This mom needs planning help please!!

[chuckabone]

Hello, for the past 2 years we have gone to Disney with no issues. This Christmas and New Years we are going to US/IOA and for some reason I am having a hard time with planning. I cant seem to wrap my head around how things work there. If I understand correctly I need tickets for both parks if we want to do a Harry Potter ride and then another ticket for City Walk? Do they offer something similar to fast passes? Do I need dining reservations for dining? If so can I do it online? I dont understand how this can be so confusing for me....lol Thanks in advance...

 

[bumbershoot]

You dont need a ticket for citywalk. It's a place like Disney springs.

You need the "park to park" ticket to hop. Since the Hogwarts Express is a means of getting from one park to the other, you need the ticket that allows entrance to both parks. (If you've been to Disneyland, it's like the monorail where you need a ticket to get on it because it's a way of entering the park.)

Planning is way more relaxed than for Disney. I have never made a dining reservation for our uni trips.

 

[bumbershoot]

You might have seen something like a CW ticket, but it's for the nightclubs at night once they require a cover charge. On a family trip you're probably not going to be using that.

Uni has Express Pass. You can buy it at the parks, you can bundle it with your ticket. You pay per person per day that you want it. You can get unlimited OR one use per ride.

Many of us urge checking loewshotels.com to check Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel, and Portofino Bay Hotel. Because those three resorts offer unlimited Express Pass to each registered guest from the moment you check in until park close the day you check out. You also get Early Entrance to a Wizarding World each day staying onsite at those three plus Canana Bay Resort and Sapphire Falls resort.

Express Pass is good on every ride and attraction/show except the Gringotts ride, Forbidden Journey, Ollivanders wand shop Show, Pteranodon Flyers (which has confusing height min and max), and the "Twirl and Hurl" ride in the Simpsons area. . It's good on everything else!

 

[Lynne G]

Oh, and since Universal does not own the hotels, there is a fee to park at the hotel or at CityWalk. CityWalk is between the two parks. And since that time is as crazy as in Disney, I would absolutely make restaurant reservations. Trouble is, not all have the same 60 day before. You can make restaurant reservations on Universal's website, and opentable.com.

I highly suggest staying at one of the 3 hotels that have an unlimited express pass as a perk for staying there. Plus, all three are an easy walk or boat ride to CityWalk, where you then access both parks.

Check the stickies out here. Lots of great information. Also, check and explore Universal's website. Lots of great information there too. Many of us book the hotel with Loews and buy tickets from an authorized ticket seller, like undercovertourist or maple leaf tickets. Bundles of hotel and tickets are not always the cheapest and they have change and cancellation fees. Room only has a more generous change and cancel terms.

When you have a better idea of what you need help on, ask away. We're a friendly bunch of Universal fans. We fondly call it the darkside, as many find it more less known than Disney, the motherland.

And have an awesome time, we love the parks during the holidays. I'll be up the street, at Sea World during that time, but be sure, since I have an Universal AP, we will come to CityWalk once or twice, to play mini golf and enjoy some of the restaurants.

 

[macraven]

Christmas to ny day will be packed

If you stay onsite at the deluxe hotels you will have free unlimited ep

If you stay offsite buy the ep soon as they are available as ep prices increased the closer it gets to those dates

Have fun there during the holiday period!

 

[klacey1]

PP answered your questions, but I just wanted to say, obviously you're aware of the crowds situation because you usually go to Disney at this time. Yes, the parks will be nuts, BUT Universal is so awesome for the holidays. I spent Christmas Day & Boxing Day there in 2014 and with Express Pass (we stayed at Royal Pacific, which was shockingly affordable for Christmas night), we were able to do everything we wanted, from our favorite rides to happening upon cute holiday displays, like a troop of snow men tap dancing. (Sounds weird, was adorable!) The decor in the parks is really nice, especially in the New York section of UO.