What would you do: Disney/Universal Combo

[Janepod]

We've never been to Universal and are primarily interested in seeing Harry Potter. Me, husband, 6 year old son.

We're looking to visit Orlando in Jan. 2012 (approx. 1/21-1/28) and will spend a total of 6-7 days. How would you break up the trip? We figure we probably only need one day at Universal. Would you spend the entire time at Disney and cab/shuttle to and from Universal, or check out of Disney and spend a night at a Universal hotel? Or vice versa?

We are flying in and do not intend to rent a car. We always use the Disney shuttle to/from the airport. Does Universal offer something like this or would we have to shell out $ for a cab if we stay at a Universal hotel?

If we should just stay at Disney (probably Poly) the whole week, taking a day trip to Universal, what's the best day of the week to go?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Melanie230]

You will love Universal. I personally think you will regret only spending one day at Universal. If it were our family, we would do Disney first. If I had 7 days, I would chose 5 days for Disney and 2 days at Universal. I would leave Disney property and stay onsite at Universal. The hotels onsite are amazing, and very relaxing! You will also get 2 days of FOTL passes for all of you for one nights stay. There is no shuttle to the airport from Universal. So you would need a cab, shuttle, or car service. If you only plan on spending at day at Universal, I think any weekday is good.

 

[macraven]

We've never been to Universal and are primarily interested in seeing Harry Potter. Me, husband, 6 year old son.

We're looking to visit Orlando in Jan. 2012 (approx. 1/21-1/28) and will spend a total of 6-7 days. How would you break up the trip? We figure we probably only need one day at Universal. Would you spend the entire time at Disney and cab/shuttle to and from Universal, or check out of Disney and spend a night at a Universal hotel? Or vice versa?

We are flying in and do not intend to rent a car. We always use the Disney shuttle to/from the airport. Does Universal offer something like this or would we have to shell out $ for a cab if we stay at a Universal hotel?

If we should just stay at Disney (probably Poly) the whole week, taking a day trip to Universal, what's the best day of the week to go? Thanks for any advice!

back in the early 1990's, i did one of the options you are thinking about.

stay the entire time at a disney resort and do a day trip to universal.
well, for a couple of those trips, we rented a car and drove to universal during the middle of our motherland stay for one day.

the next year, did the same but went two separate days to universal.

year 3, we changed our vacation planning.
we stayed at the motherland resort for a week and then moved to the darkside hotels for 3 nights.

have done this pattern ever since.


you have a more relaxing vacation when you can avoid the extra travel time and prep from one resort to another theme park.

with kids, and i had 3 littles with me during all those times, it is a lot more planning and work involved to do day trips away from one theme park to another.

i suggest you tack on one night at the darkside hotels.
buy a 2 day 2 park ticket.

when you stay at the universal hotels, you receive the perks on the day you check out until closing time of those parks that day.

one night onsite + 2 full days of using unlimited express pass lines.

can't get any sweeter than that.

on the one day/night you are staying onsite, take advantage of the pools, eateries there, and activities.
spend check out day fully in the parks.
you can change, shower, freshen up in the hotel gym facilities when you are ready to leave for your trip home.


one perk of staying onsite is the extra hour entrance to ioa to catch potter before it is open to the public.

that is something you can not buy.
it is a perk for being a hotel guest there.

 

[Metro West]

I can guarantee one thing...If you stay onsite at Universal you will be spoiled by the unlimited Express access and won't be able to handle standing in line at Disney...with or without a FP especially during busy travel periods.

 

[damo]

Do Disney first and then Universal.

 

[Pembo]

I can guarantee one thing...If you stay onsite at Universal you will be spoiled by the unlimited Express access and won't be able to handle standing in line at Disney...with or without a FP especially during busy travel periods.

Agreed! Our first trip to Universal was this past spring. I LOVED the hotels and access. I definitely would stay there again.

 

[Moon Child]

I can guarantee one thing...If you stay onsite at Universal you will be spoiled by the unlimited Express access and won't be able to handle standing in line at Disney...with or without a FP especially during busy travel periods.

Amen to that Metro! That's what we always do, you can't to Universal First, wait in no lines, then go to waiting in lines at Disney
and we are doing the same thing this Oct!!

