Any Ideas would be appreciated

[tink20]

Was wondering if anyone had an ideas for me.

Original plan was to drive down on Sun. June 5 (arrive around 3pm) check in at PBH and then go to USF. (will have 4 day PtoP for Sun-Wed). Chose Sun. because DH works Fri and gets home Sat at 7am. ( he may have been up all night and tired)

Okay, DH said he is going to get someone to work the pm shift, so he will get home Fri. at 7pm. He wants to go ahead and leave Sat. June 4. (so we can use our 4 FULL days at the parks) So now we will be getting there a day early. Thought about driving to Ocala (would arrive at 2pm, is there anything to do in Ocala) or just go ahead and drive to Orlando.

Question: Where should we stay? (right now have AP rate $179 at PBH, but for Sat. it would cost more) So, thought about staying somewhere else for that one night. But need to stay somewhere, so that we would have something (inexpensive) to do that evening. Don't want to sit in the hotel staring at each other We are a party of 5.

Then, Sun morning we would head over to PBH. TIA

 

[damo]

I would drive right through and stay at one of the offsite resorts for that day, such as Hyatt Place. You can walk over to Citywalk to eat and mosey around that evening. Then i would get up early and check into PBH to get early entry.

 

[christophfam]

Yep, I'd drive all the way also. Stay somewhere on I-drive close to Universal - there is a ton to do in that area. Then you'll be ready to check in bright and early Sunday morning at PBH and maybe even get to WWOHP for early entry.

Here is a link to a thread I saved a while back with ideas of things to do on I-drive. We're not getting to I-drive as early as you our first night, but we'll probably hit a minature golf course and dinner.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2677630

We are staying at a Holiday Inn Express on points, but if we weren't I'd try priceline for a good deal.

Have a great trip! We'll be in the parks that Sunday also, but it will be our checkout day.

 

[Melanie230]

We used to do that. We always drove down the day before and stayed off site. We really liked the Country Inn Suites at Calypso Cay. The kids enjoyed the pools, and the kids suites. You can book online and the prices are really good there. It is about a 10-15 minute drive to US/IOA. Hope this helps!

 

[tink20]

Thanks for the great ideas! The mini golf would be something fun to do.

 

[Badge]

Depending on the price of the off-site hotel, you may want to think about just staying an extra night at PBH. This way you could spend the evening shoping around Citywalk or having a nice dinner or even watching a movie there. Then you could catch the boat back to PBH and be ready to go first thing in the morning!

I have always HATED staying a different hotels during my trips. I would rather stay at once place the whole time and not have to move around. Having to unload stuff and pack it all back just to move down the street a few blocks to save $30 or $40 does not seem worth it. If the savings was more than say $60 I would think about it, but if it would save $100, then I would stay offsite that night.

Another thing to think about would be seeing the Blue Man Group. I know AP holders get a special discount, so that would be something fun to do the first night no matter where you stay! Enjoy your trip!

 

[tink20]

Depending on the price of the off-site hotel, you may want to think about just staying an extra night at PBH. This way you could spend the evening shoping around Citywalk or having a nice dinner or even watching a movie there. Then you could catch the boat back to PBH and be ready to go first thing in the morning!

I have always HATED staying a different hotels during my trips. I would rather stay at once place the whole time and not have to move around. Having to unload stuff and pack it all back just to move down the street a few blocks to save $30 or $40 does not seem worth it. If the savings was more than say $60 I would think about it, but if it would save $100, then I would stay offsite that night.

Another thing to think about would be seeing the Blue Man Group. I know AP holders get a special discount, so that would be something fun to do the first night no matter where you stay! Enjoy your trip!

You know, you make a very good point. Do you think I would have trouble adding the one night. I don't want to mess up my current resservation, like do they have to cancel and rebook. The rate I have now, isn't available anymore, so I definitely don't want to loose it.

 

[damo]

You know, you make a very good point. Do you think I would have trouble adding the one night. I don't want to mess up my current resservation, like do they have to cancel and rebook. The rate I have now, isn't available anymore, so I definitely don't want to loose it.

You will probably have to do it as a separate reservation. If you are just trying to add on a day, they will cancel the other booking and rebook at current rates. By doing separate reservations, you will leave the original intact but you will have to pay the one night in full upon booking.

I would fax a bit before you go to tell them that you have two separate reservations so that they will make sure you stay in the same room.

 

[christophfam]

If you end up going the off site route (it saves us $180 that first night), I'd just take one small suitcase or carryon into that temporary hotel. That is what we alway do. We pack pjs, toiletries, and the next days clothes in a carryon for that one night only. Taking one bag in and leaving the rest in the car makes things much simpler! It really isn't a problem that way and we stay at a hotel with a free breakfast which saves us even more there. We're well rested, filled up and ready to hit the parks at 8AM!!

 

[Badge]

I would do what others suggested on here and book a new trip for one night. Universal's booking system needs a major overhaul becuase the only way to add a room right now is to cancel your first trip and rebook the whole thing so you will lose your first rate if it was better.

Give them a call or a fax a few days before telling them you have two different stays booked back to back and would like to keep the same room. Then when you check in, remind them of this. We have done this before and manged to "merge" our bookings together at the front desk so we never even had to go back and get new room keys or anything.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[tink20]

I am so mad at myself. Yesterday, there were still standard rooms available for the one extra day I was going to add at PBH. DH said go ahead and add it ($199), I had to wait and ask DD's BF, to make sure he could definitely leave on Sat. so I waited until today. Well, today I go on there, and of course that room is no longer available (now its bay view for $239). This one day, is driving me crazy.

damo, I think I am going to go with Hyatt, its $119 (free parking and cont. breakfast), can you walk to City Walk from here?