room at US just for front of line - The DIS Discussion Forums

terribm · 10-08-2009, 06:37 PM

Hi,

We are thinking of doing a vacation rental in Kissimmee for our trip next Dec. We will spend most of our time at WDW but want to go over to US/IOA to check out WWofHP. Would it be worth it to book one night at a US hotel during our stay just to have front of the line access? What would you do?

T

jerrifox · 10-08-2009, 07:01 PM

We are going in March and booked one night at one of their resorts to be able to use FOTL for 2 days..but I don't know how the crowds are in
December so it may not be worth it if crowds are low anyway.

The resorts are beautiful, though and you'll probably have a great time anyway!!

englishteacha · 10-09-2009, 04:10 PM

We stayed offsite in August of '07 and had very short lines at Universal. If you're going to get the room, you might as well sleep in it!

ruadisneyfan2 · 10-09-2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by englishteacha

We stayed offsite in August of '07 and had very short lines at Universal. If you're going to get the room, you might as well sleep in it!

I agree. Also once you try FOTL you'll never want to wait in line again. It spoiled us instantly.

We'll never go to US/IOA without a room key. You have to stay somewhere anyway.
Their hotels are all 4* and 2/3 are an easy walk to the parks with beautiful landscaping along the way.

HRH is our fav.

Purseval · 10-09-2009, 06:02 PM

Even if you don't want to sleep there you can use it to catch some rest during the day then head back out to the parks. You could even take a swim break.

CSI:Jude · 10-11-2009, 02:08 PM

I wouldn't do universal without it now. We used it to it's full advantage so that we could have a meal at bubba gumps and not worry about who's driving and not having a drink.

Be warned though for the first few months - like they are doing with Rip Ride Rockit - that fast pass is likely not to be avaliable for the new rides. Keeps the demand high. On the plus side though the parks will be very very busy the year it opens so it will work in your favor for everything else :D

BrownDalmatian · 10-11-2009, 05:39 PM

Once I stayed at a US hotel and got the FOTL perk, the following trips to US/IoA were never the same. It's GREAT!

If it's in your budget I say yes, it is worth it if the parks are busy. However, I would also probably try to see if I could rent the vacation home for a few days less and stay in the US hotel for 2-3 nights. The hotels are, IMO anyway, pretty nice. We love Royal Pacific!

I would think that it would be nice to stay in the vacation home for 4 days but then stay in the US hotel for 2-3 days. I'm not sure if there is a "minimum stay" on vacation home rentals though, never stayed in one.

minniemeplus3 · 10-11-2009, 09:33 PM

We stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel last year twice and the FOTL really spoiled us. Even though the crowds were very light,it was great. We were able to turn around and get back on most rides without going back outside. They let us walk back through the babyswap and reride! We rode the Mummy like 11 times!!! My kids thought we were the most awesome parents!! The experience was def worth it! The hotel was Great too!! Be sure and take the surrey bike from your hotel to US!

hrh_disney_queen · 10-12-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruadisneyfan2

I agree. Also once you try FOTL you'll never want to wait in line again. It spoiled us instantly.

We'll never go to US/IOA without a room key. You have to stay somewhere anyway.
Their hotels are all 4* and 2/3 are an easy walk to the parks with beautiful landscaping along the way.

HRH is our fav.

We also love HRH, and we are spoiled, too. I love walking to the parks, walking on all the rides, and find that we can do everything we want in 2-3 days. Even though we don't like to spend big bucks for a hotel, it is so worth it! I always think of it this way: How much would I pay for each of the 4 of us to not stand in line all day? $25/person? Then I subtract that amount from the room rate (I always get an AP discount) and that is what the room is costing me. A VERY nice room, at that. That's my way of rationalizing it.

GSDRescuer · 10-12-2009, 11:22 AM

It is great to just walk from the resort to the parks!!! The added bonus is FOTL access. That's one of the things we love about US/IOA. Can't wait til DGD is old enough to appreciate those parks!!

ruadisneyfan2 · 10-12-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrh_disney_queen

We also love HRH, and we are spoiled, too. I love walking to the parks, walking on all the rides, and find that we can do everything we want in 2-3 days. Even though we don't like to spend big bucks for a hotel, it is so worth it! I always think of it this way: How much would I pay for each of the 4 of us to not stand in line all day? $25/person? Then I subtract that amount from the room rate (I always get an AP discount) and that is what the room is costing me. A VERY nice room, at that. That's my way of rationalizing it.

APs are a good value. With hotel discounts alone, they paid for themselves!

rie'smom · 10-12-2009, 02:01 PM

We booked a room Thanksgiving night to get 2 days of FOTL. In case you're not aware, you get the night you check in and the next day FOTL. I'd never go w/out it. FOTL is the perfect way to end a trip. Get the hectic WDW part out of the way and then sleep in and go to US/IOA.

indimom · 10-16-2009, 01:19 PM

If you are only doing one or two days at Universal, I would stay in one of their hotels. The FOTL perk will allow you see everything and hit your favorites a couple times as well. We stayed at the Royal Pacific and the hotel pool was really nice. One word of caution, the very first morning we had FOTL, our niece lost her key card (it was in a plastic holder on her lanyard) and we had to waste an hour going back to the hotel and getting a new card issued! They said this happened a lot and punched a hole in the card itself so it could be clipped securely to the lanyard. We had all of our cards punched and had no other problems.

