Long stay onsite a waste of $$?

[bigmama67]

OK, so our plan for our August trip is as follows:

Saturday 8/21 - arrive late afternoon, spend evening at Downtown Disney
Sunday, 8/22 - Busch (DH's birthday, surprise safari ride for him and DS)
Monday, 8/23 - AK (EMH)
Tuesday, 8/24 - check out of ASMo and move to RPR for the rest of the trip

We currently have 5 nights booked at RPR which brings us down to a rate of $131 per night! We are very much looking forward to US/IOA, plan to do the character breakfast at Confisco, maybe DH and I will check out BMG.

HOWEVER...during this time frame we also plan to do SW, Kennedy, and possibly Aquatica...so is it a waste of $$ to stay onsite for the full 5 nights?

I LOVE the sound of the place and I am excited to stay there...but I keep thinking about having to add on the parking fees which really make it $146 a night...and so I wonder if we will get enough of US/IOA with 2 days and if maybe we should spend one night onsite (which would be $179 which I have already put down as a deposit), and then move to Buena Vista Suites. (This would mean 2 hotel hops).

My kids are small (7 and 1) so we aren't coaster types...neither they nor DH have ever been to US/IOA before and I went once long ago.

Input welcome! Thanks.

 

[Lewisc]

Some facts:

1. Buena Vista Suites usually includes a free breakfast. That will increase the difference in room rates.
2. Your rate is very reasonable for a 4* hotel. RPH has the same 4* rating as the GF.
3. It doesn't sound like you'll be taking advantage of the resort amenities.
4. IoA (and probably US) will be crowded. The height requirement for the Forbidden Journey is 48". Many of the attractions in IoA have a height requirement.
5. You might want to consider skipping Universal and IoA this trip.
6. Don't stay at RPH for any nights.
7. You can buy a 14 day pass (from AAA) for SW/Aquitaic and Busch Gardens.
8. You'll probably save over $60 /night by not staying at RPH and will save money by not purchasing Universal passes.

edited to add--You already budgeted the money for the RPH and for parking. I don't think I'd want to go through the hastle of 3 resorts in one week. I'd only drop the RPH if you're willing to drop Universal. I guess you could drop the RPH and still go to Unviersal. You'd pay to park at the garage instead of paying to park in the RPH, a wash. It sounds like you'll be skipping most of the attractions that generally have long lines.

 

[bigmama67]

Thanks!

I guess I could be a little clearer. We already have the $99 7-day unlimited passes for Universal, so I feel like 2 days would get us our money's worth on those.

We also have Super-Grover Sesame Place passports so SW and BG (and Aquatica if we go) will be free (including free parking). We're doing the day at AK with our GAD tickets and will be onsite at WDW that night so there will be no charge for parking and we get 3 EMH at night. So in any case, there's no further outlay on tickets.

DS is 48" and will likely be into the Harry Potter rides (even though he hasn't yet read the books) and some other rides as well. I figured that DD would enjoy the play areas (we didn't have to buy her a pass) and we could take turns with taking DS on rides. So that was our thinking in going.

I wouldn't mind shelling out for one or even two nights...even though we won't be using the resort amenities much, we would get the FOTL access which is priceless with kids at any age!

So the thought continues...anyone else?

Good point about the free breakfast!

 

[Lewisc]

You could save your $99 Universal tickets for a future trip.

You're going to kill time checking into a new hotel.

I don't know what rate you're getting at BV. Assume it's around $100. Assume $194 at RPH (179+15). You'll be paying $588 total for 2 nights at each hotel. That averages out to $147/night, almost exactly what you'll be paying (with parking) for 4 nights at the RPH.

My first choice would be 4 nights in the RPH, my second choice would be 4 nights at BVSuites. I wouldn't just stay at the RPH for one night.

edited to say I misread your OP. Sounds like you have 5 nights.

I checked you lose your 131 rate if you stay for less then 5 nights. 3 nights at BV and 2 nights a RPH will cost 688 or $138 /night. I don't think you'll be saving enough money to be worth switch resorts.

 

[bigmama67]

Thanks again!

Actually, anything less than five nights incurs the $175 (sorry, not $179) per night rate. Our original thought was 4 nights at Nick Hotel and then 4 nights at RPR, but when I changed to 5 nights for this rate I wasn't able to keep our great Nick rate; I would have had to cancel the whole reservation and book 3 at the higher rate for some stupid reason. DS was bummed about that, but I think ASMo will be a blast!

In general, I have a tendency to second-guess myself and nitpick everything. When I started telling DH about this trip ages ago, he said, "I won't even listen to the details yet because I know it's going to change." As you can see, he knows me well!

Guess I will leave things as they are and enjoy the nicer-than-usual hotel! I don't know that we'd do much better. Maybe we'll even do US/IOA two days in a row instead of splitting them up, and turn in the rental car until we need it again...I believe there's a Hertz counter right at CityWalk...after all, the nice thing about staying onsite is we don't need a car for at least 2 days, right? (And 2 shorter-term car rentals would save $ over one longer one anyway).

