OI questions

[Prettypinkpoppies]

Hello! This is our first time doing a OI meetup. We have only been to Universal Studios one other time, four years ago. This is a surprise trip for our girls (both 13). I am so excited to gift them this experience. I just graduated from grad school and the last 2.5 years have been challenging with a general lack of time to do fun stuff as a family. I bought the two night tickets to take full advantage of our time there.

We are attending my niece’s graduation in Tennessee next week. The girls think we are driving back to Texas after a few days. They know I am flying in my husband and we will pick him up along the way to help drive “home.” Not sure how long it will take them to realize we aren’t heading to Texas. We are staying 3 of the four nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My husband is treating me to my favorite hotel and a day at Epcot for the start of the trip as my graduation gift. The last night we are staying at Cabana Bay. I didn’t want to do a hotel change, but we could only get three nights at AKL as we are renting points.

So questions…
1) We are also bringing our one year old son. It is not ideal, but he is an easy-going baby and will sleep in his stroller. With the lack of lines, can we do a “rider swap” that is similar to Disney’s rider swap program?

2) Does Hard Rock Cafe accept the $15 food cards?

3) Is there a good strategy for the 5-8 pm timeframe? Are certain rides better to do then because they typically have lower wait times than the more popular rides?

4) Since we are moving over to CB on the last night of our trip, can we check-in early and just use the pool? I know our room may not be ready until closer to the event check-in time.

5) I was thinking of making little surprise bags for the girls when they finally figure it out. Maybe a poncho, a printout of the OI food/rides brochure, a Harry Potter tshirt, and maybe a Harry Potter themed candy item. Anything other recommendations for something fun or useful for the OI event to add?

Super excited about our trip!

 

[cschaaf]

Sounds like a fun surprise!

Nothing wrong with Cabana Bay at all, but moving from AKL to CB might be a bit of culture shock

1 Yes. Universal has rider swap. At Universal, everyone waits in the line. When you get near the load platform, there is a path to go to the swap area. It differs by ride, just ask a Team Member.

3 we haven’t been to an OI event yet, so others may have better advice, but I’d consider using the pre-event time for shows. Bourne and Horror Makeup or any of the Harry Potter shows. Other than that, I might avoid Minion Mayhem, Velocicoaster, and any of the Potter rides until close to when the event starts - the parks should start thinning out around closing time.

The second day, you can probably use that pre-event time to do some of your favorites from the night before.

4 we’ve checked in as early as 7am, maybe earlier. I think 6 is the earliest. When you check in, you’ll get your room keys and can store your bags at the baggage services desk. From there, you can head to the parks, the pools, whatever you want. We aren’t pool people, so I can’t say if there is a place to change or not. I’m sure someone else will jump in.

 

[ClapYourHands]

One bit of advice. WDW is much better for rider swap with a small child because UO makes everyone wait in the line, but you can’t bring a stroller through with you. So if your game plan is to take your sleeping toddler, this might pose a problem.

Fortunately, as you are going to be at the meet up, the lines are really short (except Hagrid’s - there will be a wait for Hagrid’s), so you can just have one person wait with the baby, while everyone else does the ride and then switch off. The lines are so short you don’t need rider swap.

For the time before the meet up, consider bringing a carrier like a Tula or Kinderpack so you can carry the toddler through queues with you. Could also work at Hagrid’s because there usually is a wait at the meet ups.

Do a little bit of research regarding what is available during the meet up vs the regular day. If there are things you’d like to see/do the won’t be available during the meet up (shows, character meets) do those before it starts. Some of the shows have their last performance quite early, like 5 or 6 pm, so make sure you check the schedule the day you’re going.

In addition the being able to check in to Cabana Bay really early (I’ve checked in at 6, and then they just texted me when my room was ready), once you are checked in and have your key card, you are able to pool hop. The CB pools are great, so no need to go elsewhere, but if you’d like to try another resort’s pool, you just show that hotel’s front desk your CB keycard, and they’ll print you one that gets you into the pool at that resort.

