Not sure where to go and what to do....

[KTMEMOMMY]

As part of a larger trip to Florida, we have 3 days to spend in Orlando in August. We got a fantastic deal at a Disney resort and will be staying there for 3 nights mid week.

However, we have been to Disney numerous times, and have never been to Universal. Our 9 year old dd is a big Harry Potter fan...her wish to see the World of HP at Universal was a driving force behind our trip. SO...we are planning at least one full day at Islands of Adventure so that we can fully enjoy the HP attractions.

We are trying to figure out what to do with our other two days. I am not opposed to devoting one day just to enjoy to resort and maybe get our Disney fix at Downtown Disney. There is one more day we can play with.

I am leaning towards not going to a Disney park because of the cost...a one day ticket to Universal, then a one day ticket to Disney, for a family of 4 is pretty pricey. We did a one-day ticket to Disney a couple of years ago and OUCH!! So much $$ for one day.

But I'm not sure if a second day at Universal would have enough to make it worthwhile for my kids??? I have 2 girls, ages 7 and 9. I think they would probably like the Seuss attractions at Islands of Adventure, but they are not into Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, ET, Fievel, Beetlejuice, Woody Woodpecker, Curious George, Despicable Me, The Simpsons, Men In Black....really anything attractions are built around at Universal Studios. Is it worth paying the price and tromping them through US in mid-August heat and lines if these characters, etc, are not particularly of interest? Or is US globally appealing enough that it wouldn't matter if they know any of the characters, etc? They *like* thrill rides well enough for little girls, but are not hard core roller coaster enthusiasts.

Or, instead of US, would two days at Islands of Adventure make sense??

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

 

[Metro West]

Mid-August will still be pretty busy at all parks but one full day at IOA should be fine for what you want to see. How about taking a day and going to SeaWorld or one of the water parks? SW usually has pretty good ticket specials (check the website) and water parks are wonderful when it's hot and humid.

 

[damo]

I would skip Disney completely and stay onsite at Universal. It is so hot in mid August that having the ability to hop back to the resort for the afternoon is wonderful. You then get early admission as well as unlimited express passes. This means that you are not wasting time in line but are actually spending most of your time on the rides.

I would get a three day park hopper and have a wonderful leisurely vacation.

At Universal, you can also pool hop. That, in itself, makes it seem like you are visiting more than one place.

Just because your kids aren't into those things, doesn't mean that they won't love the rides. I've never seen a Mummy movie and it is one of my favourite attractions anywhere.

 

[Planogirl]

What about the Madagascar characters? Those guys draw excited kids every time we see them.

Do they like the Buzz Lightyear ride in MK? Men in Black is like an amped up version of that and you don't have to know the movies to enjoy it. In fact many of the attractions in the Universal parks are like that but truthfully only you can decide if it's worth.

Going to Sea World isn't a bad idea but pretty pricey too I imagine.

 

[acewashere]

I have an 8 year old girl, and she loved IoA especially the Harry Potter World and the Water Rides. The other side isn't going to be as fun, but it was worth visiting. I would spend a day over there because my daughter loved Dispecable Me, Simpson Ride, Mummy Ride, Men in Black and they have a bunch of shows and other attractions. But on the hot day, IoA got all the water rides to make it a nice cool day for you. We had the 2 day hopper pass, so we spent a whole day at IoA with Express pass and then the send day we hit all the rides in US and went back to IoA to explore Harry Potter again. We loved the ride in the castle, but afraid of it because we thought it was a rollar coaster.

 

[anorman]

My two girls are 9 and 11 (last year, 8 and 10) and they loved everything about both universal parks. My DD9 can't wait to get back and see Beetlejuice again.....she loved it. If you do both parks, you won't regret it and your kids will love them both.

BTW, I second the opinion by damo.....stay onsite! While it seems expensive, it is well worth it. I have done it off-site and then on-site....I will never go to Universal again without staying on-site! What a wonderful experience.....so relaxing to know that your hotel is only a short walk or boat ride away and the front of the line perk can't be beaten!