Preparing Itinerary

[mdsd8700]

Well I will try to keep this concise and to the point, but sometimes I am long winded.

We are staying at the Hard Rock for two nights June 17th and 18th with an option to do several more hours on Sunday, June 19th. We are totally excited about Harry Potter!

Arrival day is Friday, June 17th and we should get to the hotel by noon and plan to catch a quick bite to eat and go into the parks. Since it will already be afternoon we plan on doing everything we can except Harry Potter. On Saturday, June 18th we will do the on-site early entry and do all of the Harry Potter stuff. I have been reading these boards for months for all the tips and info on HP. Sunday the 19th we are checking out, but have a 3 day ticket, just in case we want to do some more time in the parks.

I definately a planner and like to know what rides to go on, when to go on them and what order makes the most sense. However this is our first trip to Universal in FL since 1990. So I figured I would come to the experts here and see what is possible.

We are a family of four, kids are 14 and 16. We all love thrill rides. So no need for kiddy rides or shows. From everything I have read there is quite a list of rides that we would like to go on, however I am not sure it is possible to fit them all in. The rides we would like to experience at Universal are:

• Disaster
• Hollywood Rip Tide Rock
• Jaws
• Men In Black
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Shrek 4-D
• Simpsons
• Twister
• Terminator

For IOA: (Will do HP on Saturday Morning)

• Spiderman
• Dr. Doom
• Hulk
• Ripsaw Falls
• Jurrasic Park

As I type this, I think I am insane and will not be able to fit all those rides in with 1.5 days (Friday/Saturday) and a possible few hours (Sunday). So any advice/pointers are much appreciated.

I know that we will be able to take advantage of Universal Express (except for FJ and Hollywood Rip Tide). I also beleive that Mummy and Men in Black have single rider lines. Please correct me on anything I have wrong. Should I should go to certain rides on the first day and others after HP on the second day? Does it matter what order at all? Please let me know your thoughts.

I apologize as I don't think I was short or concise at all, but I do appreciate anyone who took the time to read this long post and will offer me some guidance.

TIA!!!

 

[Badge]

Well, let me start by saying you will be there the same time we are! So, let me tell you this, you will have plenty of time to do everything on your list plus more and some of them twice!

You made a GREAT choice to stay onsite. The express pass you get with your room key will save you so much time. Normally when we go in the summer months we can ride MIB 4-5 times in a row in less time than it takes the standby line.

I do have one suggestion for you before I get into the whole timeline thing, and that is to consider doing HP the first NIGHT. When I first saw the HP area of the park it was at night and it was amazing. HP at night imo is SOOO much better than during the day! Plus, IOA will be closing at 9 while you are there. If you get to HP the first night around 5 or 6, there should be no wait and you will get to see the area of the park transform into the night effects (the snow looks amazing on the buildings with the lighting effects).

My plan of action for you would be:

DAY 1:

IOA ALL day. You check in at noon but can't go to your room until 4. Grab a quick bite and try to get to the parks by around one if possible. I am going to make this plan as if you arrived inside the park at 2 just to be safe.

When you enter the park, hang a left and do Hulk, Dr. Doom, Spiderman. Even in the middle of the afternoon you should be able to do these three major rides in roughly an hour becuase of express. By three you should be done.

Next keep deeper into the park and ride Ripsaw Falls and Popeye. I know Popeye is not on your list, but it is a really fun ride and you will already be wet from Ripsaw. Again, these two rides should take no longer than an hour at most. By four you should be done.

Next head back to Jurrasic Park. You should be finish with Jurrasic in less than 30 minutes. The time will roughly be 4:30.

Next head AROUND HP and and explore the Posideon walking/special effects show since you should have time. Heck, even go check out Dr. Suess area for the fun themeing. If you would rather not do this, you can attempt to get into HP or go back and ride Spiderman, hulk, dr. doom to dry off

Finally around 5:30-6, head to HP. There should be no wait to get into this area of the park (hopefully). This will leave you with roughly 3 hours to explore the area and take it in during the night time.

DAY 2:

IF you have not had your HP fill, head to HP in the morning. You will want to get to the Studios around noon to see everything.

