Disney World in 2010 and now Universal Studios this fall....info. gathering

[sheryl]

In Nov. 2010 we went to DW for the 1st time.  I posted here about tips, suggestions, do's, don'ts, etc.  and learned much in advance of our trip.  Thanks to the replies we had what I believe to be a more enjoyable time b/c I knew what to expect.

 

We've not been to Universal Studios in Orlando but we are scheduled there this fall.

 

Once again, would someone explain US to me in a nutshell.  I remember DW having 5 parks is it?  How is US set up.  What are the best tips, suggestions, do's, dont's, etc? 

 

Thanks much!!!

[kroe1]

Two parks, one shopping/dining district.

Can be done easily in 2 days.

Do not miss Harry potter stuff.

Lots of big rides.

Stay on sight.

Go to trainer for a day at Discovery Cove (SeaWorld owned, but across the street) to fill in an extra day.

 

In a nutshell

[sheryl]

Thanks for that and in a nutshell at time!  :)   Love that!
 

Anyone else - more suggestions?

 

[Ali in OR]

We went for 1 day only in March, basically to see the Harry Potter stuff. And Harry Potter was the coolest part of our vacation. We did just the one park (Islands of Adventure) that had Harry Potter in it. Now that they have opened Diagon Alley in the second park, you will definitely want the two-park pass. If you buy a butterbeer, you can keep refilling the mug with soda all over the park. And if you buy it in the bar (Hogshead I think?), you won't have to wait in the incredibly long lines for the butterbeer carts. The butterbeer mostly tastes like butterscotch--we had the frozen variety (they do both frozen and not frozen). The Hogwarts ride (can't remember the name) was the coolest ride of our vacation--you fly kind of iMax style around Hogwarts and through the Quidditch pitch. You need to put everything, even small purses or phones, in a locker before boarding.

 

The rest of Universal was okay, but Harry Potter was definitely the highlight.

[Kathryn]

I was going to ask this! We are thinking about going just for the Harry Potter stuff early next year (February?). We'll have a 9mo with us. How does it work with strollers?

[City Mouse]

I don't think you can take the stroller in the line, but there is a nice room in the Forbidden Journey ride where the people needing to ride swap stay. It has a screen showing HP movies. We did not use the swap for any other rides, but I believe other rides have something similar.

[sheryl]

So there are two parks? What is featured in the other one?

[serene]

Universal Studios has 2 coasters (Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy), and several motion-based rides (Despicable Me, Transformers, Shrek, Men In Black, Terminator & E.T.), and there are several shows you can watch (Beetlejuice Review, Horror Make-up Show, Animal Actors, Blues Brothers). We love the Mummy coaster, M.I.B. & Transformers.

 

 

Islands of Adventures has themed areas (islands) - Marvel Super Heroes, Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, Hogsmeade/Lost Continent, Suess Landing. There are 3 full-sized coasters (Incredible Hulk & Dragon Challenge, which is 2 separate coasters), several water rides that you *will* get soaked on, Spiderman (which is motion-based, similar to Transformers) and Dr. Doom's Fear Fall. There's a jr coaster in Hogsmeade that's mild, but fun. We love all the coasters here, and ride several of the kiddy rides in Suess Landing because we love Suess. :)  The Harry Potter ride is a different kind of motion-based ride, and can be difficult if you have issues with vertigo. Even if you can't ride, do take the time to walk the cue to check out the inside of the castle.

[Lieutenant Stranger]

If you have any form of sensitivity to motion sickness, stay far, far, far away from the Men in Black ride.

 

The Mummy ride was awesome. (Sorry, I was only there for the Halloween night-- oddly enough, while we were visiting Disney!)

[Maplinmum]

We went 2 years ago, worth staying on site to get the free fast pass, the one the on site visitors get lets you ride the same ride multiple times unlike the one you can buy. It makes a huge difference in the waiting time for popular rides, we waited 10 to 15 min compared to over an hour. We had 2 full days there and really enjoyed ourselves, The water rides you will get soaked on, as in someone has thrown buckets of water over you!

Have fun.

