Disney Family's First Universal Trip - We survived President's Week and Mardi Gras crowds! (Complete!)

[ArielLoverNH]

My DH is big guy as well 6'10 and over 300 pounds. My youngest son is 6'7" and weighs 300 pounds and my oldest son is 6'4" but a skinny 170 pounds. Is the issue with not being able to ride because of height or weight??? - I have kicked around a universal trip for a couple of years but if my guys can't ride a ton of stuff I am not going to bring them there. At Disney my husband can not do Flight of Passage or Space Mountain - he is able to do everything else. My youngest son was at Disney in January and was able to squeeze on both of these rides but said no more space mountain. Thank you for your report.

I was wondering the same thing. I am a bigger guy as well and our first trip is in October. I am six feet at 280 pounds, carry it mostly in my belly. Never had an issue with any rides at Disney.

 

[nycdisneygal]

Really enjoyed your trip report and your pictures were just great!!!

 

[notatallmagic]

DAY 5 (Thursday, Feb 23): The Kitchen Breakfast, Departure, and Final Thoughts

The Kitchen

My original plan for check out day was to sleep in a bit, grab lunch at Hard Rock or City Walk, and then head to the airport. However, we decided we wanted a good breakfast instead, so I made a reservation for 9am breakfast at the Kitchen in the Hard Rock.

The Kitchen is located in Hard Rock near the pool area. At 9am the restaurant was busy but not crazy crowded. They offer both a buffet and regular breakfast dishes. We all decided to get the buffet since it was the quickest and easiest. And for some of the dishes, the buffet wasn’t that much more. My only hesitation ordering “buffet for all” was my entire crew would be considered adults. Kids 3-9 were $17 and 10 and up were adults at $29. No way would my 10 and 12 year old eat $30 worth of breakfast, but its vacation so I just went with it. We were VERY lucky and thankful that our server charged all 3 of our kids (even my 19yo!) the kids price!

We normally don’t do buffets except for the occasional breakfast buffet on vacation. This buffet was great! The food was hot, fresh, and plentiful, and the buffet offered a large variety of items. In addition to the buffet, there was an omelet station as well as a griddle station for made to order waffles and French toast. At the griddle station we ordered chocolate chip waffles and also the Elvis French toast. Everything we had was delicious.

Service was a little slow, but not terrible. They cleared our plates quickly, but it took a while to get our check and pay. We actually left to go back up to the room and DH stayed to pay since it was taking so long and the kids were getting restless. I didn’t complain, though, since he charged the 3 kids as kids instead of adults like they should have been charged!

Overall we really enjoyed this meal. But it was pricey for breakfast. However, we all ate enough that we didn’t eat again until we had an early dinner at the airport so I guess that was a plus!

Departure

After breakfast, we went back up to the room until check out time, which was 11am. I texted the front desk when we left the room and that’s how we checked out. No stopping at the front desk. They emailed a final bill.

Originally, my plan was to eat lunch and then head to the airport, so I booked the rental care for pick up at 1:30pm. I booked through Avis again since they are located at Hard Rock. After we left the room at 11am, I went to the Avis desk in the lobby to see if we could pick up the car early, but was told that because I pre-booked and prepaid, if I took the car early (even just a couple of hours) they’d have to charge me an entire extra day.

We thought about going to walk to City Walk just to walk around, or try mini-golf, but none of us wanted to get all hot and sweaty (it was hot while we were there) before having to get on the plane. So instead we just hung out in the lobby. About an hour in we went grab coffee and/or ice cream from Emack & Bolio’s downstairs.

Around 1pm I noticed a new worker at the Avis counter, so I went see if we could pick up the car half an hour early. He checked us in to get the car, no questions asked!

The drive to Tampa wasn’t too bad. Our flight was at 6pm so we had plenty of time to get to the airport, drop off the rental car, and then grab a quick dinner at the airport before getting on the plane. The drive to/from Tampa isn’t terrible, and it was certainly worth the money saved. Even with the rental car expense and added time, for our family of 5, flying into Tampa was worth it.

