Just Back From Pbr...........long

[mariamard]

AMAZING!WONDERFUL!BEAUTIFUL! I CAN RANT AND RAVE ABOUT THIS PLACE FOR DAYS!! I AM SOLD ON THIS UNIVERSAL THING. IT SEEMS TO ME AND MY HUSBAND THAT THEY WATCHED WHAT DISNEY HAS DONE, AND "ONE- UPPED" THEM. (DON'T START GETTING MAD, DISNEY FANS.HEAR ME OUT) WE STILL LOVE AND ADORE DISNEY PARKS ANS RESORTS, BUT YOU CANT HELP BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH UNIVERSALS HOTELS AND PARKS. WHERE DISNEY PARKING IS CRAZY, UNIVERSALS IS PRETTY EASY. FOTL PERK- IT IS WORTH THE COST OF HOTEL PRICE ALONE. THE CLOSENESS OF THE PARKS- GIVES YOU LESS TIME AND HASSLE GOING TO AND FROM. ALSO, IT DOESNT TAKE UP THE DAY TAKING A SWIM BREAK. FOR EXAMPLE...WHEN WE STAYED AT WILDERNESS LODGE, WE WOULD WALK TO THE FERRY, WAIT 20 MINUTES, 10-15 MIN TO WL, GET TO THE ROOM, ECT. AT PBH, 10-15 MIN TOPS FROM EITHER PARK GATE TO OUR ROOM DOOR. WE LOVED THAT WITH A 3 1/2 YEAR OLD GIRL. THE SIZE OF THE ROOMS WERE HUGE. ROBES, NICE TOUCH. WE HAD A PAIL AND SHOVELFILLED WITH CANDY BROUGHT TO OUR ROOM. WE ALSO HAD A WELCOME GIFT (FROM LOWES) DELIVERED 5 MINUTES AFTER WE ARRIVED. THE POOLS AND THE POOL STAFF WAS VERY ATTENTIVE AND PLEASANT(EVEN ON THE 2 UPPER 50'S DAYS. THE DETAIL AT THE PARKS WAS AMAZING. WE ARE SO PLEASED, WE ARE GOING BACK AND STAYING AT THE ROYAL PACIFIC APRIL 14-18. WE WISH WE COULD STAY AT PBH, BUT WE GOT RP FOR $125 PER NT (WATERVIEW)ENT. RATE. NOTHING COMES CLOSE TO THE "MAGIC" AT DISNEY, BUT FOR A CHANGE(WE HAVE BEEN TO DISNEY EVERY YEAR FOR 10 YEARS) YOU CANT BEAT UNIVERSAL AND THE U.O. RESORTS!I LOVE THIS PLACE!

 

[corvair]

Thanks for the great post. We are staying at Portifino in JUne. We stayed at WL last year... How do you compare the 2....How did you ejoy to portifion pool compared to WL pool ... I was not thrilled with WL pool...Did you eat at any of the restaurants.....thank...amy

 

[JessicaR]

Thanks for the trip report! I love reading anything about my favorite hotel , Portofino! Sounds like a great vacation. I hope you enjoy Royal Pacific as much. I would like to stay there also but it was sold out for my dates.
Did you eat at any of the restaurants at Portofino? Did you have the entertainment rate when you stayed there?

Thanks!

 

[mariamard]

WE ATE AT THE LITTLE DELI....I THINK THAT IT WAS CALLED SALS (FACING THE WATER). AWESOME PIZZA AND PASTA SALAD. BEER AND WINE IS SERVED AS WELL. GREAT PLACE AT THE END OF THE DAY AT THE PARKS TO UNWIND...WITH OR WITHOUT KIDS. WE ALSO ATE ATTHE REST. WITH THE EVENING BUFFET. I CANT THINK OF THE NAME OF IT. THEY HAD SCOOBY DOO AND WOODY WOODPECKER WALKING AROUND DURING DINNER. MY 3 YEAR OLD NEARLY CHOKED WHEN SCOOBY WALKED IN. HE WENT TO EVERY TABLE!!VERY, VERY GOOD BUFFET. PRIME RIB, CHIX, FISH, SALAD, AND A STACKED DESERT TABLE. WE ATE THERE 3 TIMES AT DINNER. $24.50 PER ADULT, 12 FOR KIDS. WELL WORTH IT. WE ALSO ATE AT THE POOLSIDE SNACK SHOP. AGAIN GOOD FOOD, BUT A LITTLE OVER PRICED($8 FOR A GREEN SALAD). BUT GREAT SERVICE AT ALL 3. THE REST OF THE TIME WE ATE AT THE PARKS. IF YOU WANT A GREAT MEAL LOMBARDS IN USF IS THE WAY TO GO!!!!!!I NEVER REALLY HEARD ANY ONE TALK ABOUT THIS ONE, BUT WONDERFUL SEAFOOD AND CHOPS OVERLOOKING SAN FRAN. AREA OF PARK ON THE WATER. PRICEY, BUT GOOD. SO WAS RICHTERS BURGERS(SAN FRAN AREA).OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE POOLS!!!!!THE ADULT POOL WAS BEAUTIFUL AND QUIET. VERY EUROPEAN WITH CABANAS, FOUNTAINS, SCULPTED SHRUBS, ETC. THE BEACH POOL WAS VERY NICE. COOL WATERSLIDE, WARM, CLEAN WATER. TONS OF CHAIRS. IT REMINDS ME ALOT OF THE WL MINUS THE SAND. ALSO, A VERY NICE POOL STAFF AND SERVERS. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE CHECKING ON YOU AT YOUR CHAIR IF YOU NEED SOME FOOD AND/OR DRINK. I LIKE THAT!! THAT IS REALLY THE ONLY DIFF. BETWEEN WL AND PBR--SNAD AND CHAIR SERVICE. WL WAS ALSO EASY TO FIGURE OUT THE GROUNDS. PBR, EVEN AFTER A WEEK, I WAS STILL MAKING WRONG TURNS. YOU WILL LOVE IT IF YOU CAN ESCAPE FOR AN HOUR, GO TO THE GREENHOUSE SPA!!!! ALL I CAN SAY IS , WOW!IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE, LET ME KNOW!

