DVC and Universal

[charminnie]

Planning a trip for Mardi Gras break in February. We are owners at BLT and love staying so close to the action of the MK. We are planning on doing 2 or 3 days at Universal for the first time ever, my daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan, and 2-3 days at WDW. Should we spend a couple of nights at a Universal hotel or just stay where we own and enjoy? I really hate split stays because i feel like it takes so much time and is such a hassle packing and unpacking. Plus i love the kitchen with a DVC villa. Has anyone stayed at WDW and did a few days at Universal?

 

[disneynutz]

Doesn't staying at a Universal hotel get you early park access?

Bill

 

[loveswdw]

I prefer to stay at Universal when I do Universal.

You can book 1 night in one of their deluxe hotels and you get two days of express pass service (much prefer it to FastPass+), check in day and check out day.
And used to be the HP attractions were not available on ExP, only early entry. I read recently that it is rumored that they are changing and HP would be offered on ExP soon.

 

[DenLo]

I would definitely do Universal if your DD is a HP fan. But be forewarned that the souvenirs are very pricey and she will want something. Also the early entry does not help you the HP rides as every has to stand in line and they do not open early. Of course, you get to stand in line earlier and might one of the first groups to get on the rides. Make sure you buy tickets for both parks and ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks and because the best two HP rides are split between the two parks.

I would check into the early entrance, front of the line advantages at Universal. You can purchase them as well but they are expensive. I was surprised that some Travel agents can get a better price than what is offered by Universal ticketing. My DSIL purchased the Universal Express Unlimited Add-On via her travel agent for less than we purchased online the Universal Express Add-On Ticket which only allowed us to skip the regular line one time per ride at participating rides and attractions each day that your pass is valid. DSIL and our nieces could ride those rides over and over and the girls did use it for many of the rides especially the Mummy.

Although you might find it cheaper to do a package for two nights at a Universal hotel and get those privileges included for your party plus early entrance and then spend three days at Universal parks.

BTW, you will still have longer lines to contend when you use Express pass but they are way shorter than the regular lines.

 

[MrInfinity]

If you have a car, it's fine. It's a 20-min drive from BLT. If you'd do 2 days, you're buying 2 days of EP (per person, so if you have several people it adds up quickly) and 2 days of parking, so you might as well get the night there. If I was to do 2 days at Uni I'd stay there to avoid all these a la carte purchases.

To avoid splitting the BLT stay, Do Universal as your arrival day. Get 2 nights there... Then you can do the parks for a couple hours on your arrival day, the full middle day, and then a short morning (if at all-- you might find the 1/2 and full day was enough) on the checkout day, then get over to BLT and walk to the MK while waiting for your room to be ready.

Another option, if you want BLT to be your basecamp, you could do your points for the whole stay, but book a single night at Universal mid-trip. This will get you the 2 days worth of EP and parking... Then, just pack a day-bag for those people who want to go to Universal. They do so, they go the one afternoon, stay there, and the following morning, then meet back at BLT. The rest of your party continues on at BLT during this. All this really costs you is a few more DVC points and you never have to do a full hotel change.

 

[Granny]

Keep in mind that there are three hotels at Universal that get you the express pass privileges (Portofino, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific). They have another three, less expensive, hotels that don't include the express pass privileges in their room charges. Here's a comparison link for the six hotels. https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/places-to-stay/on-site-hotels/compare-features/index.html

I would definitely recommend staying at Universal hotels. Keep in mind that if you stay at one of the three hotels with express pass privileges included, those privileges are good for the check in day through the end of the check out day. So if you book two nights there you get 3 days of privileges. Good luck!

 

[DisBuckMan]

Keep in mind that there are three hotels at Universal that get you the express pass privileges (Portofino, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific). They have another three, less expensive, hotels that don't include the express pass privileges in their room charges. Here's a comparison link for the six hotels. https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/places-to-stay/on-site-hotels/compare-features/index.html

I would definitely recommend staying at Universal hotels. Keep in mind that if you stay at one of the three hotels with express pass privileges included, those privileges are good for the check in day through the end of the check out day. So if you book two nights there you get 3 days of privileges. Good luck!

There are currently only 5 Universal hotels. The 6th, Aventura, won't open until August of next year (2018).

 

[Granny]

There are currently only 5 Universal hotels. The 6th, Aventura, won't open until August of next year (2018).

Thank you for the correction. We haven't been to Universal for several years...at that time there were only three hotels there.

 

[bumbershoot]

Also the early entry does not help you the HP rides as every has to stand in line and they do not open early

What?

Early entrance is specifically FOR Wizarding World. And despicable me. But really for Wizarding World. So the rides absolutely open for early entrance.

I've never been there in such an intense day that I've had to wait to get into WW, fwiw.


Op the perks onsite are too good at Uni to not stay there. Kitchen schmitchen lol. I want my early entrance to WW and my unlimited express pass which covers two (dragon challenge and Hippogriff) out of 6 (forbidden journey, Gringotts, hogwarts express, and ollivanders are the others) WW attractions and everything else besides pteranodon flyers. So we leave DVC and go stay at a deluxe Uni hotel.

 

[goofy4tink]

There are currently only 5 Universal hotels. The 6th, Aventura, won't open until August of next year (2018).

