Is it worth onsite universal for 2 nights or..

[crabbie1]

staying off site and paying the extra for the FOL day passI know the purchased pass only allows one fol go but I think in august and with a 5 year old one go on each ride will be enough. Dont know if its any cheaper to do this and stay in a cheaper hotelPlus we would have to stay somewhere that does transfers. Have stayed at RPR and loved it but for 2 or 3 nights in the middle of Wilderness Lodge not sure if worth it.
Any recommendations of hotels near universal?

 

[pmcpmc]

Can't help we have always enjoyed a stay at the Hard Rock between the sundays to fridays at the boardwalk

 

[Kath2003]

Are you dead-set on FOTL? I've been endless times in both the summer holidays and spring break - arrive at opening and you can hit all the big rides with no wait.

We had complimentary FOTL passes once after I complained to Universal; we both agreed they weren't worth the money unless you only have ONE day and cannot possibly arrive before 11am.

How many are in your party? The FOTL passes start at $20+tax each for one park.

Have stayed at the Four Points on International Drive - it's fine, easy 10 minute walk to Universal and they offer shuttles, cabs are $5. If you can get it for £40-50/night, it's as good as anywhere. Anywhere on International Drive is easy for visiting Universal. You can get a perfectly decent hotel for anywhere between £30 and £200 on International Drive.

 

[cheryl.UK]

How many of you are going? Because if you are thinking of cost...that will be a factor. We always do a stay at a Universal if we intend to do those parks as we too go in August and the lines can be hideous.

Don't forget that the main ride in Harry Potter World has no front of line access, so the only way off getting on without a very long wait is to be in a hotel that gives you early opening.

 

[eeyorefanuk]

When we went year before last in August, there was eight of us.

it was cheaper for us to have two rooms of four including passes for both days and getting in park earlier than it was just to by the passes!!!!!!

It was manic when we went, queues over hour in some cases, so glad we did it this way.

DH thought I was "wasting" money until we got there and realised how busy it was and how much freedom the passes gave you.

 

[wayneg]

Late August I would not pay the price for onsite or FOTL passes, I think its all overpriced. Had AP's for about 7 years now and never felt we needed FOTL but we tried it last year and for us it was a waste, we didn't enjoy RPR half as much as we expected, very shabby room, pool too warm, every sunbed filled etc but you know what the resort is like, it just wasn't for us, others love it.

Looked at cost of FOTL for both parks in 1 day for 3 people $146.94. Would hotel be much more? we paid $152+ tax last August. http://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/Universal-Express/Express-Plus-Passes.aspx

 

[popsynic]

Late August I would not pay the price for onsite or FOTL passes, I think its all overpriced. Had AP's for about 7 years now and never felt we needed FOTL but we tried it last year and for us it was a waste, we didn't enjoy RPR half as much as we expected, very shabby room, pool too warm, every sunbed filled etc but you know what the resort is like, it just wasn't for us, others love it.

Looked at cost of FOTL for both parks in 1 day for 3 people $146.94. Would hotel be much more? we paid $152+ tax last August. http://www.universalorlando.com/Theme-Park-Tickets/Universal-Express/Express-Plus-Passes.aspx

Plus remember, for that onsite stay, sounds like you may be having to compromise on the room you book for the rest of your stay in Orlando - so you need to factor in if that is worth it?

 

[skelfbsfb]

We always stay at Universal for a few days since we found out about FOTL. We generally pay around $459 per night at HRH in a deluxe room. If I had my way I would stay for 7 nights but DW says no.

 

[Cyrano]

We have stayed at HRH twice and once at RPR. This year we are staying a week at RPR (subject to the Air France flight mess up ).

For us in July we would not consider an Orlando trip without at least a two night stay at a Universal hotel. Even a one night stay gives you 2 days FOTL access which is most likely cheaper than paying for FOTL access. Plus with the hotel stay FOTL is good for more than once on each ride

 

[irenep]

I couldn't justify the extra cost of a hotel the last time we went as I had already booked OKW. Just bought a 1 day, 2 park express pass and got there really early to be on FJ as early as possible. It worked out great for us as we have been a few times before so we knew exactly what rides we wanted to do and where to go.
If you already know your way around I would just price up the passes for the day(s) you want and go from there.

