Is it worth $800 to stay onsite?

[timkin]

Is it worth $800 more to stay onsite for 5 nights? Our original plans were to stay at POP Century for 5 nights.(4/11-4/16) $600 Purchase 3 adult 2+3 tickets and get 1 kid free. Kids are 9 & 11. $315 The available stay at Royal Pacific will cost $1773 for the same time frame. If it were maybee $300 I wouldn't think twice but $800.....

 

[Laurabearz]

Staying On site at US/IOA is wonderful. Could you do 2 nights there and 3 at POP??

 

[timkin]

I thought of that and have split between resorts before, it just takes too much time away during busy seasons. Everyone I talk to says that they would never not stay at one of Universals resorts if they are going to universal parks. How convenient is it. Do you get unlimited FOTL passes? How fast can you get to the parks. Is there early entry? How fast of a walk to City Walk? Thanks for your input. I love my Orlando/Disney vacations because I usually have a pocket full of money and I don't worry about buying treats and food whenever the kids want something. If I pay the extra $800 I might feel like I need to cut back on the extras at the parks and that won't be a vacation to me. If I know that the $800 is well spent then I'll get over it.

 

[E&B's Mom]

In one word - ABSOLUTELY! Once you have stayed on-site you will never want to stay off-site again! The parks are much closer to all 3 resorts than most of the WDW resorts are to their parks. Plus, front-of-the-line priveliges really spoil you!

 

[Laurabearz]

It is very hard to put a price on FOTL privlegdes, but I must say, it is sweet. Even during the slow season.

The walk (or short boat ride) from the resorts to the parks is not to bad, and quite lovely. Landscaping is marvouslous. Much more so than the walk from BWV to MGM... The walk from HRH to US is in my top 5 things to do there.

Are your boys coaster nuts? Hulk Dulng Dragon types?? Then I would stay at US/IOA. With FOTL access you wont need early entry (I am not sure if they have it) the parks will be open late since it is peak season... and FOTL... whoa.. you are set.

Ask your kids if they would rather ride Hulk 10 times in a row, or a t-shirt (or whatever you may buy for them) I think then, you will have your answer.

Keep us posted

 

[Mommy Poppins]

That is Easter Week. I have to believe that FOTL will be worth its weight in gold during that time.

 

[timkin]

I'm starting to get convinced. I won't mind spending the money if I know I get value for it. For example: The last 3 times at Disney we stayed at Value resorts for 8 or 9 nights for an average of $80 a night. Compared to a deluxe resort at $300 a night. That's about the same increase as Universal but the only value you get is the luxury of accomadations. Well we don't spend much time at the resort so there is very little value at Disney to go deluxe. I guess if I start adding up the cost to drive to the park and pay for parking and gas.........Maybe I won't get a rental for the days I'm at Universal..hmmm

 

[Motherfletcher]

Purchase 3 adult 2+3 tickets and get 1 kid free. Kids are 9 & 11. $315

Does this mean your party of 4 can go to WDW parks for 5 days for $315?

 

[PlutoLuvr]

If you're going at Easter, I agree that it's probably wise to stay on site for the FOTL access. If you go at slower times of the year, I don't think it's really all that necessary. I always go in September and walk on the rides with no wait, FOTL pass or not.

I'm in the same boat as you. HRH is my all time favorite place to stay, but it is a big chunk of change if you're on a budget. Another issue for us is the fact we love O'Bryan's hurricanes, but forget about driving after even one! When we stay on site, this isn't an issue at all. This last stay (last week) we stayed off site 1/2 mile away, so cab rides were 10 bucks with a tip. The savings for a two-bedroom condo at 90 bucks a night far outweighed staying at HRH this time, considering our length of stay.

 

[ziggy14]

Glad to see this question posted. I too am trying to decide if it is worth the extra money to stay on property.

It is myself and two five year olds and I am trying to decide if I should pay the extra for fotl by staying on property. One of my boys likes to ride the rides but the other does not want to go near them.

For the younger kids, is fotl worth the extra money. Thank you to anyone who can share their opinions. We are new to US and IOA and I really do not know what to expect as far as what is there for the kids.

