PRO TIPS for Universal Orlando Resort | Universal Studios | Islands of Adventure
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- Опубліковано 13 лип 2024
- In this video, I'll outline all of my best tips to maximise your next visit to the Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure, including both wizarding worlds of Harry Potter. We'll cover express passes, mobile ordering, single rider lines, early park admission, dining. I'll also be covering my updated strategies for tackling Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and Velocicoaster.
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - INTRO
0:26 - TIP 1 - THE BASICS
1:09 - TIP 2 - UNIVERSAL APP
2:35 - TIP 3 - UNIVERSAL HOTELS
4:31 - TIP 4 - PACK LIGHT
5:29 - TIP 5 - DINING
8:09 - TIP 6 - DON'T HURL
8:47 - TIP 7 - WEAR CROCS
9:32 - TIP 8 - WHEN TO VISIT
10:40 - TIP 9 - HAGRID'S & VELOCICOASTER
12:25 - TIP 10 - WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER
15:19 - TIP 11 - SINGLE RIDER LINE
17:07 - TIP 12 - ZIG WHEN OTHERS ZAG
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UNIVERSAL ORLANDO PLANNING CHECKLIST:
- TICKETS For US I recommend UndercoverTourist.com, or DreamsUnlimitedTravel.com. For UK, I recommend Floridatix.com, AttractionTickets.com, or OrlandoAttractions.com.
- RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS:
www.universalorlando.com/web/...
- BOOK HOTEL
- BOOK FLIGHTS
- SORT ESTA (IF TRAVELLING FROM UK)
- DOWNLOAD APP AND ADD CARD
- CONSIDER PURCHASING USEFUL THEME PARK ITEMS (see packing checklist below).
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VIDEO LINKS:
Child swap guide: www.keytotheworldtravel.com/c...
An Idiot's Guide to Universal Orlando video:
• An Idiot’s Guide to UN...
Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar:
www.undercovertourist.com/orl...
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Full Packing Checklist:
• Small or medium sized backpack
• Comfy shoes
• Rain poncho
• Waterproof lanyards
• Backup charger
• Refillable water bottles
• blister plasters/bandage
• sunscreen
• sunglasses
• Dramamine (motion sickness)
• Kids antihistamine
• Calpol
• Bum Bags/Fanny Pack
• Caps
• Sweets/Candy for flight
• Swimming trunks
• After sun
• Blister plasters
• Shorts
• T shirts
• Crocs
• Socks
• Underwear
• Shoes
• Kids headphones
• iPads/iPhones for flight
• Phone charger
• Backup charger
• Pijamas
• Rain ponchos
• Passports
• Park tickets
• Vaccine passports
• Money
• Hoodie
• Other medication
• Ear plugs
• Laptop
• Laptop charger
• Apple watch charger
• Glasses
• Beard trimmer
• Belt
• Aftershave
• Razors
• Contact lenses
• Contact lens solution
• Toiletry bag
• Toothbrush
• Deodorant
• Iphone cables
• USB C cables
• ESTA forms
• Hotel confirmation
• Boarding passes
• US power adaptor
• Cameras
• Camera Gimbals
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MUSIC LICENCING:
Track: Ikson - Walk [Official]
Music provided by Ikson®
Listen: • #28 Walk (Official)
Track: Ikson - Pumpkin Field [Official]
Music provided by Ikson®
Listen: • #166 Pumpkin Field (Of...
Wholesome by Kevin MaCleod
Hagrids and Velocicoaster were my main priorities of my entire trip last year. So I got there for EPA got them both done. I can sleep when I’m dead😂
Yeah it feels good to scratch them both off early on.
That Uber/Lyft to Hard Rock is such a good tip!
😁👍
Then u need to take the water taxi to actually get there behind the hotel
The Single Rider tip is 100% correct. I wouldn't do it again for Velocicoaster. When I did it 2 months ago, the wait time was 60 minutes which didnt seem too bad. The ride had 3 different short delays. I noticed people who got in the normal line about 10 minutes after me was on and off the ride about 10 minutes before I got on it. The ride is incredible but next time, if I dont have a Express Pass for it, I'll just go into the normal line instead.
