Hey

My family is going to Florida for 10 days in April .Since we are there awhile we thought we could do Universal.I live in Canada and can get the 3day/2park pass at par right now.My kids are 8 and 5.Is it worth going to?Is there enough for the kids there?Also which days are good to go and which days are not.We are going to be there the last two weeks in April so that is about
2 weeks after Easter since Easter is quite early this year.thanks.Any more info that you could provide would be great.

kim

Go to Universal. The Universal Studios Florida section is very movie themed, and the kids will like most of the attractions. Islands of Adventure is geared more to ages 12 and up, but there is a cute Dr. Seuss Land and a few rides for the kids. More of the roller coaster and thrill rides at IOA, like Jurassic Park. Don't miss SpiderMan, even if the wait is long.

You can easily walk between the two parks, not like Disney. There are several restaurants and stores at CityWalk between the parks, as well as a large Hard Rock Cafe and store.

I saw Seussland on the Travel Channel.

It is awesome. If your kids love Dr. Seuss as much as most kids, and if you still love the storiess and characters, you will love it.

I never wanted to go to USF as I live close to USH. Until I saw that place.

Something about a carousel...................

Have fun!

Ah, this might be silly. But, you have youngsters, so, you might like it.

I take a lot of photos. I was thinking, if you set aside a disposable camera to take only photos at that Seuss-land, or just at that Universal Studios.

You could make a little book out of it. Trying to rhyme like Seuss did.

Corny, maybe, but I think it might be a nice thing for the kids to do with you.

I live right next to Universal Studios Florida. I think there is definately enough to do for two days, but I'm sure if you would find enough for three days. Both of the parks do have some good attractions. I agree with what Pixiedust said.

Mousewife, great idea! I'll pass this one on to my clients travelling with kids! I'm a travel agent specializing in family vacations.
Thanks, again!

Aw, glad you like it pixiedust!

I do that sort of stuff. Another thing I am going to do:

My daughter and I are going to the Super Soap Weekend. It is a big thing for us. I found this big frame {although not a box frame :( } and I am going to put things from our 'weekend' in it and make sort of a 'montage'. Pictures that we take, that are given, programs or autographs, what ever. It is a big frame, 16 X 20, at least. I think it will be a fun project for the two of us to compile together.

I wish I were a traval agent. Cool job?

Universal and IOA are WELL worth going to. we went there for the first time a little over a year ago without the kids. then we went back again last Oct. with them (girls 7 & 9) and they had the time of their lives. there is more to do then just Suess Landing. although the smaller children can't do everything, every Island has something for kids. Spiderman is The must ride attraction for all ages over there. we had plenty to do in three days, while we did do a few things more then once, we never were bored for a minute.

Efoxx

I don't fault anyone for their opinions, but I have a different one. Universal is NOT worth going to, unless you have tons of time to kill. Both the Sudios and Islands of Adventure are half-day parks at best. I think there's about two weeks of stuff at Disney that's better than spending any time at Universal, plus Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, etc.

There is no way in hell I can see anyone spending THREE days at Universal without getting completely bored--one (or two at the most) is plenty.

You are right that everyone can have their own opinion.

True. And I have to say that I personally think that USHollywood is a half day park as well.

I don't enjoy it quite so much and I don't particularly like to watch the shows.

On the other hand-
My husband and sons love the park. The can watch the shows and ride the rides and walk all over and be thrilled.

If there were a special event happening, I would probably enjoy it more.

But, that is how everyone is different. People down here love Sea World. I don't care for it. Or the Wild Animal Park.

Little kids love the stuff that they have geared to them, if they like those things.

Iceman, Iceman ............

IOA and USH are both good for one day each (with a return on the second day's night to IOA for rides on Hulk and DD in the dark!)

IOA has:

Spiderman
Jurassic Park
Popeye Raft Ride
Dueling Dragons (daylight)
Cat in the Hat
Poseiden show
Ripsaw Falls
Dr. Doom
Spiderman again
Hulk
Spiderman one last time
Dragons (nightime)
Hulk (nightime)

USH has:

Back to the Future
Jaws
Kong (I think it's still running)
Earthquake
Men in Black
T2:3D
Nickelodeon Slime Time (if you want to stand in line for hours)
Twister
ET

Either one of these parks is better than AK or an extra day at Epcot or Disney Studios (which I would assume you're suggesting in two weeks at WDW)

I know you don't like the Universal parks but you have to admit that they do have at least a day's worth of attractions in each .....

More .02 from me.

I think the kids enjoy Universal because it brings them closer to the magic that is movies.

