Our Universal days. Pros and Cons.

[Mickey Fliers]

We just checked put of RPR and thought I woul give a mini review.

We had 2 connecting rooms in tower 1 and the rooms were lovely. Very clean and plenty of space for our party of 6. There was some upkeep issues with the hallway (sconces falling off and gauges in the drywall like someone had rammed the housekeeping cart into the walls) but the rooms were great. Loved the Keurig and the morning paper. I did, however, miss the double vanity. I loved the pool at RPR and the quick and beautiful walks to the parks. The thing that bugged me was that I felt a bit nickel and dimed. We were charged an automatic 18% gratuity on every bar purchase. You have to pay $15/day to self park at the resort. But the kicker is that they charge you to use the gym. That is ridiculous to me. Our rooms were not cheap (especially 2!) and another $10/person for the gym is crazy. Hotel staff was pleasant.

The parks were lots of fun for my big kids but there just wasn't enough for my 2 year old. She did all the rides and playgrounds she could, but she spent a lot of time in the stroller and shops. We were able to do UO in about 3 hours on Saturday night. RRR had a 30 min wait at 6:30 and the rest was practically walk ons. We did see the Go-Go's warm up and that was pretty cool.

We did IOA on Sunday and hit everything between 8 and 12. Kids loved all the rides and lunch at Confisco was great. Although, the waiter dropped and broke one of our butterbeer mugs (TM in WWOHP gave us new ones later). The one thing I did notice is the lack of "show". While the themeing can be very good, I hate that you can see the giant warehouse building that attaches to
Hogwarts. This happens all over the place. To some it probably isn't a big deal, but I did notice it.

We did have a fun time, but I do find it odd that 2 hours before closing on a Sunday night, the headliner attractions at IOA (FJ, Hulk,Spidey) were all less than a 10 min wait. Why can't they get more people in their park ?

 

[Melanie230]

I honestly don't think enough people know about US/IOA. I am in NC and when we tell people that we love US...they think we are talking about Hollywood Studios at Disney. As for the low crowd level...we experienced that same crowd level at Disney in October 2009. Nothing was a wait...we only waited 20 minutes to ride Toy Story Mania. It was fabulous.

 

[damo]

Sunday has the lowest crowds. Consider yourself lucky that you caught low crowds on Saturday too. We were there on June 2,3 and there were no 20 minute waits at the major rides.

As to the show buildings, Universal is built on way less land than WDW. It is tough to hide such large buildings when the park footprint is small.

Loews could easily include all the things you mention and raise their prices to be similar to Disney deluxes. However, by making these on a pay per use basis, the prices can stay lower. I much prefer it this way. You say your rooms weren't cheap but if you compare them to any of the Disney deluxes that are within walking distance to a park such as Contemporary, Beach and Yacht, the prices are still low.

We paid $100 more per night to stay at the Contemporary Garden wing than at the RPR two weeks ago. It would have much much more to stay in the tower. RPR was much cleaner and the perks were much better.

I do agree that the parks need more family rides.

Disney adds 18% on to some of their establishments as well. We were using Tables in Wonderland and had the automatic 18% added. Dining plan adds the same or if you have a group of 6 or more. I think that is a pretty standard tip these days.

 

[Badge]

I agree with the show buildings for some of the cases. However, for a ride like Jurrasic Park, the show building is part of the show (not to mention how hard it would be to hide that big buildings). Same thing goes for most of the rides at the Studios like Shrek, Twister, ET. They are show buildings that the rides are housed in. It verys much the same way Hollywood Studios is. You can see the show building for rides like Toy Story Mania, Little Mermaid, Star Tours, etc. To me, seeing the show buildings (where it makes sense) is fine and adds to the show for me. However, I do not like seeing the building at HP. For the amount of money they invested into that area of the park, they should have finished the whole side of the buildings and not partly. They have done some things to "hide" it and I am sure once the trees grow bigger it will not be an issue, but for now I do not like it. At IOA, most of the buildings are hidden (in fact, I can not think of any that you can see besides the part of the castle and Jurrasic Park).

I also agree about the prices for things at the hotel, however Damo is right. Would could easily pay $100 more to stay at a Deluxe at Disney and not get as nice as room as you get at Universal (not to mention that you get the express passes!). Its also nice that none of it is required. You do not have to get stuff from the hotel bar (just go to Citywalk), you do not have to park a car there if you fly, and stuff like that. All these things are built into the price of the Disney hotel so you are paying for it no matter what. At Universal, if you do not use it, you do not pay for it, which is how I think everything should be.

 

[PoohJen]

Thanks for the review!

