First time at Universal, might be the last

[DanInMN]

As a frequent visitor to WDW, having gone to IOA only once many years ago, I decided to take my teens to US last week. My impressions:

- Because it was a busy holiday I paid the extra charge for shorter lines. It worked ok, but wow was it expensive! Over $800 total for 3 people for one park, one day! Makes Disney look inexpensive.
- The rides were mostly seats that wiggle around while you watch various projections. Felt like a cheap imitation of WDW. Lots of other things felt like Disney knock offs.
- One ride that squirts water at you did so again and again. After the first spray the surprise is over and the others seemed lame.
- Although the kids liked it okay, we were done in about 5 hours. Had we bought multi day tickets I don’t think they would have wanted to go back for more time.

No disrespect intended to US fans, but I don’t think we will return.

Two days later we went to MK (on the day after Christmas). After about 7 pm the lines on most rides were 10-15 minutes. We had a great time at less than 1/2 the cost at US.

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

As a frequent visitor to WDW, having gone to IOA only once many years ago, I decided to take my teens to US last week. My impressions:

- Because it was a busy holiday I paid the extra charge for shorter lines. It worked ok, but wow was it expensive! Over $800 total for 3 people for one park, one day! Makes Disney look inexpensive.
- The rides were mostly seats that wiggle around while you watch various projections. Felt like a cheap imitation of WDW. Lots of other things felt like Disney knock offs.
- One ride that squirts water at you did so again and again. After the first spray the surprise is over and the others seemed lame.
- Although the kids liked it okay, we were done in about 5 hours. Had we bought multi day tickets I don’t think they would have wanted to go back for more time.

No disrespect intended to US fans, but I don’t think we will return.

Two days later we went to MK (on the day after Christmas). After about 7 pm the lines on most rides were 10-15 minutes. We had a great time at less than 1/2 the cost at US.

Yeah...Universal has become so popular that their parks are regularly more packed than even the Magic Kingdom.

Just think about the crowds when they open their Nintendo land!

 

[bchbetha]

You chose to pay for Express Passes and chose to come over the holidays. Those can’t really be strikes against the park, imo. And you could have saved a bunch of money if you stayed 1 night in a Universal hotel that comes with Express Passes. Yeah, because of the holidays you likely would have paid $300-500/ room but that gives you a place to sleep (which I assume you paid for somewhere else) and everyone Express Passes (for 2 days, should you want them).
Maybe your crew was too young to ride some of the more interesting rides. There are plenty of non-simulator rides. And there’s no doubt that the Harry Potter theming is amazing- even hard core Disney fans concede that point usually.
It’s really no big deal to me if you go back but it would be worth being open to the possibility and trying it with better planning AND without spending the whole time comparing it to Disney.

 

[damo]

That's pretty awesome that you were able to do all the rides and shows and the parade in only 5 hours during the most busy time of the year!!! How were the crowds after 7 at Universal? Did you get a chance to eat? How was that? Did anyone get chosen in the wand ceremony? How were your scores on MIB?

Once the Nintendo section gets added, it should give a bit of variation to the park. Universal is a heavy on the theatre style screen rides right now. It is much more enjoyable when you do both parks since there are no theatre style screen rides over at IOA.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I agree with you on the rides I've been on at Universal, with the exception of the Harry Potter land. That land is really well done and the Hogwarts Express, Gringotts bank, and Hogwarts castle rides are great. Hopefully the Nintendo land will be just as well themed. I've only been to Universal on weekdays in the fall and it's been fairly empty. I think they are still at the old Disney crowd schedule stage--crowded when school's out/during holidays and summer, but empty when they're in session.

 

[mjhtvchick]

Wow...what a slanted perspective! Visiting one park at the busiest time of year while staying offsite is not really the best indicator of the resort but regardless, its no skin off my back...you can take the pre-scheduling, terrible crowds and congested transportation system...I will be enjoying my drink by the pool at the Royal Pacific.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As a frequent visitor to WDW, having gone to IOA only once many years ago, I decided to take my teens to US last week. My impressions:

- Because it was a busy holiday I paid the extra charge for shorter lines. It worked ok, but wow was it expensive! Over $800 total for 3 people for one park, one day! Makes Disney look inexpensive.
- The rides were mostly seats that wiggle around while you watch various projections. Felt like a cheap imitation of WDW. Lots of other things felt like Disney knock offs.
- One ride that squirts water at you did so again and again. After the first spray the surprise is over and the others seemed lame.
- Although the kids liked it okay, we were done in about 5 hours. Had we bought multi day tickets I don’t think they would have wanted to go back for more time.

No disrespect intended to US fans, but I don’t think we will return.

Two days later we went to MK (on the day after Christmas). After about 7 pm the lines on most rides were 10-15 minutes. We had a great time at less than 1/2 the cost at US.

If you give USO another shot a bit of advice might be to try and not compare the parks so much to each other.

Honestly most of the time I see gripes from WDW veterans it's because most of their comments stemmed from comparing this and that to what WDW has/does, etc. Try and keep a more open outlook. Each company has their strengths and weaknesses.

