Universal, SeaWorld, and BGT tips

[Delirium_Guy]

Ah, I get it now. It's like the old coin-operated single-use lockers that KI had until this year in that the locker can only be opened once per rental. Does every attraction (where they would be needed for a backpack) have them?

You're major attractions will have them. At IOA: Hulk, Dragons and Forbidden Journey the lockers are required....no bags can be taken through the queue. I believe there are optional lockers located near the water attractions, I'm having a hard time recalling because we don't ride them all that often. At Studios: Rockit, Mummy and MIB the lockers are required...no bags can be taken through the queue line. You are correct, though, similiar to the old coin operated lockers at KI....likewise SeaWorld has the same coin operated lockers that KI had before the switch to Best Lockers this season. They are single use, but you can rent them over and over again. I'm a big fan of their system at Universal and find them incredibly convenient and easy to use....best of all they are free!

- Todd

[jcgoble3]

^OK, thanks.

Getting into a slightly different subject, any seat recommendations for the various coasters at these parks?

[TheCrypt]

Front seat on Hulk is fantastic, I'd assume front on Jurassic Park River Adventure, front on Mummy, back or front on Rockit... Well, you should just try to get on the front for everything! Each ride offers unique views of the park and surrounding scenery and / or theming. Also, if I remember correctly, Rockit I THINK has tiered seating, so I don't think it matters too much what seat there. Can anybody else back up my claim?

For Busch Gardens, go for 1 row SheiKra, 2 train. I wouldn't worry about a front row Cheetah Hunt, but it all depends on what you want to do. Front row Kumba is breathtaking. One of my favorite experiences in my life (although I may have an unhealthy love for Kumba...). That's all I can help you with! Sorry!

[kblanken]

You get to choose the music you hear on Rip Ride Rock It. There is a secret list that you can choose from that has way more songs than the regular screen has.

[Delirium_Guy]

^OK, thanks.

Getting into a slightly different subject, any seat recommendations for the various coasters at these parks?

TheCrypt is correct about the tiered seating on Rockit....with that said ride as close to the front as possible. Rockit is possibly one of the moodiest rides I've encountered. It can be really smooth or it can shuffle and bounce so much that you'll have come off with one hell of a headache. It is usually smoother in the front two seats, the back seat of either car is HORRIBLE.

TheCrypt and I seem to have similiar tastes in where we ride, but I have to say that I really enjoy the front seat of Cheetah Hunt. Nice airtime as you crest the top of the tower, wonderful view, really fun ride. ANY seat on Kumba is brilliant, IMHO. My favorite coaster in Florida, hands down.

- Todd

[jcgoble3]

You get to choose the music you hear on Rip Ride Rock It. There is a secret list that you can choose from that has way more songs than the regular screen has.

What type of music is available? Rock, rap, blues, country? If I don't like any of the options, can I ride without music? I normally only listen to country music and usually can't stand anything else. If I have to listen to something I absolutely don't like in order to ride, then perhaps I will have to reconsider whether I want to ride it at all.

[LongliveKingsCobra]

I believe the thing states that if you don't make a decision the ride will pick for you. If haven't made a final choice the song locks in once you've passed the Dispatch Center which runs above the track near the end of the station...Oh and it's a continuous moving station so get on and in quick!

[TheCrypt]

I'd recommend picking Stronger by Kanye West or whichever song they play by Mötley Crüe. Both fit the ride extremely well. Both songs are worth a go. Don't let the song choice discourage you from riding. Just try to tune it out if you really don't like it.

[jcgoble3]

I'd recommend picking Stronger by Kanye West or whichever song they play by Mötley Crüe. Both fit the ride extremely well. Both songs are worth a go. Don't let the song choice discourage you from riding. Just try to tune it out if you really don't like it.

*looks them up* "Stronger" is rap, and Motley Crue does heavy metal. I absolutely CANNOT stand either of those genres. As for tuning it out, how are the speakers arranged? If they're set up right next to your head so that they blast it directly into your ears, then I have no chance of "tuning it out". I refuse to force myself to be subjected to such torture just to get a credit.

[TheCrypt]

They are a little below the top of the seat back (the speakers). The song by Mötley Crüe is Kickstart My Heart. I find it has a catchy tune. Though if you like country, I doubt this song is for you. At least check it out (start about 1:00 into the song)

[kblanken]

They do have some country music if you want to do that.

I think I read somewhere that some of the codes you can type in will result in nothing played, but I cannot confirm this.

If I remember correctly, while the speakers are near the head, they aren't extremely too loud.

At least not as loud as the random noise that blasts through the speakers on Bizarro NJ.