Two questions:

- I knew it was $15 to park at the hotel. I am only staying one night (arrive Sunday, go to park on Monday) - will I be charged $30 to park, or is it "per night"?

- I can be a little flexible with my travel plans. Will Sunday be less crowded at IOA than Monday? I specifically planned Monday, hoping it was less crowded.

Okay, 3 questions...

- is the $10 gym fee only if you use it, or is it automatically applied to the room? We have no plans on visiting the gym on our short stay.

TIA!

 

[damo]

Thanks for the review!

Two questions:

- I knew it was $15 to park at the hotel. I am only staying one night (arrive Sunday, go to park on Monday) - will I be charged $30 to park, or is it "per night"?

- I can be a little flexible with my travel plans. Will Sunday be less crowded at IOA than Monday? I specifically planned Monday, hoping it was less crowded.

Okay, 3 questions...

- is the $10 gym fee only if you use it, or is it automatically applied to the room? We have no plans on visiting the gym on our short stay.

TIA!

You get charged parking per night. So you will only be charged $15. You will not get charged for the gym if you don't use it. Sundays tend to be the least crowded.

 

[Don Disney]

We just got back from US/IOA yesterday.We stayed off site at Hawthorne Suites Lake Buena Vista for $103/night-it was great! 2 queens,queen pull-out sofa,kitchen with full size fridge,2-burner stove top,microwave,and utensils,pots,pans etc.... We did'nt cook much,but it did come in handy.The hotel itself was clean,and the staff was very friendly,courteous,hospitable,and ready to help with anything we needed.The parks were decent-We enjoyed just about everything there! I did feel sorry for the people who spent the extra money for Express Pass,and I am really glad we did'nt buy them! We covered both parks in 3 days and did everything with max waits of 30 minutes,with most being 15-20 minutes! US/IOA was a lot of fun,and we went in with no expectations;that being said,once is enough for us;unlike WDW,they don't have quite enough"Magic",or variety to keep us coming back.We've been to WDW 4 times-07',08',09',10' most recently,and we always find things to do that we have'nt done before,along with our favorites.Not knocking US/IOA,we had a really good time,but they just don't have enough to make us keep coming back for more. Disney must have something in their air that makes us just keep coming back for more!

 

[damo]

We just got back from US/IOA yesterday.We stayed off site at Hawthorne Suites Lake Buena Vista for $103/night-it was great! 2 queens,queen pull-out sofa,kitchen with full size fridge,2-burner stove top,microwave,and utensils,pots,pans etc.... We did'nt cook much,but it did come in handy.The hotel itself was clean,and the staff was very friendly,courteous,hospitable,and ready to help with anything we needed.The parks were decent-We enjoyed just about everything there! I did feel sorry for the people who spent the extra money for Express Pass,and I am really glad we did'nt buy them! We covered both parks in 3 days and did everything with max waits of 30 minutes,with most being 15-20 minutes! US/IOA was a lot of fun,and we went in with no expectations;that being said,once is enough for us;unlike WDW,they don't have quite enough"Magic",or variety to keep us coming back.We've been to WDW 4 times-07',08',09',10' most recently,and we always find things to do that we have'nt done before,along with our favorites.Not knocking US/IOA,we had a really good time,but they just don't have enough to make us keep coming back for more. Disney must have something in their air that makes us just keep coming back for more!

Not sure if you're aware or not, but people who stay onsite at Universal get unlimited express. Their room key serves as their express pass.

We on the boards always recommend that you don't buy the purchased express pass until you actually see how the lines are, for the reasons you've demonstrated above.

 

[avgeek81]

I went to universal yesterday for a day trip. I did not know that sundays were the least crowded day but we were very pleased with the low crowds. We didnt arrived until noon and most rides had 10-30 min waits. We ate around 3pm and the restraunt was not crowded either. RRR said 20 min but it was almost an hour wait because the ride broke down for awhile. Ive been there 3 times this year, my friends live about 30 min away and we all have passes so i go visit them for the weekend sometimes and we go. This was the first time i did the coasters RRR, Hulk and DD. I want to go atleast one more time before my pass expires to see the shows. Ive never seen Beetlejuice, Terminator, the makeup show, animal actors or anything in the lost contenant.

My mom who has been to both disney and universal numerous times still gets them confused. I called her on my way home and told her we went to universal and she asked if we went on TOT.

 

[Planogirl]

Wow, I need to try to go in June sometime! It's been so ridiculously jammed when we've gone in August.

 

[donaldduck352]

Plano,it still is'nt the peak season yet.After the 18'th of this month all northing schools let out.The wait times for rides are going to be well over a hour then trust me!!

 

[IdesOmarch]

I do agree you get nickel and dimed to death, but isn't that true with almost every resort destination? I don't think I've ever heard anyone saying, "wow, we really love Disney because its so cheap."