Yup
Same for us with Hagrids, ans we got stuck a bit outaide. It was hot as heck.
Do me, paying the extra amount for royal pacific is great so we can get the express passes. I also use the bag concierge that comes with. You can leave the bags at a store, and they’ll send it to your room. I love that short walk from the hotel to the park!!
Always love your videos. So informative and helpful when planning. We will be staying at Cabana Bay for 8 days next week and will use these tips in the parks for sure! Thank you!
Just discovered your channel. I’m binge watching for our trip to Universal/Disney in December, and thoroughly enjoying your videos! Thank you!
Thanks for watching Lori, hope you have a great trip 😁
@@TheFrugalBrit Thanks! It certainly will be better with your great tips!
Ive noticed the longer you stay the cheaper they charge per night. If you stay for over 8 nights in September, you can get both endless summer resorts for 88 per night which is probably the cheapest price you can get in Orlando and it’s an insane value for that resort. Middle of summer your looking at 150 per night
Great tip, thank you for sharing!
I don't think I'll get to go to Universal until like next summer (fingers crossed nothing I want to see gets demolished), but I always enjoy listening to these videos at work, partially because they are relaxing and partially because I want to understand the parks as best as I can even this far out. Great vid, keep it up!
Thank you for the that! Hope you get a chance to visit next year 😁
Loved your video. Concise and straight to the point. Learned some new tips that don't mention in other videos. Hopefully will help me a lot in my vacations next week
An alternative to Crocs are Teva sandals. I discovered them last year when I visited Orlando and saw so many people wearing them. They’re the most comfortable sandals I’ve ever worn and I have two pairs coming with me when I go back to Orlando next month!
I tried them at a prior Disney trip and they gave me blisters :( they are comfy for a bit!
Agree %100
I’ll have to look into those, thank you for sharing 😁
If you notice there is nowhere in the park to buy crocs. They used to sell them but they are notorious for getting caught in the escalators and moving walks in the garages. Super dangerous so be careful!
I have a bad knee and need good foot support to prevent days of pain. I'll bring flip flops for water rides and a 2 gal ziplock for my good shoes and socks (and phone) to hide in.
Another excellent video mate! These are the best videos for info on UA-cam for us brits travelling over👍
Some fab tips x thanks so much for sharing- we enjoyed watching ❤️
YAY the best time of the week is here ❤😂!! Just top tier videos can’t say more than that
Glad you like them! 😁
Hi there - big hi from New Zealand. We watched your videos prior to our trip in July and we found your videos so extremely helpful and it made our trip a memorable one! We got everything we wanted to get done, done and in record time. Highly recommend!
Amazing! It’s great to hear feedback like this, thank you. Glad you had a great trip 😁😁
We invested in On Cloud Monster shoes for our last trip. Expensive, but ended up being worth every penny. We will never wear anything else. Very minimal leg or foot fatigue during our trip. We are the type to open & close the parks, so plenty of walking. A+
Epic as always FB. Thanks for the tips!
Very welcome, thanks for watching 😁
Class as always. We go back in May so love watching your videos to start building the excitement.
I find forbidden journey gets me if I sit on the end of some reason. What I found helps was to try and get in to it more. So trying to incorporate my arms and legs in to the movement on the screen seems to take the edge off.
Thank you! That’s a really interesting tip, I’ll try that next time 👍
Another great Video as usual! Were heading out in Aug and can't wait, def be using some of these and your other tips!!!
Thank you Jason, hope you have the best trip 😁
Your vid’s are great and this one is no exception. Thanks for the tips!
Very welcome, thanks for watching 😁
Thank you again so much Frugal Brit me and my girlfriend are going to universal this September and your tips are always amazing (including your Disney videos) keep them coming good sir! 😊
Thank you Jordan, hope you have the best trip 😁
Another great video with fantasy tips. Will certainly come in handy for Florida holiday next month 😊. Thanks very much
Very welcome Jennifer, hope you have the best trip 😁
Entertaining and informative again! Thanks for your videos!
Very welcome 😁
Smashing video again 👍🇺🇸
I'll be putting some of these tips into practice when we go for 3 weeks at the end of this month.
