Disney & Universal trip - how to split our hotel choice?

[mernin]

I am trying to find the options for resorts for our stay next year after our cruise. The dates are April 14-23, 2018. We are planning to spend 2 days at Universal in the parks and 5 day at WDW leaving 2 resort days. I have offsite booked but would like to stay onsite if we can swing it. My biggest question is if I should do a split stay between WDW and Universal (Royal Pacific for the express pass because we wouldn't buy it separately) or just stay the whole time in one place. I'm tossing around 3-4 nights WDW, 1-2 nights RPR, 4 nights WDW.

For those who've done both, do you stay at both resorts or stay at one? If you stay at both, do you start at one and end with the other in a specific order?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We did a WDW/Uni split stay in 2015 and are about to do our second one in a few weeks. Others will have different suggestions, but we started at WDW for 5 nights and ended at Uni for 3 (others will probably suggest the reverse order, but it's really your preference). On our last trip, we did GF and Hard Rock and on our upcoming trip we are doing WL and Portofino. I would highly suggest you start at one and end at another. I wouldn't start at WDW, go to Uni and then back to WDW. That's a lot of moving around and will also affect how you can make your WDW ADR's and FP+.

I would suggest at least 2 nights at a Uni resort (we really like staying onsite for the perks) and the rest at WDW.

 

[mernin]

Thanks @DisneyWishes14. I had originally thought 2 nights universal then 7 nights Disney but wondered if it was worth doing universal on a week day vs a weekend.

It's our first trip to universal.

 

[Christopher Maley]

What's the most recommended transportation from a Disney resort to Universal for the day?

 

[April Mayfield]

We just did the same trip in June. 4 nights Polynesian and 2 nights Royal Pacific. We wanted express passes free which is why we chose to split it...I can honestly say I wish we'd have stayed at the poly and ubered over to universal.
There was NO comparison when it came to hotel, employees and food. Disney wins HANDS DOWN! The hotel was pretty but we heard people running the halls all night...to the point we had to put a towel under the door. We aren't quiet people (9 year old with ADHD AND A 4 year old) but this was out of control.
We bought the equivalent of the Disney dining plan (one qs and one table meal per day) but none of the restaurants in the hotel accepted it.
I would highly suggest staying at Disney, eating breakfast at the hotel and taking an uber over.

 

[illinidp]

We do split stays for the express passes. Volcano Bay is great too and so far the early entry there is a must if you go. We've had great experiences at HRH and PB and the Express Pass made moving well worth it, but we go in the summer.

 

[Sue M]

We started with Universal, love their Express Pass. Did 3 day Park to park tickets. We arrived early our first day because we were already in Florida, having beach vacay. So we drove to Universal area the night before and stayed in off site hotel across the street. Got up early and checked into Portofino, 3 nights. Room was ready! Bell Service took our things up, we got our Express Passes and we were off to the park. Easy. And so nice being on site at the end of the night, also being there in the morning not having to get up extra early, battle traffic, etc.
Then check out morning we hired a Town Car, pre booked it. Great company, they were right on time and transferred to our WDW resort. We loved doing a split stay. I wouldn't go back & forth. This is the only way I'd do both parks.

 

[Felicis]

We haven't done it before, but are for our upcoming. 9 nights at POFQ, then 4 to RPR.

The reason we are doing it that way is that DW is the more intense, more planned, more walking, trip, and Universal is a lot more relaxed, so it will be a nice one to finish on.

Particularly looking forward to being a short walk from the parks at RPR, for coming back at the end of each day.

 

[bumbershoot]

I always move for Uni.

Our first Orlando trip was 10 total days in the Disney parks and 4 days at Uni parks. We wanted to do it really big and right.

 

[mernin]

Thanks @bumbershoot @Felicis @Sue M @illinidp @April Mayfield .

We are planning to run in the Dark Side 5K (me & DD10) and 1/2 marathon (dh) over the last weekend of our trip so would either start at Universal (day we get off the cruise & next day) then move to WDW or put it in the middle of the week, not do express pass and drive over from WDW. We have a car rented right now, but will cancel if we decide to stay at WDW for the whole time and just uber or get a car service.

Looking at crowd calendars, the weekend looks like express pass would be good to have but mid week the crowds go down so we wouldn't get it (I don't know this is accurate, but that's what TP is predicting right now).

 

[Sue M]

Thanks @bumbershoot @Felicis @Sue M @illinidp @April Mayfield .