10-08-2009, 06:37 PM	#1
terribm Mouseketeer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 396	room at US just for front of line Hi, We are thinking of doing a vacation rental in Kissimmee for our trip next Dec. We will spend most of our time at WDW but want to go over to US/IOA to check out WWofHP. Would it be worth it to book one night at a US hotel during our stay just to have front of the line access? What would you do? T __________________ '76-1st trip '97-honeymoon '98-Caribbean Beach '98-Disney Magic '99-Disney Inst. '99-Disney Wonder '02-Wilderness Lodge '04-Pop Century/FW Cabins '05-All-Star Sports '06-SSR '07-Vacation Home Rental '08-Disney Wonder/All-Star Movies '09-Caribbean Beach

10-08-2009, 07:01 PM	#2
jerrifox Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Jacksonville, NC Posts: 56	We are going in March and booked one night at one of their resorts to be able to use FOTL for 2 days..but I don't know how the crowds are in December so it may not be worth it if crowds are low anyway. The resorts are beautiful, though and you'll probably have a great time anyway!! __________________ MeDHDD (8)DD (6)DS (3) Contemporary Resort February 2008 Counting Down to Storytime Villas at Windsor Hills March 2010

10-09-2009, 04:10 PM	#3
englishteacha I've just gotten crazier over the years I've taught! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 3,300	We stayed offsite in August of '07 and had very short lines at Universal. If you're going to get the room, you might as well sleep in it! __________________ Upcoming: June 2010-8 day vacation at WDW! August 2007: One commando day at Epcot and MK (You CAN do all your favorites in 15 hours!) August 2007: Universal, Busch Gardens Tampa, and SeaWorld June 2006: A wonderful week at WDW! Summers of 2004 and 2005: Over 30 different roller coasters east of the Mississippi! August 2002:Busch Gardens Williamsburg June 2002:Our WDW Honeymoon

10-11-2009, 09:33 PM	#8
minniemeplus3 Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 31	We stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel last year twice and the FOTL really spoiled us. Even though the crowds were very light,it was great. We were able to turn around and get back on most rides without going back outside. They let us walk back through the babyswap and reride! We rode the Mummy like 11 times!!! My kids thought we were the most awesome parents!! The experience was def worth it! The hotel was Great too!! Be sure and take the surrey bike from your hotel to US! __________________ Me-Deidre-38 DH-41 DD-15 DD-12 1st Trip OPENING DAY OCT 1, 1971 Multiple day trips as a child, Grad Night 1989,July 2000 Wyndham Palace (now Buena Vista Palace), Oct 2003 MNSSHP Radisson,Sept 2008 Loews Portofino Hotel Universal October 2008 Loews Portofino Hotel Universal April 2009 Wilderness Lodge Sept 2009 POP (FREE DINING),Nov22-29 2009 FW Cabins, Bouncin' Back Feb 2010 and Sept 2010 (FREE DINING) BLT and POP

10-12-2009, 11:22 AM	#10
GSDRescuer Tag Free since 2003 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 600	It is great to just walk from the resort to the parks!!! The added bonus is FOTL access. That's one of the things we love about US/IOA. Can't wait til DGD is old enough to appreciate those parks!! __________________ Disneyland 1968 Poly 1982 Dixie Landings (POR) Magnolia Bend 1996 CSR 2002 Royal Pacific Resort (US/IOA) 2004 POFQ 2007 DGD(2) 1st trip to WDW WL 2009 DGD(4) 2nd trip to WDW CBR 2010 DGD(5) 3rd trip to WDW Nahhh, I don't want a tag, thanks anyway!

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10-09-2009, 06:02 PM	#5
Purseval DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1,804	Even if you don't want to sleep there you can use it to catch some rest during the day then head back out to the parks. You could even take a swim break.

10-11-2009, 02:08 PM	#6
CSI:Jude Earning My Ears Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fife, Scotland Posts: 16	I wouldn't do universal without it now. We used it to it's full advantage so that we could have a meal at bubba gumps and not worry about who's driving and not having a drink. Be warned though for the first few months - like they are doing with Rip Ride Rockit - that fast pass is likely not to be avaliable for the new rides. Keeps the demand high. On the plus side though the parks will be very very busy the year it opens so it will work in your favor for everything else :D

10-11-2009, 05:39 PM	#7
BrownDalmatian Mouseketeer Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Orlando Posts: 146	Once I stayed at a US hotel and got the FOTL perk, the following trips to US/IoA were never the same. It's GREAT! If it's in your budget I say yes, it is worth it if the parks are busy. However, I would also probably try to see if I could rent the vacation home for a few days less and stay in the US hotel for 2-3 nights. The hotels are, IMO anyway, pretty nice. We love Royal Pacific! I would think that it would be nice to stay in the vacation home for 4 days but then stay in the US hotel for 2-3 days. I'm not sure if there is a "minimum stay" on vacation home rentals though, never stayed in one.

10-12-2009, 02:01 PM	#12
rie'smom "Always let your conscience be your guide." I cannot look at my hamburger after I've taken a bite Toilet paper must come over the top! Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 13,924	We booked a room Thanksgiving night to get 2 days of FOTL. In case you're not aware, you get the night you check in and the next day FOTL. I'd never go w/out it. FOTL is the perfect way to end a trip. Get the hectic WDW part out of the way and then sleep in and go to US/IOA. __________________ Last edited by rie'smom; 10-12-2009 at 02:08 PM.

10-16-2009, 01:19 PM	#13
indimom Mouseketeer Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 346	If you are only doing one or two days at Universal, I would stay in one of their hotels. The FOTL perk will allow you see everything and hit your favorites a couple times as well. We stayed at the Royal Pacific and the hotel pool was really nice. One word of caution, the very first morning we had FOTL, our niece lost her key card (it was in a plastic holder on her lanyard) and we had to waste an hour going back to the hotel and getting a new card issued! They said this happened a lot and punched a hole in the card itself so it could be clipped securely to the lanyard. We had all of our cards punched and had no other problems.

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