i hate to do it - but universal?

[F-L-A]

Originally posted by laceemouse
This one always confuses me. People go on and on about how "scary" the dark rides at Disney are. We went to US once, talk about scary. Jaws, Twister, Terminater.....MY kids love everything Disney but would be scared of most of that stuff. IOA is almost all roller coasters. Even if your oldest is brave I doubt they would be tall enough for most of the mega-coasters there. Our family LOVES Seaworld. We are all animal lovers. It is not the place for thrill junkies though.

IMO, Dinosaur is worse than anything at Universal. And for the record, "IOA is almost all roller coasters" is very false. There's only three coasters (not counting the Unicorn), out of over a dozen attractions. That seems to be the biggest misconception of the park for people who haven't been there. It's not Six Flags or Busch Gardens. They don't specialize in coasters. They just happen to have 3, and 2 of them are apart of the same attraction. It is true that most of the rides are thrill rides, however there is still plenty for kids to see and do.

SeaWorld may not be packed with thrill rides, there's only 3 rides total, but they all just happen to be thrill rides. Considering the character of the rest of the park... go figure. Not only do they need to build more rides in general, but they need to be non-thrill rides.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

F-L-A, don't forget the Mummy coaster at Universal Studios. That's a fun ride--on par coaster-wise with Space Mt, but it's more than a coaster with other elements and great theming (and a much smoother ride).

I'm thinking about bringing my 81yo mother to Universal Studios when she is in Orlando (her first trip to WDW). Except for Mummy and Back to the Future I think she would enjoy everything that US offers.

T&B

 

[sha_lyn]

I wonder if the people who say IOA is all coasters/thrill rides had their eyes shut as they walk through the park. Seuss Landing is geared toward the preschool/early ele age. Flying unicorn is a great kiddie coaster. The Jurassic park play area is great, and has a ride ptrodon fliers. the Discovery Center is also geared toward kids. Your oldest should be big enough for all the wet rides.

 

[ChisJo]

I don't have any children, but I have to say that of my latest trip, I had more fun at IOA and USF than I did at Disney. I just find that there is a demise in the way that park is being run. I don't want to get into a debate about this, but I really found that the staff at USF and IOA were far more energetic and more willing to help. They were very informative. Additionally, I found that USF offers far more perks to their patrons than does Disney. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to be a Disney addict, but USF is one thing that I will not miss again on future trips to Orlando.
That being said, I think there is lots of things for children to do there. Not only is there suess landing, there is also a Fievel's playground as well. ET is great for children too. Yes, the rides may be more geared towards older children, but in all honesty, I saw tons of children there who were having a great time.
Additionally, there is also a child swap area at all rides, a single riders line at more popular rides, and front of the line perks for hotel guests. These, and more, attracted me to USF.
Please don't knock it until you try it - I did that and I regret it.
Furthermore, I have to say that I also love Sea World because it is a nice pace difference from the fast paced theme parks like Disney and USF. I managed to do everything (shows and attractions) taking my time by 2pm (remember, no children). I really enjoyed it, but only plan on doing it every other trip. It is something that is wonderful and educational to do, but I don't need to do that park that often.
Jo

 

[LindaBabe]

I'd stay at Disney. Once the little one is a couple years older, Seaworld would be fun - much less intimidating than Universal. Universal /IOA is big and loud and brash. Thrill seekers love it. This grandma DOESN'T!

 

[phamton]

If you would like to read what young kids can do at Universal Studios, here's a great article describing all the rides/shows and their appeal to younger children:

Universal Orlando for Kids

 

[kkcolton5]

We are a Disney family all the way. My DH forced me to try Universal a couple years ago but I'll never go again. The crowd is decidedly different, the customer service is nonexistant, and the whole atmosphere is...well, it's just not magical!

Sea World, though, is definitely worth it! My kids LOVE it for the neat shows, slower place, beautiful animals and smaller crowds. We try to combine a Sea World visit with our Disney itinerary and it works. Give it a try.....your 6-year-old will probably love it and your two-year-old will be enthralled with the sea creatures!