[Pegasus]

Best advice - stay onsite. We don't normally spend that much for hotels but at US, it is really worth it for the benefits. You can
WALK everywhere: to both parks and to the shopping/restaurant area. You get automatic fast pass access to every attraction that offers it. They also offer onsite folks the chance to do Harry Potter early in the morning, before the rest of the public is let into the park. DO THIS!  The crowds later in the day, even during a slower season, are wall to wall (only in the Harry Potter section, the rest of the park seemed fine).

 

If it just doesn't look feasible to pay the rates at the US hotels, keep in mind that you only need ONE night to get TWO days of access to the fast pass system (forget what it is called actually at US. . .fast pass is the Disney system!) - the day you check in AND the day you check out.

 

The restaurants at the shopping complex are all very LOUD. We have one DD that is sensitive to loud noises and we had to leave before we even got a table.  We ended up eating offsite and at the quick service type places where we could eat outside.

 

Oh, if you decide to get a meal offsite, we really enjoyed Flippers Pizza. It is a short drive from the hotels, was never crowded, and had very yummy pizza and other dishes. Very reasonable prices.

 

We did four days in the parks and that was PLENTY.  With onsite access, you can do a pretty good job of both parks in two days. We wanted to be a bit more relaxed and so spread it out over 4 days. Just like at Disney, the more days you add to the ticket, the cost "per day" goes down.

[Pegasus]

If you have any form of sensitivity to motion sickness, stay far, far, far away from the Men in Black ride.

 

The Mummy ride was awesome. (Sorry, I was only there for the Halloween night-- oddly enough, while we were visiting Disney!)

 

I'm not especially sensitive to motion sickness AND I took a motion sickness med just in case, and I discovered that I couldn't ride any of the simulator rides at US.  Ok, I could ride, but I had to close my eyes. ha!

 

I agree though, the Mummy ride was one of my favorites. Jurassic Park River Adventure was my other favorite.

[momto10blessings]

We went there 8 years ago and enjoyed it much more than Disney. It was a while ago though so I don't have any tips

[bettyandbob]

How unpleasant would it be to go in August. I'm thinking about staying at Cabana Bay. Would the weather be horribly unbearable (I am used to heat and humidity in Virginia).

[Luckymama]

We've been to WDW and Universal Florida several times in late August. By that time of the summer, we have no problems dealing with Florida humidity (we live a bit north of you).

 

Going in early June kills us, as June weather is just about perfect here and horrible in Florida.

[AnIslandGirl]

How unpleasant would it be to go in August. I'm thinking about staying at Cabana Bay. Would the weather be horribly unbearable (I am used to heat and humidity in Virginia).

 

Just a heads up that guests of the cheaper Cabana Bay resort do not have the "front of the line" pass privileges of guests staying at the other 3 Universal properties. If you are just looking for close proximity to the park it is still a great option.

[sheryl]

AnIslandGirl,

 

3 universal properties - ??????   I really know nothing about US.  Help. 

 

I actually just had vertigo about 1 month ago.  It came after a full-body message and she applied too much pressure, I think, to the back of the neck.  My vertigo started right after my message. 

 

I do get motion-sickness and will not ride on any twirler, whirler, etc that will make me dizzy! LOL!  So, which rides should I stay away from? 

 

Also, are the properties, noted above, and parks the same thing?

 

**** What other Orlando attractions should we consider in addition to US?  Thanks.

[AnIslandGirl]

The three on-site hotels (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock and Portofino Bay) all have the early entry and front of the line features included with each stay. The newer hotel, Cabana Bay does not come with the front of the line benefit that many people find as a reason to stay at a Universal property over cheaper options in the area.

Edit to add: Depending on the length of your stay, it may be beneficial to get an annual pass for one adult if you do plan to stay on-site. Using the discount code APH when booking directly through Universal can sometimes save quite a lot each night depending on when and how long you are staying (Annual pass holder rates are usually released about 3 months in advance). You do have to show your annual pass at check in though to get the APH discount or you will have to pay the rack rate.

The time of year also makes a big difference in pricing. https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Onsite-Hotel-Rates-and-Offers/Seasonal-Rates.aspx

[sheryl]

Thanks, everyone!    There is more to US than I originally thought.  I thought DW was the big draw but now I see that both are big in their own right. 

 

I would like to know other Orlando sights/activities, etc. do you recommend.

