A WDW Christmas trip, and the BEST Christmas gift I've ever received (completed)

Oh WOW so lucky to be picked for the Magical moment........gotta Love Disney.

Yeah! Typically these are the kinds of things that only happen to "other people" so it was so cool that it happened to us! I'm not the kind of person who has that kind of stuff happen, like I don't think I've ever won anything in my life. So amazing! It really made us look for ways to be more patient and pass the magic along to others we met on our trip, too, which is a cool effect.
 
Day 7: The Day of Holding Loose Items - PART 1
We weren't sure how long the walk would be from our hotel room at Loews Royal Pacific to Universal Studios (though we knew it was closer to Islands of Adventure,) and with it being Christmas Eve we weren't sure how crazy the crowds would be...so we got up early...like 5:50am. Making early entry was important to me because N and I are both serious Harry Potter fans, and the Diagon Alley section of the park would be new to me, while both HP sections would be new to him. So we got ready quickly, munched on leftover Erin McKenna's snacks and bananas for First Breakfast, and hit the trail! I liked the way they had security set up on the walking trails so we didn't have to do any of that bag-check craziness when we got to the park.

Side note: we travel with a bookbag at Disney because I'm such a difficult traveler with my health, I take photos with multiple lenses, and because I like to be prepared. (I should have been a boy scout.) But I didn't want to deal with lockers on rides, so knowing we could always walk to the hotel if we needed anything, we packed MUCH lighter at Universal. Nathan threw some water bottles in his ginormous shorts pockets, and I wore a new water-resistant fanny pack (bum bag, waist pack, etc.) courtesy of Amazon, with the essentials. It worked SO well! I may even adopt this approach a few days of our Disneymoon. :)

We got to the gates with loads of time to spare. I was sure I wrote down how long it took to walk, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. I'd guess that walking at a reasonably brisk pace it was 10 mins max to IOA and 15 to US. We had to stand and wait at the gates for probably 20 minutes or so, and there were surprisingly few people compared to my expectations, even when the gates opened at 7:00. We followed the others heading straight to Diagon Alley, though slowed slightly by the fact that N's blisters coupled with a sore ankle were really starting to bother him. I kept asking him if he wanted me to slow down, as I'd giddily sprint ahead. I'm a terrible person.

When we finally arrived, I was so amazed! I couldn't stop staring at things as we were ushered the long way around to Escape from Gringotts. That said, I think I was slightly less overwhelmed than I expected to be because I had read so many reviews about how the theming was more amazing than people could have imagined and how it was much better than Hogsmeade. I thought Diagon Alley was really impressive, and as a big HP fan I was in heaven, but I didn't find it all that much more amazing than Hogsmeade. I guess I also just really like Hogsmeade.
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So we did Escape from Gringotts, and I was having a fit over the details in the queue line! I probably should not have gone on this ride since it put a little more pressure on my brain than I wanted, but I knew I had to ride it once. (I rode everything in the Hogsmeade side before diagnosis and didn't want to leave any stone unturned.) I came off happy, shaken up, and a little dizzy...and N? This was his first Universal ride experience...and I saw the look in his eyes. That day we both learned something new about him. He LOVES the simulator/3-D/combo rides that Universal is so famous for. It would be a running theme for the rest of the trip.

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We popped into Ollivanders next, knowing it would be less busy than on the Hogsmeade side. Boy, were we right! We waited 6 or 7 minutes for others to join the line so they could start a new show, and when nobody did, we ended up getting our own private show! Just a little more Engagement trip magic (and we thought the magic only came from the Mouse!) I wasn't planning to buy a wand since I have one already (though I figured N should)...but when they did a private show for us and gave us both wands with "twin cores" I was sold. Oh well. Bubye to my 50 bucks.

We popped into the shops and took a few photos, tried to cast spells with the interactive wands without much luck, and then it was time to take the Hogwarts Express over to the other side to get N on the Hogsmeade rides before regular entry guests arrived. The train was pretty amazing. (though the queue line is SO long, and with no way to really shorten it for early entry guests! Tons of walking.) I felt like we were really transported into the books with all these new details.

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Once we arrived in Hogsmeade, it was time for another big first...

