As my mom and I were discussing Disney trips this morning, she brought up a great point about the "it's too expensive" debate. The biggest reason most people have for not going is money. Yes, it can be expensive...CAN, but doesn't have to be. I've noticed many people save and save their money and go on one big, luxurious trip. That's great and all, but if you only go once or twice in your life, then you are missing out on so much. Disney is not meant to be experienced that way. It changes CONSTANTLY.
Let me start this off by saying that my family and I do not have money to burn. We have financial struggles just like everyone else. Yes, we visit the Disney parks often (usually at least once every 1-2 years), but our Disney trips are NOT luxurious. We would not be able to go as often as we do if we didn't pinch pennies on every single trip. Instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money on a single visit, why not spend less money on smaller trips and be able to go multiple times? Does that mean you will have to give up certain things like your desired deluxe hotel, dining in certain expensive restaurants, or buying out the souvenir shops? Most likely. But it doesn't mean you won't ever get to do those things. It doesn't have to be "go big or go home." I'd take frequent/multiple visits over my dream vacation any day. I still get to experience all the things on my "dream Disney vacation" list, just not all at once.
We choose one element of each vacation to splurge on. Sometimes it's the hotel, or an expensive restaurant, or other experience like a photo session or tour. For example, we usually choose one new sit down restaurant to try each time (we don't do dining plans to save money). On our most recent trip (we just got back yesterday. Boo!), we chose to splurge for an early character breakfast at Crystal Palace. I've always wanted to be the first into the Magic Kingdom in the morning, so this was my birthday present to myself. So worth getting up early and spending the extra cash on a buffet! For the rest of the trip, we ate two quick service meals per day (we brought cereal bars from home as our breakfast). My husband and I often split one meal, which saved us even more money (many plates are large enough for two people). I brought food for our 1-year old, or he nibbled off our plates. Throughout the day we got FREE water from the quick service restaurants. Yes, I said FREE. All you have to do is ask for a cup (make sure you say cup and not bottle) of water and they'll provide you one at no charge. You can get a cup of ice for free as well.
The hotel is often the most expensive part of a trip (aside from tickets of course). We usually stay in a value resort (they're the cheapest on property). The All-Star resorts are the cheapest. While I really wanted to stay in the Grand Floridian for my birthday, we chose the All-Star Music instead, since the Crystal Palace was our big splurge this time. If you have a little extra cash, the moderate resorts are a great option. We LOVE Port Orleans Riverside! Next time, we are hoping to make the hotel our splurge item and stay at the Polynesian. If you really want to save a ton, you can stay off-property at one of the Disney Good Neighbor hotels (I highly recommend the Clarion at Lake Buena Vista). Although you will have to pay for parking if you drive your personal vehicle to the parks ($17 per car, per park!). Most of the Good Neighbor hotels do offer a shuttle to Disney if you'd like to save the parking fee as well. Once on property, you can use Disney transportation to get everywhere you need to go.
Other things you can pinch or splurge on are your ticket options and length of stay. I would love to be able to stay a full week every time, but you don't have to. We typically stay 3-4 days in the parks, plus two days driving time. We also always include a weekend in our trip. This means that my husband doesn't use up as many vacation days, but we still have one full day for each park. Will you get to do everything in 3 days? Probably not. But that's why you're coming back, right? :) You can also save money by not purchasing ticket options like the water parks (we've only visited the water parks once in 8 years. No real need to go every time unless you're a big water nut), or no expiration (trust me, you'll likely not ever need this one). The one ticket option I can't live without is park hopper, although you can save over $50 per person by not getting it. It's worth every penny of that for us though, especially with a little one.
My favorite splurge item that isn't hotel or food is a Disney photo session. We did a mini session for our maternity photos last year and it was absolutely WONDERFUL (I did a blog post all about it). When our son gets a little older, we'll do another family session as our splurge. These sessions are different from Memory Maker, which is another item you can save money on. We have never purchased Memory Maker because honestly, I don't see a need to. We still use Photo Pass and have all the same photos you get with Memory Maker. I just go through and only purchase the ones I want (I have never wanted all of them). But really, you don't even have to do that. Cast members are more than happy to take a photo with your camera, for FREE. Just have your camera set and ready to go before you hand it off. Photo Pass photographers always take some with my camera, as well as with theirs, so I have plenty of options to choose from.