Now I honestly totally get the motion simulator complaint, it's actually one of mine, but I find enough stuff to do and be immersed in that I'm ok with the admission price. My husband loves the bigger rides and the simulator aspect doesn't bother him as much. The charging for EP is something I dislike on principle but it's no different than what my home amusement park does as part of being owned by Cedar Fair. It just means I won't pay for it at least currently.

As far as cheap imitations and knock offs did you have some examples?

 

[Sparkly]

Wow...what a slanted perspective! Visiting one park at the busiest time of year while staying offsite is not really the best indicator of the resort but regardless, its no skin off my back...you can take the pre-scheduling, terrible crowds and congested transportation system...I will be enjoying my drink by the pool at the Royal Pacific.

People aren't allowed to express a negative opinion anymore? I always thought this section was good because it was non-biased unlike the Disney boards...seems not.

 

[bumbershoot]

Universal is a heavy on the theatre style screen rides right now.

All parks are going to that. Sigh.



I saw a picture of MK from the other day that was just shoulder to shoulder people. I nearly had a claustrophobic panic attack looking at it.

That’s what they missed by being at Uni instead, and at least they had the option of express pass!

Really too bad they didn’t stay onsite and get two days of unlimited EP included. Would have made everything soooo much nicer. Sigh.

 

[EveDallas]

People aren't allowed to express a negative opinion anymore? I always thought this section was good because it was non-biased unlike the Disney boards...seems not.

This is more than a negative opinion. It's a completely biased, slanted view of Universal. OP went in predetermined that WDW was better than Universal. But hey, that's one less person in the parks for me to deal with!

 

[EveDallas]

All parks are going to that. Sigh.



I saw a picture of MK from the other day that was just shoulder to shoulder people. I nearly had a claustrophobic panic attack looking at it.

That’s what they missed by being at Uni instead, and at least they had the option of express pass!

Really too bad they didn’t stay onsite and get two days of unlimited EP included. Would have made everything soooo much nicer. Sigh.

Some people go in determined that Universal is some pale shadow of Disney and don't even try to enjoy the differences. I'll never understand that mind set.

 

[bumbershoot]

People aren't allowed to express a negative opinion anymore? I always thought this section was good because it was non-biased unlike the Disney boards...seems not.

Nothing was said that said the OP wasn’t allowed to express an opinion.

And I’m not sure why we can’t be biased. Wdw side isn’t scary bc it’s biased...

But seriously, no one should blame a theme park for the things the OP is saying. Busiest time of the year, doesn’t sound like much planning, being anti screen rides and only going to the park with tons of screen rides, not staying onsite to get that EP included....

I’m a huge Uni fan and I would neeeevvvvveeeer go during that time of year. And I would never buy EP on its own unless it was maybe just me or maybe one other person.

But if I did go and was overwhelmed by those things, I wouldn’t be blaming the park. Wouldn’t blame Wdw either, if I’d ended up in those shoulder to shoulder crowds by going at Xmas.

 

[EveDallas]

I agree with you on the rides I've been on at Universal, with the exception of the Harry Potter land. That land is really well done and the Hogwarts Express, Gringotts bank, and Hogwarts castle rides are great. Hopefully the Nintendo land will be just as well themed. I've only been to Universal on weekdays in the fall and it's been fairly empty. I think they are still at the old Disney crowd schedule stage--crowded when school's out/during holidays and summer, but empty when they're in session.

That's really not true. I've been in April and May the past few years - when school is still in session. It's been crowded IMO.

 

[schumigirl]

This is more than a negative opinion. It's a completely biased, slanted view of Universal. OP went in predetermined that WDW was better than Universal. But hey, that's one less person in the parks for me to deal with!

Absolutely........same with the same old faces only popping on here to post a negative view or agree with a negative review. So obvious. They stick out like sore thumbs.


OP......you certainly have shown a fair amount of bias........we tend to notice anyone who says well, Disney do this or that better are never going to have an unbiased opinion.

It’s a shame you chose the busiest week, didn’t stay long enough in the parks and didn’t stay onsite for one night to maximise EP and it would have been a darned sight cheaper too......

There are screens.......but there are also some amazing rides......Mummy, RRR, Hulk, JPRA and many more.......but you seem to have made your mind up.

Maybe Disney would suit you better in the future........

 

[bumbershoot]

This is the picture (link inside the post) I was talking about. Quoted from a thread on the Wdw planning side.

This seems to be 12/26. The OP lucked out with their MK visit.

I can't log into my twitter lol. Here is the day after from twitter. pretty easy to find. (Not my photo, credit goes to @TierneyJames1)View attachment 290906

And all that with only FP+. Nope.

 

[saskdw]

With the way this post was written I have to conclude its main purpose was to get people all riled up.

Comes across as a troll post to me.

The day after Christmas all rides were walk on at Magic Kingdom???? LOL!! Yeah, sure, ok.

 

[imprint]

Yikes!

 

[macraven]

People aren't allowed to express a negative opinion anymore? I always thought this section was good because it was non-biased unlike the Disney boards...seems not.

Excuse me...

Don’t stir the pot
All was civil up to now

A poster gave their thoughts when creating this thread

Time to move on


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