Never been, could use some help..

[elgerber]

Hello,

We are DVC owners, so we know Disney inside and out. Next August though, we are taking a 5 night cruise and rather than do Disney, we want to do 2 days at Universal to see Harry Potter, before the cruise. Since I know NOTHING about pricing at the hotels or the parks, can you give me an idea of about how much it will cost for 2 nights hotel (onsite) and 2 days in the parks? There are 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Also, what are the best ways to find discounts for the hotels?

Thanks!!!

 

[boysonbeach]

hey I'm heading to Florida the week after Thanksgiving (11/27-12/4) and was wondering what the crowds would be like at US, I have 3 sons, 11, 8 and a young 5 year old (some special needs). would it be worth going or should I just stick with DHS? I was thinking of just one day for US and the rest (5) at WDW? Any suggestions on which day and if I should even bother (have never been to US)
any info would be appreciated. Brand new to DISboards
Kat

 

[Stacy's a freak]

Boysonbeach,

The crowds at WDW diminish significantly on the Sunday (or Monday) after the Thanksgiving weekend. It is a fairly low time of year for crowds. I would think that US/IOA follows the same trend for crowds. My suggestion would be to go to US/IOA for a day mid-week (Tues or Wed) and see if you want to do more than one day. I have no experience with US/IOA with the WWoHP there but you used to be able to do quite a bit at both parks in just one day. And if your family loves it, you can always plan another day later in your trip if you feel you have the time.

 

[boysonbeach]

thanks for the info!

 

[padawans]

Hello,

We are DVC owners, so we know Disney inside and out. Next August though, we are taking a 5 night cruise and rather than do Disney, we want to do 2 days at Universal to see Harry Potter, before the cruise. Since I know NOTHING about pricing at the hotels or the parks, can you give me an idea of about how much it will cost for 2 nights hotel (onsite) and 2 days in the parks? There are 4 of us, 2 adults and 2 teenagers.
Also, what are the best ways to find discounts for the hotels?

Thanks!!!

I am making my first trip to US also. I just went to the web page and booked a room for next spring. I learned from this board that you should book a room only you cannot add discounts to a package if they come out. I also registered on their site I got a pin for 30% off 2 weeks later. I can't use it. It's for this fall but it's encouraging I have never gotten a pin from disney.

 

[NashvilleTrio]

Have you looked at Universal's website yet? If not, try there first...

www.universalorlando.com

As far as onsite hotel prices go, they change constantly so it's difficult to nail down a rate. We've stayed at all three and take advantage of our annual passholder discount. I think we stayed at the Hard Rock for about $129 per night this past June. And when we've stayed at the Portofino we've paid anywhere from $170-$200 per night. The Royal Pacific is usually the least expensive. The rate this past June for passholders was $109, but we opted to stay at the Hard Rock. So, non-passholder rates are going to be a bit more, and again, the rates are constantly changing. But maybe this gives you some idea of what you might pay.

And like padawans said, sign up for emails on the above website and you'll get emails about special offers, PIN codes, etc.

It looks like the ticket price right now for 2 day, park to park, is $134.99 per person. Again, you can get this info and much more at the Universal website.

Hope this helps - good luck planning! I think you guys will love it, especially if you're staying onsite and you can take advantage of the free Express passes that are included with your hotel stay!
-Melissa

 

[elgerber]

Thank you! Yes, I have looked at the website, but it can be overwhelming, and I know Disney's website is not usually very forthcoming with the discounts if you don't really know how to get them.

 

[LisaWalkerC21]

Elgerber, I believe we are on the same cruise in August! This will be our first trip to Universal and we are staying at the Hard Rock Hotel starting on August 12 before heading out on the Dream on the 16th. We are also traveling with another family. This past week we booked the hotel with a AAA discount, but plan to keep an eye on any upcoming discounts at the hotel. We also plan on getting the two park ticket for Universal and IOA and will make a visit at Sea World as well. We have also been overwhelmed by all the information, but have been popping onto this site to read everyone's helpful tips! We are so looking forward to our first Universal trip...and the cruise of course!! Have fun planning!

 

[hpfan100]

wow I didn't know about signing up for email offers...going to have to check that out