I have been
visiting Walt Disney World almost yearly since I have been 10 and have almost
40+ visits under my belt. Our boys have
been visiting since they have been in the womb.
When we visit Central Florida our running joke is that Dad will get
hives if he ventures off Disney property.
Our top three vacations choices are cruising (anywhere), Disney, and
Hilton Head Island. A few weeks ago we
headed down to Hilton Head and decided to make a little detour to Universal Orlando
Resort (forgive me Walt).
We learned a
few great things:
It is OK to
visit other attractions in Central Florida.
Universal is
giving Disney some stiff competition with fantastic attractions and well themed
areas.
Dad is
getting older cannot ride extreme make you throw up roller coasters more than
three times in an hour.
Universal
has some great Lowes resorts within walking distance to the parks
A fantastic
perk for staying on site at the Universal Resort is the ‘front of the line’
access. As a guest you can skip almost
all the lines at both parks. During the
busy season this perk is worth the extra cost to stay on site. Walking past almost every 60 – 100 minute
line in the 90 degree heat was worth its weight in gold! We stayed at the Loews Royal Pacific
Resort. We had a very well appointed
room overlooking the Islands of Adventure Park.
The resort offers a luxurious resort pool, fabulous lobby, excellent
dining, and resort transportation. Walking
to the parks was a short eight minutes or boat ride away.
The
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – All I can say is WOW! Universal has matched or even I dare say out
done Disney with the level of theming and technology. I do not want to give any spoilers on Harry
Potter Forbidden Journey attraction but the mix of theatrics and technology makes
it one of the best attractions in Central Florida. You really feel as though you are entering
Hogsmead, visiting the unique shops, and eating at the Three Broomsticks. The frozen Butterbeer is a refreshing treat!
If you enjoy
coasters then Universal is for you. From
shooting out of the Hulk at 60 MPH or the twist and turns of the Dragons
Challenge our boys could not get enough. They have some of the best coasters I
have ridden to date. I have to admit I
did chicken out of the Hollywood Rip Ride.
That coaster climbed the lift hill at a straight 90 degree angle and
that is just too much for me! Donna and
the boys loved it.
Two of Universal’s simulator rides ended up being some of my
favorites. Being a fan of the Simpsons
it was a blast to head off into Krustyland with Marge and Homer. Universal’s new attraction Despicable Me Minion
Mayhem was a very well done and fun 3D ride into becoming a minion. Very well done and funny – and you can enjoy
the Minion Dance Party after the show!
With that said I do think Universal does lack in some
areas. Universal staff does not engage
or go out of their way to make the guest experience better than the norm. Now
do not get me wrong Disney does not do this in every instance either … but I
can usually point to at least one encounter with a Disney cast member that went
out of their way or did something special.
I did not find that at Universal.
Lastly, Universal almost goes out of its way to prove they are NOT
Disney. They add an ‘edge’ to many of their
attractions that might rub some people the wrong way. For some this ‘edge’ is just what the doctor
ordered.
Overall we had a fantastic time at Universal and plan to head
back in a few years – maybe next time I will get up the courage for the
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit!
Happy Cruising!
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