I think why I personally don't care anymore is because I have seen it all and I watch all of the shows on how they make the movies, blah blah blah.

If there is something that I am personally interested in then it is exciting. But the kids love it all because they are learning 'secrets'.

And, it also helps to teach them not to be afraid of the movies as they see how it is done.

Like, I was thrilled when we went and they were filming 'The Grinch'. I saw some sets and Wahoo! I saw their cars!!!
Okay, I had never seen them before. :o

But that is why the kids love it.

Originally posted by coronamouseman
Iceman, Iceman ............

I know you don't like the Universal parks but you have to admit that they do have at least a day's worth of attractions in each .....

No, you can't make me! :D

Actually, just counting up the attractions you listed (assuming I wanted to do them all), there are nine in each park. Let's allow 30 minutes for each (probably a good average factoring in line time and ride time), and you've got 4 1/2 hours at each park. That's not what I consider a full day each. Since the dining and shopping at Universal don't interest me, it's not like I can kill time that way...

Well, lets apply the same logic to D's AK and DS parks:

AK:

KS ride - 30 min
KRR ride - 20 min
Bats and Bengals trail - 15 min
ITTBABG show - 30 min
Dino ride - 30 min

Less than 2 hour's time - worse than DCA in California unless I spend two hours at Conservation Station (which I did once and probably won't be back)

DS

ToT - 30 min
RnR - 30 min
GMR - 20 min
Tram tour - 30 min
Indy - 45 min
Muppets - 30 min
Star Tours - 20 min
Animation show - 30 min

Just over 4 hour's - jeez, I'll spend more time in airport security than I will at these parks ...........

You're right - to each his own rewards and just desserts!

You crack me up! (And I do mean that in a good way. I'm glad that we can have different opinions but still be civil to one another.) And since I flew through Orlando last week, I can certainly agree with you about airport security... ;)

At the Animal Kingdom, I also like the Lion King show and the Flights of Wonder show, so there's another hour. There are some really cool shops spead around the park, and I can eat at any of several restaurants. And just like you like to repeat IOA rides, I can do Countdown to Extinction over and over...

At the Studios, you're forgetting Sounds Dangerous and the sound exhibits outside that, plus the series of excellent restaurants and shops. For people with kids, the Little Mermaid show and Honey I Shrunk the Kids tour will add more time. And I think I could ride ToT and RnRC over and over forever.

I'll give you one thing--while I've been pretty much turned off by the whole Universal experience, at least you acknowledge that Disney has some things going for them. I guess that makes you a better man than I! :D

Iceman: I too enjoy the exchanges in the tradition of the old "point-couterpoint" type of discussions. Hopefully there will be other topics we can cheefully disagree upon in the future.........

Parting shots on Universal - Disney:

(1) My kids are all in the 11 years old and over range so I definitely am more of a "big ride" rather than a "show or parade" person - so the number of big rides in a park does affect my perceptions ........

(2) Since I live here in SoCal, I tend to overlook any rides in a park which are also here (includes both Disney and Universal), so there again Disney Magic Kingdom or Universal Orlando are pretty much the same thing to me as Disneyland or Universal Hollywood out here (yes, there are some differences but generally they are the same).

(3) I'm overly critical of Disney because over the first 30 years of my existence they always seemed to be stretching the bounds of creativity and innovation to deliver great attractions like Matterhorn, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Star Tours, Splash Mountian and most particularly Indiana Jones.
It's disappointing to see them (a) fall off in terms of number of major new attractions or come up with new ones that don't really inspire me to ride over and over (for example, Test Track - once you ride it once or twice that's about it for the trip) or (b) appear to settle for a level of design and/or implementation such as seen at California Adventure which simply does not seem to meet the old standards of exquisite or creative detailing.

(4) It just seems to me that Universal has built more of those "big rides" I like over the last couple of years (including opening IOA) and thus I am partial to their creativity and innovation at this point.

(5) I like the Safari and CTX/Dinosaur (whatever it's name is this week) at Animal Kingdom a lot - I just wish Disney had done the "Beastly Kingdom" coaster concept they orginally had or put in at least one or two other "big rides" to give me and my type of big ride compatriots something else to do there ........

So, "viva le differance" (or whatever the expression may be)!

I think that The USF resort has a lot to offer w/o all of the travelling involved with Disney. When I go, I like to cruise back and forth between the two parks and enjoy the total difference in attractions as I please. The proximity of the parks makes for a very interesting day without having to force yourself to stay in one park for the entire day. Coupled with Citywalk in between, you can really go at your own pace and fashion your visit to your liking.

