Meal Plan/Water?/secret entrance/FB Hack

ddd928

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
  1. Is the dining plan a must do? I see a lot of mentions of how expensive the food is. We are planning on stopping at Publix for protein bars/fruit/yogurt for breakfast (renting car) and drink more coffee/tea/water rather than pop/soda.
  2. Is it worth it to carry a refillable water bottle around to have cold water? Hubs considering a Camelbak instead.
  3. Heard there's another entrance to US by the Blue Man Theater?
  4. Forbidden Journey-when I went 6 years ago, you could enter the gift shop, put your items in locker and enter the ride queue outside of the locker area...many in line outside of ride are waiting to get to the lockers first....does this still work?
 
1. Renting a car and paying to park are going to wipe out any of your savings from the grocery store. Just grab an Uber or Lyft for like $5 and go to the store. Do you have a lot of side trips planned that you need a car?
The dining plan would be overkill and pricey for us. I can share a meal with my youngest. It's not like you want to lug around leftovers so underordering is sensible to avoid food waste.
2. The less I have to carry, the happier I am. Free cups of water work for me. The camelback will have to go in most lockers so no use while waiting in line. But, it's not a bad idea. Better than bottles, imo as hands free.
3. Someone can hook you up with that info. I'm not sure it's always open.
4. I can't visualize your scenario.
 
1. Renting a car and paying to park are going to wipe out any of your savings from the grocery store. Just grab an Uber or Lyft for like $5 and go to the store. Do you have a lot of side trips planned that you need a car? Yes, hubs and son are golfing and bringing 2 golf bags. Not really doing groceries for savings, to eat in room while getting ready rather than having to stop for breakfast.
The dining plan would be overkill and pricey for us. I can share a meal with my youngest. It's not like you want to lug around leftovers so underordering is sensible to avoid food waste. My guys are big eaters but I'm not and shared meals with my d the last time I went. Seemed like, even with sharing, we'd be spending close to $20/meal. I'm thinking $60/day/person for Universal dining doesn't sound too bad. It includes express meal ($50) and sit-down meal ($120) with a snack and a drink ($20)...so a wash and assuming I'm underestimating for 3 adults?
2. The less I have to carry, the happier I am. Free cups of water work for me. The camelback will have to go in most lockers so no use while waiting in line. But, it's not a bad idea. Better than bottles, imo as hands free.
3. Someone can hook you up with that info. I'm not sure it's always open.
4. I can't visualize your scenario.
The gift shop where you end up after finishing the ride has an entrance into the locker area for item retrieval. At the other end of the locker area is where you rejoin the FJ line after dropping off your items. You can walk into the gift shop from outside the castle as well, thereby jumping ahead of some if line extends past the locker area.
 
1. Not a must-do. It depends on what you order if it makes sense. You can buy the quick service plan in the parks at the counter if you find it will save you money. One thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to buy plans for all in your party. We found quick service plan worth it on the day we did the chicken and ribs from 3B's and frozen butterbeer. We used to be able to get just two adult meal plans and feed five people doing that! We're now up to needing three chicken and ribs though. I thought the other plans had to be part of a hotel package. We like more flexibility. We eat breakfast in rooms and figured out dinner if we were still in the parks then.
2. It is for me but I need to drink a lot. My husband would be fine getting cups of water.
3. If I share that info, then it's less of a secret. :) It is not open first thing in the morning.
4. I'm not sure why it wouldn't work since they don't know you're not going in to get something out of a locker after riding but I've never done it since it would seem like cutting the other people in line.
 


Usually you can still enter through the gift shop exit and take the back entrance into the lockers. You can also usually take the bypass in front of the hill, even with a line outside. However, over Memorial Day weekend, they were actually telling people at the outside entrance to get in line but to go ahead and send one person up the shorter path to the lockers and have them either come back or meet you. So, I think they realize that this is an issue.

At Gringott's, it was so busy Memorial Day weekend, that they wouldn't let you go to the lockers unless you had a ticket from being at a certain point in the line or were doing single rider. We were doing single rider, so I didn't see where you got the little paper ticket. I guess the lockers were getting full. That has happened to us at Gringott's before for the single rider line. We had to wait in line while DH scrounged for a locker to open up.
 
The prepaid meal plan not worth it for me

All you are doing is prepaying the meals in advance and there is no savings.

Did it once and learned the hard way

Counter service meal deal you come out ahead by up to $8 tops

The meal you bought that day and includes one ticket for a beverage and one ticket for snack
Tickets valid for days

For hands free rides you would have to use a locker for your camelback

Any counter at food places will give you free ice water

The side entrance only cuts off a minute to the main entrance gate to the studios

Supposed to be open at 11 but not always the case
 


If I were just going to drink Uni water anyway I wouldn't bring a water bottle or camelback. I drink spring water (Orlando water is gross to me) so we bring our backpack cooler filled with water bottles. If my body could handle Orlando water I wouldn't do that.

Check out the menu thread for prices to see if the meal plan makes financial sense. It hasn't for us yet.

The side entrance only cuts off a minute to the main entrance gate to the studios

Makes sense. That's a fairly long walk up to it.



I can't imagine cutting in line like that, nor would I want to be cut in front of purposely by someone going in the gift shop to locker area like that.
 
F.Y.I. The ONLY time I ever got points assigned to me was because I mentioned a line jumping hack in Disneyland. I would be VERY careful about discussing such matters here, I got beaten down by a lot of posters... granted it was on the Disney side of the forums, where they're a bit more uptight about things.
 
The side entrance only cuts off a minute to the main entrance gate to the studios

The only advantage I've seen to the side entrance is when the main gate gets super backed up, for instance, on concert nights when people show up late or when the parks are operating at high capacity. In those cases, even with the longer walk, it is normally quicker because there usually isn't anyone waiting to go in, so you can simply walk right up, scan your ticket, and go in. On the hand, if there is a line, you'll probably wait longer as there is only one TM scanning tickets.
 
Came back to add the side entrance usually opens at 11

But last October I used the side entrance on a slow Day around 11:30 and it was closed

Had to backtrack and use main entrance
Found out sometimes it is not open
 

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