A week at Universal? and a few more questions...

We just started reading Harry Potter every night to our 7 year old. He is so excited to go back to Diagon Alley now that he understands what it is. Of course now he also wants a wand.

He’ll love the wand though!

Watching kids make the spells work is precious! Their little faces are priceless when they do it........:thumbsup2
 
Wouldn’t describe it as an erroneous statement. More fact with maybe a hint of irony mentioning 8 years booking ahead........one of our neighbours is going in March this year and mentioned her issues with the reservations of places they want to eat.......this is their first visit and are already disillusioned by the thoughts of booking of FP and restaurants. Thing is you are obviously someone who has been going to Disney a long time.......it looks quite daunting for first timers who don’t read boards like these.......

The thing is. I have many, many friends.....many posters and numerous acquaintances who do still go to Disney......many times.......and this by far is their biggest complaint.......well one of them as Disney seem to keep upping the stakes in giving folks thing to complain about......lots of people are not experiencing what you are.

I’m so glad you found Disney so much better than Universal this year. You seemed to very unlucky with your EP times.......we had friends who stay the same time period of 3 weeks and they didn’t have the same experience as you. But, I tend not to judge the whole experience over one or two peoples experience from a message board. You did really well having no wait time at Disney!!! Glad to hear it.

Message boards are all well and good but it’s a limited quota of the public to judge opinions on. I tend to listen to folks I know personally and talk to many friends I have that work in the parks and hotels.

You have stated many times your disappointment on what Universal has to offer.......well, it’s not for you that’s ok. But I’m hearing plenty of folks dissatisfied with what Disney are offering.......I have no desire to go back to Disney so can certainly understand your previous comments if I remember correctly that after the trip you just had you likely wouldn’t go back.

Universal has always been a vacation to us........we certainly haven’t experienced the waits you say you had. Again, maybe we’ve just been lucky.......

You’re correct, Disney doesn’t need to be the rat race some experience........but it is happening.....and can only imagine what it’s going to be like in the future if they change the Fast pass system again........selling FP! Many said that would never happen........well it is.......and that ain’t gonna go away.........

Each to their own.

Still, at least you know Universal isn’t for you........hope you managed to enjoy at least some of it........
The thing I feel with this board is there is very little evidence of dissenting opinions. On the other boards, for every “I love Fastpass” opinion, there is an “I hate Fastpass” view. There is debate. This allows vacation planners to see both sides of every issue. Here, not so much. I do speak up with my dissenting view about Universal in order to arm potential guests with knowledge. The OP states his budget is 10-12 thousand. That’s a lot of money. I’m not saying he should step foot on Disney property, but rather that he might want to reconsider a potentially unnecessarily long stay at Universal. That money could go very far experiencing a variety of things.
 
Lol......sounds like you dislike the harmony that we usually experience on these board.........I’m assuming that’s incorrect.

We speak as we experience usually.

I would have thought that a very average budget for a 9 day trip?? Maybe not.....I tend not to question or examine folks budgets too much. What we choose to spend our money on is no one else’s business so I never offer nor ask what folks spend........

But, you may see your views as knowledge.........some of us see dissenting views as merely opinions. Many of us go several times a year to Universal and may see a differing picture that those not as keen on Universal see.

I saw a post on the Disney side a few days ago when someone said that apart from weekends the EP is always unnecessary.........not true in the slightest. But he passed that as fact when it was merely his opinion based on his dislike for the way Universal works with EP.

Most that come to these boards “usually” enjoy Universal immensely........maybe that’s why you don’t see many dissenting views........

We have people post here with the same views and when questioned reveal they haven’t been yet or haven’t been in a long time.......it gets boring.

But, I’m glad you tried Universal and saw it wasn’t for you.........I can see it’s not for everyone.
 
Lol......sounds like you dislike the harmony that we usually experience on these board.........I’m assuming that’s incorrect.

We speak as we experience usually.

I would have thought that a very average budget for a 9 day trip?? Maybe not.....I tend not to question or examine folks budgets too much. What we choose to spend our money on is no one else’s business so I never offer nor ask what folks spend........

