Newbie Questions! Help!

[gopherit]

Never done US/IOA and planning to hit it mid-August this year (2 adults, 3 kids aged 11,9,and 6).

Time: Three full days and nights enough? THinking a day for each park, and maybe SW on Day 3, or possibly one of the parks again.

Resort: We want to stay on-site. WHich is best for a fam of 5? We will be switching over to a 2BR at OKW for 8 days after our US/IOA fun, so if we are in small space, that's ok, we can manage, and it doesn't have to have a great view. We do like coveninece for walking / restaurants / parking and we do like a good pool! WHich is probably the best fit? Does Club Level pay off at all or should we shlep along some snacks in our room for afternoon / late-night hunger?

Packages: Is it better to get your tix separate from your room - or get a room / tix package? What about an AP - does that get you perks from a room cost perspective? I recall seeing tix advertised for buy an adult 2 day, get a child's 2 day. THinking about getting 2 sets of those, then 1 AP for perks - is that a reasonable plan? Is AP worth it? We will be doing a fair amount of dining out and I recall reading somewhere a loooong time ago that the AP might save us some serious dining bucks... Still true?

When do good room rates come out for the US/IOA on-site places? Right now it looks like the deals only extend into July. Is it better to wait until right before you go? Do the hotels fill up in mid-August?

AUGHHH! THis Disney person is having a US/IOA brain overload - neep help, stat!

THanks in advance!

 

[macraven]

i can answer a few of your questions.

you don't need an ap for discounts.
if you have the AAA card ($52 yr for chgo) you can get a room discount, and discounts for tickets. the AAa gives you a 10% discount in the parks for merch and food.
if you have the universal fan club card, ditto
if you have master card, same discounts for food and merch. it used to be only the universal mc but last year they honored all mc. i have the universal mc.

magic orlando card can be downloaded and printed from your computer. discounts for that also at places.
city walk gives you the discounts also for the above cards.

go to the universal or loews website and select a on site hotel.
put in different items and see what the costs will be .. do this for each hotel if you want to see what is best financially for you.

use ap for the annual pass discount.
use FAN for the fan card
use AAA for that discount card.
you will get different amounts for each hotel .....and for different dates.
it is time consuming in a way, but you have the correct info for the dates you need for all 3 hotels then. when one of us post a figure on a room, we want the same low amounts. lol
dates effect the room charges.....

i had a suite last year and it sleeps 5.
i have stayed at hrh only many times and it has 2 queen beds. it sleeps 4 but you can have a 5th person in there and rent a roll away bed for a charge. universal is like disney in this, the first 2 adults are fine, each adult added increases an add on cost. i believe 17 and under are considered children. you could have 2 adults and 3 children with no extra charge extra for the fee for the roll away bed per night.

let me go back and reread your questions. i know i am missing some of them

 

[macraven]

i am not trying to give you the brush off when i say this but i just checked a thread out on the universal forum and it had a lot of the info that you are requesting.

i didn't know if you had checked out any of the other threads yet.
some of us that post here just assume a newbie reads all the threads listed.

i think 3 days and nights will be a go for your family.
you will have more crowds in the middle of august, the crowds slack off at the end of august. i have only been in august two times and that is my observations on summer crowds.

if you are looking for club level for snacks and space, the cheapest hotel is royal pacific. there is a thread in the hotel section about this hotel.
i have done club level at hard rock three times now in the last 3 years.
club level is on the 7th top floor. your room key is marked to allow you to go to that floor. for all other floors, you just hit the button on the elevator. for club you insert your room key in the slot or the elevator will not go to 7th floor.

at hrh, the lounge is located in the middle and near the elevators. it is open for soda and water the entire day. it has breakfast in the morning from 7 to 10, a good variety. afternoons is chips and pretzel out during the day.
at 4:30 to about 7:30 it is hor dourves type of stuff.
around 8:30 to 10 maybe 9:30 is sweet hour......beer and wine out in the evening also. i guess i should not list what is out and when as in the last three stays at club level, the menu and times have changed. this past october was much different than the other stays i had there. they really scrimped on the afternoon snacks. anyway, coffee, bottled water, soda is out all the time. i would stop in there and take a bottle with me to the parks.

i take the short cut walk from hrh to the park. i go out the front and down the stairs in front of the palms restruant. this empties to employee parking lot and i walk across that to the sidewalk where the longer way around the hotel empties to the u.s. entrance.
the short cut way is about a 2 minute walk.