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...N's first real and true roller coaster! (He had missed out on RnR last time we did HS at Disney.) I had tried to strategically pick a coaster for his first that would test if he liked them and give him a taste of going upside down, without being too intense and scaring him off if he hated it. I knew how he felt about this first coaster would set the tone and the plan for the rest of the day. I settled on Dragon Challenge, which I, a wimp, had once ridden and survived, myself (before the brain thing. #brainprobs) While he nervously went off to get in line, I thought I'd surprise him by ordering butterbeer and pumpkin juice, and then I waited for him. ...Apparently I miscalculated. I thought I'd planned it perfectly, but I forgot one minor detail: Dragon Challenge has the overhead track where your feet dangle. Turns out he hated that part! He wasn't sure how he felt about coasters now, and I was re-thinking my strategy for the rest of his riding.

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We both enjoyed our drinks in the ambience, and then I sent N on Forbidden Journey. I knew I couldn't handle this one now myself, but after asking a team member at the queue she put us both in the accommodations line so we could go through the castle together and then I could just wait for N to come off the ride itself. Not sure how often they actually let people do this, but it worked perfectly for us, so I'd always ask if you need that accommodation. N loved Forbidden Journey, and it ended up being one of his favourite rides at Universal.

Then we popped onto the little Hippogriff coaster, which I could ride! Yay! I screamed the whole time, because I'm a scardey cat, and because we brain surgery folks have to make our fun somewhere! Then we took the train back to the other side because we wanted to experience both rides, and because it was time for Second Breakfast!

We ate breakfast (again) at Leaky Cauldron because I'd heard good things about their gluten free pancakes. (Being Canadian, I'd even packed my own tiny bottle of pure maple syrup to put on them.) If you're gluten free, don't be fooled. N described them as eating cardboard mixed with sticky tack. They weren't THAT bad, but they definitely weren't great. It's great that they have an allergy option though.

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Day 7: The Day of Holding Loose Items - PART 2

Now it was time to get the heck out of HP world as the crowds were already forming. (Strangely enough, this was the only place we really saw crowds or long lines on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We would have been fine without express passes. I was shocked.) We took this time to do the rest of what I wanted to check off on the US side. I put N on the Mummy (my old favorite ride) while I held his phone and stuff. He loved it. Repeat process with Rip Ride Rocket. (He wasn't so sure about this one. Probably won't ever ride again.)
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Repeat process with Simpsons. This was one of his favorite rides.
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By this point I was ready to ride something again and stop sitting on benches to wait, even if it made me sick, so I took a chance on MIB and hoped it wouldn't spin too much. I had a blast (no pun intended. Blasting monsters and such.) And N thought it was ok but preferred Buzz Lightyear. He's nuts.

I really wanted to see the Animal Actors show because I love animals and I have fond memories of it from when I was a kid. N went in as a favor to me, because he loves me, but he came out saying how cool it was. Score! (Also, we caught pokemon while we were waiting for the show.)
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After that I must have felt confident and pressed my luck by assuming he'd also love ET as much as me. No dice. But he didn't hate it.

By this point it was getting hottt and we were getting hungry for lunch, so it was time to walk back over to IOA (stopping through Seuss Landing on the way...)

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...and get an allergy-safe meal for me at Three Broomsticks. (Allergies are harder to accommodate at Universal than at Disney, where it's super easy, so I had done my research about where I wanted to eat.) On the walk over there the heat, early morning, and poor riding choices started getting to me and I became really sick and dizzy. By the time we got our food I was in serious need of A/C and a chair to sit down. Lunch did wonders for me, but we still decided to walk back to the hotel and take a break.
 
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Day 7: The Day of Holding Loose Items - PART 3

On our last trip we'd had a bad habit of planning to get to the pool and never going, and I knew Royal Pacific had a nice tropically themed pool, so during our break we hopped in for about 15 minutes. By the end of the break I wasn't feeling 100%, but much better than before, so we went to our Christmas Eve reservation (the only table service reservation we had pre-booked at Universal) at Mythos. We had a nice dinner there! N seemed a little "meh" about it, but as much as I'd warned him that it might feel like a let down to leave Disney dining, I don't think he realized how true that would be until it happened. I had a good allergy experience though, with a chef who came right out to my table just like Disney. My beef was a little over-cooked, but otherwise good. And N enjoyed his Pad Thai just fine.

