Royal Pacific review early Aug 2014

tinkerbellmagic

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Royal Pacific Resort review early Aug 2014

We recently returned from a stay at the Royal Pacific resort in early Aug 2014. Two nights with three adults and one older child. This was our first trip ever to Universal and we were looking forward to staying onsite with all the perks that go with it. We always stay onsite at Disney and wanted to get the full Universal experience by staying onsite there as well.

Like most first timers, we had no idea what to expect, but we were really excited about exploring new theme parks and onsite resorts. Our vacation actually consisted of Seaworld, Universal, and Disney. Three different hotels at three different theme parks!

Months back, I actually tried to talk my daughter out of including a "side-trip" to Universal because I anticipated a Diagon Alley mob scene. I originally just wanted to do a Seaworld/Disney trip. "How about we go next year?" I said. But the crazed Potter fan that she is, she wanted so badly to go, ever since Hogsmeade opened up.... so off to Universal we went!

We checked into RPR very early, around 7:30 am. We had just come from a very short stay at a Seaworld hotel and hired a car to take us from the SW hotel to RPR. When we first pulled up to the resort, it was very impressive. I loved the tall palm trees, the gorgeous flowers, the bridge, the pond, the whole tropical look!

We knew our room wouldn't be ready, but we wanted to check in, store our luggage, secure our FOTL passes, and head on over to the parks until our room was ready. The girl who checked us into RPR was so nice and so very helpful. She made us feel welcome there. :)

Now we were just dying to get to the parks because our early entry time was a-tickin' away, but alas, there were a few snags getting our FOTL photo passes. For some reason our temporary room keys were not working when we inserted them into the FOTL machines in the RPR lobby. Someone at consierge had to get the keys reactivated. Once she did, everything worked fine.

We had prepurchased our theme park tickets through the Uni web site weeks earlier and printed them out on regular copy paper. I made three copies of each of our tickets, just in case and I'm glad I did because some of them got a little soggy during a rainfall.

This is a review of the RPR, so I will try to stick to that, not the theme parks. We walked to and from the parks that day via RPR's walking path, a nice pleasant walk (pleasant in the morning, but it can feel long and hot in the afternoon if you're tired and you're feet are killing you, lol). We sometimes used the boat to/from the parks as well, which I really enjoyed. I do think, considering the time spent waiting for the boat, that walking is faster, but you can't beat that relaxing ride back to the resort. We never used any shuttle buses... forgot they even had them, lol.

It's always fun the first time you explore a new resort. You never know what to expect. Walking from RPR to the park that morning, there is a little refreshment stand with coffee and pastries. We didn't buy anything, but it looked good and was really convenient. You can also get your theme park bags checked at security on this path, thus avoiding the more cattle-call-like security you encounter at all theme park entrances.

After a morning in the park, we were getting tired and kind of anxious to get into our room and relax, so we left the parks and made it back to the hotel around 1:30 pm. We sat in the pretty lobby where it was nice and cool. Our room was ready at 2:15 pm. Ahhhh... is there any sweeter sound than hearing (or reading the text) that "your room is ready?" We were given our permanent room keys and we let bell services know we were ready for our luggage to be delivered to our room. It only took about five minutes for our bags to be delivered. The gentleman who delivered our luggage was the nicest, most helpful, person. Just terrific!

We were on the 6th floor in tower 1. I had booked a standard room. I didn't make any requests and was very pleased with our view. I love palm trees and there was a big one just outside our window. From our window we had a view of the bridge at front entrance of the resort. :)

I loved the tropical 'Polynesian' look of the room. It was pretty and clean! I loved the Hawaiian touches in the room... the lamps, the lights, and loved the wicker/rataan ice bucket!

