Planning first trip ever to Universal- need lots of help!

[crazymomof4]

Hi
I've been a disboard member for many years, but have never visited this forum bc. we never went to Universal.
DH and I were talking last night about a Sept 08 trip to FL and we both agree that we would not mind skipping WDW this time and trying something new. (actually we will probably do one day in MK so DD7 can get her "Princess Fix"!)
Anyway, I know it's a long way off, but I love to plan waaaaaaay ahead. I know I'll be spending a lot of time on this forum!

Here are my thoughts/concerns/questions at this time:
~ Being such a WDW fan, I'm afraid that I'll be disappointed by Universal.
~ I know WDW so well (all the insider tips and info) bc of all of the resources (like disboards, etc) available. Are there places other than this forum and the Universal site to learn about Universal?
~My children cover a wide age range (in '08 they will be 8, 12, 17 and 20). Will I be able to keep them all happy in Universal as I do in WDW?

That's it for now. Any additional tips and info you can give that doesn't fall under one of the questions above will be appreciated........Remember, I know NOTHING about Universal. Nil. Nadda. Zip!!!!!!!

EDITED TO ADD:
Am I understanding this correctly? I just went on the Universal site. They are advertising a limited time offer on advance ticket purchases. It looks like an "unlimited admission" ticket to use at a later date is just $85.99 for all ages. This is for 2 parks, for 7 consecutive days. It appears that I could purchase now and hold the tickets as it says "Ticket expires six (6) days after first day of use". This sounds too good to be true! 7 days admission for just $86??????? What am I missing?

.

 

[crazymomof4]

oops!

 

[RVGal]

First, let me say that I think you would have no problem entertaining the age ranges of kids that you have at Universal.

Next, let me state the obvious... Universal is not Disney. I love WDW and all it has to offer, but I leave all that behind when I go to Universal. Universal has its own unique feel and its own set of wonderful things to offer. The Universal parks have a sense of excitement and adventure to them... whereas Disney evokes more of a sense of fantasy and nostalgia... at least for me.

The Universal parks are smaller in scale than the Disney parks, and there are only 2 of them vs. the 4 at Disney.

US has the "fun for everyone" stuff like Jimmy Neutron, Shrek 4-D, Twister, ET, Earthquake, Jaws, Men In Black (we love to compare high scores on that one)... plus shows like the Blues Brothes, Beetljuice, Fear Factor, Terminator, Animal Actors, etc. For the thrill seeker, Mummy... For the little ones, Barney... plus a small coaster (Woody Woodpecker) and a few playgrounds (Fievels playground for older kids, Barneys playground for younger ones, and Curious George playground which has some water play areas).

IOA has the "lets get wet" rides like Dudley Do Right, Popey & Bluto... "everyone" rides like Jurassic Park, Spiderman, Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, High in the Sky Trolley, Caro-Seuss-el... shows like Sinbad and Poseidon. For the thrill seekers, Dr Doom Fearfall, Hulk, Dueling Dragons... For the little ones, Seuss Landing... plus the Flying Unicorn and Pteranodon Flyers and a few playgrounds (Camp Jurassic for older kids and If I Ran the Zoo playground has some water play areas) and interactive areas.

That's it in a nutshell. Anything specific, just ask. This is a helpful board!

 

[crazymomof4]

The Universal parks have a sense of excitement and adventure to them... whereas Disney evokes more of a sense of fantasy and nostalgia... at least for me.

That's exactly how I was thinking. I guess I'll just have to adjust my thinking and accept Univ. for what it is and not compare to WDW.

That's it in a nutshell. Anything specific, just ask. This is a helpful board!

Thanks! I'm going through the "FAQ's" sticky right now. I'm sure I'll have more specifics as I go through the planning process.

 

[JawsFan]

I think that all the WDW parks are awesome and they are very well designed etc...but Universal just has the edge on theming IMO, both IOA & USF have incredibly well themed islands/area's. For example, the queqe on E.T smells of a pine forest, the Jaws queqe smells of a wharf...the attention payed to theming and smells etc. is unbelievable @ both IOA & USF.
I hope you have a great time @ Universal Orlando Resort and that you are not dissapointed!

 

[crazymomof4]

I think that all the WDW parks are awesome and they are very well designed etc...but Universal just has the edge on theming IMO, both IOA & USF have incredibly well themed islands/area's. For example, the queqe on E.T smells of a pine forest, the Jaws queqe smells of a wharf...the attention payed to theming and smells etc. is unbelievable @ both IOA & USF.
I hope you have a great time @ Universal Orlando Resort and that you are not dissapointed!