We are doing 2 weeks at the parks then off to the Clearwater area for a week and a wedding.
Keep up the great work, your videos are really informative and entertaining.
That sounds amazing, I’m there for three weeks from 22 April.
@@TheFrugalBrit Enjoy 👍🇺🇸✈️☀️
Great video! thanks for the tips!
Very welcome, thank you Javier 😁
This video was great! Thanks for all the tips. We are going this fall
We’ve bought 3 pairs of croc sandals. Never thought I’d buy a pair in my life but comfort is the most important thing for us. We’ve also bought a ton of universal and Disney themed jibbitz croc charms so will be fun customising them each day.
Very wise Daniel! Yeah I was the same always hated the look of them. But make sense at a theme park. The only issue is, if you’ve not worn them in, after day 3 or 4 you can get blisters.
Love your videos man great job
Glad you like them 😁
Excellent video ! we did almost all rides in 3 days without express pass , Thanks to all the tips
Amazing!! I’m glad it worked well 😁👍
Love your videos! I'll be there with my GF in May right after memorial day weekend. Staying at Aventura thanks to your review!
Hope you have the best trip 😁
Thank you so much for all your Video's.
Currently plainning a family trip to the US in June.
I've been able to show the kids and hubby your videos to help us decide on hotels , tickets and rides.
Interesting point on the crocs, my 9 year old had been banging on about them and was wondering if she would bring them along, so thanks for that bit in your video.
Love the coffee and food tips., plus the line up tips.
Your not wrong on prices, yikes they are crazy and the Aussie Dollar is horriable at the moment :(
I have been telling my friends about your videos and recommed them.
Thank you for that Laura, glad you’ve enjoyed the videos 😁
Thank you 😊
You're welcome 😊
A very good choice for mid afternoon is to aim for the indoor shows (Makeup, Bourne and Animals)-Air Conditioning is a godsend (and, even though it’s outdoors, Animal Actors is usually a bit cooler inside the stadium, at least)
Indeed, I should have mentioned Animal Actors!
So thorough. Absolutely brilliant mate. This will be invaluable to people 👏👏👏
Much appreciated!! You headed back this year?
@@TheFrugalBrit no plans until Epic Universe. Can't justify the prices at the moment
Indeed, prices are very depressing.
Totally agree about where to stay. If you just need a place to sleep, an off site hotel (ideally, with a free breakfast, free parking and no resort fee) makes tons of sense. The price you pay is generally a lot less, even factoring in parking at the park or Uber fees. The Uber to Hard Rock is a great one, I do the same thing a lot at some airports, it's easier and usually faster to have the Uber drop and pick you up at the airport hotel if there is one. As far as the crocs, nope. I don't do a lot of water rides, but if I am planning to do some, I just throw a pair of flip flops in my back pack to wear on those rides. Besides being horribly ugly, they don't provide enough support for me on a long day of walking. I have also heard horror stories of some peoples trips being ruined because they got blisters wearing crocs on the first day of the vacation, doesn't effect everyone, but I am not willing to chance it. We also like visiting during the first 2 weeks December, crowds are usually low after the Thanksgiving (U.S. holiday, 4th Thursday of November) crowds have left. As always, you have given us some great tips. Thank you, can't wait for the next one!
I agree with all those points except for crocs lol, but my wife says the same thing about the blisters.
We stayed on I Drive and got the bus to Disney. Just get up early. Switch at Seaworld and ask for a transfer ticket so you don’t pay on the second bus. About $2 per person each way. The kids loved it. We jumped the bus back unless we were exhausted and then we jumped a cab.
Excellent video and production values as always. We're closing in on 100 days to go!
Thank you! It’s so nice to be able to look forward to holidays now without having to worry about Covid tests 😁
@The Frugal Brit - Orlando yeah one less thing to worry about. All the best with the channel, keep up the good work
FB this vid made me so happy . My favourite place of all Universal . Used many of the tips you have suggested 👏👍. I also prefer off site accommodation and have stayed at the same hotels as you for the very same reasons but also for the evening entertainment and restaurants on international drive . Done rope drop many a time and so far have always been successful . The best ever was King Kong with just me and my family , no one else ! . As you may know they program 3 ride experiences we had Becky the most extreme 😳. On the back of this did Harry Potter both rides before the masses caught up with us . Glad I am not the only one who shuts their eyes on some of the best rides to avoid motion sickness . For me the worst Is Simpson Ride . That being said I absolutely love Universal . Great content what else would I expect . Quality review . 😊
Thank you Dax, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah the Simpsons Ride messed me up bad when I did it last year.
