What is with the lack of US/IOA resources

[bookgirl2632]

Not strange at all. Disney has changed the way people vacation by basically forcing them to plan everything down to an ADR 180 days out! I think that's ridiculous but that's the way Disney has changed things. And now people think it's the norm. Universal is much more relaxed than Disney ever was so it's not strange...just different. I thought relaxing and having fun was what a vacation is for? Not having to plan every detail should be part of it...but it's not...at least as far as Disney is concerned.

See, part of the fun for me and our Disney vacations is the planning. I like coming up with our itinerary and making the ADRs. By doing this, I am able to relax and have fun while at Disney. I'm a planner by nature. I like knowing what to expect. I have to agree that the OP has a point. There just doesn't seem to be as much info out there about US/IOA. That's fine. I can wing it. But for those of us who are more obsessive compulsive, it would be nice to be able to have more access to info.

 

[damo]

What kind of info is it that people can't find? With only two parks and three hotels, there really isn't that much info to put out there. All the rides and restaurants are described on the website. The hotels have their own websites.

 

[ujpest_doza]

What kind of info is it that people can't find? With only two parks and three hotels, there really isn't that much info to put out there. All the rides and restaurants are described on the website. The hotels have their own websites.

A Crowd Calendar like the Touring Plans one for Disney.

 

[lildamo]

A Crowd Calendar like the Touring Plans one for Disney.

Truthfully, due to the considerably lower number of people who visit the Universal parks, the lack of EMH, etc, wait times don't change so drastically from day to day (with the exception of holidays, etc) to warrant a daily crowd calendar. The HP crowd report thread here is a great help, but other than that, park hours are the way to base it in as previously mentioned. When the parks close at 6, you won't have to worry about crowds for the most part.

 

[keishashadow]

OP---- Buy Kelly Monaghan's "Universal Orlando" book...there's a thread about it here....New 2011 edition is just shipping.

It's all you'll need....trust me

and it goes into even more depth than the guidebook most disneyphiles are familiar with (the Unofficial Guide - which has a section on U, along with passporter).

See, part of the fun for me and our Disney vacations is the planning. I like coming up with our itinerary and making the ADRs. By doing this, I am able to relax and have fun while at Disney. I'm a planner by nature. I like knowing what to expect. I have to agree that the OP has a point. There just doesn't seem to be as much info out there about US/IOA. That's fine. I can wing it. But for those of us who are more obsessive compulsive, it would be nice to be able to have more access to info.

OP - commando much?No flames...u r not alone

I plan detailed & much-revised itineraries/components of every trip I take, including Universal (even if we don't do everything on my list I enjoy the process & like the process of tweaking & creating a perfect vacation for my family).

jmho, any 1st timer should have a plan so they don't miss anything or subject their kids to rides out of their realm of comfort.

so many visit U without any sort of research, then post here as to how Universal isn't the same as Disney World typically including the phrase "...that would never happen at Disney..."

if u r a 1st timer by all means make an itinerary as to attractions, although u'll find the parks are smaller & less back pedaling is needed & it's easier to be more spontaneous.

if it really makes you happy, call for dining reservations pre-trip (i do)... whatever gets u to ur happy place.

 

[damo]

A Crowd Calendar like the Touring Plans one for Disney.

If the kids are in school, Universal isn't so busy. If the kids are out of school, it is busy. That is pretty much it. It is really just a common sense thing at Universal.

Look at the park hours, like lildamo said, and also look at the prices of express passes. You will find that holidays are busy and non-holidays aren't.

Disney has made everything so complicated that people have to overthink and overplan everything. At Universal, just go with your instincts.

 

[schumigirl]

A Crowd Calendar like the Touring Plans one for Disney.

Truthfully, due to the considerably lower number of people who visit the Universal parks, the lack of EMH, etc, wait times don't change so drastically from day to day (with the exception of holidays, etc) to warrant a daily crowd calendar. The HP crowd report thread here is a great help, but other than that, park hours are the way to base it in as previously mentioned. When the parks close at 6, you won't have to worry about crowds for the most part.

