BasD Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 3th of May, I'm going to visit Orlando for the first time in my life.. We only have time for 3 days of parks and I already decided wich parks they're going to be: Busch Gardens Tampa, SeaWorld Orlando and Universal Studios Florida. My question(s) Am i able to do US and USIoA in one day? What period won't it be to crowded in "My chosen parks"? Will I be a fool if I visit SeaWorld 3 weeks before opening of Manta?
dj snow Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 The main attraction at Sea World is the animal displays and shows, so if you decide to take all those in, you should plan for most of the day at Sea World. If your main interest in Sea World is the rides, though, it can make for a short visit. Assuming you stick mostly to the rides, then, here's what I'd suggest: Do Busch Gardens either first or last. (You probably figured this out, but I want to make sure.) Book a room for at least one night at one of the on-property Universal hotels (Portofino, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific). Don't fib about how many people are in the room, because everyone will need to have a room key. Plan to hit Sea World, Universal and IOA on the day before and the day after this night's stay. Buy Universal two-park unlimited tickets at universalorlando.com for everyone in your party. Day 1: First thing in the morning (like 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.), check into the Universal Resort hotel that you've reserved. They will give you keys to your room, even if the room isn't ready yet. Then go to Sea World in time for opening, and ride the rides and see the shows that interest you. That afternoon, you'll probably be done with Sea World. Drive back to your hotel to park the car, then proceed to Universal and/or IOA. The two-park unlimited tickets will allow you entry to either or both parks on the same day, and your room keys will allow you to use the Express Plus entrances at all the major attractions as often as you want. They will ask everyone to show a room key to gain entry, which is why you need to make sure you have room keys for everyone. Enjoy a restful night in your lovely hotel room. Day 2: Go back to Universal and IOA for a second day, using your hotel room keys for unlimited Express access once again! The unlimited Express access that you get from having a hotel room will really help you cover a lot of ground. Since it's your first visit, and you're coming from some distance, you should really consider it. It takes away much of the worry about crowds. Enjoy your visit!
BasD Posted February 10, 2009 Author Posted February 10, 2009 Thanks for your reply, actually, we chose SeaWorld for my co-traveller (My mother), who's not into coasters and stuff, so she had something to do too, so I think I will be there all day.. Thanks for your tip about the on-property stay at Universal Resort, but will it have the same effect if I buy an Express Plus card? Or will that be way more expensive?
dj snow Posted February 10, 2009 Posted February 10, 2009 The Two-Park Express Plus looks like it's $25.99 on the day(s) of your visit. A lot of the time if you consider that cost for everyone who'd be staying in your room, you find that the added cost of a Universal hotel room (that is, the portion above and beyond what you'd pay at a similar off-property room) is about the same or less than buying Express Plus passes a la carte. (I hope that made sense...) Though I suspect at $25.99 per Express Plus when you're visiting, the above may not hold true. If your mother wouldn't make use of that hotel benefit, then maybe you're better off buying an Express Plus pass for only those who'd use them. Just keep in mind that the Express Plus passes are good only once at each attraction (versus unlimited use with a hotel key card). And both Dragons together count as one attraction, so you'd have to wait in the regular queue at least once if you wish to ride both tracks. If you're going to do both Universal and IOA in one day, you probably won't have much time for rerides anyway, so once through each attraction is likely enough.
BasD Posted February 10, 2009 Author Posted February 10, 2009 Wow, Universals ticketwebsite recently changed big time.. I'm sure I watched it like 5 days ago and then there was a ticket with entrance to both of the parks and unlimited flash pass use.. I even have the link in an email I sent to my mom, but now I can't find it anywhere on the site.. This one
dj snow Posted February 11, 2009 Posted February 11, 2009 Their ticket site seems to hold lots of secrets, and it changes regularly. I would think that you should still be able to order that VIP ticket using the link you saved, since it appears that the item is still fully functional. Enjoy your trip!
BasD Posted February 11, 2009 Author Posted February 11, 2009 Well.. Thanks for all your tips 'nd tricks and there will be a huge TR of my days in Orlando by the month of may .. Looking forward to it!!
Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 I believe there is also a shuttle bus that takes you from Sea World to Busch Gardens. Isn't Universal and IOA very close to each other?
SonOfBeastSucks Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 Isn't Universal and IOA very close to each other? They are literally right next to eachother. You can walk from park to park easily.
mcjaco Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 I believe there is also a shuttle bus that takes you from Sea World to Busch Gardens. I highly doubt there's a shuttle from Tampa to Orlando.
coolhandluke Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 ^Surprisingly, there is. Not just from SWO, though, they have multiple pick up spots. It appears you need to reserve it beforehand though.
BasD Posted February 17, 2009 Author Posted February 17, 2009 Thanks for that mates, but we're going to rent a car there, so I won't need any Shuttle bus service.. Thanks though..
Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 Sorry I got confused. I was thinking of BGA!!!
mcjaco Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 ^Surprisingly, there is. Not just from SWO, though, they have multiple pick up spots. It appears you need to reserve it beforehand though. It's a third party vendor, that's why. I can't imagine anyone really wanting to take a bus between the two parks. Blah! Sorry I got confused. I was thinking of BGA!!! BGA is in Tampa.
RCFreak Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 It's actually not that bad, it's on a charter bus when I used it about a year ago. Of course I got really drunk the night before and was up extremely early the next morning (my avatar!) so I slept the whole way there and back. I also got it from the Universal Studios bus parking lot right next to the parking structure. It was the first stop to be picked up and had my choice of seats, and it let me go to Citywalk when we got back.
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