Great video again
Glad you enjoyed it 😁
Great video!! I will be using sneakers though! Ha ha ha! 🇦🇷
🫢
Recent fan of your videos and trying to catch up on a lot of material :) great work!
Want to chime in and say that I have to disagree with your tip about staying offsite. At universal in particular I think one of the biggest attractions for me is the ease of transport to and from the hotels to city walk. While I think the price hike is tough to swallow - perhaps mention the pass holder discount (if you haven’t already). As a pass holder I can get really reasonable rates at Cabana Bay and wouldn’t miss the garden walk experience or water taxi for the world. Not to mention how easy it is to go through their security checkpoint which is never busy in my personal experience. Regardless I love your content and it almost makes me feel like I’m in the parks. Well done! Maybe do some videos for passholders and whether it’s worth the additional cost to buy?
Thank you Ashley! Yeah I wouldn’t recommend avoiding the on site hotels unless you’re not gonna benefit from the perks. Personally, I value them. That’s not a bad suggestion to discuss the value of the annual pass. Thanks for watching 😁
I think your review videos are one of the best will you be doing any orlando vlogging vids on jay jack?,enjoyed the last one
Thank you Ant 😁
No current plans to do vlogs again I’m afraid. Sure I’ll revisit it at some point though.
I love these videos. Guy does a great job explaining stuff.
Always happy to find one of your vlogs in my feed!..Entertaining as always…Curious about something-Did you change microphones? Your audio sounds a bit different (a LOT sharper and crisp sounding!)
That’s interesting. Don’t think I’ve made big changes, but happy to hear it sounds better though! Appreciate the feedback.
We managed to get a night at Royal Pacific for £275 this August, keep an eye out for deals I think we booked this around Black Friday, saved more than £200 on the room and includes express passes for both days 👍
I like crocs. But I find athletic Teva / Chaco style sandals most useful for theme parks. But only if you're used to them and they're broken in
I’ll have to try them out!
As a full grown adult not in the front during the wand choosing, I assumed a child in front would be picked, and was terrified to find myself chosen lol!
🤣that's amazing!
When he said kid I thought oh, I love HP more than my son! This adds promise for me! 😂
Velocicoaster at night is mind-blowing ! a big NO NO is wasting your time with the F&F "ride" and Jimmy Fallon more F&F ! im Buzzin to be back over end of may tho Just struggling to work out whats best parks thats not Rammed a when to disney once on a saturday with the locals and travelers it was MENTAL
I don’t mind Jimmy Fallon, but yeah F&F is poor.
Great tips. Mine is for Fast and Furious - just stand in the queue which has some quite entertaining stuff from "Team members" and then don't bother with the ride, which is poor
This is so helpful!! We’ve been before but missed out on taking advantage of Universal. Can you put where you got your collapsible cups?
Glad you found it useful 😁
I think I just searched for ‘collapsible cups’ on Amazon.
Monumental movie land hotel is the best deal in the area and it’s walking distance from the parks
Florida resident here live like 3 hours from orlando, 5 or 6 years ago I stayed at hardrock hotel for couple hundred bucks a night on weekends included express passes etc. it saved a lot of money, now the prices seemed to gone up exponentially since the n. I’m planning on going next weekend but I’m just going to wake up super early in the morning drive there and back next day to save on hotels….
I did not realize how much Universal hotel prices have gone up recently. Was looking at prices last year and it was much cheaper than Disney. Now, the prices are getting closer to Disney, making it a harder choice between the two.
The hotel price hike is ridiculous. Booking the same vacation package as last year at portofino bay is now triple the price
Yeah I think they went too far with the pricing, I’m guessing demand has shot up after the changes Disney has made.
What’s the difference this year? Sorry if I missed it
I just booked a trip for early November at Portofino. I'm curious as to what the price was last year.