Also, does anyone think four days would be too much for them at both parks? We plan on doing SeaWorld on Sunday and Monday. Thanks

 

[timkin]

Motherfletcher. Absolutley not. But if you take the 1773- the 315 it will cost for tickets - the cost of POP it ='s about $800. The questions really isn't Disney vs. Universal but should I stay onsite vs. somewhere else. I hope this doesn't turn into a Disney/Universal thing. I love Disney but we want to try Universal this time with the same excitement that we have when visiting Disney.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

Timkin, so we're breaking it down to the point of a 5 day stay onsite costing an additional $160.00 per day over Pop, correct?

 

[PlutoLuvr]

The questions really isn't Disney vs. Universal but should I stay onsite vs. somewhere else. I hope this doesn't turn into a Disney/Universal thing. I love Disney but we want to try Universal this time with the same excitement that we have when visiting Disney.

Splitting up Disney hotels and Universal hotels really isn't that bad at all. DH and I did it last September, and I was dreading it. I was positive we'd be losing out on a lot of "vacation/park" time. That wasn't the case at all. We stayed at CSR at Disney for two nights (shoulda been three, but long story), then moved over to HRH. The last night of our stay at Disney, we did a little packing, which didn't take much time at all -- not like it does when you're packing from home. The morning we were going to make the move, all we had to pack was toiletries and our coffee maker. We did the express checkout, so we didn't have to head over to registration. Everything fit into the car the same way we had it originally. We woke up at about 7:30 and we were checking in to the HRH by 9:30, walking into Universal by ten. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to do this again, especially if it means I can enjoy both parks' experiences with staying on site.

I only say this because you say you want the same excitement you have when visiting Disney. Staying on site is a very cool experience at Universal. The two experiences are very, very different, too -- and both awesome!

Nah, it ain't about Disney vs. Universal. It's about getting the most fun out of your Orlando vacation, right?

 

[timkin]

McBean that's it. The original trip was going to be the beach at Siesta Key for 8 days. We asked the kids what they wanted to do and they said "We want to stay at POP" So we decided to split the trip in two. Orlando and the beach. We asked if you only had a handful of attractions to see what would they be. Well it included all of the Disney parks. I brought up Universal and showed them some of the online trailers, they changed their minds now we are going to Universal. The thing I like about Disney is when you stay onsite you feel like you really never leave the Disney experience. Does it have the same feel at Universal. How does the FOTL pass work for guests. Is it the same as the purchased Express tickets?

 

[missmolly]

You will have to do the numbers yourself to be sure this would work for you but this is what I did. Because we needed three adult passes and could only use 1 free kid pass I decided to buy the PAP for one adult. It cost about $100 more but it saved me $63 a night for the 4 nights I am staying plus some very nice discounts on food and merch. in both the parks and citywalk. We will only be taking this one vacation and will not be able to use the pass again but it was still well worth it for us. good luck!

 

[Motherfletcher]

We have stayed at the Best Western Movieland over Spring Break and spent around $25/night(Ebay). The kids and I have APs. But USO is selling 5 day adult tickets for $99 and they give you a free kids ticket. Last year we paid $50/night(Priceline) at Sheraton Studio City during Spring Break. So that would cost you about $450 for tictets and a hotel. Did we need FOTL? No, but we are commando tourers that arrive 45 minutes early at the turnstiles. The guys at the turnstile know us by name. We tour hard early and leave around noon to swim at the hotel or just chill. We returned in the late afternoon/evening.
I wasn't trying for a Universal vs. Disney re-match I just Thought WDW might have a good deal going.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

onsite at Universal is very much the same as WDW, just a little more intimate. no trams or busses. Citywalk and the parks a few minutes walk or water taxi to your door. the Express line works the same if you purchase it or stay onsite. about a 10 minute wait at all of the attractions, if not less. (unless it's a scheduled show like Animal Planet Live or Terminator)

onsite at UO is going to save you the cost of a rental... let's start at that cost. $800.00 is a lot of money, and a lot of drinks at the Daiquiri Deck in Siesta Key. let's break the cost/value down and see where you end up. I'm spending this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Pop Century because my daughter has cheerleader friends down. I'm not happy with the AP/Florida resident rate I'm paying for this fiasco. I'd rather be at the Royal Pacific with the amenities.

