........and the ones that are table service are excellent value and not too much more cost wise. Well worth it in the parks.

Have a check of the sticky for menus and see what suits your family........we have plenty of choice in the parks and have never been bored or disappointed with the places above mentioned and a few others.

And honestly, even in so called quiet times for us, EP has been a godsend.......wouldn’t do the parks without it......so if you can try and stay in one of the deluxe with EP.

Let us know what you decide..........