The freedom of NOT doing Disney

[sydneysmom]

Think you have it backwards.......I replied to BigAlsGal and then "someone" else replied sort of snarkily (is that a word?) to me. Read the threads !
Hope you have a great vacation wherever you go.

Been reading the threads... have a great day!!!

 

[johde]

Great info to have !! Thank you for posting

It's now noon and in looking at equal time. Ride over 30 min. posted wait times. (per respective companies app)
At WDW:

MK
ETWB - 40 min.
JC - 45 min.
PP - 50 min.
Buzz - 50 min.
POTC - 50 min.
BTMRR - 50 min.
Space Mt. 70 min.
Splash Mt. 70 min.
7DMT - 90 min.

EPCOT
Mission Space 40 min.
Space ship Earth 40 min.
Mailstrom - 50 min.
Soarin - 75 min.
Test Track - 100 min.

DHS
Tower of Terror 60 min.
Rock n roller coaster 80 min.
Toy Story 105 min.

DAK
Primeval Whirl 40 min.
Dinosaur 60 min.
Safari 70 min.
Kali 120 min.

USF
Transformers 90 min.
Despicable me 120 min.
Rip Ride Rockit 120 min.
Gringotts 140 min.

IOA
Dragon Challenge 45 min.
Hippogriff 45 min.
Kings Cross Station 45 min.
Jurassic Park 50 min
Forbidden Journey 60
.Hulk 60 min
Spiderman 70 min
Dudley Do Right 75 min

Both sets of parks are extremely busy right now. That's why i don't go in the summer.

What's funny is Popeye is only showing a 25 min. wait. It may be quicker to see the line at Kali, go to the car, Drive to Universal, and wait for Popeye (a much better raft ride in my opinion), compared to waiting for Kali.

 

[Suzie13]

Just curious if you do the headliners at WDW? I've been watching standby times of the must do attractions for us. Without FP+, we would be waiting in line way more than we like. The trade off for Sponteneity is a much longer wait in lines based on our attraction choices. With express pass, we have never waited longer than 10 minutes, usually 5. The only planning we do is when to do the HP attractions and those lines are longer. We love both WDW and UO and will continue to enjoy both.

Maybe because we do off peak the longest I wait is maybe half a hour to 40 mins at the most. I also wouldn't pay for a express pass at uni because I can't afford it. I just don't mind waiting 40 minutes if it means I don't have to plan everything down to the last T.

 

[Suzie13]

When were you there last? We rarely did fastpasses or a lot of ADRs, but it has changed! If we don't do them, we will wait for the headliners and even 60+ minutes for pirates and other rides that were walk-ons...in October.

To be fair it has been 4 years so maybe things have changed. I usually go in September which I heard is quieter than other months.

 

[schumigirl]

And who says I haven't been to uni ?

According to this.......you did!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3240902

Posts 5 and 8.

 

[Mad Hattered]

According to this.......you did! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3240902 Posts 5 and 8.

Yeah.....they state it all over DIS that they will never go. Oh well.....less people in line for us! . oh wait....we all stay onsite so there is no line.

 

[schumigirl]

Yeah.....they state it all over DIS that they will never go. Oh well.....less people in line for us! . oh wait....we all stay onsite so there is no line.

Yep.......will look out for you in September at RPR

Or in the very short Express queues!

 

[Mad Hattered]

Yep.......will look out for you in September at RPR

Or in the very short Express queues!

Are you going to be there during our stay? If so, then we will definitely have to meet up! When do you arrive in September?

 

[schumigirl]

Are you going to be there during our stay? If so, then we will definitely have to meet up! When do you arrive in September?

Not sure of your dates actually MrMH..........we arrive on the 9th and leave on the 27th........

I read you were going September when you were chatting with mac about going before HHN........

 

[Mad Hattered]

Not sure of your dates actually MrMH..........we arrive on the 9th and leave on the 27th........

I read you were going September when you were chatting with mac about going before HHN........

We arrive on the 9th! WOOHOO! We will have to chat a bit later when the trip gets closer. I should be easy to spot...I will be wearing a big hat and bushy red hair.

 

[schumigirl]

We arrive on the 9th! WOOHOO! We will have to chat a bit later when the trip gets closer. I should be easy to spot...I will be wearing a big hat and bushy red hair.

