1st time in a LONG time..

[massagemom]

I have a few questions. We haven't been to Universal Orlando for about 7 years. We have a trip planned for Feb 15-17th. We are booked to stay at the Royal Pacific Resort (it was just myself, husband and daughter, but my inlaws have decided to meet and stay with us, so it will be 5 people in total!) I understand that we can stay in one room, paying an extra $25 each for my FIL and MIL. I don't see a problem, as we all get along really great, and my daughter really wants them to stay in the room with us. I am thinking I will probably also have to pay an additional $25 for a rollaway? Will we be squished like sardines?

Here are my other questions:

1)We are checking out of Disneyworld on the morning of Feb 15th. I am hoping to arrive and check in at RPR before early entry for Harry Potter (I believe it opens at 9 am to the general public) My inlaws won't be arriving until later in the afternoon. Will I be able to check us all in? What time should I leave WDW? What time should I leave RPR to make it to the early opening? We have a rental car.

2)My daughter really likes the theming of RPR, but I can book the PBH for an additional $33/night. I know the rooms are larger. Is the trek to IOA from the PBH really much further than RPR? I am undecided on which resort is a good fit for us.

3)I haven't purchased tickets yet. We will probably do 3 day tickets . Should I buy them from the CAA (slightly discounted) or wait until I arrive. Can I buy them at the hotel and skip the ticket counter at the park?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[damo]

I have a few questions. We haven't been to Universal Orlando for about 7 years. We have a trip planned for Feb 15-17th. We are booked to stay at the Royal Pacific Resort (it was just myself, husband and daughter, but my inlaws have decided to meet and stay with us, so it will be 5 people in total!) I understand that we can stay in one room, paying an extra $25 each for my FIL and MIL. I don't see a problem, as we all get along really great, and my daughter really wants them to stay in the room with us. I am thinking I will probably also have to pay an additional $25 for a rollaway? Will we be squished like sardines?

Here are my other questions:

1)We are checking out of Disneyworld on the morning of Feb 15th. I am hoping to arrive and check in at RPR before early entry for Harry Potter (I believe it opens at 9 am to the general public) My inlaws won't be arriving until later in the afternoon. Will I be able to check us all in? What time should I leave WDW? What time should I leave RPR to make it to the early opening? We have a rental car.

2)My daughter really likes the theming of RPR, but I can book the PBH for an additional $33/night. I know the rooms are larger. Is the trek to IOA from the PBH really much further than RPR? I am undecided on which resort is a good fit for us.

3)I haven't purchased tickets yet. We will probably do 3 day tickets . Should I buy them from the CAA (slightly discounted) or wait until I arrive. Can I buy them at the hotel and skip the ticket counter at the park?

Thanks a bunch!

You can check everyone in. They don't have to be there for you to pick up all the room keys. You want to be at RPR at about 7 for check in. I would leave WDW at 6:30. What we are doing is staying at Disney late (leaving our bags with the bellman) and then checking into RPR late so that we don't have to get up bright and early to leave Disney and get to RPR for early entry. We

The rooms are larger at the PBH but remember that the toilet and sink are both in one room, so if someone is brushing their teeth, they are using the main bathroom.

The trek is about 5 minutes longer from PBH to IOA, if you walk through the HRH parking lot instead of following the water side trail.

You can purchase tickets at the hotel if you want...no problems. I don't think CAA's tickets are discounted too much. With the good Canadian exchange right now, it probably doesn't make much difference where you get them.

 

[IdesOmarch]

I personally would recommend the Portifino because everything is bigger, unless now you get a larger suite or something at RPR. A regular room with 5 people I've done it, but one was a baby, 2 teens. It is doable, and we never felt sardinned (sp?) but with 4 adults may be a little different. And to me there is not a material difference in distance. We always took the boats into the parks so it really didn't matter to us on the distance. I believe P is closer to the US, and RP is a little closer to IOA, but everything is right there together so not a huge difference on that IMO.

 

[eculmone]

Undercover tourist has tickets buy 2 days to universal/ioa and get a third day for $1 and a 4th day for another $1 WOW

 

[christophfam]

I've done RPR with the grands a few times (5 of us total - 3 adults/2children), but usually for just one night. We were really fine. We were only in the room to sleep and shower anyway. I brought a twin aerobed so I wouldn't have to pay for the rollaway and it fit fine by the window.

I've thought of trying PBH because the room is supposed to be bigger, but the sink being in the bathroom with the toliet always stopped me. At RPH the sink is outside the bathroom. I just figured with all of us, we'd never all get ready if only one person could be using the bathroom. With the sink outside if someone is using the restroom, you can still brush your teeth and do your hair.

 

[IdesOmarch]

Just my 2 cents. I prefer the Portifino, which is probably technically the nicest and most plush resort on site, but I do stay at the RP more just to save dollars. The rooms are larger and nicer at P, with that many people in the room I would highly recommend doing the P instead of RP. Proximity to the parks really isn't an issue IMO because the best way to travel is to take the boats from the hotels into the parks, they all end up at the same place. But if you insist on walking, yes it is the longest walk from P, RP is fairly close to IOA and quite a bit closer than P, but again, doesn't really matter because the boats are really a good equalizer in all that. We love to take the boats and used them about 99% of the time.