Resort Pricing

[donaldduck352]

Come on Universal,youre on-site resort pricing is getting out of control.I'm pulling up $264 a night(before taxes etc) for 3 nights at the end of April..Spring Break is over then And this was the AAA rate,cheaper then AP or FLA res promo.

Are they trying to compete with DW?Or trying to cash in as much as they can with Potter Harry?

That's the one of many things I USED to love about Universal,the reasonablly priced resorts.............

There is to many great hotels on I-Drive at 1/2 the price to warrent me paying that kinda cash..

 

[damo]

Jan/Feb has annual pass rates really, really low that just came out in the past couple of weeks, so there is still hope for you.

 

[donaldduck352]

Jan/Feb has annual pass rates really, really low that just came out in the past couple of weeks, so there is still hope for you.

I sure hope so.We stay every April for DW's birthday.We love staying on-site.But this can change unless they do..

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm booked for just one night, April 14, at $347. Am I happy? Nope. But it is the week before Easter, so I expected high rates. Hopefully the prices will be a bit better if and when they come out with an AP discount.
But with us paying about $159 for one night, in early Dec, with the AP rate, it's hard to swallow a rate that is more than double later in the year.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Try calling. I wasn't able to get the website to show any discounts at all for our upcoming trip when I plugged in the dates to get the actual quote. Sure, all kinds of promos and discounts were listed all over the main resorts page of the website, but when I actually started in putting in my dates, it just kept giving me expensive suites. FWIW, I'm an APH'er and a FL resident. Main website was showing all kinds of cheap rates for my window. But nothing less than $300 suites at RPR for my actual dates.

I called, was told there was nothing available at discounted rates for my stay (which is a dead time of year, too). I hung up, called WDW, was told basically the same thing and was quoted something crazy high for an Epcot hotel. Thanked them, hung up and called Universal back -- the same line I'd tried no more than 30 minutes prior. Wouldn't you know, a different CSR was able to pull up rooms at the advertised discounted rates.

FWIW, the last few times I've booked at both WDW and USO (and even BMG tix, too), I've not been able to secure any of the deeply discounted ADVERTISED rates that appear on their websites. I've always had to call, and in the case of booking rooms at the onsite hotels, I've had to call a couple times. What sort of bothers me is I don't believe this is an issue of a bank of rooms suddenly becoming available. This is poor customer service. If there were a span of a week or more and suddenly rooms becoming available at the advertised prices, I could understand. But this is several times now where if you call in a matter of minutes, you're quoted different rates.

And I'm talking about USO, WDW ... heck, even shopping around for a change in cell phone plan. It's everywhere.

The number I call is 1-866-391-3300.

 

[cm8]

Try calling. I wasn't able to get the website to show any discounts at all for our upcoming trip when I plugged in the dates to get the actual quote. Sure, all kinds of promos and discounts were listed all over the main resorts page of the website, but when I actually started in putting in my dates, it just kept giving me expensive suites. FWIW, I'm an APH'er and a FL resident. Main website was showing all kinds of cheap rates for my window. But nothing less than $300 suites at RPR for my actual dates.

I called, was told there was nothing available at discounted rates for my stay (which is a dead time of year, too). I hung up, called WDW, was told basically the same thing and was quoted something crazy high for an Epcot hotel. Thanked them, hung up and called Universal back -- the same line I'd tried no more than 30 minutes prior. Wouldn't you know, a different CSR was able to pull up rooms at the advertised discounted rates.

FWIW, the last few times I've booked at both WDW and USO (and even BMG tix, too), I've not been able to secure any of the deeply discounted ADVERTISED rates that appear on their websites. I've always had to call, and in the case of booking rooms at the onsite hotels, I've had to call a couple times. What sort of bothers me is I don't believe this is an issue of a bank of rooms suddenly becoming available. This is poor customer service. If there were a span of a week or more and suddenly rooms becoming available at the advertised prices, I could understand. But this is several times now where if you call in a matter of minutes, you're quoted different rates.

And I'm talking about USO, WDW ... heck, even shopping around for a change in cell phone plan. It's everywhere.

The number I call is 1-866-391-3300.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Not excusing the high prices, but I am assuming it is because of Easter being so late next year - April 24th. The prices at Disney are bad then too and they aren't offering any discounts as of right now.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I hear you. We usually go to Universal for my birthday (5/1), but if prices don't come down, we are ready for plan B. Still, you'd think with unemployment/underemployment continuing to hover around 10%, there would be some discounts to be had. I don't need cheap, I just need to know I am getting a deal, lol.

