I already have a condo at Cypress Pointe Grand Villas booked for 7 nights for $900 and it's not a bad drive to US/IOA and SW and husband LOVES having the space (i.e. 2 bedrooms so he can sleep in a little because precious 5 yr old daughter is an early riser like her mommy
)...anyway, I like the idea of being on-site because she and I can hit the parks on our own if we want and husband can meet us later, there is more do at the hotel for her if we choose to just hang out, more food options (and I don't have to cook it or clean it up), I like the ambiance of a hotel, etc.
Problem, the week in Feb we are going (2/21 - 2/28) must be a HIGH season cause it would cost a fortune to stay onsite. I haven't yet called to see how the
AAA discount would help, so I'm stuck. The condo is paid in full, park tickets for US/IOA and SW would cost us around $500 but that's without any express pass. Food, we'll just eat when/where we want. So condo off site will be a LOT cheaper, but what am I sacrificing?
staying on site adds to the excitement of your vacation.
you can be more carefree and enjoy the parks, city walk, hotel and hotel pool at your leisure. no rushing around or dealing with traffic or crowds that way. and like you said, you and daughter and husband can have 2 different schedules and space to relax in.
you can't beat staying at a large condo for 7 nights at $900.
the drawback to that for me is the preparation, cooking and cleanup beside the grocery shopping.
and, the advanced planning you would have to do for deciding when to go to a park, drive and pack up for the day, etc that would be a negative for me.
when i go on vacation, i don't do anything but enjoy myself at the hotel and parks.
i don't cook, clean, shop for groceries, watch a clock, do laundry, make beds in a room, etc.
even though your condo is fully paid for, you could keep it as that but stay one night at one of the onsite hotels. RPH usually runs the cheapest and if you use AAA for a room discount, it could be up to 35% off rack rates.
the rate discount depends on the season and type of room/hotel you want.
take the cheapest room which would be the standard 2 queen beds garden view.
leave your condo for one night and book at the onsite hotel.
leave the condo one morning, check into the universal hotel. just take the basics for an overnight stay. don't forget to include the swimsuits and sunscreen. (water toys are provided at each hotel pool.)
spend the day at the park, come back explore the hotels, city walk and pool.
you can pool hop at universal to all the hotel pools. (It's encouraged.)
you have all day for universal parks.
you can come and go back and forth to the hotel to parks in case daddy wants to watch sports on the tv or take an afternoon nap.
you will have fotl which is front of the line in the express lane for all rides and attractions. this is for unlimited use.
maybe the day you stay onsite, you will do the water rides and the children's playground portion. you will get wet at both places. you can walk back to your hotel room and change then go back to the park.
that evening go to city walk and have dinner. take in a movie at the theater there. use your hotel key to get you head of the line for the resturaunts.
then retire back to your hotel room for the rest of the night.
the next morning, check out time is 11:00 but your hotel room key will still provide you with the perk of fotl for the parks. it is valid until the parks close that night on your checkout day.
spend another day at the parks.
maybe daddy will want to sleep in until 10ish.
you and daughter do the parks, return around 10:30ish, check out then.
load the car up and then return to the park.
leave your car at the hotel.
you will receive fotl for 2 full days.
you can check out in the morning, put your stuff in your car and enjoy the day again at universal.
when the park closes, then drive back to your condo for the rest of your vacation.
this way, you will have the experience of both.
your condo then can be your base home for the rest of your trip.
think of it this way.
your condo is already completely paid for.
get a discount on the room at rph.
figure in what it would cost for one day of express passes for the 3 of you.
subtract that from the total hotel room cost. the difference is what "extra" you are paying for that one night stay in the room.
(double that epp cost as you will be using it for 2 days.)
if the difference is less than $100, go for it.
it will be worth it.
people can buy the express pass plus that stay off site.
that pass only allows the holder of the pass to go one time only per ride and attraction. no repeats with the epp. after that, all rides you do will be done by going thru the regular long lines.
the fotl perk is unlimited rides in the express land.
that's how i see it.
and that is how we did it once before a long time ago.
, I got GREAT info.
