Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

This should definitely be an interesting Thanksgiving and Christmas season then.

[A.J.Counts I305 as 32 credits...]

^ Is Hagrid's running more consistently at this point and not closing ridiculously early?

Not sure, it was a special evening event. For what it's worth it didn't have any downtime for the three hours of the event.

[JakizleI had sex with N-Tag before you did.]

^ Is Hagrid's running more consistently at this point and not closing ridiculously early?

I too really liked the ride, but the ride's operational issues deterred us from even trying to ride it on the second day.

Finally got a chance to ride it on Saturday, November 15th when I went to UO for a friend's birthday. It opened about 2 hours after the park due to technical issues, but they still let you queue up. Once it started running we were on the ride pretty quickly. Once it opened around 11am, we never saw it go down again in person or on the UO app. It was posted about 180 all day but we rode again around 3pm and it took exactly 2 hours. When we left IOA at 6pm they were still letting people queue up. However, I know Elissa was at the park later that night before park closing at 8pm and the queue was then closed. It seems like they close it depending on the wait time, as it stayed open much later than the app said ("You must enter the queue by 3pm to ride" or something to that effect) but still closed before the park despite running well.

I liked the ride for what it was, very fun but not exceptional either. I don't like HP but it's quick and whippy and the indoor drop is probably the best part of the ride for me. I liked the motorbike more than the side car just because you sit higher making the transitions a bit more extreme. I do wish it did a little more coaster after the last launch (which I think was the fastest on the ride but right into the final brakes) with an airtime moment but it's already a long ride anyways. I'm torn because it is cool but....I miss Dragons.

[The Yetithe ghost seems to think there is a "Donkey Fairy"]

Of course Dragons was still a good ride even after it stopped dueling, but at this point it’s long gone. Obviously Hagrid’s is not a mind-blowingly intense coaster, but I enjoy Harry Potter and they pack a lot in to the ride experience, so I cant wait to check it out. However, I am more looking forward to the new Jurassic coaster. IOA will have two new Intamin coasters right next door to each other, offering very different ride experiences. The Jurassic coaster likely could exceed the intensity of Dragons, so I’m really not complaining much about the departure of Dragons at this point.

[ytterbiumanalystWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

We're seriously considering Orlando for our 2020 vacation (finally!). I'm not sure where to ask, so figured this was a good spot. What things on I-Drive are worth doing? We're definitely hitting Universal, Sea World, and Fun Spot. Looking to add a couple of days of non-theme park stuff. We live near Branson, so anything that's here isn't worth it to us (like Titanic and WonderWorks).

[Satans HockeyWhen I grow up, I want to breed donkeys!]

We're seriously considering Orlando for our 2020 vacation (finally!). I'm not sure where to ask, so figured this was a good spot. What things on I-Drive are worth doing? We're definitely hitting Universal, Sea World, and Fun Spot. Looking to add a couple of days of non-theme park stuff. We live near Branson, so anything that's here isn't worth it to us (like Titanic and WonderWorks).

I like some of the mini golf places, there's a pirate themed and a Congo themed one that are both pretty fun.

[coasterbillWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

If you want to spend a few non theme park days in Florida I would honestly leave Orlando. Personally Orlando is one of the few places where we don't bother scheduling non theme park days unless Discovery Cove counts.

[SharkTumsSite Admin]

We're seriously considering Orlando for our 2020 vacation (finally!). I'm not sure where to ask, so figured this was a good spot. What things on I-Drive are worth doing? We're definitely hitting Universal, Sea World, and Fun Spot. Looking to add a couple of days of non-theme park stuff. We live near Branson, so anything that's here isn't worth it to us (like Titanic and WonderWorks).

Yeah, I kind of agree with Bill here. Compared to Branson and Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg I don't think we have as much cool 'non park stuff', especially right on I-Drive. Like the Ferris Wheel area is nice for a few hours to do some attractions and food but not like full day stuff. If you're willing to go a bit farther we have things like Gatorland which is actually more awesome than it sounds or those Eco Parks with zip lines and stuff.

[ytterbiumanalystWhy do I still have a donkey title???]

Thanks everybody. We're going to need a break from theme parks but with Branson in our backyard, it's hard to get excited about any of that I-Drive stuff. If it's mostly skippable, so much the better. Gatorland was one that we were considering, so sounds like that'll be the thing to do on our rest day then. St. Pete Beach is on the list too.

[VigilHoly crap you have a HUGE donkey!]

My family is going to the Orange Bowl this year (Go Hoos!), and I was wondering what Universal looked like for New Year's Eve and Day. Can anybody give me any tips or ideas of crowds or which park to do if I could only do one? Thanks so much!