US Experts needed! Please help with this touring plan

[ColleenS]

I know there are plenty of US experts on this board, so I hope you guys can help.

We're not staying at a US hotel, so we don't have FOTL. We're going in June so it would cost us a $50 a ticket and we are not sure if we want to spend the $, though if you guys recommend it we will.

Here's what we definitely want to see

-Mummy
-MIB
-Earthquake
-Jaws
-Shrek 4D
-Twister
- Animal Actors
-Horror make-up show

We'd also like to meet some characters. We plan on eating at Margaritaville for dinner and grabbing a counter service meal in the park for lunch.

Some other info: There are six of us, but at least one non-rider. We plan on getting there early, but how early?

So what should our plan of attack be?

Thanks

 

[goofie4goofy]

Hi!

Your best bet is to get to the parks as soon as they open. You should be able to ride your favorites a few times. The most popular from your list is The Mummy and MIB. Shrek ,Horror and animal actors are shows with times.

The best strategy is to get to the parks and head right for the Mummy, which is straight ahead across from Finnigans. After riding that head to Jaws or take the shortcut over the bridge and head to MIB then back to Jaws. See what the line/time is for Shrek after that. You can head over to twister from Shrek then to Earthquake. Twister is all standing...Earthquake is mostly standing with the ride at the end. Horror Show is better in the afternoon when it's hot. If you get to the park early enough, you may not need express passes. JMHO, but express passes are more necessary in IOA due to all the big rides there. The Mummy is the big ride in US so if you get there first thing ( and sometimes the ride goes down later in the day so riding first thing is the best)

If you go to www.universalorlando.com there is an interactive map, which will help out too.

Well that's a start....I'm sure you will some more.

 

[macraven]

I know there are plenty of US experts on this board, so I hope you guys can help.

We're not staying at a US hotel, so we don't have FOTL. We're going in June so it would cost us a $50 a ticket and we are not sure if we want to spend the $, though if you guys recommend it we will.

Here's what we definitely want to see

-Mummy
-MIB
-Earthquake
-Jaws
-Shrek 4D -Twister
- Animal Actors
-Horror make-up show

We'd also like to meet some characters. We plan on eating at Margaritaville for dinner and grabbing a counter service meal in the park for lunch.

Some other info: There are six of us, but at least one non-rider. We plan on getting there early, but how early?

So what should our plan of attack be?

Thanks

what i tell people is this:

be at the parking garage before 8. the line can get long. the garage opens at 8 so don't worry about the wait to get in.
be at the turnstile by 8:15. park opens at 9 but usually opens the ticket gate at 8:30 if there is a long line for it.
not all rides will be open at 8:30. so you might have to wait for a few to open.

mummy will be the one you want to aim for first. if it is not open, go directly to the back for MIB. use the single rider lines whenever the regular lines get long. both these rides have single lane use.
but, by going when the park opens, you will not see long lines, or lines until about 11ish.

you need to hit MIB and mummy early and do repeats on it for the thrill of it.
after that, i suggest doing shrek.

you will have to back track for it.
most people when they come in for the first time to the studios go to jimmy neutron and shrek as those 2 are the first rides they see.
if you are at shrek by 9:30, you should not have lines to wait in. in the wait line, you are entertained by the monitors overhead. this itself is entertaining. it's different story lines while you wait.

i believe that jaws opens at 10 but i could be wrong in that.
you can call guest services to get the opening times of the rides. call them the day before you visit the studios to perfect your touring plans. why wait around for the opening of a ride if you know in advance and can tweak your touring plans.

do get the guide map so you can see the hours of animal planet and horror make up show. when you do those shows, be at the place 20 minutes prior in order to get a decent seat. you can also get the show times of those 2 by calling guest services in advance.

i would leave earthquake and twister for after lunch if need be.
it would be hot in the afternoon or by noon and you will be out of the sun.
but if you are ahead of time, do both rides before lunch. the jaws line can get long once the crowd moves to that side of the park. then do the shows of animal planet and horror make up show for after lunch.

