Are we crazy?

[tinkandonaldfans]

We have a trip to Disney in September and we normally go to Universal for a few days. But we now have a 21 month old in tow. We haven’t been to Universal for a few years and are dying to go back especially since Hagrid’s opened!
We are now debating whether to go? Do we buy fast passes and suck it up that we have to go on the rides on our own each time while the other baby sits?

Has anyone done it? Is it worth doing

 

[Monykalyn]

Rider swap for those parents with young kids is better at Universal IMO. In most cases once the rider is done it’s a straight shot back to loading area for the rider who sat out, unlike Disney where you wait outside the attraction, and still have to walk back through the fast pass line. Universal’s rider swap area is inside the attraction, so you’d wait together in line (this is where EP would be handy).

 

[wickedwrister]

We went for the first time with a 15 month old without express pass and did about 4 days at Universal and she loved it and cried a ton when she realized we had to leave to go home.

Went back for a 2nd go for her 3rd birthday 5 months ago and she still talks about going back daily. Doing a cruise in August out of Orlando and tacking on a few Universal days and she's already excited and asking to go to the airport daily so she can go on the cat and the hat ride and do magic with a wand.

We didn't have express pass the first time and had it the second time. If you can afford it (or one of the premium hotels where it comes free) would suggest it. My wife and I have always been the patient type with theme parks but its a game changer with a young child. The express pass let us both ride Hulk and be out of the ride in under 15 min from start of queue when the listed wait was 55 min. Took away a lot of the parent guilt of spending time on a ride that the kiddo couldn't do. There is enough stimulation in all the rides and lines to keep a toddler engaged for those brief periods but of course a 90 min wait that doesn't really move that fast is a different story without express.

Universal child swap is also great. All the child swap rooms have diaper changing tables in them so one of you can handle that while the other rides. You get to go through the lines together unlike Disney so you aren't sacrificing family time if you want to go on something the little one cant.

The animal show on the universal studios side and the harry potter train were big hits along with Seuss landing.

 

[tinkandonaldfans]

Anyone else have experience of doing this?

 

[MumziMom]

September is a perfect time to go; crowds are way down, and there are areas just for little ones there. I haven't ever been to Universal, but we are going in August, and I've watched a few YouTube videos - they've made me wish we had gone when our kids were little! You won't be able to go in September in just a few short years, and it may be the best time to experience Hagrids - if you can stay onsite, I'd say do it, just for the ease of getting around, and even if just the one night.

I'd go a step further and suggest club level. Right now mid-week in September at the Royal Pacific you could do club level for $389 for one night. You could check in early, and it would give you two days of express passes, and two days of club level amenities.