I have lurked on the boards for a while and learned so much. Here is my attempt at our trip report - let me know if you have any questions! We had a great trip!
Vacationers:
Me, 36 and a Disney World junkie
Ed, dh - 42 who has learned to adapt to his wife's obsession
Kayla, dd - 12
Heather, dd - 9
Stefanie, dsd - 13
I started planning this trip back in March after reading the DIS boards and all the great money saving tips. My 2 dd, dh and I were in Orlando in November for a week on a trip that we had won from Coke (sweepstaking is my hobby) and we had so much fun we wanted to return so we could also bring dh's dd. I have been to Disney World more than 20 times, but we had decided to make this a Universal trip. Of course, in the end we did make it to Disney for one day <g>.
I got a good rate on the airfare of $183 total per person with a direct flight between Pittsburgh and Orlando. Since the hub for US Airways is in Pittsburgh, there is not much competition and this was the best rate we could get so I was happy with anything under $200. I bought the 5 day bonus passes on the internet - that was a big savings! $99.95 per adult and $86.95 for child. Although they prices went down a little bit after I bought them, it was still much cheaper than anything offered at the park. We got the entertainment rate for a standard room at the RP @ $99/night.
Day One : 7/31/02
I am up at 4:00 am since we need to leave at 5 am for our 7:45 am flight. I haven't slept well for the past few nights, I always get so anxious before a trip. We are out the door by 5:15 and on our way. We have detours on the way to the airport due to construction but arrive in plenty of time. Our flight leaves on time and we arrive in Orlando 20 minutes early! We reserved a limo from Happy Limo (the girls did not know they thought we were getting a towncar). I waited at the bottom of the escalator for the driver and Ed went to get the luggage. I was beginning to wonder where our driver was when Ed came back with him, the driver was looking for us at the baggage area. When the limo pulled up and our driver came out of the car, the girls went nuts! It was great! We stopped at the grocery store (Kash n Karry) for drinks, snacks and breakfast foods since we had brought our cooler - it did seem a little strange getting out of the limo at the grocery store- and then we were on our way.
We arrived at the Royal Pacific around 11:30 - I was somewhat concerned about check-in after reading previous reports but we had a very good experience. This is a beautiful hotel! Daniel checked us in - each of the girls received a welcome gift of a shell necklace. He coded Grade A on their room cards so they could get free drinks at the hotel (just so you know, 2 of the girls As were in gym class the last quarter and there was no problem) and took my Lowes First information from my card. Our room was even ready! We were on the 4th floor of Tower 3 - room 3446. We didn't get a roll-away as I had read it was $25/night and Kayla had no problem sleeping on the floor with extra blankets & pillows. We settled in and then were off lunch before we hit the parks! We walked to the park this time, the rest of the time we took the boat. We ate at Marguaritaville - food and service was good.
I had bought lanyards and id badge holders at the office supply store before we left to keep our room keys in. Lots of people asked where we got them, it was much easier to flash our cards for fotl than to keep digging them out. It was so cool to bypass the line for every ride - talk about VIP status! We rode Spiderman a couple of times and went to Suessland. We came back to the room later in the afternoon and our milk and cookies were in the room waiting (we also received the paper we requested each day). Then we went to the pool - we loved it! I know there is no slide, but the pool is HUGE and the water was so warm and relaxing. The girls had a ball with the lifeguard Andy - he kept splashing them and tossing Heather in the water. They looked forward to seeing him each day. We changed and went to Universal Studios so we could ride MIB. Fotl is great on this ride. We rode it 3 times in a row until dh was satisfied with his score. Then off to CityWalk to eat the Nascar Cafe. We ate there on our last trip and our waiter was great. Our waiter this time seemed less than happy. Not sure if they realize what a difference their attitude makes. He wasn't rude but it wasn't the same as our last experience. But the food was good. We caught the fireworks and then took the boat back to the hotel and went to bed - it was a long day. We were told that this was the last night for the fireworks but they had them every night we were there.
Normally, for some reason I get terrible stomach cramps when I go to Florida (but not when we say on Disney property - go figure). I think it may be the water but I am not sure; however, I now only drink bottled water when I am there. Anyway, Kayla had bad stomach pains most of the night - I felt so bad for her because I know how much it hurts. By morning she was feeling better but was pretty tired.
