Trip is in 2 weeks and I feel so unprepared. Questions!

[MelaBella]

Okay, so we will be visiting the Darkside two weeks from Friday for a few nights and I'm feeling very unprepared. Our travel party consists of me, my husband, our 16 year-old daughter, and her (also 16 year-old) friend. The original purpose of the trip was a super quick, super budget trip to Harry Potter land for the girls. Things have spiraled a bit, as they do, and we are also visiting WDW for 6 nights.

We have a Cabana Bay tower family suite for 3 nights (8/21 - 8/24). I need to purchase our tickets from UT ASAP. Can the UT tickets be upgraded at the gate? I am getting the girls the 2 day P2P with the 3rd day free. My husband and I only plan to visit the park one day, so I'm just getting us the 1 day P2P. If we decide to do more than 1 day can we upgrade when we get there? Can we add an additional day after we have already gone inside the park? What if I decide to get the girls and extra day? I cannot find a 4 day price on the Universal Orlando site.

Can anyone give me a ballpark price on the Harry Potter ID/ticket lanyards when purchased in the parks/at the resort? I'm trying to buy online in advance, but they still seem to be pricey.

I think I heard somewhere that you can rent a cabana by the pool for the day? Can I do this in advance or do I have to wait until I get there? How much is it?

Same for bowling - can I make a lane reservation now and how much is it?

I am bringing inner tubes and Starbucks gift cards for the girls and each will have their own money for Harry Potter souvenirs.

We plan to eat at the two Harry Potter restaurants (both are quick service? reservations aren't needed?), Mythos, and The Kitchen. Maybe Cowfish too; we've been there and done that already. I read that The Kitchen has character meals between 6pm and 9pm, but what characters? Is a reservation needed for a Friday or Sunday night?

Is the Cinematic show in the park every night? The Universal sight says it should be at 9pm during our days there, but I read somewhere that they don't do it every night.

Photos - I read something about Photoconnect which sounds like Memory Maker but can't find any other info. Also, something about a special Harry Potter photo session? Any discounts available for these?

I am trying to come up with a gift basket of sorts to give them upon arrival in the room (i.e., the lanyards, Starbucks cards, inner tubes, etc.). Any ideas for the basket or even just for our time at Universal would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to make this part of the trip special for them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this ridiculously long post!!

 

[macraven]

you can add days to your ticket so it would be cheaper to do that then to buy another day for the parks.
do this before the park closes on the day you are there.
go to guest services in the park.

once the park closes that one day you are there, you can't add a day to what you have.

for the girls, you can upgrade to a power pass if they need more than 3 days in the parks.

photoconnect, check some of the other threads that are in this forum.
some are on page 2 and not the first page.
do a search in the upper right hand box for them.

 

[damo]

Okay, so we will be visiting the Darkside two weeks from Friday for a few nights and I'm feeling very unprepared. Our travel party consists of me, my husband, our 16 year-old daughter, and her (also 16 year-old) friend. The original purpose of the trip was a super quick, super budget trip to Harry Potter land for the girls. Things have spiraled a bit, as they do, and we are also visiting WDW for 6 nights.

We have a Cabana Bay tower family suite for 3 nights (8/21 - 8/24). I need to purchase our tickets from UT ASAP. Can the UT tickets be upgraded at the gate? I am getting the girls the 2 day P2P with the 3rd day free. My husband and I only plan to visit the park one day, so I'm just getting us the 1 day P2P. If we decide to do more than 1 day can we upgrade when we get there? Can we add an additional day after we have already gone inside the park? What if I decide to get the girls and extra day? I cannot find a 4 day price on the Universal Orlando site.

Can anyone give me a ballpark price on the Harry Potter ID/ticket lanyards when purchased in the parks/at the resort? I'm trying to buy online in advance, but they still seem to be pricey.

I think I heard somewhere that you can rent a cabana by the pool for the day? Can I do this in advance or do I have to wait until I get there? How much is it?

Same for bowling - can I make a lane reservation now and how much is it?

I am bringing inner tubes and Starbucks gift cards for the girls and each will have their own money for Harry Potter souvenirs.

We plan to eat at the two Harry Potter restaurants (both are quick service? reservations aren't needed?), Mythos, and The Kitchen. Maybe Cowfish too; we've been there and done that already. I read that The Kitchen has character meals between 6pm and 9pm, but what characters? Is a reservation needed for a Friday or Sunday night?

Is the Cinematic show in the park every night? The Universal sight says it should be at 9pm during our days there, but I read somewhere that they don't do it every night.

Photos - I read something about Photoconnect which sounds like Memory Maker but can't find any other info. Also, something about a special Harry Potter photo session? Any discounts available for these?

I am trying to come up with a gift basket of sorts to give them upon arrival in the room (i.e., the lanyards, Starbucks cards, inner tubes, etc.). Any ideas for the basket or even just for our time at Universal would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to make this part of the trip special for them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this ridiculously long post!!

