Disney resort or Universal resort?

[rolshan]

Anyone stay in both and can weigh in with views? Made reservations for a 2br villa at BWV, where we have stayed before and loved. But now beginning to think we should do something different? Has anyone stayed at both? Any views? It seems to me more fun to stay and Disney, even if we visit Universal a couple of days than the reverse, but can't really put my finger on why. Help!
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RIO

 

[AlexandNessa]

Many of us here have stayed at both Disney and Loews hotels @ Universal. Most all of us here will tell you that if you're going to Universal, you owe it to yourself to stay onsite at one of the Loews hotels for the Universal portion of your vacation. The reason: unlimited express on almost all rides, just by showing your hotel key. It practically eliminates the need for any sort of silly touring plan.

The hotels are all on par with Disney Deluxes. The RPR rooms may be a bit on the small side, and none of them have balconies (except a small # at the PBH, which are difficult to come by), but they are all exceptional hotels which, unlike Disney, actually reward you for your stays. In a short time, we achieved Platinum status and are now comped a suite whenever we make a ressie.

We love Universal hotels for the simple matter that you can walk everywhere within the Universal complex. It may be a bit of a hike between the PBH and RPR if you're walking, but it's certainly doable and a very pretty walk. No waiting for Disney busses for an hour or having to drive anywhere once you're onsite.

Here is a link that shows pictures of each resort; just click on the resort you want to see pictures of:

http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/Universal/main.htm

If you have any specific questions, there are lots of us who are here to help.

P.S. I did my undergrad at Fairfield U, and babysat for several Westport families during my college years.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I've stayed on WDW property numerous times and USO property numerous times. Hands-down, USO gets my vote.

The one that helps us decide each and every time is the nightlife at USO. We like to eat well and have a few cocktails in the evenings. The nightlife at USO, IMO, is MUCH better than the nightlife over at WDW.

So we ask ourselves, "Where do we want to eat/drink at night, USO or WDW?" I mean, we can drive ourselves to either park (WDW or USO) no matter where we stay.

And we're not "clubbers" or anything. We just like a couple glasses of wine with dinner or a martini or hurricane after dinner. I don't want to be concerned about driving or taxis.

The last time we stayed on site at WDW, we spent a small fortune in taxis getting over to CityWalk because DTD just didn't do it for us.

Have fun with whatever you decide!!

 

[keishashadow]

the mouse owns me, my DVC lodgings are already paid for...

however, in order to visit Universal, i am again paying OOP (as it were) for Universal since my family wouldn't consider touring w/o FOTL privledges have to say i agree with them, FOTL is priceless imo.

not sure if you book directly thru WDTC or own/rent points from a member; why not consider a split stay...cheaper weekdays @ DVC/BW; then a long weekend @ Loews...the best of both worlds.

 

[JohnnyB2]

Depending on the length of time you have,start with Disney,which is always fun,but can get a little hectic.Then stay at USO for 2or3 days with having the FOTL access you can see the parks, and have time to unwind.

 

[Kimberle]

Stayed at both. Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Royal Pacific. We loved all the resorts. When going to WDW, stay at WDW, while going to US, stay at US.

The Royal Pacific was ssssoooooo nice. The pool huge, no problem getting a chair. They have coolers (w/glasses) of cold water out all day for all to enjoy. You can bring floats and pool toys. What was so nice, you can actually go into a resturant and eat when you want! You don't need reservations 6 months out! *LOL* (except for Emerils). We had a great view of Island of Adventure and the pool area. Of course, some of the rooms do overlook the freeways.

 

[app2msm]

I've be going to Disney for 20 yrs. From the value to DVC resorts you can't go wrong. The value is great. My children are very young so Disney is the place. If the kids are happy then we are happy.

 

[goofy!]

I've be going to Disney for 20 yrs. From the value to DVC resorts you can't go wrong. The value is great. My children are very young so Disney is the place. If the kids are happy then we are happy.

Have you ever stayed in a Universal resort?

 

[DiscoverUSF]

For us, Universal's got it hands down. We've stayed at both RPR & PBH. However, the only onsite Dis Resort was the Coronado, so we can't compare it to the Grand Floridian.

The problem we found at Disney was it was SO big, we had to either walk an extremely long distance to get anywhere or we had to wait for a golf cart to come around and pick us up. (We had very nice connecting rooms, but I think they were on the far end of the property border to the outside world).

Another issue, was the dining establishments which were basically buffett style. We would have likes to enjoy a full service meal at least once or twice.

I was still a very nice place. Whenever, we go back to Disney, we will try a different place though...But Universal's PBH is the place to be.

 

[Girlsontour]

Depending on the length of time you have,start with Disney,which is always fun,but can get a little hectic.Then stay at USO for 2or3 days with having the FOTL access you can see the parks, and have time to unwind.

I'll second that - we always do 10 days at Disney (CSR) and then end our holiday with 4 days at HRH...i couldn't do it the other way around due to FOTL. It totally spoils you and i certainly couldn't line up again (well at least not for another year!!)

 

[chobie]

I would do both. But if you had to choose one or the other and you want to spend a couple days at US/IOA, then stay at US. As the others have said, the front of the line privilege, the night life of city walk, being able to walk everywhere and the pools are worth it. You can pool hop at Universal and though we did not make it to the RPR pool, both the HR pool and PBH pool were a wonderful way to relax.