[The Interpreter]

I miss Medusa of New Jersey.

Sigh.

[jcgoble3]

TheCrypt, I listened to that for 10 seconds and couldn't take any more without wanting to rip my hair out.

I did find the song list through Google. I'll go with either "Living in Fast Forward" or "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Probably "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".

[jdawg1998]

You don't even know what that song is? And you don't like it? Get out. Now!

Just messin'.

[Sonofbeast2.0]

For Rip Rocket Roller Coaster their is also some hidden sound tracks. You can find them on YouTube or google searching it. I would put a link but my mobile device will not let me copy and paste links.

[TTD-120-420]

From the Universal page on Screamscape.

Instructions - Push and Hold the Rockit logo for 5 seconds to bring up a number keypad. Enter in the 3 digit number to hear hidden tracks.

#101 – Temples of Syrinx – Rush

#102 - Smithereens - Blues Before&After

#103 – Break On Through – The Doors

#104 – Crocodile Rock – Elton John

#105 - Do It Again - Steely Dan

#106 - Candlebox - Don’t You

#107 – Drivin’ Rain – Gov’t Mule

#108 – 8 Miles High – The Byrds

#109 - Fantasy - Aldo Nova

#110 - American Hi-Fi - I’m A Fool

#111 - Unknown Guitar Solo

#112 – Freebird – Skynyrd

#113 - Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin

#114 - Just Because - Jane's Addiction

#115 - Live - Lenny Kravitz

#116 - Mexicola - Queens / Stone Age

#117 - Unknown - Rock w/ Synth Solo

#118 - Unknown Track w/ Sax Solo

#121 - Tom Petty-Runnin Down a Dream

#122 - Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

#123 – Stockholm Syndrom – Muse

#124 - Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin

#125 - Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd

#127 - Urgent - Foreigner

#128 - Vertigo - U2

#129 - Wheel in the Sky - Journey

#130 - Won't Get Fooled Again-The Who

#131 – Klein Mandelbrot (edit) - aka: Blue Man Group: The Ride

#132 – Drumbone – Blue Man Group

#221 - BLANK

#225 - BLANK

#301 – Float On – Modest Mouse

#302 - I Want You Back - Jackson Five

#303 - In My Pocket - Cat Empire

#304 - Still Rock ‘n Roll To Me - Billy Joel

#306 – Lose Yourself – Eminem

#307 - Ride Like The Wind - Christopher Cross

#308 - Run to You - Bryan Adams

#309 - Save Room - John Legend

#311 - Unknown R&D Track

#312 – My Everything – Barry White

#321 - BLANK

#333 - BLANK

#508 – Pivot – Dry (local band)

#666-691 - BLANK

#701 – Cyanide – Metallica

#702 - Unknown Metal Song

#703 - For Whom The Bell Tolls - Metallica

#704 - Forever Down-Black Label Society

#707 - Know your Enemy - Rage Against the Machine

#708 – Lets Go – Ministry

#709 - Mouth For War - Pantera

#710 – Painkiller - Judas Priest

#711 - Paranoid - Black Sabbath

#713 - Wicker Man - Iron Maiden

#715 - Wake Up Dead - Megadeth

#718 - You've Got Another Thing Comin - Judas Priest

#724 - BLANK

#901 - Movin Right Along - Muppets

#902 - Rainbow Connection-Muppets

#904 - Night on Bald Mountain - Modest Mussorgsky

#911 - BLACK

#945 - BLANK

#999 - BLANK

[Sonofbeast2.0]

Same lists I seen on a difernt website. Except the blanks at he bottom had songs instead of blanks.

[TheCrypt]

They have Vertigo AND Cyanide?! Why didn't anybody tell me about this before?!

[kblanken]

They have Vertigo AND Cyanide?! Why didn't anybody tell me about this before?!

I doubt very many of us know you enough to realize you like to be previously informed that a roller coaster in Florida plays Vertigo and Cyanide.

[The Interpreter]

Better than a coaster that administers vertigo and cyanide...the ride of your life!

[House]

Good information in this thread but I have a few question as I will be going to IOA next week. We leave for Florida tomorrow! Will the fast past be worth it this time of year? This is after spring break and before summer busy season. If we don’t get fast past what rides should we hit up in what order?

Also is the meal pass worth it for just one day at the park? What restaurants are included?

Are there any discounts available for tickets going on right now?

[shark6495]

Just went to IOA and Universal last year.