However, as the poster said, only three offer Express Pass...RPR, HRH and PB.

I do this quite often. I keep my room at WDW, but book one night at RPR (usually) with an AP rate. Yes, I get a seasons pass at US/IoA. Especially now that my dd is working there. Then I pack a backpack with a change of clothes, a sleep tee, and anything I may need for the stay. Then I take the Mears shuttle over. Runs about $20ish pp r/t. You can't take luggage on the bus, hence the backpack. If you have more than three people going, it makes sense to either Uber or hire a car service.

 

[DenLo]

What?

Early entrance is specifically FOR Wizarding World. And despicable me. But really for Wizarding World. So the rides absolutely open for early entrance.

I've never been there in such an intense day that I've had to wait to get into WW, fwiw.


Op the perks onsite are too good at Uni to not stay there. Kitchen schmitchen lol. I want my early entrance to WW and my unlimited express pass which covers two (dragon challenge and Hippogriff) out of 6 (forbidden journey, Gringotts, hogwarts express, and ollivanders are the others) WW attractions and everything else besides pteranodon flyers. So we leave DVC and go stay at a deluxe Uni hotel.

When we were there last June HP Wizarding World didn't open until 9:00 am. It was a long line. No one got in early for the two days we went. People were complaining.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We haven't stayed at Universal since getting DVC - just drive over for the day. Easy!

 

[bumbershoot]

When we were there last June HP Wizarding World didn't open until 9:00 am. It was a long line. No one got in early for the two days we went. People were complaining.

There are two Wizarding Worlds at the Orlando park. Diagon Alley in UStudios park and Hogsmeade in Islands of Adventure park.

Generally only one park is open for EE. Were you all at the correct park for EE?

If you were, then there was something wrong. Did anyone ask the TMs? If so, what did they say?

Apart from despicable me (when EE is at Studios), there is nothing else open during EE, so it should have been obvious that this isn't the norm.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/early-park-admission/index.html


June last year was the Kong soft opening. Could have messed things up.

 

[bumbershoot]

If I'm coming across as argumentative, I apologize. I don't mean to. I'm trying to reassure DenLo and everyone else that EE at Uni is specifically for WW, and that DenLo's experience last year was either a mixup with what park had EE or it was a problem with the rides (like when you go to Disneyland for their early entrance but peter pan and dumbo are down). It's not the norm, it's not what to expect. EE is *for* Wizarding World. So it will almost certainly be open.

 

[bumbershoot]

And as an FYI, but only specifically for Studios because that's where I have experienced this (might be the same at IOA but I don't recall), they tend to let everyone in the gates early. Then those withOUT a room keycard just mill around and wait.

Thise WITH early access (onsite room keycard and those who have packages at offsite places and whatever proof is needed for that) can go up to the TMs at the barriers and show their cards and get on through.


So if you have early entrance access but are behind a ton of people who don't and are just earlybirds, it could easily look like no one is going through to get to DM and Diagon Alley, when people are. Just get to the front and show your card.


Although I have gone up to Uni once while staying dvc (once), it's not what I choose to do. Uni onsite is terrific; far better than the perks of being onsite at wdw, and that's what I choose to do.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Although I have gone up to Uni once while staying dvc (once), it's not what I choose to do. Uni onsite is terrific; far better than the perks of being onsite at wdw, and that's what I choose to do.

Agree if you're staying in a premium resort at Universal with EP privileges. Disagree if you're at CB or SF.

 

[bumbershoot]

Agree if you're staying in a premium resort at Universal with EP privileges. Disagree if you're at CB or SF.

Although we haven't chosen to stay at FB or SF, you still do get EE and access to all pools. And their package delivery for purchases in the parks delivers to rooms, not to bell services (same purchase-timing restriction as at Disney).

 

[DisBuckMan]

Although we haven't chosen to stay at FB or SF, you still do get EE and access to all pools. And their package delivery for purchases in the parks delivers to rooms, not to bell services (same purchase-timing restriction as at Disney).

EMH at Disney makes an entire park available to all on-site guests, not just 2 or 3 rides. That reason alone pushes it over the top for the values and moderates over CB and SF, IMO. Having to pay to park as a resort guest at Universal is a complete turnoff for me, as well.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

EMH at Disney makes an entire park available to all on-site guests, not just 2 or 3 rides. That reason alone pushes it over the top for the values and moderates over CB and SF, IMO. Having to pay to park as a resort guest at Universal is a complete turnoff for me, as well.

Not everything is open for EMH with Disney either - or at least not MK. It's more than a land but Disney has long had many more onsite guests than Universal who is just finally expanding beyond the 3 hotels.

 

[bumbershoot]

EMH at Disney makes an entire park available to all on-site guests, not just 2 or 3 rides. That reason alone pushes it over the top for the values and moderates over CB and SF, IMO. Having to pay to park as a resort guest at Universal is a complete turnoff for me, as well.

I don't do emh at wdw.

If I have access to early hours at Disneyland I use those. If I'm up early at Uni I uses theirs. But I avoid emh parks at wdw. So that's not even a tiny bit of a perk to me!


We all pay to park. We all pay for dme. We all pay for the monorails and buses. We just don't know how much.

I'd rather pay if I have a car and not pay if I don't.