US/IOA ticket cost justification

[hugabearjo]

I am sure this has been asked before so I appologize in advanced. I have searched and not found anything.

My family is planning a trip for Sept. to WDW we would like to do something different because we have been to Disney before. But, I am having trouble justifying the additional cost of a ticket to US/IOA/SW which I would like to do. When you start adding additional days to WDW tickets it becomes a matter of a few $$$ more each day.

Please tell me the reasons why it is or isn't worth going to other parks while in Orlando.

I would like to hear any and all sides of it.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[damo]

That's why Disney does that. My suggestion is just to skip Disney. That's what we do! Hotels are nicer, parks are better (IMHO), the tickets are cheaper ($85/7days) and everything is within walking distance. If you stay onsite you get unlimited express passes.

So actually, to me I can't justify going to Disney when Universal has everything they do and it is cheaper and more accessible.

That's my side.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I like damo's side of it and agree. I have a feeling you will still do Disney and thats OK too. Since you have done Disney and are looking for alternatives in Orlando you really must give Universal a try. That way NEXT trip you can skip Disney. The $86 Universal/IOA ticket is well worth it especially since you can go for 7 days. Justified! Now we hope you go.

 

[macraven]

try something new and different for your family.
go to universal and enjoy.

when you compare the two parks, you will see that universal is cheaper in all ways.

on another thread, some one listed the price difference between staying on site and buying tickets for both disn and uo.


i can not justify paying $94. xx for one night stay at a value room at disney.
(the room i had at super 8 last week was larger than the disney room and that was only $55 a night.)

universal has two parks that are within walking distance to each other. city walk located outside of IOA. no busses needed at uo.
stay on site, walk to the parks, take the boat shuttle, take inter bus for pbh/rph or a ricksaw ride from park exit to hotel.

no commando style touring needed at universal

you can buy a mug at UO parks and use it for each trip you return to purchase the refill cost of beverage.

you can pool hop between the 3 on site hotels. hey, it's encouraged.
each hotel has accommadations for pool hoppers: towels, changing rooms, showers, lockers, etc.

ressies not necessary at all dining places.

flash your on site hotel key for front of the line for park rides/ attractions and priority seating at city walk resturants.

rides and attractions available at UO parks for all ages. barney and play areas geared for up to age 5.

all on site hotels 4 star and better. service is given to everyone who stays there.

 

[damo]

Oh ya, forgot to say that the food is awesome at the Universal resort whether it be at the parks, hotels or Citywalk.

 

[bubba's mom]

the food is awesome

and more selection at reasonable prices

 

[bapvoeller]

I agree if you are buying tickets to both WDW and US/IOA/SW it can get very expensive. WDW charges you a lot for a 4 day ticket and then basically gives you the next 6 days for free. The reason they do this is so you will stay on property and not spend your money at other parks. It makes logical business sense for WDW to do this.

If you will be coming to the Orlando area again in the next year then buy a US/IOA annual pass. It isn’t a whole lot more to get an annual pass over a regular ticket and this will allow you to visit again for free. Get one Preferred pass and you get a 20% discount on food and merchandise and discounts on hotels. Seaworld has a Funcard that will give you unlimited admission till the end of the year for the price of a regular ticket.

We just did Universal and WDW at spring break. We already had annual passes at US/IOA and bought annual passes to WDW. We stayed off property in a 3 bedroom condo south of WDW for a total of 7 nights. This trip just about killed us trying to see everything in both parks. The drive from south of WDW to Universal was really tough. I-4 was a big mess with construction. We normally don’t do this much but we brought our niece along for her graduation present. She doesn’t get to go to WDW or Universal so we tried to let her do both. We went to Universal on 3 days and rest of the time to WDW. We did one park in the morning and one a night with a nap in the afternoon. As I said this was a really tiring week, and wouldn’t suggest doing this same routine.

If you have already done WDW a bunch, then skip Disney and do US/IOA/SW/BG. The tickets for these four are cheaper than WDW tickets. If you want to do WDW and US/IOA then your best bet to offset cost is to get annual passes and come back multiple times. If you do US/IOA, I would suggest staying on property it is the only way to really enjoy these parks.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Well, if you're focusing on a WDW vacation and hoping to steal away for a day, yeah, the tix for other parks for just a day are expensive.

The same goes for WDW, too. They don't offer much of a deal at all for just someone wanting to visit their parks for a day.

What's a one-day park ticket cost now at the parks? $60, $70? All the parks offer incentives for you to enjoy their parks over multiple days.

So, IMO, I think it's best to focus on where you want to spend the majority of your time or who's offering the best deal to get your business over multiple days. I would never discourage anyone from visiting all the parks Orlando has to offer, but if you're not made of money and are looking to keep within your budget, it's going to get expensive just visiting any of the parks for just a day. They all want your business for the length of your stay -- and all offer major incentives to keep you on their property.

