Advice for a panicking newbie

[Limmer]

So they panic thing is a little insane as we don't go until October but...the stress is real! Hahahha.

This is our first trip to Universal (a seasoned and chill Disney planner) and I just can't wrap me head around timing. We are 2 40-somethings and 2 teens. Well versed in theme parks and willing to do open to close. Even at our local theme park we generally do 10-12 hour days.

We are driving in and we arrive after a short day (approx 3 hours) at around 9-10 am on a Wednesday. We were thinking Volcano Bay after a long 2 days in the car. Planning to stay at Hard Rock as we want express pass tickets. Thursday was US with a start in Diagon Alley. HP is our priority for the teens. Then hit up the big attractions until close (this may be early due to Halloween Horror nights). Friday is IOA, starting in Hogsmeade and hitting the big guys until close. The DH and older teen hitting up Halloween Horror while the youngest and I tour CityWalk/hit the pool/dinner. Saturday hitting anything we missed to desperately need to do again before we head over to Disney for 7 days.

Does this sound possible? We love water parks but I am wondering if we are wasting precious time and will regret it. I can't imagine trying to get through all of Magic Kingdom in a day so this is stressing me out.

Any advice? Experience?

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

If you love water parks then you definitely want to go to Volcano Bay. I think your plan is great. With the Express Pass you will have plenty of time to do everything you want and many of them more than once.

 

[bchbetha]

You should go for park to park tickets so you have the flexibility of touring.

 

[tweak89]

Bit of advice, STOP panicking. Universal with Express Pass is the antithesis of WDW (even with Fastpass+). You will be able to ride everything but Hagrid's (the other couple of rides not included with Express Pass are likely not of interest to those in your groups age brackets) with Express Pass, at least as of right now.

And yes, as another poster suggested, Park to Park tickets are nice to have if you are HUGE Harry Potter fans as the Hogwarts Express is a different experience each way and can only be ridden if you have said tickets.

So, calm down and prepare to enjoy a stress free theme park vacation. One where you can have your fill of rides before lunch, take a break, come back later and ride 'til your hearts content.

 

[Limmer]

Awesome. This is making me feel better. I had planned this from advice on this board but then all of a sudden it was like "what if everybody is wrong?". Hahahha. I will come back and re-read this everytime I panic.

 

[cincystamper]

Awesome. This is making me feel better. I had planned this from advice on this board but then all of a sudden it was like "what if everybody is wrong?". Hahahha. I will come back and re-read this everytime I panic.

If it helps at all, I was you right before my first trip this past November. And it turned out completely fine. We stayed at Cabana Bay, so no Express Pass, but were able to do everything we wanted - multiple times. We opted to not do Volcano Bay but could have easily fit it in on our check-in day. (We explored City Walk instead.) First park day was all things Wizard, including the Hogwarts Express. (I definitely agree with getting park-to-park tickets!) The next day we tackled everything non-wizarding in one park. The third day we did the same in the other park. Day four was a revisit of our first day wizarding adventure, with plans to revisit some of our other favorites. But we had been able to ride the other stuff as much as we wanted those other days that we actually left the parks in the early afternoon and spent some time floating around the lazy river at the resort.

So definitely - don't panic. It's hard when you're used to uber-planning for Disney, believe me, I know. But it was pretty amazing. You'll have a blast!

 

[Laura353741]

Yeah with express pass you will be just fine. It's a whole different world from trying to work fast passes at disney. Lower crowds in general too. But yes get park to park so you can ride the Hogwarts Express between parks We kinda go back and forth

 

[lebeau]

You are going to be shocked by how different Universal is from Disney. When you're staying at a deluxe and have EP, there is nothing to worry about. No need to plan. You can sleep in. Spontaneity is alive and well at Universal. You won't need dining reservations, although they are a good idea if you plan to eat somewhere like Mythos on a busy day. You won't need to commit months in advance and walk-ups are an option even at busy times.

We like having park-to-park tickets for flexibility and the Hogwart's Express. I wouldn't say they are essential, but they are nice to have. If you don't want to commit up front, you can upgrade in the parks should you feel the need to visit both parks in one day.

Volcano Bay is amazing. Make sure to ride the water coaster first because lines for that one do back up and it is not to be missed.

In 2015, we decided to try out Universal in between WDW trips. We haven't been back to WDW since.

 

[Leigh L]

Totally doable! We went for the first time during Christmas week and it was crazy crowded. With EP in Oct I think you should have no problem. We did 2 full (we are open to close people too) and 2 6-8 hour days.

We had EP for 2 of the days with a 1-night stay at Royal Pacific and that enabled us to do everything we wanted, more than once . Even on the day we didn't have EP (12/23), we got there for park opening and still did quite a bit, we got to ride Forbidden Journey 2x and Flight of the Hippogriff 1X (could have done this twice) in in the first hour easily.

As HP fans, your teens will love it!

 

[Deb1993]

Definitely get park to park tickets. You will have plenty of time to ride everything numerous times if you choose to with the Express Pass. We were every year Disney people and then one year decided to go to Universal and stay at the Portofino. We have not ventured back to Disney since. The ease of touring is unmatched. It is just a more relaxing trip. Enjoy!

 

[Polyonmymind]

If nothing else Universal will spoil you with the express passes... you will wish had this option at WDW. You'll be amazed at how much you will accomplish in a day at a leisurely pace, with plenty of time to soak in all Universal has to offer.

If you are concerned about Volcano Bay, you could opt for an afternoon at the Hard Rock pool. Or go resort pool hopping, which is not frowned upon at Universal Resorts. Enjoy your trip!

 

[TommyJK]

My only recommendation on a change to your plans would be as it relates to Volcano Bay.

By the time you arrive that first day, get organized and get over to VB, it'll probably be noon already.

And without EP for VB, lines could be really long by then.

My advice would be:

1. Get park to park tickets (as others have suggested for many great reasons)
2. Do VB on a day when you can take advantage of early entry so you can do most everything with little to no wait.

With the above, you can even do 1/2 day for VB and then if crowds get silly come mid-day, you could hop to the other parks (with a break in between) where you'll have EP.

My $0.02

 

[Limmer]

And without EP for VB, lines could be really long by then.

Is the Express Pass we have from staying at Hard Rock not cover VB?

 

[macraven]

The hotel ep does not include VBay

 

[cfoxga]

This link will show you the hotel prices for Oct 7-10 (you didn't mention which week) for 2 adults and 2 kids: https://res.windsurfercrs.com/ibe/d...promo=aph&iata=&group=&hotels=&ada=0&currid=0

This includes the code for the APH (annual pass) prices. If they show up (usually a couple months before), it should be quite a bit lower than the seasonal rate. You can check to see if that saves you any money. If you weren't going to VB, then it definitely would.