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MarkC
03-04-2011, 10:29 AM
Wife and I are in our early 50's. We are going to be in Orlando during Labor Day week and thought about checking out Universal. We won't go during the weekend due to crowds. We will probably go Tuesday and Wednesday because those should be the least crowded days. Am I correct in that thinking?

Also, any tips on what we should avoid? We like Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror type rides, but not the death-defying type thrill rides. We are not Harry Potter fans but would be interested in seeing that area if its worth doing. Do we need to stay on property or buy any special tickets? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

AllDisney
03-04-2011, 04:01 PM
We went to Universal for a day on our recent December trip. This was the first time since 1984 (looks like a great book title, huh...LOL) that we left Disney's magic. Our reason was to visit Harry Potter. The ride was wonderful, it's like Soarin' on steroids. Other than that it was not worth the money. Tickets $176 for admission into ONE park, Mears transportation $35 round trip, lunch $50. One of the rides associated with Harry Potter was a ride adults can't ride unless accompanied by a child that is a certain shortened height. Do you know of ANY ride at WDW that an adult CAN'T go on? I don't!

This is just my opinion but we'll not ever leave Disney to go to another park in the area ever again. It's not as magical & special as Disney.

Hope this might help in making a decision;)

NJGIRL
03-06-2011, 10:06 AM
Wife and I are in our early 50's. We are going to be in Orlando during Labor Day week and thought about checking out Universal. We won't go during the weekend due to crowds. We will probably go Tuesday and Wednesday because those should be the least crowded days. Am I correct in that thinking?

Also, any tips on what we should avoid? We like Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror type rides, but not the death-defying type thrill rides. We are not Harry Potter fans but would be interested in seeing that area if its worth doing. Do we need to stay on property or buy any special tickets? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Mark, we love Universal. It is not Disney, but it is not meant to be Disney. Even their commercials on TV (which make some Disney fans crazy) pretty much say,we are not Disney, if that's what you are looking for don't come to us. I think Disney is a really wonderful place to vacation, but we are always looking for different vacation experiences and I think that is exactly what Universal gives us. By stepping out of our comfort zone we have had fun we may have missed otherwise. We used to spend 2 days out of our 10 days vacations in Universal and now we have upped it to three days.

If you can, I suggest staying on site. IMO their hotels are a step above Disney's (Loew's hotels) and give you free express passes. Everything is within walking distance and that means not having to get on buses to get from one park to the next. City Walk is right in between both parks.

I have to say we enjoy the Studio's more than IOA, but both parks have so many good attractions that you won't get bored with a day at each park. Since you like EE and ToT there will not be much that you and your wife won't be able to go on at the Universal parks. In fact off the top of my head the Hulk and RRRC may be the only two attractions you won't want to go on.

My favorites: (IOA) Forbidden Journey, Spiderman, Jurassic Park, and the Barge Ride.
(Universal) The Mummy, The Simpsons, Shrek, Disaster, Monster Make-Up Show.

They also have alot of good places to eat. In the Stuidios we like Finnagans, the sandwich shop towards the front of the park (the names escapes me now). They also have the best cheesecake we have ever had. In IOA we like Blondies for sandwiches. City Walk has Pastamore, Hard Rock Cafe, Margaritaville.

IMO Universal's only weakness is their meal reservation system. Their system is not as organized as Disney but it's really not that big of a deal because no one can make reservations too early.

If you have a chance read through the other threads on Universal here and you will be able to get an idea of what other people like to do.

While it's not Disney, which I think is a good thing, doesn't make it a bad experience, it's just as fun in a differnet way. If you know going into it that it is a totally differnet experience I think you will have alot of fun.

PrettyMinnie
03-10-2011, 10:32 AM
I agree that Universal is not Disney, but for us, it is worthwhile. I have been their over Memorial day weekend, so i suspect crowds would be similar. This was the second visit for me, so I knew the rides and was not worried about cramming everything in. We were there on the Tuesday after Memorial Day and found the park to be virtually empty. This was pre WWOHP though. We were ale to walk on to most rides and experience all of IOA in about 3/4 of a day.

The bigger rides when we were there were The Hulk, which features a fast launch. Not for everyone. A free fall ride, Dr. Doom I believe, which is self explanatory. More of a thrill than ToT but it completely lacks in atmosphere. Dragon Challenge, formerly the Dueling Dragons is a coaster that "races" each other. If I recall correctly there were no major drops however I do remember feeling very shaken up and bit queasy afterward. It was a rough ride, at least it was when I was there. Finally there was Ripsaw Falls which is a very good, very well themed log ride. We have anti roller coaster people in our family as well as grandparents that are generally less than thrilled to board a coaster, but all enjoyed this ride. It really is a fun ride, but there is a drop and you do get wet. Not soaked but enough to leave you damp for an hour. If you don't mind cooling off and can stomach the drop, I would recommend this one, regardless of your coaster apprehension.

The studios are much more interesting, while IOA has more of an "any old theme park" kind of feel. We like to take our time in this park rather than rush through it, and it is definitely worth it.

If you are not staying on property, and cannot take advantage of free Express Pass, the price for us is just not worth it. But of course, that is personal opinion and you may find it worthwhile.

Overall our family enjoys Universal, it is much different than Disney, but it is an incredible, well designed theme park that has a lot to offer. If you don't go in to it expecting some magical Disney-like vacation, you are much more likely to enjoy yourself! Have a great trip!

LVT
03-26-2011, 08:11 PM
I went the first time at 51. It was fine. I was very annoyed by the no purses, bags or loose items on the bigger rides. The lockers worked, but were annoying to do over and over. The people with the oversized cargo pant pockets were the only ones ready to ride all the time.
My favorites were Spiderman and Hulk. I hope to see the Harry Potter stuff this year.