Final Thoughts

This Disney-loving family wasn’t sure what to expect from our first Universal trip and we ended up loving every minute of it! We were impressed with how nice the parks were, and not just the Harry Potter sections. There was more theming throughout than I was expecting.

One thing we really liked was how much more laid back the trip felt. It involved a lot less planning. Not having to pick where you want to go and/or what you want to eat 6 months out is the best. Universal is perfect for a long weekend and/or shorter trip. For shorter Disney trips, we always feel like we’re missing out on something because you can’t do/see it all in a week much less 3-4 days. But at Universal, we felt like we had a complete trip. We did 4 days because of the buy 2 get 2 ticket offer, but I think we could have gotten everything done in 3.

Everything being so close and compact was also great (and was also something loved about going to Disneyland). Walking to/from Hard Rock everyday (and knowing there was a boat option as well) was a very useful perk!

I can’t say enough positive things about EP. It’s 100x better than Genie+ and LL. Way more expensive, too, especially as a family of 5. But as long as its included, we’ll always stay at a premier resort to get them for free. They made the trip so much more enjoyable. I know we probably could have gotten everything done in 4 days without them, but it helped make our trip much more relaxing by giving us to to sleep in, or leave early, or go to the pool, without thinking we were “wasting” time and not getting things done. We were able to ride our favs multiple times, and not having to wait in line kept us all happy!

I don’t think I could go and NOT get park to park either. For my family, I don’t think we could spend an entire day just at Universal Studios. The simulator rides were not our favorite, so we liked being able to spread those out. There were 3 that we didn’t even do because we were tired of the screens, not because we didn’t have time for them.

DH had an enjoyable time even though he couldn’t ride any of the bigger thrill rides. Another plus to the EP is that DH didn’t have to wait around for us for hours at time.

Lanyards with EP is a must, IMO. So easy to use this way. I still carried a fanny pack, and was able to take it on almost everything. I couldn’t on the rides with the metal detectors, that’s it. Next time we’ll probably do one or two refillable cups now that we have a better idea of how it works. We’ll still carry at least one bottle for water, may try one of those collapsable cups for water.

I thought the photo package was worth it to get all the ride photos since it was our first trip, but I’m not sure I’d feel the need to get it again. Guess it depends how long it’s been between trips.

Overall, we enjoyed this trip more than we thought we would. We knew we’d like the rollercoasters and other rides, but I don’t think we realized how much we’d just enjoy the parks themselves. It also made me realize how much I miss laid back, wing-it kind of trips. And actually having perks for staying on site is huge, especially free EP for staying premier. Everyone said this week (President's week and Mardi Gras) would be crazy crowded, but we never found it bad at all. Perhaps we didn't have high expectations from reading so many warnings about going this week. LOL! We found everything to be manageable and as expected. We look forward to seeing the new things in store for Universal and can’t wait to plan our next trip!

Glad to hear your had a great time! We've had many of the same experiences, and many of the same observations. We really have enjoyed the easier pace, the lack of pressure to get everything done, the close proximity of everything, the easy planning (dining reservations for sure!), and the ability to relax poolside and still get everything we wanted done in 3 days - and your are correct - the Express Pass is amazing! Our Universal trips this year (we are Annual Passholders now) are all 4-5 days, and allow for a nice, relaxing trip.

 

[glocon]

DAY 5 (Thursday, Feb 23): The Kitchen Breakfast, Departure, and Final Thoughts

The Kitchen

My original plan for check out day was to sleep in a bit, grab lunch at Hard Rock or City Walk, and then head to the airport. However, we decided we wanted a good breakfast instead, so I made a reservation for 9am breakfast at the Kitchen in the Hard Rock.