Day 2: 8/1/02
We are off to IOA - rode Spiderman 2x and then went back to do Dueling Dragons. Heather was tall enough to ride this year but was kind of nervous. She did ride though and loved it. We worked our way back through the water rides. We were in the front on Jurassic Park and got wet. Then we rode Dudley Do-Right and got wetter. Then we rode Popeye and got completely drenched! So glad we were staying on site, we went back to the hotel got changed and went to Marguaritaville for lunch again. We took the boat back to the RP and went to the pool. The girls had a good time - Andy was at the pool again and gave them a lot of attention.
We went back to US and then to NBA City for dinner. Service at this restaurant was mediocre at best.
We plopped into bed sometime after 11pm and thought we would be sound asleep for the night. NOT! We were abruptly awakened about 12:30 by the fire alarm. It was right above our bed and scared me half to death. DH uses a CPAP machine for his sleep apnea and our immediate thought was something happened with it. I jumped out of bed and ran out into the hall with all other guests who were as dazed and confused as us. I couldn't see since I didn't have my contacts in so I was really was confused. A member of hotel staff came through the hall telling us there was no fire and they would let us know if we needed to be evacuated. So we went back in our room - Heather was crying that her stomach hurt - uh oh! The alarm went on and off interminently for about an hour. Heather did end up getting sick - she was crying "make it stop, make it stop" and it was a bad experience. My heart would not stop racing and that was scaring me. About 1:00 am the alarm went on and never went off- it was SO loud. We decided we couldn't take it any more. I put on my glasses and we headed down to the lobby - all in our pajamas. It seemed like everyone was there or outside. We were told that some kids had set off the alarms and they were caught. But because the hotel was so new, they were unable to get this high tech security system to shut off. I was in the lobby bathroom with Heather about 5 times. We decided to head down to the pool area. Most of the lounge chairs were taken but we did find some. It wasn't quite so loud there. Finally at about 2:30 am we are told it has been fixed and we can return to our room. We are leery but tired so we return. My heart is still racing and I cant get it to slow down.
Day 3: 8/2/02
We were going to go to Disney on Friday, but ended up sleeping in due to the previous night's episode. The alarm did go off again around 7 am but only for a few seconds - I guess they were testing it. We did get a letter of apology but the girls had put it on the table and I did not see it until the next day. We went to US and then jumped over to IOA to go to Mythos for lunch. We really enjoyed this restaurant the last time we were here but again the service was not that great this time. I had 3, yes 3 rum and cokes trying to get my heart rate back to normal. Yes, it was still racing. I had called my sister in the morning and she thought that it might be a panic attack. I now think she was probably right.
I stopped at the concierge to ask about how they were going to handle the previous night. She said I would need to stand in the reception line. The line was really long so I decided to stop by later in the day.
We went to Poseidons Fury. At the final act of the show, I got real light-headed and clammy (could it have been the 3 rum and cokes??) and thought I was going to pass out. After the show, I went to sit outside and the girls went to ride. Guess what - heart rate is finally back to normal! Hope that never happens again! DH went back to the hotel, I wait for the girls and we go back to the hotel. We stopped to visit Andy at the pool and got a picture.
I went to the laundry facilities to dry our wet clothes from yesterday. While I was waiting I decided to check the reception line again. It wasn't as long so I got in line. A member of the hotel staff was walking by and asked if everyone was waiting to check in. I said "no". She asked what she could help me so I stepped out of line and asked her how they were going to handle the previous night. She said they were going to deduct $50 from our account. I said, "Is that all?" She looked surprised and I explained our evening. I told her that I realized that it was not their fault that kids set the alarm, the Heather got sick or that I had an anxiety attack. But I did not understand why it took so long to get the alarms turned off. She asked for our room number and said she would be right back. She came back in about 5 minutes with a printout of our account showing that they had given as a $175 credit. I thought that was fair.
Quick insert - housekeeping was so-so. But anytime we need anything they were very prompt in bringing it so us - namely, blankets, pillows, towels and tp. Not sure why they didn't stock the tp when we were on the last roll.
I have seen others post about being hot in the room. My dd was cold, it could be because my dh keeps the temperature so low or because she was sleeping on the floor <g>.
Anyway back to the report, we were on our way to CityWalk when the lady sitting in front of me on the boat gave me a coupon for a free kid's meal the Motown Cafe and $5 off at the Hard Rock Cafe. How nice! You do need to pay attention when you are waiting for a boat at the hotel as there is no queue. People will just rush up when the boat comes. We always got on, but I can see where it could be a problem. When you return from CityWalk there is a queue. Be sure to read the sign and get in the right line. We went to return one evening and everyone was in the exit line. We went in the correct line and I think some people got mad because we ended up in the front. Oh well.