For your times there, you can probably wait to make your reservations once you get there. If the website says cinematic while you are there, it should happen unless there is rain or high winds. I haven't heard about any discounts for the Harry Potter photo. We just got it with our photoconnect. There is info here ... https://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/Photo-Connect.aspx

Lanyard prices will be the same as quoted on the website in their shopping section.

You might want to be safe and book your cabana ahead of time. I'd book your bowling once you get there.

You might want to look at the dining plan for them if you are planning on eating quick service at Three Broomsticks and Leaky Cauldron. It might be a bit cheaper.

If you want something cool for them, go and do Ollivanders first thing in the morning before anyone else is doing it. Maybe you guys will be the only ones and they'll both get picked. Do the one in Diagon since there are multiple rooms.

 

[MelaBella]

Thank you macraven and damo for your quick replies. I didn't realize the Universal site had merchandise for sale on it. Their lanyards are actually cheaper than most on eBay or Amazon!

 

[macraven]

We plan to eat at the two Harry Potter restaurants (both are quick service? reservations aren't needed?), Mythos, and The Kitchen. Maybe Cowfish too; we've been there and done that already. I read that The Kitchen has character meals between 6pm and 9pm, but what characters? Is a reservation needed for a Friday or Sunday night?


I am trying to come up with a gift basket of sorts to give them upon arrival in the room (i.e., the lanyards, Starbucks cards, inner tubes, etc.). Any ideas for the basket or even just for our time at Universal would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to make this part of the trip special for them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this ridiculously long post!!

came back as i missed a question.
all 3 of the deluxe hotels have character dining.
i know rpr has it twice in a week on the rotation.

character dining is at the hotel's main restaurant
you order off the menu and your bill is for what you order for the group.
the characters come around at a set time to all the diners in the restaurant.

the trainer with the characters will do the talking.
you can get all the pictures you want of them so bring your camera or cell phone for that.
there is no special picture package for this.
it is great character interactions with them.

since you are going during a crowded park time, might as well make a reservation.
i have never made one even for a saturday night and had no issues getting seated.
but, it wasn't in the summer months.

check the menus at the three hotel restaurants and choose the menu you like best.
you can take the water taxi from city walk to reach the hotels.

or you can use the sedans at the hotel to travel to the other ones unless they are stopping that due to the new program of shuttle transportation from each of the hotels.

check the hours and places for the character dining when you check into your hotel.
it sometimes changes and characters can change.
the front desk at your hotel will be able to give you current info on which hotel will host the characters on the dates you will be there.
it rotates each week and the characters should be the same all week.

in the past, i have seen scooby do, shaggy, fred flintstone, minioinions, and for some reason, my mind is blank on the others i have seen....

there are gift baskets at rpr that can be ordered in advance but some of them can be pricey.
better to create your own basket for the girls.

you can ship a box down to the hotel in advance or bring the items with you in your suitcase.

if the girls like parry hotter, you can order from jelly belly and have it sent to you at home or the hotel.
i just went there yesterday and bought parry hotter frogs, jelly beans that are harry potter merch like they have in the parks.
so much cheaper at the outlet store that is near me.
but they only carry the frogs and beans there nothing else hp.


or you could send the girls to the park the first day you arrive and you and husband go to city walk and buy hp stuff from the city walk universal store.
quite a bit of merch there.
take it back to your room and surprise the girls for when they return to the hotel room with the gift basket.

i bought the HE train, lanyard, cups, writing pads, key chains that were potter stuff there last year.
they have clothing also for sale.

 

[sk8jdgca]

mac raven, you mention an outlet store. Is there a Universal outlet store? Where is it?

 

[macraven]

the outlet store i mentioned is the Jelly Belly store that is in pleasant prairie wisconsin.
jelly belly has a store in california and another in WI.

they sell harry potter candies that are the chocolate frogs and jelly beans in hp boxes.
go to jellybelly.com and you can see the two items they carry in the outlet store.

i'm about a 10 minute drive from that place.

if you are flying into MCO, there is a Universal store in the airport that carries quite a bit of HP items.
you could have the girls and your husband go to the luggage carousel for the bags and you could make an excuse and disappear to the Universal store to buy things there that are HP or UO items.
but for now, you could order merch at the online Universal store for lanyards, etc.


came back to add it is bertie beans at the jelly belly store.
i enjoy all the potterland stuff, rides, shows, foods, atmosphere, but never watched the movies or read the books.
therefore, i am a true muggle and don't know all the language of those weird foods others talk about.
such as vomit beans, etc.....

 

[MelaBella]

Thanks, again! We are driving down and I will plan to have the gift baskets ready and with me. We will probably arrive late on Friday, so won't be going to the parks that day. I am thinking we will hit the pool, then do dinner and bowling on the first day/night.

 

[Cuchman]

Good luck with your trip, and thanks all for your answers to Melabella's questions. My family is going a few days after you leave, MelaBella, and we're als staying at Cabana Bay.
Looking forward to hearing how things go for you.