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Apparently I have a terrible habit of sending N on big rides on a full stomach, but I thought he might want to do the Hulk coaster, and I knew I was about ready to be in for the night, so it had to happen now. Another chance for me to practice holding stuff. We were both nervous when he left to go on it, but I thought "What the heck!" He'd already had such mixed reactions on the other coasters that this one couldn't be worse. And to both of our surprise, he LOVED the Hulk. One of his top rides ever. Finally!! This gives me much hope for him for our anticipated trip to Busch on our honeymoon!

At this point I was ready for an early night. How early? About 9pm. Normally I can't stay asleep on Christmas Eve, but this time I couldn't stay awake. And I'd need all the rest I could get with only one more park day left before we returned to Canada. It was almost CHRISTMAS!...

Steps for day 7: 23607
 
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Looks like a super fun time at US/IOA! I cried when I saw Diagon Alley for the first time, and then was "eh" about Hogsmeade afterward. I wish I had seen the areas in reverse, because I think I would have appreciated Hogsmeade more if I had seen it first. Buuttt...I wanted to do it like Harry did!

Forbidden Journey was amazing, but it made me so sick for the rest of the day...I hate The Simpson's Ride as a result! I got so beat up on it that I had bruises!

I'm sorry you weren't feeling well :worried: but glad it was marginally better after a little break.

And I am allll about early endings to a day! I've been done for the night by 9pm many times. Trips like this are exhausting!!
 
Really enjoying your review. And CONGRATS on your engagement!! Our daughter lives in Halifax so we know the east coast well. And we were at Disney just after you, from Dec 28 - Jan 2. Looking forward to the rest of your review! And your great photos!!!
Jerry
 


Looks like a super fun time at US/IOA! I cried when I saw Diagon Alley for the first time, and then was "eh" about Hogsmeade afterward. I wish I had seen the areas in reverse, because I think I would have appreciated Hogsmeade more if I had seen it first. Buuttt...I wanted to do it like Harry did!

Forbidden Journey was amazing, but it made me so sick for the rest of the day...I hate The Simpson's Ride as a result! I got so beat up on it that I had bruises!

I'm sorry you weren't feeling well :worried: but glad it was marginally better after a little break.

And I am allll about early endings to a day! I've been done for the night by 9pm many times. Trips like this are exhausting!!

We had a lot of fun at Universal! I consider myself "Disney people," and N mostly does too, but the rides there were definitely more his speed. I know people say it's more of a teen/adult park, which makes sense, but I remember liking it as a kid, too.

If Diagon Alley had been there when I first saw Hogsmeade I totally would have done it the same way just to follow in Harry's footsteps, so I totally get that!

I can't imagine having a positive experience on Simpsons! I've only been on it a couple times pre-surgery, but it never went well. N's a tough cookie I guess. :p
 
Really enjoying your review. And CONGRATS on your engagement!! Our daughter lives in Halifax so we know the east coast well. And we were at Disney just after you, from Dec 28 - Jan 2. Looking forward to the rest of your review! And your great photos!!!
Jerry

Thanks, Jerry! What a coincidence that your daughter lives so close to us! It's such a beautiful part of the country, especially in the Fall. A little chilly right now though, and we're gearing up for freezing rain tomorrow. Makes me miss Disney! :mad:
 
Day 8: Welcome Christmas, Bring Your Cheer! - PART 1

It was Christmas morning, yay! I'm a huge fan of Christmas, both for religious and commercial reasons, and as much as I was missing my family this day more than ever, I was excited to spend it with my love on an amazing vacation.

We got up early again for early entry, but not as crazy early as the day before. And N awoke to find that Santa had found him all the way in Orlando! (And Santa must have been working hard on her...I mean HIS crochet skills in order to bring this little BB-8 to life!)

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We still had leftover treats from Erin McKenna's in the fridge, so that was first breakfast again. While N was in the shower I did a little video tour of the room in which you can tell how supremely stuffed up I was with my cold. And then we were off.

This day we were a little more flexible since we got a lot of priorities in the day before, so we used early entry for N to hit the HP stuff he wanted to do a second time, and I could be more relaxed about taking more pictures while he did.

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N did Gringotts again while I tried to time my video just right to catch the fire effect from the dragon above the bank. We took the train, and then he did Forbidden Journey again, and we took another flight on a hippogriff.