But, you may see your views as knowledge.........some of us see dissenting views as merely opinions. Many of us go several times a year to Universal and may see a differing picture that those not as keen on Universal see.



We have people post here with the same views and when questioned reveal they haven’t been yet or haven’t been in a long time.......it gets boring.
I don’t dislike harmony but I do enjoy knowing every aspect of an issue.

The OP provided the budget for his trip. While it may be average, it is undoubtedly still hard earned money.

Perhaps my views are opinions and not knowledge, but the same could be said of your views.

Your final paragraph is highly dismissive of those with differing opinions. Anyway, I’ve provided my opinion on an extended stay at Universal to the Op.
 


Again, just opinions..........we all have them.

Then I’ll end it here, I think we can both agree to disagree on certain topics. And I certainly disagree my post is “highly dismissive” but each to their own.
 

When I read through this thread my first thought was, well, I could end it here too.......

Lol

When someone asks us about the darkside, many of us share our knowledge and experiences

We love to help others with their questions as we all go to universal and post in this side of the Dis

Trip guide books don’t spill the beans like we do


This is not the community board where snarks are common

These forums are are laid back and easy going and we all play nice

Jimmy Mouse has done both theme parks
He’s a pro with Disney and hasn’t been to the darkside in some time


I’m sure he is aware any park can have different ride wait times on different dates, but that wasn’t his question when he came here

I totally agree there are things that can’t be easily found on the UO website
Or can’t get a clear understanding when you do find a specific section

But for those that have first hand experience, saves others from making errors when you share with us

Such as, you don’t need to book club level at a deluxe resort to get free EP

EE allows you to knock off a headline ride without long waits most of the time

This is the Universal side where we don’t have to defend we enjoy the darkside




 
Between $10,000 and $12,000

My 6 year old was able to ride RnR coaster as well. She's 4ft. 3 right now

I had to look at that budget twice!

Must be out of the loop as it tends to be just he & me for the majority of our MCO trips, not to mention we don't pay cash for our DVC portion of numerous split stays per year

Still, that's a lot of $$$$$ for one trip. Not judging how you roll, just proffering you could probably tighten it up a bit if desired. Many strategies available at all the parks

Might want to look into APs in some format to squeeze a repeat trip out the next, especially at U & SW (look for black/blue Friday deals)


We plan on doing Sea World and MK for 1 day each. 3 days Universal, 1 day Sea World, 1 relax day at the pool, 1 day Magic Kingdom, 2 days back to Universal. But, we plan on doing shorter park days and taking our time. We may even throw one day of parks and drive to the beach or add the beach day for a total of 9 days.

If beach is important, consider a split stay. checkin after a day in park to have a full & possible partial day prior to departure Much more relaxing IMO

Discovery cove is amazing btw. You'd swear you were on a tropical island

We have found that the FOTL pass affords us enough time when onsite at u, we can easily work in a few hours of pool time any day vs designating a whole day poolside

Only time it didn't work wonderfully was weekend after 4th of July last year when it was truly packed. WDW earlier in the week was near gridlock at times. I cannot overstate the benefit of this onsite perc at U all the other times of the year I have visited.

These boards are, thankfully, generally harmonious. Majority have come to basically the same conclusions as to U in general; typically based upon repeat visits and similar shared experiences in the parks.

Obviously, the majority of repeat posters here are fans of U. It surely doesn't keep us from shouting the emporor has no clothes. (RIP jaws, twister, dueling dragons... ). I've had off days in all the parks but even the worst beat being at work/dealing with RL

Opinions & experiences, including those that are negative/dissenting are expressed frequently here and freely discussed in great detail. I'm of the go with herd reviews on most things, including vacations

things are going to go wrong now & again, even on vacation. If it's important enough to really knock one back on their heels; first get thee to Guest Services or hotel mgmt and express yourself. Give them a chance to hear you out. Then, come back here and share
 


The thing I feel with this board is there is very little evidence of dissenting opinions. On the other boards, for every “I love Fastpass” opinion, there is an “I hate Fastpass” view. There is debate. This allows vacation planners to see both sides of every issue. Here, not so much. I do speak up with my dissenting view about Universal in order to arm potential guests with knowledge. The OP states his budget is 10-12 thousand. That’s a lot of money. I’m not saying he should step foot on Disney property, but rather that he might want to reconsider a potentially unnecessarily long stay at Universal. That money could go very far experiencing a variety of things.

