Huge Discounts at Universal

[PSU_Princess]

Universal is offering a ticket for $85 for 7 consecutive days. This pass allows you access to both Univeral Studios and IOA as well as admission to all City Walk clubs. It looks like this price is both for children and adults and it expires 6 days after the first use. The ticket is only offered on line and can not be purchased at the entrance gates.

On a side not there is a lot of anti-Disney advertising on their web site. They are advertising this deal as 2 park unlimited admission for less than the price of a 1 day Disney park hopper. Also under the trip planning section you have the option to "compare to Disney." It reminds me of a bad political commercial.....I don't have that many good things to say about myself so I'll just say lots of bad things about the other guy. It seems to me like they have a lot of good things to promote about themselves without having to bad mouth the competition on their website.

 

[MissM]

Online only, they're also offering a one-day/one-park ticket for Florida residents for $49 or buy one year, two-park annual pass for $179 and get a second year free.

That said...I was just at USF for the first time in about eight or ten years to get in one last ride of Back to the Future. And I have to say...jeez. The park is quite pretty in set design, (and the employees were friendly) but it was really empty and, just...dated. It felt totally abandoned, and the majority of the rides were well past their sell-buy date. It just was a real disappointment.

*shrugs*

I can't comment on IOA since I've never been there, but I can't see myself wanting to head back to USF anytime in the foreseeable future. It felt like a ghost town. Shame.
-m

 

[kcnole]

I'm left scratching my head at that comment.

How are their rides dated? Jimmy Neutron is relatively new and even though I prefer the old Hanna Barbara ride I can't call it dated. The Shrek movie is only a few years old and is great. Yes Earthquake and Twister are bad, but they're better than Sounds Dangerous at MGM. The Mummy is probably the best ride in Orlando in my opinion. Jaws is a classic and never needs to go away just as the dated Jungle Cruise should never leave from Magic Kingdom. Men in Black is far better than Buzz lightyear. BTTF is dated and needs lots of work, but they're closing it to build a new ride. ET is a classic dark ride and one of my favorite dark rides anywhere. So what is so dated in the park that makes it feel abandoned? Especially when you compare it to the dated Mansion, Space Mountain, and Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom which are in far worse repair than Universal's rides.

I'm not bashing Disney, I love Disney, but that comment just seems quite unfair. I'm interested in why you see it as so dated when the only ride that really is dated is about to be closed for something new? When I was there just a few weeks ago it was packed too, hardly a ghost town. Maybe you caught it on a slow day. Some would say that Disney has been a ghost town this past week as well, but it's just a slow season.

As for IOA, it can easily compete with any of the Disney parks in quality. It doesn't meet up to Disney of yesteryear when everything worked all the time, but it easily compares to Disney of today where broken effects are left for a few days as well. It's a wonderful park and I was blown away by how good it was, how beautiful it was, and how fun it was on my last trip. I'm now a happy annual pass holder there. The value was too good to turn down. I love Disney a bit more because there's so much more to do there and they do actually give you a magical ending to your days with the end of day shows, but Universal is hardly an abandoned ghost town.

 

[PSU_Princess]

When my husband found this deal I said....To bad I would be grumpy all week and would just say let's go to Disney. I have been to each park one time and I have to say that I'm not all that eager to return. There is something about the atmosphere in the parks that makes me want to spend all my time at Disney....but I just can't explaine what it is. I would definetly think that people who really enjoy thrill rides would like IOA...I am personally not a big thrill ride fan and I really don't like all the wet rides. Our last trip to Universal was so long ago that I haven't been on the Mummy, Shrek, or Jimmy Neutron, so maybe there are enough new experiences there for me to give it another chance.

 

[MissM]

Since I don't do coasters, I didn't ride Mummy. The guys rode it and liked it, but... what else is there of that kind of caliber? ET (1982) is dated. Jaws (1975) was just silly with the rock-hard plastic shark that looked awful. Dated. BttF (1985) desperately needs updates (wind? heat and cold effects? Maybe just a/c on the ride?) but it's getting closed instead. T2 (1991) while well done is another dated property. Especially since it wasn't the last in the series. Earthquake? Ugh. Thirty minutes of really lame pre-show and then two minutes of ho-hum "ride." Twister? Even worse.

