Tell me about Universal, is it a must do?

[loxie]

OKay I have never been there before, We are going In Novto florida. & I DO want to go just to experience it, however the trip is during out to be more then we realized (5 of us) So I might have to take something of our to do list. I looked at the website & theres really only 3 things I think Im inetrested hollywood rock it, simpsons ride & mels dive in (I think it looks awesome) But other then that I dont think there is anything else, so Im not sure its worth the price since budget is a factor, But I do want to go..What rides/shows etc am Im missing that you love??? Can u tell me about the park in general & if this is a must do for you? keep in mind we can only go to one universal park if we go, & cant go to islands of adventure... We have young kids (5) & I do not want to get wet....haha
Thanks so much

 

[Metro West]

At the Studios I enjoy E.T., MIB, Shrek 4-D, Revenge of the Mummy and the Horror Make-Up Show as well as the rides you mentioned. I think you would enjoy yourself and would be a fun day for you...especially in November when the weather here is so nice. As far as your kids are concerned, they will love the Animal Actors show as well as the Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, Curious George Play area and Fievel's Playground. For lunch I prefer Louie's to Mel's...Mel's is miss or hit on the food but I've never had a bad meal at Louie's.

I think you should seriously think about spending the day at the Studios.

 

[j9000]

its a pity you are looking at only one park, as there are some GREAT kiddy rides in islands of adventure, (cat in the hat, spiderman etc)

the horror makeup show is a real favourite of mine, but does have some gory clips on the screens (lycanthrope transformation from american werewolf etc)
mummy is great, jaws et, men in black, but how suitable they are for young kids isnt something i can comment on.

personally i love universal and some of my favourite rides in florida are here (mummy, et, twister, spiderman, dragon challenge) i wouldn't come to florida and skip it (like i will with sea world.) but its all personal preference

 

[klacey1]

I believe yes, Universal is absolutely a must-do. No, maybe it doesn't have the "magic" of Disney, but it's clean, with kind workers, and phenomenal rides.
Kids will love the Woody Woodpecker area and Fieval playground (if they haven't seen the Fieval movies, SHOW THEM! They're wonderful). ET was a huge hit on my last trip with kids (7 year old cousins). They'll also probably love Shrek 4-D and Jimmy Neutron. I'm not a huge fan of the latter, but ET and Shrek are great.
I thoroughly enjoy the Simpsons Ride, Jaws (maybe a bit scary for young kids, but I went on when I was fairly young-7 I think-- and loved it), Men and Black, Disaster, Revenge of the Mummy. I enjoy walking around at a casual pace, rather than the frantic jog I take around Disney. The lines are designed beautifully. I take in all details and relax. Especially in November, you will be able to explore shops, the great fake city shop fronts, and little gems like the Lucy tribute.
I think it is really worth it-- see where you can cut elsewhere!!

 

[Eeyore's Girl]

Like all previous posters, yes, US is a must-do!

Also, your kiddos might enjoy A Day in the Park with Barney. Yep, the purple dinosaur. I am SO happy because this is the first year we will not be watching this show! When DD9 was young, it was fun to watch her watch the show, but that was "yesterday", and "today" is a new day.

Just like Klacey1, I feel more relaxed at US than at Disney. I describe walking through the park as "strolling". I think it has a lot to do with the type of music that is piped into the park. US's music isn't bouncy, I don't really know how to describe it, but I do think it is a factor in my own mindset when we're there.

You only list three attractions you're interested in, but I think when you get there, you'll find so much more that you'll enjoy.

 

[skifast22]

I agree, US is a must-do. Universal's parks are great, themed just as well as the Disney parks in my opinion. And in truth, I think US may be themed better than DHS, and IoA could just be the best themed park in Fl!

If your focusing on just US, HRRR and Simpsons are great, but so is Revenge of the Mummy, ET and MiB. I'm a huge fan of Jaws, and T2:3D does an amazing job combining 3D film with Live Action. As for Mel's, the classic cars out front are cool, but I was not impressed with the burger I had there. I had a better burger at Richters, but would also recommend going to one of the restaurants at CityWalk for meals (my fav is Margaritaville).

 

[Planogirl]

Jaws is hokey but fun and so is Disaster. The Gruesome Horror Makeup Show is very funny. Men in Black is great (Like Buzz at WDW but amped up) and your kids might like Terminator if they like 3-d shows with shooting robots. Shrek is fun and so is Jimmy Neutron. The Mummy is my favorite ride anywhere so I would say that it's not to be missed.