Yay.........Think I may recognise you

No, I think I remember you from your pictures ages ago.

Yep, will chat later

Sorry for going

 

[ArwenMarie]

We did a Universal-only trip in February (5 nights, so four full park days) and it was awesome. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. No stress. I still like the Disney parks a bit more, but as a whole experience, Universal-onsite blows Disney away. Hotel was better, food was better, and no planning was amazing.

I'm kind of glad we did it that way for the first time instead of trying to mix Disney and Uni. I think because we committed to a decent length of stay at UOR and all onsite, we really gave Universal a chance to grow on us, and it did. Sometimes I think people who just visit for a day don't get the full experience and then compare it to the full experience at WDW, which is kind of an unfair comparison.

Our next trip is in August and we are splitting the trip, half onsite at UOR and then half offsite and we will see Disney from offsite. So that will be a nice mix too. But I'm still glad we took that Universal-only trip!

 

[macraven]

schumi, i think you know everyone across the continent........

 

[phamton]

I scrolled to the top of this page .....yep it reads DIS BOARDS . And who says I haven't been to uni ?

Yes, this is the Disboard and there are different forums for different topics. Not every forum is about WDW. I certainly don't post on the WISH board when I am not on a diet, or on the DVC unless I want to rent or buy DVC, etc. This forum is about Universal and Islands of Adventure. There are over 25 forums that deal strictly with Disney and only 3 that deal strictly with Universal. This is a place for us to help others plan their vacations to Universal. Honestly if you have no plans to visit Universal or have never been, I don't see why you would even want to participate on this forum. If you have been and have some complaints, we are very tolerant of that but to enter a discussion just to bash Universal is not the way we play over here.

And to clarify the wait times. You will notice that Islands does not have the wait times as Universal right now. With the opening of a new themed area (harry potter) at Universal, it is crazy busy right now. I was at MK when Fantasyland was opening. It was the off-season and I had family visiting. We planned November because of the smaller crowds but Fantasyland opening caused huge crowds. That is just how things go at themeparks and I certainly didn't fault Disney for the wait times. But my scariest time ever at a themepark happened during fireworks that night at MK. I really thought my grandkids and I were going to be crushed. I am used to huge crowds but this time was truly scary. But I still don't blame Disney, they were trying to do crowd control but no one was listening.

ETA: I can understand the disagreement with the OP if they had posted this on one of the WDW planning forums. But they posted it here on the Universal forums among fans of Universal. I can imagine the uproar if this post was on another forum.

 

[macraven]

We did a Universal-only trip in February (5 nights, so four full park days) and it was awesome. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. No stress. I still like the Disney parks a bit more, but as a whole experience, Universal-onsite blows Disney away. Hotel was better, food was better, and no planning was amazing.

I'm kind of glad we did it that way for the first time instead of trying to mix Disney and Uni. I think because we committed to a decent length of stay at UOR and all onsite, we really gave Universal a chance to grow on us, and it did. Sometimes I think people who just visit for a day don't get the full experience and then compare it to the full experience at WDW, which is kind of an unfair comparison.

Our next trip is in August and we are splitting the trip, half onsite at UOR and then half offsite and we will see Disney from offsite. So that will be a nice mix too. But I'm still glad we took that Universal-only trip!

that was my thought also.
only doing a one day visit and probably not staying onsite, limits what you can get out of the parks.
you can miss out what the park has to offer when you need to rush to cover both parks at the darkside.

 

[RMulieri]

We did a Universal-only trip in February (5 nights, so four full park days) and it was awesome. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. No stress. I still like the Disney parks a bit more, but as a whole experience, Universal-onsite blows Disney away. Hotel was better, food was better, and no planning was amazing.

I'm kind of glad we did it that way for the first time instead of trying to mix Disney and Uni. I think because we committed to a decent length of stay at UOR and all onsite, we really gave Universal a chance to grow on us, and it did. Sometimes I think people who just visit for a day don't get the full experience and then compare it to the full experience at WDW, which is kind of an unfair comparison.

Our next trip is in August and we are splitting the trip, half onsite at UOR and then half offsite and we will see Disney from offsite. So that will be a nice mix too. But I'm still glad we took that Universal-only trip!

