Inside Universal Forums

Welcome to the Inside Universal Forums! Register a free account today to become a member. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members and unlock our forums features!

  • Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.

Orlando Theme Park Holiday

Aug 25, 2016
2
1
Hi you all,

We're from the Netherlands and planning an Orlando Theme Park Holiday for this October. (18/10 u.a.i. 1/11)
We would like some tips and tricks regarding our stay.
If I booked right now, our stay will look like this:
First couple of (4) days we will be staying at Cabana Bay Resort in order to do the Universal parks.
After that, we'll move over to a villa rental nearby the parks in order to do the Disney parks (and Sea World).
We'd also like to do some other day trips like visiting the Everglades and Kennedy Space Center (any other recommendations are welcome)
We'll buy the orlando-ticket-deals.co.uk Disney & Universal Combo Ticket in order to save money.

So about Universal, we are visiting during Fall which means the Halloween event will be held. Should we attend this? We are travelling with 2 teens aged 16 & 14. Since this is our first time to Orlando, we don't know what to expect. Also, because of this event USF will close early (at 5pm already). This means we won't be able to experience Diagon Alley at night (which is a pity). I don't really know how to deal with the early closing. I'm looking for a basic strategy for our Universal days. Should we start our day (EPA) at USF and finsh off our day at IOA by riding the Hogwarts Express at 5? Or should we do it the other way around because IOA will be very busy at that time? I already looked at the Orlando United park plans but I feel like they don't fit to us since it assumes USF will close later and you have an Express Pass, which we don't, we only have the EPA perk.

Also, underneath I've got my 14-day park plan. I would very much like your opinions about it in order to improve it if necessary.

Day 1 (18/10) Departure/Travel Day
Day 2 (19/10)Universal Studios
Day 3 (20/10)Universal Studios
Day 4 (21/10)Universal Studios
Day 5 (22/10)Excursion
Day 6 (23/10)Switching Accommodation
Day 7 (24/10)MK
Day 8 (25/10)HS
Day 9 (26/10)Epcot
Day 10 (27/10)Excursion
Day 11 (28/10)AK
Day 12 (29/10)Busch Gardens
Day 13 (30/10)MK
Day 14 (31/10)Favorite Park
Day 15 (1/11)Departure Day/Travel Day

I was struggling a bit when choosing a day to visit MK, because I don't know if I should go on a day when the Halloween event will be held (and crowds will likely be slower) or if I should go on a day when park will be busier but closing is later, and being able to watch the Wishes show. For now I choose for the last option.

I was also wondering if I should plan an entire day for every Disney park? For instance HS, is it worth going for a full day? Our interests are mainly in rides and we don't want to do any character meetings at all.
I am also trying to plan some days for the water parks (but I believe Blizzard Beach will already be closed during our stay?!). But I think that we won't need to plan a day for the water parks and just do it whenever we feel like and have some time left.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kind regards,
Harm
 
The Hogwarts Express is more crowded later in the day. If you want to ride it do it early.

If your kids are into horror and haunted houses they will love Halloween Horror Nights.

Mickey's Halloween Party has lower crowds, better fireworks/parade and free candy. They let you in at 4 p.m. and you stay till midnight. I highly recommend it.

Planning your Walt Disney World stay in advance lets you book your mymagic+ attractions. Keep in mind to book them early in the day so you can use all three and get more over the course of the day. Learn how to use their app so you can change and add on passes during the course of the day.
 
Diagon Alley is open for HHN nights, so if you get a HHN ticket, you could do Stay & Scream and get three or four houses in early, then pop over to Diagon Alley in the evening when it's even more beautiful than during the day. Plus the crowds are low in Diagon during HHN.
 
The Everglades are a long way from Orlando but if it is an airboat ride in the swamp you are after there are several Orlando companies that offer them. It would not be a one day trip to go down to the Glades unless you want all day in a car with a couple of hours at the Glades.
 
Thanks for your replies so far.
We'll consider attending the HHN nights, in order to visit Diagon at night (But will it actually be affected by Halloween? Are there any scare zones and stuff there?

We will just do an airboat ride in the swamp near Orlando.
 
I highly highly recommend doing Halloween Horror Nights. It's the best event ever imo, I absolutely love it and it's quite the experience, if you've never been.
 
If you see one swamp you see them all. Airboat rides are fun and you see lots of wildlife.

There are no decorations or scareactors in Diagon Alley. After the hold is released to the houses the place is empty, the stores, Gringotts ride are all open and operating (at least they were last year) and the dragon does her thing all night long. It is beautiful with few people and the lighting is very special.
 
Top