The Kitchen is located in Hard Rock near the pool area. At 9am the restaurant was busy but not crazy crowded. They offer both a buffet and regular breakfast dishes. We all decided to get the buffet since it was the quickest and easiest. And for some of the dishes, the buffet wasn’t that much more. My only hesitation ordering “buffet for all” was my entire crew would be considered adults. Kids 3-9 were $17 and 10 and up were adults at $29. No way would my 10 and 12 year old eat $30 worth of breakfast, but its vacation so I just went with it. We were VERY lucky and thankful that our server charged all 3 of our kids (even my 19yo!) the kids price!

We normally don’t do buffets except for the occasional breakfast buffet on vacation. This buffet was great! The food was hot, fresh, and plentiful, and the buffet offered a large variety of items. In addition to the buffet, there was an omelet station as well as a griddle station for made to order waffles and French toast. At the griddle station we ordered chocolate chip waffles and also the Elvis French toast. Everything we had was delicious.

Service was a little slow, but not terrible. They cleared our plates quickly, but it took a while to get our check and pay. We actually left to go back up to the room and DH stayed to pay since it was taking so long and the kids were getting restless. I didn’t complain, though, since he charged the 3 kids as kids instead of adults like they should have been charged!

Overall we really enjoyed this meal. But it was pricey for breakfast. However, we all ate enough that we didn’t eat again until we had an early dinner at the airport so I guess that was a plus!

Departure

After breakfast, we went back up to the room until check out time, which was 11am. I texted the front desk when we left the room and that’s how we checked out. No stopping at the front desk. They emailed a final bill.

Originally, my plan was to eat lunch and then head to the airport, so I booked the rental care for pick up at 1:30pm. I booked through Avis again since they are located at Hard Rock. After we left the room at 11am, I went to the Avis desk in the lobby to see if we could pick up the car early, but was told that because I pre-booked and prepaid, if I took the car early (even just a couple of hours) they’d have to charge me an entire extra day.

We thought about going to walk to City Walk just to walk around, or try mini-golf, but none of us wanted to get all hot and sweaty (it was hot while we were there) before having to get on the plane. So instead we just hung out in the lobby. About an hour in we went grab coffee and/or ice cream from Emack & Bolio’s downstairs.

Around 1pm I noticed a new worker at the Avis counter, so I went see if we could pick up the car half an hour early. He checked us in to get the car, no questions asked!

The drive to Tampa wasn’t too bad. Our flight was at 6pm so we had plenty of time to get to the airport, drop off the rental car, and then grab a quick dinner at the airport before getting on the plane. The drive to/from Tampa isn’t terrible, and it was certainly worth the money saved. Even with the rental car expense and added time, for our family of 5, flying into Tampa was worth it.

Final Thoughts

This Disney-loving family wasn’t sure what to expect from our first Universal trip and we ended up loving every minute of it! We were impressed with how nice the parks were, and not just the Harry Potter sections. There was more theming throughout than I was expecting.

One thing we really liked was how much more laid back the trip felt. It involved a lot less planning. Not having to pick where you want to go and/or what you want to eat 6 months out is the best. Universal is perfect for a long weekend and/or shorter trip. For shorter Disney trips, we always feel like we’re missing out on something because you can’t do/see it all in a week much less 3-4 days. But at Universal, we felt like we had a complete trip. We did 4 days because of the buy 2 get 2 ticket offer, but I think we could have gotten everything done in 3.

Everything being so close and compact was also great (and was also something loved about going to Disneyland). Walking to/from Hard Rock everyday (and knowing there was a boat option as well) was a very useful perk!

I can’t say enough positive things about EP. It’s 100x better than Genie+ and LL. Way more expensive, too, especially as a family of 5. But as long as its included, we’ll always stay at a premier resort to get them for free. They made the trip so much more enjoyable. I know we probably could have gotten everything done in 4 days without them, but it helped make our trip much more relaxing by giving us to to sleep in, or leave early, or go to the pool, without thinking we were “wasting” time and not getting things done. We were able to ride our favs multiple times, and not having to wait in line kept us all happy!

