Universal Studios Orlando

[arthursiew]

We are going to visit Orlando in June. We are planning to go to Universal Orlando on the 18th-19th. The question is... is it worth staying at one of the onsite hotels so that we can get the Universal Express pass that does not have the restrictions that the purchased ones do. What is the average wait time for the more popular rides during mid to late June? We are planning for two days in Universal which may be a little short which is why we're considering staying at the Royal Pacific.

[arthursiew]

It's going to be my first visit, so I'm probably going to do a lot of the attractions more than once. Is it worth it? The Royal Pacific is asking for $229 which I think seems reasonable consdering that a normal express pass is $50/person.

[jamal2]

You'll definitely want the express pass in June, the lines are absurdly long (2+ hours per ride).

Funnily enough, I went to Universal/Islands of Adventure about 2 weeks ago. Every single ride in both parks had a wait of 5 minutes or less. It was awesome

[NJ_RAMS_FAN]

Originally Posted by jamal2

You'll definitely want the express pass in June, the lines are absurdly long (2+ hours per ride).

Funnily enough, I went to Universal/Islands of Adventure about 2 weeks ago. Every single ride in both parks had a wait of 5 minutes or less. It was awesome

+1.. When their a few years back and we bought the express pass. That was the best decision we made.

[Steve]

My wife worked there when we got married and IMO summer is definitely not the time to go. Granted the water rides are open and they feel great and are fun to ride, but Feb and March are great times to go. You can walk right on most of the rides with little or no wait at all. If you do go in the summer, then the express passes are a MUST.

[DonRSD]

i go there once a year (now i bring my oldest child too) and you have to get the express pass.

to get thge express pass will free up another day for you to do something else.
you should be able to ride every ride and be out of there by 5-6pm...
no express pass = youre there 13+ hours and dont get to ride every ride.

we used to just get a wheelchair and skip all the lines, but they cut that off as they now have 'wheelchair lines' so youre waiting no matter what unless you pay for the express pass.

[MaCruz]

Bring a bag, plenty of water, and something to wear when it rains. Rains pretty much everyday in the summer. I try not to go during the summer since it's very hot.

[curse]

i stayed at the remada right in front of it if its still open. At the time it was a better deal price wise..

[jamal2]

Originally Posted by curse

i stayed at the remada right in front of it if its still open. At the time it was a better deal price wise..

Yes, but the point is you get free Express Passes if you stay at one of the Universal hotels. And if you're going to Universal during the summer, Express Passes are a must.

Personally I much rather prefer going this time of year, if you can. There are literally no lines whatsoever. The only downside to that is you can go through the entire park and ride every single ride in about 4 hours...and then there's nothing left to do.

[arthursiew]

Originally Posted by jamal2

Yes, but the point is you get free Express Passes if you stay at one of the Universal hotels. And if you're going to Universal during the summer, Express Passes are a must.

Personally I much rather prefer going this time of year, if you can. There are literally no lines whatsoever. The only downside to that is you can go through the entire park and ride every single ride in about 4 hours...and then there's nothing left to do.

I go to school, so the only long vacations I get are during the Summer and Winter.

[Musashi]

I may hit Universal as part of my group FL/Disney trip this October.

Incidentally: I'm about to book my hotel. Initially I was going to wait another 2 weeks so I could book things after our group holds a meeting to finalize hotel plans. Is 8 months in advance sufficient to get my first choice, or should I get mine now and then book everyone else's after? I don't yet know if anyone else will want to stay in the same one I am, though if they do we'l see about connected rooms.

[arthursiew]

I booked the Royal Pacific for $229 through Perfectescapes.com

[Blu-Ron]

I'm going at the end of March (Spring Break!).

[klac]

Originally Posted by arthursiew

We are going to visit Orlando in June. We are planning to go to Universal Orlando on the 18th-19th. The question is... is it worth staying at one of the onsite hotels so that we can get the Universal Express pass that does not have the restrictions that the purchased ones do. What is the average wait time for the more popular rides during mid to late June? We are planning for two days in Universal which may be a little short which is why we're considering staying at the Royal Pacific.

I got the Front of the Line Pass at Universal Hollywood a few years ago and it was awesome. We never had to wait to get on a ride or watch a show but we still didn't get to do everything in one day. If the Universal Express pass is the same thing then I'd say it's worth it.

[sfmarine]

If you're only planning on staying a few days then it's definitely worth it to stay on site. I stayed @ the Portofino...it was very nice. Universal is a good time. I prefer Island of Adventure..

[arthursiew]

Originally Posted by klac

I got the Front of the Line Pass at Universal Hollywood a few years ago and it was awesome. We never had to wait to get on a ride or watch a show but we still didn't get to do everything in one day. If the Universal Express pass is the same thing then I'd say it's worth it.

I bought the Front of the Line Pass at Hollywood during the Winter, but it was not worth it. The longest line was 15 minutes that day.