We ate at the Bula bar more than once and the food was DELICIOUS!!! Sometimes my family was split up, so while two of us were having our meals at the theme park, the other two checked out some of the little walk up places at the resort (but since I didn't, I can't comment on it, other than DD saying the prices were high). Two members of my family also enjoyed the pool while the others mostly stuck to the theme parks (Potter). We visited the RPR gift shop and bought some postcards and stamps. DD got hers postmarked at the Owl Post Office so it would look like it came from Hogsmeade, which it did! :D

I guess I regret only being able to stay two days. I would have liked to explore more of the resort and the parks. But oh, what can you do... so many theme parks, so little time.

Here are the PROS that made us feel good to stay at RPR:
1. Staying on site for the early entry and FOTL passes - wow! loved this!!!
2. Being able to walk or boat to the parks (and after our not-so-good experiences with the free shuttles at the Seaworld hotel, this perk was awesome).
3. The lush grounds and tranquil feeling of the resort really makes you feel like you're on a relaxing vacation.
4. I really liked that there was an actual table and chairs in the room, rather than one of those sliding tables on wheels you get in some other deluxe resorts (I don't like those... you have to eat while sitting on your bed, yuk), so this was nice.
5. Really liked the Keurig coffee machine in the room.... or rather, DD loved it.
6. Just knowing you could leave the parks at any time by foot or boat and take a break at your hotel and be back again at night. :)
7. Oh and the BIGGIE... DD being able to be admitted early into the park on day 2 and ride Gringotts. AWESOME!!! Not sure how long she would have waited otherwise.
There are probably lots more PROS. :)

Now If I was going to be nit picky, here are the CONS (and they wouldn't keep me from staying there again):
1. Room is small - it seemed too small for 4 people, but we managed. It would be better for two or three people. For example, when we were all sacked out on the beds, reading or using wifi, it just seemed kind of cramped....not much distance between the two beds.
2. There is no ceiling fan in the room and more importantly, no fan in the bathroom! I like the white noise from fans, I can sleep easier. Luckily we were always so exhausted by the end of the day, that the silence in the room, which sometimes seemed deafening, lol, wasn't too big an issue, but wow, we all would have really liked a fan in the bathroom and was surprised there wasn't one.
3. There is only one sink in the room (no room for another) and it is located outside of the bathroom in a small area. The wall separating that area from the bedroom area has a cut out window with some metal scroll work. It is a pretty decoration, but I would have preferred the privacy of a solid wall.
4. There weren't enough places in the bathroom to lay things down or hang things up while you shower (had the same problem in the Disney resort we moved to, after RPR - more of a complaint about some hotels in general). No one really likes putting things on top of the toilet tank, right?
4. There was no refrigerator in the room that we could use. I thought for the price of that room, a fridge should have been included. Hopefully that will change.
5. There is limited space on the dresser because of the space taken up by the tray filled with snacks (the expensive ones they want you to purchase). Not a huge deal, just a little bothersome when you wished you could have set something down there.
6. There is actually a FEE to use the work out room! Wow, especially for the price they charge to stay here (we paid rack rate), it was surprising that this wasn't included.

We enjoyed our stay at the Royal Pacific and going to US and IOA so much that we plan on returning some day (might be the next time we visit Orlando, lol). We might like to try HRH on a future trip, but, who knows, maybe we'll always have nostalgic feelings for RPR, since it was our first at Universal, but we're also the types that like to try new resorts. Being Disney freaks, however, we now see that we're going to have to adjust our vacation plans from now on because my grown daughter, especially, is absolutely hooked on the Harry Potter lands. She grew up with the books and movies, and has been a real Potter freak more than half of her life. Even though our hearts will always belong to Disney, I wouldn't even want to compare the two. They are different experiences, both not to be missed. The entire experience staying onsite at Universal definitely lived up to my expectations and the entire Universal experience, exceeded my expectations and I have to say that part of that was the Harry Potter experience. Fun, lots of fun! We can't wait to go back. :thumbsup2

I'll add some photos within the next few days and if I can think of anything else, I'll add on.

tink
 
Very nice report. We consider RPR our home way from home. We are there at least once a month.