If the kids are in school, Universal isn't so busy. If the kids are out of school, it is busy. That is pretty much it. It is really just a common sense thing at Universal.

Look at the park hours, like lildamo said, and also look at the prices of express passes. You will find that holidays are busy and non-holidays aren't.

Disney has made everything so complicated that people have to overthink and overplan everything. At Universal, just go with your instincts.

That really is the thing we love about Universal and why we spend most of our time there........NO planning.

If we ever decide to venture to Disney....we go real early..do what we want to do and then leave.

We like our trip to be as relaxed and as much fun as possible. I have never ever planned a meal more than a day ahead. The thought of planning where I want to eat 180 days out fills me with dread!!!

But that does suit some people I suppose. Just not us.

 

[Rip]

That really is the thing we love about Universal and why we spend most of our time there........NO planning.

If we ever decide to venture to Disney....we go real early..do what we want to do and then leave.

We like our trip to be as relaxed and as much fun as possible. I have never ever planned a meal more than a day ahead. The thought of planning where I want to eat 180 days out fills me with dread!!!

But that does suit some people I suppose. Just not us.

Bingo. We simply refused to buy into the "plan everything 6 months out" on our last two Disney trips. We ended up doing fine, even got to eat a time or two without ADRs! But really, we are Disney-ed out, and that is a big reason for it. I have zero interest in planning every minute detail of every day that I am on vacation just to make sure I'm able to eat a decent meal and ride a few rides. I don't know what I'm going to do in 30 minutes when I get off work, I damned sure don't know what I'm going to want to do 6 months from now.

 

[Planogirl]

You can still plan a bit if that's fun for you. You can plan which rides to hit early, where to eat, which parks on what days and so on. You just don't have to go into the detail that you do at WDW. It's more like the WDW of old where the atmosphere was more relaxed.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I positively love that you don't have plan at USO the way you do at WDW.

My hubby and I had taken a few years "off" from going to theme parks while we were in college and broke. We were both raised in Florida and raised as Disney kids -- never living more than a couple hours away since the parks opened, however.

We decided to return in 2000 (actually before the current DDP) and stay a week onsite at WDW. We'd never been to USO. While making our room ressies, I was asked if I wanted to make any dining reservations. I said, "For where I want to eat in five months?!?" The woman responded yes, that the restaurants were booking up and often sold out. I thought she was nuts. We'd always gone to the front of the park the day we'd want to eat somewhere and make a ressie that day for dining. I couldn't believe things had changed so much!

Well, they had. This trip was the last week of May in 2000 -- not a hugely busy time, but touching a holiday weekend for part of the trip. We were basically shut out of any sit-down restaurants for dinner on WDW property. Someone suggested showing up at a restaurant when it opened for dinner and be prepared to sit and sit and sit and hope for a table.

By our third day of counter service garbage at Disney, we hopped in our car and found Universal, Islands and Citywalk -- and really good dining options that we were able to secure with little to no notice. Drinks with alcohol in them, too ... not those slurpees with a drop of spirits in them you see at DTD and Epcot.

We were and still are thrilled with how you don't have to plan so far in advance at USO. Sure, I don't mind planning out a special meal or a "must-do" months in advance, but I think expecting people to plan all their sit-down meals months in advance or be basically shut out of anything good at a reasonable time is obnoxious.

Even with our upcoming trip next week to O-Town, I have a couple lunches booked at WDW, but all except one of our dinners are "open," and we're looking forward to winging it at Citywalk and the USO hotels in the evenings.

 

[bubba's mom]

That really is the thing we love about Universal and why we spend most of our time there........NO planning.

The thought of planning where I want to eat 180 days out fills me with dread!!!

We plan where to eat dinner at Universal at the time we are hungry and THERE! For us...it truly is a spur-of-the-moment decision...

 

[damo]

We plan where to eat dinner at Universal at the time we are hungry and THERE! For us...it truly is a spur-of-the-moment decision...

