somebody please talk me into Universal....

...for my 17 DS. We are heading to Disney again the last week of Oct. I know Disney isn't every 17 year old boys idea of "fast" rides... so we promised him we would go to Universal Island of Adventures for one day. I have looked at the website... and it doesn't make me excited. Don't get me wrong... I do love roller coasters... but I'm so looking forward to the "magic" of Disney. I know I have to get in to the excitement of Islands of Adventure for him... can anyone shed some postives to help me get there? I will also have our DD (9) who HATES roller coasters..... Thanks!!

Some of the theming at IOA is actually really cool. The rides are top-notch in the thrill-seeker category and there are some really cute areas to check out as well. As long as you go with an open mind you will enjoy it for what it is, just don't dwell on what it isn't (i.e. Disney.)

We don't make it a point to go there every year, but I do really like it when we go and I think that you and your family will have a good time.

I sort of always think of it as an appetizer before the main course.

I enjoyed Islands of Adventure -- although it broke my heart to be that close to Disney and not go! (We did a quickie Universal only trip). I thought the theming was wonderful and really enjoyed the rides.

Plus, I am wondering what will happen to some of the Marvel based attractions with Disney now owning the rights.....you gotta try the Spiderman ride while it's still there!

On a couple of occasions, we've spent a couple of nights at Universal before moving over to Disney property. While it's certainly not Disney, I've actually had a pretty good time there and I'm an admitted coaster chicken!

My boyfriend wants to go to universal and islands of adventure for a couple days this upcoming trip. We are also doing Disney, there is NO way I could be that close to Disney and not go. I have only been to universal once in 95 and never been to islands of adventure. I like going to Disney and never leaving the property the whole trip so I had a hard time at first thinking about doing something different. I sorta just realized that the majority of our trip will be at Disney and we would split up the trip a little with a jaunt over to universal, etc. I love six flags and other parks, so I am just thinking about the thrill ride aspect of it. Just been doing some research on the parks and trying to get myself excited about doing something new and different and knowing that I will still have plenty of Disney time!! :mickey:

We are Disney freaks, but I have to tell you that I really enjoy the occasional trip to IOA (we've been there 3 times). It is a lot of fun. I know it's probably against the rules to say this, but you can have a fun day away from Disney now and then!! But Hulk, Spiderman, and especially the water rides are a lot of fun.

We are a Disney family but as the kids got older, also decided we should give Universal a try.
Will you be there on a weekday or weekend? Just wondering about crowd level for you. Since we were there in summer both trips -- very busy and very hot-- we decided to spring for the extra bucks to stay 2 nights in Universal hotels. Hotels are nice and we LOVED the front of the line benefits; were able to do everything (including several repeats on the big toys) we wanted in both parks as well as enjoy the hotel pool. It was definitely worth it to us. We did 2 Universal nights and then spent the rest of our vacation at WDW. Talk about the best of both worlds :)

We love the hotels at Universal they're quite nice. It's great taking a water taxi to the parks. They have different themes than Disney. It's not so "toddler" orientated as a lot of Disney is.

I love Disney and always will but...Universal is a blast with their more "thrilling" rides.

Let me first start by saying that for me, nothing compares to Disney....but I must admit that I love Universal.

We are not big into the thrill rides and we still really enjoy IOA. In my opinion, Spiderman is one of the best rides anywhere. Some other favorite non thrill attractions of ours are Cat in the Hat and Poseidon's Fury.

I say give it a try, you may end up liking it just like we did. If we have enough time, we spend 1 or 2 nights at a Universal hotal before heading to Disney. The hotels are really nice and when you stay onsite you get front of the line access to almost all rides. We were able to do everything we wanted at US and IOA in one day and use the second day for SeaWorld or hanging out at the pool.