 

[the Dark Marauder]

HRH or RPR.

HRH is the closest, most popular, and has a cool pool with a slide that's over 200 ft long.

RPR is less expensive, but has a relaxing island theme, it's own "beach", and a massive pool (that I have not seen, yet)

 

[twin43]

Hi,
We (my DH, 4 children and friends) are staying at the RPR in Feb. Together we have 5 teens. We have rental cars and I'm wondering if it is worth the 100.00 extra to stay on club level. We will be driving up from relatives and can borrow their cooler. I'm thinking we can stock up pretty well in our rooms for 100.00/day and it might not be worth it. Any suggestions?

 

[macraven]

i haven't stayed at rph club before so i am clueless on this one.

i think the 3 hotels have different foods and snacks , not the same assortment at each hotel that is.

maybe someone that has stayed club at rp could answer this one.
you can get refillable cups at universal/ioa so that would cut down on costs for you. use your aaa or ap card for discounts on those mugs.

i take mine which is over 6 years old with me and it is still valid to use.

 

[mattman2k]

You can get a deluxe queen room at Hard Rock that fits 5 very nicely. The room is larger than the standard room (500 sf vs 375 sf) and has a pull out sofa. We stayed there with 5 and there was plenty of room.

 

[gopherit]

use ap for the annual pass discount.
use FAN for the fan card
use AAA for that discount card.
you will get different amounts for each hotel .....and for different dates.
it is time consuming in a way, but you have the correct info for the dates you need for all 3 hotels then. when one of us post a figure on a room, we want the same low amounts. lol
dates effect the room charges.....

When I use the "ap" code as you suggested - nothing happens to the price (same as with no code at all). IS tihis because there is currently no ap discount - or is there some other code I should be using to reflect the AP cost? I saw a discount with AAA, but nothing for ap or FAN.

Is it generally considered better to get room and tix separate, or should I wait for a package deal?

 

[macraven]

When I use the "ap" code as you suggested - nothing happens to the price (same as with no code at all). IS tihis because there is currently no ap discount - or is there some other code I should be using to reflect the AP cost? I saw a discount with AAA, but nothing for ap or FAN.

Is it generally considered better to get room and tix separate, or should I wait for a package deal?

oops...........i think i mislead you. sorry

use APH for annual pass holder in that box for promo.
the FAN discount is not available yet.
AAA is available now.

is you do not receive the discounted amount on the screen it is probably because it has not been posted yet.

i was surprised to see the AAA amount listed for my trip in october.
i called universal vacations and they did not have anything for the code, but it is listed on the universal website. i called back yesterday and told the employee, with the help of a supervisor they coded the AAA in for me and i made my ressie direct with them.
the main reason i wanted to do it over the phone was to get the upgrade in advance for my loews gold.

the employee told me that the AAA rates could change in the few weeks before my visit and to call or check on line for any changes. if the costs decrease, they will modify my ressie and that would make it cheaper.
she said that if the hotel is not at full occupancy, they usually give greater discounts to aph and then to aaa.

i have done it both ways. package vs room only and tickets.
yesterday when i called to inquire on which way was more beneficial for me, i found out for the fall when i am going no great packages out yet.

i booked room only to hold the room with the discount. i was told i can switch to a package at a later point but might lose my discount if i try to switch back to it........(change from room only to package, change my mind later and want to switch back to room only and drop package )

for me the room only and tix were $184 cheaper.
sometimes it goes the other way though

try APH code