Universal Addict celebrates his 50th B-day at WDW?!?

Walt Disney World
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For anyone that doesn’t know I got injured months ago. I had to cancel my last couple of trips and have allowed my Universal AP to lapse.

My doctor cleared me to do 2 - 3 days in Orlando next month. My original plan was 8 days, so this is better than nothing…

My travel dates are arrival on Wed. 12/4/24 and depart early on Sat. 12/7/24. I have 2 full days in Orlando. I have definite plans to be at EPCOT on Friday 12/6/24.

I am staying off-site.

I need help with a couple things. First, should I do both days at WDW or a split trip between UOR / WDW. I have no plans for arrival evening. Second, my first full day is my 50th birthday!

Should I renew my UOR AP? I could pop into IOA or USF on arrival night to see a show or Hagrid’s. Then I’d have my birthday at UOR doing all the things I enjoy. Plus, I could go to Early Park Admission before departing after lunch time on Saturday.

I could go to Universal CityWalk on arrival night after the parks. There’s mini-golf, karaoke and the Epic Preview Center.

I am planning on going to UOR next February and this would give me “more value” for the pass.

However, if I don’t go to UOR in December I’ll probably cancel the February trip. So two trips hang in the balance

OR

I could buy a WDW park hopper for arrival night and the next day. On my first full day, my birthday, I could try to do as many WDW parks as I can in one day. I’m not trying to do an “all four parks” challenge, but I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question either. It will depend on how strong my leg is feeling

I already have a park ticket to go to EPCOT on Friday to ride GotG and have dinner at Biergarten. This was a gift. I’m not able to modify or add to it.

Other Options -

On arrival night, I’d love to eat at Disney Springs. There’s no activates to do there though. I don’t want to just window shop. I miss The Void!!

Maybe a resort crawl? Go see the gingerbread houses?

I thought about Hoop-Dee-Doo, but it’s sold out

If I didn’t go into the parks on arrival night I could do a birthday dinner anywhere in Orlando

What should I do on my arrival day? My flight lands at 3pm. IME that means I could be at a theme park or other destination by 5pm - 5:30pm

How can I have a “relaxing” day at WDW on my birthday if I’m spending it on my phone trying to book my next multi-pass? Are GotG and Tiana’s the only rides that need VQs? I try to stay informed on all the fast pass changes and feel “OK” about it, but not looking forward to having to use them.

FYI - All WDW tickets are paid for using Disney Visa Rewards. If I get a new UO AP I’ll have to pay about $235 out of pocket along with Universal Visa Rewards.

Give me your suggestions and advice!

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Yes! And you can go anytime after your BG has been called.

That’s the only question I can really answer. So many options! I arrive that day, too, about an hour later. I’m struggling to make my own plans.

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If you’re going next month, you could go to Disney Springs and look at the holiday trees and have dinner at one of the restaurants.

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I enjoyed this last year, and am planning to do it again this year.

ETA: There’s a scavenger hunt you can do with the trees. I’m a sucker for scavenger hunts.

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Kimonos Lounge at the Swan has karaoke starting at 9:30 pm. You could dine in DS and scoot over there.

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  1. I’d renew your UOR AP to keep the 20-25% off with renewal
  2. I think you are at risk of injuring yourself trying to have a very busy single day at Disney. I think it would be hard to avoid Fomo and overdoing it
    3)Is the after 5 pm Disney ticket price at the gate or a conference ticket cause you should look into the conference if you haven’t
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Sadly, I let my renewal window lapse. I gotta pay full price! I wanted to be sure I could go… The daeadline was a couple weeks ago. Even just as recent as then I wasn’t sure I could go. I’ve made good progress this last week or so! :disappointed_relieved:

No! How does that work? If there’s a cheaper ticket for “late entry” please tell me!!

If I could get an on-site hotel room at UOR this wouldn’t even be a debate. I’d renew and stroll around those parks. I still have my original hotel reservation for 8 nights. I tried to “modify” it and it wouldn’t allow it.

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Check out @JJT conference ticket thread it goes through it all! Edit- I messaged him the details

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Depending on how long ago it lapsed, this might end up being favorable economically. It’s like a ten week lapse break even for 20% off. But don’t do the math. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye::rofl:

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Here’s what I think I would do.

Do dinner at Disney springs or a Disney hotel your first night. Spend some time wandering the resorts.

Try to do a 4 parks day on my birthday. Maybe start at AK, go the HS, take the skyliner to EPCOT and then the monorail to MK? (I haven’t tried anything like this, so I don’t know how it would work. ) You’ll get all four parks and some of the Disney transportation options.

I would not go to UOR. I’d hold off on the new pass until I had a trip I really wanted in mind, not something that would increase value. I’d start the pass that trip.

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At first I was thinking the other way around – dedicate more time to UOR – but I think I agree with this. If you are going to stray to Disney this trip, might as well dedicate your time there. Save your UOR money for your trips when Epic is open, or closer to then when you go all-in on UOR again. Splitting your time between the two resorts dilutes your return on investment. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Personally, I feel like I’ve done UOR so much over my last annual pass, that I need time to make it fun again. I’ve been toying with the idea of going back to Orlando in a few weeks, but the idea isn’t making me happy or excited to go. Part of it is personal, and part of it is getting tired of it, so I am (once again) making the choice to try and wait til December 2026 before going back.

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I’m doing A LOT of math today!

I booked a second hotel that is close to UOR. Both hotels are around $300 - $350 total. Getting back to the hotel is easier at UOR. It’s only less than one mile from the CityWalk garage. I don’t know if I’d walk it, but it does make taking breaks easier and cheaper than my WDW hotel.

Now, I have options for where to stay.