Your other question: Why visit other parks of Orlando? Better dining options, relaxing instead of stressing, much better customer service, rides for everyone (and I don't do thrill rides, but a lot of my family does ... something for everyone at USO/IOA).

The biggest one for us has probably been the customer service. USO has sort of been the underdog of Orlando, the "mutt," if you will. They're always up against the big purebread, WDW. In the past few years, I've personally seen the level of customer service at USO exceed anything I've ever experienced at WDW -- and I've been going to WDW since it opened and NEVER ventured away from WDW until 2000. USO is truly working for my attention (i.e., tourism $$$) much the way a loyal family mutt would. And it's sincere. I don't feel that the level of customer service is sincere anymore at WDW. It's just gotten too big, too corporate -- too purebread, almost snobby. I just don't feel that way at USO. WDW makes me feel like I'm a dime a dozen; USO makes me feel like I'm one in a million.

So that's where I stay and play, at USO. If I have time and the funds to steal away to the other parks of Orlando (WDW), then I do. USO does what WDW wishes it still did ... make the customers feel special.

 

[macraven]

I agree if you are buying tickets to both WDW and US/IOA/SW it can get very expensive. WDW charges you a lot for a 4 day ticket and then basically gives you the next 6 days for free. The reason they do this is so you will stay on property and not spend your money at other parks. It makes logical business sense for WDW to do this.

If you will be coming to the Orlando area again in the next year then buy a US/IOA annual pass. It isn’t a whole lot more to get an annual pass over a regular ticket and this will allow you to visit again for free. Get one Preferred pass and you get a 20% discount on food and merchandise and discounts on hotels. Seaworld has a Funcard that will give you unlimited admission till the end of the year for the price of a regular ticket.

.

check your ap site. they have changed the amount of discounts for this year. when you sign into the ap site, you will see the reductions, most places are now only giving a 10% discount for food and merch.


i know.
it broke my heart also.

but, the hotel discounts with the ap are still great!

 

[macraven]

universal is affliated with more discounts than disney has to offer.

AAA, PHP, floridain residents, military, orlando magic card, will give you discounts for the parks, hotels or city walk.

loews first is a free membership and gives the holder points and perks for staying at loews hotels. get free upgrades at any loews hotel based on color of card you hold.

the only discounts you can get at disney are with their ap, aaa for rooms only not on packages, floridian residents status.

food discounts only at select places in disney and only on select days.

 

[bapvoeller]

Wow just looked up the 10% discount for AP. We were there at the end of March and we got 20% on food and merchandise. I hate to see this dropped to 10% . That was a big perk for buying an AP.

 

[damo]

Wow just looked up the 10% discount for AP. We were there at the end of March and we got 20% on food and merchandise. I hate to see this dropped to 10% . That was a big perk for buying an AP.

We got 20 the beginning of March. Maybe the parks don't know about the change. I'll let you know next week.

 

[macraven]

be sure to post or start a new thread on it.
or damo, or anyone else, post it on the something about nothing thread when you go and find out.

i recieved a pm from a UO person that gave me the heads up on the change.

i signed onto the site and they were correct.
it listed the 10% discounts where in the past years were 20% discounts.




i cried.......

 

[Planogirl]

I have just the opposite problem. I'm getting Universal tickets for a week for an amazing price and I'm trying to justify the outrageous cost of a few days at WDW. I can't begin to compare the two because I enjoy them both but Universal is so much more economical.

Well, everything but the Loew's hotels onsite that is.

 

[d4est]

What is the AP website?

 

[Darcy03231]

If you're interested in doing other parks in Florida another option is the 4/5 park flex pass. We've done WDW several times and this summer we're just buying the flex pass and going to the other parks. Its about $240 for adults and $200 for children. It gives you unlimited admission for 14 days from the 1st date of use to US/IOA/SW/Wet n Wild (4 park) or US/IOA/SW/WNW/Busch Gardens (5 park). You only have to pay to park once a day. For the 5 park pass it averages out to about $17/day for the 14 days. I don't think I can do it for any less than that!

 

[macraven]

What is the AP website?

it is the annual pass website.
the ap holder puts their pass number in to enter.

this is where you can obtain info on what is happening, discount info, etc.

 

[d4est]

Thanks mac...I meant literally, what is the AP website, as in the www. thang.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

http://www.universalorlando.com/annualpass/index.php.html

Pass Holder login is to the right and its very case and # sensitive. It always gets me!
*Note: IDs are case sensitive; zeros are skinny (0) and the letter O is fat.

 

[d4est]

Thanks so much!