Oh, I just LOVE theming details like that! I'm getting excited!
One of my pet-peeves about people I know who do WDW commando-style is that they miss all of the little details that make WDW so enjoyable!

 

[phamton]

It appears that I could purchase now and hold the tickets as it says "Ticket expires six (6) days after first day of use".

Yes, you can.

This sounds too good to be true! 7 days admission for just $86??????? What am I missing?

It is too good to be true but it is absolutely true. You're not missing anything. It is an unlimted 7 day park hopper. You can use it as much or as little as you want in one week's time.

I was raised on Disney. I went the first time to Disneyland in 1957 and went at least once a year for 15 years. Then when I had children of my own, we started going to Disneyworld. We would also do a day or two at Universal, if we had time. I loved Disney. When I retired from teaching school, we decided that Orlando was where we wanted to be. I was and am a diehard fan. After moving here we immediately purchased annual passes for Disney. A few weeks later, Universal offered a buy one year, get one year free annual pass. It was such a good deal we decided to purchase it too.

We didn't use our Universal annual passes for a few months as we were spending as much time at Disney as possible. One weekend we decided to get some use out of our Universal APs. We fell in love with the parks and we soon found we were at Universal and Islands of Adventure more than at Disney. Some of the reasons for our love:

1. The team members just seemed more enthusastic at Universal. They would interact with us when we were in line. The agents at Men in Black staged a gun fight with each other using the guns on the ride. They even did a rap song and dance when there was an unexpected delay. They gave me tips on improving my score. Each ride had team members that interacted with us rather than just "how many in your party?" and herding us through the line.

2. The rides were awesome as was the themeing. I especially loved the themeing of Seuss landing, Jurassic park, and Lost Continent.

3. The parks were cleaner that Disney. Disney used to be spotless but it seems to have declined. I was in line for Philharmagic in the carpeted area. There was spilled popcorn, cups strewn about on the carpet leaking coke everywhere and an overflowing trash can inside the building. This was not the Disney of my childhood. When I went to Universal, I saw team members who were ride ops, sweeping and cleaning around their own ride rather than waiting for a a cleaning crew. They seemed to take pride in their ride.

4. I wasn't rushing around grabbing fast passes. I rode the rides with shorter lines or used the single rider lines. If the line was long, I'd just come back later. There weren't as many strollers and the crowds just seemed easier to navigate.

5. I liked the food choices better. The hamburger at Richter's was not the same as the hamburger at Mel's. Each place made their own food instead of a central location like some of the counter services at Disney. I also loved having a refillable mug that I could use over and over again to get cheap refills.

I still love Disney and do feel the nostalgia especially when entering Magic Kingdom but I also have a love for Universal. I'm like a kid when I'm on the moving walkways, headed for Citywalk. It is an excitment that builds for me with each visit.

 

[JawsFan]

Well there is plenty @ IOA & USF also....

 

[RVGal]

2. The rides were awesome as was the themeing. I especially loved the themeing of Seuss landing, Jurassic park, and Lost Continent.

I agree.

If you are into the details and themes, Seuss Landing is one spot that struck me as amazing. It is just like you are stepping into the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. You know how there are absolutely NO straight lines in any of the Seuss illustrations? There are NO straight lines in Seuss Landing either. They nailed the look. It brings back bedtime stories from my youth. Take some time to read the most popular books before you go. Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, If I Ran the Circus, If I Ran the Zoo, Sneetches... I know those are all represented in a big way in Seuss Landing. It'll be more fun for you (and your youngest) if you are familiar with the stories beforehand. Just about any Seuss character you can think of is on the Caro-Seuss-el.

Jurassic Park is so lush and green, I can't help but think of that scene in the movie where the helicopter lands and you get the first glimpse of the island (especially with the movie theme music playing in the background).

The smell in line for ET is completely unique. There is a damp mist hanging in the air. Definitely makes me think I'm in a forest... miles away from the hot Florida sun that is actually just outside the walls!

If you can immerse yourself (and any big Disney fan usually can), there is so much to enjoy.

 

[SunnyOne]

Sept. 8 will be hot but it is a slow time, you will enjoy little waits for rides too!

 

[crazymomof4]

I cannot tell you how much reading about your enthusiasm for these parks has helped me. I have been so hesitant to "step outside the box" as a WDW fan. I almost felt disloyal considering going to another Orlando theme park.........isn't that weird! Kind of like when you find out you are expecting your second child and you cannot imagine that you could love another like you love your firstborn!
The positive comments posted here by other WDW fans have made me realize that I could love both Universal and WDW!

