To Universal or Not Universal?

[utkscvol1]

Can you leave the parks throughout the day and go to the citywalk to eat and then re-enter the park? We are frequent visitors to margarittaville.

 

[Planogirl]

Can you leave the parks throughout the day and go to the citywalk to eat and then re-enter the park? We are frequent visitors to margarittaville.

You can leave and re-enter the parks as much as you wish. We normally eat lunch at Citywalk and it's usually at Margaritaville!

 

[Planogirl]

Are you talking about the food quality/selection/taste, the restaurant location/seating, the lineups, the price, or all of the above?

Are there any CS locations in USF/IOA which you would particularly recommend to visit or avoid?

Thunder Falls Terrace in Jurassic Park is very good. We find the burgers and the like to be about the same at both resorts.

 

[lisaross]

i will be in sept. for 3 full days...which park do you think deserves 2 full days or should we do 1 1/2 at each park? we'll be in sept. when the parks close at 6p?

thanx will be staying at hrh so have fotl

lisa

 

[orlando-rocks]

Our girls are 13 & 11 and love universal/islands of adventure, they much prefer them to Disney, the rides are far better than what Disney have to offer if you like thrill rides, we have annual passes for both parks and visit everytime we are in Orlando! We find the both parks very clean and the staff very hekpful! Can't wait to get back in 3 weeks time!

 

[AmericanDreams]

Never been to Universal Fla but i picture it being dirty and lame. Will for sure have to go when Wizarding World opens. Hope it's not dirty and lame.

The whole Universal complex is very clean, perhaps more so than the Disney parks. I've been there countless times as well as Disney and they are both amazing places and each one has different things that make them so enjoyable. I would highly recommend you take a visit to UO and see things for yourself. It's really not what you're picturing it to be, believe me

 

[AmericanDreams]

Can you leave the parks throughout the day and go to the citywalk to eat and then re-enter the park? We are frequent visitors to margarittaville.

You sure can. Just remember to get your hand stamped if you're going back in

 

[Planogirl]

i will be in sept. for 3 full days...which park do you think deserves 2 full days or should we do 1 1/2 at each park? we'll be in sept. when the parks close at 6p?

thanx will be staying at hrh so have fotl

lisa

It depends on your own tastes. We normally get the 7 day passes and run back and forth between both parks. If we go for three days we would probably end up devoting the time for a full day to IOA and two days to the Studios. We just prefer the attractions and overall atmosphere of the Studios. However, MANY people prefer IOA.

You might want to try a morning at IOA and a morning at Universal and see what you like best. If your passes allow you visit more than one park in a day so much the better. With FOTL you'll have an easy time of it.

Be sure to allow time for the great pools. We loved the HRH pool and the RPR pool was nice too. We never saw the main PFB pool so can't comment on that one.

 

[scrabblegirl]

Are there any CS locations in USF/IOA which you would particularly recommend to visit or avoid?

We were disappointed with International Food and Film Festival at USF. We thought it was very bland and the line was really long. It wasn't terrible, but we regretted going there once we got deeper into the park and saw other options. It definitely was not worth the long wait.

 

[Metro West]

Are there any CS locations in USF/IOA which you would particularly recommend to visit or avoid?

I would strongly recommend Mythos (table service) and Thunder Falls Terrace at IOA and Louie's and Finnegan's (table service) at the Studios.

 

[JeNScHuB]

I haven't been to Florida since 2000....however i would not even think about coming to Florida and not going to Universal Studios for at least one day. This park is soooo much fun. It's definately NOT Disney, but wonderful in it's own way.
Islands of adventure's decor is just amazing...you actually feel as if you are in a book! I'm disappointed to find out we will not be there for the Wizarding world opening but we are now thinking of leaving from Fl when we cruise next year and taking a drive out to see it. Kind of like a mini vacation before the cruise!
I say definately give it a try...i think your kids will love it! And you too of course!
The only thing i don't like is that you have to pay for a fast pass, and in the summer lines are LONG!!!!!!!

 

[torinsmom]

We are at Universal now, just finishing up our first visit here. DS14 and I had a great time! It was definitely different than Disney, but not in a bad way. There aren't as many kiddie rides, but with kids your childrens' ages, I think that will be a good thing. There are a lot of rides that will be fun for the whole family, like Shrek, Jaws, Men in Black, Sinmpsons, NIcktoons and then there are some great coasters if you are into those.

I was really concerned about there being no fast passes(could not pay $50 each for Express and we did not stay on site), but we just got there t opening and started at the back of the park(Simpsons) and had very little wait for the first hour or so. We also discovered that the single rider line was a real time saver on rides like Men in Black, SPiderman and Revenge of the Mummy. With 2 adults and 2 kids, just send one adult, then the kids, then the second adult. That way, someone is always with the kids except when they are one the ride. Truth be told, DS and I were in the same car 1/2 the time, just in different rows.

(just saw you have FOTL, but you still might consider single rider at times. Seemed like the single rider line moved about twice as fast as the express for the MIB ride)

If you get there early, you can get most of the rides in the 2 parks done in one day. Try to do the most popular rides early in the morning and late in the evening. I think two days would be better, or maybe just one full day and another morning or evening.

Marsha

 

[Metro West]

I'm disappointed to find out we will not be there for the Wizarding world opening but we are now thinking of leaving from Fl when we cruise next year and taking a drive out to see it.

I'm excited about HP next year...even though I haven't seen any movies or read any of the books but I'm already dreading the crowds.

 

[Qtips4Mick]

Can you tell me how I go about making a reservation for breakfast with Spiderman? I should know this but this is very last minute and can't find the info. TIA!

 

[utkscvol1]

My kids will want to do pics with the characters and get autographs. So I'm thinking we might need to do 2 days. My youngest isn't into BIG rides. She doesn't like the big thrill rides so I'm a little worried about that.

 

[Kaler131]

Are you talking about the food quality/selection/taste, the restaurant location/seating, the lineups, the price, or all of the above?

Are there any CS locations in USF/IOA which you would particularly recommend to visit or avoid?

Unfortunately all of the above. BUT...we really like the food at City Walk (Maragritaville, Pastamore, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.) but it's more expensive than the CS in the parks...but MUCH better!! The good thing is that it is sooo easy to leave the parks and eat at Cit Walk because it is right there outside the park enterances!!

 

[CarolinaGirlTiss]

We just left Universal and a must see is the Horror Makeup Show. Fantastic. We saw it twice. Liked it better the first time (different host and guest) but really enjoyed it both times.

 

[phamton]

Can you tell me how I go about making a reservation for breakfast with Spiderman? I should know this but this is very last minute and can't find the info. TIA!

Click here for phone number and email:

http://www.universalorlando.com/character_dining.html It's not just a Spiderman breakfast anymore so be sure you check to make sure Spiderman will be there.