StaceyinLA Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Compared to Disney (though I'm sure there really isn't a comparison). Is it worth a trip? Good enough to be a trip of its own? I'm just wondering if we should consider that instead of 2 Disney trips in 3 months. Or maybe Busch Gardens... Or Cedar Point in Ohio... It's just that stinking free dining offer at WDW. It really does make for an inexpensive trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Universal Studios and its sibling, Adventure Islands, are a blast. IMO, Disney's Hollywood Studios is but a weak rip-off of Universal. When we go to Orlando, we usually do the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and Adventure Islands, and either Sea World or another Disney Park or special event. ETA: If you want inexpensive, stay off property in a condo like we do. We stay in a 1400 sq condo for 9 nights, for $875, and have three bedrooms, a kitchen, and washer and dryer. You save a lot of money eating breakfast and other snacks and meals that you make or prep yourself. Edited March 28, 2012 by Aelwydd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennynd Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Universal Studios and its sibling, Adventure Islands, are a blast. IMO, Disney's Hollywood Studios is but a weak rip-off of Universal. When we go to Orlando, we usually do the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and Adventure Islands, and either Sea World or another Disney Park or special event. ETA: If you want inexpensive, stay off property in a condo like we do. We stay in a 1400 sq condo for 9 nights, for $875, and have three bedrooms, a kitchen, and washer and dryer. You save a lot of money eating breakfast and other snacks and meals that you make or prep yourself. where can I find info for condos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 We just got back from a dual WDW/Universal vacation. Here are some random bits of advice. -We did Universal (this was our first visit) after a week at WDW and I would suggest doing Universal before. It's fun, but it's not Disney. -Stay onsite if at all possible. It gives you front of the line passes for most rides, as well as one hour early access to Harry Potter. -You can easily do the both parks (Universal & Islands of Adventure) in two days. I can't see how one could build an entire vacation around just Universal -Because you can see it all in 2 days and ideally stay onsite, it's an extremely expensive vacation. We did 8 nights at Disney (offsite; gorgeous house at Windsor Hills) with 7 days in the parks and spent under $2000 for lodging & tix for a family of 4. Universal for 2 days and 1 night was about $1000. -Ultimately, we had a good time. We enjoyed the Harry Potter portion of the park the most--the Forbidden Journey ride is a-maz-ing! But my kids are big Potter fans. So while it was expensive I'm glad we did it. Hope this helps some in your decision making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2att Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 where can I find info for condos? I've used these two companies at various times with no complaints: Vacation Central Florida Florida Sun Vacation Homes Some people value the on-site Disney vacation experience, but if you want a little more room to spread out and maybe want to eat at least a few meals (like breakfast) in the peace and quiet of your condo, or the ability to pack light and throw your dirty clothes in the washer at the end of the day, you really can't beat an off-site condo. In the off season you can generally find 2 or 3 bedroom condos for a little over $100 per night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 It depends on the ages of the kiddos who are going with you. Unless a kiddo is a big Dr. Seuss fan, then I wouldn't take one to Universal until about age 8 or 9. The rides are much more intense than Disney. Older kiddos love this park. If one is going to Universal, then I agree with the PP who said to stay on property. The fast pass associated with staying on property is a must. Your other option is to pay for a daily fast pass which adds about $35 or so to each ticket per day. Universal and its water park can easily be done in 2 or 3 days. Since we have annual passes to Busch Gardens, Disney, Universal, and Seaworld, I've forgotten what actual costs are. But if I had a younger kiddo who enjoyed animals, I'd go to Discovery Cove before Universal. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 It would be my ds and me. He will be 17 when we go. We actually have Disney booked for September (free dining), but we are also going in December, so I was considering doing something different in September. However, I have 5 nights booked at Disney with tickets and free dining for $1000 for the two of us - that's gonna be hard to beat! We do LOVE Harry Potter, so that's mainly why I was considering Universal. We LOVE thrill rides, but the descriptions on some of those make me wonder if I'll be able to walk afterwards (I LOVE the Rock 'n Roller coaster at WDW). They seem pretty intense. I love intense, but not sure if my 44yo body will love intense! I don't know. Now I'm confused... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I hear you! Orlando has SOOOO much, it's hard to pick and choose. We were going to do a Disney-free Orlando vacation in August/Sept, but then they announced free dining. So, we added on to our vacation. For our family, we're staying at POR, two day park tickets, 5 nights, all food included - $1600. We will be staying at a condo in WH for 10 nights before Disney for $800. I'm trying to find the best combination of tickets for our family and it's SOOOOO confusing. They bundle a bunch of parks together for what seems like a good price. But, many of the parks have bundles of their own that make even better deals. Anyway the cost for all the parks we want to do - Universal, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove (this is a HUGE chunk of it!), Sea World, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, and maybe the Tampa Aquarium and Wet and Wild - is nearly $3000!!! That doesn't include food or the condo. Thanks for asking though. It's good to know that we can do Universal/Islands of Adventure in two days. Is that fast pass really worth it at Universal at $35/pp/day? That would add a LOT to our tickets! How bad are the lines there in Aug/Sept? