Universal First-Time Family PTR - Sep 2017

WonderKid

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 31, 2016
Hello to the Universal DISboards family! I've been reading many, many posts over the past several months as I plan my family's September outing to Universal Orlando. Having been indoctrinated in Disney-style planning, it has been of great relief to learn that Universal does not require nearly the same planning intensity. However, this has not satiated my planning appetite nor assuaged my discomfort at not being thoroughly prepared for all contingencies.

My family is excited to embark upon our first trip to Universal Orlando. Our crew of four consists of me, DW, DD14, and DD12. Our lodging will be at Royal Pacific Resort. Trip dates are Thursday, September 21 through Monday, September 25. We are planning to have 5-day 3-park park-to-park tickets. I have settled upon a relatively firm plan, but welcome any feedback.

Thursday
We'll arrive at MCO around 8:30a.m. Tony Hinds will be our transportation with a stop for groceries, then to Royal Pacific Resort. I am hoping we can make it to Universal Studios by 10:30 a.m. What do you think? Today's touring plan is all Wizarding World of Harry Potter starting in USF, then to IOA, then USF, then IOA attempting to follow the story as if in Harry's shoes and accomplish Hogwarts Express in both directions before USF closes for HHN. My DD12 and I are nuts for HP. We've read all the books (including the extras like quidditch, beedle, Cursed Child, beast, etc.), and have seen all the movies multiple times. My DD14 and DW are fans of the early movies (years 1-4). Planning to do an early lunch at Leaky Cauldron and dinner at Three Broomsticks with some butterbeer from Hogs Head and ice cream from Florean Fortescue's mixed in. Today will be our most grueling given an extra early start and air travel stress. I am reluctantly prepared to shuffle around the touring plan in case the crew starts to peter out. We should have plenty of time over the following four days to enjoy anything we miss today.

Friday
Today will be Volcano Bay from early park admission until close. I am hoping a strategy of a "late" 9 a.m. EPA start will let us rest up from the previous day's possibly exhausting itinerary. Based on VB reviews, I am contemplating breaking it into two days using early park admission until about noon each day or until the park gets too crowded. However, I really like the idea of premium seating or a cabana, but won't pay those premiums for anything less than a full day. Fingers are crossed that VB will be running more efficiently and effectively by now. We are a big pool-loving family, so enjoying the wave pool, lazy, and "not so lazy" rivers are usually sufficient to pass time while waiting for a ride. A few years back, we visited Aquatica and fell in love with Roa's Rapids. I am hoping TeAwa the Fearless River can rival Roa's Rapids. We'll do lunch at VB. Dinner will be Cowfish.

Saturday
Today will be our IOA non-WWoHP day. We plan to start the day with headliners, lunch (shakes) at Toothsome, afternoon lounging at the RPR pool, then return to IOA in late afternoon for the remaining non-WWoHP rides finishing with the water rides. Dinner TBD @ City Walk. If USF has EPA, which I am expecting, we might hit Diagon Alley before IOA.

Sunday
Today will be our USF non-WWoHP day. We plan to start halfway through early park admission, hit Minions, then all the non-WWoHP rides and shows finishing up in early afternoon. Afternoon will be for repeat rides or pool hopping. I would like to make it to HRH and PBH pools at some point. Lunch will be at Fast Food Boulevard. We might try to hit Hogsmeade during the last hour at IOA before dinner at Toothsome.

Monday
Today is departure day, but our flight is not until 9:00 p.m. We are planning to check luggage with bell services, then start at USF, mid-day at IOA, then finish at USF. By today, we should have ridden all attractions and seen all shows that we wanted, so the plan will be to take it all in at a leisurely pace riding whatever attractions, seeing whatever shows, and exploring whatever looks worthy. I suspect we'll be spending significant time in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade trying to soak up as much Harry Potter as we can before departing. Breakfast will be at Leaky Cauldron and lunch at Three Broomsticks.
 
Your plan sounds good. We will be there at the exact same time. Our flight times are slightly different, but overall we have the same sort of plan. We were thinking of doing Volcano Bay the first day, so we could relax after a red-eye flight. Not sure we will be able to sleep on the flight, so we don't want a full day of walking. Only fear is falling asleep in the sun. Bringing lots of sunscreen, big brimmed hat, and hoping for a bit of shade. Our DD (25) worked in the WWHP, and will give us a grand tour of the world. The younger folk will go to HHN in the evening, and I plan to wander over to the Portofino to listen to their brief opera serenade while relaxing with a glass of wine. Maybe we will see you there.
 