 

We may spend 2-3 days at US (is that enough?), 1 day at DW as we each have a one-day pass we didn't use from our last trip to DW, and the other 1-2 days around Orlando.  I'd like to go to a completely different destination too, but there is already so much planned.  And, how can I pass one of my favorite vacation areas - St. Augustine!   Really like that little area.

 

So, what other attractions would be suggest for Orlando specifically and Florida state-wide.  Thanks!

[QueenCat]

Thanks, everyone!    There is more to US than I originally thought.  I thought DW was the big draw but now I see that both are big in their own right. 

 

I would like to know other Orlando sights/activities, etc. do you recommend.

 

We may spend 2-3 days at US (is that enough?), 1 day at DW as we each have a one-day pass we didn't use from our last trip to DW, and the other 1-2 days around Orlando.  I'd like to go to a completely different destination too, but there is already so much planned.  And, how can I pass one of my favorite vacation areas - St. Augustine!   Really like that little area.

 

So, what other attractions would be suggest for Orlando specifically and Florida state-wide.  Thanks!

 

Discovery Cove............. swimming with the dolphins along with hanging out the fish, floating down what felt like a "real" gentle river, etc was probably our favorite day in Orlando "ever". And we love Disney :)

[Starr]

Yes a couple of days is fine for US. Harry Potter World is fun even without the rides! Information about the rides and what is in each park is available and quite detailed online. Read the Universal site and a few people blogs or articles. We like the Portofino. It seems a little quieter, the pool is great, nice italian restaurant as well as others. And it's fun to take the boats to the park. (free) Prices can very a lot. We usually have one person with an Annual Pass, APH is the code. It pays for it's self  with the hotel discount.  We take granola bars with us. There is coffee in the room. Ask for extra when you arrive. Get in line early for the early entry and enjoy HPW first thing. Then stroll back over there at closing time when people are leaving if any of you need another look see. Ds loved to just sit and pretend he was in the story. :D 

[monstermama]

If you're more familiar with Disney, http://wdwprepschool.com/a-disney-world-freaks-guide-to-universal-orlando/ is a good site that lists out the various rides and compares them to Disney attractions.  I went back when the first Harry Potter land opened, and thought that area was on par or better than Disney.  We were pretty unimpressed by the rest of the parks, though we did love the Mummy ride and rode it several times.  A lot of the rides seemed dated (to the point that more than one cast member working them made sarcastic remarks about the attractions while we were waiting).  We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel for one night (to get 2 days of the front of the line pass access) and very much liked that hotel.  It was easy walking distance to either park.  Teens seem to prefer Universal as there are a lot more thrill rides; conversely, you won't see a lot of families with younger kids since there's not much there for them.  We went during the weekend they have the Christian rock fest, so there were a lot of unsupervised youth group kids clowning around and generally being rowdy.

 

We also did Cape Canaveral on that trip, which was absolutely amazing since we're space nuts, though it's a bit of a drive from Orlando.  We saw one of the last shuttles on the launch pad.  There are two areas - the main complex and then an astronaut museum.  We spent one day at each.

[katilac]

How unpleasant would it be to go in August. I'm thinking about staying at Cabana Bay. Would the weather be horribly unbearable (I am used to heat and humidity in Virginia).

August will be hot as Hades. I live in Louisiana, and I nearly died on our last early September trip to Disney, lol.

 

Yes, we have lots of heat and humidity at home, but we don't stay out in it for hours upon hours, several days in a row. We stay inside, like sane people, so 10 hours outside in Orlando was brutal, even allowing for lunch and inside rides.

 

If you do go in August, I *highly* recommend an afternoon break back at the hotel. It was much more manageable the years we did that, when the kids were little. DH figured we could just take breaks at the park, now that they're older, but it. is. NOT! the same.

[sheryl]

Thanks for the tips.  Katielac, we live in NC, almost on the SC border.  It gets plenty hot here too.  We went to DW in Nov. and we're planning this trip to US in Nov. as well.  It turned out to be the best month for us b/c as a pp mentioned, even during slow months it is still quite busy and it was even in Nov.  Also, b/c it's so far south, it was still quite warm in upper 70's to low 80's.  It gets warm in those temps when you're out in it all day looooooong! LOL!

 

I'm very sensitive to motion so I'm not sure what I'll be able to do.