First Universal trip for a long-time Disney World nerd

[jtw3549]

I've been eyeing Universal out of the corner of my eye for a few years now as an alternative to Disney. Same story with me as with many others: I'm a diehard DW fanatic. Grew up going, have taken my family 4 times in the past 4 years and have loved all of it...but...it's just getting too expensive and stressful. It hurts my heart to say it, but it's true.

Anyway, seriously looking at Universal for some time in 2024. It would be me, my wife, and out 11-year old daughter. My daughter has just recently REALLY gotten into Harry Potter so it seems like the right time. Our extended family may also be planning a Disney trip in 2024, but that's a separate thing altogether...

I'll be honest, i have no idea where to start planning. I'm so used to the the Disney planning, this is very new. I'm not familiar with Universal's hotels or anything. I need to watch some vids. I've read that Universal can be much more relaxing overall than Disney, which would be most welcome. It seems like overall a budget-minded Universal trip can be had for a fair amount less than a similar Disney trip.

I understand and accept that Universal is not Disney. We are just looking to experience what it is and have a great time in the process.

Thank you for any advice and tips!

 

[Jarmo]

It's honestly so much simpler and relaxing to do a Universal trip. If the budget allows for a premier hotel, you'll have unlimited Express Pass for every ride except Hagrid's. You really don't need to plan anything at that point (except for early entry if you want to try Hagrid's with less wait), just do what you want when you want!

 

[Skippyboo]

What time of year in 2024 are you looking at?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Universal does not take nearly as much planning as Disney does. You don't even need to book dining super far in advance. During extra busy times like Christmas, I've booked dining reservations a week beforehand and there was plenty of availability.

As for the hotels, three of the premier hotels, Hard Rock, Portofino Bay and Royal Pacific, come with unlimited Express for everyone in your room including on check in and check out days. The other hotels do not come with Express but are still nice and have better amenities than similiar moderate and value Disney resorts.

 

[jtw3549]

What time of year in 2024 are you looking at?

Really we’re pretty flexible. More than likely September though.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Really we’re pretty flexible. More than likely September though.

If you're going during September, be aware that Universal Studios Florida closes early (around 5-6 pm) on wednesdays-sundays throughout the month for their Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights. The event is geared more towards teens and adults compared to Disney's party. This is a separate ticketed event similar to MNSSHP.

 

[jtw3549]

If you're going during September, be aware that Universal Studios Florida closes early (around 5-6 pm) on wednesdays-sundays throughout the month for their Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights. The event is geared more towards teens and adults compared to Disney's party. This is a separate ticketed event similar to MNSSHP.

Gotcha thank you for the heads up. Are there better times to go? Like I said we’re pretty flexible for the most part.

 

[KeroKero]

As other posters have said, planning a Universal trip is way easier than a Disney one. Plus, you're not spending a good chunk of your park day looking things up in your phone. We've visited in mid September many times and the lines have always been next to nothing, that we've never felt the need for express passes, even with the park closing early many of the nights as Smugpugmug mentioned
We love Cabana Bay - for a budget resort, compared to what Disney has on similar offer, it has amazing decor, amenities and is just lovely.
We've never done HHN as scary Halloween's aren't our thing, but we do hear great things about the event.

 

[Skippyboo]

September will be Halloween Horror Nights time. So Studio side will close at 5 pm 4 days out of the week. No HHN on Monday and Tuesday. So if haunted houses aren’t your jam, then you can go over to Islands of Adventure side.

Feb to April- they do Mardi Gras with food booths and a nightly parade with floats and bead throwing.

late November-Dec is Christmas time w Grinchmas show and Macy’s style holiday parade.

11 might be okay for your kid and HHN pending on your kid. Houses are walk through in the dark w jump scares like the mummy or Jason from Halloween would jump out at you.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Gotcha thank you for the heads up. Are there better times to go? Like I said we’re pretty flexible for the most part.

If you're looking for lower crowds, I would still go during September but perhaps go to Universal Studios Florida early and then park hop over to Islands of Adventure if you are not going to Halloween Horror Nights. I've also found mid May to be a fantastic time to go. I went the weekend of May 12-14 this year and it was not insanely crowded. I think you could go by without Express during that time if you are on a budget.

