Any Secrets to Know?

KyleAfterAWhile

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jun 12, 2017
I am familiar with Disney, but as some of you awesome members may recall, I had a ton of Universal questions. You have all helped us so much and we are looking forward to our time there.

Are there any secrets I should know? We have seniors and children in our group. A huge party. We want to get the most of our 2 days there and not miss anything special.

Butterbeer is on our list. Everything else - we are clueless.
 
read some of the threads that are about the parks.
and checkout some of the trip reports in the other forum.

you'll be reading about first hand experience from newbies and others that share their time of the darkside with you.
many have included pictures in their trip reports which is an added bonus!
 


Most likely not for our group since we are not into thrills. :) But, we still intend to have a great time.

My kids are 10 & 8 and don't do the UO coasters. We go to Disney every year but last year we decided to try something new and stayed our entire weeks vacation at UO. We all loved it. So this year we asked our "no thrills" kids would it be WDW or UO and they both yelled UO so once again our trip will be Universal.
 
A few must do'a

1. Ride the Hogwarts express. Last year We took my in laws with us on our family trip. Everyone - from 6 to 66 years old loved this ride.

2. You can do the queues and skip the rides. My mother in law didn't want to do the bigger Potter rides. But doing the queues is awesome. A trip through Hogwarts is something everyone loves.

3. Get the app. If you stay flexible you can minimize waiting time. But since you are many, maybe that's not an option. But the app will definitely help.

4. Don't forget about the shows. The Horror make up show is iconic and last year everyone in my camp loved the animal show.

5. Even though it's a little cheesy Poseidons fury is a fun family thing. I think that's something many can enjoy.

6. While there, go find the mystic fountain. It's a fun little attraction.

7. Do WWOHP at night as well. Fire breathing dragon, and just beautiful scenery. Can't beat it.

8. ET ride is like a time capsule. I'm sure everyone can enjoy it. Takes me back to the 90s.

9. Get Duff beer at moes. I personally love the Simpsons. It's something I always do, get beer at Moes.

10. First and foremost relax and enjoy. Take time to browse the little shops, walk around, see the Knight Bus, eat different types of candy and just go with the flow. On my first trips to Universal I tried to do to much. After a while I figured out it's about just being in the moment. You really can't go wrong.

Hope you enjoy your time!
 


Island of adventure and Universal studios have One table service restaurant inside each park, that are a hidden treasure, both are great a their prices are affordable and they take walk ins! Mytho's for IoA and Finnegan's for US.
 
My husband and I don't do crazy thrill rides and we love Universal! Just as much as Disney. Can't go to FL without visiting both.
Others mentioned great things for you to check out. I just can't sell the Harry Potter lands enough. Like nothing you've ever seen.
We love the rides there, checking out all the shops & the ice cream at Florean Fortescues
 
Planning our first trip to Universal. Thinking mid May- my kids are all in college so they get out before most of the school kids. Can't decide between staying on site to get the EP or stay off-site with more days there & experience all the queue interactions. Feedback?
 
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Island of adventure and Universal studios have One table service restaurant inside each park, that are a hidden treasure, both are great a their prices are affordable and they take walk ins! Mytho's for IoA and Finnegan's for US.

Both parks have more than one table service restaurant.

Confisco Grill is in IOA and Studios have Lombards.
 
It will depend on what you are "into"...if you will like Uni or Disney more. We all have differnet opinions on what makes it the "best place" That being said, my mother is beyond "not a thrill rider." She doesn't do thrill rides, she has intense vertigo & motion sickess (can't do heights, jerking rides, or spinning of any kind.)
She can't ride Caro-Seuss-al.

She still love Universal & goes with us almost every year. She is a big Potter fan, and loves a lot of the shows. The only rides she can ride...Hogwarts Express, High in the Sky Trolley ride, and Shrek. Maybe 1 or 2 water rides as well?

She also rides Forbidden Journey, Gringott's, Despicable Me (in stationary seating) ONCE each trip...she feels lousy for a little bit afterward, but she loves Potter and the Minions.

I'm just saying, you can have fun, even if you can't ride much. There's ambiance, foods, shows, parades, meet & greets, play areas.etc.
 
If you have a huge party, don't be afraid to split up. The Uni bubble is smaller than WDW's. The thrill seekers can go seek. There is so much for a chilled-out visitor to do, I have spent a week relaxing. The downstairs in the Jurassic Discovery center is a gem (and air conditioned). The grandparents will have fun watching the kids climb ropes and explore caves in the Jurassic playground, too.

Don't miss Knockturn Alley, either. Shopping in Diagon Alley is best at rope drop (everyone else is trying to be on rides). Have fun!
 
Planning our first trip to Universal. Thinking mid May- my kids are all in college so they get out before most of the school kids. Can't decide between staying on site to get the EP or stay off-site with more days there & experience all the queue interactions. Feedback?
Onsite hotels are fantastic and worth the extra cost. Took my mom in 2015, stayed the first night at Best Western, before checking into HRH the next morning. Initially, I thought this wasn't bad. I could've saved a lot of money if we had stayed at BW for the entire visit. As soon as we arrived at HRH, I was blown away. Then I felt sorry for the people at BW. Express pass is just one benefit.
 
Don't be afraid to ride the thrills, even if the rest of your family doesn't want to! When my family went EVERYONE was motion sick except for me. They had plenty of fun doing the smaller attractions while they let me ride the bigger thrill rides, and we all ended up having a great time.
 
To follow up on my post: my in laws decided to join us again this year, in our annual Universal trip. This will be their second year in a row. They loved it so much, even though they barely rode anything. Just being in the parks, going to shows and exploring is worth it in their minds.
 
Some of my favourite "secrets" from our 2015 March Break trip (most are HP related):
- If you get the interactive wands (which I highly recommend - each of my 3 kids got one and DH and I may have borrowed them a time or two)... there are unmarked spell casting locations throughout Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade - check out these boards for tips.
- When you go through Platform 9 and 3/4 to get on the HE, have someone stay back (maybe 20 feet away from the platform wall) and take video of your group "disappearing" through the platform wall. By the time I realized what happens there, I'd missed the opportunity.
- Enjoy Moaning Myrtle in the women's washrooms
- Loved the small water play area in Seussland - my 4 yo loved it and got soaked (so be prepared for that)
- Agree with the comment about seeing HP land at night - adds that much more magic to an already magical experience
- Kreacher the house elf appears in the window of 12 Grimmauld Place (visible from the streets of London) periodically
- You can actually dial and get a response on the red phone outside of the Leaky Cauldron (I think it's 62442)
 
And now there's the new light show on Hogwarts Castle at night...
I can't wait to see that!!!
 

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