Please Help Convince Me To Try Us/ioa

[mikewdw]

MY WIFE AND I ARE BIG WDW FANS AND LOVE IT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY US/IOA THIS SUMMER. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE IT IS BETRAYING WDW TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. I THINK I WOULD LIKE A LOT OF THE RIDES. WE ARE BOTH TEACHERS AND ONLY HAVE 5 OR 6 DAYS IN JUNE BEFORE I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK (I AM A FOOTBALL COACH AND HAVE TO RUN SUMMER WEIGHT ROOM). PLEASE GIVE US SOME REASONS TO TAKE ONE DAY OFF OUR WDW TRIP AND TRY US/IOA.
THANKS,
MIKEWDW

 

[kellymonaghan]

Three reasons:

You're teachers: You owe it to yourself and your profession to learn something new about Orlando.

You're a football coach: Don't you believe in scoping out the competition?

You've taken the Disney vow: Ghandi tested his vow of celibacy by sleeping with 16-year-old virgins. Are you afraid you'll be too weak and succumb to the charms of USF/IOA?

But whatever you do, have fun!

 

[sha_lyn]

I say take 2 days and try both US and IOA. They are both wonderful parks

 

[Jon360]

wow, comparing theme park competition to ghandi...

 

[gschmerl]

LOL Kelly!
I too love WDW, but have learned to love Universal even more. The theming in IOA just can't be beat. Then there are the rides which are MUCH better than most of Disney's. If you like roller coasters, Hulk and Dueling Dragons are FANTASTIC. Spiderman is one of the best rides every. Suess Landing is great (I go without children and still love it). The little details throughout the park are wonderful. Then, the all time best...If you stay at an on-site hotel you get automatic express access for the rides. That is a perk than just can't be beat. Go and try IOA and US. You'll wind up loving them too.

 

[damo]

Disney is the vision of theme parks past. Universal is the vision of theme parks future.

People love Disney because it reminds them of their glorious childhood. Universal makes you happy you are an adult. (Well at least over 52 inches )

 

[Aisling]

I just wish there was more Universal. I love it that there's so much to see and do at Disney.

 

[Robinrs]

KELLY!!

Disclaimer: the moderators of this board have no dealings with Ghandi or his celibacy issue and have no opinions or statements about aforementioned statement....


Uhh, mikewdw:

I would like to add that if you realize that all of the themeparks may be fighting for your dollar, you are NOT cheating on the Disney dollar by spending some of it on Universal. Join the members of this board and millions of other people who have tried it and LIKED it!

I have to agree with damo, our MIB queen, it is themepark FUTURE! (great quote damo!)

Let us know what you decide!

and kelly, BEHAVE!!!

 

[damo]

Originally posted by Aisling
I just wish there was more Universal. I love it that there's so much to see and do at Disney.

Funny. I feel the opposite way. I can only find a couple of things at each Disney park that are worth doing again. (if these rides were all put in one park it would be amazing!) Where at Universal there are so many rides worth repeating over and over.

 

[BarryHom]

Let's put it this way...

If you go to Universal, Robinrs will personally give you a kiss. Seriously, you mst have a lot of kids who would be interested in Universal. Why not go so you can help out your kids with any questions they may have?

 

[kpgclark]

We're taking our first trip to Universal in March and I'll tell you the biggest reason we picked to go there-- FRONT OF THE LINE!!!! Stay on site and you can forgo the lines and move to the front like you do at the fast pass attractions at Disney. I've always gone to WDW off season and would personally HATE the heat of the summer standing on line.

 

[Aisling]

I can only find a couple of things at each Disney park that are worth doing again. (if these rides were all put in one park it would be amazing!) Where at Universal there are so many rides worth repeating over and over.

I don't go to Disney for the rides, I go for the whole atmoshphere. And with 4 parks, there's a lot of atmosphere! The rides are actually secondary.
I love Universal for it's sort-of fast paced feel, but to become as big as Disney, Universal needs to have comfort appeal, to make us want to go there for more than just rides, but for that certain "feeling". Maybe I'm too sentimental, but I need more than some great rides to keep me coming back.
This summer will be our second time to Universal, and to be honest, if it weren't for the new Royal Pacific, we'd go somewhere else for vacation.
I'm hoping that Universal builds another park, that would be great and get me back there in a minute!

