You Told Us So!

[have2getaway]

so glad you had a great trip.

Portofino is our only hotel at US - LOVE IT!!

The reasons you highlighted are why we NEVER combine US and WDW. Each location has a very different "feel" and "tone" and approach and planning.

We loved Portofino. The only con was not having a laundry facility. Don’t get me wrong, my goal is to NOT do laundry on vacation, but we are limited because we fly, so have to sometimes wash just the basics.

 

[imprint]

We have to do both Uni and WDW in the same trip, we come from Australia so not so easy to just "pop over"
The only thing I don't like about Uni is the insane amount of screen rides they have. They really need to up the game to be on par with WDW in terms of the types of rides they offer. In terms of service, theming etc they are right up there with WDW though and yes it is a lot less expensive too.

The two next rides being constructed will be (at least per strong rumors) straight up rides. The new Harry Potter ride should be a family coaster ride. It will open this year and who knows, it might have some 3d screens, but from what I've read, it will be all sets and coaster. They are also starting to construct a big coaster for Jurassic Park (Jurassic World?). I read it is scheduled for a 2020 opening.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

We went to WDW (7 nights) and USO (4 nights) last February. We did WDW first and stayed at Pop, then to Cabana Bay. It was like night and day when we walked into Cabana Bay. Soooo peaceful, no craziness! We generally liked not having to plans our days, we didn't even have an Express Pass and we road everything in both parks. I also love that you can get to SeaWorld, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, etc via Super Shuttle via City Walk through your hotel. That was really convenient if you do not have a rental car.

My parents are so hooked Cabana Bay they are going Feb 3-13 and doing 4 days at USO. They even have a 1-day WDW ticket, but are opting not to go there at all LOL

Next time we are there, the HP and JP coasters will be up and running and we'll be visiting Volcano Bay as well.

 

[soniam]

You are allowed to enjoy both. We love them both for completely different reasons. I always get a little sad when we visit one without the other. Now I am having this issue with Disneyland too It will be completely pathetic once we get to go to the foreign parks.

 

[have2getaway]

We went to WDW (7 nights) and USO (4 nights) last February. We did WDW first and stayed at Pop, then to Cabana Bay. It was like night and day when we walked into Cabana Bay. Soooo peaceful, no craziness! We generally liked not having to plans our days, we didn't even have an Express Pass and we road everything in both parks. I also love that you can get to SeaWorld, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, etc via Super Shuttle via City Walk through your hotel. That was really convenient if you do not have a rental car.

My parents are so hooked Cabana Bay they are going Feb 3-13 and doing 4 days at USO. They even have a 1-day WDW ticket, but are opting not to go there at all LOL

Next time we are there, the HP and JP coasters will be up and running and we'll be visiting Volcano Bay as well.

Any idea when these new rides will be open?

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Any idea when these new rides will be open?

Harry Potter they are saying Summer 2019, but I've also heard could be as early as May/June.

Jurassic Park coaster is 2020 or 2021, but nothing really confirmed that yet. They are just starting the clearing of land / construction process. Work walls are up everywhere.

 

[wendlle]

We went to WDW (7 nights) and USO (4 nights) last February. We did WDW first and stayed at Pop, then to Cabana Bay. It was like night and day when we walked into Cabana Bay. Soooo peaceful, no craziness! .

You're problem was that you stayed at Pop Century which has become the most overcrowded and crazy resort on WDW property. We used to love it, now it is a zoo. Completely crazy to the point we can no longer stay there because of it. We have now decided to rent DVC points, doesn't cost that much extra and you get the peacefulness of the Deluxe resorts.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

You're problem was that you stayed at Pop Century which has become the most overcrowded and crazy resort on WDW property. We used to love it, now it is a zoo. Completely crazy to the point we can no longer stay there because of it. We have now decided to rent DVC points, doesn't cost that much extra and you get the peacefulness of the Deluxe resorts.

I will have to research these DVC points. It is likely out of our price range. Do you still get all of the perks on staying on property (transportation, EMH, 60 day fp, etc)?

 

[wendlle]

I will have to research these DVC points. It is likely out of our price range. Do you still get all of the perks on staying on property (transportation, EMH, 60 day fp, etc)?

Yes, you are staying on property. The deluxe resorts are DVC properties, you even get a kitchenette with the studio villas which is handy.

 

[have2getaway]

We went to WDW (7 nights) and USO (4 nights) last February. We did WDW first and stayed at Pop, then to Cabana Bay. It was like night and day when we walked into Cabana Bay. Soooo peaceful, no craziness! We generally liked not having to plans our days, we didn't even have an Express Pass and we road everything in both parks. I also love that you can get to SeaWorld, Aquatica, Discovery Cove, etc via Super Shuttle via City Walk through your hotel. That was really convenient if you do not have a rental car.