I don’t think I could go and NOT get park to park either. For my family, I don’t think we could spend an entire day just at Universal Studios. The simulator rides were not our favorite, so we liked being able to spread those out. There were 3 that we didn’t even do because we were tired of the screens, not because we didn’t have time for them.

DH had an enjoyable time even though he couldn’t ride any of the bigger thrill rides. Another plus to the EP is that DH didn’t have to wait around for us for hours at time.

Lanyards with EP is a must, IMO. So easy to use this way. I still carried a fanny pack, and was able to take it on almost everything. I couldn’t on the rides with the metal detectors, that’s it. Next time we’ll probably do one or two refillable cups now that we have a better idea of how it works. We’ll still carry at least one bottle for water, may try one of those collapsable cups for water.

I thought the photo package was worth it to get all the ride photos since it was our first trip, but I’m not sure I’d feel the need to get it again. Guess it depends how long it’s been between trips.

Overall, we enjoyed this trip more than we thought we would. We knew we’d like the rollercoasters and other rides, but I don’t think we realized how much we’d just enjoy the parks themselves. It also made me realize how much I miss laid back, wing-it kind of trips. And actually having perks for staying on site is huge, especially free EP for staying premier. Everyone said this week (President's week and Mardi Gras) would be crazy crowded, but we never found it bad at all. Perhaps we didn't have high expectations from reading so many warnings about going this week. LOL! We found everything to be manageable and as expected. We look forward to seeing the new things in store for Universal and can’t wait to plan our next trip!

I really enjoyed your trip report- especially the pictures!
Thanks!

 

[disneyseniors]

Thanks for the great first Universal trip report! You did a great job; something which I haven;t attempted yet!
We were a die hard disney family, but with all the changes at disney, we have switched to Universal.
We absolutely love Universal and plan to go to Universal from now on. It's not disney, but then again, disney is not Universal. I love the way you can wing it and go where you want when you want. All the planning and overcrowding at disney did it for us. I can't wait for the new park area at Universal which I think will be great.
So glad you had a wonderful time at Universal!

 

[Robo56]

Enjoyed reading your trip report. I always like to read everyones feedback on their experiences at Universal. Enjoyed your photos. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Lynne G]

Great report, thank you for writing. We have been going to Universal instead of Disney, when my youngest was tall enough to ride most of the rides at Universal.

Now, since my kids were teens, I go to the parks early, and meet up with them later in the day. We almost always stay at one of the three that have that unlimited express pass. While most of my stays have been at Royal, due to Royal being the lowest of price between the three. But if money was not an issue, we’d always stay at the Portofino, as largest of bathrooms, and we like the look of the hotel. Though for speed, we’d always try to book the Hard Rock. Last two times, oddly, Hard Rock was cheaper than the other two. But in the Fall, I’m back to Royal, due to lowest of prices so far.

I’m not fond of mobile ordering fast food. I try to go at off times, and like to pay in cash. Though due to long lines seen at the donut place, we do mobile order those. So easy to pick up with no line, across from the store. And we always find them fresh and nicely packed. We also like the hot sandwiches at the HR’s fast food place. My kids like the Kitchen. When we were at the HR at the end of January, we did takeout from the Kitchen to eat in our room. Was hot, packed very nicely, and food was delicious. My youngest, 21, was with me in January and still raves about the noodle and beef entree she had in our takeout order. I agree, and it could have fed 4 people. The container felt like it weighed a couple of pounds.

We never take a doggy bag back to the room anymore. We never, in the past, ate it later. And while wasteful at some meals, we pass on having it packed up for some time now. We also do a grocery shop stop before we check in. We like to snack in the late evenings, so much cheaper to buy chip bags, dip, candy and bottled soda at Target or Walmart. Walmart is a 5 minute ride from Royal, and a Target we like is in Millennial Mall area, a quick, maybe 10 or so minutes drive from HR/Portofino. Plus, around the mall. there’s a Chic fil a, and a Krispy Kreme donut shop too. Both we like to eat at. And the Mall is pretty, and nice to stroll there. And sometimes shop.

Glad to hear you had a great time.