 

[ky07]

Never felt nickle and dimed when staying onsite but have with other hotels in orlando epecially when you buy a package with hotel and when you check in they make you put a $100.00 deposit down for incedentals and that takes away from the vacation when your on a budget
As far as the orginal poster saying they seen holes in the wall and sconts broken is something I have never seen at RPR and also we try to tell others here that have mainly been to Disney only not to go to Universal expecting a Disney experiance cause you will be disappointed cause they are totally different and to compare them is not fair to either place

 

[AustinTink]

I definitely did not feel nickel and dimed during our week at RPR. In fact, quite the opposite. Every time we ate or bought something, I would do the calculations and remark that xyz would have been so much more expensive at Disney. I felt like we were getting a bargain!

We are Loews First rewards members. We always stay at Loews properties, when we travel so get free gym access and free internet,etc. The $15 self-parking fee is actually cheap for a Loews. We pay $22 at one of the other Loews where we stay.

 

[Melanie230]

We just got back from US/IOA yesterday.We stayed off site at Hawthorne Suites Lake Buena Vista for $103/night-it was great! 2 queens,queen pull-out sofa,kitchen with full size fridge,2-burner stove top,microwave,and utensils,pots,pans etc.... We did'nt cook much,but it did come in handy.The hotel itself was clean,and the staff was very friendly,courteous,hospitable,and ready to help with anything we needed.The parks were decent-We enjoyed just about everything there! I did feel sorry for the people who spent the extra money for Express Pass,and I am really glad we did'nt buy them! We covered both parks in 3 days and did everything with max waits of 30 minutes,with most being 15-20 minutes! US/IOA was a lot of fun,and we went in with no expectations;that being said,once is enough for us;unlike WDW,they don't have quite enough"Magic",or variety to keep us coming back.We've been to WDW 4 times-07',08',09',10' most recently,and we always find things to do that we have'nt done before,along with our favorites.Not knocking US/IOA,we had a really good time,but they just don't have enough to make us keep coming back for more. Disney must have something in their air that makes us just keep coming back for more!

We are heading back to US/IOA in October. We have been in 2 years because we have gone to Disney the last two years. I must say that we are Disney'ed out. Our last two days at Disney our kids asked to go back to the room early. We had done all that they wanted to do, and there was nothing new for us to do. We are excited to see the new HP. I guess it just depends on the family!

 

[damo]

I definitely did not feel nickel and dimed during our week at RPR. In fact, quite the opposite. Every time we ate or bought something, I would do the calculations and remark that xyz would have been so much more expensive at Disney. I felt like we were getting a bargain!

We are Loews First rewards members. We always stay at Loews properties, when we travel so get free gym access and free internet,etc. The $15 self-parking fee is actually cheap for a Loews. We pay $22 at one of the other Loews where we stay.

When we did a split stay two weeks ago (RPR/Contemporary) we were continually making comparisons. Universal came out cheaper by far. Even little things like breakfast egg/cheese croissants were $1.00 cheaper at Universal and you even get a side of fruit with it, where at Disney you don't.

 

[Don Disney]

We are heading back to US/IOA in October. We have been in 2 years because we have gone to Disney the last two years. I must say that we are Disney'ed out. Our last two days at Disney our kids asked to go back to the room early. We had done all that they wanted to do, and there was nothing new for us to do. We are excited to see the new HP. I guess it just depends on the family!

We too were "Disney'ed" out;thats why we went to US/IOA! I am surprised that your family could'nt find anything new to do. Have you tried the campfire with Chip and Dale(hot dogs and smores cooked over an open fire-yum!);The Electrical Water Parade?,Movies and campfire on the beach at Beach Club?,Fireworks from Polynesian's Beach?,Riding the different watercraft to some of the other resorts?Riding the boat from POR/POFQ to Downtown Disney?,Pony rides at FW?Those are just a few off the top of my head-I'm sure there is plenty more different you can do at Disney if you wanted to,or just really looked past the usual rides and shows.World Showcase alone affords all kinds of options-just have to look beyond the surface-I learned about all kinds of things researching the different countries represented there in order to get my children's absence from school considered"educational",and the school granted that with no problem(We live in a pretty tough district too!).Do a little research on some of it-you might be surprised how much thought/history,architectural references etc... that went into each of the countries-really neat stuff!Anyhoo,we'll be going back in 2013 when Fantasy Land refurb is complete!!!

 

[Marquibiri]

Interesting posts...

I would have to agree that USF and IOA are much cheaper than Disney is.
For the last 4 years I've been traveling (from outside the USA) to attend HHN and to visit USF and IOA parks.