From what I've seen on various threads, you don't present a "dissenting view" - you slam Universal at every turn and talk about how much better Disney does X, Y, and Z. Which I don't understand. There's no need to put one park down in order to make another look better. Like Mac said, we are generally chill over here - if Universal isn't your cup of tea, fine. But there's really no need for OTT negativity.
 
I had to look at that budget twice!

Must be out of the loop as it tends to be just he & me for the majority of our MCO trips, not to mention we don't pay cash for our DVC portion of numerous split stays per year

Still, that's a lot of $$$$$ for one trip. Not judging how you roll, just proffering you could probably tighten it up a bit if desired. Many strategies available at all the parks

Might want to look into APs in some format to squeeze a repeat trip out the next, especially at U & SW (look for black/blue Friday deals)
AP’s would be nice if we went more but were not interested in going more than once a year. I own my own business and can not afford to be away more than once a year. I have been to Disney more than you could imagine. The part of my signature that says resident of the Contemporary, well that is true. I have a post I made about it somewhere on the Dis. I feel going once a year makes it more “Magical” and my girls are now old enough and tall enough to enjoy Universal so we will take a small break from the mouse. We already booked this September for 10 days at WDW so we can go to Toy Story Land. 2019 will be nuts with SW:GE. Hopefully Universal will be a little lighter as far as crowds. But the bottom line is I would rather spend twice the money once a year than half the money twice a year. But thanks for the post! I love to hear ideas and take everything into consideration.
 
From what I've seen on various threads, you don't present a "dissenting view" - you slam Universal at every turn and talk about how much better Disney does X, Y, and Z. Which I don't understand. There's no need to put one park down in order to make another look better. Like Mac said, we are generally chill over here - if Universal isn't your cup of tea, fine. But there's really no need for OTT negativity.
Fair enough.
 
I had to look at that budget twice!

Might want to look into APs in some format to squeeze a repeat trip out the next, especially at U & SW (look for black/blue Friday deals)

Hi Keishashadow,

Can you tell me more about the "black/blue Friday deals" you refer to?

I'm going 4/3-4/10, staying at PB currently in a 2 Queen bay view room. I'll be buying Preferred APs for myself, wife, and DDs 11 & 12 yo.

Thanks!
 
Hi Keishashadow,

Can you tell me more about the "black/blue Friday deals" you refer to?

I'm going 4/3-4/10, staying at PB currently in a 2 Queen bay view room. I'll be buying Preferred APs for myself, wife, and DDs 11 & 12 yo.

Thanks!

You missed it for this year. There are threads on the SeaWorld Board here or if you google can check out what they offered in 2017. It does tend to vary every year.
 
When my family went to Orland last summer in 2017 my girls were about the same age (8 and 6) as your girls will be in 2019. Just a little background, we've been going to Orlando every year, 2-3 times a year since 2015. We normally spend four to six weeks there in the summer and two weeks at other times. Since we go for so long in the summer, we pretty much visit all theme parks (Disney, Universal, Seaworld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and water parks). We normally stay on-site, depending on the park we're going at the time. Since Seaworld and their sister parks don't have their own hotel, we rent a vacation home for that portion of the trip. Needless to say, we (okay, I) LOVE theme parks!! Our favorite park is the one that we are at at the time of questioning!! To answer your question:

1. My personal favorite is Portofino Bay. But I generally book Hard Rock most often because of its proximity to the parks (and The Palm). Royal Pacific is really close to the parks too but just a smidge (I'm talking a minute or two here) further than HRH. But the one or two minute difference counts when walking with 6 and 8 year olds.