My parents are so hooked Cabana Bay they are going Feb 3-13 and doing 4 days at USO. They even have a 1-day WDW ticket, but are opting not to go there at all LOL

Next time we are there, the HP and JP coasters will be up and running and we'll be visiting Volcano Bay as well.

You're problem was that you stayed at Pop Century which has become the most overcrowded and crazy resort on WDW property. We used to love it, now it is a zoo. Completely crazy to the point we can no longer stay there because of it. We have now decided to rent DVC points, doesn't cost that much extra and you get the peacefulness of the Deluxe resorts.

Well, we stayed at the Polynesian and found the same thing. The resort was very crowded as compared with our last January trip, which was over the same week, especially the pool. I mean it was January and so the one day warm enough to use the pool everyone was there. It was so refreshing when we went to Royal Pacific. The resort is much larger, newer, and being able to use any of the pools on property is a nice perk. The hot tub at Sapphire Falls is at least 3 times the size of the pool at the Polynesian. The Universal resorts seemed almost empty compared with Disney. I love Disney, and will continue going. This was the first time, though, that I really felt that I spent a lot of money on a vacation and didn’t get my money’s worth because of how busy the parks and resorts were.

At the end of our trip, which was Sunday, we were forced to tack on 3 nights because our flight was canceled due to Harper. The one silver lining was we were on the Deluxe Dining and so were able to eat Sunday because we had 2 meals and 11 snack credits remaining, but I could only get a breakfast nearby for 11:10 and a dinner for 7:15, and forget about getting a last minute fastpass. We stayed at Magic Kingdom one more day before moving back to Universal with a stay at Royal Pacific. Universal was packed MLD, but because we had upgraded our tickets to annual passes when we checked out of Portofino Bay, we got an AP hotel rate and with the Express Pass for a return stay at Royal Pacific. We were able to enjoy the parks in the morning and resort and Citywalk in the evening.

To top it off, we were able to ride Forbidden Journey back to back at the end of the day. They were actually closing the rides and park and my husband asked if the 5 of us could ride once more. I’ll admit I was embarrassed he asked, but was shocked and thrilled when the Universal staff opened up the rope and smiled and said: “Of course. Enjoy your ride”. That never would have happened at Disney!

 

[have2getaway]

I will have to research these DVC points. It is likely out of our price range. Do you still get all of the perks on staying on property (transportation, EMH, 60 day fp, etc)?

Be careful with DVC. We almost rented DVC one year at Bay Lake Tower, but were forced to cancel our reservation and were out nearly all of our deposit, which was close to $1,400. This was definitely our own fault. We knew going into it that you can’t get your deposit back if your plans change, but just realized that as nice as DVC properties are, they aren’t as flexible with cancellations and so may not be for everyone.

 

[wendlle]

Well, we stayed at the Polynesian and found the same thing. The resort was very crowded as compared with our last January trip, which was over the same week, especially the pool.

The Poly is the busiest of all the WDW Deluxe resorts, It's the one everyone wants to stay at when choosing a monorail resort and it is also the one that everyone who goes to MK for the day chooses to pop over and visit or to dine at. We never choose the Poly for this reason.
Universal will be cheaper and quieter UNTIL they have the same amount of parks as WDW, Uni has 3, WDW has 6 and Golf Courses and a much larger shopping district. To me, you can't compare the two as they are so very different, WDW has massive crowds because of the sheer amount of things to do there. Example, we spend 20 nights typically at WDW property and only 4-5 at Universal and of those 4-5 at Universal one or two days is spent at other parks (Seaworld, Busch etc) and I know many other people who do the same thing.
I LOVE Universal and always incorporate it into a trip and it is so nice to have that other side of a vacation, but to flat out compare the two against each other is impossible because of the differences.

Be careful with DVC. We almost rented DVC one year at Bay Lake Tower, but were forced to cancel our reservation and were out nearly all of our deposit, which was close to $1,400. This was definitely our own fault. We knew going into it that you can’t get your deposit back if your plans change, but just realized that as nice as DVC properties are, they aren’t as flexible with cancellations and so may not be for everyone.

This is why we choose the company we go with they have a protection plan that is very inexpensive OR just get travel insurance - either way you're covered if you need to cancel or change dates etc. The thousands of dollars in savings are 100% worth it for us over the "maybe" risk of having to cancel.

 

[Travelgrrl]

Universal will be cheaper and quieter UNTIL they have the same amount of parks as WDW, Uni has 3, WDW has 6 and Golf Courses and a much larger shopping district. To me, you can't compare the two as they are so very different,

While I understand what you're getting at, WDW has more parks, but also more hotels. Universal roughly has the same number of parks to hotels as Disney, I think (half of each)?

