I really, really enjoyed reading your trip report! You are a fantastic writer. I hope you and your mom have a great trip in September, I look forward to reading your trip report, lol! Are you ever planning on trying Universal Orlando as well?
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Thank you!
I am looking to go to Universal as well after this new trip (heh, bit of a big year), but Iām kinda wobbling on it because Iām finding it way more confusing to plan and, outside of the Harry Potter stuff, Iām not sure if anything there will interest me.
Awesome! Universal is a much easier trip to plan than Disney. The details are really, really nice, and there is so much to see and do. However at the same time, you donāt have that same panic of not being able to see everything because it can all be done in a few days. As a Disney fan as well, I feel that itās just as good as Disney. Also, weāve gone many times, and there are things that I canāt go on anymore, but thereās a lot to doāthe lines for a lot of the rides is an attraction in itself. Donāt get me started on the Harry Potter stuff, we can be here all day, lol! Letās just say, Harry Potter areas are awesome, and are worth the time and money even if one didnāt want to see anything else. Have fun!
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Iāve got a solo trip coming up, so I found your trip report fascinating reading.
If, like me, you cheat and buy Express Passes, Universal requires no planning at all. You just do what you want when you want. I visited UOL on three days during my trip last year (not whole days each time) so I have a sense of what there is and where things are. Iāve allocated two days to Universal in my upcoming trip but I donāt really expect to plan anything until I get there. Other than I definitely want to do Spider-Man, Kong, etc.
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Thanks!
Iām also looking a little confused on which hotel to stay at for UO. Apparently some offer early access while others do not. I was looking at their āHarry Potter Package Dealā but simply booking that seems tough as I want to make sure that it gets everything Iām trying to do.
Iām so glad you came back and finished this! It definitely was a successful vacation.
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Sorry if what I just said was confusing. I only finished reading the last parts just now. Iām late!!
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hahah Sāall good! Thanks!! 
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Before our most recent few UO trips, we never stayed on site at the resorts. However, the last few times, weāve stayed at Cabana Bay, and loved it each time. From what I experienced and understood, all of the UOR hotels have early access, but only the preferred resorts: Hard Rock, Portofino, Royal Pacific have Express Pass. Each time weāve gone, we went during a low crowd level, so Cabana Bay was a good choice for us even if they donāt have the pass. However, if we ever went during a busy season, weād probably stay at one of the others for one night to get two days of EP. In terms of the HP package, I wasnāt a fan of 3 broomsticksā meals when I ate there when Hogsmeade first opened up, so getting the package when Diagon Alley opened to eat there/ Leaky Cauldron wasnāt something I wanted to pay for.
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I thought the two Harry Potter restaurants were very poor. Go for the atmosphere (and the butterbeer in all its varieties) but donāt go for the food.
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Yes, the Butterbeer! After trying three kinds: cold, frozen, and ice cream, I found the frozen one to be my favorite followed by the ice cream. I would like to try the hot one sometime 
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I was seeeing that express pass is like $100 bucks per person per day, is that correct? With a few of us going(this will likely not be a solo trip), it seems to make more sense to spring for the preferred resorts?
It usually makes more sense to stay at a deluxe for at least one night (two days of express).
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Randall, I loved reading this report when you first wrote it and loved it the second time as well. How much ice cream did you consume on the trip?
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Thank you!! I appreciate it!
Regarding the ice creamā¦ Yikes, I have no idea now. Is āa metric butt loadā a legitimate form of measure? Cause itād be that. 