It's a myth that a Disney vacation is a once in a lifetime trip. Disney vacations are lots in a lifetime trips. Please, PLEASE go more than once. If you don't, you're missing out on a big part of the Disney experience. Go at different times of the year (you'll be amazed at the difference in seasons and crowds), try new things. The parks are always changing and evolving. There's always a new attraction, or show, or maybe even an entirely new park. It's a myth that Disney is unaffordable, or that you can't afford to go often. YOU choose how much you spend. You don't have to go all out to have an amazing time. I have only spent a few hours at Disney before (after a lot of begging on our way to board our non-Disney cruise lol). We spent very little money on that visit, and it was still absolutely AMAZING. Expense doesn't make a trip memorable. It's how you spend your time that counts.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
Universal Studios Orlando Tips and Review
The last time I visited Universal Studios Orlando, Islands of Adventure had barely begun construction. Back to the Future, Jaws, and the King Kong rides were still the main draws, and Wizarding World of Harry Potter wasn't even a thought. Even though I had been several times as a kid, going into our 1-day, 2-park visit last week, I felt very much green in the ways of Universal.
Prior to our trip, I tried to research Universal tips and tricks on the ever-reliable web. But alas, there just isn't as much info out there as there is for say, a little place called Walt Disney World. So, I made my best educated guesses on crowd levels and wait times, and came up with a very rough touring plan. Because the main (ok, only) reason for our visit was to see the two Harry Potter lands, my plan centered around those attractions. Everything else came second. If WWoHP is not your main draw, then just adjust to what's important to you. Alrighty then, on with the show...
(Side note: I tried my best to be objective throughout our visit, and with this post, but the Disney geek in me always manages to come out and I find myself comparing the two theme park giants in certain areas. Sorry Universal!)
Parking and Entering
Universal makes use of a parking deck for guest parking (I'm guessing due to the limited space). They offered preferred or regular parking (the preferred costing about $7 more). As far as I could tell, the only difference in the two was that the preferred was on ground level and the regular was on the upper levels.
To get to the theme parks, you must go through CityWalk (Universal's version of Downtown Disney). There are huge signs saying "Attractions" that lead you from the parking deck toward the park entrances. Bag check is before you enter CityWalk.
The parks typically open at 9 a.m., although we arrived earlier than that (around 8:45) and went right in without encountering any kind of rope drop or anything. All the attractions seemed to already be open.
Where To Go First
Because Diagon Alley is the newest addition to the parks (it just opened summer of 2014), it is typically the most crowded area. It's only attraction (besides the Hogwarts Express), Escape from Gringotts, also typically has the longest line. We headed straight there and the wait time was already 30 minutes. That would have been great, except the ride had technical issues just as we were about to board, and we ended up waiting over an hour. From talking to others who have visited before me, Gringotts is no stranger to ride delays. Sounds like they still have some bugs to work out. The attraction (when it works) is amazing though! The que, which takes you on a tour through the bank, is equally as awesome. It's incredibly detailed and true to the films, as is the whole Diagon Alley. It's an A+ from this Harry Potter geek!
After Gringotts, we hit a few other attractions in the Universal Studios park (this is the original park. The newest park is called Islands of Adventure). E.T. is a can't miss and one of the original Universal attractions. In all honesty, it's probably still my favorite. The other, newer attractions lack it's storytelling and cohesiveness. We also experienced Men in Black and the Mummy, all with short waits. I'm not sure if this is the norm, or if we just hit the right time of year (January and on a Thursday). We opted to skip the biggest non-Harry Potter attraction, Transformers, but the line didn't appear incredibly long there either.
With our list of Universal must-dos complete, we hopped aboard the Hogwarts Express and headed to Hogsmeade in the Islands of Adventure Park. You MUST have park-to-park admission to ride the train, as you depart from one park and arrive at another. You must scan your ticket and fingerprint before boarding.