This is a very interesting point, as Disneyland/Disney's California Adventure is set up much the same way with Downtown Disney right at their entrance. I wonder if Disney decided (after watching Universal) that this is THE effective way to build a small resort when extensive space is a luxury you cannot afford...

IOA is positioned to compete with the Magic Kingdom not Animal Kingdom...
we found the IOA less than a half day park....there were very very few rides my kids could do when we were there (they were 12 and 14 at the time....)..
at IOA we diid the following (with ratings, 5 * being the best)
1.Spiderman (*)
2.Jurassic Park ****
3.Dudley dooright ***
4.Bidge Barges ***
5.Cat in the Hat *
6.Poseiden's Fury **
that's a total of 6 things.....5 rides and one show....

at the Magic Kingdom we do the following:

1. Splash Mountain *****
2. Thunder Mountain ****
3. Space Mountain *****
4. Buzz Lightyear *****
5. Alien Encounter *****
6. Carousel of Progress ****
7. Jungle Cruise ****
8. Enchanted Tiki Room *****
9. Pirates of the Caribean ****
10. Small World ***
11, Haunted Mansion *****
12. Hall of the Presidents ****
13. Aladdins Magic Carpets ****
14. Peter Pans Flight *****
15. Winnie the Pooh *****
16. Cinderellas Carousel ***
17. Snow White ***
18. Country Bear Jamboree ***
19. Tom Sawyer's Island ****
20. Train ***
21. Rocket Orbiters ***
22. TTA/Peoplemover *****
23. Auto raceway **

there are other rides but we don't do them.....
and then of course the parade and the tinkerbell fireworks...

if you want to compare our review of IOA to our review of MGM:
1. RRC *****
2. ToT *****
3. Voyage of the little mermaid *****
4. Hunchback of Notrel Dame ***** (this is our FAVORITE thing to do or see at MGM.....better than any ride or anything....
5. Animation *****
6. Catastrophe Canyon ****
7. MuppetVision 3D ****
8, Star Tours *****
9. Sounds Dangerous ***** (and the sound booths there )
10. Indiana Jones STunt show ****
11. Fantasmic *****
12. Great Movie Ride ****
13. Backstage walking tour ****
14. Who wants to be a millionaire ****
15. Beauty and the Beast ***

i skipped the things we don't do (like the honey i shrunk the kids playground)...
and then there is the street theatre at MGM that my kids love...and there used to be a parade.....i don't know if there still is or not....
and we adore the Prime Time Cafe and the Brown Derby....for us they're like an attraction.....

but in any case, IOA was positioned against the Magic Kingdom.....
in my opinion, it falls miserably short of that...

Just another viewpoint of IOA vs MK and MGM from my family's last trip (myself, my wife and two kids 10 and 13):

IOA (our first time there)

Spiderman - 2 times
Jurassic Park - 2 times
Popeye Rafts - 2 times
Dudley Dooright - 1
Incredible Hulk - 2
Dueling Dragons - 1 (except my son went 3 more times)
Poseidon show - 1
Sinbad show - 1
Cat in the Hat - 1
Dr Doom - 2 (except my son went 3 times)

MK (our third time there)

Spl Mt - 1
Big Thunder Mt - 2
Space Mt - 1
Alien Encounter - 1
Pirates - 1
Jungle Cruise - 1
Haunted Mansion - 1
Timekeeper - 1

MGM (our fourth time there)

Muppets - 1
Star Tours - 1
Tower of Terror - 3 (my kids went 2 more times alone as well)
RnR Coaster - 2
Indiana Jones show - 1
Great Movie ride - 1
Sound show - 1

So it really depends what you go to a park for - for us, IOA was a chance to experience some new and different attractions rather than just repeating the same old Disney ones .............

The park passes - just like Disney - never expire...but you have to buy at least a 2 day in order to hop.

And, IMHO, that is what you are going to want to do, because while the Universal side has more that the whole family can do, your kids just HAVE to see Dr. Suess land. And, Jurrasic Park was really a great kids place too. I could barely get my 10 yo son out of that section. And, they are in IOA.

Over at Universal, with an 8 yo and a 5 yo, I have one word to say....Nickelodeon. There goes efficient touring right out the window....

You will need two days. Save the third day for a future visit when they are older and you can all scream on the coasters on the IOA side. :-)

d_d: Yikes, thanks for reminding me........

My wife and daughter waited a couple of hours in line to get on TV on Nickeolodeon at Universal Florida - you can imagine the time my daughter had when we got back and all her friends saw here on Nickelodeon's Slime Time Live .........

Disney doesn't have anything to match that ................