Universal/IOA Questions for Older Visitors (long)

[billa]

Hi,

Hopefully these questions haven't been asked a hundred times. My wife and I (both in our mid 60's) are heading to Universal/IOA on Thursday, January 24th. We will be able to get to the parks about noon. We can stay Thursday, Friday, and even Saturday if there are lots of things we still want to see. We are planning to book a hotel fairly close to the parks.

Here are some of my questions:

Is there an advantage to taking a taxi from the hotel to the park rather than driving or taking the shuttle? Can a taxi get you closer so you don't have so much walking just to get to the park?

The plan is to go to IOA on that Thursday and stay till closing. Since we won't be getting there till noon, is there normally a time of day when the lines for Harry Potter are a little shorter? We expect to spend a good bit of time in line at Harry Potter.

I am a pretty big Harry Potter fan so the only things we have on our list at IOA are the Harry Potter area, Spiderman, Poseidon's Fury, and Eighth Voyage of Sinbad. Is this too aggressive or should we be looking at others attractions as well?

We will have a full day on Friday at US. Our list right now includes:

Despicable Me
Disaster
Shrek 4D
Terminator
Twister
Blues Brothers
Horror Makeup Show

Again, is this too aggressive or should we be looking at others attractions as well?

We purchased the "park hopper" tickets so we can go back to one or both of the parks on Saturday.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Taking a taxi or shuttle will have you dropped off at a point that's a bit closer to CityWalk, but it doesn't exponentially cut down the walking time as you still have to walk through CityWalk. I still prefer to be dropped off, though.

The parks are going to be very slow when you're visiting so you'll definitely have time for everything you want to do, and probably more! I wouldn't even expect the lines in the Wizarding World to be too bad. Wait to go to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (the big ride in the castle) in the evening. You'll probably walk right on. Have fun!

 

[billa]

Hi BrinkofSunshine and thanks for the quick reply.

I hope you are right about the crowds when we are there. I have been looking at an app on my phone today that tells the wait times on the different rides and the Harry Potter varied between 30 and 45 minutes most of the day.

Since we won't get to Orlando till about noon, we will have missed the hotel shuttle so we will either drive and park or find a taxi.

Any other tips are appreciated.

 

[Metro West]

Hello Mr. Bill.

I think your Friday plan at the Studios is fine as the park won't be very busy that day...although Fridays are a bit busier than midweek days...still no worries.

You should be able to take your time and fully enjoy everything you want to do. You might want to add Animal Actors and E.T. to your list if you find you have the time. Animal Actors is a cute show but not very long...it's a nice place to rest for a while and the animals are pretty entertaining. E.T. is a main stay of the Studios and its a nice attraction to relax and slow down.

 

[cheerky]

My mom is in her 60s and is a bit of a dare devil as she still rides the coasters. But, she also really enjoyed the street entertainment in the Studios, grabbing a beer at the pub and the whole ambiance of the park.

In IOA, she loved Toon Lagoon. She loved all of the comic strip stuff. Also, Suess Landing is adorable. Harry Potter is breathtaking. You will love it.

I hope you have the best time!

 

[hydrotony]

Your IOA agenda seems OK. First, do Spiderman when you arrive, it is near the front and somewhat away from all the other attractions you listed. If it is your first Spiderman, go through the regular line to see the news room sets. Second trip through, use the single rider line. I always do 2 Spiderman rides single rider when I first enter.

Potter, Fury, and Sindbad are all next to each other so you can migrate through them as you will. The Forbidden Journey ride is usually much less busy the last 2 hours of the park. Olivanders wand shop show always has a line but the show is short and if there are less than 100 people in line, it would be worth the wait (maybe 40 minutes) to see at least once.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

We were just in US/IOA this week. Our first day there, lines at Forbidden Journey went up to 1 hour. But later in the week, it was only ever 40 minutes at the most (most times it was around 30 minutues). So you should do well there.

We were fairly disappointed in both Poseidon and Sinbad.

On Friday, we did Despicable Me, Rip Ride Rockit, Mummy, Men In Black, and Simpsons before 10:00! We just walked on every one of those!

Have a great trip!

 

[macraven]

Sinbad is a hoot !!

if you do that show, sit in the middle section about 7-8 rows up by the platform.

you will catch a lot of the show that is held there and still have a great view of the action in front of you.

try to spend some time siting on the rock wall around the Mystic Fountain.
the Rock will talk to anyone that is facing 'him'.



if you are into shows, try Horror Make Up Show, Animal Actors show at the studios.

hang around Boulangerie outside at the tables and chairs.
you will see marilyn monroe, Lucy and Ricky and other 'celebrities' besides the cartoon characters.

hope you have loads of fun.
if walking is an issue, there are plenty of places in both parks to sit down and people watch.

 

[dreamscometrue47]

If walking is an issue for you, think about renting ECV's. You can reserve them a week in advance by calling the parks' Guest Services. I am in my late 50's, (used to walk all of the time), had back surgery and am back to walking short distances. however, I can't stand for long periods of time and can't walk long distances without stopping and stretching. The ECV was my best friend.

Your plan looks great. I would also agree that Sinbad is a hoot..and should be seen at least once. Poseidon's Fury was fun too; remember you stand the entire time, so if you are tired, wait for the next show.

Walk through Seuss Landing at least. It has incredible eye appeal. We rode the Trolley, Carousuess-el and Cat in the Hat. Be prepared for spinning on the Cat in the Hat! Toon Lagoon is great to walk through too; you feel like you've landed in the Sunday comics.

We also watched and enjoyed Fear Factor Live. Walk through Tribute to Lucy; you'll come out with a smile.

Have a great trip!