Although Disney has the value resorts prices which attract me like honey to bees.... at the end of the day I know I will spend much more money in food and park tickets.... and its park hopping!

I love USF and IOA and as long as I able to, will travel every year! Every two years I might add a few Disney days...

One thing in favor of Disney... there is some magic there which you don't see at USF..

pixie dust??

Marquibiri

 

[macraven]

I went to universal yesterday for a day trip. I did not know that sundays were the least crowded day but we were very pleased with the low crowds. We didnt arrived until noon and most rides had 10-30 min waits. We ate around 3pm and the restraunt was not crowded either. RRR said 20 min but it was almost an hour wait because the ride broke down for awhile. Ive been there 3 times this year, my friends live about 30 min away and we all have passes so i go visit them for the weekend sometimes and we go. This was the first time i did the coasters RRR, Hulk and DD. I want to go atleast one more time before my pass expires to see the shows. Ive never seen Beetlejuice, Terminator, the makeup show, animal actors or anything in the lost contenant.

My mom who has been to both disney and universal numerous times still gets them confused. I called her on my way home and told her we went to universal and she asked if we went on TOT.

homie, you have to go back.

Horror Make Up Show is a hoot!!!

i catch it twice a day every other day during my stay there.



audience participation is what makes it kewl.

Interesting posts...

I would have to agree that USF and IOA are much cheaper than Disney is.
For the last 4 years I've been traveling (from outside the USA) to attend HHN and to visit USF and IOA parks.

Although Disney has the value resorts prices which attract me like honey to bees.... at the end of the day I know I will spend much more money in food and park tickets.... and its park hopping!

I love USF and IOA and as long as I able to, will travel every year! Every two years I might add a few Disney days...

One thing in favor of Disney... there is some magic there which you don't see at USF..

pixie dust??

Marquibiri

i hear ya.
i have been doing a split stay onsite at both the motherland and the darkside since the 90's with my littles then.

i do 16 days and split the stay between first the motherland and then move over to the darkside hotels.

disney has been raising those value room resort prices up the wazzou.....
i can remember paying $49 + tax per night for them in the olden days..

i'm paying at sports in value 2 season, $127 for the weekend nights.
got a code for the other nights but it's at $95 plus tax.
even when i get a decent code, i'm only saving approximately $11-2 a night.

no amenities to speak of at that value resort.

then i go over to rph and pay $139 + tax for week nights and weekends $159 + tax during regular season.

i'm going from a value to a deluxe for an increase of pennies...

well, not pennies but a big jump for luxury at a reasonable price.
and get the amenities.
express passes, star service and free replacement on some items, dining in the building and nearby, all night food delivery service off the menu, etc.

ok, after my rant, i will be continuing to do my yearly fall travels to the motherside and darkside.
the increasing prices will not stop me but i don't always like it.

and nothing prevents me from attending HHN each year....
started going in the 90's

are you ever going to attend hhn during the columbus day weekend time period?
i know i contacted you some hears back about it.
on your next trip go then, lots of homies will be there that you can meet and hang out with.

 

[Melanie230]

We too were "Disney'ed" out;thats why we went to US/IOA! I am surprised that your family could'nt find anything new to do. Have you tried the campfire with Chip and Dale(hot dogs and smores cooked over an open fire-yum!);The Electrical Water Parade?,Movies and campfire on the beach at Beach Club?,Fireworks from Polynesian's Beach?,Riding the different watercraft to some of the other resorts?Riding the boat from POR/POFQ to Downtown Disney?,Pony rides at FW?Those are just a few off the top of my head-I'm sure there is plenty more different you can do at Disney if you wanted to,or just really looked past the usual rides and shows.World Showcase alone affords all kinds of options-just have to look beyond the surface-I learned about all kinds of things researching the different countries represented there in order to get my children's absence from school considered"educational",and the school granted that with no problem(We live in a pretty tough district too!).Do a little research on some of it-you might be surprised how much thought/history,architectural references etc... that went into each of the countries-really neat stuff!Anyhoo,we'll be going back in 2013 when Fantasy Land refurb is complete!!!

My kids are THEME PARK kids. They aren't into the campfire stuff, and we have seen a TON of parades at Disney. As for my kids missing school...we don't do that. My son will be in 7th grade and my daughter in 4th. We go to Year Round school here and our kids are on break in October. That is why we go in October. We do love the World Showcase and have really enjoyed doing that the last 2 years. The only thing *new* for us at Disney would be the restaurants. Other than that...we are at a loss. Although I do find it hilarious that my kids LOVE to ride Men In Black about 20 times in a row. I swear that song sticks in my head for days after we come home.