@@superturtle61177 I got a 5 night stay at portofino with 2 park to park tickets for $2600.
@@nikkifahey paid $2600 for a 5 night stay with park to park tickets for 2. Now I can't get it for under 4000
They pulled a bait & switch. They got as many youtubers as they could to tell everyone how wonderful and reasonably priced they were compared to Disney to increase volume, then tripled the cost to fund their new parks. We will not be back.
Glad to see that.
You save money, and more room for my trip.
Awww so sweet thank you. Enjoy your trip.
Hey Frugal Brit - I love the videos! I’m heading to Florida in September with my partner for the first time and will be staying at Vista Cay in a 2 bedroom condo, do you have any reviews of this place? I can’t find any online and always love to have a good look before I go anywhere.
Thanks for the videos
We will be back in 2025, hopefully the new park will be open by then. This was incredibly helpful.
Glad you found it useful, hope you have the best trip 😁
Going to universal in august this videos are so helpful but the croc slander 😭😭 I love crocs they are stunning 😩😩
I'm sure they are 😂
I found last summer hagrids was deffo better around 4pm bit of a
Drop off after lunch and before dinner. Hit 60 mins a few times
Yeah not always consistent, a shame that the capacity is so poor.
Yes doesn’t run well, Veloci far more efficient, they should just have a virtual line for hagrids much better for guests….
Rosen Inns are Quite nice, in my experience…I would say you’re underselling them a bit here..
Fair, but my rental was broken into in January at Rosen inn international. 🙈
@@TheFrugalBrit Yikes! Sorry that happened to you!
On the hogwarts forbidden journey ride, I only when you sit in the farthest left seat (When facing the seats), if you sit there you get blasted in the face with steam from the dragon and that can make you queezy.
Thanks for this video. Could you please elaborate on the small lockers issue? I mean does that hack make our stored items less secure or just more difficult for someone to get a small locker? Is there a way to avoid this happening?
the cheaper parking and tram are great i can get drunk and already got a ride home also if i did miss the bus or water taxi its only max a mile away maybe less
Hi. I have loved watching your videos recently as I get ready for my first trip in Sep.
If anyone can help with a question please. With the lockers if you only have mobile tickets.. are you able to take your phone with you on the ride to unlock this after? and if not what do you do in this situation.
Thanks
You can keep your phone with you, but not on the big roller coasters. If you don’t have a physical ticket with a barcode, staff can give you a ticket to use instead at each locker point.
@@TheFrugalBrit thank you :)
If staying off site, how much is an Uber/Lyft ride to the parks? Disney/Universal.
Great tips ,thanks million,we are going in September staying at Cabana Bay, are there resort fees there ??
No resort fees, just parking 😁
@@TheFrugalBrit thanks for the reply ,no car with us so all grand ,great tips . I think Jason Manford is giving the tips when I hear your accent ,sounds similar to me 😂
Can you do a tip video - who to tip etc
I like that idea!
They say to head to the back of the parks first as the wait times will be nothing cause everyone hits what they come to first unless it’s a headliner. Studios is much more quiet compared to Islands tho. Do love how you do your videos especially on the hotels as some people just seem to drag them on and not get to the point. I do have one question tho, on the unlimited drinks in the hotels it says $18 for the entire stay but there must be a limit on the days surely? Do you know? Many thanks
Thank you Selina! Yes there’s an option to pay for your entire stay regardless of how long 😁
@@TheFrugalBrit thank you. That’s excellent 👍
These are gonna be so helpful when my family goes early June! We’ve decided to stay at Lowe’s Royal Pacific for a night for that unlimited express pass and the early park admission. Would you say that despite everyone flocking to it first thing, Hagrid’s will at least usually take less than thirty minutes/an hour if we do it during early admission?
Great choice! With Hagrid’s, it really depends, sometimes you can get lucky with les than 30 minutes, but on other occasions, technical issues can take an hour. As said in the video, it is nice to get it done before the park opens, but comes at a cost.
16:47 I saw like 5 fights almost happen with this. There is no way your party is skipping through the line.
Can you confirm the point you are making at around 5:15? Something about a hack to avoid using barcodes?