 

[RocketCityMama]

Hello! This is our first time doing a OI meetup. We have only been to Universal Studios one other time, four years ago. This is a surprise trip for our girls (both 13). I am so excited to gift them this experience. I just graduated from grad school and the last 2.5 years have been challenging with a general lack of time to do fun stuff as a family. I bought the two night tickets to take full advantage of our time there.

We are attending my niece’s graduation in Tennessee next week. The girls think we are driving back to Texas after a few days. They know I am flying in my husband and we will pick him up along the way to help drive “home.” Not sure how long it will take them to realize we aren’t heading to Texas. We are staying 3 of the four nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My husband is treating me to my favorite hotel and a day at Epcot for the start of the trip as my graduation gift. The last night we are staying at Cabana Bay. I didn’t want to do a hotel change, but we could only get three nights at AKL as we are renting points.

So questions…
1) We are also bringing our one year old son. It is not ideal, but he is an easy-going baby and will sleep in his stroller. With the lack of lines, can we do a “rider swap” that is similar to Disney’s rider swap program?

2) Does Hard Rock Cafe accept the $15 food cards?

3) Is there a good strategy for the 5-8 pm timeframe? Are certain rides better to do then because they typically have lower wait times than the more popular rides?

4) Since we are moving over to CB on the last night of our trip, can we check-in early and just use the pool? I know our room may not be ready until closer to the event check-in time.

5) I was thinking of making little surprise bags for the girls when they finally figure it out. Maybe a poncho, a printout of the OI food/rides brochure, a Harry Potter tshirt, and maybe a Harry Potter themed candy item. Anything other recommendations for something fun or useful for the OI event to add?

Super excited about our trip!

Welcome to the OI Meetup experience! I am a huge fan lol, this coming June is our 4th one. We have a thread dedicated to it, if you want to join us in it @cschaaf gave you some good answers! I agree with them.

The good thing about rider swap is that once the meetup starts, you don't really need it. The lines are fairly non existent and you will be able to walk through ride, and then switch out pretty easily. The only ones that would be longer are Hagrids and VC, but even VC I think moves much faster than Hagrids.

I think all the main restaurants take the $15 cards, we did not have trouble using them anywhere the prior times.

From 5-8, we focus on shows/entertainment that is closed during the meetup, like Borne, Horror Makeup, water rides if you're into them (JP River Ad will be open during meetup), etc, and just jump in any lines that are short.

Pretty sure you can use the pools once you check in. We have checked in early and just went to the parks, but try not to on meetup nights. If we do it's just a few hours and then back to rest until time for the meetup.

I love your gift bag idea, and I think your choices are perfect! If you do HP snack, choc frogs, bertie botts beans are great ideas and usually easy to find locally at least for us in Al.

 

[georgina]

Hello! This is our first time doing a OI meetup. We have only been to Universal Studios one other time, four years ago. This is a surprise trip for our girls (both 13). I am so excited to gift them this experience. I just graduated from grad school and the last 2.5 years have been challenging with a general lack of time to do fun stuff as a family. I bought the two night tickets to take full advantage of our time there.

We are attending my niece’s graduation in Tennessee next week. The girls think we are driving back to Texas after a few days. They know I am flying in my husband and we will pick him up along the way to help drive “home.” Not sure how long it will take them to realize we aren’t heading to Texas. We are staying 3 of the four nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My husband is treating me to my favorite hotel and a day at Epcot for the start of the trip as my graduation gift. The last night we are staying at Cabana Bay. I didn’t want to do a hotel change, but we could only get three nights at AKL as we are renting points.

So questions…
1) We are also bringing our one year old son. It is not ideal, but he is an easy-going baby and will sleep in his stroller. With the lack of lines, can we do a “rider swap” that is similar to Disney’s rider swap program?

2) Does Hard Rock Cafe accept the $15 food cards?

3) Is there a good strategy for the 5-8 pm timeframe? Are certain rides better to do then because they typically have lower wait times than the more popular rides?