 

[jtw3549]

We will definitely be skipping the horror nights. Not our thing at all. Sounds like you can still go during that September time and still be able to avoid the scary evenings.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If you want to go old school and buy a book, this one was helpful when planning my first visit. The new edition comes out in December. https://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-G...Universal+Orlando+Guide&qid=1685555922&sr=8-1

There is signficiantly less advanced planning necessary. The rides are more intense so keep in mind any issues/sensativities people might have (drops, motion sickness, issues with 3D/4D simulators, like or dislike of roller coasters). I'm pretty much a ride coward who will not do coasters and I have had a fantastic time at Universal Orlando. It's just about doing some research and figuring out what people will enjoy and what you may want to skip. You can go through the line but skip the ride.

Also something to keep in mind is your touring style. This isn't about right or wong but what works best for you. Are you rope drop to close, or would you rather take breaks and go at a more relaxed pace?

 

[Skippyboo]

You can work around HHN by staying onsite and using early entry. The 2 parks are next to each other so 2 park access tickets are a must. There is HP in both parks. IoA has Hogmeade and the Hogwarts Castle, Studios has Diagon Alley. The Hogwarts Express connects the 2 areas. It’s different each way so ride twice. You can buy an interactive wand at the park and you can do spells that trigger effects in both sections.

 

[TJA]

Fellow disney-lover here too who just returned from Universal last week!

Our love for Disney begins at the resorts, and we paid a fraction to stay at a premier Universal resort compared to what we normally pay at Disney deluxe resort. AND included with this premier resort (we chose Portofino) is the express pass which is like an unlimited fast-pass without the hassles of booking rides. This express pass worked on everything except Hagrid's motorcycle ride. It is like Gold compared to disney's genie system because there is no planning and you don't need to keep yourself glued to your phone to book rides. Universal is totally stress-free in that regard for sure!

Another perk is location and ease of getting around. From Portofino, we loved the walk to the parks. It was about 15 minutes and very beautiful walkway. There is also boat transport, but we always walked. You can also walk to the parks from other resorts too. We stayed at Royal Pacific last year and that was an even closer walk. The 2 parks are also very close to each other, so it's easy to go from park to park.

Be sure to price out ticket deals versus the annual pass. We ended up buying the annual pass and got 2 trips out of it.

 

[jtw3549]

This all extremely helpful! Keep it coming! Thank you to all!

 

[pinkxray]

I am a huge Disney lover but love our Universal trips too. I find Universal much easier to plan, especially staying at one of the 3 hotels with Express pass included.
We have had the seasonal pass for the last two years. Heading back in June for 5 nights. Definitely check the prices between regular tickets and an annual pass. The seasonal wasn’t much more than the 3 day pass when we bought it(I believe they have raised the cost since then though) You just have to check the black out dates(which don’t seem to be an issue in your case)

I just got back from WDW last week and honestly was a little annoyed how much time I spent booking lightening lanes and then modifying them to work around our other plans and dining. I was constantly on my phone and was saying no we can‘t do xyz because we have a lightening lane for Soarin then Test track that I modified 60 times to align perfectly.

Our Universal trips constant of waking up, deciding that morning which park to go to and going. Doing whatever ride we wanted when we wanted. The only ride that is tough to work around is Hagrids since that doesn’t have express pass. We haven‘t ridden it since it had a virtual queue 2 years bc my kids are spoiled and won’t wait over 30 minutes for a ride. It seems like early entry or last ride of the night work well for that. I’m hoping to ride it this year because it is probably my favorite ride in all the Orlando parks.

We have stayed in all three premier hotels and would stay at any of them again. Hard Rock is such a quick walk to the studios so it was our favorite for a bit but had a few tiny issues last stay so we are going back to Royal Pacific this year. It doesn’t have a slide which the other two do, but you can pool hop at Universal so we are going to swing by Sapphire falls to swim and eat since we have never seen it in person.

Cabana Bay also looks very fun but we love express pass too much to not pick one of the premier resorts.

Dh and I have been going to Universal since our honeymoon in 2001. We have brought DD18 multiple times and now bring DS8 and DD6. There is something for everyone, but 11 is definitely a perfect age.

We don’t typically do many reservations for meals at Universal, but if we want to eat at Toothsome we usually reserve that ahead of time. It has always been pretty busy when we have been.

