Better for First Timer- Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Better for First Timer- Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure
DH and I were both at US when we were kids and honestly I was there for about 3 hours with my Grandpa and don't think I did much of anything except maybe King Kong, Back to the Future, and E.T. (do any of these even exist still?) We are playing with the idea of visiting one of the parks during our WDW stay in Aug. Which would you recommend for us? It would me be, DH, DS10 who loves thrill rides, and DS5 who is dying to go on thrill rides, but Mommy won't let him. Thanks.
I'd vote for IOA. You have thrill rides, but also Jurassic Park, Dr Seuss, and Harry Potter. Universal seems to have an overload of motion rides and a couple of old ones like ET and Jaws, etc.
That would be tough choice for us because we love both parks. Islands of Adventure does have the classic thrill rides: The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Dr Doom's Freefall, Spiderman, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Dragon's Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Dudley Do Rights Ripsaw Falls. And there is the Suess Landing which has several fun rides for the younger ones.
But, Universal has some pretty fun thrill rides too and more for your younger son. The Mummy Coaster is one of my favorites! My all time favorite Universal attraction is in the Studios: Men in Black. I could ride it for hours. The Simpsons is a motion simulator ride that is pretty popular. And there is the new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster at Universal Studios. Some of our favorite shows are there: Shrek 4D, Terminator 2:3D, the Horror MakeUp Show, Animal Actors on Parade. There's also the Woody Woodpecker kiddie coaster and Curious George play area. ET is still there, it's my DH's favorite dark ride. The others you mentioned have went to that great big theme park in the sky!
So it would be tough to decide, but I think I would choose US, unless your 5 year old is tall enough to ride the bigger coasters at IOA.
Universal has a lot of great attractions now (while im still heartbroken that Back to the Future Ride is gone) but rides like Men in Black, The Mummy, Rip Ride Rockt, T2 3D and the Simpsons are some of my favorites not to mention Shrek 3D BUT if your DS's are big thrill fans I would have to say that IOA is the place to be...you've got Jurrasic Park, the Hulk, Spiderman, Dr Doom Fear Fall etc. PLUS the Harry Potter attraction among many others...if thrills is what your after my vote would be for IOA....
Great feedback, everyone. Thanks. We'll be taking our twins (just turned 10, one of each) to Universal for a 3 night stay at the end of the month. They've been to WDW a couple of times, but our first visit to US/IOA. We'll be getting into Orlando around 11am so we'll only have a half day at a park. I was contemplating where we should start. Sounds like it's Studios that first day and IOA for the full day. And of course we have one full day for the Magic Kingdom. Thanks again for the perspectives!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Warning, if your boys love thrill rides, you may find they prefer Universal parks to Disney. Mine did-they lost interest in "theming" but could ride coasters forever.
I like both parks but on our first trip to Universal (before IOA) both my ex and I -then ride wimps -enjoyed Universal Studios more than any of the Disney parks. We felt we could so just about any ride there.
I love the input everyone has given (even though it wasn't my question). I am taking my thrill seekers there this Christmas and it looks like they should have fun.
__________________
Karen and kids are Counting down to Christmas with Mickey!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
About This Page: 
![[SIGPIC]](signaturepics/sigpic27594_7.gif)
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Michelle - with my step sisters!
Linear Mode