I agree with this..My neighbor is case in point..Die-hard WDW fan and spent one very busy, very crowded day at Uni trying to cram both parks.Needless to say she had absolutely NOTHING nice to say about Uni when she came home

 

[sydneysmom]

We did a Universal-only trip in February (5 nights, so four full park days) and it was awesome. It was relaxing and fun at the same time. No stress. I still like the Disney parks a bit more, but as a whole experience, Universal-onsite blows Disney away. Hotel was better, food was better, and no planning was amazing.

I'm kind of glad we did it that way for the first time instead of trying to mix Disney and Uni. I think because we committed to a decent length of stay at UOR and all onsite, we really gave Universal a chance to grow on us, and it did. Sometimes I think people who just visit for a day don't get the full experience and then compare it to the full experience at WDW, which is kind of an unfair comparison.

Our next trip is in August and we are splitting the trip, half onsite at UOR and then half offsite and we will see Disney from offsite. So that will be a nice mix too. But I'm still glad we took that Universal-only trip!

that's part of why we decided to do "Universal only" for this trip. We've done Disney twice now, so for us, Universal is TOTALLY new and different and exciting. So we're going to do 7 nights/ 8 days and maybe out of that, do 1-2 days at Seaworld. (1 for sure though). I'm so excited for doing something different. I still love all things Disney, but this is kind of like 'taking a break from the magic we know' to 'take a little stroll on the wild side'. And that being said, I think it's okay to love both..... there doesn't have to be a choice. To me, they seems SO different. So to be able to have done both, that's pretty awesome. I'm just looking forward to not having to keep up with ADR's or fast passes or anything.... I want to just ride some rides!!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Yes, this is the Disboard and there are different forums for different topics. Not every forum is about WDW. I certainly don't post on the WISH board when I am not on a diet, or on the DVC unless I want to rent or buy DVC, etc. This forum is about Universal and Islands of Adventure. There are over 25 forums that deal strictly with Disney and only 3 that deal strictly with Universal. This is a place for us to help others plan their vacations to Universal. Honestly if you have no plans to visit Universal or have never been, I don't see why you would even want to participate on this forum. If you have been and have some complaints, we are very tolerant of that but to enter a discussion just to bash Universal is not the way we play over here.

I never understood why some people like to stir the pot , particularly when they have no personal experience but love to say Universal is no better than Six Flags. Why can't we enjoy and appreciate both?

I have always had great vacations to both places, but having actually been to both several times (but less than many here), Universal requires much less planning to enjoy rides that are just as awesome and theming that is more immersive. Dining is easier, waits are better when you stay onsite, the deluxe resorts are better priced and offer better service and perks. Spending several days at the Universal resorts is far more relaxing than the Disney resorts, but I enjoy both places.

 

[schumigirl]

I never understood why some people like to stir the pot , particularly when they have no personal experience but love to say Universal is no better than Six Flags. Why can't we enjoy and appreciate both?
.

Absolutely.

Yes you can appreciate both as you do........there are lots of people who post predominantly on the Universal boards, but regularly visit Disney also.

We personally don't go to Disney and haven't since 2009........I don't feel the need to go and announce that on the Disney side of the boards.......why would I .......who would care really? It would only serve to incite bad feeling and sadly I think some people seem to enjoy that by posting negative nonsense over on these boards.

Do I think Disney has it's faults.....yes I do. But apart from hearing friends and relatives personal negative experiences recently, i haven't been, so would never really comment on it on the Disney boards as it's not a personal experience.

I also know it's a beautiful place to visit, but it's not for us anymore. But I won't bash Disney to death telling anyone who will listen.

Glad you enjoyed your time at Universal

 

[OOMHS]

I was a single mom when we lived in Florida, and would take my DD and sometimes my 2 nieces to WDW and US/IoA as frequently as money allowed. Once they were tall enough to do the thrill rides, none of them wanted to do WDW anymore and we started only doing US/IoA. We recently did a day trip to WDW as an add-on to a US/IoA trip and realized we'd never go back. It has some fantastic rides and we formed many great memories in those early years, but I just can't deal with strollers EVERYWHERE and the lack of EE/EP, and I just feel much more at home onsite at US/IoA. A woman we rode one of the boats with was a die-hard WDW fan who had finally done her first day at US/IoA and she couldn't stand it and spent the whole boat ride spelling all the ways out that WDW is better and you know, that's just the way it goes. Not everyone likes the same things and thank goodness for that or lines would be even longer at that ONE perfect place.