Holiday Inn Express

[december]

I had a Windsor Hills condo booked for 3 nights next week (moving to a townhouse for the remainder of the trip). We had plans to do 2 days at Kennedy (for dh) and 1 day at Universal (for me and the 3 kids). I got an email this morning from the owner saying that he double booked and was refunding me the $300 I paid for the 3 nights!!!!! Did I mention this is for NEXT WEEK!

After a whole lot of panic, I booked a King suite (King bed and queen sleeper sofa) at Holiday Inn Express across the road from Universal. I paid $400 for the 3 nights, so not awful, and already have 1 day park to park tickets from undercover tourist. Now I plan to upgrade these to 3 day tickets (do I need to wait to use them to do this, like at Disney?) and enjoy 2 evenings there after we come back from spending the day at Kennedy, plus the full day I had already planned.

Tell me this is a good thing? Can you really just walk across the street from the hotel? I've got to find a silver lining to losing my 2 bedroom/2bath condo and spending an extra $100 for accomodations! Universal was an afterthought for this trip, so I'm thinking more time there is a plus!

Also, dh is flying home on our last morning there. The kids and I will do Disney alone. I see that the Holiday Inn has an airport shuttle for $28. Anybody here used that? I'm happy that I won't have to drive him to the airport and find my way back! I guess I can sign him up for it when we check in?

 

[quadaunt]

Now I plan to upgrade these to 3 day tickets (do I need to wait to use them to do this, like at Disney?)

I recently returned from my first-ever trip to Universal Orlando. Yes, you need to activate your tickets through the turnstiles before they can be upgraded.

Tell me this is a good thing? Can you really just walk across the street from the hotel? I've got to find a silver lining to losing my 2 bedroom/2bath condo and spending an extra $100 for accomodations!

Unbelievable that the owner could not notice until a week before you are due to arrive that he double booked the condo. I've never stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near Universal, but I did use Priceline for the very first time for our arrival night. I was amazed that I bid $40 and got a King room with full kitchen at the Deluxe Extended Stay literally a mile from Universal. Learned afterwards that I probably could have gotten it for $30. I booked it just four days before arrival. Someone else I know had a $40 bid accepted and stayed at the International Palms, another very nice hotel very near Universal. Only thing with Priceline is that once you bid and it's accepted you're locked in. Still, though, you can get some pretty sweet deals. (Also got a great $14 / day rate on my rental vehicle through Priceline for the same trip.)

 

[december]

I'm afraid I messed up! I did a search on this boards, and I keep seeing Holiday Inn Maingate. I booked Holiday Inn Express, which shows .25 miles from Universal. I hope what I booked is ok!

I didn't do Priceline. I've never tried that so I was nervous about what I'd get. I guess I should have, but I locked in this rate with through a promotional offer, so it is done. Oh well, it will be ok.

No, I wasn't happy with this owner! Things were not very well organized the whole way through. He emailed me that the other people booked first but he forgot to write it down!!!!! Then he said "it won't happen again." You can bet it won't happen again with me!

 

[Metro West]

Now I plan to upgrade these to 3 day tickets (do I need to wait to use them to do this, like at Disney?) and enjoy 2 evenings there after we come back from spending the day at Kennedy, plus the full day I had already planned.

You can upgrade your one day tickets anytime before you leave the park that day. Just go to Guest Services and they will upgrade them for you.

 

[ky07]

I'm afraid I messed up! I did a search on this boards, and I keep seeing Holiday Inn Maingate. I booked Holiday Inn Express, which shows .25 miles from Universal. I hope what I booked is ok!

I didn't do Priceline. I've never tried that so I was nervous about what I'd get. I guess I should have, but I locked in this rate with through a promotional offer, so it is done. Oh well, it will be ok.

No, I wasn't happy with this owner! Things were not very well organized the whole way through. He emailed me that the other people booked first but he forgot to write it down!!!!! Then he said "it won't happen again." You can bet it won't happen again with me!

I do know Holiday Inn express is on Major BLVD but I don't know how far but I know the hotels that would be the closest are The Holiday Inn Main gate , The Doubletree at the entrance to universal and the hyatt place universal

 

[damo]

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. It really isn't within walking distance. It is at the far end of Major Blvd. The hotel was quite nice though!

 

[Planogirl]

The HI Express hotels have really been upgrading lately and I hope that you get one like that. I've stayed in some that have little fridges, microwaves, marble counters, luxury bedding and so on. Those are worth the price to me.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We are staying at that Holiday Inn Express in September.
I put a lot of faith in tripadvisor.com. It rates the Holiday Inn Express as 97 out of 339 hotels in Orlando. The Holiday Inn at the corner is rated about 160 out of 339.
I think you will feel better if you read the many good reviews on trip advisor.

Hope you enjoy your trip and that all the "bumps" are behind you.

 

[december]

Thanks. It is just so stressful to think everything is planned then get a MAJOR monkey wrench thrown in! It will be ok, no matter what. We'll have a great time I'm sure!

 

[Belle & Ariel]

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. It really isn't within walking distance. It is at the far end of Major Blvd. The hotel was quite nice though!

What route do you take when you walk? Do you go through the parking garage? That in itself seemed like a 10 minute walk to the ticket booth.
I heard about cutting through one of the Universal hotels.

 

[december]

I'd like to know a path as well. I've been reading TripAdvisor (thanks for the suggestion) and several say it is a 10-15 min walk. My older kids are 13 and 11, so old enough to walk that far for sure, and the baby will be in a stroller. Others said it was only $5 for a cab, so even paying $10 for the roundtrip would be less than a day's parking fee.

It is sounding better There wasn't a free breakfast at the condo, and I would have had to drive my husband to the airport and risked being late for IOA's 8am opening on Sunday

 

[damo]

We didn't walk it when we went. We only stayed the night before we were checking into the Royal Pacific, so we just drove to their parking lots.

It is probably a 5 minute walk from the Doubletree which is a 10-15 minute walk to the park entrances.

Take a look at googlemaps and you'll see exactly where it is in comparison to the Doubletree. The hotel is the one right beside Wendy's right at the end of Major Blvd.

There is a shuttle from there that you can take too.

 

[hpfan100]

i'll be staying at the HI express in two weeks myself. The website says they have a free park shuttle for guests plus free breakfast, internet, mini fridge and parking. It's probably a little too far for walking every day but maybe you can try it your first morning to parks and then you'll know for sure if your family is up to it.
Have a great time and if you haven't already sign up for the free priority club so you can earn points for your stay. Also some of the HI properties give little welcome gifts to the club members (bottled water, snacks etc.)