4) Since we are moving over to CB on the last night of our trip, can we check-in early and just use the pool? I know our room may not be ready until closer to the event check-in time.

5) I was thinking of making little surprise bags for the girls when they finally figure it out. Maybe a poncho, a printout of the OI food/rides brochure, a Harry Potter tshirt, and maybe a Harry Potter themed candy item. Anything other recommendations for something fun or useful for the OI event to add?

Super excited about our trip!

4) There are free lockers/showers/changing rooms on the 2nd floor accessible through the restrooms by the fitness area if you want to change for the pool. Leave luggage with bell services, but I have been surprised by my room being ready early at CB.

 

[Lilias]

To add to everyone else's great responses, you may need to physically check in at CB's front desk a few times. We did a hotel swap last December and hung out at the pool, but man it was HOOURS. We showed up at like 11:30-noon and they said we'd get a text when our room was ready, and I knew that real check-in wasn't until 4:00, but by 5:00 I had had enough and went to the front desk to ask at least for an update.

We didn't get checked in properly, so we were never going to get a text. We had been waiting for hours for no reason! We got a room immediately after that.

 

[maverik85]

Hello! This is our first time doing a OI meetup. We have only been to Universal Studios one other time, four years ago. This is a surprise trip for our girls (both 13). I am so excited to gift them this experience. I just graduated from grad school and the last 2.5 years have been challenging with a general lack of time to do fun stuff as a family. I bought the two night tickets to take full advantage of our time there.

We are attending my niece’s graduation in Tennessee next week. The girls think we are driving back to Texas after a few days. They know I am flying in my husband and we will pick him up along the way to help drive “home.” Not sure how long it will take them to realize we aren’t heading to Texas. We are staying 3 of the four nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge. My husband is treating me to my favorite hotel and a day at Epcot for the start of the trip as my graduation gift. The last night we are staying at Cabana Bay. I didn’t want to do a hotel change, but we could only get three nights at AKL as we are renting points.

So questions…
1) We are also bringing our one year old son. It is not ideal, but he is an easy-going baby and will sleep in his stroller. With the lack of lines, can we do a “rider swap” that is similar to Disney’s rider swap program?

2) Does Hard Rock Cafe accept the $15 food cards?

3) Is there a good strategy for the 5-8 pm timeframe? Are certain rides better to do then because they typically have lower wait times than the more popular rides?

4) Since we are moving over to CB on the last night of our trip, can we check-in early and just use the pool? I know our room may not be ready until closer to the event check-in time.

5) I was thinking of making little surprise bags for the girls when they finally figure it out. Maybe a poncho, a printout of the OI food/rides brochure, a Harry Potter tshirt, and maybe a Harry Potter themed candy item. Anything other recommendations for something fun or useful for the OI event to add?

Super excited about our trip!

2) Hard Rock has accepted them in the past so they should this time too.

3) I'd look at what is not available during the meet-up itself. Some of the shows (Bourne Stuntacular, Horror Make-Up, etc.) aren't available during the meet-up. Sometimes the water rides aren't either. I've only done winter meet-ups so not sure how those are during the summer ones. Outside of that I'd just try to prioritize things that do not have big waits before. We also used the time to get in line early for Hagrid's so we could hop on right at the start of meet-up and not have to worry about using meet-up time waiting in a line.

4) I'd definitely stop by and check the hotel. We have always stayed at Cabana Bay and have been able to check in early each time. If something is available they will get you in. If they can't accomodate you at the time you arrive, you can at least check your luggage so you don't have to lug it around, and you should still be able to access the pools until your room is ready too.

5) Fun stuff from a dollar store that could be worn for the meetup or trip in general like sunglasses, glow bracelets, etc.
For themed stuff, would say anything that could relate to IPs there they like. Banana food (maybe taffy) for Minions, sticky hand could be kind of like Spider-Man's web, Thing 1 & 2 stuff (shirts, pens, etc).