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I had told N he had to try both versions of butterbeer, and this morning was going to be "cold," which I fetched while N did the other side (red, which one is that again?) of Dragon Challenge. Surprisingly, he seemed to like it better this time. We're not sure whether he likes the red side more, (back when I could ride, I preferred blue,) or if he was just getting more used to how roller coasters feel by now. He also couldn't decide which butterbeer he liked better. (I preferred frozen when I could drink it.) For those who've tried it, do you have a preference?

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I had picked up a park map in Honeydukes to make sure I didn't miss anything we wanted to fit in, and we decided to get N to Reign of Kong nice and early in the a.m. to skip long lines.

On the way to Kong I had a great (terrible!!) idea! I'd always loved the River Adventure in Jurassic Park...so even though I'd planned to get all our water rides in later right before leaving the park for a break, I figured "What the heck!?" We rode it without any ponchos or anything. Big mistake. First thing on a cool-ish morning there was zero line...but it also meant nobody had been riding it and absorbing the water on their clothes, so the water levels were still super high. We got SOAKED. Oh well. ...my poor socks and sneakers...

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We put N on Kong next, and while he liked it, he didn't get the hype and was glad he could ride it with no line. He said he probably wouldn't have much desire to do it again. Huh. Who knew?

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At this point we walked through Toon Lagoon and N caught a glimpse of Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. He was like, "Is that a ride??" And when I said yes, "I want to do that!!" We were already so wet at that point that we just bit the bullet and did it. I find this one kinda terrifying as far as flume rides go. So much steeper/faster. He wanted to go again, but I was getting a headache, so we did Popeye instead. We might as well have gone for a swim in all our clothes. (If you've never been on the Popeye ride, it's like Kali River Rapids, but with tidal waves and buckets of water being dumped on you.)

After this we were both so wet. So we made the rest of the trip around the loop, with N stopping for Spiderman and Hulk on the way, and went back to the room to dry off and change shoes.
 
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Our trip to US/IOA was fun, but exhausting because we did it all in one day. You're making me want to go back and try again! We just desperately wanted to get in our uber back to Disney property as fast as possible! We were there on a Friday in July, and had booked a room to get early entry and unlimited express pass. It was just too tiring for one day. It made us decide we were Disney people for sure!! But there are so many things I want to see again, or try for the first time...even Kong, even though your N didn't care too much for it.

As for the butterbeer question, our family unanimously preferred cold over frozen...and we found it to be weirdly filling?? I didn't quite understand why. It was so good, though!

We got lucky on the Jurassic Park ride and didn't get too wet...my oldest wears a poncho on water rides b/c he hates getting wet, and he held my purse under it to keep it dry. Luckily, we didn't get too soaked on it. I wanted to ride the other two, but we saw some teenagers walking off of Ripsaw Falls literally taking his shoes off and pouring water out of them. You're right, it really did look like people jumped into the lake fully clothes and climbed back out. It's crazy how wet you get!

The crowd level looks really good, and I love the BB8 you, I mean, Santa, made! So cute!
 
Our trip to US/IOA was fun, but exhausting because we did it all in one day. You're making me want to go back and try again! We just desperately wanted to get in our uber back to Disney property as fast as possible! We were there on a Friday in July, and had booked a room to get early entry and unlimited express pass. It was just too tiring for one day. It made us decide we were Disney people for sure!! But there are so many things I want to see again, or try for the first time...even Kong, even though your N didn't care too much for it.

As for the butterbeer question, our family unanimously preferred cold over frozen...and we found it to be weirdly filling?? I didn't quite understand why. It was so good, though!

We got lucky on the Jurassic Park ride and didn't get too wet...my oldest wears a poncho on water rides b/c he hates getting wet, and he held my purse under it to keep it dry. Luckily, we didn't get too soaked on it. I wanted to ride the other two, but we saw some teenagers walking off of Ripsaw Falls literally taking his shoes off and pouring water out of them. You're right, it really did look like people jumped into the lake fully clothes and climbed back out. It's crazy how wet you get!

The crowd level looks really good, and I love the BB8 you, I mean, Santa, made! So cute!