My math is a LOT about do I use up 50% or more of my Disney Visa points to do two days at WDW or save them to do 4 days at Disneyland next Spring.

My Disney Visa is at $1450 in points. I have been saying I want to “use them up” at Disneyland in 2025 though.

If I go to WDW on arrival day, my birthday and Friday my projected costs are $700 in points -maybe more if I buy a bunch of snacks.

My total out of pocket costs for a WDW only Wed. - Fri. is - $600 Cash (hotel & travel) + $700 Disney Points - $1300 for a one time visit.

My total out of pocket costs for UOR Wed., Thurs, and Saturday and EPCOT on Friday is - $1000 cash + $200 Disney Points. This is $1200 for a birthday trip and an AP that makes going again in February even “cheaper”.

Saving that extra $500 in Disney Visa points would go a long way to ensuring I still go to DLR. If I wipe out 50% of my banked points I would just do MNSSHP or MVMCP in 2025 during a trip to Epic Universe.

Do I go to WDW for half as much in cash now, but sacrificing going to DLR and my UOR February trip?? (Which will save me even more money by not traveling as much!! :rofl:)

TBH - If I had a way to do Disney without Multi-Pass and Single Pass I’d definitely go there. There are more rides and things at AK, Epcot and MK that I haven’t done in ages than UOR.

Realistically, I could forget all of this and just arrive on Thursday. I wouldn’t get to go to a park on my 50th birthday, but I’d save more… I’d only spend about $375 - $400 total… (not counting the $400 plane ticket I bought months ago… It was $300, but changing the dates added $100)

Decisions!

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Well I forgot about DLR - you can’t sacrifice that! :joy:

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Current arrival day is Weds / birthday is Thurs?

Weds apparently has no parties and is AK late night for deluxe.

Options that I might consider for Weds night:

  • Go to MK and watch HEA (will be busy). Or, since everyone will be watching HEA, you could go for Jingle Cruise, BTMRR, etc during the fireworks. Bonus points for hanging out under the Tron canopy after dark.

  • Ditch the parks and check out the gingerbread / relax at the resorts / snack around the monorail or Crescent Lake + skyliner to Riviera (it’s like a ride, right? :blush:). Find a spot for fireworks (boat launches, etc) and Electrical Water Pageant if at monorail / Wilderness Lodge. Bonus points for making it over to AKL for the tree and nighttime animal spotting. (I love the vibe outside Jambo and/or Poly at night.)

  • Disney Springs snoap + Christmas tree crawl

  • Go to Epcot and check out Journey of Water after dark, Spaceship Earth light show, food booths, lit up countries, Luminous. However, you can do this Friday…

Thursday should be very light crowds at MK (party night, so closes at 6). If I were doing multiple parks, I would probably go MK in the AM and then AK afternoon (say goodbye to all the closing stuff at both parks, then hopefully get to see the Merry Menagerie and Tree of Life Awakenings before AK closes). Epcot and DHS are open until 9 / 9:30 if you want more hopper use (or want to see Luminous et al and don’t go Weds night - although you also have Fri for Epcot).

  • Or, just go to one of MK or AK on Thurs and save on the hopper…I am a little worried about your leg / stamina, especially in Epcot two days in row (so much walking). You could move the nighttime crawl option from Weds to here (after 6pm close).

What are your top interests that use LLMP/LLSP etc? Do you feel a FOMO need to see Rivers of America / Dinoland / etc?

For costs:

  • Have you already bought your Friday Epcot ticket?
  • conf tickets wouldn’t use Disney points, probably? Would you be able to pay for those tickets out of pocket if it helped with budgeting?

Obviously, I am enabling but also don’t want you to mess up future DLR plans…

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These are great options…

My Friday ticket is already paid for as I am someone’s guest. I can park hop and go to AK in the morning. Of all the rides and parks AK is the one I haven’t visited since 2008. I’ve been to the rest of the WDW parks multiple times since then.

I am meeting people at EPCOT on Friday to ride GotG for the first time.

Flight of Passage, Tiana’s, RotR, MMRR, ToT, GotG.

Of these I haven’t ever done Tiana and GotG

None at all. I’m in the minority that these are long overdue to go!!

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LLSP: FoP, RotR, GotG (and VQ)
LLMP: Tiana’s (and VQ), MMRR, ToT

You won’t be in your phone, at least, for the LLSP, just out $$. :sweat_smile:

Ideally, if you can get a VQ for Tiana’s, then you just need LLMP for DHS…

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After sleeping on it… Here are the options I think I prefer…

  1. Buy a new AP and go to UOR Wed., Thurs., and Saturday with an EPCOT day on Friday

  2. Move my arrival date to Thursday. Go out to a birthday dinner that night and wander around somewhere. Then EPCOT on Friday and leave on Saturday.

I spent hours yesterday trying to plan a full day park hopping on Thursday at WDW. It’s so frustrating. Plus, IME, hopping between the parks takes 60+ minutes. That’s 2 - 4 hours just navigating the property. I’m spoiled by being able to walk between USF / IOA in 15 minutes.

Being off-site, with no car, makes it hard to plan as well. I can’t go back to the hotel as easy in the midday at either theme park.

I haven’t made any definite decision…yet…

DW told me to do whatever I wanted as I’ve spent the last 3+ months being miserable with pain and my job being a hassle about it the whole time.

I wish I could find any on-site hotel at either place for under $500 / night! :rofl: :rofl: :shark: :shark:

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Of those I like option 1. Option 2 is kinda sad TBH.

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I vote for Option 3: Call Disney and ask to buy a single MVMCP ticket for your birthday (Thursday), citing your extenuating circumstances (delay due to injury, etc.). You never know!

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