WDW Vet does USF for 1st time

[UsMcWifeForever]

ok so we have been to WDW lots and lots of times with and with out kids. This year we are thinking about adding in a trip to USF/IOA to our disney trip. We have 3 small kids ages 5, 4, and 2 yrs old. I've been told that it will be a waste of money to tack on the trip to USF/IOA b/c there won't be much for the kiddos to do besides playgrounds. So all of you USF vets give me your advice.

 

[macraven]

welcome to the dark side !!

tack on a day at the end of your disney trip and stay onsite at universal.

for a one night stay, you are eligible to use the hotel card keys for two days in the park for fotl perks.
(the day you check in and the day you check out would be the 2 days you qualify for that perk.)

there are things the entire family can do together such as the et ride, animal planet show, beetlejuice musical review, shrek, jimmy neutron, etc.

check the website, www.universalorlando.com and check out the parks and what they have to offer in the line of rides, shows and entertainment.

for rides that your kidlettes are too short to ride, use the child swap and each adult can have a turn.

seussland is one place the entire family can enjoy that is at IOA.

the play areas at the park are good.
if they like Barney, they will love his show.

 

[Jillisa]

We went for 6 days when my sons were 11 and 14 and my daughter was almost 3. My daughter had sooo much fun there, she loved Suessland and the Flying Unicorn (rollerocoaster that may or may not be open right now due to Harry Potter), Spiderman and that scramble ride (we rode that like 10 times!) at IOA. In US, she loved Shrek, Jimmy Neutron, the entire kids area (including the Barney Show). There was a lot to do for a kid her age, I was really surprised.
My dh and I split up and one would go with the boys for the rollercoasters and the other would go with her for the little kid rides. We went spring Break and stayed onsite and those FOTL were sooo worth the money. Even my cheapo dh agreed. To this day, the kids say that was the best vacation ever!

 

[Purseval]

The Flying Unicorn is closed but everything else you mentioned is still there.

 

[kohlby]

My husband and I went three years in a row pre-kids, so we weren't sure about doing it with kids. (Since we did things like ride dueling dragons over 20 times in a single day). Despite the tone of the trip being very different, there was plenty to do with kids. We spent two days doing US/IOA when the kids were 2 months and 3 years and then again at 9 months and 3.5 years. Men in Black was by far the favorite ride of my oldest at 3.5. There were plenty of other things to do as well. We're headed back in a month - this time with kids aged 6.5, almost 4 and almost 1.

*We stay on-site. RPR was MUCH cheaper than staying on-site compared to Disney. (Apx $160 a night both times we did it - this Jan and three years ago in Dec. This was an internet rate - no special memberships or anything). The short boat ride or walk from the hotel is easy. (The stroller on the Disney buses can be a pain - they never made us fold up the stroller on the boat.

 

[mtmbyck]

We do Disney every year with our DD's 10 and 13 now......

In 2008 we decided to take a Disney break and do US/IOA and I have to be honest it was dissappointing. The rides are more thrilling - but less themeing and really unless you like thrill rides (be it roller coasters or loud scary sights that play with your mind), there isn't much to do.

BUT......I will also give you this feedback - lines were about 1/10th of Disney that same week we were there (March Break) and cost was about 1/10th the Disney 7 day price!! We ended up going to the Disney Marketplace and Typoon Lagoon just to get a bit of the Mouse.

So for the price difference, I guess it is worth the try!