Universal studio after 7 night cruise

[natxie]

Our first cruise. Kids are 12, 10 and 8.
Think about visiting the universal studio, mainly the Harry potter area after our cruise. Can we
finish it on the same day returning from the cruise?
If we do it, would it be too rush, will kids be too tired to enjoy it?
Is a good idea to visit the theme park after 7 day cruise?
We need to fly back home.

Thanks!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

You will be relaxed post a cruise, it depends when you go to US.

I have stayed on site there and got first in the line access, and it was so required. We went in summer, lines very long, that's exhausting for children.

If you start to get off the ship, say 7.30 you could well be there around 9 am, I think personally that's the best you could do, most likely you will be there around 10 am, when crowds are already there.

You know your family, my advice is something slightly quieter, Seaworld, or Kennedy space centre the later us bear the port.

When is check in for your flight?

 

[BigredNole]

My opinion on US/IoA is that it is a must to stay at one of their resorts. They have the fastpass, but it is FP on crack. You basically get to the front of the line on most of the rides. It is unlimited as well. If you purchase it at the park, it is only good for 1 use per ride. I'd be guessing that the earliest you would get there after a cruise would be about 11AM. If you are just going at that time and then catch a flight later that night, it is not worth it at all.

 

[natxie]

I haven't book a fight yet. Still thinking, a flight back right after cruise or visiting a theme park then
Flight back late in the evening or even next day.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I haven't book a fight yet. Still thinking, a flight back right after cruise or visiting a theme park then
Flight back late in the evening or even next day.

If staying one night it's doable, if the flight is early evening no.

 

[RedSox68]

My opinion on US/IoA is that it is a must to stay at one of their resorts. They have the fastpass, but it is FP on crack. You basically get to the front of the line on most of the rides. It is unlimited as well. If you purchase it at the park, it is only good for 1 use per ride. I'd be guessing that the earliest you would get there after a cruise would be about 11AM. If you are just going at that time and then catch a flight later that night, it is not worth it at all.

FYI -- their two new value resorts do not provide this service, you have to pay for it. But their other three resorts do. We always stay at Royal Pacific and love it there. Just from past experience, Universal is a much more relaxed pace/setting than WDW, but you might want to consider doing it all pre-cruise as it is still very tiring and you can relax and catch up on the cruise and not have to rush off the ship to a theme park. When we have done it post cruise, we have left the port around 9 a.m. (private car service) and gotten to Universal by 10:30. The parks are all within walking distance or water taxi and you save a lot of time not having to wait for buses. Have fun!

 

[bumbershoot]

Since you're still planning, plan the flight home a couple days after the cruise. That way you keep the cruise feel and no one is exhausted.

Universal is fabulous, is better when on site, is even better when onsite at one of the three resorts that give you limited express pass, and best when you aren't rushing through things in one day.

We've spent time there post cruise pre flight but we have APs and so those visits are about two rides and some butterbeer. It wouldn't be a day to blow a one day ticket on!

Make the universal visit nice and pleasant.

 

[janiebubble]

My opinion on US/IoA is that it is a must to stay at one of their resorts. They have the fastpass, but it is FP on crack. You basically get to the front of the line on most of the rides. It is unlimited as well. If you purchase it at the park, it is only good for 1 use per ride. I'd be guessing that the earliest you would get there after a cruise would be about 11AM. If you are just going at that time and then catch a flight later that night, it is not worth it at all.

It's also worth noting that the front of the line pass does not work on the main Harry Potter rides. You need to get there early unless you are prepared to queue for gringotts or forbidden journey

 

[MarleneP]

We went to Universal mainly for Harry Potter, dec 26, 2016, right from the ship. Although we were there early and some of the first in the park, the Harry Potter area fills up very fast. I'm sure since it was the day after xmas made it worse. We were all exhausted from the cruise and after only a couple of hours we left. We had a long drive to ft lauderdale. I think if we stayed in universal, got a good night sleep it would have been more enjoyable.

 

[natxie]

In order to get the fast pass, do you get the park ticket when you stay at a resort, or do buy it as package with the resort?

 

[bumbershoot]

If you're staying onsite at Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, or Royal Pacific Resort, you get the unlimited express pass *no matter how you got your tickets*. It's a part of staying at the resort (no matter how you book the resort). Of course you have to have admission, but once that's worked out, the EP isn't connected ot how you booked/purchased anything else.

You literally take your room keycard, go to a kiosk in the lobby of your hotel, have a picture taken (you take the picture), and the unlimited EP pops out.

In terms of Wizarding World, you can use your EP on the two proper coasters; Flight of the Hippogriff (a bit of a "baby" coaster, but very fun) and Dragon Challenge.

All 3 of those hotels also give you Early Entrance to one or both (depends on the day) of the Wizarding Worlds in the parks. This allows you to more-easily get on the other attractions in Hogsmeade (the one in Islands of Adventure park) and Diagon Alley (the one in Universal Studios park) that aren't part of EP.

If you want to ride the train that goes between the parks, the Hogwarts Express, you *have to* buy a park-to-park ticket (a "hopper", in WDW terms). And the ride is different each way.

I book room-only through this site: https://uo.loewshotels.com/en/booking/uo?hotel=UEPBH,UEHRH,UERPR

I buy my tickets from UO's site, from undercovertourist, from maple leaf tickets...wherever works. Actually, we bought tickets from maple leaf once, UCT another time, and I upgraded the two UCT tickets to APs (and bought my own AP on that trip direct from UO), and we've kept the APs since then.

You get the unlimited EP and the early entrance (for the 3 deluxe hotels) from the moment you check in (allowed at 6am, but if you're coming from a cruise you won't get there in time for that checkin day's early entrance) until park closing time the day you check out. Same deal for the other 2 hotels, for early entrance.

 

[TeaBee]

We spent a day and a half at Universal and felt like we had plenty of time to see all of the Harry Potter parts of the park, plus pretty much everything else my kids were interested in. Having the VIP pass through Hard Rock definitely helped see the rest of the park efficiently (but doesn't apply to Harry Potter). You could probably do all of the Harry Potter area in one short day, but it would be much more relaxing to stay one night and leave the next day.