First Trip to UNI with Family

[Glasgow]

Well, it's finally happened. Disney is not getting our money this time, we're going to Uni instead. That's 7 years with the family going to Disney (we've gone once a year since our first was born), but not this time.

SO .. we're staying at the Royal Pacific for 6 days and I'd like to get advice from the UNI regulars. In particular, I see that fridges are an extra cost. Do I need to request one ahead of time or is it installed at time of arrival? Second, our kids are 7 and 4 - should I focus our time at IoA in Suessland and the Popeye area? I know US has Simpsons Land but that's not appropriate just yet.

Having never taken the kids, I'm not totally sure of how to plan for UNI, including dining and what not. Any info is greatly appreciated!

 

[Gabe1]

Remember you CAN pool hop at Uni Resorts.

Take a good look at some of the other areas, like Disney they have many family rides outside of the Suessland and Popeye area. There are some great water rides and even if you are soaked you are just a very, very quick boat ride back to the resort. Simpsons has a new family twirl ride that is very appropriate for kids and their new food area there is perfect for young family tastes. The area isn't going to scream of the Simpson TV show especially if they are unaware of the Simpsons to start with. I'd had off the kids for a minute and check it out if you are uncomfortable, just to make sure it is ok for the kiddos but I bet most of it will be fine.

When small my kids loved the Pteranodo Flyers, 36" tall minimum and the older one would likely love Dudley.

 

[BryceM]

In IOA, everyone can experience:

- Camp Jurassic (highly recommended)
- The Cat in the Hat (highly recommended)
- Caro-Seuss-El (highly recommended)
- Poseidon's Fury (highly recommended)
- Flight of the Hippogriff (highly recommended, if your 4 year old is tall enough)
- Jurassic Park Discovery Center (highly recommended, very fun Epcot-like "pavilion" in Jurassic Park)
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (highly recommended)
- Storm Force Accelatron (recommended)
- Ollivander's Wand Shop (recommended, if the wait is low)
- If I Ran The Zoo (recommended, it's actually a pretty fun play area)
- High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride (they just upped the height restriction to a whopping 40", but I'd still recommend it!)
- Pternandon Flyers (skip if wait is too long. You must be accompanied with a child to ride)
- Me Ship, The Olive (fun for a little while, but the least fun of all of the IOA interactive play areas)
- The 8th Voyage of Sindbad (don't see this... Just don't)

There are plenty of fun things to do in IOA for everyone. I've been going to the park since I was very young, shortly after it opened. I used to be obsessed with the Mystic Fountain in The Lost Continent section of the park. You're kids will be entertained FOREVER by this fountain, as it talks to you and squirts water at everyone. I used to get so upset when it would start "sleeping", and we would come back later hoping that he was awake.

In Universal Studios, everyone can experience:

- Universal's Horror Make-Up Show (highly recommended)
- E.T. Adventure (highly recommended)
- Disaster! (highly recommended)
- Kang & Kodos Twirl 'n' Hurl (highly recommended)
- Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue (skip, some things could be offensive, but they might fly over your kid's heads, so who knows. You can decide that one!)
- Twister: Ride It Out (recommended)
- Shrek 4D (possibly skip, unless your kids are into Shrek)
- Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (highly recommended)
- The Simpsons Ride (highly recommended but don't know how tall the 4 year old is, so everyone might not be able to ride this one)
- Men In Black: Alien Attack (highly recommended, but same situation for The Simpsons Ride)
- All of the KidZone stuff (let's just say my 4 year old sister spent an hour playing here)
- Terminator 2:3D (highly recommended, but could be scary for the 4 year old)

And I would highly recommend utilizing Universal's child swap system. It allows for one or two people of the party to go on the ride, while another persons stays with the child in a themed room. Once those one or two people are done riding, the one waiting with the child can skip straight to the front of the line, and ride with one person who already rode (so they don't have to ride alone). The other person who doesn't want to ride again will now wait with the young child. I've waited in the Revenge of the Mummy child swap room when I was like 7 (I was too scared), and thought it was very cool. They played all these Mummy cartoons, which were fun.

 

[danpam1024]

Camp Jurassic #1 thing to do- they will not want to leave!
Give Simpsons a chance- the Lard Lads are SOOOOOO good! Food is a nice change as well.
MIB- my favorite- competition gets pretty hairy sometimes
And don't forget putt putt at City Walk- better at night when it's all lit up

There's so much to do, it's hard to pick a few- PLENTY of stuff to keep the kids excited! With the EP, you will have no problems.