 

[yeheyprincex2]

All your reasons you listed to why you liked US so much is the same reason why we do
My DH and I went on a adult only trip to US in June 2017 and after years of family trips to WDW we really enjoyed the relaxing feeling of US/IOA. We are Happy Potter fans so we took it all in. Before this trip our last visit to US was 2011, my oldest son was one and my youngest was not born yet. We plan on either a March or June trip this year and I know my boys are going to love the parks, they have been asking to go couple of years. My 8 yr old will get on any ride he's tall enough for.
One thing I did tell my DH was I do want to stay on site cause at the end of a full park day that walk back to the parking garage is a pain
I tell my HD he's a theme park junkie and now he's passing that on to our two boys.
Happy theme park touring no matter where

 

[EveDallas]

The Poly is the busiest of all the WDW Deluxe resorts, It's the one everyone wants to stay at when choosing a monorail resort and it is also the one that everyone who goes to MK for the day chooses to pop over and visit or to dine at. We never choose the Poly for this reason.
Universal will be cheaper and quieter UNTIL they have the same amount of parks as WDW, Uni has 3, WDW has 6 and Golf Courses and a much larger shopping district. To me, you can't compare the two as they are so very different, WDW has massive crowds because of the sheer amount of things to do there. Example, we spend 20 nights typically at WDW property and only 4-5 at Universal and of those 4-5 at Universal one or two days is spent at other parks (Seaworld, Busch etc) and I know many other people who do the same thing.
I LOVE Universal and always incorporate it into a trip and it is so nice to have that other side of a vacation, but to flat out compare the two against each other is impossible because of the differences.



This is why we choose the company we go with they have a protection plan that is very inexpensive OR just get travel insurance - either way you're covered if you need to cancel or change dates etc. The thousands of dollars in savings are 100% worth it for us over the "maybe" risk of having to cancel.

I have to disagree with the bolded. I compare vacation spots based on what is of interest to me. I don't care about golf courses, shopping, or most of the rides at WDW. I prefer action rides like the ones found at Universal. Plus Universal is much more relaxing. No making FP+ or ADRs months in advance. We get up, decide what we want to do, and go do it. So, yes, WDW may win in sheer size, but size isn't everything.

 

[skylock]

I just got home from the pow wow on our upcoming disney wedding trip. I had assumed we would be doing some disney days. Turns out, no one wants to do disney.

So it will be universal and at my mom's request sea world again. Fine by me. I am not sure what my mom loves most about SW. The animals or the all day dining deal. She is 88 yrs old, so if she wants to eat, we let her eat.

I already had my disney throw away room booked. I am going to give them a few days to make sure there is no change of heart, I mean we are talking disney here aferall, then I will cancel that room and book one at universal.

I don't expect any change of heart, it is like one of them said, EP wins out over FP every time.

 

[have2getaway]

The Poly is the busiest of all the WDW Deluxe resorts, It's the one everyone wants to stay at when choosing a monorail resort and it is also the one that everyone who goes to MK for the day chooses to pop over and visit or to dine at. We never choose the Poly for this reason.
Universal will be cheaper and quieter UNTIL they have the same amount of parks as WDW, Uni has 3, WDW has 6 and Golf Courses and a much larger shopping district. To me, you can't compare the two as they are so very different, WDW has massive crowds because of the sheer amount of things to do there. Example, we spend 20 nights typically at WDW property and only 4-5 at Universal and of those 4-5 at Universal one or two days is spent at other parks (Seaworld, Busch etc) and I know many other people who do the same thing.
I LOVE Universal and always incorporate it into a trip and it is so nice to have that other side of a vacation, but to flat out compare the two against each other is impossible because of the differences.

I must say that I do agree that Poly is a popular deluxe resort. We loved the resort, but just came away feeling like we overpaid when we compare it to a deluxe resort at Universal that was half as much. We do still plan to visit both parks on our next trip, but will most likely stay more at a Universal resort next time.



This is why we choose the company we go with they have a protection plan that is very inexpensive OR just get travel insurance - either way you're covered if you need to cancel or change dates etc. The thousands of dollars in savings are 100% worth it for us over the "maybe" risk of having to cancel.

Just curious, what company do you use? Also, I looked into travel insurance but struggled to find a company that dealt with travelers from NY.

 

[wendlle]

Just curious, what company do you use? Also, I looked into travel insurance but struggled to find a company that dealt with travelers from NY.

I'm from Australia so we have no trouble getting Travel Insurance here. No one leaves Australia without it.

 

[jsmla]

You are allowed to enjoy both. We love them both for completely different reasons. I always get a little sad when we visit one without the other. Now I am having this issue with Disneyland too It will be completely pathetic once we get to go to the foreign parks.

I so agree! WDW and Universal are very different but I absolutely enjoy both! I’m on my first day of a three day visit to Universal following a seven night stay at Disney. I enjoyed my Disney visit very, very much and am already having a great time at Universal

I’ve only really properly done Disneyland once but DDIL is from California and our only grandbaby just tuned one. I’m looking forward to visiting California in the next few years!

It’s all wonderful and isn’t that just amazing!

 

[PollyannaMom]

We're another family who loves both! We tend to alternate years, and the while trips definitely have a different feel to them, we're happy either way.