 

[jguner]

I have stayed at both and i refuse to pay what Disney charges for a Deluxe resort when it isn't even Deluxe in my opinion. I feel that the Universal hotels are deluxe and worth the extra $$$ and the perks are great. Better perks than Disney.

 

[SharonLowe]

Done both - AKL CL is our choice at WDW; stayed at RPR CL when I took DD down for a girl's weekend at Universal and the other parks. Loved the CL at RPR (and got a great AAA rate); join Loew's First program and on check-in, you can request an upgraded room if available. Plus, you get some other benefits. Stay at more Loew's and you can move up to Gold then Platinum. The CL at RPR has great food and beverage offerings, including bottles of water, which they no longer do at the WDW CLs. The FOTL access is worth it too as is the convenience of the water taxi/walk back to the resort. You can buy FOTL access passes, but you have to buy one for each person and also for each day. Plus, they are only good one time on each ride. If you add up the cost of the passes, staying onsite is a really great deal.

 

[kbroer]

Okay - I am obviously not the original poster but we are wrestling with this issue as well. We are die-hard Disney fans but I am trying to talk the fam into something a little different this time. I see many posters talking about splitting their stay. My question is - how to convince my husband this wouldn't be a huge hassle. We would be flying in and not renting a car. We would want to utilize Disney's Magical Express. If we switch to a Universal hotel mid-way through the trip then how would we transport everything over there and also how would we get back to our hotel. I know the options - just wondering which is the best one? Thanks for your expert advice.

 

[robvia]

Disney's magical express has many wrapped around their finger, and that's exactly how they want it. You have to throw all that aside and start over.

You research limo services and ignore the magical express. If you can rent the car, then do it. The convience factor makes up for the extra cost (gas, parking, rental car fee). Otherwise, you take a limo service for each leg of the trip. There's Mears, Happy Limo, and a few others people recommend. You'd probably be fine with a limo service, that's how you get back to the airport at the end.

Ok, so a limo service or renting the car costs extra money, yes, that's true. But now you can spend 2 or 3 nights onsite at Universal and "feel" like part of the action. Especially when you put this part of the trip at the end so you won't have to wait in line.

 

[rpbert1]

We stayed at both last July, ist week at Universal and 2 weeks at POFQ.
While we had a great holiday we wished we where back at the RPR when we where at POFQ.
Disney was good you buy the mugs for free refills at resort and buses to the parks[ but we drove as it was better for us] but the EMH was crowded, with long queues, and way to late for our DD, so was really of no benefit and the fastpass was not much better, we usually hit the parks in the afternoon , and no fastpasses available, so you need to be there in the morning early, otherwise any fastpasses you get , could keep you in the park to mid or late afternoon to get using them.
We are going this July and staying at RPR for the whole holiday, benefits ,i can go to the parks at anytime and not worry about having to queue for an hour at each ride i want on, i can walk back to hotel and have a swim then go back to parks ,or to Citywalk for food and drinks, plus it is not much more than i would be paying for POFQ, but staying in a much superior resort. Disney do not allow any inflatiables in the pool at Universal they do and there is a lot more entertainment and games for DD to join in at the pool.
If i want to visit Disney i can drive the 20 mins to the park and queue just like we had to when staying at Disney.

 

[tardin1964]

Wow...first time posting to a Universal Thread

Is there any time of year when the FOTL privledge doesn't work well because the hotels are full to capacity...like during Christmas...etc?

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Tardin, I've found that times where the parks are "slow" and, for some reason, the hotels are booked, the FOTL takes longer than the regular lines.

One example specifically I recall of this was back in September a few years back. Florida was being hit with hurricane after hurricane in September (including Orlando.) Folks from all over the state were evacuating to what would hopefully be safer than their homes, and a lot of folks evacuated to the USO resorts. The resorts themselves were booked solid and sold out, but the parks were quite empty -- as they usually are during the end of September.

I remember the lines for Spiderman in particular. DH & I walked into the EP line; others walked into the regular line. The EP line was fuller than what I would have expected at that time of year -- we always go in September -- yet, the folks I saw go in the regular line ended up far ahead of us. I also noticed it with Jaws. By the end of our weekend, we were just getting in the non-EP line and getting on the rides in a minute or two.

A friend of ours is CEO of World Market, and he takes his employees to USO once a year -- awsome boss! -- and his group sells out the HRH. He's noticed the same thing, too. If it's a dead time of year, but the hotels are sold out for some reason, the FOTL lines might be longer than the non-FOTL lines.

 

[Kata]

I would do a split stay. I am doing this for the 2nd time in 12/07. I am doing RPR 1st because I got a better rate with WDW the 2nd week. I know that it is going to be hard to give up FOTL but the discounts I got for WDW made the trip more affordable.Last time I did WDW 1st and took the Magical Express (Disney's Transportation) from the airport and then I had a Limo Service take me from my WDW resort to RPR. I was able to get a 30 min grocery stop on the way to RPR. I then used a limo service to get to the airport when I left. I think the roundtrip cost was around $100.00 but I was the only one in the car. It will be nice to have a limo pick me up from the airport instead of being part of large crowds waiting in line for the Disney buses. It will also be great to have that grocery stop at the beginning of my vacation. Have fun what ever you decide!!!!!!

 

[tardin1964]

PlutoLuvr, thanks for the insight.

I would like to do a few days at Universal our next trip to WDW. We would go during the first part of November so the crowds should be moderate.

I was just wondering if FOTL ever gets too busy to the point where it dosen't feel like it helps much.