TIP*** If you plan on riding RipSaw Falls and Popeye and Bluto Bilage Rat Barges, BRING EXTRA CLOTHES!!!! I rent a locker for the day in the front of the park for extra clothes/jackets (if it's fall it cools down at night)

 

[Glasgow]

Sounds like a tremendous amount to do, more than I had imagined really - I often overlook all of the non-attraction based content at US but that's the stuff I really like, quite frankly (just like at WDW).

Thanks for all of the input everyone! Will definitely be spending a fair amount of time at Camp Jurassic and in the shops at HP I think (even though neither of our kids was around for the HP phenomenon)

 

[danpam1024]

Oh! don't forget to go to the "Public Conveniences" In WWoHP- Myrtle is there!

 

[ParentsOf4]

Remember you CAN pool hop at Uni Resorts.
Take a good look at some of the other areas, like Disney they have many family rides outside of the Suessland and Popeye area. There are some great water rides and even if you are soaked you are just a very, very quick boat ride back to the resort. Simpsons has a new family twirl ride that is very appropriate for kids and their new food area there is perfect for young family tastes. The area isn't going to scream of the Simpson TV show especially if they are unaware of the Simpsons to start with. I'd had off the kids for a minute and check it out if you are uncomfortable, just to make sure it is ok for the kiddos but I bet most of it will be fine.
When small my kids loved the Pteranodo Flyers, 36" tall minimum and the older one would likely love Dudley.

6 days at the Royal Pacific is a long time. That's 6 days of essentially unlimited Fast Passes!

It's not going to be like any WDW vacation you've ever had.

Relax. Take it easy. Sleep in. Go back to the room and relax poolside during the warmest part of the day. Check out the other 2 resorts.

With Universal's Express Pass and that many days, you'll have plenty of time to do everything.

Only 2 attractions are not covered by Express Pass:

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (FJ) - 48" height restriction
• Jurassic Park's Pteranodon Flyers (PF) - maximum height 56" unless with a child

Both these should max out at about a 1 hour wait. If you don't want to wait, go for early admission one morning (WWOHP opens 1 hour early for onsite guests), head to the wand show at Ollivander's (this is the longest, slowest line; the show's not particularly worth the wait unless you are a HP fan), ride FJ, and then head over to JP (which is next to WWOHP) to ride PF.

You can get soaked on Uni's 3 water rides: Jurassic Park River Adventure, Dudley Do-right's RipSaw Falls, and Popeye and Bluto Bilage Rat Barges. For the River Adventure, a snug poncho should be enough to keep most of the water off (watch the shoes; tuck them up under the seat in front of you). However, the last 2 rides you could get head-to-toe drenched. We either bring swim suits that we change into or do both back-to-back and then immediately head back to the room.

Uni is weakest with fast food at the parks. Pretty bland burgers, pizza, and chicken strips. (It's like WDW used to be about 20 years ago.) However, Uni's Table Service (TS) options are good and cost about the same as most typical chain restaurants. In my opinion, all the TS options inside the parks are good. Mythos is legendary for inside a theme park; very nice if you want a classy meal at a reasonable price.

Most Uni restaurants take walk-ups on short notice although I tend to make a reservation at the kiosks near the entrances of the 2 parks (you'll walk by them after you enter the parks) after I arrive just in case. Typically, it saves a few minutes of waiting for a table. You also can make a reservation at the hotel. Generally, Uni is not like Disney, which has gone ADR crazy.

Also consider the Hard Rock and Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville out in CityWalk. Both are fun for kids.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

If you are into swimming, don't forget that Wet 'n Wild is within walking distance. (Or almost, it's a bit of a steep hike for a 4 and 7 year old). This was one of the reasons for me to stay up there.

Otherwise, at UNI, I think you will kinda figure out what to do. The resort is very compact, everything is pretty much right there in front of you. The JP and ET areas are great for kids.

 

[BryceM]

Yes, try to avoid counter service restaurants at UNI. At IOA, the best counter service options are going to be Thunder Falls Terrace (in Jurassic Park) and The Three Broomsticks (in Wizarding World of Harry Potter). Otherwise, eat at Mythos (in The Lost Continent) or Confisco Grille (in Port of Entry). Actually, Blondie's isn't bad either, it's kind of a cute little cafe in Toon Lagoon, which as the "famous" Dagwood sandwich.