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Compared to Disney (though I'm sure there really isn't a comparison). Is it worth a trip? Good enough to be a trip of its own? I'm just wondering if we should consider that instead of 2 Disney trips in 3 months. Or maybe Busch Gardens... Or Cedar Point in Ohio... It's just that stinking free dining offer at WDW. It really does make for an inexpensive trip. We live a couple hours from Cedar Point and go nearly every summer. It is a BLAST!!!! Really, really fun. We don't usually spend the night (the hotels near there are severely lacking, IMHO), but when we do, we'll stay at Great Wolf Lodge or Kalahari. Totally worth the extra expense to get a nicer hotel. Seriously - the hotels on CP property are in major need of an update. And, the prices!!! Holy cow. For what you get, it's just not worth it. Because we go so often, we never feel stressed to ride everything. But, if you wanted to ride all the big ones, stay two or even three days at the parks. It'll be more relaxing. And fun. Those rides are AMAZING!!!! And, there are discounts ALL the time. Don't pay full price for the park tickets there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I hear you! Orlando has SOOOO much, it's hard to pick and choose. We were going to do a Disney-free Orlando vacation in August/Sept, but then they announced free dining. So, we added on to our vacation. For our family, we're staying at POR, two day park tickets, 5 nights, all food included - $1600. We will be staying at a condo in WH for 10 nights before Disney for $800. I'm trying to find the best combination of tickets for our family and it's SOOOOO confusing. They bundle a bunch of parks together for what seems like a good price. But, many of the parks have bundles of their own that make even better deals. Anyway the cost for all the parks we want to do - Universal, Islands of Adventure, Discovery Cove (this is a HUGE chunk of it!), Sea World, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, and maybe the Tampa Aquarium and Wet and Wild - is nearly $3000!!! That doesn't include food or the condo. Thanks for asking though. It's good to know that we can do Universal/Islands of Adventure in two days. Is that fast pass really worth it at Universal at $35/pp/day? That would add a LOT to our tickets! How bad are the lines there in Aug/Sept? Jennifer you are a riot. I love that you are adding on to your trip for the free dining! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 If you are Harry Potter fans then IOA is worth it. I loved staying on site, getting there the hour before the crowds and no wait rides. But it's expensive. Off and on the hotels drop by 100 plus dollars so you have to keep checking. If you are going to stay for a couple of days it can be worth it for one person to buy an annual pass because it drops your hotel price considerably. Put in code APH (annual pass holder) and check the rates. I don't know about lines in the summer. We aren't used to theme parks so we don't know what to expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Jennifer you are a riot. I love that you are adding on to your trip for the free dining! :D :001_smile: Really, it was a no-brainer! I called my dh when they announced free dining to see if he could take the extra days off work. His response? "Of course!" I think he loves Disney as much as I do!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I'm going to have to drag my ds out of Hogsmeade and give Disney a go. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Is the 17 year old a fan of coasters and similar rides? They have a lot of simulation type things there as well as coasters. If they are adventurous/like that sort of ride I think a 17 year old would enjoy Islands of Adventure (particularly)/Universal more than Disney. I mean Disney is an experience in itself but, as an adult and back when I was a teen, I really loved Islands of Adventure. You can do it all in two days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 We went to Orlando in January/February. We skipped Disney altogether and went to Legoland and Universal Islands of Adventure. IoA was TOTALLY worth it for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter alone. There was awesome other stuff there, too. (We stayed in a place with my parents and aunt and uncle and they watched the little guys while we went to IoA... it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun with the little ones.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 you are only adding to my list of things to confuse me! :tongue_smilie: I have to make this September trip a budget one! I was surprised my dh didn't fall out when I mentioned it because I am going to Hawaii twice, and Disney in December was already booked as well. I definitely have to keep this cheap! My son LOVES rides. We also LOVE Disney. It'll be really hard to go to Orlando and NOT do Disney. In fact, I don't know if I could do it. I brought up Cedar Point because if I did that, I'd be nowhere NEAR Disney, AND it would be something totally different. Is Cedar Point open year-round? Do they close weekdays and just open on the weekends? I'd definitely want a nice place to stay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasRachel Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Universal has Harry Potter and they did an amazing job. It's like being in Hogsmeade. Themed beyond anything else I've ever seen. If you're a fan you'll love it. And if you're not, you'll still think it's amazing. The HP ride is great. Unless things have changed, the fast passes weren't available for the big HP rides. We stayed at a timeshare near Disney and it was nice having a kitchen. There were 8 of us and we definitely saved $ that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Stacey can you stay at Disney and go to IOA for one day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwallowTail Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 It would be my ds and me. He will be 17 when we go. We actually have Disney booked for September (free dining), but we are also going in December, so I was considering doing something different in September. However, I have 5 nights booked at Disney with tickets and free dining for $1000 for the two of us - that's gonna be hard to beat! We do LOVE Harry Potter, so that's mainly why I was considering Universal. We LOVE thrill rides, but the descriptions on some of those make me wonder if I'll be able to walk afterwards (I LOVE the Rock 'n Roller coaster at WDW). They seem pretty intense. I love intense, but not sure if my 44yo body will love intense! I don't know. Now I'm