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

"I did the Sea World thing last year and it was not worth it. You can pretty much do the park in half a day. "

Oh my goodness!


I am a total Disney lover also, I really have no desire to do Universal( we did for a day a couple years ago... and I love Disney way more) However..... We visited Sea World Orlando last Jan. with our then 3 year old son, 7 year old neice, and 10 year old nephew. We didn't even get to see half the park and we were there from open to close! IMO, this park was great and well worth seeing... The kids LOVED it! We are planning on going back for 2 days on our upcoming trip.
I think with the 6 days you have, a day trip to Sea World would be worth it, especially for the kids. There is so much more to it than just an "aquarium".
Let us know if you went and enjoyed it!

Jen

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

KKCOLTON5.... we are from North Andover!!

 

[kkcolton5]

Hi there JenDaveBrendan!

Are you guys there right now?!? How fun!!!!

We are staying at the Comfort Suites in Dec.; please fill me in! Is the breakfast decent? How's the commute to the parks? I am looking forward to the perks of being close to the grocery and other convenient things, with three kids we're always needing something!!

I hope you all have a great time!! How old are your kids??

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

kkcolton5---

We aren't there yet!! We are going Jan. 24- Feb. 4. So let me know how you like Comfort Suites since you will be there before me. We are staying at Maingate East.. what one are you staying at?
We have 1 son, he is 4... How old are yours?

Jen

 

[kkcolton5]

Hi Jen,

Only 17 more days till D-Day! I will definitely give you the scoop on the Comfort Suites Maingate East...we'll be there for three nights. Then we're headed to the Naples area to see my parents. I know we'll be itching to get back to Disney, though!!

Four years old is the perfect age for Disney...they really get into the characters and all the Magic!! My kids are 11 (girl) and almost 3 and just turned one (both boys). We're toying with the idea of celebrating Matthew's third birthday (it's two weeks after we leave) but DH thinks it'll freak him out. Did you take your son when he was two or three?? What is your best suggestion or tip for us? We really want him to have fun but not overloaded.

Are you a Mother Connection member, by any chance??

Kim

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

Kim (kkcolton5),

No way!! My parents also have a place in Naples!! (Naples Heritage, maybe you know of it?) They rent it out most of the time, and stay there about 3 months of the year.
I agree about 4 being a good age to go to Disney. We took him last year at 3, but we also went with my sister-in-law and her 2 kids (10 and 8), my mom came for a few days, and my sister-in-laws mother in-law (confusing, I know... ) stayed a couple days, so I think it was a different experience. The 2 kids tended to really hype my son up, and I think he was really overwhelmed most of the time. His schedule was way out of whack ( for the first few days he wasn't even peeing until about 12pm, and he wasn't eating very much). He was pretty scared of most all of the rides... however , we visited Storyland 3 times this past spring/summer, and he was really into all the rides, and he seems psyched about the Disney rides this year. I have been showing him the planning video and everything, and he seems to be a lot more into it this year and really excited to go. He is a lot more daring now then just last year at this time.
This year it will be just the 3 of us (me, DH, and son) so hopefully it will be more laid back. We are also going for 2 weeks instead of 1 so we can take some breaks. What I suggest for a 3 year old is to mostly take it slow. Try not to overload and do too much each day. Even if you don't see everything, it is OK. And remember, a lot of kid's this age will be just as happy spending the day at the pool!!
I think it is a GREAT idea to celebrate your son's B-day in Disney!!!! I guess it depends on his personality on if he freaks out or not..I don't think he would so I wouldn't worry about it.I thinkit would be a wonderful experience regardless and very special for him. Just taylor it to his temperment and try to have it not too overwhelming.
I have heard of the Mother Connection, but with working full time, I just don't even have time for the play groups (they meet during the week, right?) although I would love to be part of something like that..... I feel really bad and guilty sometimes.... but I have to do what I have to do ....
Anyway, this is really long (sorry!!), but I hope you have a WONDERFUL time in Disney!! There is no other place like it, and I am so excited for our upcoming trip!!! Definatly let me know about Comfort Suites! If you would like to email me, it is JenDaveBrendan@comcast.net

Jen