 

[disneyholic family]

the reason we stayed onsite this year was to get early opening to the harry potter area of islands of adventure.

that alone was worth the very expensive night at the onsite hotel (we had to get two rooms since there were 6 of us and you can only get early entrance for 4 adults per room - or maybe it's 5 adults, but definitely not 6).

so we paid a small fortune for those two rooms - however, we really wanted to see harry potter so we paid it..

even with the early opening, we had to race like the wind to the back of the park...we did the stupid wand shop first (we were the second group into the shop), then we did the harry potter ride itself (well - the 2 of us who could actually do the ride, the rest of us went through the line and then waited in the shop)...

i'm glad we did the wand shop first, as when we were done with the harry potter ride, the wand shop line was already over an hour...and that was still during early opening..

anyway, we'll never go to universal again, but if we did, i would again stay onsite for that early opening....

oh...as for the other rides at IoA - the front of the line was definitely worth it even at that early hour....there were already 15-20 minute lines everywhere, but no one in the FOL line....so we walked onto every ride...

so to give you an idea of our morning....it was late august, so the early opening was at 8 am.....we got to IoA at about 7:30 and were about 4th family in line from the turnstile behind a lovely family with two kids ages about 7 and 9 or so....it was their second day so they explained how they had gone to forbidden journey first the day before and by the time they were done, the wand shop line was 2 hours long....so they said they were going to race to the wand shop first....that made sense to us, so we raced right behind them and were in the same wand shop show with them.....i was very thankful that we'd changed our game plan to go to the wand shop first..

after we did the wand shop and forbidden journey, we did that kiddie coaster that's in the same area, i can't remember the name...
we skipped dragon challenge because DH and DS are too tall for it (they got sick on it the last time they rode because they're too tall - their heads are above the head rests)...

when we finished with HP, we headed for jurassic park - rode that ride 3 times...(using FOL)....then headed for dudley dooright which was still closed....so we headed for pluto, got soaking wet......then back to dudley, which was still closed...
so we headed to spiderman using FOL, then back to dudley, which was still closed...then to the hulk coaster (only DS can ride it, i don't know if it has FOL or not, but we waited for him)...
then back to dudley, which was still closed....so back to jurassic park, using FOL..
then back to dudley which was finally open...we of course used FOL...

then on the way out we rode that kiddie train way up in the air...whatever that's called....i think we used FOL there too because as i recall there was a super long line, but we more or less breezed right on....

and that was it...we were done by 12:30.....raced back to the hotel (where we'd been given until 1 pm on one of the rooms)...
got our things from the room, checked out of the hotel at exactly 1 pm, got our car from the valet, and headed back to the happiest place on earth...

not worth the 1 night onsite (for two rooms), plus one day tickets to IoA for six people, but we all did want to see HP and it was a family adventure....

by the way, we checked into the hotel at 1 in the morning the night before (as we'd had a full day at disney first)....when we checked in there was no handicapped parking left....(DSIL needs handicapped parking)...
the valet told me that all the handicapped parking was full, but that i could have valet parking for a fee....i don't remember the fee....maybe $10 or $15....
i complained to the front desk and finally the front desk agreed to give us valet parking for free.....at WDW, you automatically get free valet parking if you have a handicapped sign... (you can tell i'm a "i hate all things universal person")..

bottom line, i do think staying onsite is worth it if you want to see HP....
also, the universal hotels have very nice swimming pools...even staying only one night, you could have a nice time....check in during the afternoon, go for a nice swim, then have dinner and a stroll in their citywalk area (or whatever it's called), then go to bed early so that you can be up in time for early opening...then do the morning at IoA, then check out by 1 (ask for extra time when you check in the day before)..

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

We stayed at HRP in 2010 and loved the hotel and being able to skip queues, which BTW were not Disney size. The pool area was very relaxing, and i loved the fruit and cold towels that they brought round. The only mistake we made was staying there at the end of our holiday. Going from a Disney hotel to a Universal hotel just is'nt the same, great but lacks the "magic". This time we are doing HRP CL first, then Disney,which also means we will be up in plenty of time for early entrance to HP, not that i would go on it

 

[crabbie1]

Thankyou for all your replies. Its very nice to see how peoples opinions differ. Some valid points raised. We hv previously stayed 5 nights at rpr club level but had had a good deal. For 3 nights it is comin in around £400 . There are 2 adults and 2 under 10's. We are not harry potter fans to be honest and hv done it luckily walked on as got there for 8 but by 9 already long queues. I wldnt get folp for universal just IOA. Even in august which i hv only been once at the beginning it was bearable at universal and we did it all by 4 pm. We are DVC members and hv already booked tht with a break from 22 nd for 3 nights as dd fav park is seaworld. I think off sjte will def be cheaper and as we are planning just days at parks for those days will prob not pay the £400 for onsite.
We are hoping to relax more at WLodge. 8 days of dis parks with pitstops and 5 days relaxin a bit and a bit of shoppin of course.
Will start lookin offsite now.
Thankyou all.
Havnt got flights yet







Beth what a ling reply