Tell me something good about US/IOA

[TheOtherVillainess]

(X-posted to the CB)

DH and I talked last night. We want to take a vacation, but feel we can't afford a 'huge' one (as in going away for an entire week). We talked about spending three days/two nights in Orlando and going to Universal/IOA. DH has been to Universal (in the pre-IOA days..sometime in the early 90's IIRC) and I haven't. Honestly, I can't see what the big fuss is but I want to try and get excited. It isn't WDW but surely there's SOMETHING that will be neat and interest me, right?



Right?

TOV

 

[Poohgirl]

Well to start if you love thrill rides, they have many...There are also many other attractions that are not so scary but fun. Some good water rides and "movie" themed attractions,sets etc. If you stay on site, you will also get an "express pass" which lets you use the express line on all rides that have it, no need to get the express tickets for each ride, very cool. City Walk has some great shopping and restaurants. Its not as "magical" as Disney. But it's loads of fun and lots to see. We visit US/IOA on every Disney trip.

 

[Motherfletcher]

Most girls get a little excited seeing Spiderman in tights! If not, the funnel cakes with ice cream is a good reason. IOA doesn't have men in mice suits but they do stuff them into a Cat. In Jurassic Park they have dinosaur foot prints that roar when you walk on them. In Toon Lagoon for a quarter you can ambush unexpecting riders with water guns.

 

[Grand2me]

There is mucho mucho fun stuff to do at IOA/US!!! At the Studios, the have the MUMMY. That alone should be reason enough to make the trip but I'll give you more. Shrek in 4D is wonderful, as is MIB. I actually enjoyed the shows and the character meet and greets. IOA/US is more...adult, mature if you will than Disney. The only way that I could get my husband to agree to go back to Orlando this year was if we made a trip to IOA. They have the BEST park food(which is saying alot coming from N.O.) that I have ever had aside from those smoked turkey legs at Disney . The Hulk, SpiderMan and Dueling Dragons should be MORE than enough reason to get you in there. I kinda like Universals merchandise a little more than Disney's too. Like I said...More Mature. You will have a great time...trust me .

 

[damo]

The Horror Make-up Show is something very neat and interesting and you will never see anything like it at Disney.

 

[MrsMud]

Poohgirl said:

"Its not as "magical" as Disney. But it's loads of fun and lots to see."

I respectfully disagree (with the first part). Magical, to me, is walking straight from one park to the other whenever you feel like it, and then walking right to CityWalk for dinner and shopping (BTW, CityWalk is SO much better than DTD! When my husband and I went by ourselves one trip, we enjoyed Citywalk almost as much as the parks.) Universal is like a little city within itself, where everything you need is right there. We stayed onsite for 5 days, parked our car in the lot and never once moved it until we left. At WDW, Magic Kingdom may seem magical, but getting in your car, or bus, etc. and shlepping 10 - 20 minutes from one park to another then dealing with parking lots and shuttles all over again is NOT magical. Plus, IOA has such incredible theming. Jurassic Park is my favorite, walking through that big entrance and hearing the music, it just puts me right in the movie. If you have a young child, Seuss Landing is unbelievable, even better than Fantasyland, IMHO. And if any of you are coaster fans, ther is nothing at WDW that approaches Hulk or Deuling Dragons! At US there is something for everyone, Jimmy Neutron and Shrek for the kids, Mummy for the adults, and a slew of rides / attractions for the whole family. Overall yes, these parks are a little more adult oriented, but my kids have been to WDW twice and US/IOA once in the past three years. When I asked which they liked better (they were 6 and 8), they both said Universal! Maybe if you have VERY young children they may find WDW more magical, but to us US/IOA wins hands down!

 

[gschmerl]

"Magical" is having FOTL access to the attractions when you stay on site.
As stated by other posters, it's so easy to navigate the Universal and parks and their hotels are gorgeous and so convenient to the parks and City Walk.
Go to the Universal Orlando website. They give descriptions of all the attractions.

 

[mslclark]

We really love USF. It's smaller than Disney, as others have said, so you can walk to both parks, CitiWalk, and the resorts. I think IOA is one of the most beautiful parks I've ever been to. It's worth a visit just to walk through each of the "islands" and experience their theming. There are some great shops in IOA as well.

And FOTL - I can't say enough. We've been twice in July and rode everything we could possibly stand thanks to FOTL. I'm sure we could never go to WDW in July and do as much there.

The resorts are beautiful at USF. And if you're a guest any one of the resorts, you can visit the pools and amenities at the other two!

And, if that's not enough, USF is closer to the Belz Outlets!