Islands of Adventure
The village of Hogsmeade hosts three Harry Potter attractions: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dragon Challenge. The Forbidden Journey has the longest wait, although we only waited about 35 minutes. It was my favorite attraction of the day. A definite can't miss, even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan!
Other than Harry Potter, we only did one other attraction at Islands of Adventure, and that was the carousel at Suess Landing. It was the ONLY attraction our 7 month old was allowed to ride in either park. That was a big bummer, especially considering that there were several attractions similar to those at Disney (like Dumbo or the teacups) that he is allowed to ride at Disney, but not at Universal. I noticed Universal was much more strict about certain things (such as absolutely NO bags on rides) than Disney. But more on that later.
Islands of Adventure is where you'll find more thrill rides like the Hulk, Jurassic Park, and Dr. Doom's Fearfall. After researching each one (mostly via YouTube POVs), we decided we could skip most of them. As I mentioned, the Harry Potter areas were what we came to see, so we spend 90% of our time there.
The parks both closed at 7 p.m. After doing a little golden hour, pre-sunset photography in Hogsmeade, we walked back to the Universal Studios park (which isn't far at all. The parks are rather small), and headed back to Diagon Alley for some ice cream at Fortescue's and so I could do some nighttime photography. Diagon Alley was amazing during the day, but was even more impressive after dark.
To Express Pass or Not to Express Pass
Express Pass is Universal's version of Disney's FastPass system. At Universal, however, this little pass will cost you extra. Limited passes start at $40 for one park (limited meaning you can only use them once per attraction), or unlimited passes for both parks are $60 (unlimited passes can be used multiple times per attraction). I've never used it, but from what I understand, you can use the pass one time for each attraction that accepts it (if you purchase the one park limited passes), or as many times as you want if you purchase the unlimited. There are no set return times like with Disney's FastPass. Skipping lines always sounds good, but is that extra $40-$60 worth it? From what I saw while we were there, I'd say no. There were no ridiculous wait times for even the most popular attractions, and standby lines moved constantly for everything we rode. Generally speaking, Universal crowds are lighter than Disney crowds on any given day, so I'd recommend saving your Express Pass money for Harry Potter souvenirs (that stuff is outrageous!).
The Great Disney vs. Universal Debate
- No magic bands. This one is probably more of a personal preference of mine, but I love that Universal is still pretty old school in their tickets and park entry. A simple paper ticket and fingerprint scan is all you need. No awkward plastic band around your wrist, or trying multiple times to get it to read at park entry. It was a fabulous step back in time.
- Everything is in walking distance. Both theme parks, as well as CityWalk, are all right beside each other. It's just a short walk between each area, making it very easy to park hop as you please.
Universal Cons
- Not very kid-friendly. If you have very young children or infants, you may want to hold off on your Universal trip until they're older. There just isn't a lot for little ones to do here. All but two attractions have height restrictions (and one of those still doesn't allow infants). Suess Landing and Fivel's Play Area are about the only places for little ones to go, and those spots don't offer much.
- Poor park layout. The layout of the parks is not as smooth as Disney's hub and spokes design. Here, there is no "weenie" and no way to really orient yourself in either park. The theming and storytelling is also very lacking. I noticed several attractions that didn't make any thematic sense in the lands where they were located. In fact, I'd say Universal spent all it's theming and detail on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
- Less than friendly staff. Maybe it's just because Cast Members have us spoiled, but we found most of the workers at Universal to be not-so-happy in their work. There were a few who were absolutely wonderful and welcoming, but I saw others being a little rude to park goers, especially the ones who couldn't speak very much English.
- Major ride restrictions. Universal doesn't allow any bags or loose items like cameras on any of their rides (or at least the ones we rode). Those items must be stored in free lockers at each attraction. Because the lockers are located inside the que (and most people don't know they have to store their items there), this causes major line disruption and sometimes confusion. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was the worst. It was so crazy in there, we almost got separated and couldn't fine the actual que. I snuck my camera onto Gringotts, but probably couldn't have gotten away with it on Forbidden Journey. They were brutal about that one. These intense restrictions added to staff unpleasantness as well.
