My DD8 has been asking about visiting the UOR for a couple of years. I’ve been telling her we’d wait until she’s older, but I’m starting to reconsider. She’s really mature for her age, though she’s like me and isn’t a big fan of roller coasters. She’s watched all the Harry Potter movies with us, so I think she’ll especially enjoy that part.
Anyway, my main question is this: Do you think a first time visit during this weird covid mess would be a bad idea? I thought it might be good if it’s less crowded as a result, but I don’t want our first impression to be really negative. I guess I don’t really know enough about UOR to determine what type of experiences/impressions would be negatively impacted right now. What are your thoughts? Also, since I already have your attention, what are your fave sources for UOR info? I already follow Tim Tracker and have just started checking out his Universal stuff. 
Thanks in advance!
I just added Universal to my Touring Plans subscription here. We have room only for December and no tickets. While we don’t have young kids we do have some non coaster adults.
We’ve always talked about Universal but haven’t taken the time. We do have one Harry Potter fan.
December is several months out. If park capacity percentages increase ticket sales could open up for this year. And Universal gets put off again.
I do wonder for how many people is Disney skating on thin ice. If their model going forward is fewer people spending more money, I have to hope Walt can haunt the decision makers. 
Universal has plenty of rides for the whole family. However, they do focus more on the “thrill” ride aspect of theme parks. (Big Coasters / Scary Dark Rides)
Is your DD8 a “brave” theme park rider? What’s her height? Can they handle motion simulators like Star Tours, scary rides like Tower of Terror or fast rides like Rock "n Rollercoaster?
If you are ok with that and that and wearing a mask in the FL heat / humidity you’ll love it. It’s always less crowded than WDW. Right now they have a Buy 2 Days Get 2 Days Free promotion. I’ve done it multiple times & think that’s plenty for a first visit. (Especially if you aren’t going to go to the Volcano Bay water park)
Now, with limited capacity the crowds are super manageable / low. No more than 30 minute waits on popular rides on the weekends. 10 minutes or less during the week. Of course this may change during a peak time like Thanksgiving…
The hotels are super close along with CityWalk. You can walk to some of them right from the front gate in 10 minutes or take the shuttles / boats that are included with hotel stays. Think of Universal more like Disneyland than WDW.
Please ask as many Universal questions as you want. I just started going a couple years ago and was frustrated by the lack of info out there. I never went to Universal because I didn’t think it was as good as WDW. Boy was I WRONG! In many aspects it’s as good and in few others way better! WWOHP will blow you away! The same people later went on to design Star Wars: Galaxys Edge for Disney.
Go check out Rix Flix on YouTube. Universal is, basically, all he & his wife do. (A little Disney every once in a while) They’re parents to 2 kids so they can relate to that as well. They do hotel / resort tour videos along with CityWalk and the parks. He & his wife have dozens & dozens of videos (He’s been doing this for years)
Here’s one from his recent visit after reopening that I enjoyed
I can’t say if it’s a good idea or not, but we did it last week!
It ended up being a great trip, I don’t feel like we missed out on anything significant. Low crowds, strict mask enforcement and cleaning protocols, perfect weather…assuming we didn’t actually catch anything, we loved it!
We rode Hagrid’s 8 or 9 times over 3 days…unlikely that would have been possible under normal conditions 
She’s brave aside from roller coasters. She’s not scared of any creepy theming or dark rides. She’s actually kind of obsessed with the Twilight Zone and wanted desperately to ride ToT, but timing was bad on our trip and we never got to it. I’m not sure exactly how tall she is at the moment, but she’s somewhere around 54” or 55” so I think she’s able to ride just about anything she’s interested in.
I know next to nothing about Disneyland, but the walkability and boats at UOR sounds great! I didn’t love the buses and monorail at Disney, but I loved the boats.
We have 9 days booked camping at Fort Wilderness with 7-day theme park tickets in September of this year, but I was considering changing it up to take a few days at UOR. But then I talked to DH last night and he said that after having to wear a mask for a lengthy presentation he did yesterday, he really doesn’t want to wear one all day in the heat at any theme park. His said his business parter actually almost passed out during their presentation yesterday because it was so hot and yucky. 
On the bright side, if we don’t get to go this year, I’ll have more time to plan (and save) for next year and hopefully get as familiar with UOR as I am WDW.
Thanks for recommending Rix Flix- that channel is gold! DD8 and I watched several of their videos last night before bed. I’ll probably be taking you up on the question asking as I think of things. I haven’t found nearly as much info on Universal as I have WDW and you’re right about it being frustrating. I was glad to find UOR content with Molly from All Ears on YouTube last night. I like watching her stuff, too.
Thanks again for your help! I appreciate it. 
I’m glad it was a great trip for y’all! I didn’t think it would stop us, but it now looks like we probably won’t go to any theme parks as long as strict mask enforcement is in effect. DH said wearing them in the heat and humidity is miserable. He doesn’t want to be that uncomfortable while spending that kind of money for vacation. It’s a bummer, but I definitely understand what he means. I know if I pushed for it, he’d suck it up and be a trooper just to make me happy (he’s that kind of husband), but I can’t do that to him. So now I’m planning ahead for next year and hoping things are more normal by then.