 

[left210]

You will have to do the numbers yourself to be sure this would work for you but this is what I did. Because we needed three adult passes and could only use 1 free kid pass I decided to buy the PAP for one adult. It cost about $100 more but it saved me $63 a night for the 4 nights I am staying plus some very nice discounts on food and merch. in both the parks and citywalk. We will only be taking this one vacation and will not be able to use the pass again but it was still well worth it for us. good luck!

This is what we are doing too for our March trip. It just made more sense to upgrade one ticket to an AP for the savings on the room and discounts on food and merchandise. Check out my post "Is AP worth it?" Plus I dont think the AP rates are out yet for that time so maybe the AP cost will go down? Maybe some veteran AP holders can give you more insight on whether it is likely that the AP rates will be less than already posted since it is Easter week.

 

[goofy!]

I thought of that and have split between resorts before, it just takes too much time away during busy seasons. Everyone I talk to says that they would never not stay at one of Universals resorts if they are going to universal parks. How convenient is it.

Way too convenient Citywalk is a 15-20 minute walk from PBH, 7-15 minutes from RPR and about a 5 minute walk from HRH. Depends if you are a brisk walker or want to stroll and take in the gorgeous landscaping along the paths (which have botanical markers on the interesting plants.)

The boats from each resort take about 10 minutes from resort to Citywalk. They run on schedule and are a pleasant way to end the day.

The two parks are on the other side of the lagoon from Citywalk, via a bridge.

Here is a link to the webcam that shows the bridge from the citywalk over the lagoon to the Studios entrance. The entrance to IOA is a 5 minute walk to the left of the Studios entrance.

http://www.wesh.com/wxcam/1456166/detail.html

Do you get unlimited FOTL passes?

Yes. Each member of your party that is registered in your hotel room will get their own hotel key. On the key is your name and the dates of your stay. When you want to ride something, you go to the Express entrance and show your keys. The Express lines are always significantly shorter than the regular lines. Many times we have passed the same people in line on our third or fourth time riding.

The difference with the FOTL passes and the Express Plus passes is that the FOTL is unlimited rides on everything (except for P. Flyers that doesn't have an express line) and the Express Plus pass only gives you one express line entrance per ride.

How fast can you get to the parks. Is there early entry? How fast of a walk to City Walk? Thanks for your input. I love my Orlando/Disney vacations because I usually have a pocket full of money and I don't worry about buying treats and food whenever the kids want something. If I pay the extra $800 I might feel like I need to cut back on the extras at the parks and that won't be a vacation to me. If I know that the $800 is well spent then I'll get over it.

You don't really need early entry, because you can show up anytime, and get in the express line. That is what we love. We can sleep till whenever we want to and not have to stress that we have to get there to beat the crowds. We can ride to our hearts content, go back and swim, and then go ride again. With FOTL, crowds become a non-issue. You just do what you want.

Also, with FOTL, you get priority seating at the restaurants. So, if there is an hour wait, your wait will be much shorter.

I have to agree with the person that said that riding Hulk (or Mummy in our case) 10x in a row in an hour is worth much more than riding once in an hour and a t-shirt.

 

[Mad4Dizne]

I thought I'd try an off-site experience, we were all excited to try something new. The commute to the park was awful-(as was the hotel--but that is another story)-not like just getting up and ready and walking to the parks from the Hard Rock. If you want to take a pool break with your little ones, it is a short walk to the the resort or a leisurely boat ride. Staying on-site, IMHO really allows you to see everything you want to see, at a more leisurely pace. We will never stay off-site again, if I have anything to say about it. At least at Disney they drop you right at the park gates, having to walk all through Citywalk, just to get to the park after the long haul from the parking lot--not for me!!!! We also were there in January and anyone who tells you you don't need FOTL in January is kidding you. Every afternoon most rides were packed with people--much longer than we would ever wait.