Studios will close at 9 on the 18th which is the same time the Nelly concert starts at the park. This is free if you or your kids like his music. Hit the Rip Ride Rockit first. It would be best if you had your fill of HP the first day and got to the Studios at park opening to ride the Rockit over and over before the line starts forming. Even during the slow time in Dec when we were there last, the line would be 40 minutes. I am not looking forward to seeing it during the summer! Its a SLOW moving line so hit it early! It is also right next to the concert, so that will effect the lines as the night goes on (parents saving spots while kids go and get in line for example).

Now I am just going to re-order your list for everything else. If everything goes well, you should be done with all the rides in this list by 6pm if you get to the park at noon leaving you a TON of time to either ride more rides at studios until the concert (and hopefully fireworks) or leave and head back to IOA to ride your favorites.

In order you approach them after Rockit:

Shrek (you will walk past this going to Rockit, just go back and ride it before moving to the next ride)
Twister
Mummy
Disaster
Jaws
MIB
Simpsons
Terminator

With express passes, DO NOT ride single ride except for rides without express (Rockit's single ride is RARELY open and HP has a single rider as well). We have attempted to ride in single rider thinking it would be faster and it is NOT. With express, just show your room key and you will be on the ride in less than 10 minutes for most rides. Ideally, each ride should take you 15 minutes (10 minutes for the line and 5 minutes for the ride). Sometimes this will be less and sometimes it could be a little more. I have been to Universal so much in the past few years that I can have BOTH parks finished riding all of the rides you have listed plus some you have not in ONE day. You will have a ton of time!

 

[mdsd8700]

Badge I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read and write such a lengthy response. I know that it had to take you some time and thought and I really do appreciate it very much!

Ha! I can't beleive we are going to be there at the same time. How amazing is that? If you see a crazy woman with an intinerary and map in hand telling her crew which way to turn and to keep up, that will be me.

This is exactly the type of guidance I was looking for. It appears that you have done this before and are able to write from experience. I will incorporate your advice into my itinerary and print out your reply as well, just as a back up!

I am glad to hear that we will be able to fit everything in, that really makes things even better! We are so excited to visit and looking forward to it very much. We decided right from the get go that we would be staying on site. From everything that I have read it makes the most sense. We are looking forward the to Hard Rock Hotel as well.

Thanks for the advice about HP at night, I would like to give that a try. It sounds amazing. I wouldn't have thought of that, so thanks for the input.

I feel like I have a grasp on things now for our Universal Adventure. We are spending some time in WDW after our time at Universal and I am calling it War of the Worlds (Wizarding Vs. Disney) and want to make sure they are evenly matched. Again, thanks so much for your help, I do appreciate it!!

Hope your trip is great as well!

 

[2tink4u]

Wow, you know so much about this park..... I will have VIP passes and will also take your advice. We will be there first thing am Monday June 13th. Do you think HP will be doable in the evening also? Any advice will be great. So is there a dedicated line for quick check or do we go somewhere particular to show our pass?
Thanks so much!

 

[damo]

Wow, you know so much about this park..... I will have VIP passes and will also take your advice. We will be there first thing am Monday June 13th. Do you think HP will be doable in the evening also? Any advice will be great. So is there a dedicated line for quick check or do we go somewhere particular to show our pass?
Thanks so much!

If there are return times for the Wizarding World, the VIP pass doesn't help. You can use your VIP pass for Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff once you get inside WW, but nothing will give you a special express entrance into the area. Everyone has to wait unless you have early entry.

To access the express lines for the above two rides, look for the express line access signs at each ride. Forbidden Journey and Ollivanders do not have express lines.

 

[Harry Potter]

I want to reiterate something that badge said to the OP.

You left Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges off of your original list of things to do at IOA. This could have been an oversight, but I highly suspect it's because you don't think you or your thrill-seeking family would want to go on such a 'kiddy' boat ride.

Let me advise that Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges is anything but kiddy. I would even hazard a guess that it is the second most fun ride in the whole resort (after Forbidden Journey). Just because it is a kiddy cartoon-themed water ride, don't let that fool you.

YOU WILL GET SO SOAKED THAT YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT YOU!

No trip to IOA is complete without having to dry out in the humid Florida sunshine after a soaking from Bluto.