I have never been an "either/or" person, regarding Universal and Disney World. Having lived in the Central Florida area for many years we've enjoyed going to Islands of Adventure many times, in addition to going to WDW. The coasters are top-notch and the other attractions in the park are fun too. They have amazing water rides there (beats Kali River Rapids hands-down) that help beat the heat during the summer months (although probably not a big draw for you in October!) The one negative comparison to WDW I can make, though, is that it doesn't quite have the same type of family atmosphere. You will see lots of young people walking around with swim suits on (girls do wear shorts too) because of the water rides and also alcohol is sold at many concession stands.

OK, I'm a big Universal fan so I can give you my opinion of why you "could" get excited about going. I try to tell people who have never been to Universal that it is not Disney but that's not in a bad way, just a different way. It has a different energy to it and I think teenage boys especially appreciate it.

Spiderman is probably one of the best theme park attractions in Florida. Popeye's Barges are almost the same ride as Kali in the AK. Posiden's Fury is a very good show. The Jurassic Park play area is very entertaining for younger teenagers ( I think we spend at least an hour in there every trip). The Hulk coaster is great and Dueling Dragons is my nephews favorite roller coaster in Orlando. Your younger son may also like Storm Force and the Jurassic Park River Ride (Splash Mountain).

Universal restaurants are also much easier to get into (no reservations needed) than Disneys.
The fact that their City Walk (like Disney's Downtown) is connected to both parks makes it very easy to dine (many choices)there on your way out of the park or in between for lunch.

IMO I like Universal Studios a little more than IOA but that's just me. They do have a ticket for one day that lets you go into both parks.

I also noticed the time of year that you are going. Universal puts on a very good Halloween Party.It's not for the faint at heart but I'm sure that your 17 year old will love it.

Thanks for all the info. It does sound like a lot of fun!

IoA has a LOT to offer if you like rides. The thrill rides are top notch.

Spiderman is one of the best rides out there, and if you're OK with simulators, you'll be fine on it (it moves horizontally as well and you can close your eyes if you need to - there are no real drops).

Popeye is hysterical - no one ever believes that you will get SOAKED. Wear a bathing suit and flip flops and laugh at the people who ignore the signs and your warnings.

Halloween Horror Nights IS happening during October and is truly the BEST Halloween event in the country. HOWEVER, it is definitely NOT for children and I do not recommend you bring your 9 year old (you'll probably only last 30 mins., at best - you cannot escape the themeing or interaction). Your 17 year old would LOVE it if he likes being scared/scary movies. I went in 2005 and have been hooked every year since!

We just booked our universal trip yesterday. We were already doing a 10 day park hopper staying at the Poly and just added on the seven day ticket for Universal. Everything I've read says that you can do everything at universal in three days, but they're running a seven daymilitary salute ticket.

We're looking forward to it, we're staying at the Hard Rock so we can take advantage of their 'fastpass' system which is only available to guests that stay on their property (unless you want to pay an additional $40 per person per day).

We're not expecting it to 'be' Disney or 'have the Disney Magic'. They're not trying to 'channel' pixie dust over there and are their own organization.

We can't wait. Hope you enjoy your vacation as much as we're looking forward to ours.

Redleg, first let me thank you for serving our country:high5: My BIL has a friend who is an instructor at West Point and his next stop is KS.

Have a great time at Universal. I read somewhere that the Hard Rock has music pipped underwater in the pool. I didn't even know that was possible.:blush:

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Originally Posted by NJGIRL

Have a great time at Universal. I read somewhere that the Hard Rock has music pipped underwater in the pool. I didn't even know that was possible.:blush:

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They actually have that at the volcano pool at the Polynesian too. :cool:

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Originally Posted by MNNHFLTX

They actually have that at the volcano pool at the Polynesian too. :cool:

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That is really cool, although I don't go underwater much anymore:D

It sure sounds like the 17 year old will enjoy IOA and the 9 year old The Studios. We were there in May and I enjoyed a lot of each Park. Research does pay off. Let the kids do it.