Universal Studios - Worth it?

[spacemouseneer]

Hello all,

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is about going to US for a day. We have never been to WDW and plan to spend the majority of our time there, but would it be worth it to rent a car and go to US for a day? Is there just too much to see for only a day. We are going to be in WDW for 10 days or so. Not sure if we should just stick to WDW for our first trip there.


Thanks in advance for the opinions,


Spacemouseneer

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

You won't be able to see all of Universal (unless you just go to one of the parks) in one day, but I would recommend it. I love Disney first and foremost, but I also love Universal. I would look at the site and pick and choose the rides that most appeal to you and prioritize and hit as many as you can. I would recommend getting there in time for the gates to open (get in the parking lot at 8:30 so at 9 when the parks open you are ready to go, you can get a lot of rides out of the way in that 9-11 AM window).

 

[walkdmc]

I asked about the HP section on these boards and got some advice. The majority of people said, you need more than 1 or 2 days to go through all of Universal. But, if you are mainly interested in seeing Harry Potter, that can be done in 1 day.

So, we're going down in November and although it kills me to take away WDW time, we'll spend one day at Universal for HP.

 

[jeff968]

And from what I understand, the Harry Potter section has raised the bar on all attractions in Orlando. Many are happy about this as they feel Disney has been kind of lazy over the past few years and this will force them to get busy again. We will be going in February.

 

[skelfbsfb]

I would definitely go to US, but like others have said it will not be done in one day.

 

[j9000]

i would,
Universal is different tp disney, but it dosent make it bad,
i dont know when you are going, but i would recommend you spend 2 days there (if you can) so you dont rush it, the parks are smaller, but there is still 2 of them.

 

[Jonny_Duck]

I think it all depends on if you like/love the movies they have to offer. If you have no interest in those then the rides will be somewhat lackluster. Also the price of a single day is kinda insane imo and add in the cost of renting a car plus parking. That is a pretty expensive single day.

I do love Universal and usually have a great time going there but in your circumstances I personally would not front that kind of money for what your getting.

Depending when you leave the hours could be bad also...During offseason they usually close around 6-7 so you will have less time to experience the fun.

Imo skip it this trip and possibly next trip invest in an onsite hotel for a night and do two days at Universal.

 

[Procrastinate]

Honestly, it depends what you like. For my kids that are into thrill rides, they prefer to skip Disney and only do Universal. We stay onsite for FOTL access for two full days. That is plenty of time. If you prefer tamer rides or more educational exhibits, then Universal may not be for you as those are somewhat limited there.

 

[disney-super-mom]

I think it all depends on if you like/love the movies they have to offer. If you have no interest in those then the rides will be somewhat lackluster. Also the price of a single day is kinda insane imo and add in the cost of renting a car plus parking. That is a pretty expensive single day.

I do love Universal and usually have a great time going there but in your circumstances I personally would not front that kind of money for what your getting.

Depending when you leave the hours could be bad also...During offseason they usually close around 6-7 so you will have less time to experience the fun.

I have to agree with this somewhat. We'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to go to Universal when we're in Orlando this December (staying at SSR), but add up the cost of tickets and transportation for just one day (and that doesn't even include any food or souvenirs) and the cost is indeed, insane! (And yes, it is also the offseason then, so the hours will be shorter.)

I feel like the extra cost of going to Universal puts us in a position to HAVE to CHOOSE between a WDW vacation or a Universal vacation, and I'm sorry but WDW just has more stuff to do for a week.

I know we'd love to spend a couple of days at Universal. I just can't justify the very high expense for the eight of us to do so.....yet.

 

[isla bonita]

If you have the $$ I would say do not miss it.

 

[Brian Noble]

For a shorter trip, I'd suggest saving it for another time. For a 10-day visit it could make sense.

We normally go down for a week. Our trips are either "Disney", or "everything else". We usually don't combine the two because of the way tickets are priced.

 

[beccamarie]

You do need two days to see both parks. If you are just going to WWoHP, then you can just do one day at IOA. If you are a HP fan, I wouldn't skip it! My husband and son LOVED it! I thought Forbidden Journey was amazing. Going through the castle to get to the ride is an awesome experience. Plus, we all loved eating at the Three Broomsticks! The other rides are great, too. My girls loved the Dr. Suess land.

 

[CTDisneyfan816]

I was going to get a one day pass but I will likely have the time to go a second time and when I saw the price differential between a one day and a two day, I decided to get a two day pass.

 

[Kat&Dom]

Hello all,

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is about going to US for a day. We have never been to WDW and plan to spend the majority of our time there, but would it be worth it to rent a car and go to US for a day? Is there just too much to see for only a day. We are going to be in WDW for 10 days or so. Not sure if we should just stick to WDW for our first trip there.


Thanks in advance for the opinions,


Spacemouseneer

We went to US last year and had a great time. We are heading to Orlando for a quick trip in November and doing one day at Islands of Adventure - my son loves the Spiderman ride. I notice that you are a fellow Canadian and if you collect Airmiles or Aeroplan Miles, you can redeem miles for your Universal tickets. I actually just received my son's Universal ticket from Airmiles today - it was 675 AM - adults are 750 AM.

If you go to Universal, on your way there is an Outlet Mall that has a great Disney outlet store. We got T-shirts for $5, Stuffed Animals for the kids for $3 that were $25 at the park, purses for $12 that were $48 at park. Lots of great deals - you might want to add value to having a rental car by picking up a bunch of your soveniors there. I even got a Sterling Silver Tinkerbell ring for my son's dance teacher for 99 cents, it was regular $28. It is well worth a stop.

Have an awesome trip.

 

[GingerJay]

I was struggling with the same decision myself. Of course, I love Disney and was more than happy to give them my entire weeks vacation, but I'm so glad that I visited Universal too. Their rides are amazing and a ton of fun. The parks are very detailed and super fun to explore.