Thank you so much! I cannot wait to pour my new-found enthusiasm for Universal on to DH when he comes home from work! He will also be shocked at the ticket prices! Oh, we're gonna have a great time........I know it!

..

 

[Metro West]

I cannot tell you how much reading about your enthusiasm for these parks has helped me. I have been so hesitant to "step outside the box" as a WDW fan. I almost felt disloyal considering going to another Orlando theme park.........isn't that weird! Kind of like when you find out you are expecting your second child and you cannot imagine that you could love another like you love your firstborn!
The positive comments posted here by other WDW fans have made me realize that I could love both Universal and WDW!

Thank you so much! I cannot wait to pour my new-found enthusiasm for Universal on to DH when he comes home from work! He will also be shocked at the ticket prices! Oh, we're gonna have a great time........I know it!

..

Glad the homies could help. Just make sure you let us know how the trip turns out.

 

[crazymomof4]

Glad the homies could help. Just make sure you let us know how the trip turns out.

Well, the trip is not for over a year, but you all will be seeing me around this forum a lot between now and then!

 

[tropical depression]

I cannot tell you how much reading about your enthusiasm for these parks has helped me. I have been so hesitant to "step outside the box" as a WDW fan. I almost felt disloyal considering going to another Orlando theme park.........isn't that weird! Kind of like when you find out you are expecting your second child and you cannot imagine that you could love another like you love your firstborn!
The positive comments posted here by other WDW fans have made me realize that I could love both Universal and WDW!

Thank you so much! I cannot wait to pour my new-found enthusiasm for Universal on to DH when he comes home from work! He will also be shocked at the ticket prices! Oh, we're gonna have a great time........I know it!

..

our first WDW vacation we bought Flextickets to Universal and Sea World based on advice from a friend of mine. they had quit going to WDW and were going to Universal/Disney water parks yearly.

after a week at WDW we decided to visit Universal, since it's only a short walk between the parks, we skipped back and forth trying to get a feel for them. at the end of the day, we were kicking ourselves for waiting a week to visit them. we rearranged our schedule to spend three more days there.

when we moved here, we bought AP's for WDW, UO, and BG/SW. three days after we had moved in, we spent two nights at the Royal Pacific and three days at Universal.

we still the other AP's, but we're very loyal to Universal because we feel it's a better experience compared to Disney when it comes to value and excitement for your money. we have no problem spending time at WDW, going to Citywalk for dinner, a few rides, and then back to WDW for Wishes or Fantasmic.

 

[JawsFan]

I'm glad that you are excited about your trip to Universal Orlando Resort
I just love walking along the travelator...and the kicking music they play really gets me excited about the day ahead of me...Universal Resort is a beautiful place and i know you will have a blast!

Oh and btw..Parking @ Universal keeps your car much cooler, unless you are on the top floor!

 

[Timmy Boy]

As a UO Team Member, I'm really happy to hear all these positive comments about the place! I'm glad people notice our hard work and such to make the place as relaxing for our Guests as it can be.

Yes, us Operations people do have pride for our attractions.

I'm glad there isn't any "OMG the loud music they play Marverl SuperHero Island is too loud!! Disney would never do that!"

 

[ky07]

We had never been to disney or universal but in 2005 my father-in-law wanted to take us all to disney and before we went i mentioned what about universal and he agreed to try it for two days so we could go to us and to ioa and the first day at universal we loved it and the second day at ioa he was like a kid again and then came the time came to ride the hulk and Dw agreed to ride with him and backed out so needless to say i rode it with him and can still hear him laugh about it and after the trip all he did was tell everyone how much he loved universal and sad to say he passed away 6 months later.
After he passed away we got up the courage to make the trip down this june 2007 just me the DW and two Ds and decided to get the 7 day unlimited passes and had a great time and the universal employees were so understanding when my Dw was crying and when she explained se wasn't sad it was the memories of her dad and the the et workers were great and wish i could remeber thier names but all in all hope we can get back next year and hopefully prices for tickets don't stop us from coming next year.

 

[crazymomof4]

Well, I won over DS10 and DD7- two "dyed-in-the-wool" WDW fans!
Late last night we looked over the Universal site and watched the brief video clips of most of the attractions. They pulled up chairs and got so excited saying things like, "WOW" and "cool"! They really want to go now.
DH still can't believe that he will like it as much as WDW, but I'm working on him!

 

[ChrisFL]

Oh and btw..Parking @ Universal keeps your car much cooler, unless you are on the top floor!

and I was parked on the top floor for only the second time EVER at USO the other day, wasnt happy but I didnt go back to it until after 9:00PM so it wasnt a problem

 

[JawsFan]

Glad to hear that they are excited about it I am telling you that you will all love it