We went to the HardRock Cafe for dinner. We were not that impressed when we went in November but thought we would try again. Fotl paid off big time as there was an hour wait - we had a table in 5 minutes. Our waiter was great and so was the food - the service makes such a difference. We were stuffed and took the boat back to the hotel hoping for a good night's sleep!
Day 4: 8/3/02
Off to Disney World! We are out front by 8:00 am to catch a taxi to the T&TC. Good thing dh knows the way since the driver didnt. I didnt realize we would need to pay a parking fee, but it was quick and we were there!! We took the resort monorail and got to the MK sooner than we would have taken the express. We did most of our favorites in the MK, MGM and Epcot. I expected the lines to be worse for a Saturday, but we had no problems. We utilized our fast passes and the single rider line for Test Track. Can you believe our longest line was for the TTA in Tomorrowland? I have never seen a line for that! But we love that ride! We ended the day with drinking Margaritas at Epcot watching Illuminations (my favorite!). It sends chills up my spine! We always wait for the park to clear out some before we leave. We took a taxi van back to the RP and were back in our hotel by 10:30 pm. I was starting to get a sore throat how do I get sick in the middle of summer?
Day 5: 8/4/02
Today was our last day but our flight wasnt until 7:20 in the evening so we still had time for attractions. I had to get in the reception line again as there was a problem checking out via the tv in the room. We had Daniel again and he couldn't get my card to work. I used a different credit card and everything was fine. I called Discover and found out they placed a security freeze on my account. I had only used it for the limo but they thought they activity was suspicious? Oh well, better safe than sorry I guess.
We went over to US, lunch at the Hardrock Café and back over to IOA. The heat really got to dh and I that day. The girls went and rode and we sat like slugs on a bench. Then we went back to the hotel and sat in the lounge to wait for our limo to take us back to the airport. This limo was much nicer than the one we had before the ride to the airport seemed to go so quickly.
Our flight was delayed about 20 minutes due to lightening. I had an s on my boarding pass so I got pulled out to be searched even had to take my shoes off. I took a cold pill hoping that my ears wouldnt bother me on the plane since by now I had a pretty good head cold it seemed to have worked as I had no problems.
The Royal Pacific is a beautiful hotel and we would stay there again. Can't believe it is over already!
Mary in Pittsburgh
Vacationers:
Me, 36 and a Disney World junkie
Ed, dh - 42 who has learned to adapt to his wife's obsession
Kayla, dd - 12
Heather, dd - 9
Stefanie, dsd - 13
I started planning this trip back in March after reading the DIS boards and all the great money saving tips. My 2 dd, dh and I were in Orlando in November for a week on a trip that we had won from Coke (sweepstaking is my hobby) and we had so much fun we wanted to return so we could also bring dh's dd. I have been to Disney World more than 20 times, but we had decided to make this a Universal trip. Of course, in the end we did make it to Disney for one day <g>.
I got a good rate on the airfare of $183 total per person with a direct flight between Pittsburgh and Orlando. Since the hub for US Airways is in Pittsburgh, there is not much competition and this was the best rate we could get so I was happy with anything under $200. I bought the 5 day bonus passes on the internet - that was a big savings! $99.95 per adult and $86.95 for child. Although they prices went down a little bit after I bought them, it was still much cheaper than anything offered at the park. We got the entertainment rate for a standard room at the RP @ $99/night.
Day One : 7/31/02
I am up at 4:00 am since we need to leave at 5 am for our 7:45 am flight. I haven't slept well for the past few nights, I always get so anxious before a trip. We are out the door by 5:15 and on our way. We have detours on the way to the airport due to construction but arrive in plenty of time. Our flight leaves on time and we arrive in Orlando 20 minutes early! We reserved a limo from Happy Limo (the girls did not know they thought we were getting a towncar). I waited at the bottom of the escalator for the driver and Ed went to get the luggage. I was beginning to wonder where our driver was when Ed came back with him, the driver was looking for us at the baggage area. When the limo pulled up and our driver came out of the car, the girls went nuts! It was great! We stopped at the grocery store (Kash n Karry) for drinks, snacks and breakfast foods since we had brought our cooler - it did seem a little strange getting out of the limo at the grocery store- and then we were on our way.
