SPJoeG
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2012
I know EP's are a hot topic around here, and when people ask should they get them in many instances I will say yes, but no one ever "needs" them.
We Stayed 6 nights at CB over Thanksgiving and while it was very crowded we got to do pretty much everything we wanted in 4 park days without EPs. Of course this would not have worked as well if we only had 2 park days, but even then we wouldn't have "needed" them. I think many of us have been so conditioned by Disney planning that we measure the success of our trips by how many rides we get on. When I let this notion go and leaned into the spontaneity of Universal, it made for a much more relaxing vacation despite the crowds.
We had such a great time, and CB is so awesome and affordable that we decided to go again during the kids spring break, which is the week before Easter. Sure there are a few things we didn't get to last time that are a priority for us on this trip, but the #1 thing we didn't get to do enough of was Volcano Bay because it was a little too cold for some members of our family. If I were too add EP for any day it would be $400+ for my family and I would try to get the most out of it by getting everyone to the parks early and trying to ride every ride in both parks in no matter the weather etc... I know this can be a lot of fun, and I planned some Disney World days w/ FP in the past that felt like even though I planned every minute, it all came together and worked great! That wasn't every day though, and some days would start with me trying to get very sleepy kids out of bed to get an 8am bus so we could make a 9am FP that I woke up in the middle of the night months prior to get.
While I have plans and reservations for our upcoming, there is absolutely nothing that can't be moved or cancelled. In fact I make multiple reservations for meals expecting to use only about half. If my kids get to the parks early and get tired around lunch, going back to the hotel and just relaxing by the pool is fine by me and I don't feel like I'm out $400 or am missing out on a reservation that took a lot of effort to make. If different people want to split up and do different things? I can accommodate this easily.
Of course EPs are great, and I get a bit jelly when I'm watching people breeze by me as I spend an hour in line for the Hulk but I have chosen to spend more time in the parks instead of "maximizing" less time. The thing is there are many things you can't even use EPs at like shows, parades, Hagrid's, VC, and not to mention all of Volcano Bay. My main point though isthere isn't a single attraction where you NEED a FP!
We Stayed 6 nights at CB over Thanksgiving and while it was very crowded we got to do pretty much everything we wanted in 4 park days without EPs. Of course this would not have worked as well if we only had 2 park days, but even then we wouldn't have "needed" them. I think many of us have been so conditioned by Disney planning that we measure the success of our trips by how many rides we get on. When I let this notion go and leaned into the spontaneity of Universal, it made for a much more relaxing vacation despite the crowds.
We had such a great time, and CB is so awesome and affordable that we decided to go again during the kids spring break, which is the week before Easter. Sure there are a few things we didn't get to last time that are a priority for us on this trip, but the #1 thing we didn't get to do enough of was Volcano Bay because it was a little too cold for some members of our family. If I were too add EP for any day it would be $400+ for my family and I would try to get the most out of it by getting everyone to the parks early and trying to ride every ride in both parks in no matter the weather etc... I know this can be a lot of fun, and I planned some Disney World days w/ FP in the past that felt like even though I planned every minute, it all came together and worked great! That wasn't every day though, and some days would start with me trying to get very sleepy kids out of bed to get an 8am bus so we could make a 9am FP that I woke up in the middle of the night months prior to get.
While I have plans and reservations for our upcoming, there is absolutely nothing that can't be moved or cancelled. In fact I make multiple reservations for meals expecting to use only about half. If my kids get to the parks early and get tired around lunch, going back to the hotel and just relaxing by the pool is fine by me and I don't feel like I'm out $400 or am missing out on a reservation that took a lot of effort to make. If different people want to split up and do different things? I can accommodate this easily.
Of course EPs are great, and I get a bit jelly when I'm watching people breeze by me as I spend an hour in line for the Hulk but I have chosen to spend more time in the parks instead of "maximizing" less time. The thing is there are many things you can't even use EPs at like shows, parades, Hagrid's, VC, and not to mention all of Volcano Bay. My main point though isthere isn't a single attraction where you NEED a FP!
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