Coming to the Universal Side.....Save Me

[Sue M]

Very good advice Mac. My room at RPH I booked @$210 is now $325!

 

[macraven]

Ouch !!

I booked last mid October for this late September/October stay
Price at RP with the smsm deal was at $204 (+ tax) when I booked

I checked out present going price yesterday and same room is listed
at $318 + tax for my dates

Once room inventory goes down, seems like rates increase

You got a sweet rate Sue M!

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

We head down later in June, as we gambled last year and tried to go the last week of May and got caught in the same snow day mess we're having this year. It eventually became easier to push back a year and move the trip into June.

Are you saying you got snow the last week of May?

 

[CAPSLOCK]

No, they had missed too many days of school due to winter snow, so the school calendar was extended by several days to make up for the lost days. They tack on those extra days at the end of the school year.

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

No, they had missed too many days of school due to winter snow, so the school calendar was extended by several days to make up for the lost days. They tack on those extra days at the end of the school year.

That makes much more sense!

 

[JPinkc]

JPinkc, last time I was at rpr I was told we could pool hop to the other onsite hotels

If that still holds true, you could take the kids to HRH for pool time

Rumors of what is replacing Emerils ....but place is still empty

I’m one that only stays at the premier hotels due to the free unlimited ep
and closeness of them to the parks

I’m a female that travels solo and need to be close to the parks
Rpr and HRH are my favorites
I have been to PBH once but it’s a tad farther for me to walk alone at night if I miss the water taxi

I know 4 of the on-site hotels allows pets in the room
Info about pets is in the UO sticky
FAQ
Check there for current info

I set the links up in that sticky to automatically reflect current info

Book soon and not at the last minute
Standard rooms book up for
some dates

When you book, you pay a one night deposit

If you see prices have come down after you book, book again to get the cheaper rate and then cancel your older reservation

LOL I know I should be using Dreams Unlimited, like we do with our Disney trips but what we have seen is its cheaper to book direct or thru Amex.... is that really the experience?

 

[bchbetha]

Book for yourself AND don't book a package. Book your hotel separately- you will incur less fees if you need to change anything. Bundling is just for convenience, not cost savings. The only time I'd book 3rd party is Costco because they always throw in some extras.

 

[JPinkc]

So if we get the tickets seperate from the Hotel how does that effect the Express Pass Unlimited?? Planning on HRH or RPR I think...

 

[bchbetha]

So if we get the tickets seperate from the Hotel how does that effect the Express Pass Unlimited?? Planning on HRH or RPR I think...

Nope. Doesn’t matter. The Express Passes come with the hotel not ticket purchases.

 

[JPinkc]

Really does it matter where the tickets come from?? Is there a catch to this deal??

 

[Beer Me]

Really does it matter where the tickets come from?? Is there a catch to this deal??

No catch. I booked royal pacific months ago for a trip this summer. I bought tickets through undercover tourist yesterday. You get verified for the express pass when you check in to your hotel.

 

[bchbetha]

Really does it matter where the tickets come from?? Is there a catch to this deal??

You can buy your tickets anywhere. I’d personally just buy from Universal or Undercover Tourist. I’d just buy my tickets separately from booking the hotel though.

 

[macraven]

Buy your park tickets anywhere

Compare prices and go with this best deal with a reliable ticket seller/company

 

[nkereina]

Trying to decide on PBR, RPR, SFR, or the new Aventura.

Of your choices, RPR would be my vote. We just like the vibe better than PBH, and PBH is too far of a walk for us. Of the three deluxe resorts, HRH is actually our favorite. Have you considered it? I would think the theme and liveliness of the resort would appeal to teens, and its the closest onsite resort so quick walks and boat rides.

Is there a dining plan for Universal? Is it worth it?? (Usually take it at Disney)

There is and IMO, not worth it. And we are big proponents of the Disney dining plan. One nice thing about the Universal plan is that you can buy it on the fly when it makes sense. For example, our meal once at Three Broomsticks was the same cost as the dining plan for the day. By purchasing the plan, we got two extra snacks for the same price. So something to keep in mind.

I have heard the hotel restaurants are not super is this true?