We are planning to run in the Dark Side 5K (me & DD10) and 1/2 marathon (dh) over the last weekend of our trip so would either start at Universal (day we get off the cruise & next day) then move to WDW or put it in the middle of the week, not do express pass and drive over from WDW. We have a car rented right now, but will cancel if we decide to stay at WDW for the whole time and just uber or get a car service.

Looking at crowd calendars, the weekend looks like express pass would be good to have but mid week the crowds go down so we wouldn't get it (I don't know this is accurate, but that's what TP is predicting right now).

Maybe you can do Universal at the end? Since you have to be there anyway for run? Beginning or end, it's totally worth staying at Universal. Their resorts are amazing. Like WDW, it's a different experience staying on site.

 

[izzylovesmickey]

We've done the split 2 times. Once BC to RPR, the other BC to HR. We found RPR to be a disappointment after BC. At the time the staff was far more pleasant at BC than RPR. Room was in better shape and that was before BC or RPR had renovations. We did enjoy HR far more. We would stay there again. For us the longer stay is Disney. There is more to do especially if you don't do water rides. With express pass we can almost do both parks at Univ in one day. Have a great trip!

 

[mernin]

Maybe you can do Universal at the end? Since you have to be there anyway for run? Beginning or end, it's totally worth staying at Universal. Their resorts are amazing. Like WDW, it's a different experience staying on site.

The run is runDisney Star Wars Dark Side so we'd want to be at WDW at the end for it.

 

[GoGoBeans]

We did Universal once before a Disney trip. Stayed at Hard Rock. The express passes were awesome! What a huge perk. We ubered over to Disney.

We had fun at Universal, however the whole family remarked how once was enough and we were Disney people.

 

[Parker Clan]

I am trying to find the options for resorts for our stay next year after our cruise. The dates are April 14-23, 2018. We are planning to spend 2 days at Universal in the parks and 5 day at WDW leaving 2 resort days. I have offsite booked but would like to stay onsite if we can swing it. My biggest question is if I should do a split stay between WDW and Universal (Royal Pacific for the express pass because we wouldn't buy it separately) or just stay the whole time in one place. I'm tossing around 3-4 nights WDW, 1-2 nights RPR, 4 nights WDW.

For those who've done both, do you stay at both resorts or stay at one? If you stay at both, do you start at one and end with the other in a specific order?

Every year we do both. We stay at Royal Pacific in Universal first then finish at Disney.
A trip to FL isn't complete without visiting both IMO

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks @bumbershoot @Felicis @Sue M @illinidp @April Mayfield .

We are planning to run in the Dark Side 5K (me & DD10) and 1/2 marathon (dh) over the last weekend of our trip so would either start at Universal (day we get off the cruise & next day) then move to WDW or put it in the middle of the week, not do express pass and drive over from WDW. We have a car rented right now, but will cancel if we decide to stay at WDW for the whole time and just uber or get a car service.

Looking at crowd calendars, the weekend looks like express pass would be good to have but mid week the crowds go down so we wouldn't get it (I don't know this is accurate, but that's what TP is predicting right now).

I always want the express passes. And if I were going in the spring I would insist on them.

While I've done a Disney run from a Uni resort it is preferable to be there. So I would start at Uni.

 

[cleophus12]

We too are Disney people, but when we are going to Universal we stay at one of their hotels for the express pass. It makes a huge difference in how much you can get done during your trip. The Universal hotels are fine, but not necessarily "magical". I'd split the stay for the convenience of the express pass but not for much else.

 

[georgina]

We just did the same trip in June. 4 nights Polynesian and 2 nights Royal Pacific. We wanted express passes free which is why we chose to split it...I can honestly say I wish we'd have stayed at the poly and ubered over to universal.
There was NO comparison when it came to hotel, employees and food. Disney wins HANDS DOWN! The hotel was pretty but we heard people running the halls all night...to the point we had to put a towel under the door. We aren't quiet people (9 year old with ADHD AND A 4 year old) but this was out of control.
We bought the equivalent of the Disney dining plan (one qs and one table meal per day) but none of the restaurants in the hotel accepted it.
I would highly suggest staying at Disney, eating breakfast at the hotel and taking an uber over.

Not really a fair resort comparison, considering the Poly costs at least 2, maybe 3 times the RPR Price? Pricewise RPR is more an equivalent of a Disney moderate hotel, with more amenities.

I usually start with the Disney part, use ME to get from the airport, then Lyft to Universal resort and the airport.