Package v buying separately

[ratfam]

Finally time to make some decisions about our spring break 2012 trip (first time to Universal). I got quotes for 4 nights RPR as a package and room only. Package includes four day park-to-park tickets, airport transfers and one day meal deal for all four of us. Package is about $1,000 higher than the room only quote. It seems like room only and buying separate tickets will work out better cost wise (forego the meal deal and pay for cab from airport), do those with experience agree? Any other budget tips?

 

[Bluer101]

Always buy separate.

 

[macraven]

totally agree.

book room only.


buy the tickets separately.
you can order them from UT or from universal.
some say they bought the passes from cosco at a great discount.


if the difference is $1000, you will come out ahead by buying everything separately.

 

[bumbershoot]

You can buy the meal deal at the parks if you choose to, right, oh Universal-gurus?

 

[macraven]

yes, that is an option.

buy the meal deal at the parks and you can buy the beverage deal.

meal deal is about $20 for the day.

 

[francie57]

We always book separately. We use AAA for a room discount is there isn't anything else available through Universal. We buy our tickets at our local AAA office since they are a bit cheaper. As for the meal deal, we have never used that since we are not real fast food people and that is basically all you can get with their meal deal. Most of the places we eat our quick meals at aren't part of the meal deal anyway. If you are members of AAA you can use your card for a 10% discount at most restaurants in the parks and City Walk (expect high end restaurants like Emerils) and the stores in the parks also give you a AAA discount. We have always found it cheaper to book separately than doing a package.

 

[ratfam]

Thanks everybody! Sounds like a no-brainer, even though we don't have AAA we will book separately and it sounds like we will come out ahead (frankly the meal deal didn't sound all that appealing unless we were getting a great price overall, in which case we could have lived with one day of limited choice cs for the savings).