My son (9th grade) and I (mom) just got back from 4 nights in Orlando. We split our stay between Universal and Disney. It was the first time either of us had been to Universal Orlando, though I've been to Universal in California. We had the best time!
Here are some of my comments:
Royal Pacific:
We had a 2-night stay at the RPH and we have only good things to say about it. I thought the decor, inside and out, was beautiful. I especially liked the thatched huts around the pool and all the tropical vegetation.
The walkway to the parks and City Walk was very nice -- we preferred walking, though the water taxi was nice, too.
If you go to the RPH, be sure to get the Loew's card. Coming back to our room and finding 2 pitchers of ice-cold milk and 2 plates of cookies was one of the highlights of our stay!! (And take your AAA card if you have one because you'll get discounts in the hotel and in the parks -- restaurants, shops, etc.)
The Parks:
I think the rides and attractions at both parks rate an A+. Our favorite ride overall was Spiderman -- it was just awesome. Overall, though, we enjoyed Universal studios more than IOA.
The rides there are not your usual type of rides -- they are all really unique experiences. We loved Back to the Future, T-2 and Men in Black, but I think we liked the more old-fashioned special effects kinds of attractions even better (Twister, Jaws, Earthquake). We thought both the makeup show and the Alfred Hitchcock show were very well done. My son also loved seeing all the movie cars on display -- we have pictures of all of those!
City Walk:
I liked the City Walk in California better - it seemed to have a lot more shops. This one is nice, though -- very scenic along the water. I like the way the parks are laid out with City Walk in between -- and then the hotels just a short distance away. Good planning on somebody's part! (in my humble opinion).
Express Access
The on-site FOTL access was fabulous!! On many rides we didn't even need it, but we sure did appreciate it when the lines were long. We went on Spiderman twice in a row and they didn't object (but maybe because it wasn't all that crowded even in the regular line). I'm spoiled now -- I would never go back to Universal without staying on-site for this reason alone.
HHN
This made me feel old!! When I was younger I loved haunted houses and scary stuff. I didn't HATE HHN, but I can't say I really enjoyed it, either. I guess I've just outgrown the fun of running down the street screaming while being chased by a chain-saw-wielding madman!!
We rode some rides and walked around a little bit and then left. We did love the Bill & Ted show, though!! It was a riot.
Overall:
On the way home from our trip I asked my son which he liked better, Universal or Disney. We had a great time at both places, but he picked Universal. It just had more things that interested him (he LOVES movies), and it was not quite so little-kid oriented. (and teenage boys are not that inclined to get misty-eyed over Cinderella's castle). We had a fabulous time at Universal and would love to go back.
Here are some of my comments:
Royal Pacific:
We had a 2-night stay at the RPH and we have only good things to say about it. I thought the decor, inside and out, was beautiful. I especially liked the thatched huts around the pool and all the tropical vegetation.
The walkway to the parks and City Walk was very nice -- we preferred walking, though the water taxi was nice, too.
If you go to the RPH, be sure to get the Loew's card. Coming back to our room and finding 2 pitchers of ice-cold milk and 2 plates of cookies was one of the highlights of our stay!! (And take your AAA card if you have one because you'll get discounts in the hotel and in the parks -- restaurants, shops, etc.)
The Parks:
I think the rides and attractions at both parks rate an A+. Our favorite ride overall was Spiderman -- it was just awesome. Overall, though, we enjoyed Universal studios more than IOA.
The rides there are not your usual type of rides -- they are all really unique experiences. We loved Back to the Future, T-2 and Men in Black, but I think we liked the more old-fashioned special effects kinds of attractions even better (Twister, Jaws, Earthquake). We thought both the makeup show and the Alfred Hitchcock show were very well done. My son also loved seeing all the movie cars on display -- we have pictures of all of those!
City Walk:
I liked the City Walk in California better - it seemed to have a lot more shops. This one is nice, though -- very scenic along the water. I like the way the parks are laid out with City Walk in between -- and then the hotels just a short distance away. Good planning on somebody's part! (in my humble opinion).
Express Access
The on-site FOTL access was fabulous!! On many rides we didn't even need it, but we sure did appreciate it when the lines were long. We went on Spiderman twice in a row and they didn't object (but maybe because it wasn't all that crowded even in the regular line). I'm spoiled now -- I would never go back to Universal without staying on-site for this reason alone.
HHN
This made me feel old!! When I was younger I loved haunted houses and scary stuff. I didn't HATE HHN, but I can't say I really enjoyed it, either. I guess I've just outgrown the fun of running down the street screaming while being chased by a chain-saw-wielding madman!!
We rode some rides and walked around a little bit and then left. We did love the Bill & Ted show, though!! It was a riot.Overall:
On the way home from our trip I asked my son which he liked better, Universal or Disney. We had a great time at both places, but he picked Universal. It just had more things that interested him (he LOVES movies), and it was not quite so little-kid oriented. (and teenage boys are not that inclined to get misty-eyed over Cinderella's castle). We had a fabulous time at Universal and would love to go back.
