Our First, Last and only visit to Universal...yuck!

[damo]

Have you been there before? It's great, you'll love it! When are you going? I want to hear all about your day when you get back!

We will be there on Monday, August 14 at park opening. I am not brave but my kids (17 and 20) will be running to Kingda Ka.

I'm glad to hear you love the park because people on the Disney boards really have ripped it apart. We love amusement parks of all kinds and will be doing 4 different parks on that vacation.

 

[Slacking]

We will be there on Monday, August 14 at park opening. I am not brave but my kids (17 and 20) will be running to Kingda Ka.

I'm glad to hear you love the park because people on the Disney boards really have ripped it apart. We love amusement parks of all kinds and will be doing 4 different parks on that vacation.

Damo, Great Adventure is a fun park. You can't not like a park with such a collection of coasters. El Toro looks great! I'm actually jazzed, I'll be able to hit a lot of those Northeast parks again this coming summer! (SFNE, SFGradv, Hershey, Dorney, and maybe Great Escape and Rye Playland while I'm in NY, and then maybe SFA, PKD, BGW, PCW, and Myrtle Beach on my drive down from NY to FL). I also went to SFoG a couple weeks back and fell in love with Goliath!

 

[damo]

Damo, Great Adventure is a fun park. You can't not like a park with such a collection of coasters. El Toro looks great! I'm actually jazzed, I'll be able to hit a lot of those Northeast parks again this coming summer! (SFNE, SFGradv, Hershey, Dorney, and maybe Great Escape and Rye Playland while I'm in NY, and then maybe SFA, PKD, BGW, PCW, and Myrtle Beach on my drive down from NY to FL). I also went to SFoG a couple weeks back and fell in love with Goliath!

We're doing those first four (except Hershey) and adding La Ronde at the end. Their new Goliath (new this year) is supposed to be awesome.

 

[babieemelly]

Great Adventure is a ton of fun. I have more memories from there than I do from any other park. Disney fans hate Six Flags, what can you do? No, there's no "pixie dust" but there are amazing rides, lots of fun shows, and all of the Looney Tunes characters! I love the Looney Tunes characters, no cartoons are funnier than the classic Bugs Bunny ones (except for Family Guy )

Slacking - I also love Hershey Park and the Great Escape! Both are great parks that we have been to countless times. We're frequent visitors to both Lancaster/Hershey and Lake George. You can't go wrong with either one. Have fun!

 

[Slacking]

We're doing those first four (except Hershey) and adding La Ronde at the end. Their new Goliath (new this year) is supposed to be awesome.

No Hershey Damo? Have you done it before? Its honestly my all-time favorite park.

Haven't heard much about La Ronde's Goliath, but if its anything like SFoG's Goliath (also opened this year), oh man, its like one giant burst of airtime, its awesome!

Slacking - I also love Hershey Park and the Great Escape! Both are great parks that we have been to countless times. We're frequent visitors to both Lancaster/Hershey and Lake George. You can't go wrong with either one. Have fun!

Great Escape will be a few hour drive from where I will be, but I've never hit it before, I wanna ride the Comet and I have a friend who lives up there, so I'm tempted.

 

[flatline]

In 2002, those passes cost money. They weren't free.

that's incorrect.

 

[damo]

No Hershey Damo? Have you done it before? Its honestly my all-time favorite park.

Haven't heard much about La Ronde's Goliath, but if its anything like SFoG's Goliath (also opened this year), oh man, its like one giant burst of airtime, its awesome!

We did Hershey a few years ago. This vacation we are squeezed for time since we want to spend a few days in NYC for my daughter to visit NYU. So, one park had to go and that was chosen.

My son also said that SFoG's Goliath is supposed to be great. La Ronde's Goliath is just hill after hill after hill. I love B&M hypers, so I am sure I will love this one.

 

[damo]

In 2002, those passes cost money. They weren't free.

There were express pass machines available just like Disney. Those machines were removed in 2005.

 

[Slacking]

I've ridden Golaith and Apollo's Chariot and love them both. SFoG's Goliath is pretty much hill after hill too and has sooooo much airtime, its great. I can not wait to ride SFGadv's Nitro. Its probably my most anticipated coaster of the summer.

Yay for derailing topics! lol

 

[damo]

I've ridden Golaith and Apollo's Chariot and love them both. SFoG's Goliath is pretty much hill after hill too and has sooooo much airtime, its great. I can not wait to ride SFGadv's Nitro. Its probably my most anticipated coaster of the summer.

Yay for derailing topics! lol

We will have to do a trip comparison when we both come back. I am very much looking forward to Dorney's Steel Force, SFGA's Nitro, LR's Goliath, SFNE Superman and watching my kids on Kingda Ka.

Pictures of Goliath at LaRonde

 

[flatline]

I don't stay at Universal resorts because I don't like them, not because I cannot afford to stay there.

what don't you like about all three specifically?