Yeah basically if you use that trick, you can get extra lockers if you use your hotel key bar code.
Wondering about the busy days for universal parks. You mentioned that they are busy at weekends, but quieter during the week. But undercover tourist suggests that the weekends are the quietest time. Would you still say it’s best to go during Tuesday to Thursday? We’re going in July, so it’s probably just busy all the time anyway!!
If you search one of the parks on thrill data, they give you an average daily wait time for the past week. When I last checked it seems quite inconsistent, but there were times when weekends had slightly lower wait times. Lower wait times doesn’t always equal lower crowds though.
@@TheFrugalBrit Thanks, I see what you mean. Looks like it’s a bit of a mixed picture then. Will go with the best guess and plan for big crowds in July.
We can’t wait to go, and your videos are great for updates and tips, thank you! Most things booked, just need to make the most important final decision. Bum bag or not?…..
Did you say you were linking your other video on best dining options?? I don't see it!
Hello, Can you use the Harry Potter wands from U.S. Hollywood at the Orlando location?
They do indeed! 😁
HI Frugal Brit, I want to come here next year around end of April/Start of may for around 4 days, when is the best time to book the hotels and tickets?
I think January is best to book hotels.
Hey! A little late, but I would like to share that if you have a small kid and one kid that can get on every ride, you could do the child swap and get them on the ride twice! of course I did this back in 2015 so idk if it still applies
I went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure just over a week ago.
For the latest single rider times, would roughly save only 10-20 mins on Hagrids Bike. But would save half the time on Velocicoaster if timed right in the afternoon. Comfortably the best 2 rides on both parks. With Hagrids arguably being the best in the whole of Orlando (including Disney Parks).
My family and I are going in January. We have 3 days. I see there is a current 2park 2 day +3day special going on for $275.99/adult. Is this a deal I should buy, or wait for a better deal near January? Thanks
Are u better getting a two day pass for that park are can u do it in one day
What are some inexpensive gifts you'd suggest picking up before entering the park to hand out to kids 5-9yo? :)
bro didnt have to insult the crocs like that though, they are extremely drippy
Crocs are never drippy 🤣🤣🤣… Ever
Never😂😂😂
😂😂😂
Hi mate - I'm booking Cabana bay for November, via British Airways (cheapest price) .. Do I need to allow extra funds for room tax or resort tax etc? Just didn't want a surprise bill at the end of the holiday.
Great choice my kick-boxing friend! No resort fees or hidden taxes which is good, but there’s a daily parking fee if you have a vehicle. Might also wanna budget a dollar or two per day for tipping the cleaner 👍
@@TheFrugalBrit - Thank you for taking the time to reply..
I've booked Cabana Bay for 14 nights in November - Doing Universal world and the discovery cove / SeaWorld with my son. So excited!
So they have express now for velo but still not hagrids? Me and my gf are gonna stay at one of the top hotels to get the passes.
Yeah I can’t see them ever doing it for Hagrids to be honest, that would make the stand by line unbearable!
@@TheFrugalBrit oh well I prefer velo over hagrids anyway so works for me!
does the park has free wifi or we have to use mobile data?
How does it help getting dropped off at hard rock hotel instead of city walk when using an Uber?
Hola What’s the weather in December?
Perfect! Water parks might be a bit chilly on certain days though.
@@TheFrugalBrit do you need jackets how should we pack for the trip
@@elizabethcantu9128 I take a hoodie for the flight, and a rain poncho.
Got any updates?
I'm visiting for the 1st time May 6th for 2 weeks. How are the queues usually then ? X
I’d said medium level crowds/wait times. I’ll be there for three weeks from 22nd 😁
@@TheFrugalBrit sounds great i would have liked longer . Xxx
Anybody just order Uber eats while on resort? How’d that work? Was it worth it?
It sucks that islands of adventure is closing forever
You mean Poseidon’s fury? I’m excited with what could replace it 😁
@The Frugal Brit - Orlando My moms friend said that islands of adventure is closing forever
@RyanSmith-pq3lb? ?? Doubt it's true. I haven't heard of that.
Hhh
Wtf is the ick?
Child swap? If you're fed up of your child swap it for a new one 😂