Universal Orlando, what can you tell me?

[revral]

I'm so disappointed in and over Disney's money grabbing that I'm seriously considering, as in I've started seriously looking at their website, booking a Universal Orlando trip for my next trip after my April Disney trip. So what do I need to know? What should I know? Any, hints, tips, tricks, suggestions...

[Disney4us2]

I don’t know what type of rides you like. Mild or wild?? Both Universal and IOA ( Islands of Adventure) have more motion/ 3D and coasters. There are more mild rides and shows. I like Spider-Man, Transformers, Men In Black, Fallon, Cat in the Hat and Hogswart Express ( a train that goes from one park to the other.

If you stay at one of the three premium hotels ( Royal Pacific, Hardrock, Portifino) you get the express pass included with your stay.

If you like Harry Potter… both parks have an interactive/ immersive experience. The detail is incredible.

Food…. At universal I like Mel’s Diner, Richters ( burgers etc,). Schwabs has Dole whips. At IOA, I like Circus in Seuss Landings. They have good fried chicken. In both Harry Potter areas there are quick serve which is more unique. Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley ( Universal) and The Three Broomstick’s 🧹 in Hogsmeade ( IOA). There is also the freestyle drink cup. It can be reactivated daily. You can refill all day long. I bring mine with me on hot days for the Icee’s ….

I’m a bit biased since I work in Diagon Alley. Im in Ollivanders wand experience show/ and wand magic. Wand magic is teaching muggles how to do magic spells with their interactive wands. I enjoy the atmosphere at both parks. I also enjoy the shows. Im not a coaster person.

[revral]

I don’t know what type of rides you like. Mild or wild?? Both Universal and IOA ( Islands of Adventure) have more motion/ 3D and coasters. There are more mild rides and shows. I like Spider-Man, Transformers, Men In Black, Fallon, Cat in the Hat and Hogswart Express ( a train that goes from one park to the other.

If you stay at one of the three premium hotels ( Royal Pacific, Hardrock, Portifino) you get the express pass included with your stay.

If you like Harry Potter… both parks have an interactive/ immersive experience. The detail is incredible.

Food…. At universal I like Mel’s Diner, Richters ( burgers etc,). Schwabs has Dole whips. At IOA, I like Circus in Seuss Landings. They have good fried chicken. In both Harry Potter areas there are quick serve which is more unique. Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley ( Universal) and The Three Broomstick’s 🧹 in Hogsmeade ( IOA). There is also the freestyle drink cup. It can be reactivated daily. You can refill all day long. I bring mine with me on hot days for the Icee’s ….

I’m a bit biased since I work in Diagon Alley. Im in Ollivanders wand experience show/ and wand magic. Wand magic is teaching muggles how to do magic spells with their interactive wands. I enjoy the atmosphere at both parks. I also enjoy the shows. Im not a coaster person.

Thanks. I was hoping that you'd chime in. I love coasters and the mild stuff, so I'll be happy regardless. I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan but I have read some of the books and think getting to explore Hogwarts, Diagon Alley etc. would be a lot fun. I'm looking forward to having to research and plan a trip to someplace that I've never been before.

[gingerj1]

You have to have a park-to-park (hopper-type) pass in order to ride the Hogwarts Express, which is fun. Also, each direction is different.

Biggest piece of advice I have: I love roller coasters and thrill rides, but I have to say DO NOT RIDE THE HULK coaster! It batters your head around between the headrests and leaves me with a headache.

I love Velociraptor; it has a single rider line that usually saves you lots of time. Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey also has a single rider line.

Their app is good and gives wait times, so that's nice. You can also filter it for thrill rides, kid rides, etc.

[revral]

You have to have a park-to-park (hopper-type) pass in order to ride the Hogwarts Express, which is fun. Also, each direction is different.

Biggest piece of advice I have: I love roller coasters and thrill rides, but I have to say DO NOT RIDE THE HULK coaster! It batters your head around between the headrests and leaves me with a headache.

I love Velociraptor; it has a single rider line that usually saves you lots of time. Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey also has a single rider line.

Their app is good and gives wait times, so that's nice. You can also filter it for thrill rides, kid rides, etc.

Excellent info to know. Thanks for sharing it. Knowing myself, I'll more than likely do The Hulk at least once, but at least I'll be going in to it knowing that I might end up wishing I'd had a cervical collar that I could wear during the ride.

[Huntermom]

We did both Universal and Disney last summer. And if you're concerned about Disney's money grabs, be prepared for more at Universal. We went to Universal because my 6 and 8 year olf grandchildren are big Harry Potter fans. They thought the interactive wand was really cool, but it was $75. Fortunately, the kids are great at sharing. My son, who was a big fan as a teenager, said he was turned off my so many things costing extra.

We also stayed in one of the budget hotels because it was only one night. I thought they felt very BUDGET. I love the Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay, but Surfside was really disappointing. I'm glas it was only one night.

Next trip is Disney only!