WDW Fanatic question

[LuluLovesDisney]

Okay, guys. I'll be honest.

I am 110% in love with WDW, Walt Disney, I want a Fairy Tale wedding, I'm a fanatic. I even had a coworker ask if I "fart" pixie dust! (I was so embarrassed, lol)

Anyway, my experiences w/ Universal/IOA haven't been great and I'd pretty much given up on it, but after seeing ChrisFL's thread about theming with the awesome pics, I've had a change of heart. I started thinking that maybe next summer, I might give Universal another try. I know I'll always love WDW, but since I want to go over there to try Tchoup Chop, why not take a day to check it out? My fellow Disney fanatic BF isn't sold at all, but I'm thinking it might be fun to try it.

So, I last went to Universal in 1995, and IOA in 2001. Can you tell me how it's changed, if you have any pics, fun advice, etc. that you might think will convince me Universal's worth a try.

Let's see if we can have a Disney/Universal thread that is 100% positive!

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Metro West]

Hey Lulu...glad you're thinking of going to Universal/IOA again. I prefer IOA to Disney mainly for the coasters but I love Everest so I actually have a reason to go to AK now...lol.

I don't know how the parks have changed since you were here since my first time was in 2004 when I moved to Orlando but I have LOTS of pix I can share. I have more of IOA than the Studios. Do you have anything in particular you want to see? I'll post a few here and then let me know what else you'd like. First the Studios:

Now for IOA:

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

Awesome!

The first pic is almost exactly what my hometown looks like! (I live in NJ very close to NYC!)

I love the others, too!

Is Shrek good for adults, too?

I'd like to try Back to the Future, Revenge of the Mummy, MIB, and Twister. I'd love pics of those areas.

Are there any soundstages still there?

Any Tchoup Chop/Royal Pacific pics?


Thanks so much guys!

 

[ChrisFL]

wow, I have a potential convert, its incredible...

j/k, but Im glad you're going to give it another try. Since you've already been to IOA, not a whole lot has changed, they did build the whole park to begin with, and not just add a ride every year to make it a full park. Not sure if you saw the Flying Unicorn, it's a new small coaster next to Dueling Dragons.

Maybe if you can tell us what you saw at IOA we can give you advice on anything you missed

At Universal a LOT has changed, there's the Shrek 4D show which is very good and has some surprises you won't find at other "4D" shows, theres MIB which a arcade shooting ride like Buzz Lightyear but much bigger and with all real animatronics.

Jimmy Neutron is where Hanna Barbera used to be, a fun flight sim ride that goes through all of the Nickelodeon places

The Mummy is a unique combination dark ride/indoor rollercoaster, about as intense as Rock'N'Roller Coaster but with better theming and some crazy effects.

Terminator 2 3D may or may not have been open when you went, but if you liked the movie, it's very good also.

Twister gets mixed reviews, it replicates a real tornado and scenes from the movie, with flying debris and lots of wind and water.

There's also a new Fear Factor live show (but that's not my thing)

Some classics are still there, Earthquake, Jaws, Back to the Future.

 

[LuluLovesDisney]

In IOA, I was with my nephews, so I did everything in Seuss Landing, (cute stuff!) Spiderman (my favorite here), Bilge Rat Barges, Flying Unicorn, and Jurassic Park. Oh, and Fire and Ice, but my nephew cried and bent my arm back on that one, so I didn't really enjoy it, lol.

 

[ChrisFL]

Ok, then you can see Hulk (if you think you can handle it, it launches like Rock'N'Roller Coaster, but is obviously a much bigger coaster)

Dr. Doom's Fearfall is fun too, though its best to do this if it's a short wait, the ride itself is pretty short.

Poseidon's Fury is a very unique attraction, it's a stage show/walk through type of attraction and I can't really compare it to anything, but it's worth seeing.

The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad is an action stage show, like the Indiana Jones one at MGM, but quite different. It's comic at times and the overall theming of the stage is quite incredible.

Also, if you didn't talk to the fountain in front of the Sinbad show last time you were at IOA, he's quite funny to talk to, just make sure you don't get wet.

Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is a fun flume ride like Splash Mountain (but admittedly, I prefer Splash in this case).

I also love going through the JP Discovery Center and checking out the activities there, plus watching a dinosaur hatch is still cool to me.

Seuss Landing has the brand new Seuss Trolley ride, which would be a great place to take photos of the park Im guessing, haven't been on it yet.

I highly reccomend Mythos for lunch, the food and atmosphere are some of the best you'll find.