order i would aim for
mummy/MIB
shrek

jaws
earthquake/twister

animal planet
horror make up show.......my favorite


before you etch your touring plans in stone, call guest services and ask them:
what time to the rides you mentioned above open in the morning if you are let in at 8:30

times of the shows for horror make up show and animal planet.

i'm looking at my guide map of october last year.
for horror make up show the times for friday and saturday started at 10:30 and had 8 daily shows. for sunday thru thursday, first show was at 11:30 and also had 8 shows.

animal planet had 5 shows sunday thru thursday starting at 11:15.
and 5 shows friday and saturday starting at 10:30

with the dates you are going in june, the times will not be the same when i went in october. the park closed at 5 pm when i went. it will have extended hours when you go.

you can make a better touring plan if you know the show times.

if you have afternoon and evening time left after you have done the rides and shows you are planning, repeat some of the rides or try other ones.

in the afternoon, it will get crowded. use the single lines when available at that point.
only buy the express pass if lines are tremendously long.
you can only use the pass for one time only per ride/show.

you can decide after you are in the park if the express pass is something you need to get. if you have done what you came for, no need to buy the pass.

eat at off times. 11 and 4
others will be on rides at that time. when the crowds are doing lunch, 11:30 - 1ish, you will have less wait in the regular lines.

my touring plans don't always work for everyone. but, this is what i would tell a newbie so they can accomplish their goal and see the sites they came for.

others will have fine suggestions also. many of us just have a different way of touring the parks.

 

[macraven]

characters are through out the park.
check with guest services to find the ones you most want to see.
they give excellent advice.

you will like margaritaville.

 

[ColleenS]

Thank you both for your help. Your suggestions have really given me a better understanding of what we need to do first.

Though I just realized I forgot ET! Shoud we see that after Shrek? Or after Jaws?

 

[macraven]

you can take in ET when you are back in that area.
it is right next to the animal planet and around the bend from MIB.

one note: many times when the animal planet show is over, the crowd wanders over to ET since it is the closest ride around. unless you like the kiddy play lot area......jk


don't go to ET if the line winds all away around.

you can catch ET before you do Animal planet.
or after you have done jaws but you will be back tracking then.

the wait line for ET is covered and you are shaded from the sun.

the ride is worth going on. they updated the preshow for it a few years back.
spielberg now looks his age...

 

[macraven]

if the map site that was listed by goofie4goofy is not enough help, you can call guest services and ask that they mail you out the current park guide map

they will and it is free.

this way, you can see the places where you can eat and get a better idea of ride/show locations.


when you return from your trip, please come back and let us know how the touring plans went for you.

 

[robvia]

Good advice on arriving early. Most people have this idea the park needs to open before they visit. It's actually the opposite. You want to be driving up to the parking garage at 07:45am, and there will be a line of cars waiting. From there you get to the gate of USF and stand near the front. Going into the gate as the park opens gives you a huge advantage. You'll have 2 hours of walk on rides before the crowd shows up.

 

[loribell]

Before we started staying onsite we were always at the parks before opening and had a couple of very nice hours of touring before the crowds hit. Macravens plans sound just right. Have a great time on your trip!

 

[ColleenS]

Thanks again for the replies

I am glad to hear that guests are allowed in earlier than 9:00. I'd sort of heard that but wasn't really sure if it was ture. But I believe you guys I plan to tell my family the park opens at 8:00.

 

[macraven]

Thanks again for the replies

I am glad to hear that guests are allowed in earlier than 9:00. I'd sort of heard that but wasn't really sure if it was ture. But I believe you guys I plan to tell my family the park opens at 8:00.

i stay on site and have the fotl.
i always am at the ticket gate turnstile by 8:20.
i tell everyone how i do it and it does help in avoiding all crowds.

just because i have the perk of the fotl, i try to avoid crowds as much as possible.

getting to the parks early, always works.

 

[Planogirl]

If you want to get out of the heat and rest for a while, see Terminator. It's a decent show and I always feel really rested after sitting in the theater. Lines are never a problem or at least we never had a problem.