I also think your family might enjoy Cat in the Hat at Seuss Landing. The ride doesn't spin anymore, so that takes away some of the thrill, but if the wait isn't too long (and it won't be with UE) then give it a try and get your money's worth!

 

[Metro West]

No trip to IOA is complete without having to dry out in the humid Florida sunshine after a soaking from Bluto.

Yup...but if it's really humid it will take a long time to dry out.

 

[damo]

I want to reiterate something that badge said to the OP.

You left Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges off of your original list of things to do at IOA. This could have been an oversight, but I highly suspect it's because you don't think you or your thrill-seeking family would want to go on such a 'kiddy' boat ride.

Let me advise that Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges is anything but kiddy. I would even hazard a guess that it is the second most fun ride in the whole resort (after Forbidden Journey). Just because it is a kiddy cartoon-themed water ride, don't let that fool you.

YOU WILL GET SO SOAKED THAT YOU WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT YOU!

No trip to IOA is complete without having to dry out in the humid Florida sunshine after a soaking from Bluto.

I also think your family might enjoy Cat in the Hat at Seuss Landing. The ride doesn't spin anymore, so that takes away some of the thrill, but if the wait isn't too long (and it won't be with UE) then give it a try and get your money's worth!

Cat in the Hat spins now.

 

[mdsd8700]

I want to reiterate something that badge said to the OP.

You left Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges off of your original list of things to do at IOA. This could have been an oversight, but I highly suspect it's because you don't think you or your thrill-seeking family would want to go on such a 'kiddy' boat ride.

Well it was a complete oversight on my part!! And that is not like me, planner that I am so so thanks to Badge and to you Harry Potter for letting me know about this as the ride sounds awesome and cannot wait to try it out. I will definately add it to our itinerary! That is another reason I love these boards, not only is there great advice and tips but the experts will let you know when you have missed something! Gotta love that

Thanks again!!

 

[mdsd8700]

Cat in the Hat spins now.

Well I can be dropped hundreds of feet, turned upside town and catapulated at very high rates of speed, but spin me more than twice and I will be sicker than a dog! However the rest the family loves spinning rides, so this sounds like it should be added as well! Thanks.

 

[Badge]

I don't consider myself an "expert", but I am glad I was able to help you! It help me get even more excited about our own trip! I am in a totally opposite boat however. We are there from June 15-22 which is out longest trip we have been there.

When we first started doing Universal it was just 2 nights there and 5 or 6 at disney but as the years have gone on, we have slowly started to removed Disney from the picture becuase now we are spoiled and never want to wait in line, lol. This will be our first trip for seven nights and I am worried there will not be enough to do to keep us busy. I have set my one goal for this trip and that is to "beat" MIB by getting a perfect score of 999,999, lol. I got really close last trip on our last day so hopefully I can do it this time! If you see somebody riding MIB over and over again, that is most likely me

 

[mdsd8700]

When we first started doing Universal it was just 2 nights there and 5 or 6 at disney but as the years have gone on, we have slowly started to removed Disney from the picture becuase now we are spoiled and never want to wait in line, lol.

Yes I can see where that might happen. I have already played out the scenario in my head where my kids are like "Wow.....and why haven't been been to Universal in FL before? (We have done CA, but it is much different there). Of course that would be followed by "can we come back here next time?" Our kids grew up in Disney and we have never ventured outside of the "mouse" before (not in FL anyway). It was Harry Potter that made us finally take the leap. I am thinking we are going to have to add a few days at Univeral/IOA in future visits as well and that will be fine. Though I know we love Disney too much to every let it go. However I can see how the Universal Express trumps the Fastpass. Enjoy your longer trip, I am sure it will be awesome. Thanks again.

 

[Harry Potter]

Well it was a complete oversight on my part!! And that is not like me, planner that I am so so thanks to Badge and to you Harry Potter for letting me know about this as the ride sounds awesome and cannot wait to try it out. I will definately add it to our itinerary! That is another reason I love these boards, not only is there great advice and tips but the experts will let you know when you have missed something! Gotta love that

Thanks again!!

Take a look at this video of Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (spoilers):

It's from a great theme park fan and his family:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UEXlIIlYc

 

[mdsd8700]

The ride looks great and WOW you really get wet. Might have to wear a shower cap my hair doesn't dry well naturally.

Thanks again!