In Universal Studios, I'd really highly suggest Finnegans (in New York). It's a really fun atmosphere, and you really do feel like you're in an Irish restaurant in the heart of New York. Lombard's (in San Francisco) is also very good, but a little more "uppity" than Finnegans. For counter service, you've got the entire new Springfield area which looks to have decent options (albeit heart-clogging). Mel's Drive In (in Hollywood) has generic food, but a very fun atmosphere. Same with Monsters Cafe (in Production Central). If Cafe La Bamba (in Hollywood) is open, I'd suggest eating there. It looks to easily be the best counter service option in Universal Studios, along with Beverly Hills Boulangerie (in Hollywood).

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I have no problems with QS food in UNI. Compared to the absolute garbage they serve at WDW I thought it alright, actually.

 

[BryceM]

Sounds like a tremendous amount to do, more than I had imagined really - I often overlook all of the non-attraction based content at US but that's the stuff I really like, quite frankly (just like at WDW).

Thanks for all of the input everyone! Will definitely be spending a fair amount of time at Camp Jurassic and in the shops at HP I think (even though neither of our kids was around for the HP phenomenon)

The shops are a bit small and cramped, just to warn you. They are true to the canon, but are not too fun to be in for too long.

 

[BryceM]

I have no problems with QS food in UNI. Compared to the absolute garbage they serve at WDW I thought it alright, actually.

I think UNI does have some good options, but also some not so good ones. Same with WDW. The last quick service restaurant I ate at in WDW was Magic Kingdom's Columbia Harbor House. I read something about the lobster roll on TPI, and thought it would be good. It was actually just a soggy mess with a bad aftertaste. Blech. However, Flame Tree Barbecue at Animal Kingdom was really good.

Though, something did feel slightly wrong in chowing down on ribs and chicken in ANIMAL Kingdom. Hehe. It's like eating seafood next to the aquarium in Epcot or SeaWorld.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I think UNI does have some good options, but also some not so good ones. Same with WDW. The last quick service restaurant I ate at in WDW was Magic Kingdom's Columbia Harbor House. I read something about the lobster roll on TPI, and thought it would be good. It was actually just a soggy mess with a bad aftertaste. Blech. However, Flame Tree Barbecue at Animal Kingdom was really good.

Yes it is! Slightly off-topic, DAK, like UNI, gets online flak for its food options. But I think it the best of the lot. Well maybe after EPCOT.

CHH used to be great, but has left me dissapointed since forever now.

 

[BryceM]

Yes it is! Slightly off-topic, DAK, like UNI, gets online flak for its food options. But I think it the best of the lot. Well maybe after EPCOT.

CHH used to be great, but has left me dissapointed since forever now.

I find DAK and Epcot to have the best food options as well. I haven't tried Yak & Yeti, but Tusker House and Flame Tree Barbecue were both great. DHS probably gets the most online flak for food, and as well as SeaWorld. I got food poisoning at SeaWorld, but it was probably my fault for getting a burrito...

(Remind me, who in their right mind gets a counter service burrito at a theme park? Haha)

 

[Padraig]

I find the CS to be awful in Uni, far worse than what's on offer in WDW. That's not to say WDW doesn't have problems, some of their CS is woeful. I guess it's just a numbers game, WDW with far more options are bound to have a few hits. I will say that what's on offer in Springfield looks to be a big jump in quality and hopefully bodes well for the future.

Stayed a week at Portofino last August. It was by far the most relaxing time I ever spent at a theme park. Get up, stroll into the park, walk on to a few rides, stroll back to hotel, pool, back into the parks later on, City walk in the evening. Stress doesn't enter into it.

 

[Glasgow]

We definitely plan on taking it seriously easy - this trip is just as much for me and the missus as it is for the kids I'm hoping to even .. gasp! .. go without a trip plan, which is much of the fun for me with our WDW vacations. However, it does add stress at a certain level and that's really something I could do without right now. This will be more of an exploratory trip hearkening back to the pre-internet days where we just wing it - what a concept!

 

[danpam1024]

We definitely plan on taking it seriously easy - this trip is just as much for me and the missus as it is for the kids I'm hoping to even .. gasp! .. go without a trip plan, which is much of the fun for me with our WDW vacations. However, it does add stress at a certain level and that's really something I could do without right now. This will be more of an exploratory trip hearkening back to the pre-internet days where we just wing it - what a concept!

Only way to have fun- spontaneity!

 

[JillC LI]

I'm certain we had a fridge in our room without requesting one at RPR last year. Six days at Uni is a long time. Others have already done a good job of suggesting other areas to visit besides just Seussland and the Popeye area. In that number of days, with the express passes you will get, you should have no problem seeing everything plus doing tons of relaxing. Frankly, I personally couldn't spend more than 2-3 days at Uni without getting antsy for WDW, but I recognize that everyone is different and hope you have a wonderful trip.