First timer- feeling clueless!

[mishel635]

I'm looking for some advice please. We are huge Disney World fans but have been waiting until our kids got older to check out Universal. Well they are now 6 and 8 (will be turning 7 and 9 during our vacation) and I got my non theme park loving husband to agree to take our kids to Universal for one day as a surprise for their birthdays while we are in Florida for spring break. However as I've been looking more into it, I'm realizing one day during spring break might be nowhere near enough time.
To be honest, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley is where we will spend most of our time as I just read all seven books to the kids in the last year and they are Harry Potter obsessed!!!!
I would also hopefully like to check out Dr Seuss world, Jurassic World and meet the superheroes. Is this even remotely possible with an Express Pass?
I'm also considering staying on property for one night and going to the parks two days or doing one day with a private VIP tour. (Very pricy but I might be willing to save for it if we could get everything in that we want to do in one day).
So I'm basically just looking for advice and input on my ideas and opinions on what our best option would be. Thanks in advance!

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Do one night at a premier resort (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay) to get the free express passes. And do 2 days in the parks. You get 2 days of express passes with a one night stay.

Best deal in the entire theme park world.

 

[JT3000]

Staying onsite will get you Express, which should be enough to allow you to do the things you want. It sounds like you mainly want to focus on IOA, so if you only have one day, you may want to save USF for another time. However, even if you do get park hoppers just to see Diagon Alley, it probably won't preoccupy you for more than a couple hours. There's a lot to look at (and purchase), but don't expect a large number of attractions in the HP lands, Diagon Alley especially. With that said, Express isn't valid for Forbidden Journey or Gringotts, so you will be waiting in line for those. If you want to see both parks in their entirety, it requires two days.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I think as WDW fans with kids 7 and 9 (perfect age for Universal) a 2 day, 1 night stay would give you time to enjoy the resort, see the parks, enjoy a few meals at their cooler restaurants, and just get the full show.

It annoys me a little when WDW fans pop over to Universal for a day, get there at rope drop, run like dogs all day, eat crappy counter service, and then return to their nice WDW hotel blasted tired and report that UOR pales in comparison to their 9 day WDW vacation. I feel if you do Universal like people do WDW (stay onsite, do table service and signature restaurants, and take in the smaller offerings like Musica Della Notte, which is a show from a balcony overlooking the Harbor Piazza at Portofino Bay where at sunset every night they sing opera, Italian folk songs, and "Popera") UOR holds it's own against WDW. And after Volcano Bay opens, I can see UOR being a solid 5 day vacation.

 

[mishel635]

Thanks everyone! You've convinced me to do the one night stay. I didn't realize it includes express passes for both days! I had gotten a quote for one night at royal pacific and I just priced out one day with express passes- it's only $300 more for the one night stay and 2 days in the parks!

Thanks again! I'm heading to Disney world in 19 days but I can't wait to start planning our first Universal trip when we get back!!

 

[Jwhee]

I HIGHLY Suggest the private tour. You will ride any attraction that you want to ride, meet any characters that you want to meet, and eat the best food offered at Universal Orlando. It is totally worth the price.

 

[Brayn]

I envy you. I've been wanting to go to Disney world all my life. But I can't go now and i don`t know when it will happen. I am pleased to read the report about your trip. Have a good holidays!

 

[mishel635]

I HIGHLY Suggest the private tour. You will ride any attraction that you want to ride, meet any characters that you want to meet, and eat the best food offered at Universal Orlando. It is totally worth the price.

Do you think we could see everything in one day with the private tour? i'm leaning towards the two day Park tickets and hotel package due to the price of the private tour, but my husband might not be too happy if I change our one day at Universal to two days. I had originally said this would be a theme park free vacation.

Any input into the private tour would be very helpful. How much can you really get done in the eight hours that you are with the tour guide? We would obviously focus on the Harry Potter areas in both parks, and then we would like to meet the superheroes and check out the Jurassic Park area and the Dr. Seuss area. Would that be possible? Thanks!

 

[71jason]

A big part of all of Universal, but especially the two Potter lands, is the atmosphere. Being able to soak it all in and actually feel like you are in the middle of Diagon Alley.

The best advice I could give you is stop looking at the list of rides as a series of boxes to be checked off as quickly as possible. Take two days and really experience the parks. Don't rush from ride to ride, stop and read the storefronts, savor some peanut butter and jelly ice cream, take time to play with your new wand. Heck, make time to go back to both lands after dark, when they look even more amazing. There are a ton of hidden details in both parks you'll miss if you're rushing through.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Why on earth would you want to waste only one day and attempt to rush through both Uni parks?

The Universal Orlando Resort is not a quick one day thing anymore, you can say in theory you just want to visit Potter and a few other attractions but it's just not that simple anymore.

If I was the OP, I would take a couple days off Disney and spend them onsite at Uni, don't rush through the parks, relax, take your time and enjoy them.

 

[mishel635]

I would say you need two days to see both parks at Universal. I've never been on the private your but I bet it's expensive. I still don't see being able to go through both parks in 8 hours.

Do the Horror make up show, the kids will like that.

