It's very obvious to me that two people who have responded to this post didn't really read my original post (I put those two people's responses in quotes). If you would care to actually read my post you will see that I NEVER said I was against drinking, I just said that I don't drink. I did say I can't stand obnoxious drunks, but then again I can't stand obnoxious people, drunk or not.
If you care to really read my OP, you will even see that I said that the parks can't control the way people talk and dress, or even act. My main concern actually was that the parks weren't playing sexually explicit songs all over the parks all day and that my kids wouldn't have to hear the *F* and *GD* words constantly, yes, I'm sure they will hear it a few times, my son and I just look at each other and roll our eyes, he is a good kid!Sorry, if I don't want a 13, 11 and 9 yr old to hear that kind of music and language all day, thankfully some very nice people on this board has stated this isn't the case.
Also, as I've stated on this thread about three or four times already I did think that the person who made that post was way over dramatizing things, but I just wanted to check it out. I asked a simple question and MOST of you have been very helpful and I thank those posters!![]()
Jewell,
We go to Universal often, usually multiple times a year, and never stay less than 8 nights - usually 10. We have been doing Universal pretty much exclusively for the last 5 years. My youngest is now 10. We will hop over to WDW for a day or two, but my kids prefer Universal so the majority of our vacations are in Universal.
While I consider myself pretty liberal I also wouldn't want my kids to be subjected to raunchy music the entire time we visited a place. If I didn't think it was an appropriate environment for my children, we wouldn't be there.
I also consider myself a very detail oriented person. Because we usually stay for more than a few days, we love to just stop and smell the roses. We take our time and take in all the delicious details that Universal has hidden. We wander through New York and look in all the windows, etc.
So, with all that attention to detail I can honestly say that I cannot even remember music outside of MIB, let alone raunchy music. Not denying it is there, but there is so much else to overwhelm all the other senses that music is the last thing a lot of people pay attention to. It is mostly just background noise. If you do happen to catch a phrase, it will be very, very easy to redirect your children.
Also, remember that the OP in the other thread did have some misinformation that was easily proven wrong. She said that the Horror Makeup Show talked about pubic hair when they really talked about back hair. So, take her information about lyrics with a grain of salt too. Her memory of what she heard was apparently affected by her disappointment in not being at Disney.
As for drinking, I disagree with Peter Pirate. I see way more drinking in Epcot than I do in either of the Universal parks. You may see somebody walking around with a beer but I have not seen the level of intoxication I have seen at Epcot. Many people go to World Showcase with the intention of "Drinking Around The World." I have seen plenty of very tipsy people "Drinking Around The World." For the most part, people are grabbing a beer in Universal for a refreshment, not a drinking game.
As for the dress, you are going to see lots of bikini tops - no different than at Disney. In IOA, there are lots of water rides, so you will see lots of bathing suits. You will see the appropriately dressed and the skimpily dressed. You are going to see plain t-shirts and raunchy t-shirts. You are going to see the pooh sized muffin tops and the skinny midriffs with belly button piercings. You are going to see the clean shaven and the bearded. You are going to see the tattooed and the non-tattooed. You are going to see oversized "girls" loose and swaying and you are going to see buttoned up "girls." However, I have seen all this at Disney too. You put that many people in one place and you are going to have a myriad of what people think are appropriate, funny or people that like to shock. If I went to WDW - I would see the same if I cared to look.
As for the swearing - that is not crowd dependent, that is people dependent. You may get unlucky and get behind a person swearing, yelling at their kid, etc. But go on that other thread and click on that 35 page thread of what is the worst they have seen at Disney, and you will see that all this has also happened at Disney. Universal and Disney cannot give people foul language tests before they come in. I have been behind foul-mouthed people in line at Disney, Universal and Costco. It is just luck of the draw if you are unfortunate enough to run into rude people.
However, I do agree that the parks are different with different feels. Universal does have an edgier, more hip feel. Which is what our family prefers. Since I have two boys and an almost adult daughter, the sweetness of the princesses is just not their style. Don't expect the sugary, fluffiness, sweetness of Disney - otherwise you will be disappointed. And I would be disappointed if they were boringly similar. Two different environments, two magnificent experiences. However, just because it is edgier, does not mean it is not family friendly or geared for teens. My youngest started preferring Universal just because it was so family friendly with all the play areas. At 5, he could spend hours and hours in both Camp Jurassic and Curious George. What more fun to a 5 year old boy than tree forts, rope bridges and water guns?
I wouldn't worry too much. You will see a difference in the feel of the parks, but never one that crosses any kind of line to put it out of the family friendly park. In fact, I find Universal more "family" friendly because there is something for all of us. There are areas completely geared to kids like Fieval's playland, Woody's Coaster, Barney, Curious George, and then there are areas that teens and adults can enjoy.
I read a review a long time ago that questioned whether teens were not considered part of a family anymore. The review questioned why to be family friendly a park had to cater to the under 10 set and that is all. I love Universal because I have a 10 year old and two teens. Universal is the complete "family" friendly park for us.