Help a newbie!

[blairzo]

Hello! I'm needing help planning my 2015 summer vacation! We're starting with a few days at Disney, then doing a 3 day cruise, then I'd like to end with 3 days at universal. I've never been to Universal before....so I'm totally lost!! Are there any trip planners here? Where do i start? Hotel? Tickets? I'm a Disney expert but a Universal novice! I LOVE Harry Potter and can't wait to see all Universal has to offer!

 

[RMulieri]

Universal doesn't require anywhere near the amount of planning WDW does...Stay onsite at one of the 3 deluxes if you can afford it.Those hotels are : Portofino bay, Hard Rock Hotel or Royal Pacific.Those resorts are connected to the parks by dedicated boat( each resort has their own), bus, or walking paths.They also come with the Express pass perk and early entry. They are well worth the money you spend. You can book them online at Loewshotels.com, one nights stay is due at booking and the rest at check out . There is also Cabana Bay which is value/moderate resort.it only has the early entry perk.It is connected to the parks by walking path or bus only. Packages are rarely recommended since they don't generally save you any money and often come with penalties for changing anything to it .We buy tickets at Undercover tourist.With the express passes, you really don't need to plan anything out ( though you will want a strategy for Harry Potter since the major HP attractions don't take express pass)
.Dining ressies can be made but arent necessary unless you are like us and like to eat at certain times and certain places.Reservations can be made at Opentable.com, but for many restaurants only 3 months in advance or so..Some are less, some are further.universal doesn't own the restaurrants or resorts .,so the timeframes and policies can vary . I would spend some time familiarizing yourself what each park( The studios and Islands of adventure) and Citywalk have to offer by visiting Universalorlando.com., checking the stickies out above and on the universal resort board.You can also pick up a copy of " Universal Orlando" by Seth Kubersky/Kelly Monaghan.Once you have an idea of what there is to do, what you want to do you will be more comfortable with it.After planning WDW trips for years, Universal was a wonderful change...

 

[glocon]

The only thing I would add is that with two nights stay you get the ee and ep perks for three days... Check in day, second day, and all day the day of checkout.

And I love the "Universal Orlando" book. It is veeeerrrry helpful.

 

[Minerva Mouse]

I have been fortunate enough to stay at all 4 Universal (Lowes) hotels. (no I'm not rich, lol, I just have family who works there ) The express pass can save you oodles of time, but if you have 3 full days to dedicate to Universal, an express pass really isn't necessary.

While the express pass isn't "free" when you stay at Cabana Bay, I do believe you can purchase it at a discount. (anyone know if I'm right here?) and the Cabana Bay resort, is way above par for a value resort. My only complaint, was the bus travel to the park, not that it's bad, but I really enjoy taking the boat.

I'm not sure what kind of budget your working with, if you can afford the grand luxury of the other resorts, go for it. They are all beautiful, and have wonderful amenities. But I enjoyed staying at Cabana Bay, every bit as much as the others (and its a fraction of the cost).

Happy Planning

 

[macraven]

there aren't any discounts for the express pass that you buy.

if you feel you need the express pass, figure out the cost of a room at Cbay and express pass compared to the total cost of one of the 3 deluxe hotels and see what the difference it.

you get the day you check in and the day you checkout, free unlimited usage of the express lines when you stay at one of the 3 deluxe hotels.

all 4 hotels allow for early entry.

 

[PulsarIII]

If your trip planning means crowd calendar & park hours, Undercover Tourist & Orlando Informer is all you may need. If you are looking for planning details like projected wait time for individual attractions or daily tour planning suggestions for the age range of your group, the paid version of TouringPlans - Universal Orlando could be what you are looking for.

If you are looking for discounted tickets, I’ve used Maple Leaf Tickets, Ticket Mania and UnderCoverTourist without any problems. I mostly use MouseSavers – Newsletter to get an additional discount on tickets from Undercover Tourist. There usually are some promotions in this newsletter for hotels in the UOR / SW area.
G’day
I I I

 

[ArwenMarie]

If you just get the hotel booked, you will be in good shape. You can technically do everything else when you get there.

I agree with not booking a package.

Book the hotel separately using the Loews Hotels site.

If you book at Royal Pacific, Portofino or Hard Rock (the ones which offer Express Pass) then when you get there, after you check in, you can buy your tickets and get your Express Passes right there in the hotel lobby. Very easy!

Then you are set to go!

As far as restaurant reservations, you can get some on Open Table, but you can also play it by ear once you get there as long as you are flexible about where you eat.

Anyway, just focus on getting the hotel booked first and you'll be in good shape, especially with three days to see the parks.

 

[rwdavis2]

Just to pile on, once you book one of the 3 onsite hotels you're pretty much done. Just make sure you use early entry to see the various Harry Potter attractions in each park. You will also need park-to-park tickets since there is a train linking the Harry Potter lands in each park.

Another thing, just in case, for years I was too large around the middle (obese) and could not fit into some of the coasters until I lost about 50lbs. There are size limits on some of the rides but there are test seats outside them to see if one fits.