:rolleyes: I have never been to IOA or US. My family and I (hubby, son 14, daughter 10) r going 7/8 -7/14. We r staying at the Comfort Inn across the street, or so they say it is.
Any tips for us? We have been to WDW about 7 times, so we thought this summer we would try Universal. I have heard that men in black is good. Hulk looks great. Looking for some advice.
Also, what about wet and wild?

Thanks

With the amount of time you are staying, you will be able to do everything at both parks multiple times... so don't worry about missing anything. I haven't been to W&W in years, but I think it is still pretty good - but not themed like the Disney water parks. You might also consider a trip to Sea World, which is in the area, or even Busch Gardens.

Look into the Orlando Flexticket for your park admissions. It gives you 10 (or maybe 14) consecutive days of admission to the 2 Universal parks, Sea World, W&W, and Busch Gardens... It will most likely save you money over buying individual tickets at the gate.

If you are really cheap (like me :) ) you can save yourself the parking fee and walk to Universal from your hotel. It takes about 1/2 hour, and there is only one busy street to cross (with a walk light).

thanks for the info...I actually purchased on line the buy 5days hopper for the price of 2day price for IOA and US...we are planning on trying Wet and Wild. The reason I stayed at the Comfort Suites is because it included a breakfast and it was only 89 a nite...yes I am cheap! lol...
thanks again for your help :)

My must sees in order of favorites:
Universal
Revenge of the Mummy
Men in Black
Shrek
Terminator
Horror Makeup Show
ET
Back to the Future
Jaws
Twister
Animal Planet Live show
Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone (interactive playground and water activities)
If time: Earthquake, Beetlejuice Show, and Extreme Ghostbusters show

IoA
Spiderman
Hulk
Jurassic Park River Adventure
Dueling Dragons
Ripsaw Falls
Popeye and Bluto's barges
Cat in the Hat
Poseidon's Fury show
If time: The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad, Dr Doom, Flying Unicorns, Pteranodon Flyers (but you must be accompained by a child between 36" and 56" to ride)

What about eating at the park. I know there must be some good places and bad ones. Also, I dont want to spend a fortune eating. Kid friendly places with good food.

Here are the ones my kids liked. None of these are expensive.

Island of Adventure

Enchanted Oak Tavern in Lost Continenet (across from dueling Dragons) : (This is our favorite place to eat.)
Turkey Leg, Hickory Smoked Chicken, Chicken and Rib Combo, Barbecue Spare Ribs
French fries, roasted corn, and corn muffin.
Bacon Cheeseburger
Smoked Chicken Salad
Old Fashioned Corn Chowder, Garden Salad
Homemade Apple Pie
Black Forest Cake - topped with cherry sauce
Kids Macaroni and Cheese

Burger Digs in Jurassic Park:
Cheeseburger /Hamburger, Chicken Sandwich, Chicken Tenders Platter

Universal Studios

Monsters Cafe (near Shrek) : hamburgers, pizza, salads

Louie's Italian Restaurant (near Beetlejuice show and Mummy) : Pizza, pasta, Starbucks bar, and Italian desserts.

Richter's Burger Co. (near Earthquake) : burger or grilled chicken sandwich

Captain Quint's Seafood and Chowder House Restaurant (outdoors counterservice near Jaws) : Fish, shrimp, clams, and chowder

Thanks phatom..I wrote them all down. Sounds perfect for my family. If you can think of anything else to tip me on....feel free.

If you have a AAA card you get a 10% discount on food and souviners at US & IOA. It can really save you in the long run.

I would add the eigth voyage of sindbad as a must see. it is among my fav. shows at any theme park.

when shopping make sure to check out the small close out shops they have at both parks. located near the exits you can sometimes get good buys there.

there is also a great spot for Ice Cream right across from the exit to T2.

my recomendation for US would be to be there before opening. get a map and be familiar with it. upon opening make a bee line for the mummy then strait to MIB. after that take as much advantage of the universal express (think fast pass) the rest of the day.

over at IOA I would start the day out with a trip on spiderman. then maybe hulk. as soon as the rest park opens make a bee line for dueling dragons, you will want to ride this at least twice, once for fire, and once for ice (BTW ice is better). then start working around the rest of the park. take advantage of the uni express here as well.

you should be able to do all the stuff at both parks in the time you will be there. in fact if you have a car I agree with the idea of the flex pass. you could add a day over at sea world to round out your non disney visit.