 

[kellymonaghan]

Originally posted by Aisling
I love Universal for it's sort-of fast paced feel, but to become as big as Disney, Universal needs to have comfort appeal, to make us want to go there for more than just rides, but for that certain "feeling".

I dunno, there are a lot of things beyond the rides that give IOA/USF that "special feeling" for me.

Here's a few. Maybe others can add their favorites:

** The themeing of Port of Entry
** The balcony of Discovery Center in JP. (There are even places to plug in your laptop!)
** The rocky park at the end of PoE.
**Mythos
**The Backwater Bar (IOA) and the bar at Finnegan's (UF)
**Hollywood Boulevard (USF)
**The easy access from park to park and from parks to CityWalk and vice versa.

Of course, a lot of this might appeal more to annual passholders than casual visitors.

 

[Cindy B]

Kelly: Wow! Gandhi~


I adore Universal, my children love it, the adults love it as well. We have had nothing but positive experiences there, and the staff, the staff goes out of their way to please the guests.. onsite or off.

 

[damo]

Originally posted by kellymonaghan
I dunno, there are a lot of things beyond the rides that give IOA/USF that "special feeling" for me.

Here's a few. Maybe others can add their favorites:

The roar of Hulk as you walk through IOA

The smell of Jurassic Park

The music and the funky trees in Suess Landing

HRH

The cobblestones at Universal

The Poseidan building

The change of atmosphere from island to island at IOA

The talking fountain

...

anyone have more?

 

[JessicaR]

I too keep returning to these wonderful parks. My "special feelings" moments would be...

Getting cozy with my family on the boat ride back to Portofino after a fun filled day at the parks. The gorgeous view as the Portofino comes into sight all lit up.

The look on my childrens face time and again as they interact with the characters.

The excitement and bustle of energy as we enter Port of Entry to start our day.

The mystical feeling upon entering The Lost Continent (love that music).

Stopping for a hot fudge sundae at Schwab's.

Our traditional first meal at Margaritaville.


Lets hear some more, it brings back some great memories and anticipation for returning

 

[mikewdw]

please compare the type rides to those at WDW. how are lines for rides? what about pricing? do they do anything like surprise mornings? any more inside details that would help make our plans to go to US?
mikewdw

 

[luvindisneyworld]

i dont have any tips, for i am also trying to make myself try some place new, we love disney so much, but my hubby likes rides and i HATE them, is there lots to do besides the rides?
misty

 

[damo]

I suggest you go to http://www.uescape.com and download the video clips of the rides to get a look for yourself. It is very difficult to compare rides. Generally, I'd say that the rides at Universal are quite technologically advanced in comparison to Disney and are geared more towards the teen and adult population.

There are many rides that are not actually rides but shows with many, many special effects. Again, it is hard to describe.

If you stay onsite, you do not have to wait in the normal line for rides but instead get to use the express lane.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

The front of the line (FOTL) perk for onsite guests makes Universal wonderful. I've been to WDW 5 times and Universal once and I really want to go back to Universal. The theming is great, the parks are close to each other so it is easy to park-hop, the hotels are close to the parks so it's easy to take an afternoon break, and the rides are more thrilling. The only rides that compare at WDW are Tower of Terror and Rock N Rollercoaster. The river raft ride at IoA is much better than the ride at AK and Men in Black at Universal is hands down better (WAY, WAY better!) than Buzz Lightyear at MK. Dueling Dragons and the Hulk at IoA are like nothing at WDW. I still like WDW, but am a bit Disneyed out since I've been there more times. Go to WDW first or you'll be very spoiled by the FOTL and it will be hard to wait in line at WDW. I know because we did Universal first. Also, in hot weather Universal has gigantic misting fans which really help with the heat.