I’m still trying to decide when I want to return to Disney. I’m loving Universal and have zero regrets about spending all my WDW trip savings on an entire year of Universal trips.
However, my Disney Visa balance is over $1000 and I noticed my jar of coins is getting close to the top!
I’ve been doing it since 2011 and I don’t even think about it much anymore. I like to mark where the coin level is at the beginning of the year. This year I noticed how full it’s getting! I’ve always said I want it so full I can’t easily add more coins. However, with me travelling to Universal often this year, would it be crazy to do a long weekend for a few hundred dollars? I see the entertainment returning, the mask policy being dropped and a couple rides I’ve never done would be open. (GotG / Rat / RotR & SW:GE)
I could, also, just add this to my Universal funds and do even more - saving the Visa points for our possible DLR visit.
Other possible ways to use the coins - Orlando Informer Meet-up, extra HHN nights, a lot of TS meals in CityWalk or even a visit to another park I’ve never seen - like SeaWorld!
All our previous trips have involved both. Our cancelled 2020 was supposed to be focused on UOR, but with a sprinkling of Disney (had VAH and a fireworks cruise booked etc).
This trip is 90% UOR (doing SeaWorld and a beach day) and won’t involve any Disney at all. I’m really feeling the Chapek effect and I have no regrets at all so far about skipping Disney. I have zero FOMO!!
I’m crazy excited to get to do UOR at a leisurely pace
There’s really no wrong answer here, but I might lean toward adding more at UOR since you have the AP and can typically get more for your money there. Trust your gut and don’t go back to WDW yet until you feel a good vibe about it.
I love how perfectly placed your copy of “Where the Money Is” is next to the massive jar of money.
I’ve been trying to find more info about the shuttle. The UG doesn’t sell it to me. Sounds like a lottery to get it and if you do, you might miss RD, then there’s the uncertainly of the return time.
I would love to hear anyone’s first hand experience of using it…
I just cashed in a bunch of coins for my dad using a Coinstar machine…and, I was surprised that they are now charging 12.2% service fee. It used to be 7%!
This was my entire motivation for dumping my $5K in WDW savings (10 - 14 day trip) into a year of Universal (15 days planned right now and spread out over the year to get all the holiday events and extend the fun.) Plus, each Universal trip has multiple elements / rides returning I’ve looking forward to each trip!
WDW / Genie + does not look fun at all!! It’s been 3 weeks since I got back from my UO trip and I’m having “post-trip blues”. It hit me pretty hard last weekend! I read a lot of trip reports over the weekend. Even seeing the headaches of Disney right now still made me nostalgic.
Is this SeaWorld? Pretty cool deal!!
Yeah… As much as I keep saying WDW and I “need some space”, it’s still hard to break-up (even temporarily). I know I’d probably either regret it (due to crowds & WDW issues) or it would be fine, but I’d definitely feel the “pressure” to have fun since the cost for 3 days staying at WDW + tickets is more as an entire week (including airfare and food) at Universal
I’m not saying No to WDW, but having everyone here “talk me down” is really helpful!!!
(Oh! “Where the Money is” is my book to read on the plane! It’s just ‘ok’, but fun)
I grew up having to roll coins for spending money! I’ll sit in front of the TV and count it all manually. I don’t want to lose a good chunk of the funds when I can do it myself!
It’s this plus a million other small irritations that have just soured me to the idea of going.
At the moment, we have the intention of coming over for a Disney trip summer 2023, but I’ll need to feel enthused about that before even paying a deposit.
For us, if we go to Sea World, we’ll go to San Antonio. Partly because that is close and partly because DD declared it the prettiest city she ever seen. She hasn’t seen that many. But, I’m not that enthused about Sea World since I slightly knew the founder.
But, Discovery Cove does look interesting. We need some time away from Florida. I figured out recently that over half of DD’s (age 11) big vacations have been to Florida. BUT, when USO opens that new Epic park, it will call to me again. We might throw in some Discovery Cove time then.
SW:GE is a big motivator for me too. I think a lot of my “issues” will be better once I can get my DW to decide on what trip she wants to do in December. I think she doesn’t want to cancel the trip because it’s been “on the books” for so long. (I think it’s hard for her to believe a ‘die-hard’ Disney fan like me doesn’t want to go!) Plus, she If she really wants to go to DLR, then I can plan out my December UO trip and not have as much FOMO.
Yeah… I noticed that same issue when my daughter was young. When she became a teen I made sure to take her to a few major cities - Chicago / New Orleans / Tokyo
SeaWorld was just on the “top of mind” as I saw a YT vid about it late last night. It’s a place I grew up hearing about. As a kid in the 70s / 80s - giant whales were the height of entertainment! Additionally, I don’t think it’s a place my wife or daughter would like. Going solo there, this year, might be the only way I ever get to go.
I personally have never really been into universal, so my vote would be Disney, but that’s just me. Also with my kids being the age they are Disney is a better choice in general.
That being said, the fact that you have a universal AP and that you are a bit soured on a lot of the things going on at Disney right now would push me to recommend you doing universal right now. If you’re not 100% enthused by WDW, then you’d probably get more frustration than enjoyment out of the trip.
I also think that it’s worth doing universal now rather than later, as I have a feeling that their prices are going to go up pretty substantially once epic universe opens.
