Universal Park Strategy 14 days tickets - 2 days on site

[Leelashpurple]

Hi all

Travelling mid August with 2 children (10 and 13) who love Harry Potter. Staying in HRH for 2 nights then on to Disney for 13. So 2 full days at the parks and however long we want on the final day. Our tickets are 14 day and include Volcano Bay. We could possibly visit again during our Disney stay.

Could we do everything in the 2 parks in the 2 days when we have FOLP's?

I thought we may go to Volcano Bay on check out day if we don't feel the need to go back into the parks. Are the shower and changing facilities nice enough to get ready for the rest of day as we can't go back to the resort to shower and change before check in at the Beach Club?

Any tips for how to tackle the parks?

In size how do they compare to the Disney parks?

[Th1nkT1nk]

Following!

[Busyb]

We first went to Florida with my 4 year old and only did Disney. We went back last year and did Universal on-site for 5 nights and Disney onsite for 10 nights. However with him being older, we absolutely loved universal and Volcano bay. Wish we had done 7 and 7. We are planing to go back this year and we aren't even going to do Disney at all. So my opinion is that you may want to spend more time at Universal (We are big Harry Potter fans). But yes there are showers at Volcano Bay.

[SteveyJ]

You can easily do it all in two days although for me it'd feel quite rushed. We're doing the best part of four days on our upcoming trip so we can take it a bit slower but we've done two and three days in the past two trips.

[DFussy]

Ive been at that time of August and i would say with express passes weather permitting you can definitely do it all in two days.

I say weather permitting because the last time we went end of july and it rained firmly, closing outdoor coasters, for all of the first day, and some of the second so didn't really work out at all, and we went back for two half days without express pass to mop up.

We found using the early access for volcano bay a very good use of perks as could do some of the big rides with no queue or tap for virtual q.

[DFussy]

In terms of size, planning. Probably about same size as ak/hs imo.

Planning universal tend to only open one of the two parks, plus vb early. The info comes out much later than disney so check on the website from a month before under hotel perks to so which it is, if you are up for early starts. Unfortunately it is not a different park each day.

Orlando informer has lots of plans and info on universal, but the beauty of the express pass is it doesn't need as much planning as disney imo.

We found refillable cups good for our trip.

[rafjen]

Personally I would want more than 2 days even with express- Are you planning on coming back another day once at Disney. In the past we had 2 one night booking and spent 4 full days with express and loved it but we were at a villa and just didn't go back to it those nights. I might suggest volcano bay morning on day 2 then parks until close then a full 3rd day with express before checking in in the evening at beach club.

[Rawhide]

As per my reply in another thread...

2 days Express Pass is a great way to do both parks in the 2 days.

As others have said, arrive at your hotel before park opening, check in and dump your overnight luggage. Get your express passes from the kiosks and get in the park at opening. Ride the big rides without the Express Pass queues first, while the park is quiet. Then you can use your passes to ride the others as the parks get busy.

If you want/need to, head back to the hotel to chill/cool off/eat, as you can go back later, and do more.

We generally manage to do everything in the 2 days as much as we want.

[Funkymoover]

Originally Posted by Rawhide

As per my reply in another thread...

2 days Express Pass is a great way to do both parks in the 2 days.

As others have said, arrive at your hotel before park opening, check in and dump your overnight luggage. Get your express passes from the kiosks and get in the park at opening. Ride the big rides without the Express Pass queues first, while the park is quiet. Then you can use your passes to ride the others as the parks get busy.

If you want/need to, head back to the hotel to chill/cool off/eat, as you can go back later, and do more.

We generally manage to do everything in the 2 days as much as we want.

See more...

this would be my plan too for 2 days, I'm planning 2 nights at HRH (not sure yet if we are going to do consecutive days or 2 separate) did 1 last time, but no VB. got there so we could leave the car and get passes then in for opening, did the HP rides that had no express. I don't think I could go back to doing it without the express passes now, I will save up specifically for the extra nights at HRH if I have to (bring on the overtime... )