first timer!

[PrincessKellen74]

Hey everyone!

I am planning a major family vaca to Universal and WDW in Oct. 2010. I can plan Disney with my eyes closed, but I have never added in Universal/IOA. I need help with the following pretty please:

Transportaion to Universal/IOA and transportation from Uni/IOA to WDW.

I will need to stay one or 2 night near Universal or IOA and at a good rate....I am comparing my rates to a value at Disney...so try to base it off of that.

I know Uni/IOA ticket deals are awesome....we will only need a 2 or 3 day pass...what are the deals on that.

Halloween Horror nights....what's the price for that?

Are there any package deals that include all of this?

Our party will include 2 children, they will be 7 and 5 at the time.

TIA TIA TIA!

 

[d4est]

Can't help you with all of your Q's but...

Transportation: You can take a tax for, I've heard, around $30. You can take a Mears shuttle...something like $16 pp (correct me if I am wrong please). You can use a car service. We paid $40 to get from AKL to HRH. We paid another $40 to get from HRH to MCO. I think that's comparable to most car services.

Tickets: Best deal going are the $94.99 tickets that get you into both parks for 7 consecutive days. If you are an AAA member you can get them even cheaper. I paid $79.99 thru AAA.

Hotel: Can't help, but have to throw out there that staying on site is the bomb. They are definitely not priced like Disney values, but the FOTL perk that comes with your room key is priceless. Even if you only stayed on site one night, everyone in your party would get unlimited express for 2 days...the day you check in and the day you check out until the parks close.

That's all the help I've got for you. The homies will chime in when they get the chance...they are dang good at it!

 

[PrincessKellen74]

What is the FOTL perk? What all does that include. Can you book the room package and buy the tix thru AAA and still get said perk???

 

[IowaGirl]

front of the line is just that---You have a special line that you just show your room key to get into and the wait is minimal.

We love Universal/IOA and stay on site there, but never stay on site for Disney. Anybody can get a fast pass there....

you can use it over and over and over again. 2010 with harry Potter opening up, I know i am going to stay onsite for that.

We ride Spiderman, the best ride ever in my opinion our last trip 15 times in a row---got off, got on...

The first time we stayed at Universal we stayed at the Portofino and only stayed one night, but that got us two days of FOTL. We dropped our bags off at 8am in the hotel, took a short boat ride to the park entrances, went to the park all day using a room key card that they gave us, stayed that night, took our luggage out of the room and went front of the line the whole next day with only one night stay.

Now when we go, Universal/IOA is the highlight of our trip and the resorts are so nice and roomy we stay for four or five nights.

We like Disney a whole lot, but we just love all of the perks of staying on site at Universal, the rides are thrilling, and the hotels are just lovely. You really can watch for deals ranging from $150 per night to $300. We have never paid more than $210.

 

[macraven]

Hey everyone!

I am planning a major family vaca to Universal and WDW in Oct. 2010. I can plan Disney with my eyes closed, but I have never added in Universal/IOA. I need help with the following pretty please:

Transportaion to Universal/IOA and transportation from Uni/IOA to WDW.

I will need to stay one or 2 night near Universal or IOA and at a good rate....I am comparing my rates to a value at Disney...so try to base it off of that.

I know Uni/IOA ticket deals are awesome....we will only need a 2 or 3 day pass...what are the deals on that.

Halloween Horror nights....what's the price for that?

Are there any package deals that include all of this?

Our party will include 2 children, they will be 7 and 5 at the time.