Your plan sounds good. We will be there at the exact same time. Our flight times are slightly different, but overall we have the same sort of plan. We were thinking of doing Volcano Bay the first day, so we could relax after a red-eye flight. Not sure we will be able to sleep on the flight, so we don't want a full day of walking. Only fear is falling asleep in the sun. Bringing lots of sunscreen, big brimmed hat, and hoping for a bit of shade. Our DD (25) worked in the WWHP, and will give us a grand tour of the world. The younger folk will go to HHN in the evening, and I plan to wander over to the Portofino to listen to their brief opera serenade while relaxing with a glass of wine. Maybe we will see you there.

How exciting to have a personalized tour of WWoHP!

Sounds like a great plan!

Thanks. I hope my crew feels the same way once on-site.
 


sorry i'm late but i have a note from mom to excuse my tardiness.....


since you will be there when hhn is happening, the studios will close at 5:00 on specific dates.
your first day there, thursday the 21st, early park closing.

keep that in mind when you are there.
if you are in a ride line before 5, you will be able to stay in it and do the ride.

for all your dates of stay, each night will have the studios closing at 5
since you have p2p tickets, move over to IOA once studios closes.

i glanced at the park hours calendar and think the weekend at ioa will close at 8:00 pm.

if your flight arrives on time, Tony will be there for you so no time wasted on when he will show up.
he parks inside the airport and you will be steps away from his vehicle once you get your luggage.

his car will be cool as he is inside the airport, no hot seats for you!

he usually stops at the shopping center very close to the hotels.
if all runs smooth and you arrive at 8:30, get luggage within 15 minutes, you could be shopping in the store about 15 minutes later
from there to the hotel, could be 10 minute drive.

hope you will be at rpr at 9:30 if all goes smooth.

checking in on a thursday had to predict if your room will be available.
if there were empties the night prior, you could easily be assigned a room when you check in.

if not, check in, create the ep pass and check your luggage with the bell service in the lobby.
if no one is in that line, it would be a quick process.

walk or boat taxi to the park.
10 minute walk tops...

i could see you in the parks at the time you mentioned.


only thing that could throw this off is : late arrival, late luggage retrieval or traffic jam once out of the airport area

no matter how tired you are, you'll hit the parks and get a lot done.


with p2p passes, easy to hop back and forth to the other park

for EE at the studios, minions wait time will be decent if you hit it early.

check the park hour calendar to see if any changes for EE.

i looked at my dates (october 1-14) and found the studios open at 8 to the public which makes EE at 7 am

hitting potter sections first will have less crowds.
they only build once the park is open to the public.


be glad you have the ep.
weekends will be crowded.

hope your trip is fantastic!
 
Thanks, macraven, for your feedback.

A few changes under consideration...

Express pass for Gringotts and Forbidden Journey is huge for us, and I hope will make touring easier and less stressful (I hate lines). Dragon Challenge is out given it closes a couple weeks before we arrive. Oh well, we'll never know what we missed. Given the trend in reviews for Volcano Bay, we are leaning toward two morning visits instead of a one day-long visit. However, we might still stick out a full day...since my family can easily enjoy half a day in the wave pool and rivers. I was really hoping to be in VB after sunset to experience the park at night. That's going to be tough with either touring option. I've read some good reviews about Bread Box and Hot Dog Hall of Fame, and that fitting them in as lunch destinations during park visits is relatively easy, so we might sub those for a couple of meals. Based on the menus, I could spend every meal at Cowfish and Toothsome. We might try to fit in Blue Man Group, and on a very, very long shot Halloween Horror Nights.

Been monitoring hotel rates and looks like our SMSM rate remains the best choice. Bought tickets through The Official Ticket Center, and have paper in hand. Tony Hinds confirmed that we are looking at about an hour from touchdown to the hotel lobby with a stop for groceries.

At this point, I am surfing the boards more out of boredom, and to live vicariously through other's trip reports, than for research. I think I am close to researched-out.
 
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