We do everything spur of the moment at Universal. What to ride, where to eat, what to drink, water rides, back to the hotel for a rest, etc. etc.

 

[bubba's mom]

We do everything spur of the moment at Universal. What to ride, where to eat, what to drink, water rides, back to the hotel for a rest, etc. etc.

well...yeah....that ^ too!

That's why I could never have a 1 park 1 day pass...it'd kill me!

 

[MotherofLandon]

I really enjoy the planning aspect. Knowing whats there gives me more to look forward to. In terms of vacation, I'm not a wing it type person. I ordered the book that was suggested and actually found alot of info thanks the websites provided. I think the only info I am really lacking now is a good idea of how much eatting at certain places will cost. I live close to Busch Gardens in VA so Im guessing US/IOA is more BG speed than disney speed and thats fine, obviously Id never plot my day out at BG but my time will be more limited at US/IOA and I want to make sure we see all we want to see. DH is a thrill ride junky but doesnt like water rides, DS7 doesnt do well with scary, loud, or 3d/4d rides, and I dont like anything with a drop. With a group like this some planning is necessary when entering unfamiliar territory.

I really appreciate the info that has been given in this thread, one of the websites gave a pretty good descript of the rides which was sooo helpful. Like I said before, I feel much better prepared now.

 

[damo]

The other thing you can do is youtube the various rides. There is most likely an onride video of every ride.

 

[brenda1966]

I love the amount of information you can find online about Disney. That doesn't mean I love that you have to get reservations for the Castle meal months in advance! I hate that. The system is rather messed up. I ended up with 3 reservations because I wasn't sure which day, and then cancelled 2 as the days got closer. Like I said -- messed up.

But the amount of information out there about Disney is wonderful. I don't see it as a religion, but more a passion. I wish there were other passionate sights to help me plan all my trips! With Disney I feel like I know what I'm doing, I know all the little insider tips, etc. I wish that kind of information was available for every vacation destination! When I was planning a trip to historical Philly, I had to google and wade through useless articles one after another to find nuggets of good information about what to do and where to stay.

All the information here about US and IOA is so very helpful and I really appreciate it!

 

[wegs3000]

I'm a completely obsessive planner as the planning is almost as much fun as the doing for me. I've found this forum to give me more than enough information - bubba's mom's trip reports with photos is a guide book on its own. Plus the other great info from the mods and tips from other posters. So appreciated. I echo the Monaghan Universal Guide Book - got it 50% off from a tip here! It is very useful.

We will not be going back to WDW during off school time. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for a week and were only able to eat there for two meals. It was too far away from other places to be reasonable. We would finally be relaxing in the pool and have to jump out to make reservations that were made way too far in advance. I love to plan but we all hated being forced into the plan. We are looking forward to UO so we can actually relax. And I'm getting all the planning I need.

 

[MotherofLandon]

I love the amount of information you can find online about Disney. That doesn't mean I love that you have to get reservations for the Castle meal months in advance! I hate that. The system is rather messed up. I ended up with 3 reservations because I wasn't sure which day, and then cancelled 2 as the days got closer. Like I said -- messed up.

But the amount of information out there about Disney is wonderful. I don't see it as a religion, but more a passion. I wish there were other passionate sights to help me plan all my trips! With Disney I feel like I know what I'm doing, I know all the little insider tips, etc. I wish that kind of information was available for every vacation destination! When I was planning a trip to historical Philly, I had to google and wade through useless articles one after another to find nuggets of good information about what to do and where to stay.

All the information here about US and IOA is so very helpful and I really appreciate it!

wejustgotback.com is a good website for family vacations.

 

[brenda1966]

wejustgotback.com is a good website for family vacations.

Thanks for the tip! Am bookmarking that. Would like to do a non-Disney cruise soon and feel lost regarding planning for that one.

 

[brenda1966]

- bubba's mom's trip reports with photos is a guide book on its own.

.

Where are these trip reports? Are there here on Dis in the trip reports thread? I'm not seeing them. Thanks.