The Kitchen at HRH is one of my favorite restaurants at Universal. LOVE the breakfast buffet, tons of options and the place is never busy. We also enjoyed dinner there on a Friday and they had tableside magicians come around which was a lot of fun. Not sure if its still offered, but it was cool. We also like Jake's at RPR, and I know the restaurants at PBH get good reviews too.

Are the Express Passes worth it?

10000%. Much better than the fastpass system at WDW. The express passes allow us to sleep in and show up at the parks whenever we get there, with no worry about lines and wait times. We can also tour the park in any order we want, rather than rushing to a ride in the back when we enter. Makes for a more enjoyable trip overall.

 

[mamapenguin]

Thanks for the tips. Anyone have a pet taking experience? Just curious as hate to leave the monster with the sitter Been getting snow moved from parents and our place (all day) thank god it wasnt that bad. Did anything ever replace the Emerils restaurant at RP?? I think the express pass will be a must in June. From what I understand now the only ride that is exempted is the New Potter Coaster when it opens, is that correct? This lack of planning thing is good and bad for me I guess I am so used to the NEW Disney system of FP that I forgot what it was like under the old system. I understand its far more friendly a system than the current Disney one. I will try and do some reading now that I am suitably defrosted. My kids now want the Hard Rock on the list because they saw its Pool Slide LOL

And they play music under water. That is where my daughter wants to stay.

 

[anierodzik]

So many great questions! We are a family of 5- the three kids are now teenagers. We loved disney, and took 3 wonderful vacations- but we seemed to have switched to Universal. This has become my system:

1. As early as possible, reserve hotel room(s). We reserve the cheapest Club level room at HRH, RPH, or PBH for 3 (or more if possilbe) days. Then we reserve a room at Cabana Bay for the last two nights.
2. We always use Undercover Tourist for our tickets. (Never a package.)
3. I keep my eyes peeled for a sale on My Universal Photo Package (there is a sticky for this). If there is a sale, we purchase the Annual Pass Deal.
4. Keep my eyes peeled for deals on the hotel rooms. I alway use the Universal site, and always use the link for the Annual Pass Holder discounts. Sometimes we are able to add an additional room. Or larger room or suite, depending on budget .

While we are there-
1. We go inside the park and convert one (at least) of our passes to an Preferred Annual pass. This allows for discounts in the park and city walk. You also are supposed to show your annual pass if you used the Annual Pass rate.
2. Our eating plan: breakfast in Club Room, park touring, lunch at a sit down restaurant either in the park or in Citywalk, park touring, dinner/snacks in the Club Room at the hotel, then park touring. For us, this has been the most cost effective. It is different for every family, I think.
3. After a few days switch to Cabana Bay. Visit Volcano Bay from here. Take the bus back over to the parks for shopping/dining/shows. Or stay- they are teenagers, and we can split up.

 

[gotomu212]

So if we get the tickets seperate from the Hotel how does that effect the Express Pass Unlimited?? Planning on HRH or RPR I think...

Late to the party and you may already know this but it blew our minds initially so...

Your EP will be your hotel key (everyone gets their own key and has to carry it). Whenever you walk up to a line, you’ll flash your room key and walk right into the EP line. You can use it whenever and how often you want (no FP trying to decide where you’ll be at 1:20 three months from now.) The EP is good from the day you check in through the day you check out (so if you stay one night you’ll get two days of EP). Oh one downside the hotel EP doesn’t work at Volcano Bay. You have to buy a separate EP for just that park if you need it.

The hotels are better than Disney and it’s subjective but we think the food is better and cheaper there too.

 

[lebeau]

What kind of schedule for buses? Is it like disney?

It is SOOOO much better than Disney. We stayed at Cabana Bay and I kid you not there was at least one bus waiting for us every time we wanted to use one. The longest I have ever waited for a bus at Universal is about 10 minutes and that was for Volcano Bay. And the buses aren't jam-packed, standing-room only deathtraps on wheels wither.

But as good as the shuttles are at Universal, the water taxis are even better.

Lots of good tips about the differences between Disney and Universal. Once we sampled Universal, we stopped going to Disney.

They aren't exactly the same but if you like Raglan Road check out Finnegan's at Universal. Might save you a trip to the mousetrap.