I cant decide

[Creatively Obsessed]

Still planning a special mother/daughter trip for my daughters 21st birthday. She LOVES Harry Potter and we will be there during the HP Celebration weekend. However we also love Disney and would like to stop by EPCOT and DW while we are so close and we would love to see Cirque du Soleil (any way to get cheap tickets to that?).

I cant decide if we should stay at a universal hotel and go to Disney a couple days or stay at Disney with a trip or two to WWOHP or if we should stay some where in between. (OR should we spring for the HP Celebration package?)

Any option also has transportation issues. What do you suggest? If we stay off site, do hotels have transportation to both Disney and Universall? Would rather not rent a car, but how do bus/whatever schedules run? If we stay late say at city walk one night, will we get stranded? How much to take this form of transportation?

PRICE is the most important factor in planning this trip. We really don't have the budget for this at all. But I am telling myself it is the last time my daughter and I will have a chance to do something like this together. Transportation and early access to the parks are big issues as well. Can you get early park admission or be able to stay late if you stay at an offsite hotel?

ANY money saving info you have would be greatly appreciated (hotel, food, tranportation, etc). This trip has got to be cheap.

Thanks for any help, info, or tips you can share!

 

[Metro West]

I'm going to move this to the main board so you can get more responses.

 

[Creatively Obsessed]

OOOPs, thanks. I had thought I posted to the main board anyway. :0)

 

[I married a king]

If it were me I would stay on Universal property. When you do you get early entry into Harry Potter and your room key acts like a front of the line pass. My family and I stayed at the Royal Pacific resort last year and loved taking advantage of early entry and then we would head back to the hotel to let the kids swim in early afternoon. Not sure if it helps but anytime I can avoid lines I take advantage of it.

 

[macraven]

i believe one of the celebration HP packages sold out the day they went on sale.
premiere package


you're talking about the mid november celebration, right?

 

[damo]

If budget is a factor then I wouldn't be going to Disney at all. Adding one day onto your trip at a different park really adds up quickly.

 

[Zim]

I cant decide if we should stay at a universal hotel and go to Disney a couple days or stay at Disney with a trip or two to WWOHP or if we should stay some where in between. (OR should we spring for the HP Celebration package?)

Even if the HP Celebration package were still available, I'd pass on that, if price is an issue.

Big question, and sorry if I missed it - how long will you be there? If Disney will be missed, being so close, I think I'd opt for spending most of the time at a Disney hotel and then a night or two at Universal. You won't get the Stay and Play rate, but AAA works at Lowe's hotels. And you might get the free dining at Disney if you plan it right.

That is our usual plan - we're doing a short vacation (4 nights) this fall and only doing Universal with a side jaunt to Sea World. But if I had a week, while I love Universal more than Disney (faux pas!), it is only two parks and I think we'd get restless for a new park after awhile, particularly our favorite Hollywood Studios....

But you could do the free quick service dining at the value Disney resorts for the required days and then hop over for a night or two at Universal before you head home. That way you can do magical express to Disney, a cab ride to Universal and a cab ride back to the airport. I don't know about Cirque tickets, but DTD is a shuttle stop so that won't cost you staying at Disney. If I were you, and it wasn't that important to see Cirque, I'd look into whether they sell last minute tix to fill the theater and if it doesn't work, go eat at House of Blues instead (and go to restaurant.com when they have their 80% sale for a coupon to that and other restaurants down there - esp if you can't to the free dining).

Like others have said, if transportation and early entrance are important, you pretty much have to stay on site.

Hope that was helpful.... I try to do the parks are cheap as possible. Tickets are hard to get reduced, but people rave about undercovertourist.com.

 

[Creatively Obsessed]

The trip will be just a few days. I know she will want to do WWOHP. I was wanting the trip to be a surprise, but I Guess I need to talk to her and find out how she feels about WD and Cirque. If they are still important.