I remember reading you had a somewhat hectic/disappointing trip to US/IOA. But hopefully it'll be worth it if you give it another shot sometime! We enjoyed having time to do it at a leisurely pace, but I think if we went again and just wanted to hit the highlights we'd only go for a day. Part of why we did so well there was the weather, and the surprisingly low crowds! I was shocked we never saw bad crowds (except around lunch in HP areas.) Granted, we did take the afternoons off, but it was unexpectedly light in mornings/evenings for Christmas time. I've done Disney on Christmas Day before and it's been wall-to-wall...

We also ended up trying hot butterbeer which they had seasonally around Christmas I think. It was good, too, but different! Almost like a really rich french vanilla cappuccino, but with a more butterbeer-ish flavor. I hate myself for it because it's so inauthentic to the books, but I've always preferred frozen. Weird. I think because it feels a little less rich maybe.

That water rides there are wild! They're so much fun, especially if it's warm...might not be your X's cup of tea though. So. wet.
 
Day 8: Welcome Christmas, Bring Your Cheer! - PART 12

While N was on Hulk and as we were walking back to the room, I started concocting a crazy idea. I realized that other than Seuss Landing, I'd done all the things I wanted to do at Universal...and we'd missed out on Typhoon Lagoon...and it was unseasonably warm this day for December... I started figuring out how we'd take an Uber over there, get a Disney-allergy-safe dinner somewhere...and I was double checking the water park hours when I saw/remembered...Typhoon Lagoon was to close for refurbishments on Dec. 25...which was today, Christmas Day. Jeesh! I keep getting excited to go there and then just missing it! You better believe we'll be going on our Disneymoon! (Just you watch it be unexpectedly closed the last two weeks of August. 2017 :P)

To make up for that sad realization, we bought N one of those giant donuts from the Simpsons and he had half, saving the other half for breakfast the next day, while I polished off an Erin McKenna's donut. (I also got some hotel pictures.)

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Then it was off to the pool again as a sad substitution for Typhoon Lagoon. Here's your daily laugh: a video of me pretending to be a sea turtle:


I can't believe I just let the internet see that.

By this time we were both getting hungry, and I remembered after emailing the head chef at Universal who deals with allergies that he recommended Thunder Falls to me as a good quick service option, so we made our way over to IOA to give it a try. Now for some reason I thought this was in the Lost Continent area and was much closer than it is, but it was actually way at the back of Jurassic Park. Oh well. Racking up the steps for my Fitbit!! (And a chance to photograph Lost Continent a bit.)

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Another side note here: this was an experience that totally exemplified the difference between Disney's allergy protocol and Universal. When I eat at Disney quick service I can always either use an allergy menu, or speak directly to a chef, have my order prepared separately in the kitchen and marked in at least one of several ways as an allergy order (picks, green trays, etc.) At Thunder Falls, however, I ended up speaking to a cashier who didn't know about allergies, then to a chef, who started asking the cashier to give me an ingredient listing on the food (which she had had the entire time, and which was confusing and incomplete!), then I read it, had to flag down the same chef again to ask questions, and then when I was marginally convinced of something safe I could order I was told to just go get in line and tell the team members serving the food what I wanted. Nothing separate, no chef overseeing my food, and all the chance for cross-contamination. Because my allergies are not terminal I decided to just go with it because we were so hungry, but if I'd had a terminal allergy, or was responsible for a child with dietary needs, I would have felt totally uncomfortable dining here. The food was fine, and I don't think it made me sick (jury is out since I was unwell after dinner that night and it could have been either meal) but it made me miss Disney.

Since we split a meal at Thunder Falls, neither of us were stuffed, so I made N try Dippin' Dots. As a child I was obsessed with these things on Florida trips and never allowed to have them, so I think I was trying to make up for those times for him. He found them strange but pleasing. I think I made him try cookies and cream?

On our way to Seuss Landing we got hit by a freak rain storm. The kind you expect in summer in Florida, but not December. And just as quickly as it came, it disappeared. We got a chance to do Cat in the Hat, and the Caroseussel (spelling??).

I was surprisingly motion sick after the carousel, so we did Poseidon's Fury. N didn't really get it. Though to be fair, I don't think I really get it either. I just think it's funny.

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Then we had time to enjoy the Grinchmas Christmas show, which I thought was just ok (sorry Grinchmas fans!) but N REALLY enjoyed, (I think because the guy playing the Grinch was really excellent, and N is a Jim Carrey fan.) I was more interested in watching Max interacting with his trainer when they appeared during the show after what I'd learned about animal actors the day previous!