BTW are your kids tall enough for all the rides and will they actually get on the scare ones like the Hulk and Rip Rocket? If the kids can't or won't get on certain rides maybe a day might be enough? The shows do take a while. That could be hours right there if you like those?

Thanks for the suggestions!!!

The kids will not go on upside down roller coasters or anything too jarring so probably not Rip Rocket. I will have to check out all the rides and figure out what we would skip.

 

[mishel635]

A big part of all of Universal, but especially the two Potter lands, is the atmosphere. Being able to soak it all in and actually feel like you are in the middle of Diagon Alley.

The best advice I could give you is stop looking at the list of rides as a series of boxes to be checked off as quickly as possible. Take two days and really experience the parks. Don't rush from ride to ride, stop and read the storefronts, savor some peanut butter and jelly ice cream, take time to play with your new wand. Heck, make time to go back to both lands after dark, when they look even more amazing. There are a ton of hidden details in both parks you'll miss if you're rushing through.

I think I'm going to read this word for word to my husband if he sticks to his one day at a theme park rule for Spring Break. In all honesty if he really doesn't want to go two days, I will just go with the kids myself the second day.
I think you're right. I've been reading an Ebook from touringplans.com and I think my kids (and who am I kidding! Myself too!) are going to be in awe and completely mesmerized by the atmosphere of both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
Thanks for the input!

 

[mishel635]

Why on earth would you want to waste only one day and attempt to rush through both Uni parks?

The Universal Orlando Resort is not a quick one day thing anymore, you can say in theory you just want to visit Potter and a few other attractions but it's just not that simple anymore.

If I was the OP, I would take a couple days off Disney and spend them onsite at Uni, don't rush through the parks, relax, take your time and enjoy them.

I think everyone on here has me convinced! Stay onsite and take two days to experience both parks. We actually aren't going to Disney or any other theme park during this vacation. My husband wanted a theme park free relaxing vacation but I talked him into one day at Universal to celebrate our kids birthdays but I didn't realize just how much there was to see and do! One day is definitely not enough.
Thanks for your input!

 

[Jwhee]

With the private tour you would be able to do whatever you want in those 8 hours, and if you don't take many breaks you will be able to do every single ride at Universal. If you take your time and enjoy you will be able to hit all of your must do attractions. After the tour guide leaves you after the 8 hours you still have express passes for the rest of the day with your VIP lanyard.

 

[JillC LI]

Thanks everyone! You've convinced me to do the one night stay. I didn't realize it includes express passes for both days! I had gotten a quote for one night at royal pacific and I just priced out one day with express passes- it's only $300 more for the one night stay and 2 days in the parks!

You also get early entry to the parks both days if you stay on site. Well worth it. I'd go this route.

 

[Figgy1]

Do one night at a premier resort (Royal Pacific, Hard Rock, or Portofino Bay) to get the free express passes. And do 2 days in the parks. You get 2 days of express passes with a one night stay.

Best deal in the entire theme park world.

Staying onsite will get you Express, which should be enough to allow you to do the things you want. It sounds like you mainly want to focus on IOA, so if you only have one day, you may want to save USF for another time. However, even if you do get park hoppers just to see Diagon Alley, it probably won't preoccupy you for more than a couple hours. There's a lot to look at (and purchase), but don't expect a large number of attractions in the HP lands, Diagon Alley especially. With that said, Express isn't valid for Forbidden Journey or Gringotts, so you will be waiting in line for those. If you want to see both parks in their entirety, it requires two days.

^^^^^^This take 2 days and really enjoy yourself! You also get early admission both days

 

[007mickey]

You also get early entry to the parks both days if you stay on site. Well worth it. I'd go this route.

Be careful of the early entry. Sometimes it's IOA only, sometimes is USF only, sometimes it's both parks on any given day. Check calendar before going to be sure. On our upcoming trip in Nov., it's only USF for the 3 days we will be there.

 

[Disney Down Under]

100% agree with the comments on staying on site and utilising the express pass & early entrance. We have never done the VIP pass and while it seems it would maximise your time, our experiences of two trips before is that the combo of Express & early entry let us do everything we wanted and more, though we don't do all of the roller coasters . Not sure if others have mentioned but if you intend to catch the Hogwarts Express from park to Park, you need to have a Park to Park ticket, not just the one park/day ticket.

 

[SAV]

We toured the parks last July and we were able to do everything we wanted(including all coasters) without even using the Express Pass. We took advantage of the extra hour in the morning to get to the HP land that was open. Then hit the other big rides while everyone else was running to HP.

 

[thomas998]

I wouldn't waste money on the VIP tour because of the age of your kids. Your kids aren't all going to be tall enough for all the rides and wouldn't likely even want to ride all the rides at Universal. Based on their ages and what you described as their interests two days of the park with the express pass would be more than enough time for them to do all that they are likely to be interested in. The real trick you will need to use is hitting the park early, if you are staying onsite you get in an hour early to the Harry Potter stuff, make use of that because in past experience Harry Potter areas become very crowded until late afternoon once the park is open to everyone... Making it worse is the new Harry Potter movie this year is likely to revive more interest in that part of the park and could make crowds even worse.