 

[Syndrome]

BTW, There is a Hertz counter at Portifino Bay. You can drop the rental car off, and they will give you a ride back to Royal Pacific. They will also pick you up at Royal Pacific and bring you to Portifino so you can get a Hertz rental again. We have dont this a few times. I just give the bellhop guy a tip of a couple dollars for running me back.

We also feel the same when we stay at WDW. We hate paying for the expensive Disney resorts when we are going to the parks all day . Believe it or not, we like to stay at WDW deluxe resorts when we are not doing the parks! We will be this summer. Staying at Universal resorts is a completely different thing though. You really get a nice benefit when staying onsite at Uni. Unlimited Express pass is priceless. The Loews Universal hotels are quite a bargan when comparing to WDW Deluxe resorts!
Syndrome

 

[crazy4dis]

Syndrome,
I was told there is a Hertz counter at the Royal Pacific. Is that still true? Usually we rent a car for the entire week but since everything is so handy at Universal, we park the car and never leave. I thought this might save on parking and car rental

 

[Syndrome]

Syndrome,
I was told there is a Hertz counter at the Royal Pacific. Is that still true? Usually we rent a car for the entire week but since everything is so handy at Universal, we park the car and never leave. I thought this might save on parking and car rental

Hmmm. Maybe they changed things a bit. Last time we were there Hertz was "technically" only at Portifino, but Hertz will tell you they are at all 3 resorts. Maybe thats why they have NO problem with giving you a "free Ride" to any of the resorts if you use Hertz. From what I know, Hertz is only at Portifino. I could be worng though. I know they were not at Hard Rock.
Also, check your bill when you check out if you turn in the rental car for a few days. We were charged for parking for our whole stay even though we didnt have a car! The manager was nice enough to wave the parking fee after I showed the car rental contract. I will admit that they acted like they were doing ME a favor by waiving the fees. Geeze........ that was nice of them!
Syndrome

 

[bigmama67]

Yeah, really nice...lol.

So if we turned in the car on Wednesday, did US/IOA Wednesday & Thursday, and then picked up the car again Friday morning, it would save us 2 nights parking plus 2 days of car rental! Hmmm...interesting...

Thanks, Syndrome! BTW, I LOVE the avatar! Jason Lee cracks me up! I LOVE what he did with that character!

 

[Indy Denise]

Yeah, really nice...lol.

So if we turned in the car on Wednesday, did US/IOA Wednesday & Thursday, and then picked up the car again Friday morning, it would save us 2 nights parking plus 2 days of car rental! Hmmm...interesting...

Thanks, Syndrome! BTW, I LOVE the avatar! Jason Lee cracks me up! I LOVE what he did with that character!

I work daily with the all of the major rental companies and turning in your rental and re-renting could make your daily rates go up (depending upon how long you are renting). A weekly rate is the cheapest, daily rates are usually higher. Sometimes A LOT higher. Do you have AAA? ( great Hertz rates with AAA ) If you do, have the agent there compute the cheapest way to go..it may not be worth turning in the rental for those days if it is only going to save you a couple of dollars.

 

[macraven]

if you stay onsite at universal, you are provided with free transportation/bus to aquatica and to sea world.

you are picked up at your hotel.
ask at the desk for the schedule times.


if you want to go to Busch Garden for the day, it is a $10 for a rt ride from your hotel and back.
this bus is one of the luxury ones....

if you stay onsite, use the free transportation so you don't have the parking fee at sw or aquatica.

 

[rpbert1]

If you have hertz, they do have them at RPR

 

[amystevekai&bump]

and I am a bit confused as I thought they had hertz at Hard Rock too??!! They are showing on the Hertz website as having one and I was planning to drop off a car at HRH at New Years!!

 

[rpbert1]

there is a Hertz desk at all 3 resorts, so you should be able to drop off at whichever one you are staying at.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

there is a Hertz desk at all 3 resorts, so you should be able to drop off at whichever one you are staying at.

thanks Robert - thats what I thought!!

 

[mjohnson96]

I think the $131 a night rate is pretty good. We are staying end of June first of July for 5 nights at RPR at $159 (APH) and doing IOA/US 3 days, US 1 day, and Aquatica. My parents are from Florida so they were able to get the Seaworld tickets that get you a free day at either Aquatica or Busch Gardens. So our plan is go to over to Aquatica that week.

I like staying onsite beuase of the pools, the FOTL access, and the atmosphere. I am also not a big hotel hopper either, we are staying offsite since our flight is getting us there a day early but that will allow us to relax a bit and get things ready for the week.

 

[bigmama67]

Thanks again...I agree $131 is a great rate (even with the extra parking fee!) Also we just got back from a week in Arizona and because we had two different sets of relatives to visit in different areas, and also went to the Grand Canyon, we were in five different hotels! I am really looking forward to spending 3 nights in one place and then 5 nights in another single hotel on our next trip.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

If u are definitely going to US I would absolutely keep what u have. The resort is so beautiful, a great price, and FOTL access is just heaven, seriously. U may decide u want to go over there more than twice, as it is so close and such a close and beautiful stroll or boat ride.