Questions about Universal/IOA

[vatmark]

Hi! I'm new to the Universal board but not new to the Dis. I was a little nervous about posting on this forum because I have had some bad experiences with the disney boards. Some of those people can be a little over the top and down right nasty. Not everyone but some. But then I saw the post about a trip report that said something bad about Disney and how just for kicks and giggles it would be posted on the disney forum and I knew there was a whole different lot of people here on the Universal forum. I had to giggle at all the Disney people who were all up in arms over the "not as clean as universal" comment that the posters teenager made.

Anyway. I am very familiar with how to do Disney. I am not a Disney fanatic though. Having been last Oct. with kids and once this Dec. with just DH we decided it's time to try something new.

We were thinking about doing a trip to Orlando and doing Universal, IOA and Sea World. I know absolutely nothing about these parks. Thinking about a Saturday to a Thursday. Now Saturday will be an 8 hour drive and we will not do a park that day just arrive, relax and have a nice dinner somewhere. Also that Thursday will not be a park day because we will have an 8 hour ride home. So that leaves me 4 days for the parks.

We would not want to tour the parks from opening till closing. More like get there at opening, then have lunch and leave maybe around 2pm and head back to the hotel and go swimming. Maybe go back to a park later that evening maybe not. What times do the parks usually close in June? If we have the FOTL access do we still have to get to the parks at opening? I know it's best too get there at opening because there are lower crowds.

We plan on stying at one of the on site resorts but haven't decided which one yet. This trip will be the 2nd week in June and I know it will have big crowds so I am hoping that the FOTL access helps us deal with long lines. During peak season does anyone know how long the express pass waits are? I also love just being able to park the car somewhere and never see it till the day we go home.

Our kids will be DS(10) and DD(12) when we go. Will 4 days be enough to do both Universal and IOA(not all day) and also a day at seaworld? I want this to be a relaxing trip and don't plan on racing around the parks but taking our time to stop and smell the roses.

DS loves thrill rides. He is was 48 inches in Oct. of 05 but not sure his exact height now. He's only 8 now but this trip will probably be in June of 08 and he'll be 10 then. What kind of height restrictions are there for the rides?

DD is not huge into thrill rides. She loved Big Thunder Mnt. at Magic Kingdom and did Space Mnt. but wasn't thrilled with it. If it goes upside down forget it. If it has whippy turns she's fine but if it has real big, come out of your seat hills forget it. Me and DH are also thrill riders. I'm hoping Universal/IOA has a mix of different things.

Which resort has a pool that a 10 and 12 year old would love? We plan on spending some time in the room relaxing so want the room to be nice with a good tv. I just don't know which hotel will be the best. I have looked and looked over the pictures and amenities and I'm still confused. Here's some of the things that we would want in a room. Maybe someone can steer me in the right direction. Has to have queen beds. Best would be 2 queen beds and a pullout sofa. Would like 2 sinks, would like a fridge. Would love a balcony that we could sit out on that has a decent view.

What restuarants does any one suggest? Me and DH are foodies. We are willing to shell out the money for good food. Do the restuarants take ressies and how far in advanced?

Any info. you can give me would be great.

Annie

 

[goofy!]

Welcome Annie!

My teen was the one who (much to my dismay) was picking Epcot apart when we went in November. There wasn't anything actually wrong with Disney, I had just realized that I had raised some pretty fanatical Universal kids - as fanatical as some as the Disney people can be It was actually quite amusing to see the kid be as loyal to Universal as some of the more ummm... Disney loyal people that we encounter here on occasion.

June will be a great time to go.

The nice thing about FOTL is that you can have a relaxing vacation. At the absolute most, during the busiest part of the afternoon, you might wait a maximum of 20 minutes in a line. Most of the times we have went, the usual waits in FOTL are around 10 minutes, if not a walk-on.

4 days should be plenty. You can easily get up in the morning, do the parks and be back at the pool by mid-afternoon for a swim. And it is all walking distance or a pleasant boat ride.

There is a something for everyone. My entire family are thrill seekers. I am not. Yet I find so much to do and ride in Universal that I don't ever feel cheated. There are only 3 rides that go upside down - Hulk and Dueling dragons.

Citywalk has some great restaurants. You won't be disappointed.

As for the hotel, all three are spectacular - on par with the deluxes at Disney.

We tend to stay at the Portofino because we like the larger rooms and the huge bathrooms. All rooms in all three hotels have either double queens or a king bed.

Remember, at Universal, pool hopping is not only allowed, it is encouraged. So, you can stay at one hotel and pool hop to the others. We do this all the time. While our kids love the Portofino pool, they also love the Hard Rock pool. So, we usually take a day and reserve a cabana at the HRH for a pool day there.

Welcome to Universal. You are going to love it!

 

[cbdmhgp]

maybe you should consider staying at one of Universal's onsite hotels. although they are a little pricey, the convenience is worth it for my four kids to take a break and go for a swim before heading back to the parks. personally my favorite is the Royal Pacific Resort (and not just because its the cheapest of the three)

 

[yaytezIOA]

We are an entirely different group of people....we enjoy our vacations and dont get all up in arms when something isnt "magical"

Hotels:
My recomendation is Portofino Bay. You can usually get a good room at a decent price, and they are the largest rooms of the three hotels. They have the biggest pool, and they have three of them. The resturants at this hotel are top notch as well....Mama Dellas is my personal favorite, great for families. The other two are great as well, but Portofino just has that extra something. As for the extras as the fridge and balcony...you'll have to ask for those.
Resturants:
If you are wanting to eat inside the parks themselves, then there is none better than Mythos....voted best theme park resturaunt for a bunch of years running. A must eat. They also have the Meal Deals for around twenty bucks at each park. Good way to get some good food and save some money.
Parks:
Gotta get there early. Thats all there is to it. You will literally have the parks to yourselves, especially with FOTL access. And in some cases, if you are there early enough you may get to ride your favorite more than once without getting off. We did Dr Doom 4 times without moving, Dueling Dragons twice on each side in the front row. Definate advantages to getting there first.

 

[vatmark]

Thanks for the info.

We don't get up in arms if something isn't magical. I just like to be informed. I don't like going places where I'm totally clueless about things. And right now I am totally clueless about Universal and how things work there. So I just keep reading these boards and asking questions.

Thanks for the help!

Annie