confused... The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is amazing. I would totally make that choice. I rode the dueling dragons roller coaster a few times w/ dh, and it was a blast. You must eat breakfast at the Three Broomsticks (w/ reservations, this gets you into the park early). I think 2 days at Universal is sufficient, and recommend staying in a condo or resort offsite. We got amazing deals at the resort we stayed. Then, if you have time, jet over to Tampa for Busch Gardens for a third day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Universal has a food thing too..about $25 a day, and you can eat unlimited at any restaurant. Just eating twice and you've MORE than paid for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 I'm all for thrills, but I don't want things that are going to really jar my back and neck badly or I'll be miserable the rest of the trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Just so you know, Costco has Universal tickets for around $147 including tax for a 3 day hopper pass. The days DO NOT have to be consecutive and are good for 3 years, so you can use one day this vacation, one day next vacation, and the last one up to 3 years later. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 For a kid that age definitely do Universal. Tons of fun. Get the two park pass though! My 12 year old loves it there, but we gave up our passes a year ago. Oh, and my favorite ride is "The Mummy". LOVE LOVE LOVE. Not as intense as some of the roller coasters, but with cool theatrical stuff....it is a "psychological thrill ride." Spider Man and the Harry Potter ride are the other two really not to be missed rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Thanks for asking though. It's good to know that we can do Universal/Islands of Adventure in two days. Is that fast pass really worth it at Universal at $35/pp/day? That would add a LOT to our tickets! How bad are the lines there in Aug/Sept? Is Harry Potter a big part of why you are going? Because it is sometimes so crowded you can't even enter that area of the park. We went in January, and we got in and were able to do everything except Ollivander's wand show, but it was CRAZY crowded. The rest of the park was not. I don't know about September, but I'm sure August is nuts. Universal has a food thing too..about $25 a day, and you can eat unlimited at any restaurant. Just eating twice and you've MORE than paid for that. They have a meal plan, but it is definitely not every restaurant, it is only SOME of the quick service ones. You can probably find a list on their site. I'm all for thrills, but I don't want things that are going to really jar my back and neck badly or I'll be miserable the rest of the trip. The big rides at IOA are far more intense than ANYTHING at Disney, imo. I love Rocking Roller Coaster, but you couldn't pay me to get on Dueling Dragons or The Hulk. dh and oldest dd love rollercoasters, and loved these, but chose to ride Hulk only twice even tho' lines were very short. We are Disney geeks. This January was our first trip to Universal, IOA only, in the name of Harry Potter :D. One day, so it was stupidly expensively (about $85 per ticket), but not enough interested us to make a multi-day trip. And, y'know, we wanted to do Disney! If you are FANATICAL about Harry Potter, it may be worth it. I loved the books and liked the movies, but I could easily have skipped it. It's 3 rides, one of which I wouldn't do, lol, and lots of shopping. Lots and lots of shopping. My kids loved all the merchandise and the atmosphere, but none of us liked how cramped and crowded the shops were. Very claustrophobic. It was worth it as a special trip for the kids, but even the roller coaster lover said, "it's not Disney" and we doubt we will go back. I'm sure a lot depends on what characters you like, what atmosphere you prefer, etc. I'd say that Universal is more of a theme park where the specific attractions are important, while Disney is more about the overall experience and "magic." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I'm all for thrills, but I don't want things that are going to really jar my back and neck badly or I'll be miserable the rest of the trip. Then you won't like Cedar Point. It has the scariest, most neck-jarring coasters I have ever been on. And it is not open all year. It is usually open Memorial Day to Halloween. Personally, I like Universal Studios better than Disney World! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The coasters there are steel and relatively smooth if I remember. My favorite rides are the simulations--the Mummy, Spider Man, etc. I've not seen the Harry Potter part but I imagine it's got lots of that. There is lots of fun that isn't coaster type rides at all. It sounds like they've raised ticket prices and gotten crowded with the Harry Potter. The last time we went it was under construction. We were there in January and the park was walk right on and off almost all the rides--no waits at all. I guess those days are over for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Universal Studios is awesome! Would be scary for young kids, though. I think DH and I watched the tornado three times when we were there. As soon as DD's old enough, we'll be going again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 but really jerky coasters just wind up making me hurt. I don't having chronic back/neck issues, but I have been in several car accidents and I feel like my back/neck are "sensitive" to certain things that they weren't before. I'm a roller coaster fanatic though. I just need the coasters to be smooth. They can be fast, go upside down, have lots of drops, etc., but I need smooth (like rock 'n roller smooth, which is not super smooth, but I couldn't take much more of a beating than that at this point). I LOVE rides with drops. Tower of Terror is my all-time favorite ride at WDW. I like spinning (we make our teacups spin til we can't hold our heads up). I'm definitely INto rides; I just hafta be more careful in my old age. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I'm all for thrills, but I don't want things that are going to really jar my back and neck badly or I'll be miserable the rest of the trip. Some are some aren't. I don't do the Hulk because it really throws you around. And you will NEVER get me on Dr. Doom's ride..ugh. But Spider Man should be ok...not sure about Harry Potter as I stayed with the baby while my hubby went on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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