Fast pass is good for most rides, but there are a few that it does not work on. Rip and Rockit rollercoaster is one of them. The meal pass was not worth it IMO. My wife and I enjoy a good meal time and the fast pass meal was not worth it. You are going to Islands of Adventure, you must, I reiterate, You Must Go to Mythos. Great food. Great service. awesome atmosphere. The price was about 12-15 per person for some great dinner choices. Go to their website and book reservations early. We set up reservations before we left. When we showed up to eat our reserved time, they were telling people the wait was a good 90 minutes or more. We told them our name and they had us seated in about 15 minutes.

http://www.opentable.com/mythos-at-universals-islands-of-adventure

thats the link to set up reservations. The all you can eat was decent to be honest, but in IOA there are only 3 restaurants where it works. The food is normal pizza and burgers and such. Free drink refills as well. and you can keep going through the line. If you are a heavy eater and get hungry easy or have kids/family that do. Then use the meal deal. if you are like my wife and I where we are cutting back on our food intake and dont get hungry as easy then dont do it. Plus if you eat at Mythos, you really wont be using the meal deal very much.

If your hotel offers the fast pass for free. use it and enjoy it. My wife and I lucked out and went on a day where even the normal wait for lines was less than 25 mins. We had fast pass because of our hotel and every ride was a walk on. We went in August. The harry Potter action ride is also not part of the fast pass deal. So dont buy it thinking you will get on that ride any quicker. In august the line had about a 2 hour wait while the rest of the park was 25 or less. If you get there early in the morning, everyone will be running (I mean it) running to get back to Harry Potter world. My wife and I attempted to do this and to get on the Harry Potter castle ride, but we still waiting about 90 mins the first time and 2 hours later in the day. The line usually keeps moving so its not so bad to be in the line. Not like a roller coaster where you are sitting for 3 mins then move a big distance. Think more like phantom theater where the ride and the line just keeps moving. If you have a single rider, or can break your group into single riders, this ride wait may be shorter as they move you through a different line. But you wont ride with anyone you know and you may be sitting at the end of the queue for 30 mins till a 3 some shows up.

For the order of IOA, that is up to you. Try to hit the water rides (rip-saw falls, jurassic park, and another water ride i cant remember right now) during the hot part of the day. The day we went, we knew there would be a storm around 1230/1 because of the morning news cast. So we planned our second ride of Harry Potter around this time. Since it was a big storm, we knew that we wouldnt be able to ride any of the coasters or other outdoor rides so we got out butterbeer and got inline right as the storm opened up. The storm lasted a good 2 hours. So for the 2 hours we waited in a line and not in a restaurant or shop.

Hope that all helps. Send me a message if you have any other questions. Where are yall staying?

[House]

Thanks for the response shark. We stay at a condo on Madeira Beach every year. We go for the beach but will spend a day at the park.

Is there stuff for older folks to do? My parents are going and will probably not go on coasters. Would Universal be better for them? They both like Harry Potter and my mom gets motion sickness. Do you think she will get sick? She got super nauseous from the space shuttle ride at Disney.

[shark6495]

The ride does move up and down side to side and dips you forward and back. Think the 3d motion ride at KI but on a big moving arm that swings you from attraction to attraction. not scarry but lots of motion. I think both parks has enough sit down rides for both older and younger. The MiB ride at Universal is beyond awesome. Reminds you of boo blasters but better The minion ride is also beyond awesome at universal. I think overall Universal has a few more "easier" rides and IOA has a few more "extreme" rides. Universal though did remove the Jaws ride so the rides that are left at Universal are Rip It Rollercoaster, Minions 3d , Twister experience, Mummy roller coaster (beyond awesome), disaster movie adventure (the old earthquake ride?), MiB blaster ride, Simpsons motion ride (old back to the future), Shrek 4d. Universal also had the blues brothers singing, plenty of street actors, a parade, and a few more sights and sounds. IOA was more extreme from the harry potter land with dueling dragons and the harry potter ride (not to mention the wonderful train, hogsmeade, and olivanders wand shop), JP land with the JP ride and the awesome visitor center where you can hold dino eggs and make your own dino dna!. Toon Lagoon, and Dr Seuss land. Either place you will not be disapointed. Defidently take time in to admire the street faire. From the random tourists who complain (actors hehe) to the super hero parade in IOA.

[violakat03]

My husband and I went to Universal/IoA twice over the winter. Here are my recommendations as far as what you were asking about.

We did the meal plan on our first trip. I don't think we'll do it again unless we get to the park really early and eat 3 meals there. It was a struggle to make it "worth it" because the meals were very filling. We got the wristbands just for Universal (not the 2-park meals) and ate at the italian place and also at the Classic Monsters Cafe. The second was my favorite! We ate there again on our second trip. We're both big into Halloween and classic horror movies, so that was a special treat for us because we both really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and they also had really good food. As far as other food items, get a butterbeer in WWoHP! It's like a butterscotch root beer and is delicious, though a little overwhelmingly sweet. My husband had a pumpkin juice and it was good too, but the butterbeer is a unique treat.

