Universal Studios/IOA

[Mark&Jackie]

OK, here's another one for you...

We are not great lovers of thrill rides - coasters etc - yeh I know - wimps!

My last visit to Disney was in 1989 and the worst thing I did was Space Mountain - in fact the first time I queued for ages and when we finally got to the front we chickened out! On the last day we decided we were finally going to do it - OMG it was awful!

Anyway, I digress...

My question is...for non-thrill seekers (otherwise known as wimps!) is there much to do at US/IOA or would we be better giving it a miss?

Thanks
Jackie

 

[Peebee]

From what you've said, I think you'd will probably enjoy US a lot more than IOA. US has plenty of attractions such as Twister, Terminator and Jaws that should appeal, and you may even enjoy rides like Back to the Future and Men in Black.

Whilst IOA has got some other distractions, it is really thrill-ride paradise for many people, and may be something you want to avoid.

Paul

 

[UKDEB]

Jackie,

Another coaster wimp here, although I'm much better than I used to be. I love Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at MGM (much smoother than Space Mountain, but the launch at the start takes a bit of getting used to )

Definitely don't miss USF. With the two parks, CityWalk and the hotels, it is right up there with WDW in my book.

The theming at IoA is incredible and worth the entrance price in itself. Here are the must-do attractions for non-thrill seekers:

Spiderman. Probably the best ride in Orlando.
Popeye and Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges (but be prepared to get <i>very</i> wet!).
Me Ship the Olive. Have fun soaking other riders on the Bilge Rat Barges.
Posiedon's Fury. A very clever show.
The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad. Stunt show.
The Mystic Fountain. Not really an attraction as such and I can't say too much without spoiling the fun!
The Cat in The Hat. Not the greatest ride, but worth doing once.

At the Studios:

Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (although I preferred Scooby Doo and the gang).
Shrek 4-D. Haven't seen this yet, but I just <i>know</i> this attraction alone will be worth the entry fee.
Terminator 2. Amazing 3-D show.
ET.
Jaws. Very cheesy, but needs to be done once.
Earthquake.
The Wild, Wild, Wild West Stunt Show.
Men in Black. Best fun ever.
And if you can pluck up the courage, Back to the Future.

CityWalk is great too - shops, restaurants, bars and a cinema. It really comes alive after dark (which can be quite early in Florida).

 

[Mark&Jackie]

Thanks Debbie - great information.

Take care
Jackie
wimps4ever

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Jackie and Mark - I can only say ditto to everything Debbie has said. None of us in our family do the thrill rides, although DD (10) has suddenly taken an interest, so this year should be interesting ).

In particular my DH really is a wimp, claims a bad back for the river ride at Paulton's Park (anyone can do that ), but this year went on it 6 times in a row .

USF and IOA are ALL worth a visit, the theming alone is worth spending a day in both of the parks. There are some great characters to look at and meet, fantastic shows and many rides are for the wimps amongst us

We're off to USF and IOA again this year (first visit to IOA was last year in fact) and only visiting Epcot and MK for MNSSHP in Disney this year, which proves what a hit US are for us

 

[Red-Snapper]

I think it is slightly debatable that Spiderman isnt a thrill ride.

I know its not a coaster but it does depend just how scared you are of certain rides I think - the drop is mostly illusion but my MIL certainly didnt like it

 

[vernon]

IMHO, USF is likely to be the better choice of the two, if you're only going to do one day, as I think you'll be OK on pretty much everything they do there. IOA, is a spectacular park visually as well as having some stunning rides, but if you know you definately won't do any of the coasters ( DD, Hulk and I think Dr Doom's will give you shivers just walking past it LOL) you might feel there are better/more effective ways to spend your days and $$s. If you can get a ticket that allows you to go into more than one park in a day it might be worth spending 5 or 6 hours in IOA then moving on to USF for a few hours to finish off anything you missed previously or wanted to re-ride. IMHO Spiderman is the best ride/attraction in Orlando by some degree.