TIA TIA TIA!

planning for the uo trip over 2 years in advance?
you would probably wait for the room bookings until maybe 10 months out for UO if you stay on site.

really don't know what type of deals will be in effect at that point for oct 2010.
the parry hotter island will be open at that point and don't know if universal would need to do discounts for tickets or hotels to get the crowds in for it.
from what i read, many are looking forward to the new island that will be opening in '10.

if you stay off site, check out the orlandoinfo site. they have many listings for off site hotels for the international drive area/ universal area.
for prices, i really couldn't even guess how much the prices will increase over the next 2.4 years from now.

right now, disney has been increasing prices on their on site hotels.
a value for this fall is over $112 a night and the weekends have an additional $10 cost per night. i stay at values at disney then transfer to universal resorts on my trips.
i would say that disney values will increase greatly between now and when you will be going in 2010.

am i to assume you are looking to spend about $125 a night plus tax for an off site hotel in the universal area?

double tree is popular with families. they have shuttles to the park.
if you google the international drive area, you should be able to locate many hotels for that area.

i do car service on a 3 leg trip.
i pay about $120 for it. the company i use just had a price increase due to high fuel costs. not sure if you would be ok with a taxi. maybe consider a rental care and go thru hotwire or priceline for a good rate. not sure how far in advance you can book with that though.


if your children will be 7 and 5 at the time of your visit in the next 2 years, they are definitely too young for hhn. universal doesn't even sell children tickets for the hhn event.
they would enjoy mnsshp at disney a lot more. disney is really geared more for littles for the halloween time.

i think the farthest out i have booked and planned is one year or 11 months out. the only thing that holds then is the price of my onsite room and the tickets.

the ticket promo that is going on now would be your best at this point to buy
just hang on to them for 2 years from now. many are doing that now. buying the promo tickets and using them when they go to uo in the future.

i wish you a great time at universal.
you'll have a fun time no matter where you go.
you'll be with your family and nothing can beat that enjoyment no matter where you are.

 

[Purseval]

Hey everyone!

I am planning a major family vaca to Universal and WDW in Oct. 2010. I can plan Disney with my eyes closed, but I have never added in Universal/IOA. I need help with the following pretty please:

Transportaion to Universal/IOA and transportation from Uni/IOA to WDW.

If it's that major a vacation look at renting a car, in the long run it's cheaper than paying for transportation to and fro.

I will need to stay one or 2 night near Universal or IOA and at a good rate....I am comparing my rates to a value at Disney...so try to base it off of that.

You can get a 3-star hotel through Priceline for well under the price of a Disney value hotel. Some examples and prices of places we've stayed at:

Doubletree Castle $42/night
Sheraton Safari $43/night
Internationa Resorts $43/night
Holiday Inn Maingate $45/night this coming October
Radisson (I forget the name it's the one closest to AKL) $45/night

Those are all 2008 prices btw

I know Uni/IOA ticket deals are awesome....we will only need a 2 or 3 day pass...what are the deals on that.

If you know a Universal Annual Pass holder you can get them to buy you 2 day passes for about $54. A 7-day pass is $80 through AAA, deals come up all the time.

Halloween Horror nights....what's the price for that?

MNSSHP it ain't. With children as young as yours you might want to skip that.

Are there any package deals that include all of this?

Come now, we're talking Orlando...money talks

TIA TIA TIA!

Enjoy your trip, I know I will.

 

[PrincessKellen74]

The HHHN would be for my parents and my brother and hubby only...i dare not set foot in UO during HHHN...

What's the deal with the ticket and food package...worth it???

 

[macraven]

which package are you referring to?

a hotel package, universal package or park meal and deal promo?

 

[PrincessKellen74]

I believe the meal and deal promo. Whatever gets you 2 days of food and drink. I saw it on the website.

 

[macraven]

I believe the meal and deal promo. Whatever gets you 2 days of food and drink. I saw it on the website.

the meal deal i am aware of is booked for a one day only and for one park or both parks.
there is a discount if you book it as both parks.

the beverage promo os $8.99 can be bought only if you buy the meal deal for the day.

many have reported the sippie cup was reusable for the guest entire visit even when it lists date of validity on it.

if there is a new promo for 2 days on the meal deal, i am not aware of it.

i don't know everything.

i have used the meal deal and really liked it.
but, i love 2 of the places on the studio side that participate in it.

can anyone say Louie's pizza...........
or fresh fruit plate at ifff...........