I liked the MiB ride, but it's certainly not an "E-ticket." I wouldn't go to the park just for that ride.

Shrek 4D was cute too but it's based on the first movie. The third is coming out next year. Seems a little trapped in a set timeframe and because of that, it too will quickly be dated.

I didn't go there negative. Ten years ago in fact, I was an annual passholder for Universal. It's just...in ten years, it feels like not much has changed and that the park is sorely incomplete. It's pretty to look at, but...just eh. There just isn't enough to hold your attention and there really isn't enough that's new and fresh. I got there like 11am and was done with everything by 5:30pm - including taking time for lunch and shopping. It just didn't feel cohesive to me and like something was just missing.

Like I said, I can't comment on IOA because I've never been there, but it almost felt like they should be ONE park, not two. USF alone just isn't enough. And if you think I'm just "bashing" it because it's not Disney, you're wrong. I feel the same way about MGM. There's just not enough there in my opinion. It's hap-hazard.

I was disappointed. If you're not and you enjoy it, then I'm honestly happy for you. But for me...I just felt like it wasn't what I'd hope it was going to be.
-m

 

[kcnole]

ok, as long as you feel the same way regarding MGM I can't argue with you too much. There are Disney parks that have the same problem. Truth is though, even Magic Kingdom suffers from that. Yes, they added some new animatronics to Pirates, but other than that it's extremely dated. If you thought the plastic shark was bad, then the animals on jungle cruise are even worse. Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain are both in need of desperate work. It's a Small World came from the world's fair. Nobody likes the new attractions at Magic Kingdom with Shrek, Tiki room, or the new MI attraction.

I can have all the same complaints about WDW's flagship park in the MK. I just don't see Universal's rides as any more dated than any of the other parks. It's just that most people see Disney and they're classic rides that can't be touched, but see Universal and say ET and Jaws are old and dated so they should go. They're just as much of a classic as any of those at MK are. I just get frustrated because there seems to be a double standard between Universal and Disney.

Universal is all nothing but outdated rides, yet when Disney implements a ton of rides that haven't changed in years, they're classics and shouldn't be touched. To those of us who loved Universal when it opened Jaws and ET are classics as well, but to those who didn't they're just old rides. I just think the same standard should be applied to both resorts. There are plenty of issues with Universal that make it not Disney, but I don't think it's dated rides because Disney has the exact same issue.

 

[MissM]

Well, I'm a blashphemer because I really don't like Jungle Cruise. I find it quite lame actually. And I absolutely hate Space Mountain. It's just one massive, jerky headache to me. Peter Pan isn't ever worth the wait times it pulls in and I ride Small World once every few years maybe. So, no, I'm not going to say old always equals classic at Disney but not Universal. I still think BttF for example could get a lot more years out of it with some minor updates but instead, they're tearing it down and leaving rides which no amount of updating (in my opinion) will improve them.

*shrugs*

I was just disappointed and thought it was a shame that it looked nice on the outside, but just wasn't a satisfying park experience. To each their own, you know?
-m

 

[kcnole]

Ok, I can at least understand your point since you seem to hold Disney to the same standard. Universal tried to take out Jaws and the fanbase went nuts, so they brought it back. I definitely agree that Earthquake and Twister need to go, but they take up very small space and I guess they figure they can't put anything much better in its place so they just leave it.

I'm glad to see BTTF going. The ride system makes me sick and the film looks horrible now. I just hope they put something in worthwhile. I do not want to see the simpsons there, although I would love to see the simpsons replace Jimmy Neutron.

I think you should visit IOA. I agree that USF doesn't have the magical theming and look of Disney, but IOA absolutely blew me away and there's plenty to do there still even if you're not much of a coaster fan. I skipped all the coasters but still had a great time.

 

[PSU_Princess]

I think that was part of my problem with IOA....it seemed to me like the majority of it was either coasters or water rides.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I like Twister.. :lookaroun

But yeah, I agree Earthquake can go.

I think Universal would benefit from one really good show, maybe even indoors..

And another E-Ticket.

And then it'll be fine for another few years.