USF/IOA for those NOT onsite

[brothergruff]

We'll be visiting 5/28 - 6/3 and plan on taking in both Universal parks. My question is this: Will we be able to do anything or just watch onsite guests get on all the rides? I understand that this is an important perk for the onsite guests. If it were possible I would stay onsite this trip (Housesitting relative's home).

So, will it be worth it or should I make plans for another park? Thanks.

 

[MsDisney]

Well, I live down here and so have never stayed onsite, and I always feel it is worth it!!!

The key is, get there before the park opens...be there for when the gates open. For IOA, go directly to Spiderman then Hulk (or vice versa)...then head over to the Dragons...it takes longer for the crowds to build up over there. Use EXPRESS access to the attractions that have a long stand-by line. Don't waste express access on things that don't...you can only have one at a time. Get one for the attraction with the longer wait and then go standby for the shorter wait. That park isn't THAT big, so moving around it isn't difficult!
Of course, I don't know if you have kids along, that can alter things a bit!
At Universal, many of the attractions hold large groups of people...I would head directly to the back of the park and do MIB a couple of times...the wait for that can be very high later in the day! Then you can do Back to the Future and Jaws when they open (sometimes they open at 10, but that's a busy time, so I don't know) then work your way back to the front.
Don't worry...you'll have lots of fun!!!
Karen

 

[Cindy B]

Well we went and we didnt stay onsite either.
We got there when it opened.
On our USF day, we went directly to MIB, did it twice, then Back to the Future, then ET, and went from there. We used express passes maybe once/twice that day.

The second day was an early entry day for IOA. We got there at 830 or so fully expecting to wait... but they said you have a valid ticket, come on in!

We did Spiderman,DD and had to wait for Hulk. (it wasn't open earlier since they were filming a special on Worlds Best Coasters but it did open regular time)

 

[robvia]

The above advice is dead on.
I drive up and stay in the cheap hotels.
Now, the most important thing is to be at the gate before the park opens at 9am. That means arriving to the parking garage at 8am, so you can walk to the park (15 minutes), get tickets if needed, and be first at the gate (a long line forms). They usually let you in 15 minutes early, where you'll have to stop at the bridge leading to Hulk, but now you're first here. At 9am, you can get 2 walkon rides on Hulk, a walkon ride on Spiderman, a walkon ride on Dr. Doom, then go to the back of the park for walkon rides on Deuling Dragons. Yes, it's rush rush, but that's the way I like it. In the 1st hour, I've hit the major rides at IOA, and this works on any day.
If going to Universal, then you hit MIB first. Here they have a single rider line, which is the best kept secret around. Each row is 3 seats, so they always need single riders. You usually end up behind your partner.
In the afternoon, you take a long lunch, and see some shows.
As the park is about to close, everyone is leaving and you can get some last minute rides.