 

[corvair]

Just wondering why you made wrong turns?? Is it hard to get around? I have read this before...I hope not...How did you like the slide at the beach pool??? Scooby doo sounds great...when I made ressies I ask if there were character meals and they said no...what night were you there that they were there???thanks...amy

 

[mariamard]

I WOULD KEEP GETTING TURNED AROUND NEAR COURTYARDS AND WHEN I WOULD TRY TO CUT THRU PATHS TO GET AROUND THE POOL TO GET FROM THE LOBBY TO THE GYM/SPA. I AM NOT GOOD WITH DIRECTIONS WHILE DRIVING EITHER............ ANYWAY, SCOOBY WAS AT DINNER FRI, SAT, AND SUNDAY. I DONT KNOW WHO YOU TALKED TO, BUT THE FIRST NIGHT WE ATE THERE WAS FRI, AND AFTER SEEING SCOOBY, WE HAD TO RETURN ON SAT. AS WELL. WE HAD TO MAKE DINNER RES. FOR THE SECOND NIGHT.WHEN WE TOLD THE HOSTESS THAT WE WOULD SEE HER THE NEXT NIGHT, SHE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO WARN US BEING A HOLIDAY WEEKEND AT A SOLD OUT PROPERTY, SHE'D WRITE US IN .

 

[mariamard]

OH, AND I DIDNT GO ON THE SLIDE----MY HUBBIE AND DAUGHTER DID..............50 TIMES.

 

[JessicaR]

Thanks for the additional info Maria...one more question.
What service did you get at the SPA? I would love to do this next trip....thanks again

 

[JOC]

What room did you stay in and what rate did you get? Were you upgraded at check-in?

 

[mariamard]

WE WERE IN ROOM 3134 IN THE WEST WING WITH A POOL VIEW. WE DIDNT GET AN UPGRADE DUE TO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND BEING SOLD OUT(MLK WEEKEND) AND TOYOTA HAS A LARGE GROUP FOR A MEETING IN THE HOTEL.AS FOR THE SPA, I HAD THE EYE TREATMENT(ABOUT $85 )AND MY MOTHERINLAW HAD THE WORKS!!! I THINK SHE PAID CLOSE TO $500 FOR MASSAGE, EYE TREATMENT, FACIAL,AND BODYWRAP. SHE WAS VERY HAPPY. MAKE YOUR APPT. FROM HOME . PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER ORLANDOS HOTELS AND RESORTS TO GO TO THIS SPA.FOR PRICES GO TO THE WWW.GREENHOUSESPA.COM FOR MORE INFO. ON PRICES AND SERVICES.OR WWW.UNIVERSALORLANDO.COM. IT'S UNDER THE PBH INFO.

 

[mariamard]

OOPS! I ALMOST FORGOT. OUR RATE WAS $159 ENT RATE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY $189, BUT OUR ROOM WITH BAY VIEW WAS NOT AVAL., SO THEY GAVE US AN "OBSTRUCTED" POOL VIEW FOR 159. WE WERE THRILLED. THE "OBSTRUCTION" WAS A SMALL BUSH. WE COULD CLEARLY SEE THE POOL.

 

[CPM]

ahhh, another Disney convert!!! Glad you had such agreat time.I think you will like RP just as much. rooms are a bit smaller but for the price it's heaven!

 

[PartyofSix]

I'm so glad to hear you loved PBH. The property can be diffifcult to naviagate until you realize the lobby is on the third floor and that helped me put things in proscetive as to where i needed to go. You were close to the boat dock too. I'm so glad you took the time to exp the spa it's wonderful. If you get a chance to go back do the japense facial and massage it's about 110 and just wonderful. So glad you had a safe and wonderful trip.

 

[bjakmom]

mariamard - thanks for the trip report! I'm hoping for Ent or Fan club rate for next year's MLK weekend - do you remember when you were able to book it ?- wondering how far in advance the discounts will become available - thanks.