Do we need an off day?

[la79al]

We are getting 4 day park to park tickets. The current plan is park day, area hotel, park day then return to relatives nearby for a day off, park day, area hotel, park day. We are generally open to close, ride everything people or at least teenager morning to close people. Youngest is 10. Now I'm sort of wondering if we need a down day or if we can just do 4 back to back park days with 3 nights in a hotel. Also, any suggestions on a clean area hotel? Staying on property doesn't really make sense for us as this is a budget trip and we spend so much time in the parks (but also I won't be able to get them up to take advantage of the extra hour in the mornings).

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

We are getting 4 day park to park tickets. The current plan is park day, area hotel, park day then return to relatives nearby for a day off, park day, area hotel, park day. We are generally open to close, ride everything people or at least teenager morning to close people. Youngest is 10. Now I'm sort of wondering if we need a down day or if we can just do 4 back to back park days with 3 nights in a hotel. Also, any suggestions on a clean area hotel? Staying on property doesn't really make sense for us as this is a budget trip and we spend so much time in the parks (but also I won't be able to get them up to take advantage of the extra hour in the mornings).

Have you been to WDW before? If yes, then you know how large and vast the actual WDW resort/park property is. If you're willing to spend the extra time traveling from offsite and paying to park ( I am assuming a car) then NO.

BUT, if you want to utilize the bus system from a value resort which gives the option of taking a break and returning then I would plan a down day.

I would figure out price at a value resort and taking the buses vs offsite resort and paying to park, taking in account the extra traveling time and decide if any cost savings is really worth it.
I can't do "all day" anymore. That's me personally. But I love being on property knowing I can break away if need be and return to a park with the least amount of time spent.

 

[DisneyMom93]

We always do off days, but we go for two weeks and use the weekends as our off days.

Personally, for a short trip I wouldn't take an off day. But I would do a relaxing park day instead. Have a no rush breakfast even if it's just a quick service. Have nice lunch at a table service restaurant. Go at a slower pace. At Animal Kingdom you can do the animal trails. Epcot you can explore world showcase. I would still do rides, of course.

 

[Mamabun]

I think the OP is asking about a Universal trip (posted in the Universal forum, park-to-park tickets, etc.). If so, I think it's entirely up to you if you would want a down day. You can easily do 4 full days at the 3 (or 4 if you include Volcano Bay) Universal parks. Would your crew need the rest? When we were all younger, we absolutely would have done 4 straight days. Now, we enjoy a more leisurely pace and opt for a down day (or half day) on most trips. As for area hotels, we have usually stayed on site at Surfside, because of the affordable 2bedroom suite and the ability for the teenagers to sleep later and meet us at the park using the easy bus transport. We rarely used the early entry (except at Epic where it is really helpful). I have heard good things about the Doubletree near Universal but have never stayed there.

 

[DisneyMom93]

Ah I read the Disney World reply and didn't even notice it was about Universal! Thanks.

Well the same applies for our Universal trips. We do off/rest days on the weekends and go to the parks for 5 days. However, with the new Epic park on our last trip in January we did two park days at Epic and five park days at Universal/Islands. We stay on property. We stayed at Helios and Portofino. They are pricey, but we do relax at the resort on weekends (not at all basically during the week.)

Universal isn't as relaxing as DW, as far as the rides go. And not much to just walk around and experience in the parks... But they have some decent table service restaurants to break up your day. And shows to watch. But you can go at a slower pace if that helps.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I would say take the down day. These parks require a lot of walking, and if it’s hot out, it’s even more physically taxing. I personally don’t like days without a park but my family insists on it. Putting it after the first two days is a good idea.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I think the OP is asking about a Universal trip (posted in the Universal forum, park-to-park tickets, etc.). If so, I think it's entirely up to you if you would want a down day. You can easily do 4 full days at the 3 (or 4 if you include Volcano Bay) Universal parks. Would your crew need the rest? When we were all younger, we absolutely would have done 4 straight days. Now, we enjoy a more leisurely pace and opt for a down day (or half day) on most trips. As for area hotels, we have usually stayed on site at Surfside, because of the affordable 2bedroom suite and the ability for the teenagers to sleep later and meet us at the park using the easy bus transport. We rarely used the early entry (except at Epic where it is really helpful). I have heard good things about the Doubletree near Universal but have never stayed there.

LOL, IDK how I opened that thread. THX!!

 

[Kit Jackson]

We are getting 4 day park to park tickets. The current plan is park day, area hotel, park day then return to relatives nearby for a day off, park day, area hotel, park day. We are generally open to close, ride everything people or at least teenager morning to close people. Youngest is 10. Now I'm sort of wondering if we need a down day or if we can just do 4 back to back park days with 3 nights in a hotel. Also, any suggestions on a clean area hotel? Staying on property doesn't really make sense for us as this is a budget trip and we spend so much time in the parks (but also I won't be able to get them up to take advantage of the extra hour in the mornings).

I'm not trying to tell you how to spend your money. You know what your budget is and I don't want you to spend more than you can afford/are comfortable with. I also want to be sure you posted in the right place. Are you planning a trip to Universal Orlando or WDW? If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando, the main reason to stay onsite/at a resort hotel is that some of the resort hotels give you ExpressPass for free/included with the room. When you price that out, it's often worth the money. Depending on what time of year you go, you can often save time waiting in line, which gives you more time to do things in the parks.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I'm not trying to tell you how to spend your money. You know what your budget is and I don't want you to spend more than you can afford/are comfortable with. I also want to be sure you posted in the right place. Are you planning a trip to Universal Orlando or WDW? If you are planning a trip to Universal Orlando, the main reason to stay onsite/at a resort hotel is that some of the resort hotels give you ExpressPass for free/included with the room. When you price that out, it's often worth the money. Depending on what time of year you go, you can often save time waiting in line, which gives you more time to do things in the parks.

The only Universal hotels that include the free Express passes are Hard Rock, Portofino Bay, and Royal Pacific. Those are the three most expensive Universal hotels most of the time. I did a search on the Universal website for April 19-23 (that's well after Easter so shouldn't be a more expensive time) and Portofino Bay is the cheapest of those three at $787 per night. In contrast, Dockside is only $187 per night. Sure, you might save money if you otherwise would be buying express passes for everyone in the room. But most of us don't buy express passes at all. Also, I'll point out that the express passes you get for staying at those hotels do not include Epic Universe. All in all, I don't think staying at one of those hotels is compatible with a "budget" vacation. I agree they can be nice to stay at, with a nice perk, if your budget allows.