Booking a package through Universal website

[CyndiLooWho]

Has anyone booked a package (hotel & tix) from the Universal website, and if you did, were you pleased with them? Are there advantages to their ressie v doing it on our own and getting tix from UT?

Looking at possibly coming down for a long weekend with dh in Oct. I think WDW is going to be budget prohibitive, and dh has never been to USO/IOA, so I'm looking at his option as a good getaway. I brought our kids last summer and had a blast! Packages for Th-M were about $675 to $1500, plus transportation (we'll have to fly).

It's still in the "maybe" stage - dh doesn't have his travel schedule for work out that far yet, and I'm waiting for the boys' school to post their 2013/14 schedule so we don't have to have grandma stay at our house to take them to/from school.

I have no experience with booking packages at WDW or USO, as we have always used my parents' condo at Bonnet Creek. We won't be able to do that in October. So help me figure out what is the best way to book.

 

[sz9144]

Has anyone booked a package (hotel & tix) from the Universal website, and if you did, were you pleased with them? Are there advantages to their ressie v doing it on our own and getting tix from UT?

Looking at possibly coming down for a long weekend with dh in Oct. I think WDW is going to be budget prohibitive, and dh has never been to USO/IOA, so I'm looking at his option as a good getaway. I brought our kids last summer and had a blast! Packages for Th-M were about $675 to $1500, plus transportation (we'll have to fly).

It's still in the "maybe" stage - dh doesn't have his travel schedule for work out that far yet, and I'm waiting for the boys' school to post their 2013/14 schedule so we don't have to have grandma stay at our house to take them to/from school.

I have no experience with booking packages at WDW or USO, as we have always used my parents' condo at Bonnet Creek. We won't be able to do that in October. So help me figure out what is the best way to book.

I booked a package through UO once, but found that I was able to book the same package set cheaper piece meal. I booked the onsite hotel through the loews website, and bought my tickets through undercover tourist. since we've started going 2-3 times a year I invested in a power pass. For a little bit more than a 4 day park to park pass, I am able to get almost a year of unlimited entry (blackout dates apply during high seasons, but I checked the dates and none of them fall when we usually visit).

 

[RMulieri]

Universal pkgs are rarely cheaper than going on your own and booking separately.I book on Loews website and buy tickets from Undercover Tourist.Also be sure to sign up on Universalorlando.com .I recently got a 40% off resorts offer and they do send them out from time to time

 

[macraven]

OP, are you booking a partner hotel or the onsite hotel package on the UO website?

can't really tell by the prices you listed.


if you are staying offsite but a partner hotel, you could cut that rate by going to other sources for the hotel costs.

buy tickets thru UT or use the special ticket deals on the UO site.
i did see some specials, such as buy a 2 day, 3rd day free, on it yesterday.


if you are buying a partner hotel package, you'll get an early entry day but not unlimited express line usage.

the cancellation and payment policies differ from onsite/offsite packages.
46 days out for packages.
6 days out on room only.


i only did the onsite package once in all the times i go to the darkside.
it was a very special deal and worth it.
have not seen any advantage in the packages since 1996.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I'm confused. I posted a while back about booking a partner hotel separate and not as a US package and was told if you did this you do not get early admission. So if I book a partner hotel on Expedia or the hotel' s website you do get early admission?

 

[CyndiLooWho]

Thank you for the good information. I got prices on both partner hotels ($650-800 range) and onsite hotels ($1225-1500). I saw that only some of them came with the super-fast-pass, and not all of them had the early entry. I don't think we need either one; we only want to have the both park/same day option.

If I can actually make this work with the boys' school and dh's work schedules, I will do some more shopping around to see what I can come up with.

Thanks!

 

[macraven]

I'm confused. I posted a while back about booking a partner hotel separate and not as a US package and was told if you did this you do not get early admission. So if I book a partner hotel on Expedia or the hotel' s website you do get early admission?

sorry, no.
you need to book the partner package thru universal orlando resorts website if you want the perks.


you can't get the special packages perks when using a 3rd party vendor.

you can book a room thru the 3rd parties, but you will not get the perks that the UO resort reservations allow.

if you desire the early entry, you will need to book thru UO.


you do not have to book a package for onsite or offsite.


you can use a 3rd party vendor to book a partner hotel, but no UO perks come with it.

then buy your park tickets at any UO vendor, such as UT.

 

[pixidust1976]

I priced my stay on August 31-Sept 2 (Labor Day weekend) out three different ways and booking through Universal was the cheapest.

Tickets through UT were $127.79 for two day base tickets. Take that time 4 tickets and it was $511.16.

We are staying at the Holiday Inn Suites at the entrance (so we don't have to pay for transportation to the park). Expedia's best rate was $90.84. The standard rate through Holiday Inn's website for that weekend was $90.83 a night. AAA discount brought it down a whopping .83 to $90. So the hotel would have been $180 plus taxes were $22.50 then. So the total was $202.50.

Best deal booking myself separately= $713.66

I booked through Universal and my package was $687.96. That is a $25.70 savings or 3.5% cheaper through Universal than I could have gotten booking on my own. It would have been worth it for early entry to Harry Potter to have paid more, but to get it for less with perks was really super!

 

[Indy Denise]

Just added a package for one night July 7-8 at RPH ( I have a room only reservation there for July 8th ) .

I logged on to my AAA account and got one room and 4 adult park to park passes for 3 days for 917.00. I thought I did pretty good.
( you have to be logged in for the discount, it will LOOK like you are getting AAA rates but you are not, my package dropped $50.00 when I logged in) .

I was just going to do another room only for the 7th but I figured what the heck I have to buy tickets anyway ..now it is done!