Need help/suggestions for December trip....

[louise1928]

I am in the early planning stages for Universal in December (12/28-1/1)
5 days 4 nights...

This will be our 3rd trip for the holidays. Here is the deal; My husband desperately wants to stay at Portofino Bay this time. To compromise with him and not break the bank, I suggested that we stay two nights off sight and 2 nights at PB.

We also want to spend two days at Disney. Should we stay at a nearby hotel closest to Disney (such as Holiday Inn downtown disney) for 2 nights and then hop a cab to Portofino for the last two nights, or should we just stay at one of the nearby universal hotels (holiday inn or amerisuites, we stayed at both previously), and just pay for shuttle services to disney for 2 days???

I want to book a vacation package with universal that will include the meal plans and the movie passes, however, they do not offer hotels close to disney.

All suggestions welcome.

PS quikbook.com had availability for the Portofino without having to pay a deposit for Dec 30th and 31st, but the rates were $359.00 per night, do you think we can get a better deal booking directly with the hotel or at least using universal vacations????

 

[Flyin2MCO]

one thing is for sure...you can't go wrong by staying at the portofino!

i'd say decide what your priorities are for the trip (esp. how in depth at disney) and start from there. you could even do one night at pbh and take advantage of fotl for both your check in day (get there early) and check out day. my bias is with uo...staying on site at allows you to manage your time better, so you can squeeze more in with less time, but why rush? ahhh, too many choices, not to mention the inevitable disney stress! (gotta love it though).

looks like pbh is showing $369 for 12/30. i'd say keep looking and don't commit to anything just yet. true, it's a busy time of year and you should reserve early, but i think you have more time.

have fun!