Will we have time to do Universal one day?

[jjarman]

DS14 and I are going March 12-18 and staying onsite at Pop Century. I have everything pretty much worked out as to what park which day with the knowledge that things can change. Now DS thinks he wants to go to Universal or IOA for a day. I am sure we will only want to ride the thrill rides and not really go to any shows. This is his second trip to WDW with the first 2 years ago so we kind of know what to do and expect as far as WDW. Do you think we will have time to do Universal or IOA? Which one do you recommend we do?

 

[DianeV]

If you are into thrill rides then IOA is the side you want. We havent been there but we like the Universal side as our kids are girls and still young. The Universal side can easily be done in one day but there are not "thrill" rides per se as much on that side..I dont know how long the IOA side would take

 

[SPAM]

i love usf too. if hes into thrill rides then i would say ioa. you could easily do that whole park in one day. but i love both parks. i personally like usf better but i love the shows and such.

 

[Sandyincanada]

I perfer USF too but my teens love coasters so love IOA. If your DS is into coasters, then IOA for sure...if he's not that big into coasters, he'd probably enjoy USF. Mind you, Spiderman is awesome (IOA) but USF has The Mummy, hmmmm, go early and get a 1 day-2park pass?

 

[melissa5583]

Last year in March, I went to USF and I did not like it too much. But I was also tired from 5 days of Disney. I actually fell asleep during the terminator show. Plus the lines were horrible and pple that stay at a Universal hotel gets to ride first so we were in line forever. But, I think that I would have liked IOA....more thrill rides.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I think you can do IOA in one day, or at least the bulk of it for sure. Just get there early and hit the big rides first =)

IOA will have more thrill rides then US. We had a great time there!

 

[DavidNYC]

My DW and I usually go to IOA for one day of our Disney trip. We actually buy 3 Day - 2 Park tickets since it's a better value and we just keep the ticket for a few years. IOA is definitely more of a ride lovers park (especially Spiderman, Hulk and Dueling Dragons) but the other rides are fun too (especially the Popeye raft ride if its warm out). Using the Universal Express (like Disney's Fast Pass) should allow you to at least get on each of the rides once (and maybe twice for a few of the coasters). However, I've never been there in early March and I would expect some more serious crowds. There are a few good rides at USF - the Mummy is actually pretty good and the Men in Black ride is a lot of fun (especially if you like the game rides like Buzz Lightyear) so if you think you might be going back a few times over the next year or so it might be worth doing the two park ticket.

 

[debkorb1]

You won't be able to do ALL of the USF in one day - I'd say a day and a morning. But if you are prepared to miss a few things out then a day will be fine.

I think USF is a more varied experience than IOA with a mix of thrill rides and shows/interactive experiences. IOA has the mammoth rollercoaster/log flume etc. But then USF has the Mummy ride, which is one of my favourite rollercoasters. And it has Shrek....nuff said

 

[Cookie Princess]

If you have a lot of energy, go for the 2 parks in 1 day ticket. We did this and it was well worth it! It wasn't a slow-pace day by any means, but we had a blast riding some great rides in both parks.

 

[DBC]

If you are going during a busy time the lines at both are brutal. Since we go during school vacas we stay away from IOA/US unless we are staying on property. The front of the line access is great for hotel guests as stated above but the regular Universal Express passes run out very quickly.

I'd save them for a time when you can plan at least a day or 2 at one of the onsite hotels. We really like it and you child is at a good age for IOA, but you can do much more per day with less waiting if you are onsite. Try HRH, it's literally a 3 minute walk from the gates at US if you exit by the pool.

 

[Sandyincanada]

If you are going during a busy time the lines at both are brutal. Since we go during school vacas we stay away from IOA/US unless we are staying on property. The front of the line access is great for hotel guests as stated above but the regular Universal Express passes run out very quickly.

I'd save them for a time when you can plan at least a day or 2 at one of the onsite hotels. We really like it and you child is at a good age for IOA, but you can do much more per day with less waiting if you are onsite. Try HRH, it's literally a 3 minute walk from the gates at US if you exit by the pool.

For us, we hate hotel hopping. There is another choice and thats you can buy an Express Pass Plus. This pass gives you FOTL access once for everyride. You can buy it for just one park or for both. The price really varies, all depending when you go. FOr us, in Feb, its only 15.00 but I have seen it go up to 30.00 during peak times.