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We stopped back at the hotel again for a bit, and then made a last-minute dinner reservation. I had been thinking about Hard Rock, but then I saw lots of availability at Antojitos and remembered reading good reviews for gluten free and allergy stuff there, so we went there. Of course, I, a person with stomach troubles and a mild disposition, accidentally ordered a super spicy taco. Oops. Along with that, we also had an issue with them leaving non-gluten-free chips for the guac at our table and not checking that they were safe for me to eat. I had a bad feeling about them for some reason and made about 2-3 people check for me before one person finally told me I couldn't eat them. I was a bit on edge there after that, and I didn't eat much that night.

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I suspected, because of this, that I'd be hungry before bed. I also was running low on gluten free treats and knew I'd need something safe to eat for breakfast/lunch the next day, and the selection at MCO can be pretty hit or miss for allergies. So I decided we should walk over to the Leaky Cauldron one last time and get a couple of allergy chicken sandwiches for me to keep in the fridge that night. They weren't spectacular, especially not cold the next day, but they did the trick, and customs even let me take one back on the plane the next day to Canada (which I didn't expect.) While we were there, N got a chance to try the final version of butterbeer: hot, which I think they did seasonally for Christmas/winter. I was already feeling yucky anyway, so I decided to try just a quick sip. It was kind of like a really rich, slightly butterscotch-y french vanilla cappuccino.

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We did some packing (i.e. cramming souvenirs into suitcases), set our alarms for a reasonably early-ish morning, and I was fast asleep before the Doctor Who Christmas special even began on the BBC channel that night.

Steps for day 8: 28328
 
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Loving your report! You guys really lucked out with the personal safari tour, wow!

I haven't been to Universal in years (about 17, my how time flies) but I do want to check out the Harry Potter areas someday. I'm thinking about a solo WDW trip next year with a day or two spent at Universal. So, would you suggest staying at a Universal hotel or do you think you'd stay at Disney if you had it to do over and just take an uber to Universal?
 
Loving your report! You guys really lucked out with the personal safari tour, wow!

I haven't been to Universal in years (about 17, my how time flies) but I do want to check out the Harry Potter areas someday. I'm thinking about a solo WDW trip next year with a day or two spent at Universal. So, would you suggest staying at a Universal hotel or do you think you'd stay at Disney if you had it to do over and just take an uber to Universal?

We definitely lucked out! Right place at the right time. :)

I'd say whether or not I'd recommend a Universal hotel stay would depend totally on budget and the time of year you were planning to go. The Universal hotels we found mostly ran more expensive than a typical Disney moderate hotel, but a little less than a Disney deluxe. Cabana Bay (their version of a more value-type resort) would be the only exception, but you miss out on some of the perks of the other hotels there. (I believe Sapphire Falls may be like this too?) We found it worth the price for us though because of the unlimited express pass included with being a hotel guest at that hotel. And all Universal hotels and some of their partner hotels offer an hour early entry to either one/both of the Harry Potter worlds (depending on time of year and crowd level.) These things are a huge advantage if you're there during a high crowd level time of year, but not all that necessary during slow times. I would say, though, that I loved how convenient it was to stay on property and be so close to the parks - everything was in walking distance of our hotel, no bothering with waiting for transportation, etc. I would definitely consider staying on property again, especially if it were someone's first trip or if something new opened up there and was really busy, or even if it was a really busy crowd season when we went. (Also if we were there during the heat of summer and wanted somewhere to cool off in afternoon or go swimming.) But if we go again any time soon it will probably be just a day trip over from our Disney resort to save a little money and keep from having to transfer our luggage.

I hope you can get to Universal to see the Harry Potter areas sometime! The theming is absolutely amazing, and if you have any interest in Harry Potter (or even if you don't, really) you'll probably be very impressed. We were pretty blown away by them both of our first times.
 
Great report! Haven't been to Universal (Total Disney family!) may have to fit in a day next trip.
Thanks so much for sharing your trip.

Thanks for following along! There's a lot going on at Universal these days, so a great time to visit! We're Disney through and through, but we enjoyed our time there :)
 
I just read your trip report from start to finish! I really enjoyed it! Congrats on your engagement!
 

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