Newbie - 2 Park Tickets, and Understanding, from a Disney POV

[Gregory Paolini]

Hey there!

This is a Newbie Question, and I’m sure it has been fielded before, however searches are generating more info than I can process - So hoping y’all can help

My wife and I are DVC members, but We’ve never been to Universal Orlando - We plan to change that, either this October, or February, as we stay at a DVC resort, and commute to Universal .

We’re not interested in the Waterparks (too old and out of shape for that scene, hahaha), but are interested in the other two parks

Here’s our questions/concerns, if y’all would be willing to help:

We’ll have a vehicle, but Is there any type of transportation from WDW resorts to Unioversal?

We have no clue On how many days to spend at the parks - What’s a good guideline for time needed to see everything, while still being able to enjoy/relax while we accomplish this?

Do the 2 park tickets include a “Hopper” option? Or does this need to be added, like at WDW?

I’ve heard that one can buy an unlimited “fast pass” for Universal- Is this true? I don’t see that option on the Dreams Unlimited Site

And if there’s any other info you feel would be beneficial to a newbie, please don’t hesitate to let me know

Thanks!!

 

[BrerMama]

Uber/Lyft for transportation. Mears may have a shuttle. If you have your own car, that would likely be easier and cheaper, even if you pay for parking.

There is a park-to-park option, which is the equivalent of a hopper at WDW. It's not an add on, but a specific type of ticket. They have 2 park tickets for multiple days and they have 2 park, park-to-park tickets for one day and multidays.

Express Pass allows you to skip the line at an attraction. It cannot be used at Hagrid's at this time. You may not be able to buy it through DU because it is tied to the day you will be there and there is a limited amount (I think). The price is definitely based on how busy they expect it to be. You can buy it the day you're there if you get in the parks and think you need it. (Guests at the deluxe Universal resorts also get this for free as a perk to staying in the top tier of hotels).

 

[CAPSLOCK]

If you plan to drive yourselves for several days, price out if it is worthwhile to upgrade one ticket to an AP that includes parking. You would also get additional discounts with that AP. And they are offering an extra 3 months on APs bought before the end of Sept, so you could plan to get more use out of it.

I think 3 days is a decent amount of time to enjoy the parks at your leisure, especially with express passes. But you could easily fill more days, depending on how you tour parks and how much you like to re-ride things.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Oh, and the UO App is quite useful, especially if you don't have express passes.

Browse their website for menus including prices for all the City Walk and park restaurants. Because everything is walkable, it's easy to pop out to City Walk for lunch or dinner.

 

[nkereina]

We’ll have a vehicle, but Is there any type of transportation from WDW resorts to Unioversal?

WDW and Universal are rivals, so there would not be complimentary transportation between the two. There are many private car services and taxi services in Orlando that will transport you between the two. Some do a flat rate. Tony Hinds is often recommended here for that. Uber/Lyft will be the cheapest option. Also keep in mind that Universal resorts do charge for parking if you're staying on-site.

We have no clue On how many days to spend at the parks - What’s a good guideline for time needed to see everything, while still being able to enjoy/relax while we accomplish this?

We are two adults and find 3-4 days is the perfect amount of time. Generally, we can get everything we want to do done (with express pass) with one full day dedicated to each park. On the third day, we will park hop and re-ride our favorites. We find that Universal takes us longer to get through than Islands, so we spend more time in Universal. City Walk we usually only visit at night, and you don't need more than an evening to see everything there.

If you decide to go for 3-4+ days, I would highly recommend pricing out an annual pass. Often, the difference in price between an AP and a 3+ day park to park ticket is negligible. Even if you don't intend to use the AP again within the year, you'd still get the benefit of some discounts, parking, and special hotel rates as well.

Do the 2 park tickets include a “Hopper” option? Or does this need to be added, like at WDW?

As PP mentions, you need to make sure you are buying a park-to-park tickets because its not an add-on.

I’ve heard that one can buy an unlimited “fast pass” for Universal- Is this true? I don’t see that option on the Dreams Unlimited Site

The FP at Universal is called Express Pass and there are two kinds you can purchase. The more expensive one is unlimited, which allows you to ride all EP rides through the EP queue as many times as you want. The less expensive one allows you to ride all EP rides through the EP queue once per day. If you are purchasing either EP, its sold per day so you can buy it for only one day or for as many days as you want. You would purchase EP direct through Universal, I don't think Dreams can sell you that.

Where are you staying? I would recommend pricing out the three Universal premier resorts. Portofino Bay, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific all include the unlimited express pass with your stay. This gives each person in your group the unlimited EP for all days of your stay, including all day on check in and all day on check out days. Its a really great perk and its often cheaper than purchasing the unlimited EP separately on your own. Because of the way the pricing works out with that, people will sometimes book a "throwaway" room at one of these resorts if they have other lodging, just for the fact that its cheaper to do that than to purchase the EPs. It also gives them the option to crash in that room for the night if they want, or use it for a mid-day break, or whatever. The three Universal premier resorts are beautiful, on par with Disney deluxe resorts, and are all walking distance or free water taxi rides away from the parks, so they are very convenient.

 

[Gregory Paolini]

Wanted to thank y’all for such great responses and info!
Been diving into all the things folks are suggesting.
we”re definitely looking at those UOAP’s now. We live about 9 hours from Orlando, and actually have 2 trips to WDW planned over the next 8 months. The annual pass will pay for itself in our first trip alone!

thanks again!