US Experts - help with making a plan?

[PrincessV]

If you can believe it, this Floridian has never been to Universal! But I'm taking my DS this Sunday and I need a plan of attack. I'm anticipating lowish crowds, given the time of year, but have NO idea which attractions ought to be hit first thing in the morning and which can wait. Care to help a girl out?

Here are the parameters: we'll arrive a bit after opening, maybe 9:30am (I'm aiming for opening, but I-4 is always an unknown variable...). We'll need to break for lunch around 12pm. We won't be staying into the evening - probably will leave around 2pm.

We want to experience:

Disaster
ET
Jaws
Jimmy Neutron
MIB
Simpsons

And since this is our first time, I anticipate some wandering around, just looking time, too.

So how would you order things - which attractions first?

 

[mesaboy2]

I don't know that I would call myself an "expert", having been to the Studios all of two times.

However, if you'll still listen: I don't think the order of these rides much matters. You said it yourself that you're going off-season, and on a Sunday to boot. (Sundays have anecdotally been the lowest crowds at WWoHP over at IoA.)

If it were me, I would probably do MiB and Simpsons first as, in my "vast" experience, they seem to be the most popular. After that, I would just hit each of the rest as I passed by them doing a loop around the park.

If DS is old enough, tall enough, and brave enough, I also recommend Revenge of the Mummy as it is my favorite ride at the Studios.

Have fun!

 

[Metro West]

Here are the parameters: we'll arrive a bit after opening, maybe 9:30am (I'm aiming for opening, but I-4 is always an unknown variable...). We'll need to break for lunch around 12pm. We won't be staying into the evening - probably will leave around 2pm.

We want to experience:

Disaster
ET
Jaws
Jimmy Neutron
MIB
Simpsons

And since this is our first time, I anticipate some wandering around, just looking time, too.

So how would you order things - which attractions first?

From the list you've provided, I would go in this order:

Jimmy Neutron
E.T.
The Simpsons
MIB
Jaws
Disaster

You would do a circle around the park. Since you won't be there at opening, there will be minimum waits for everything which isn't unusual. Of those attractions, The Simpsons and Jimmy Neutron will probably have the longest waits. Another attraction you might want to check out is the Horror Make-Up Show...it's a riot and a must see!

Crowds shouldn't be too bad so you should be able to walk around and take your time.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I agree with Metro, Jimmy Neutron is closer to the entrance so is most likely to be the busiest of your rides early on.

One thing also worth pointing out is that Jaws and Disaster may not open at 9, and sometimes they are as late as 11am.

 

[PrincessV]

Thank you so much, all - this is much appreciated!

 

[macraven]

what metro said is very good.


try very hard to work in Horror Make Up Show.

it is a hoot!


i do that show at least 3 different times on each of my trips.


it changes with the audience participation.

 

[cigar95]

I'll throw in one more variable that comes into play on light crowd days.

Before noon, MiB will often only be running cars on one side. This takes away a lot of the fun, since in the latter part of the ride, the cars on the left and right tracks are supposed to be shooting at one another.

So if you visit MiB before noon and find you enjoy it, try it again after noon if only one side was running the first time through. It's definitely an attraction that has a good "repeatability" factor.