How to fit in FOTL w/WDW resort stay

[schoonersky]

Help! We're trying to figure out how to fit in a one night stay at a Universal hotel (to get FOTL) with our trip to WDW. We will go Aug 12th, land at MCO and take DME to POP. Stay room only till Aug 16th when our free dining kicks in. Planning to do USO/IOA/SW/Aquatica during the trip as well.

Thinking of doing the 12th, 13th, and 14th at POP while visiting Aquatica on the 13th and SW on the 14th. Check out on the 15th and leave some luggage with luggage services, bright and early, and head to the Loews and check in to get our FOTL, leave luggage for the night, and then head to a park. Store our bag at luggage services in the morning and head to the other park. Return to Loews, pick up bag from luggage services, taxi or Mears to POP and check back in, get our luggage, etc. Then do our disney days.

It seems like a lot of work, but I can't justify paying $215US for the night of the 12th when we won't get to Orlando until 6pm or something. I guess my alternative would be to find somewhere cheap near the airport, check in there for the night and get moving early in the morning to Loews on the 13th, then move to POP on the 14th.

I would appreciate any suggestions anyone might have, to fit these in and still maintain some semblance of a budget.

Would the Orlando Flex pass be the best ticket to get to do these parks?

Thanks!

 

[Darcy03231]

Since SW, Aquatica and US/IOA are all located fairly close to each other I would find an inexpensive hotel somewhere on International Drive and stay there the 12th, 13th & 14th. I would then move over to one of the on-site US/IOA hotels for the 15th, and then check into POP on the 16th for the remainder of your stay.

 

[rhw]

Haven't looked on the US site lately, but wasn't there a buy 3 get 2 free, or some sort of deal? How about AAA discount? SW is very near US and I think they may have a shuttle service? Consider how much a taxi would cost from WDW to SeaWorld and then again another day to and from US. We are doing a one night stay at US also in the middle of our WDW trip (to get FOTL). We will check in very early and get to IOA before opening and then to US that afternoon, then the next day check out early and get to SW before opening. Then back to WDW. A few years back we stayed at the Sheraton (I think thats the name). It is a tall round building very close to US. Very reasonable price, and not a bad place to stay then, but don't know its condition now. My kids wanted to know when in the trip we were going the US/IOA days. They like to do them in the middle of the trip with WDW beginning and ending vacation. They love US/IOA and wouldn't want to skip them.

Or, could you rent a car at the airport, stay in a cheap place in route closer to US, check in to US hotel next day and head to the park. Definitely do SW while you are in that area. Then you can return the rental car near WDW and avoid paying for taxi's at all. If you don't have a rental car the whole time you are on vacation, this might be the cheapest way to fit everything in. Mears seems to be a little expensive if there are many in your group as it is per person.