We arrived at the Royal Pacific around 11:30 - I was somewhat concerned about check-in after reading previous reports but we had a very good experience. This is a beautiful hotel! Daniel checked us in - each of the girls received a welcome gift of a shell necklace. He coded Grade A on their room cards so they could get free drinks at the hotel (just so you know, 2 of the girls As were in gym class the last quarter and there was no problem) and took my Lowes First information from my card. Our room was even ready! We were on the 4th floor of Tower 3 - room 3446. We didn't get a roll-away as I had read it was $25/night and Kayla had no problem sleeping on the floor with extra blankets & pillows. We settled in and then were off lunch before we hit the parks! We walked to the park this time, the rest of the time we took the boat. We ate at Marguaritaville - food and service was good.
I had bought lanyards and id badge holders at the office supply store before we left to keep our room keys in. Lots of people asked where we got them, it was much easier to flash our cards for fotl than to keep digging them out. It was so cool to bypass the line for every ride - talk about VIP status! We rode Spiderman a couple of times and went to Suessland. We came back to the room later in the afternoon and our milk and cookies were in the room waiting (we also received the paper we requested each day). Then we went to the pool - we loved it! I know there is no slide, but the pool is HUGE and the water was so warm and relaxing. The girls had a ball with the lifeguard Andy - he kept splashing them and tossing Heather in the water. They looked forward to seeing him each day. We changed and went to Universal Studios so we could ride MIB. Fotl is great on this ride. We rode it 3 times in a row until dh was satisfied with his score. Then off to CityWalk to eat the Nascar Cafe. We ate there on our last trip and our waiter was great. Our waiter this time seemed less than happy. Not sure if they realize what a difference their attitude makes. He wasn't rude but it wasn't the same as our last experience. But the food was good. We caught the fireworks and then took the boat back to the hotel and went to bed - it was a long day. We were told that this was the last night for the fireworks but they had them every night we were there.
Normally, for some reason I get terrible stomach cramps when I go to Florida (but not when we say on Disney property - go figure). I think it may be the water but I am not sure; however, I now only drink bottled water when I am there. Anyway, Kayla had bad stomach pains most of the night - I felt so bad for her because I know how much it hurts. By morning she was feeling better but was pretty tired.
Day 2: 8/1/02
We are off to IOA - rode Spiderman 2x and then went back to do Dueling Dragons. Heather was tall enough to ride this year but was kind of nervous. She did ride though and loved it. We worked our way back through the water rides. We were in the front on Jurassic Park and got wet. Then we rode Dudley Do-Right and got wetter. Then we rode Popeye and got completely drenched! So glad we were staying on site, we went back to the hotel got changed and went to Marguaritaville for lunch again. We took the boat back to the RP and went to the pool. The girls had a good time - Andy was at the pool again and gave them a lot of attention.
We went back to US and then to NBA City for dinner. Service at this restaurant was mediocre at best.
We plopped into bed sometime after 11pm and thought we would be sound asleep for the night. NOT! We were abruptly awakened about 12:30 by the fire alarm. It was right above our bed and scared me half to death. DH uses a CPAP machine for his sleep apnea and our immediate thought was something happened with it. I jumped out of bed and ran out into the hall with all other guests who were as dazed and confused as us. I couldn't see since I didn't have my contacts in so I was really was confused. A member of hotel staff came through the hall telling us there was no fire and they would let us know if we needed to be evacuated. So we went back in our room - Heather was crying that her stomach hurt - uh oh! The alarm went on and off interminently for about an hour. Heather did end up getting sick - she was crying "make it stop, make it stop" and it was a bad experience. My heart would not stop racing and that was scaring me. About 1:00 am the alarm went on and never went off- it was SO loud. We decided we couldn't take it any more. I put on my glasses and we headed down to the lobby - all in our pajamas. It seemed like everyone was there or outside. We were told that some kids had set off the alarms and they were caught. But because the hotel was so new, they were unable to get this high tech security system to shut off. I was in the lobby bathroom with Heather about 5 times. We decided to head down to the pool area. Most of the lounge chairs were taken but we did find some. It wasn't quite so loud there. Finally at about 2:30 am we are told it has been fixed and we can return to our room. We are leery but tired so we return. My heart is still racing and I cant get it to slow down.
Day 3: 8/2/02
We were going to go to Disney on Friday, but ended up sleeping in due to the previous night's episode. The alarm did go off again around 7 am but only for a few seconds - I guess they were testing it. We did get a letter of apology but the girls had put it on the table and I did not see it until the next day. We went to US and then jumped over to IOA to go to Mythos for lunch. We really enjoyed this restaurant the last time we were here but again the service was not that great this time. I had 3, yes 3 rum and cokes trying to get my heart rate back to normal. Yes, it was still racing. I had called my sister in the morning and she thought that it might be a panic attack. I now think she was probably right.
