Need some help planning first trip to Universal...

[asaj]

We are planning our June 2016 Disney trip, and trying to figure out the best way to work a couple days of Universal in. We've done Disney many times, but this will be our first visit to Universal.

The dates we are looking at are around 6/5/16 to 6/12/16, but we can shift those a little later if it helps, to something like 6/6 to 6/13. We will be flying down and staying with my parents for a day prior and a day after the trip, so we don't have to worry about losing a day on check-in or check-out days. Those on the trip will be my wife, daughter (16 at time of travel), and my father.

The initial plan was to stay for 7 nights at a Disney resort, and then just get tickets for Universal. Instead of going to the Disney parks on one or two of our days, we would just drive over to Universal. This seems like the most simple option, but the lack of the express passes makes me a little nervous. However, we could go during the week, so maybe the lines aren't as bad then?

The other idea was to add a night at a deluxe Universal resort either before or after our Disney stay (which would be shortened by a night). Then we could get the Universal express pass thing, and get two solid days in at the parks there. The advantage seems to be that we would have the express pass...the disadvantage is that it costs a bit more than just staying at Disney the entire time (we are leaning towards Port Orleans, which is cheaper than the deluxe Universal resorts).

Just looking for a little advice on the best way to handle this. I haven't run all of the numbers in great detail yet, and I would like to do things in such a manner that it is still economical. However, I also want to be able to enjoy Universal and not feel like we rushed through it as an afterthought.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[damo]

Lines are pretty low during first week of June. You should be fine staying offsite but it is always more fun staying onsite.

 

[Jarmo]

Since it's your first trip, I would spring for the overnight stay at Universal. Royal Pacific is typically the cheapest of the deluxe hotels. We like the accommodations at the Universal hotels much better than moderates at Disney.

We like to plan to be at Universal on the weekends since crowds matter less with the express pass, and then do weekdays at Disney.

 

[elaine amj]

I chose to stay onsite at Universal for our first trip. It was a bit more expensive - but I figured we wanted the "full Universal experience". Plus, it was not that much more expensive. And those Express passes sure were nice! We did one night on site and our second night off-site. So we had 2 days of Express Pass and our last day with no EPs. It was a big difference, even though our last day was a Monday in May (TONS of school field trips!)

 

[jcarwash]

...The initial plan was to stay for 7 nights at a Disney resort, and then just get tickets for Universal. Instead of going to the Disney parks on one or two of our days, we would just drive over to Universal. This seems like the most simple option, but the lack of the express passes makes me a little nervous. However, we could go during the week, so maybe the lines aren't as bad then?

For the trip I just took this month, I thought staying at a Disney resort and driving to Universal worked just fine. I didn't miss the Express pass; we just did attractions that were available with waits that were okay. (So, no Minion Mayhem with its 100+ minutes waits.) I found that the two major Harry Potter attractions, Forbidden Journey and Escape From Gringotts, had pretty good wait times of 20 to 30 minutes even during the busy parts of the day -- and neither of those offer Express.

We visited on a Wednesday and a Saturday. Both days were busy, but this was mid July.

I guess it depends on whether you want to "conquer" Universal and do every little thing, or if (like my family) you want to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas primarily and whatever else secondarily.

 

[asaj]

Thanks everybody for the advice. I am leaning towards doing a night at Royal Pacific, probably prior to going to Disney. Since my parents only live a couple hours away, we could check in early on arrival and spend the whole first day at the parks. Then we could check out the next day and spend the majority of that day at the parks as well, so we'd get pretty close to two full days at Universal, then we could head to Disney that evening to check in and maybe go to a park that night for a bit.

Sounds like the next step would be to actually run some numbers and see what the difference is between staying onsite at Universal and just staying at Disney the entire time. I am guessing it's only a couple hundred dollars, and then you lose the express passes staying at Disney.

If we decide on a room at Universal, am I best off just booking the room and getting the tickets elsewhere? Or should I do a package through Universal? If you come with park tickets do they just give you Express Pass at check-in?

Thanks again,
Andy

 

[damo]

Thanks everybody for the advice. I am leaning towards doing a night at Royal Pacific, probably prior to going to Disney. Since my parents only live a couple hours away, we could check in early on arrival and spend the whole first day at the parks. Then we could check out the next day and spend the majority of that day at the parks as well, so we'd get pretty close to two full days at Universal, then we could head to Disney that evening to check in and maybe go to a park that night for a bit.

Sounds like the next step would be to actually run some numbers and see what the difference is between staying onsite at Universal and just staying at Disney the entire time. I am guessing it's only a couple hundred dollars, and then you lose the express passes staying at Disney.

If we decide on a room at Universal, am I best off just booking the room and getting the tickets elsewhere? Or should I do a package through Universal? If you come with park tickets do they just give you Express Pass at check-in?

Thanks again,
Andy

FOr a one night stay, just book everything separately. Express passes have nothing to do with your tickets. Anyone staying onsite at one of the deluxes gets it. You print them out in the hotel lobby.

 

[asaj]

FOr a one night stay, just book everything separately. Express passes have nothing to do with your tickets. Anyone staying onsite at one of the deluxes gets it. You print them out in the hotel lobby.

Thank you, that's what I'll do then.

I ran the numbers really quick, and if we check in to Universal on Sunday 6/5, it looks like it saves us a little over the weekend rate. So if we do that and stay a night at Royal Pacific, and then do six nights at Disney Port Orleans, it's only $76 more than just staying at Port Orleans the entire time and then driving over to Universal. Definitely seems like the way to go for that little of a cost difference, and we get to experience a new resort for a night, as well as the express passes...plus we don't have to drive over there from Disney.

Am I missing anything here, or does this seem right?

 

[schumigirl]

Good decision...........you won't regret staying at RPR for one night.

It's a beautiful resort and getting two days EP is worth its weight in gold........we use EP even if it's quieter

 

[johde]

For a one night stay especially, I'd make sure to check the Annual Pass holder rate. If you go the first part of the week, you could buy 1 power pass to get the rate. It may be cheaper than paying rack rate and regular tickets.

 

[asaj]

Thanks everybody for the advice. We booked one night at Royal Pacific, with 2-day 2-park tickets. We are staying there on a Monday night, so the rate was a little lower and the TA advised that it will be a little less busy because the locals tend to go on the weekends. So we'll spend Monday and Tuesday at Universal, and then head to Disney Tuesday night where we will stay for 6 nights. We are looking forward to trying something new, and I'm glad we decided to stay onsite, should allow us to get a really nice feel for what Universal has to offer.

Thanks again!
Andy