- Cost. There's a common misconception that Universal is cheaper than Disney. Let me tell you right now, that couldn't be more false. Everything we saw, from tickets to souvenirs to food, was more expensive at Universal. Think about it. It costs $300 (tax included) for two adult one-day park-to-park tickets at Universal. That's two theme parks for one day. Two adult one-day park hopper Disney tickets cost $285 (tax included), That's admission to four theme parks. See what I mean. You get more bang for your buck at Disney.
In Conclusion
It had been 16 years since we had last been to Universal Studios, and will likely be another 10 before we return. While there are things that I really enjoy about the parks (E.T. and Harry Potter are amazing!), overall it's just not the place for me. As a whole, the parks and attractions lack the storytelling and theming that makes a theme park a THEME park, instead of just an amusement park. I wish they had applied as much thought and care into all areas of the parks as they did into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had heard that those areas rivaled Disney quality as far as detail and theme, and I can say I wholeheartedly agree.
If you do plan to make a trip to Universal, I'd say one to two days is all you need. There's not really enough to fill up an entire week. If you don't plan to visit the Disney parks at all, consider combining your Universal trip with a stop at Sea World that's just down the road.
As for me, I'm sure I'll return to Universal again someday. Maybe when my son is old enough to read and enjoy the Harry Potter books and begs to see Hogwarts for himself. Until then, I can say I've sipped Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, shopped in Diagon Alley, and survived the vaults of Gringotts, but I'm still a Disney kid ;)
Prior to our trip, I tried to research Universal tips and tricks on the ever-reliable web. But alas, there just isn't as much info out there as there is for say, a little place called Walt Disney World. So, I made my best educated guesses on crowd levels and wait times, and came up with a very rough touring plan. Because the main (ok, only) reason for our visit was to see the two Harry Potter lands, my plan centered around those attractions. Everything else came second. If WWoHP is not your main draw, then just adjust to what's important to you. Alrighty then, on with the show...
(Side note: I tried my best to be objective throughout our visit, and with this post, but the Disney geek in me always manages to come out and I find myself comparing the two theme park giants in certain areas. Sorry Universal!)
Parking and Entering
Universal makes use of a parking deck for guest parking (I'm guessing due to the limited space). They offered preferred or regular parking (the preferred costing about $7 more). As far as I could tell, the only difference in the two was that the preferred was on ground level and the regular was on the upper levels.
To get to the theme parks, you must go through CityWalk (Universal's version of Downtown Disney). There are huge signs saying "Attractions" that lead you from the parking deck toward the park entrances. Bag check is before you enter CityWalk.
The parks typically open at 9 a.m., although we arrived earlier than that (around 8:45) and went right in without encountering any kind of rope drop or anything. All the attractions seemed to already be open.
Where To Go First
Because Diagon Alley is the newest addition to the parks (it just opened summer of 2014), it is typically the most crowded area. It's only attraction (besides the Hogwarts Express), Escape from Gringotts, also typically has the longest line. We headed straight there and the wait time was already 30 minutes. That would have been great, except the ride had technical issues just as we were about to board, and we ended up waiting over an hour. From talking to others who have visited before me, Gringotts is no stranger to ride delays. Sounds like they still have some bugs to work out. The attraction (when it works) is amazing though! The que, which takes you on a tour through the bank, is equally as awesome. It's incredibly detailed and true to the films, as is the whole Diagon Alley. It's an A+ from this Harry Potter geek!
 |
| The signs of Diagon Alley with a Gringotts backdrop. |
After Gringotts, we hit a few other attractions in the Universal Studios park (this is the original park. The newest park is called Islands of Adventure). E.T. is a can't miss and one of the original Universal attractions. In all honesty, it's probably still my favorite. The other, newer attractions lack it's storytelling and cohesiveness. We also experienced Men in Black and the Mummy, all with short waits. I'm not sure if this is the norm, or if we just hit the right time of year (January and on a Thursday). We opted to skip the biggest non-Harry Potter attraction, Transformers, but the line didn't appear incredibly long there either.
