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AuthorHere at Mouse and Duck we are constantly researching the latest Disney, Universal and Cruising trends, treats and tours. |
 We really had an excellent holiday on our recent trip to Universal Orlando, and an even better time than on our last visit. We were almost surprised how much fun we had and here are 5 reasons we would recommend this holiday! #5 The Low Crowds & Relaxed VibE Overall universal was a great holiday: it was not busy at all so we really felt relaxed. The end of August usually has low crowds because most American kids have returned to school. The pending hurricane and opening of Star Wars land over in Disney made Universal even quieter. But the lack of a priority ride pass system like Disney’s Fastpass process meant we felt even more relaxed. The Fastpass system means you have a schedule to follow and that can be a bit stressful. Universal has an Express pass system instead. While we don’t love the very high cost of the Express pass, it does allow you to pay more to have priority on all the rides. We actually didn’t think it was necessary at this time of the year as we walked on most rides and found the posted wait times were all lower than advertised. In addition, the Express pass seemed to slow it’s users down a bit as they had to scan their Express pass at each ride entrance. But we were pretty glad that we didn’t need to worry about Fastpasses, or keep checking for new ones like we did in Disneyland with their Maxpass system. You can certainly leave your phone at home if you like and sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered #4 Volcano BaY
#3 The very close resort accommodations
#2 Great for ages 6+ There are rides that can keep your thrill seekers busy for days but also options for the tamer types in the crowd. It is not to say that really young guests wouldn’t enjoy the experience and ours certainly did when they were 2 and 6 years old, but we were able to enjoy more of the rides now that they are 6 and 10 years old. Our youngest still wanted to ride everything in Seuss land and was afraid to go on a number of the Harry Potter rides. We certainly had to talk her on to a number of the “darker” options. But every time she rode something she wanted to do it again right away and she ended up back in the “dark arts alley” three times. Our 10 year old has seen almost all of the Harry Potter movies so he really enjoyed all the incredible theming throughout. He is also a Marvel fan and appreciated the Marvel themed area. They are just starting to watch the Simpsons so that land had more meaning for them this time. There are so many rides and attractions that you can certainly skip over the really intense rides – Hulk or King Kong. But for families with teenagers these rides would be a big draw. It is fair to say Universal has an edgier side that is a refreshing change. #1 The amazing Wizarding World of Harry Potter  During this trip we were able to spend lots of time in both Harry Potter lands and really enjoy all small touches that made it feel like we were in the movies. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal is actually made up of two different parks: Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. You can travel between the two on the Hogwarts Express but you need a park-to-park ticket to ride it. There are a number of really great rides in both parks including the brand new Hagrid's Magical Motorbike ride. On our first day, the wait for Hagrid's was 150 minutes at park opening time but this meant we walked on everything else including the Forbidden Journey ride inside Hogwarts Castle! We can't say enough about these attractions, they are so immersive that you really feel like you are in the movies. In fact, we wished we'd had a bit more time in line inside the castle to really enjoy the queue. There are SO many great shops to explore in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. You name the Harry Potter item and it can be yours. Everything from a cauldron cupcake, a quill pen set, an Owl backpack, a Butterbeer slushie and even your own Gringots money. It was hard to tell what items were props and what was actually for sale. We grown-ups probably loved it more than the kids, it really was a magical experience. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Ride is absolutely amazing! This is hands-down one of the best roller coasters we've ridden. The queue has some fun holograms and neat knick-knacks along the way but the way that you feel like you’re on a really fast motorcycle is spectacular. The wait time was listed at 100 minutes but we were done the ride in 65 minutes. We all thought the ride was well worth the wait and that is saying a lot for a family that avoids long lines. Both kids enjoyed it, although we had to work hard to get our six year old convinced to ride it. Luckily we made friends with some kids from New Jersey who told us how great the ride was and that helped calm the nerves. A few honorable mentions: the Wi-Fi at Universal and in the Lowes resorts was spotless and connected automatically after the first set up. The Locker systems for rides is slick, just use your park ticket to select a locker and pop your stuff in while you ride. We can’t say enough about the fast and efficient bus service – the buses have one stop outside City Walk (the main entrance to the parks) and resort guests have designated buses that come frequently. We found all the staff to be friendly and helpful. Overall, and even though the hurricane cut our trip short, we would highly recommend this vacation.
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