Well, the crowds weren't as bad as I had feared.
We got to Orlando Friday afternoon (see my Mears post under transportation for the gruesome details -- do not use Mears). We stayed at the Homewood Suites Universal. We didn't book it thru Universal because I got a really good rate with a federal employee discount.
The hotel is really clean, the rooms are spacious. Ours was on the 5th floor, which I had requested when booking it, with a view of Universal. Unfortunately, it also overlooked I-4. I wear earplugs, and my daughter can sleep for anything, so the road noise didn't bother us. Great view. Excellent breakfast buffet. Really nice pool area. Friendly staff.
After dumping our stuff we walked to Citywalk. It's a 20-minute walk, all on sidewalks. We checked out the stores, took the boat shuttle to see the other hotels, ate dinner at Hard Rock (not bad, not great, fun). Later realized we could have gotten an AAA discount there, which is true almost everywhere at Universal -- all the souvenir stores, TCBY, etc. We walked back to the hotel around 8:30 p.m. The last hotel shuttle was at 7:20 p.m.
Next morning, Saturday, we took the free hotel shuttle. Our hotel is the first stop, and it took 35 minutes to get to Universal by shuttle--so walking is faster. We got to the US entrance gate about 8:40 and they opened the gates immediately, 20 minutes early. We headed to Rip Ride Rockit, rode it twice. Line was pretty long for it all day, 60 min. a lot of the time, or we would have ridden it again. Rode all the other rides at US, longest wait was 30 min. for Jimmy Neutron.
We headed over to IoA around 4:30 to check out the Wizarding World scene. The World was closed and they were finished giving out return entry tickets. Some people were really upset. They did hint that it would open to the general public about 30 min. before closing. We just figured we'd come back Sunday. I heard rumors of 4-hour waits for FJ, but I don't know if they were true. We went on Spiderman and Jurassic Park, around 20 min. wait for Spiderman in the single-rider line, got right in to Jurassic Park. Then it was back to US to get ready for the Mardi Gras parade. We ate at Finnegan's. They said it would be an hour wait but it was only 20 min. OK food, excellent Guinness. Parade was great, got some beads. Very fun. The crowd for a taxi was really long, so we walked back again. Didn't feel nervous about walking back at night; a lot of people were doing it and there was a cop parked on the side of the road.
Sunday, took the shuttle again. When we got to the IoA gate it was already open (8:40), so we flew to the Wizarding World. We spent 5 hours there, rode FJ twice -- 35 min. waits each time. The experience was simply amazing and FJ may be the best ride ever. I loved the castle. The attention to detail throughout the WW was mind-boggling. You really feel like you're in the films.
Ollivander's show was really short, maybe because it was so crowded. They went back to using the return time tickets around 10 a.m., I think.
On our way out at 1:45, we got a return time ticket to return that night.
Meanwhile we did the rest of IoA--longest wait 45 min. for Hulk--ate at Mythos--had made a reservation using the central dining number, they couldn't find it, we got seated within 5 minutes anyway. Loved the filet. Went back to US to try to get on the Rockit, but the wait was still 60 min., which meant we would have missed our WW return time, so we skipped it (already did it twice) and went back to see Harry. The wait time said 60 min., we were going along at a pace of about 35 min., then the ride BROKE DOWN. Fortunately it came back up after about 20 min., so we got to ride it again. Last ride out was the Seuss Trolley, which had really long lines all day and was down to 10 min., but anything is anticlimactic after FJ. Again a long taxi line, again a 20-min. walk home.
Sorry this is so long; I'm still living off the trip adrenaline.
We got to Orlando Friday afternoon (see my Mears post under transportation for the gruesome details -- do not use Mears). We stayed at the Homewood Suites Universal. We didn't book it thru Universal because I got a really good rate with a federal employee discount. The hotel is really clean, the rooms are spacious. Ours was on the 5th floor, which I had requested when booking it, with a view of Universal. Unfortunately, it also overlooked I-4. I wear earplugs, and my daughter can sleep for anything, so the road noise didn't bother us. Great view. Excellent breakfast buffet. Really nice pool area. Friendly staff.
After dumping our stuff we walked to Citywalk. It's a 20-minute walk, all on sidewalks. We checked out the stores, took the boat shuttle to see the other hotels, ate dinner at Hard Rock (not bad, not great, fun). Later realized we could have gotten an AAA discount there, which is true almost everywhere at Universal -- all the souvenir stores, TCBY, etc. We walked back to the hotel around 8:30 p.m. The last hotel shuttle was at 7:20 p.m.
Next morning, Saturday, we took the free hotel shuttle. Our hotel is the first stop, and it took 35 minutes to get to Universal by shuttle--so walking is faster. We got to the US entrance gate about 8:40 and they opened the gates immediately, 20 minutes early. We headed to Rip Ride Rockit, rode it twice. Line was pretty long for it all day, 60 min. a lot of the time, or we would have ridden it again. Rode all the other rides at US, longest wait was 30 min. for Jimmy Neutron.
We headed over to IoA around 4:30 to check out the Wizarding World scene. The World was closed and they were finished giving out return entry tickets. Some people were really upset. They did hint that it would open to the general public about 30 min. before closing. We just figured we'd come back Sunday. I heard rumors of 4-hour waits for FJ, but I don't know if they were true. We went on Spiderman and Jurassic Park, around 20 min. wait for Spiderman in the single-rider line, got right in to Jurassic Park. Then it was back to US to get ready for the Mardi Gras parade. We ate at Finnegan's. They said it would be an hour wait but it was only 20 min. OK food, excellent Guinness. Parade was great, got some beads. Very fun. The crowd for a taxi was really long, so we walked back again. Didn't feel nervous about walking back at night; a lot of people were doing it and there was a cop parked on the side of the road.
Sunday, took the shuttle again. When we got to the IoA gate it was already open (8:40), so we flew to the Wizarding World. We spent 5 hours there, rode FJ twice -- 35 min. waits each time. The experience was simply amazing and FJ may be the best ride ever. I loved the castle. The attention to detail throughout the WW was mind-boggling. You really feel like you're in the films.
Ollivander's show was really short, maybe because it was so crowded. They went back to using the return time tickets around 10 a.m., I think.
On our way out at 1:45, we got a return time ticket to return that night.
Meanwhile we did the rest of IoA--longest wait 45 min. for Hulk--ate at Mythos--had made a reservation using the central dining number, they couldn't find it, we got seated within 5 minutes anyway. Loved the filet. Went back to US to try to get on the Rockit, but the wait was still 60 min., which meant we would have missed our WW return time, so we skipped it (already did it twice) and went back to see Harry. The wait time said 60 min., we were going along at a pace of about 35 min., then the ride BROKE DOWN. Fortunately it came back up after about 20 min., so we got to ride it again. Last ride out was the Seuss Trolley, which had really long lines all day and was down to 10 min., but anything is anticlimactic after FJ. Again a long taxi line, again a 20-min. walk home.
Sorry this is so long; I'm still living off the trip adrenaline.