With our list of Universal must-dos complete, we hopped aboard the Hogwarts Express and headed to Hogsmeade in the Islands of Adventure Park. You MUST have park-to-park admission to ride the train, as you depart from one park and arrive at another. You must scan your ticket and fingerprint before boarding.
Islands of Adventure
The village of Hogsmeade hosts three Harry Potter attractions: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dragon Challenge. The Forbidden Journey has the longest wait, although we only waited about 35 minutes. It was my favorite attraction of the day. A definite can't miss, even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan!
Other than Harry Potter, we only did one other attraction at Islands of Adventure, and that was the carousel at Suess Landing. It was the ONLY attraction our 7 month old was allowed to ride in either park. That was a big bummer, especially considering that there were several attractions similar to those at Disney (like Dumbo or the teacups) that he is allowed to ride at Disney, but not at Universal. I noticed Universal was much more strict about certain things (such as absolutely NO bags on rides) than Disney. But more on that later.
 |
| Don't expect a grand castle reveal when you round the corner of Hogsmeade. The theme park version of Hogwarts is actually pretty small...But very detailed! |
Islands of Adventure is where you'll find more thrill rides like the Hulk, Jurassic Park, and Dr. Doom's Fearfall. After researching each one (mostly via YouTube POVs), we decided we could skip most of them. As I mentioned, the Harry Potter areas were what we came to see, so we spend 90% of our time there.
The parks both closed at 7 p.m. After doing a little golden hour, pre-sunset photography in Hogsmeade, we walked back to the Universal Studios park (which isn't far at all. The parks are rather small), and headed back to Diagon Alley for some ice cream at Fortescue's and so I could do some nighttime photography. Diagon Alley was amazing during the day, but was even more impressive after dark.
To Express Pass or Not to Express Pass
Express Pass is Universal's version of Disney's FastPass system. At Universal, however, this little pass will cost you extra. Limited passes start at $40 for one park (limited meaning you can only use them once per attraction), or unlimited passes for both parks are $60 (unlimited passes can be used multiple times per attraction). I've never used it, but from what I understand, you can use the pass one time for each attraction that accepts it (if you purchase the one park limited passes), or as many times as you want if you purchase the unlimited. There are no set return times like with Disney's FastPass. Skipping lines always sounds good, but is that extra $40-$60 worth it? From what I saw while we were there, I'd say no. There were no ridiculous wait times for even the most popular attractions, and standby lines moved constantly for everything we rode. Generally speaking, Universal crowds are lighter than Disney crowds on any given day, so I'd recommend saving your Express Pass money for Harry Potter souvenirs (that stuff is outrageous!).
The Great Disney vs. Universal Debate
Oh, you knew this was coming. This being a Disney blog, it shouldn't be hard to guess my preference, but even so, let's do a little comparison just for academic sake, huh?
Universal Pros
- Lower crowd levels. Universal just isn't as popular as Disney, therefore crowds tend to be lower than at the Disney parks. The original Universal Park was almost like a ghost town, except for Diagon Alley. Islands of Adventure was a little more crowded.- No magic bands. This one is probably more of a personal preference of mine, but I love that Universal is still pretty old school in their tickets and park entry. A simple paper ticket and fingerprint scan is all you need. No awkward plastic band around your wrist, or trying multiple times to get it to read at park entry. It was a fabulous step back in time.
- Everything is in walking distance. Both theme parks, as well as CityWalk, are all right beside each other. It's just a short walk between each area, making it very easy to park hop as you please.
Universal Cons
- Not very kid-friendly. If you have very young children or infants, you may want to hold off on your Universal trip until they're older. There just isn't a lot for little ones to do here. All but two attractions have height restrictions (and one of those still doesn't allow infants). Suess Landing and Fivel's Play Area are about the only places for little ones to go, and those spots don't offer much.
- Poor park layout. The layout of the parks is not as smooth as Disney's hub and spokes design. Here, there is no "weenie" and no way to really orient yourself in either park. The theming and storytelling is also very lacking. I noticed several attractions that didn't make any thematic sense in the lands where they were located. In fact, I'd say Universal spent all it's theming and detail on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
- Less than friendly staff. Maybe it's just because Cast Members have us spoiled, but we found most of the workers at Universal to be not-so-happy in their work. There were a few who were absolutely wonderful and welcoming, but I saw others being a little rude to park goers, especially the ones who couldn't speak very much English.