2. I don't think 8-10 days is too long at Universal, especially with visits to MK, SW, and other places you mentioned. We normally spend 8-10 days at Universal and we don't tend to leave the property once we are there. But that all depends on how you tour. At UO, our touring is very relaxed. No rope drop most of the days. Spend several hours at the parks. Come back to the hotel to rest and freshen up. Have dinner and go back to the parks at night if we feel like it. We also love the pools. My girls can spend all day at the pool. They also love the water play area in both parks (Seuss Landing in IoA and Curious George in US). They spend a few hours in each.

3. I never book with a travel agent. I find it to be more work than doing it myself because you have to go through an agent everytime you need to change something. But a lot of people I know use an agent when they plan a Disney World trip. A Universal trip is not nearly as complicated as that if you have Express Pass. No need to make dining reservations or Fastpass.

4. I think your girls are an awesome age to go to Universal!! I don't think all the rides are for older kids. For some reason, Universal has that reputation but I absolutely disagree! The only rides my 8-year-old can't ride (height requirement) are Hulk and Doctor Doom. My 6-year-old can't ride Rip Ride Rocket in addition to what her older sister can't. That's only three rides in all of Universal Orlando! Granted, the ability to ride doesn't equate the willingness to ride. To this day, I can't get them to ride Mummy (They said the queue was too scary!)

The first time we went to Seaworld we spent a day and a half there and we didn't even do their three big coasters. There is so much to do there. The first day we were there from 9am to 10pm and we went back the next day from 12 to 6pm.

I hope this helps!!
 
When my family went to Orland last summer in 2017 my girls were about the same age (8 and 6) as your girls will be in 2019. Just a little background, we've been going to Orlando every year, 2-3 times a year since 2015. We normally spend four to six weeks there in the summer and two weeks at other times. Since we go for so long in the summer, we pretty much visit all theme parks (Disney, Universal, Seaworld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Legoland, and water parks). We normally stay on-site, depending on the park we're going at the time. Since Seaworld and their sister parks don't have their own hotel, we rent a vacation home for that portion of the trip. Needless to say, we (okay, I) LOVE theme parks!! Our favorite park is the one that we are at at the time of questioning!! To answer your question:

1. My personal favorite is Portofino Bay. But I generally book Hard Rock most often because of its proximity to the parks (and The Palm). Royal Pacific is really close to the parks too but just a smidge (I'm talking a minute or two here) further than HRH. But the one or two minute difference counts when walking with 6 and 8 year olds.

2. I don't think 8-10 days is too long at Universal, especially with visits to MK, SW, and other places you mentioned. We normally spend 8-10 days at Universal and we don't tend to leave the property once we are there. But that all depends on how you tour. At UO, our touring is very relaxed. No rope drop most of the days. Spend several hours at the parks. Come back to the hotel to rest and freshen up. Have dinner and go back to the parks at night if we feel like it. We also love the pools. My girls can spend all day at the pool. They also love the water play area in both parks (Seuss Landing in IoA and Curious George in US). They spend a few hours in each.

3. I never book with a travel agent. I find it to be more work than doing it myself because you have to go through an agent everytime you need to change something. But a lot of people I know use an agent when they plan a Disney World trip. A Universal trip is not nearly as complicated as that if you have Express Pass. No need to make dining reservations or Fastpass.

4. I think your girls are an awesome age to go to Universal!! I don't think all the rides are for older kids. For some reason, Universal has that reputation but I absolutely disagree! The only rides my 8-year-old can't ride (height requirement) are Hulk and Doctor Doom. My 6-year-old can't ride Rip Ride Rocket in addition to what her older sister can't. That's only three rides in all of Universal Orlando! Granted, the ability to ride doesn't equate the willingness to ride. To this day, I can't get them to ride Mummy (They said the queue was too scary!)

The first time we went to Seaworld we spent a day and a half there and we didn't even do their three big coasters. There is so much to do there. The first day we were there from 9am to 10pm and we went back the next day from 12 to 6pm.

I hope this helps!!
Yes it does help. Thanks for the info!
 

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