 

[flatline]

We will have to do a trip comparison when we both come back. I am very much looking forward to Dorney's Steel Force, SFGA's Nitro, LR's Goliath, SFNE Superman and watching my kids on Kingda Ka.

Pictures of Goliath at LaRonde

damo, those pics are sweet. an out and back steel coaster, simplicity and airtime at it's finest.

 

[Slacking]

Whoa..... That Goliath looks like it should be another airtime monster, I should go read reports on it.

Like I said, the early reviews I've read on El Toro make it sound great too.

 

[Figment22]

In 2002, those passes cost money. They weren't free.

Express passes absolutely were free in '02. They were distributed through kiosks near each ride by scanning your entry media. Sales of Express Plus passes only started last year. If you paid someone for them in '02, the money didn't go to Universal


For the flip side to this latest "let's bash Universal" post, I haven't set foot in a Disney park since 2001 because I'd felt consistently ripped off by the increase in Disney prices, the loss of many of the AP holder perks and the general decline in Disney customer service and dare I say it: The Magic And, trust me, my husband and I were the biggest Disney fans you could imagine; we were the people that the neighbors laughed at because every vacation we were at WDW. I planned out SO many Disney trips for friends and aquaintances, I lost count. We stopped going after any number of negative experiences at the Disney parks which ultimately went unrectified by the "magic" Disney CMs. But this was our decision, I didn't feel the need to post "Yuck" and Thumbs down over on the Disney trip planning forums. Personally, it just feels like trolling to do that which is what I think the OP was doing.

Just my "Big old Universal Fan" opinion; and this is the right place for me to voice it! For those who don't care for Universal, for whatever the reason, don't go. But don't expect to come over to the Universal forums, bash what we enjoy, and think you're not going to be flamed.

...stepping down from the soapbox

 

[flatline]

slacking, how long of a road trip is it to SFG from our area?

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

what don't you like about all three specifically?

The theming behind Hard Rock just doesn't appeal to me as I like a relaxing, peaceful, resort.

Portofino Bay is as expensive as the Polynesian and the Grand Flo. It also seems cold and a little too formal- the same reason I chose Poly over Grand Flo.

I actually like the theming of Royal Pacific. I think the exterior is beautiful and I even strongly considered a stay there, considering I really want to try Tchoup Chop as well, and I happen to like City Walk a lot. I read a few bad reviews, including one from a personal friend and it caused me to rethink that option. Since I love the Poly, I thought I might enjoy Royal Pacific, too, but I got scared away.

I must admit, since I prefer the Disney parks, the Disney resorts seem to hold more benefits for me like EMH, transportation, etc. I love the Poly with a castle view, Disney channel in the room, etc. It's just what appeals to me the most.

 

[Slacking]

slacking, how long of a road trip is it to SFG from our area?

Between 7-8 hours. I did it in a rough fashion though (left at 1am Tues morning, enjoyed park on Tuesday, got home at 1am on Wed morning, and had to go to work on Wed.) Totally worth it though.

Figment22, when I moved to FL in late 2003 they were selling Express passes, Selling passes along with having free passes at the same time, so selling the passes isn't a new thing.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Express passes- It is possible it was in 2003. It was definitely either Aug 02 or July 03 and I was told by several employees that they cost money. It is possible I received incorrect info, but I seem to remember signs. When I get a chance I'll go through my scrapbook, I'm fairly sure I saved my IOA map. I'll be really frustrated if you're right and they were free, though.

 

[Figment22]

Figment22, when I moved to FL in late 2003 they were selling Express passes, Selling passes along with having free passes at the same time, so selling the passes isn't a new thing.

OK, I stand corrected. I just know that there were free passes available. I just don't see the need to pay for the passes. If you get to the parks first thing in the a.m. as we always do, you can get on everything you want with no problem. Three or four early morning rides on the Hulk is a must for me!

 

[flatline]

The theming behind Hard Rock just doesn't appeal to me as I like a relaxing, peaceful, resort.

Portofino Bay is as expensive as the Polynesian and the Grand Flo. It also seems cold and a little too formal- the same reason I chose Poly over Grand Flo.

I actually like the theming of Royal Pacific. I think the exterior is beautiful and I even strongly considered a stay there, considering I really want to try Tchoup Chop as well, and I happen to like City Walk a lot. I read a few bad reviews, including one from a personal friend and it caused me to rethink that option. Since I love the Poly, I thought I might enjoy Royal Pacific, too, but I got scared away.

I must admit, since I prefer the Disney parks, the Disney resorts seem to hold more benefits for me like EMH, transportation, etc. I love the Poly with a castle view, Disney channel in the room, etc. It's just what appeals to me the most.

RP's our favorite of the three, never had a bad stay there. GF doesn't appeal to us, we've had lunch and dinners there, way too formal for us. never stayed at the Poly, but we love the Contemporary.

we don't spend a lot of time at the resorts because we're an hour away, but I like to see how people compare the UO's and WDW's. thanks for your opinion.

Tchoup Chop is amazing, by the way.