For your parents I would say it depends on what they're interested in. I think there's more to do at Universal, but more to see at IoA. Universal has some cool dark/indoor rides, such as Minion Mayhem and MIB Alien Attack that should be parent-friendly. MIB Alien Attack is like Boo Blasters but with Universal-level theming, Minion Mayhem and the Simpsons ride are more like Action Theater and Twister is like an immersive movie experience rather than a ride. In IoA, you can just walk around in the themed areas for hours because there's so much to look at, and there are lots of themed restaurants and shops. If your mom gets motion sick, I do NOT recommend the Forbidden Journey. It's a very disorienting dark ride, and my friend Curtis, who usually doesn't get motion sick, had to go hang out in the bathroom for awhile after it (the funniest part is that he ended up in the one with Moaning Myrtle, so as he put it "I'm in here trying not to lose my lunch and here's Moaning Myrtle just chatting away!"). It's much more intense than any other dark ride I've ever ridden!!

As for the fast passes, I would go to the park and actually check the lines before you decide to get it. When we were there in February, IoA was VERY crowded. Lines at the turnstiles to get in, wall-to-wall people in WWoHP ... and yet, half the rides were a walk-on. We waited 10 minutes for Dragon Challenge the first time, and walked on it every time after that. Forbidden Journey was posted at 25 minutes, we went through the single rider line and essentially walked on. I think we waited 3 or 4 groups before we got on simultaneous vehicles. Later in the day we walked on it through the regular queue. If you're a 'credit whore' and want Flight of the Hippogriff, it will probably have a bit of a line as it's a small kiddie coaster. However, they run two trains on busy days which cuts the wait down. It was 15 minutes or so. Incredible Hulk is a typical B&M people eater. I've never waited more than 10 minutes for it and we rode it a ton of times on both trips. At night it was a walk-on. So, what I'm trying to say is don't assume that just because there are a lot of people there that the lines will be long. Check it out first before you end up wasting your money.

As for what order, I don't know that I can really give you any information on that. We just did them as we came to them, though I'd say try and get a night ride on Hulk because it's pretty wicked at night. Rip Ride Rockit WILL have a long line, lol. They have a single rider line, but unlike Forbidden Journey it tends to get pretty long also. We managed to catch the regular line posted at 20 minutes (actually took about 15). They cannot do front seat requests (assigned seating) because so many people ask for it, but were happy to give us the back seat when we asked. I rode with Evanescence "Bring Me to Life" on the first ride, and used one of the hidden songs, "Night on Bald Mountain" which is a classical piece, on my second. Both were a lot of fun, but I think the second one was the better of the two to ride with! Hungarian Horntail is the more intense of the dragons, by the way, so I would start on Chinese Fireball.

Also, you didn't ask this but I thought I'd put it in there. If you are parking on-site, I recommend paying the $5 extra for preferred parking (unless someone in your party has a handicap placard). Not only do you end up a LOT closer to the entrance, you end up leaving through a different exit than the rest of the traffic, avoiding the big nighttime exit traffic jam.

If you want to read my trip report and see all my photos, I posted them here: http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27085-an-orlando-adventure-22113-22413/

[House]

Thanks again for the responses! Is there a difference in price purchasing online vs at the park? Are the lines long to purchase tickets at the park in the morning?

Edit: I just checked for reservations at Mythos and nothing is available until the 27th. This makes me think the park will be very busy. Where else should we eat for dinner if we can't get into Mythos?

[violakat03]

Yes, there will be a long line for tickets. I believe it is cheaper to get them online, but I don't know if you'll have to pick them up once you get to the park. We waited about 20 minutes to buy season passes on a fairly dead day in January.

For food, I'd say try Three Broomsticks.

[jcgoble3]

If you can't get a Mythos reservation, don't give up hope. When you get into IOA that day, make an early visit to Mythos before they open and talk to whoever is working the reservation/check-in desk. They might have had a cancellation the night before that they can fit you into. I stopped in at 10:45 am and was able to get a reservation for 1:00 pm the same day. It's worth a try.

[shark6495]

totally worth a try. If anything, they may be able to put your name on the list and have something ready for you. The restaurant is worth it. 3 broom sticks, is that the one with the butterbeer bar? Or am I thinking of Hogsmeade? The one with the bar attached to it, seemed great for getting a drink, but the food didnt look like a great sitdown restaurant....