Newbie with two kiddos debating a UO trip-feedback please!

[MFG]

Hi everyone!

We just got back from a (hot and fun) week at Disney and are looking at our next vacation for spring break 2023. We’ve done Disney a couple of times and are ready (but nervous!) to branch out to Universal. We all love DW but at this point have already done most of the rides/attractions there that are kids (4/7) are tall enough for. We have read that many of the rides at UO are geared towards older kids but I think that’s okay-rather than rush around to hit up a lot of things in a limited amount of time it might be nice to have more resort time to enjoy our surroundings and maybe relax a bit Family is full of Harry Potter love.

What we’re looking for:
-kids love pool and water time so a great pool area is important
-an awesome themed hotel-we love to feel super immersed and away from it all on vacation with the kids
-good resort food because us adults like to eat well!

I’ve been eyeing Portifico and Royal Pacific (I personally enjoy nicer hotel rooms) and cannot decide between them. Or am I missing something else that I need on my radar?! Thanks all for these great boards and your opinions-planning is sometimes the best part of a vacation!

 

[AJA]

I do think for a first visit during Spring Break that having Express would be beneficial even if you are staying more than 3 days. If you absolutely love one theme over the other for the deluxe hotels then go with that, otherwise go with whichever one is cheaper for your dates.

You can pool hop at Universal and if you aren’t doing a Volcano Bay visit (not sure if its worth it with your youngest and slide height requirements?) you can always pool hop to Cabana Bay for a laid back pool day, they have 2 large pools, one with a slide and 1 with a lazy river.

Universal is a great 5+ day vacation as in you will have plenty of time to actually relax.

For adults I think 3 full park days at Universal is plenty (especially if you are used to Disney) but we have always enjoyed the slower pace and minimal planning that 6-7 days at the Universal Resort requires especially with little ones.

 

[wdwrule]

I totally agree with @AJA I also thought of Cabana Bay family suite which would give each kiddo their own bed and easy access to lazy river/pools/VB. This is well themed with a fun vibe and also has a bowling alley. However, this hotel does not include express pass nor does it offer water taxi. It is walkable to the parks/Citywalk which takes about 18-20 minutes if remembering correctly. Bus service is efficient as well.

I’ve also stayed at Portofino and Royal pacific which are both fantastic. Royal Pacific is a shorter walk to Citywalk whereas Portofino takes a bit longer but totally doable. I personally lean more towards Portofino for my liking due to larger rooms, decor and feel of immersion. This was a good first UO hotel for our family coming off of numerous Disney vacations because it reminded me of the Italy pavilion at Epcot.

Food-wise, PBH and RPR offer table service which I don’t believe CB did although CB’s food court area was very nice with tons of variety.

At any rate, all of those hotels are very nice… just depends on preferences for transportation, food options that your family likes, express pass desires, etc. Sapphire Falls is worth a thought as well as it is also very lovely with a large pool and slide (excellent food choices too).

 

[MFG]

These are all great tips, thank you! The express pass sounds lovely because waiting in line with a 3 year old was a real exercise in patience at Disney

 

[wdwrule]

I agree! We loved it especially for our first experience with touring UO. I would stick then with the two you are contemplating: PBH or RPR. Their specific hotel stickies are found here and the first few pages of each give great descriptive detail that will maybe help your decision.

 

[Skywalker3]

We enjoyed stays at both of those. been a while since we've done RP, but that's my husband's favorite. IT's the closest for walking distance to the parks, and we enjoyed the pool there when kids were little. Also love the pool at HRH, especially there w the older kids. We just did a stay at PBH in Oct, and enjoyed it too. Boat service was very frequent. Loved the beautiful resort and larger rooms. The one thing I didn't like was that the bathroom we had was one big room, like toilet/tub/sink all in one. Would prefer a set up where at least the sink is separate. But staying in a premier for your first trip, and having express will be wonderful. Can really take it easy and not feel so rushed, and get a good sense of the parks. Happy planning!
eta, didn't really see the question about food. We rarely eat at the resorts, usually just went to CW, which is so very convenient. Not sure which one is better for food options.

 

[zillayen]

We’ve stayed at PB and RPR and prefer PB. Our kids (11) liked the pool better because of the slide although your younger one may enjoy the splash pad at RPR. As parents we liked the calm/quiet of the PB resort and the larger rooms - we had a Minion suite which was awesome but the regular guest rooms have plenty of space. We felt cramped in the RPR 2Q room. RPR felt like a very “busy” resort whereas PB was just peaceful and nice to come back to after a day of crowds in the parks! But you can’t go wrong either way!!

 

[DizKids2]

We stayed at RPR with our kids when they were that age and really enjoyed having express pass. The kids preferred Hard Rock because it was closer. DH and I have been to Portofino twice without the kids and if you are looking for theming and food this is the one I would suggest. I like the pools there the best too. We are taking our now teenagers to Portofino in a month and hope they like it as much as we do.