It was a patience-testing trip for me, for sure. Due to a storm delay, I spent 8 hours at LaGuardia before finally arriving in Orlando at 5 am, only to have the Mears shuttle take a reservation-less woman and her 16 year-old daughter to Disney World FIRST before taking the rest of the occupants to the UOR area (I'm sure the $100 bill she handed him was a bit persuasive). I checked in to Cabana Bay at 6 am but didn't make it into Universal Studios until about 1:30 pm. And less than 12 hours later I'd be awakened by the building's emergency alarm, which turned out to be nothing! I'm not going to comment too much on rides/shows, since it's mostly been there-done that for me and most people who might be reading this.
I must say, they need more Coke Freestyle machines. Most are in dining locations that close early, and the outdoor, standalone ones are few and far between. Add to that, the outdoor ones seem to be without ice more frequently. And the lines for most of these were longer than for food or even some attractions.
I purchased the Express Pass each day. It was slightly cheaper to do that than to stay at Royal Pacific (i.e., CBBR + EP($) < RPR (EP inclusive)). But that is only because I didn't purchase the unlimited, traveled solo, and wouldn't have been able to use it on check-in day. I find I never have a chance to re-ride my favorites, or when I do I the lines are shorter or I am able to use single rider.
I was able to ride Reign of Kong Saturday evening, but I used the Single Rider queue to my regret. Standby posted a 45-minute wait, and I waited about 45 minutes in SR. I'm sure standby was shorter. I tried again on Sunday, this time in standby with a posted 60-minute wait.
Unfortunately, after 45 minutes the ride broke down. At that point, no one wants to leave, and about an hour later they finally announced that people would be better off doing something else. After about 20 minutes they had to have known it would be a while, and should have told people to leave then. I know people chose to wait, but when you invest a certain amount of time, you're hoping that it will be soon. I rode it again on Monday (again a 45-minute posted wait) but I don't think the line was more than a half-hour. This time Kong wasn't moving.
I was shocked at how empty the place was on Monday (July 4th). A lot of the rides had minimal waits of about 15 - 20 minutes. If I had not had a plane to catch in the early evening I would've easily forgone the Express Pass for the day. Saturday and Sunday didn't feel any more crowded than a normal summer weekend, either.
***EDIT
One thing I wanted to comment on was how efficient security was. They have a significant number of check point (at least 10) with bag scanners and metal detectors. Hidden towards the end is the no bags line. But they all seemed to move rather quickly.
The ticket scanners, on the other hand, is still a mess. It is a slow and inefficient system.
I must say, they need more Coke Freestyle machines. Most are in dining locations that close early, and the outdoor, standalone ones are few and far between. Add to that, the outdoor ones seem to be without ice more frequently. And the lines for most of these were longer than for food or even some attractions.
I purchased the Express Pass each day. It was slightly cheaper to do that than to stay at Royal Pacific (i.e., CBBR + EP($) < RPR (EP inclusive)). But that is only because I didn't purchase the unlimited, traveled solo, and wouldn't have been able to use it on check-in day. I find I never have a chance to re-ride my favorites, or when I do I the lines are shorter or I am able to use single rider.
I was able to ride Reign of Kong Saturday evening, but I used the Single Rider queue to my regret. Standby posted a 45-minute wait, and I waited about 45 minutes in SR. I'm sure standby was shorter. I tried again on Sunday, this time in standby with a posted 60-minute wait.
I really enjoyed it, and didn't find anything remotely wrong with the use of screens. I was in the front row, which I thought would bother me but it didn't. While Kong's head is impressive, I wished it were more aggressive. Unlike others, I wasn't impressed with the queue. I found it to be nothing more than room after room of maze queues with creepy walls of skeletons. The scare actor appeared before I entered that area and after I passed it, so I didn't experience it.
I was shocked at how empty the place was on Monday (July 4th). A lot of the rides had minimal waits of about 15 - 20 minutes. If I had not had a plane to catch in the early evening I would've easily forgone the Express Pass for the day. Saturday and Sunday didn't feel any more crowded than a normal summer weekend, either.
***EDIT
One thing I wanted to comment on was how efficient security was. They have a significant number of check point (at least 10) with bag scanners and metal detectors. Hidden towards the end is the no bags line. But they all seemed to move rather quickly.
The ticket scanners, on the other hand, is still a mess. It is a slow and inefficient system.
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