Universal Newbie - I have 2 questions

[apirateslifeforme]

We are planning a 2-day trip to Universal in February 2019. DH last visited 15 years ago, and it will be the 1st time for me and our son, who will be 3 1/2 at that point. I have 2 questions:

1. We will need 2 day, 2 park, park-to-park tickets. I see that Orlando Ticket Center has them for $25-30 less than buying direct from Universal or AAA. Are they legit...is there a catch? Seems too good to be true...

2. I know there's a height requirement for rides like Minions and Spider-Man, and our son may not hit it by then anyway (he's 37 1/4" now), but even if he does, what about weight/overall size? He's very thin - 27 lbs.; he currently wears a 2T top and 18 months shorts - and I worry that he still might be too small for any safety restraints they might have. (Don't worry, I'm not going to be one of those parents that tries to make him taller so he can get on the ride - if he's too small, he's too small and we'll try again in a few years )

Thanks in advance!

 

[MarBee]

We are planning a 2-day trip to Universal in February 2019. DH last visited 15 years ago, and it will be the 1st time for me and our son, who will be 3 1/2 at that point. I have 2 questions:

1. We will need 2 day, 2 park, park-to-park tickets. I see that Orlando Ticket Center has them for $25-30 less than buying direct from Universal or AAA. Are they legit...is there a catch? Seems too good to be true...

2. I know there's a height requirement for rides like Minions and Spider-Man, and our son may not hit it by then anyway (he's 37 1/4" now), but even if he does, what about weight/overall size? He's very thin - 27 lbs.; he currently wears a 2T top and 18 months shorts - and I worry that he still might be too small for any safety restraints they might have. (Don't worry, I'm not going to be one of those parents that tries to make him taller so he can get on the ride - if he's too small, he's too small and we'll try again in a few years )

Thanks in advance!

1) I don’t know about that particular seller, but check out Undercover Tourist. That’s who we got ours through and it was a significant discount!
2) most of the rides are the virtual reality type rides. So while you’re watching a screen where it makes you feel like you’re on a roller coaster, you’re not actually moving much in your car. He will be totally fine!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[nighttowll]

We always use AAA or Undercover Tourist for our tickets. I’m not familiar with the company you listed. Hopefully, someone else can advise you on that.

As far as seat restraints. If your son doesn’t meet the height requirement for Minions, you can still experience the attraction by using the stationary seating. Anyone can sit on the benches in the front, and the great thing about it is there’s never a line for those. You can simply walk up to the attendant at the front and tell them you’d like to sit in the stationary seating, and they will send you right in bypassing the usual 45 minute + wait.

With Spiderman and Transformers (same ride vehicle), the restraint consists of a single bar that goes across all the people in the row. I honestly think the bar is pointless. It can only come down as far as the largest adult in the row. Because I’m a smaller adult, it usually comes no where near me and does nothing to hold me in place. Even if your son was way over the height requirement, the bar would probably not come anywhere close to touching him or holding him in place. You really have to be able to sit up well on your own and hold yourself in place. My guess is the height requirement is more to ensure you can see over the seats in front of you as a small child probably wouldn’t be able to see much at all if they weren’t tall enough.

If Spiderman is a favorite, there is a meet-n-greet you can do. There is also a cool green screen you pose in front of, and they will insert special effects such as you shooting webs out into the pictures. Spiderman is also one of the characters at the Marvel Character Dining experience.


Back to restraints, here’s a list of the types of restraints each ride has to give you a better idea of how secure he’d be in each type.

Over the Shoulder Restraint (over individual)

• Hulk
• Forbidden Journey (Note: parents cannot see child sitting beside them)
• Dr. Doom’s Fearfall

Lap Restraint (belt or bar over individual)

• Rip Ride Rockit
• Mummy
• Gringotts
• Men in Black
• Trolley Train Ride
• E. T.
• Jimmy Fallon

Lap Bar (one restraint over whole row)

• Spiderman
• Transformers
• Simpsons
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster
• Despicable Me (Minions)
• Cat in the Hat
• Kang and Kudos (belt)
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (belt)

No Restraint

• Storm Force Acceleration
• Fast and the Furious
• Kong
• Hogwarts Express