Best Bang for Buck -- Tickets/Hotels/Express Pass

[mel2014]

I'm in the early stages of planning a summer trip with my two kids (8 and 10). Our travel window will be sometime in either July or the first full week of August. We'd probably do a full week in Florida, not sure what we would do on the non-Universal days yet.

Understanding that this will be a super-crowded time of year, I'm looking for the best ways to minimize waiting at the lowest cost using the various ticket and hotel options. I'm considering the following:

4 day park-to-park tickets, including Volcano Bay
Stay first two nights at Cabana Bay
Start first two days at Volcano Bay, then migrate over to the other parks to get the lay of the land and enjoy attractions with low wait times
Check into Royal Pacific at the beginning of the third day and get Express Pass
Stay overnight at Royal Pacific and use Express Pass 4th day,
Switch to cheap off-site hotel

My thinking behind doing Volcano Bay first is that IF there are AP hotel discounts available, I would upgrade my park-to-park ticket to a 2-park annual pass to save on the Royal Pacific night (and all levels of season passes are blocked from Volcano Bay in the summer). So that raises a couple of questions:

(1) Are there usually AP hotel discounts in the summer?
(2) If so, how much would the discount typically be?
(3) A full-price 4-day 3-Park Park to Park ticket looks like it actually costs MORE than 2-park Power Pass. Is it possible to convert from a 3-park ticket to a 2-park annual pass even though it costs less?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

3. If you go to Volcano Bay, you can ONLY upgrade your ticket to a 3 park AP. If you don't use the VB portion, you can upgrade it to a 2 or 3 park AP.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I think your plan sounds good.

We did a split stay with Cabana Bay for VB and then moved to PBH last summer. I love being near CBBR for VB. Yea there are discounts in the summer. Two years ago when I stayed at RPR with an AP I paid 350.00 for a regular room and the regular rate was close to 400.00. However, you don't know what resort will have the discount. It seems random for which resort and rooms get put up. It usually goes on discount about 2 to 3 months before.

I did up grade my 5 day 3 park to park ticket to a 3 park power pass two years ago.

I usually go that same time every summer. It will be very busy especially VB. You will enjoy being at CBBR and going to early entry.

Enjoy your planning.

 

[mjhtvchick]

Sounds like a good plan - don't forget you will have Express Pass on your third day as well as your fourth!

 

[mel2014]

3. If you go to Volcano Bay, you can ONLY upgrade your ticket to a 3 park AP. If you don't use the VB portion, you can upgrade it to a 2 or 3 park AP.

Hmm, in that case it's probably not worth upgrading to an annual pass, since the 3-park Power Pass (which I'd have to get since the seasonal is blocked in July) is $463 and I can get 5 day park-to-park tickets for $357 through ticketsatwork.com. And that way we'd have flexibility to go to Volcano Bay whenever, so it probably would make more sense to flip the trip and hit the parks hard with the Express Pass for the first two days and then switch to Cabana Bay for some more relaxing water park and pool hopping time.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Keep an eye out for AP room rates when they appear for your dates. Sometimes the AP rate plus the upgrade to the AP for one person will be cheaper than paying rack rate.

 

[Sue M]

Don’t forget with the 3 park ticket on your VB days, after VB you can hit the parks later.

 

[gotomu212]

Hmm, in that case it's probably not worth upgrading to an annual pass, since the 3-park Power Pass (which I'd have to get since the seasonal is blocked in July) is $463 and I can get 5 day park-to-park tickets for $357 through ticketsatwork.com. And that way we'd have flexibility to go to Volcano Bay whenever, so it probably would make more sense to flip the trip and hit the parks hard with the Express Pass for the first two days and then switch to Cabana Bay for some more relaxing water park and pool hopping time.

This would be my suggestion. I think having EP the first 2 days at the park would be better since everyone will be excited to ride and then on days 3/4 you know which ones are “worth waiting in line for” after VB

 

[Nsaudra]

I saved by staying at sapphire, I I got a great rate at hotwire.... I stayed offsite the other days but we stayed at coco key for like 60 a night again another hotwire deal. It's a partner hotel so we got in a hour early. Check out betterbidding website it helps guide you to the right hotels. I didn't want to keep changing hotels but I couldn't pay over 200 a night the whole stay.