Is Universal worth trip with young kids?

[cmamajo]

We are debating a trip to Universal for spring break, March 2019. Our kids will be 3, 6, and 9. The older two love Harry Potter which is what started the discussion. They are not big on thrill rides (ie rollercoasters and anything scary) and the then 3 year old probably won't be tall enough for many rides as he will only turn 3 weeks before the trip. We've done Disney and will go back, just wanted to try something different this trip. The 2 park-2 days plus 2 days promotion seems to be a good deal right now but 4 days in the parks seem like a lot. Would you take 3 younger children who are not thrill seekers for a trip to Universal?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

We are debating a trip to Universal for spring break, March 2019. Our kids will be 3, 6, and 9. The older two love Harry Potter which is what started the discussion. They are not big on thrill rides (ie rollercoasters and anything scary) and the then 3 year old probably won't be tall enough for many rides as he will only turn 3 weeks before the trip. We've done Disney and will go back, just wanted to try something different this trip. The 2 park-2 days plus 2 days promotion seems to be a good deal right now but 4 days in the parks seem like a lot. Would you take 3 younger children who are not thrill seekers for a trip to Universal?

The first year we went, my kids were 4, 6, and 8 so very close to yours. The 6 and 8 year olds both loved HP. The 4 yo did not care. He does like superheros though. The oldest does not like rollercoasters. We had 3 park days that year (4 last year) and found a lot to do for all of them. The 4 yo liked Flight of the Hiippogryph, Storm Force Acceleration, Minions, Animal Actors, meeting the Superheros and Suess Landing. The oldest loves HP so she went on Gringotts and did the castle tour for FJ (not the ride). She really enjoyed the HP areas and Minions. Middle child is a dare devil - she had fun. They all enjoyed the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, Pterodanodon Flyers, and Camp Jurassic. We felt like it was worth it even though we did not do the Mummy, Kong, Hulk, Dr. Doom, JP River Adventure, Rip Rocket, or any of the water rides (which is kind of remarkable when I write it out that way). We had so much fun we went back last year for 4 days (still didn't do everything we wanted to do) and are going back in two weeks.

In short, it was worth it for us because we had HP fans. We did also try to find things to do for the younger one that he liked. It would look at all the entertainment options and see if there are things your kids would enjoy.

 

[cmamajo]

The first year we went, my kids were 4, 6, and 8 so very close to yours. The 6 and 8 year olds both loved HP. The 4 yo did not care. He does like superheros though. The oldest does not like rollercoasters. We had 3 park days that year (4 last year) and found a lot to do for all of them. The 4 yo liked Flight of the Hiippogryph, Storm Force Acceleration, Minions, Animal Actors, meeting the Superheros and Suess Landing. The oldest loves HP so she went on Gringotts and did the castle tour for FJ (not the ride). She really enjoyed the HP areas and Minions. Middle child is a dare devil - she had fun. They all enjoyed the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, Pterodanodon Flyers, and Camp Jurassic. We felt like it was worth it even though we did not do the Mummy, Kong, Hulk, Dr. Doom, JP River Adventure, Rip Rocket, or any of the water rides (which is kind of remarkable when I write it out that way). We had so much fun we went back last year for 4 days (still didn't do everything we wanted to do) and are going back in two weeks.

In short, it was worth it for us because we had HP fans. We did also try to find things to do for the younger one that he liked. It would look at all the entertainment options and see if there are things your kids would enjoy.

Thank you! That was exactly what I was hoping to hear! Your kids sound very similar to mine.

 

[wilbret]

We waited until our kids were 5, 7 and 9 to go. They absolutely LOVED it. Same as above.
(they are 6,8,10 now and can do even more rides...)

Plenty to do for all ages. Both parks have great playgrounds for kids, and a lot of ride/show options for all ages.
The 3 year old will have to sit out on a lot of the "rides," but there are things to do with him/her while others ride. We made it work.
Our little one begged to go back, so it must have been okay.

 

[damo]

We just got back from a trip with an 19 month old....different from your situation, but similar.

Although there were only a few rides that she could ride, Kang and Kodos, One Fish Two Fish, Caro-Suess-el and Storm Force Acceletron....what she did LOVE were the playgrounds where she could run around after being in her stroller. Remember these when your 3 year old needs something to do while the older ones ride. The Barney one is great (only opens at 11 though). There is another one at Curious George which has several parts. There is the If I saved the Zoo, the Jurassic Park one, and the Me Ship the Olive.

We found that at WDW, especially Hollywood Studios, there were so few places for toddlers to just get out and play.

 

[tony67]

There are several threads on this topic - but my kid always enjoyed Universal more.
The Curious George was a lot of fun and as other mentioned there are plenty of other areas for young children - Disney is always just too packed IMO

 

[gotomu212]

We just got back from a Disney trip after years at Universal and have a toddler. Man I missed all those playgrounds at Universal! I think UO is actually friendlier than Disney since there are so many play areas that the kids can visit (these aren’t just small playgrounds, but themed, interactive areas). When my son was 3 he could spend an hour in each one easily. The idea of paying theme park prices for a playground sounded crazy, but then I saw them and they are attractions on their own.

With mixed ages you’ll be able to let the 3 year old run around in one area while a different parent takes the other kids on a few rides and no one feels “left out”.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

We are debating a trip to Universal for spring break, March 2019. Our kids will be 3, 6, and 9. The older two love Harry Potter which is what started the discussion. They are not big on thrill rides (ie rollercoasters and anything scary) and the then 3 year old probably won't be tall enough for many rides as he will only turn 3 weeks before the trip. We've done Disney and will go back, just wanted to try something different this trip. The 2 park-2 days plus 2 days promotion seems to be a good deal right now but 4 days in the parks seem like a lot. Would you take 3 younger children who are not thrill seekers for a trip to Universal?

personally, I wouldn't go with kids that young.

 

[wilbret]

personally, I wouldn't go with kids that young.

Why not? That's a great age to go for a lot of people. Remember, it's not just about "their" memories, but the parents' as well. There is a ton to do for kids.
This website will be biased, of course...lol...

 

[anierodzik]

On our first Universal trip our kids were 9,7 and 6. We had vacationed at Disney three times before that, and really loved it. We have not been back to Disney since that first trip. Our kids love everything about Universal, and I love the ease of planning. We are leaving in 7 days for another trip- and our kids are 17,16, and 14. It just keeps getting better and better. Our kids were not dare devils in the beginning, but they are now.

So, to answer your question- would I take 3,6, and 9 year olds to the park for 4 days? Absolutely. I would stay on site, take our time, and enjoy being around my kids in a less stressful environment than Disney.

 

[wookiebeck]

We started the kids on WDW and Uni at the age of 5. There is plenty to do with the younger kids. Nowadays, we mostly pass them by, but their memories of them still remain. And we have video of the kids dancing with Barney (the purple dinosaur) that we show to their college friends sometimes.