I stopped at the concierge to ask about how they were going to handle the previous night. She said I would need to stand in the reception line. The line was really long so I decided to stop by later in the day.
We went to Poseidons Fury. At the final act of the show, I got real light-headed and clammy (could it have been the 3 rum and cokes??) and thought I was going to pass out. After the show, I went to sit outside and the girls went to ride. Guess what - heart rate is finally back to normal! Hope that never happens again! DH went back to the hotel, I wait for the girls and we go back to the hotel. We stopped to visit Andy at the pool and got a picture.
I went to the laundry facilities to dry our wet clothes from yesterday. While I was waiting I decided to check the reception line again. It wasn't as long so I got in line. A member of the hotel staff was walking by and asked if everyone was waiting to check in. I said "no". She asked what she could help me so I stepped out of line and asked her how they were going to handle the previous night. She said they were going to deduct $50 from our account. I said, "Is that all?" She looked surprised and I explained our evening. I told her that I realized that it was not their fault that kids set the alarm, the Heather got sick or that I had an anxiety attack. But I did not understand why it took so long to get the alarms turned off. She asked for our room number and said she would be right back. She came back in about 5 minutes with a printout of our account showing that they had given as a $175 credit. I thought that was fair.
Quick insert - housekeeping was so-so. But anytime we need anything they were very prompt in bringing it so us - namely, blankets, pillows, towels and tp. Not sure why they didn't stock the tp when we were on the last roll.
I have seen others post about being hot in the room. My dd was cold, it could be because my dh keeps the temperature so low or because she was sleeping on the floor <g>.
Anyway back to the report, we were on our way to CityWalk when the lady sitting in front of me on the boat gave me a coupon for a free kid's meal the Motown Cafe and $5 off at the Hard Rock Cafe. How nice! You do need to pay attention when you are waiting for a boat at the hotel as there is no queue. People will just rush up when the boat comes. We always got on, but I can see where it could be a problem. When you return from CityWalk there is a queue. Be sure to read the sign and get in the right line. We went to return one evening and everyone was in the exit line. We went in the correct line and I think some people got mad because we ended up in the front. Oh well.
We went to the HardRock Cafe for dinner. We were not that impressed when we went in November but thought we would try again. Fotl paid off big time as there was an hour wait - we had a table in 5 minutes. Our waiter was great and so was the food - the service makes such a difference. We were stuffed and took the boat back to the hotel hoping for a good night's sleep!
Day 4: 8/3/02
Off to Disney World! We are out front by 8:00 am to catch a taxi to the T&TC. Good thing dh knows the way since the driver didnt. I didnt realize we would need to pay a parking fee, but it was quick and we were there!! We took the resort monorail and got to the MK sooner than we would have taken the express. We did most of our favorites in the MK, MGM and Epcot. I expected the lines to be worse for a Saturday, but we had no problems. We utilized our fast passes and the single rider line for Test Track. Can you believe our longest line was for the TTA in Tomorrowland? I have never seen a line for that! But we love that ride! We ended the day with drinking Margaritas at Epcot watching Illuminations (my favorite!). It sends chills up my spine! We always wait for the park to clear out some before we leave. We took a taxi van back to the RP and were back in our hotel by 10:30 pm. I was starting to get a sore throat how do I get sick in the middle of summer?
Day 5: 8/4/02
Today was our last day but our flight wasnt until 7:20 in the evening so we still had time for attractions. I had to get in the reception line again as there was a problem checking out via the tv in the room. We had Daniel again and he couldn't get my card to work. I used a different credit card and everything was fine. I called Discover and found out they placed a security freeze on my account. I had only used it for the limo but they thought they activity was suspicious? Oh well, better safe than sorry I guess.
We went over to US, lunch at the Hardrock Café and back over to IOA. The heat really got to dh and I that day. The girls went and rode and we sat like slugs on a bench. Then we went back to the hotel and sat in the lounge to wait for our limo to take us back to the airport. This limo was much nicer than the one we had before the ride to the airport seemed to go so quickly.
Our flight was delayed about 20 minutes due to lightening. I had an s on my boarding pass so I got pulled out to be searched even had to take my shoes off. I took a cold pill hoping that my ears wouldnt bother me on the plane since by now I had a pretty good head cold it seemed to have worked as I had no problems.
The Royal Pacific is a beautiful hotel and we would stay there again. Can't believe it is over already!
Mary in Pittsburgh