 

[aidtrismommy]

We are doing 7 nights in January 2012. We are flying in on a Monday evening and staying at a hotel near the airport and getting our rental van. Tuesday am we are driving our rental to Universal and getting there first thing. We are going straight to HP world (as everyone probably does) and doing everythign we can there. I have 2 small boys so we can't do the rides there exept for hippogriff I think, but will take the tour of the castle and everything else. We plan on eating lunch there and when finished with HP world, we will explore the rest of IOA until about 3 when we will leave for Beach club villas. We will returnt the car at the Dolphin and the next 6 days will be Disney. We do Disney every January and just this one time wanted to see Harry Potter world as we are die hard fans. We are really not roller coaster people or thrill-ride type people either. I have been to Universal before and at this point am just not interested in anything but HP world. As my kids age, I am sure we will return, but for this trip we will only do 1 day.

 

[CampbellScot]

We're leaving today with a very similar agenda! We're doing one day at Islands of Adventure and then heading to DW for a week.

We check into Portofino Bay this evening, do early entry to Harry Potter tomorrow morning!! I am so so so excited!!

We use Tiffany Towncar every time we are in Florida. They do a "three leg" deal that is very reasonable. They will pick us up at the airport this evening and take us to PBR. The next day they pick us up at PBR at 10pm and take us to the Beach Club at Disney World!! We'll be at Disney for 8 days.

We wanted to just test drive Universal this year. My step son is finally tall enough for all the coasters so we're giving him a day to go nuts...and giving ME a day to indulge my Harry Potter dorkness!!

If the test drive goes well, we'll do more days next summer.

I can't WAIT for WWoHP!!!

 

[Marquibiri]

I always prefer Disney first and then Universal...

Marquibiri

I`ve started my pre-trip report for this years HHN! HHN 21

 

[Janepod]

Thanks for all the great advice! I knew there would be a lot of helpful replies. Sounds like staying onsite is the way to go. Thanks!

 

[Hogie23]

I can guarantee one thing...If you stay onsite at Universal you will be spoiled by the unlimited Express access and won't be able to handle standing in line at Disney...with or without a FP especially during busy travel periods.

Agreed. We just returned from a Universal/Disney trip and did universal first. It totally spoiled us waiting in line at Disney. Disney Fast Pass just isn't the same.

 

[macraven]

i go annually for a long trip.

i start and stay onsite at the motherland.
it is rush -rush -rush for me for 8 days.

i have to get up early for the early bus to hit rope drop.
i need to rush to get fast passes, yea, i have the system down pat..
i have to make my adr w.a.y. in advance.

i have to plan my days in advance based on which parks have ee, emh and for which parks close early due to parties.

i open with the parks and i close with the parks.

by the time i leave, i need to rest....

then i use car service over to the darkside hotels.
ah.......8 days on site.

no rushing.
if i over sleep in the morning, no problem.
if i am hungry at night, no problem....


my 8 days at the darkside hotels are relaxing and fun.......

i always do the darkside second.


this is what works for me.
it may not be what others want to do.

but anyone that does disney is busy most of the time they are there.
the only time i had a semi relaxing stay at disney was back in 2008 when i did a 11 day stay there before going to universal.



all of my trips since 2005 have been solo..........

 

[EPRV We love Disney]

Hi Mac!! We need a trip report from you! I for one would LOVE to read about your 8 days in Disney and then 8 days in Universal!!

I don't think you've ever done one...

 

[dsmom]

skip disney and do a week at Universal

 

[Zim]

I concur with what most everyone here said. The past three trips for us have been 4 or 5 nights at Disney followed by 1 or 2 nights at Universal in the Hard Rock Hotel onsite. It's worth the cab ride back to the airport. Personally, I couldn't do both Universal parks in just one day, and I really enjoy their park atmosphere so much more. You will be spoiled by the Express Pass no doubt if you stay onsite.

This year we're doing a shorter trip and skipping Disney entirely. With teenagers, the only Disney park that will sorely be missed is Hollywood Studios. We're staying at RPR and adding Sea World and Aquatica treks.