We're trying to decide between US/IOA and MGM ...

[bajanswife]

4 adults, only one thrill-seeker (me)! 2 of us have been to US and MGM, 2 haven't been to a movie theme park ever; I haven't been to IOA (it wasn't there last time I was in Orlando), not sure if my friend has (she lives in Orlando and probably has).

How would you compare and contrast the US resort to MGM? What do adults enjoy about each park? Can anyone point me to sites that describe the rides/attractions in detail so i can print it out for our palnning meeting? I don't want to buy a Universal guide book if we end up not going there (I got a Disney one because we're going to Epcot and AK for sure).

Thanks!

 

[BarbaraMB]

My 2 cents is going to US/IOA over MGM. LOVED MGM, I will miss Tower of Terror, but given the choice I'd pick Universal.

 

[bajanswife]

So if that's the main draw of MGM, then maybe US/IOA is better.

It's been 6 years since I was there, so I've forgotten a lot of the details of the 2 parks, plus there have been new attractions added.

 

[Flyfly_Eclipse]

Universal and IOA have a lot to offer, for thrill seekers and otherwise.

Summary:

There are excellent shows at Universal in addition to some excellent attractions related to favorite films. Newest additions that you probably haven't seen yet are Men in Black, T2:3-D, Shrek 4-D, Jimmy Neutron, and The Revenge of the Mummy (if going May 21 or later). Includes updated versions of Horror Makeup Show, Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue, and the Ghostbusters Show.

Fun stuff!

IOA is more of the thrill ride park out of the two...though even those who do not like thrill rides enjoy Amazing Adventures of Spiderman, the water rides like Popeyes, and Jurassic Park, and be sure to see the Mystical Fountain -- the talking fountain.

Anyway, I'll give the list for Universal. I'm sure others can help with IOA better than I....I spent almost all my time at Universal.
-------------------------

Universal Studios

Jimmy Nuetron: Simulator that has taken the place of the Hanna Barbara ride. Those not a fan of today's Nick Toons may not care for the ride.

Shrek 4-D: Put on your 3-D glasses, and watch Donkey and Shrek save Princess Fiona once again from Lord Farquad. Includes some special effects and movements, despite being in auditorium seating.

Twister: You are basically watching as a twister forms in front of you, and destroys a Drive-In Movie Theatre. Neat if you are into how they do special effects, but some people claim it is a bit lame. Don't bother if there is a long wait, IMO.

Extreme Ghostbusters Show: My favorite show at Universal. Beetlejuice is in New York, and causing trouble. Ghostbusters have come to save the day...but BJ has different ideas... A fun 15-minute street show.

Street Breakz: Another short street show featuring some humor, and lots of breakdancing. Beware that they may look for volunteers at one point of the show.

Revenge of the Mummy (opening May 21): Dark ride with coaster elements. They call it a "Psychological thrill ride" due to some of peoples' biggest fears being included, like fear of bugs, etc. Awesome ride, that doesn't always need to be ridden by thrill-ride-seekers alone (My mom can't stand rollercoasters, but loves this ride).

Blues Brothers: Fan of the Blues Brothers movie? You should enjoy the show. Enjoy Mable, Jake, and Elwood (and don't remember saxophone player's name) as they perform classic songs. Lively and entertaining!

Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue: The "Original Grateful Dead" (consisting of Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein, and his Bride...alongside back-ups Hip and Hop) perform some of the most well-known songs, from Bon Jovi's "One Wild Night," and Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff," to Ricky Martin's "Livin la vida loca." Hysterical show, especially due to Beetlejuice. Rated PG-13.

Earthquake: Suffer through long preshows (while, it's neat for some, like myself, it can be overly boring and drawn out for others) before you get to experience this attraction. You are in a subway when an earthquake hits.

Jaws: We all know of the Great White Shark that devoured the poor islanders at Amity. You are on a boat tour when you encounter a giant toothed demon of a mechanical shark. Oh no!

Men in Black: Alien Attack: You are going in for MIB Training, to see if you are the "Best of the Best." This ride is interactive, where you get to shoot aliens, and see if you earn your own black suit!

Back to the Future: Very rough simulator where you chase after Biff who stole one of Doc Brown's time traveling DeLoreans. Travel through the past, as well as the future, in this adventure. Classic Universal!!!

Animal Planet Live: Ultra cheesy, and fairly predictable, but for first-time viewers, it can nevertheless be somewhat entertaining. Nice when you want to take a break in the day.

ET: Dark ride based on the lovable extra terrestrial known as ET. Coolest part is flying over the city, otherwise it is more geared to the youngsters.

Horror Makeup Show: Like the Graveyard Revue, it has a PG-13 rating. Enjoy learning some tricks of the trade when it comes to makeup used in classic horror films, in the midst of lots of humor. **Volunteer Warning** Should NOT be missed!!

T2:3-D: Another 3-D Show based on Terminator 2. A combination of 3-D screens, and live actors.

 

[kellymonaghan]

I assume you know that US/IOA is two parks, whereas MGM is just one park.

I matters because, while you can do MGM in a day, you can't do just to US/IOA in a day.

 

[bajanswife]

and US/IOA in one day, with a break for lunch at Citiwalk. I think this is one type of park that we could really pick and choose what we do and not feel like we missed out. You see, we have very little time (only a day allocated to this). I think if we do a movie park we will really pick and choose what we want to do rather than try to do it all. Because we are adults we can skip a lot of the kid stuff. And since I've been to US (and MGM) already, we only need to do the new things and the things that really grab the attention of my friends, who are not real movie buffs BTW. We are also going in October when it isn't as busy.

Any ideas for cramming into 1 day?

 

[flfun]

Hmmm. I don't know which to suggest. We just did MGM recently (3 adults and 2 teens) and loved it, we filled an entire day there (you could get fast passes every 30 or 45 minutes. We didn't wait on anything more than 10 minutes). Who Wants to be A Millionaire and Fantasmic were new to me. With the exception of TOT and the RocknRoller coaster, it's all shows and attractions. What I love about it, is that its small, like the studios, and even easier to get around in. If you just have one day and go to US/IOA, I would definitely spend my time at the studios since you don't have any thrill seekers. IOA just doesn't have enough to do for non-thrill seeking adults to make it worth it, in my opinion.

 

[Planogirl]

Universal has a lot of new stuff while MGM doesn't. I would personally pick to spend a full day at Universal Studios since IOA is mainly thrill rides and water rides. It would be hard to give up Spiderman and the gorgeous theming though. You could get the two park one day pass and just spend a minimal amount of time in IOA.

 

[bajanswife]

I do tend to agree that US will take most of a day because there's so much to do. My thoughts re IOA were to get there first thing in the a.m., do Spidey and a couple of other rides that look interesting, do a walk-around of the park to see the theming, then head over to US for the rest of the day. There might not be time to do lunch at Citiwalk - we might have to grab a quick bite at US. Depending on park hours in October, maybe we could do dinner at Citiwalk. Anyone know what the park hours in Oct are likely to be?

 

[ksdave]

Currently, they are showing 9AM-6PM on non-HHN days and 9AM-5PM on HHN days for IOA. USF shows 9AM-7PM almost the entire month.