Help!!!! I need info on RPH!

[kellyekookoo]

OK Guys, ya'll are a lot more hip than me on this stuff- so help a girl out!!!
We are going to RPH June 25th-July 1st. We paid 1928.00 for 2 adults 2 children and this includes flex tickets. Good Deal? or RIP OFF? Also, I signed up for the Lowe's card after finding this site. Should I call the hotel with the # or wait until we arrive. Any other last minute tips?? I need all the advice I can consume. Thanks!!

 

[3Mousketeers]

OK Guys, ya'll are a lot more hip than me on this stuff- so help a girl out!!!
We are going to RPH June 25th-July 1st. We paid 1928.00 for 2 adults 2 children and this includes flex tickets. Good Deal? or RIP OFF? Also, I signed up for the Lowe's card after finding this site. Should I call the hotel with the # or wait until we arrive. Any other last minute tips?? I need all the advice I can consume. Thanks!!

Welcome! We'll be there the same time as you - 6/25-6/29 with 7 & 5 yr old boys and 2 yr old girl. This is our 1st trip to Universal so I'm not one of the experts you need. I would call the hotel ahead of time - you can probably get your loews number applied now. We're not going to any parks other than Universal so we didn't look into the flex ticket. I'm not sure it would be a good deal for the length of your stay - isn't it good for 14 consecutive days? FYI, we booked the stay 4 play free deal (includes 2 tickets) - seemed like the best deal for our dates. There are also AAA & Annual Passholder rates but stay 4 deal seemed to come out best for us with the length of our stay. Anyway, I've read great things about RPR so I think we'll all have a great time. Maybe we'll see you there!

 

[FINFAN]

I think you did o.k. they Ent book rate may be a bit less, under $200 p nite, and the 5 day US/IOA tickets are $95 each online...but if you want to do other parks than the flex tickets is better. Call the resort when you get a chance and give them your Loews #...you are Blue member, right? You will receive a choice of milk/cookies at check-in, sm. bottle of wine, or another choice I think, not sure...but anyway, go ahead and call it in, can't hurt. Also, there is no "food court" type area at the Loews resorts, so bring a cooler or pay for the fridge...the one thing we did notice was how pricey the restaurants are in the hotel. We usually ate at the parks or Margaritaville in Citywalk. When we were there the lifeguards had planned games/activities for the kids and that was nice, and you can see the fireworks from the volleyball /beach area if you are not in the park at that time. Also, depending on how you feel, we usually walked to the parks from RPR...most of the time we were quicker than the boat! You can pool hop between the Loews resorts....we liked the one at HRH because it had a slide, underwater music and their poolside snack bar was pretty good, some neat things in the gift shop there also. Just boat over and have your room key with you so you can sign out towels. Parking can be a real pain at RPR, but valet is $$$$$, be sure to take time and enjoy all the beautiful carvings and such throughout the ressort...it is really beautiful. FOTL rocks....IOA has a ton of water rides...so a lot of folks wear their suits under their clothes and just enjoy the water....also you will most likely hit rains in the afternoons for a bit....just throw those disposable ponchos in your bag, and you'll be set. Also, look into making ressies if you want to eat at Mythos...it is really popular.
Have a great time!


Pam

 

[Motherfletcher]

You can give them the number when you check in. Go to the Loews First check-in line. That will let the person that is checking you in know you are Loew's First and you confirm it with the number. It can take forever to get the actual card. You should qualify for the benefits at that rate. I recommend the "cookies and milk" for your welcome gift or "regional surprise" if you want a cute carved shell souvenoir.
Loews 1st gets you access to the fitness center. Go there! No, you don't have to pump iron. Go through the locker room to the co-ed whirlpool and soak.
When you leave the Studios after a hard day of touring go to your left at the globe towards HRH. There is a cul-de-sac turn around and a small bench. Have a seat if the bus isn't there because it will be shortly. Everyone else staying at RPR will be at the boat docks. The boat only holds 45 and sometimes the wait is more than 2 boat loads. The bus has A/C and no one takes it. RPR is their 1st stop so its quicker and more comfortable.
Request a room with park view on a top floor of Tower 1.

 

[johnvree]

OK Guys, ya'll are a lot more hip than me on this stuff- so help a girl out!!!
We are going to RPH June 25th-July 1st. We paid 1928.00 for 2 adults 2 children and this includes flex tickets. Good Deal? or RIP OFF? Also, I signed up for the Lowe's card after finding this site. Should I call the hotel with the # or wait until we arrive. Any other last minute tips?? I need all the advice I can consume. Thanks!!

I always start off with the assumption that packages rarely save you money. That's not to say that I never get a package deal. Sometimes I will pay a little extra for the ease of having one.

If you have a standard view, I suspect you can save yourself a few hundred dollars. Even if you have a water view, there's no harm in trying. I would try and book using an annual pass discount. You only need to buy one annual pass, just like at Disney. That's what we did for our upcoming trip and we ended up saving $400 on a ten night stay (I bought one annual pass and three 14 day/5 park passes). If you find you can save, you still have time to cancel your original deal and book the new one.

Now, as for the RPR, you are going to love it. We love it almost as much as the Polynesian, which is our favorite resort in Orlando. The rooms are a bit snug compared to deluxe resorts, but they are not too small. The grounds, however, are beautiful, the pool is great, and you can walk to the parks.

Have fun.

 

[kellyekookoo]

Thanks guys for all of your help. I wish I would have found this site before booking. I will let you all know how it is. 4 and 1/2 more days!!

Also, we were thinking about going down a day early and staying in Clearwater for the night and hang out beachside for a couple of hours. Any suggestions on a room under $100.00 dollars.

 

[PENCOYS PIRATE]

Hi We have just returned from our holidays and stayed at the RPH for 3 days.
When we checked in we told them we were Lowes first and we got upgraded to a room with the most amazing view.
We ordered the milk and cookies for our 8 and 9 year olds and we asked if they could possibly have chocolate milk instead, well you should have seen this huge jug of cold chocolate milk they sent up with the huge choc chip cookies they really went out of there way to help with a smile.
This is our 2nd stay at the hoteland we love it we have always found the staff to be helpfull, the rooms to be clean and comfortable and the whole experience a good one.
I did notice that some of the corridors/carpets etc were looking a little tired but talking with some of the staff I think they are due for a lick of paint and replacing.
Thats what happens with general wear and tear but trust me I am fussy and it didn't bother me.
The pool area as ever was lovely, we ate at Jakes bar one night which was nice good value and great service, we had a look around the potofino and came back smiling and thinking how glad we were to be staying at our hotel.
Anyway I suppose Im just saying you'll have a ball. of course the front of line tickets are an added bonus and yes I do feel sorry for all those people riding the mummy, men in black etc that have been waiting in line and we just walked pass them all now we have done it I don't think I could do it any differently
have fun,
chucklechops

 

[goofy!]

When we were there the week before Christmas, Tower 1, third floor - there were painters everywhere on that floor. They had all the vents out of the ceilings - painting them and generally touching up everywhere. It was a maze circumventing the scaffolding in the hallways. But I must add, the painters, as typical of RPR staff, always were more than polite in moving stuff so you could get by. If it were me, I wouldn't have had the patience to paint for 5 minutes than have to stop to let a guest by, paint for 5 minutes - you get the drill. But they always put the guest first over their work. I admired their patience, especially later in the afternoon when everybody was returning from the parks!

Anyway, the point of this reply was to say that I think the painting and rehab has started - at least on the third floor of tower 1.