 

[francie57]

Since Easter is so late this year schools are still on vacation at the end of April. The schools in our town in CT are on vacation until May 1 so that is why - between Easter and school vacations they are higher.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not excusing the high prices, but I am assuming it is because of Easter being so late next year - April 24th. The prices at Disney are bad then too and they aren't offering any discounts as of right now.

Good point But even without that, I consider Spring Break to be anywhere from mid-Feb until mid-May. Different schools, different states, etc etc, have Spring Break ALLLLLL over the place. Your schools might be done with Spring Break, but it by no means means that everyone's school is done with Spring Break.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Good point But even without that, I consider Spring Break to be anywhere from mid-Feb until mid-May. Different schools, different states, etc etc, have Spring Break ALLLLLL over the place. Your schools might be done with Spring Break, but it by no means means that everyone's school is done with Spring Break.

I agree with you. But, I've gotten two pin codes from Disney and they include everything from the first week of January through the end of May, including President's Week except April 16th-May 1st so it seems like they are predicting really big crowds those two weeks.

Anyway, best of luck to anyone traveling to Orlando during that time and looking for a deal.

 

[n2mm]

The end of April is the week after Easter. The highest crowds are always the week before and the week after Easter. This also threw a wrench in my yearly plans as we always arrive the end of April, so this year we are flying down on Monday May 1 to avoid the chaos of the airports on the weekend after Easter Sunday. Also, you seldom will find any discounts during this timeframe either at either of the theme parks.

 

[ChisJo]

We too are having difficulties getting a better deal than $224/night for a standard room at the RPR for May 8-11. I've tried calling twice now. Yes, it is close to Easter, but if you look at the hours the parks are open, both close at 5pm on Friday and Saturday that weekend. Obviously, its the slower season, so why would they not have a AAA rate available? I have never paid over $159/night at the RPR. Last time we stayed there was the 4th of July last year, a busier weekend, and we still got a rate of $159. That is a substantial mark-up over a one year period.

Good point Donalduck352, I have to wonder if it is because of cashing in on the WWOHP???

I continue to have hopes that the price will decrease in the New Year. Hoping to get at least under $200. I just checked the AAA rate for December and found one for $174...so I still have hope.

 

[AlexandNessa]

Well, sadly for Universal (or maybe not so sadly, lol), we are out next Spring. Sure, prices can still come down, but there was a big cruise sale last week, and we could cruise for 9 days in a suite with all our food included for what Universal wanted for the HRH and PBH for a week. See you in the fall, Uni.

 

[englishteacha]

We're looking for a place to stay in February, the 22nd to March 1. Onsite hotels are pretty high, then, so we'll be staying offsite. I'd hoped to treat ourselves to an onsite hotel because we are mainly going for Harry Potter. But when I can get a condo or suite within sight of Universal for $55-70 a night, why would I pay so much more to be on property, even with the FOTL perk?

 

[tfoster]

But when I can get a condo or suite within sight of Universal for $55-70 a night, why would I pay so much more to be on property, even with the FOTL perk?

That's what I keep asking myself, but we're doing it anyway!!

We're going next Sunday yay and staying in 2 connecting rooms at PBH. The rates for next year seem a lot higher than the ones we got for this December, though, so I'm thinking we may as well enjoy this stay because it might end up being the only time we stay on-site! LOL

 

[disneyfan61]

We are staying one night at HRH on 5/22 & I just priced it on AAA & it will be $274.01 per night & with tax will be $309.97 & that is with the AAA discount. Without the discount it would be $364.50 total.

I hope the extra for the front of the line perk is worth it.

 

[Rash]

So far, best rate at PBH for garden view standard room on April 15-18 is $424/night. . This will be our sixth or seventh time staying at PBH, and we've never paid more than $265 with AAA discount. We have stayed on both the weekend before and the weekend after Easter. I understand fee increases happen, but a 60% increase in one year? Ridiculous. Unless some discounts open up and make things more reasonable, we'll be skipping Universal this year.

 

[fort lauderdale dave]

sorry to say but I think the good old days are over. since h.p. came along its harder to get a room and i see my ap renewel went from $99 to $149. thats $200 for our family

 

[goofy4tink]

I doubt HP has much to do with it. I just got a nice room at RPR for about $150 a night, with AP discount, for a few weeks ago.
What we are seeing is that with Easter falling so late, the rooms are costing us more than ever before due to spring breaks and Easter vacations. Rooms aren't so bad before and after this time frame. But the time frame is a long one.