- Major ride restrictions. Universal doesn't allow any bags or loose items like cameras on any of their rides (or at least the ones we rode). Those items must be stored in free lockers at each attraction. Because the lockers are located inside the que (and most people don't know they have to store their items there), this causes major line disruption and sometimes confusion. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was the worst. It was so crazy in there, we almost got separated and couldn't fine the actual que. I snuck my camera onto Gringotts, but probably couldn't have gotten away with it on Forbidden Journey. They were brutal about that one. These intense restrictions added to staff unpleasantness as well.
- Cost. There's a common misconception that Universal is cheaper than Disney. Let me tell you right now, that couldn't be more false. Everything we saw, from tickets to souvenirs to food, was more expensive at Universal. Think about it. It costs $300 (tax included) for two adult one-day park-to-park tickets at Universal. That's two theme parks for one day. Two adult one-day park hopper Disney tickets cost $285 (tax included), That's admission to four theme parks. See what I mean. You get more bang for your buck at Disney.
In Conclusion
It had been 16 years since we had last been to Universal Studios, and will likely be another 10 before we return. While there are things that I really enjoy about the parks (E.T. and Harry Potter are amazing!), overall it's just not the place for me. As a whole, the parks and attractions lack the storytelling and theming that makes a theme park a THEME park, instead of just an amusement park. I wish they had applied as much thought and care into all areas of the parks as they did into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I had heard that those areas rivaled Disney quality as far as detail and theme, and I can say I wholeheartedly agree.
If you do plan to make a trip to Universal, I'd say one to two days is all you need. There's not really enough to fill up an entire week. If you don't plan to visit the Disney parks at all, consider combining your Universal trip with a stop at Sea World that's just down the road.
As for me, I'm sure I'll return to Universal again someday. Maybe when my son is old enough to read and enjoy the Harry Potter books and begs to see Hogwarts for himself. Until then, I can say I've sipped Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, shopped in Diagon Alley, and survived the vaults of Gringotts, but I'm still a Disney kid ;)
Monday, January 5, 2015
Miranda's Top 5 Most Underrated WDW Attractions You've Probably Never Experienced
- O' Canada, Epcot - Epcot has three 360° films on World Showcase. They are all great films, but my personal favorite is O' Cananda, tucked away in the Canada pavilion. When it first debuted, the 360° Circle Vision was AMAZING, and still is pretty neat. Giant screens surround you on all sides, making the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian landscape even more so.
- Temple of Heaven, Epcot - The China pavilion's Temple of Heaven is home to the film Reflections of China (another 360° Circle Vision movie). While the film is great, the real attraction to me is the temple itself. Just walk in and look up. You'll see what I mean.
- Walt Disney World Railroad, Magic Kingdom - Not just an attraction, but a great means of transportation inside the park. With stops at Main Street, Frontierland, and Fantasyland, taking the train is a relaxing (and scenic) way to get from one side of the park to the other. Because the train circles the entire perimeter of the park, you get a different perspective and view of some of the attractions, including an inside view of Splash Mountain.
- Country Bear Jamboree, Magic Kingdom - So it's a little corny...OK, maybe it's a lot corny, but this is a classic everyone should see (especially if you have little ones). The personalities of the animatronic bears are what make the show for me. They are a great example of Disney storytelling at its finest. The music and humor is, like I said, corny, but it still makes you laugh and tap your foot to the beat.
- Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Disney's Hollywood Studios - This one is easily my favorite on the list. If you have any interest at all in Disney history, you'll love this walk-through exhibit. You'll learn about Walt's humble beginnings, his struggles in the business, and how his amazing dreams became reality. There are also great artifacts like the multi-plane camera, early Mickey Mouse merchandise, and models of theme park attractions. At the end, you can view a short film about Walt that is wonderful (yeah, it makes me cry). Definitely don't miss it!
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