 

[disneyseniors]

OP, like you, we have been die hard disney fans for years, since l977! Our kids and grandkids all enjoyed trips to disney.
However, with all the recent changes, we have decided it is not for us at this time. We have been to Universal and we Loved It. It was stress free and that in itself is wonderful. We love wandering around the parks. There is so much to see and do. We used to hurry to all the attractions, but find we missed a lot of wonderful stores and things to do.
Their resorts are very far above any of Disney's IMO. And the HP lands are fantastic. They are just like walking into the books! The detail is amazing and far above anything at disney. Your daughter will love it. Be sure to go to knockturn alley and to Borgen and Burkes ( I think). They have the closet that had the canary transferred in it between BandB and Hogwarts in one of the books. If you stand by it and put your hand on it you can feel it vibrate and hear the canary chirping. It is very dark in knockturn alley and lots of fun to explore. I could spend all day in Diagon alley. I personally like it better than the IOA side, but both are wonderful.
I know you will have loads of fun and new experiences at Universal, and you won't feel nickel and dimed while there.

 

[Skywalker3]

Welcome to the dark side. We've loved both Universal and Disney, since our first new family trip in 2000. I think the first thing to know and understand is that they are not the same. They have different vibes, and that's ok. and if you have a Harry Potter fan, it'll be an even more awesome experience.
Take some of your Disney planning skills to Universal too though. Like, they have similar crowd calendars. so slower (if there is still such a thing) times at Disney will be the same at Universal. September after Labor Day is slower at both places. Still so hot and humid, with hurricane chances high. HHN is happening, but the scary stuff is all covered during the daytime, some of the covers start coming off closer to 5. We have just discovered HHN in the last few years, and LOVE it, and are planning to go again for this coming Oct.
There are so, so, SO many incredible details in the Wizarding World> Frankly, Disney (even with wonderful theming in Batuu) doesn't have anything like Diagon Alley. There are tons of Easter eggs, fun things to look for. So allocate some time for exploring and really experiencing it all.
We love all 3 premier hotels, and if possible. My favorite is Hard Rock. I've enjoyed our stays at the non premiers too. Staying at Aventura and Royal Pacific, 1 night each, next week. Read over some of the hotel threads and stickies here for more info.
ALl of the threads here have such wonderful and useful info, I'd spend some time perusing them, and the trip reports. Happy planning!!!
also, don't be put off by locker requirements. There's a reason for those, because the rides that require them are incredibly wild and fun. It really just adds a few mins here and there.
also ETA there are some great vloggers out there with Universal content. The DIS of course, RixFlix, SuperEnthused, The Pugh Two, Mammoth Club, and I know there are more, but that'll help get you started.

 

[Kit Jackson]

The need for lockers at some rides kind of freaks some WDW people out, but it shouldn't. The lockers are not that big of a deal. Aside from a giant backpack or a diaper bag, a small backpack or crossbody bag will fit in the lockers. I use the same bags in the park that I use in my regular life and I have never had a problem with the bag fitting in the locker. If there are things that you want to have with you and access to a moment's notice, take the bag and use the lockers.

 

[CynBeth]

We stayed on Universal property at Portofino for 2 nights before a Disney trip in November 2021 and loved it! We could just go with the flow no planning. We ate mostly at CS but had one early TS dinner at Finnegan’s did not make an ADR and got a table for the 3 of us right away no wait. Get the park to park tickets so you can go on the Hogwart’s Express each way. Also, if you stay at one of the premier hotels get a lanyard. Your room key is your express pass and you go to another desk to get your tickets. That way you have your room key bar code facing out one way and the tickets bar code facing the other way it makes it so easy the areas you have to scan. Some of the motion simulator rides are more intense and we are fine on the ones at Disney but did not know if we would have an issue so we got the prescription motion sickness patches you wear behind the ear. With travel time only had a day and a half in the parks we don’t go on roller coasters or anything with a drop so went on a lot of the motion simulators rides plus ET and MIB we also saw some shows did not get a chance to see a few more and missed some rides wish we had the full 2 days or even a 3rd. Did not get to City Walk at all. Next time we do Disney which is usually every 2-3 years we want to go back to Universal.