When we used to stay in a standard room I would go to the lobby/lounge and relax there for extra room. But being platinum we enjoy the suites now.

I hear ya on the white noise, no pun intended. I travel with a little Honeywell turbo fan to sleep. Plus I like the air blowing across.
 
Lobby



Our standard room






Photo below shows wall that separates sink area from bed area.



Sink area with mirror. I liked the portable makeup mirror.







There is an area here by the door where you can store luggage on top of a luggage rack. That helps out a little on the space issue. I'm not sure, but I think there was only one luggage rack and I had wished there were two. I suppose we could have requested another.



Nachos from Bula Pool Bar - as delicious as it looks!



Burger from Bula Pool Bar - sooooo good!



"Beach" area on walking path from RPR to theme parks

 
op, whenever you return to the darkside hotels, tell the staff you want that tray with the pricey snack/water items removed from your room.


you'll have more space on the dresser.


sign up for Loews YouFirst program.
the first visit will be applied to the program and you can start after 2 visits, perks of the program.

only the two Loews hotels, PBH and RPH are in the program.
 

Thanks for the review! We're planning a 2-3 day tag along at the end of our a Disney trip in January and I'd trying to figure out which hotel to pick. I love your review style :)
 
Very nice report. We consider RPR our home way from home. We are there at least once a month.

When we used to stay in a standard room I would go to the lobby/lounge and relax there for extra room. But being platinum we enjoy the suites now.

I hear ya on the white noise, no pun intended. I travel with a little Honeywell turbo fan to sleep. Plus I like the air blowing across.

Thank you! Nice ideas! If we weren't flying, I would bring a fan too. I should probably look into those white noise machines. :)

op, whenever you return to the darkside hotels, tell the staff you want that tray with the pricey snack/water items removed from your room.
you'll have more space on the dresser.

sign up for Loews YouFirst program.
the first visit will be applied to the program and you can start after 2 visits, perks of the program.
only the two Loews hotels, PBH and RPH are in the program.

Thanks for the tip about the snack tray. I did sign up for the YouFirst program. That might keep me out of HRH, lol. ;)

Nice, balanced review. Thanks for posting.

Thanks for your comment! :)

Thanks for the review! We're planning a 2-3 day tag along at the end of our a Disney trip in January and I'd trying to figure out which hotel to pick. I love your review style :)

Thanks a bunch for the comment! Have a fabulous time which ever hotel you pick! I chose RPR because it was the least expensive of the three biggies, but I also loved the way it looked. :)
 
First post! Been lurking for months... deciding to take the plunge and let you know how much I loved your review and photos!

My sister and I decided to tack on a 3 day/2 night stay at the Royal Pacific before heading over to WDW for a week. So excited we were able to do this as we haven't been to Universal, ever! I'm a big HP fan, so I am thrilled to take everything in and experience for the first time.

So, thank you again for a really balanced review and your beautiful photos!
 
First post! Been lurking for months... deciding to take the plunge and let you know how much I loved your review and photos!

My sister and I decided to tack on a 3 day/2 night stay at the Royal Pacific before heading over to WDW for a week. So excited we were able to do this as we haven't been to Universal, ever! I'm a big HP fan, so I am thrilled to take everything in and experience for the first time.

So, thank you again for a really balanced review and your beautiful photos!

Awwww, thank you for your kind words and welcome to the DIS! :)

I'm happy you liked my report. I am pretty sure you and your sister will love the Universal experience and especially the Potter lands. DD couldn't get enough of it. She could easily spend hours in each area, taking it all in. Have a wonderful time and maybe you'll want to share your experience when you get back. I'd love to hear about it. :thumbsup2
 
Awwww, thank you for your kind words and welcome to the DIS! :)

I'm happy you liked my report. I am pretty sure you and your sister will love the Universal experience and especially the Potter lands. DD couldn't get enough of it. She could easily spend hours in each area, taking it all in. Have a wonderful time and maybe you'll want to share your experience when you get back. I'd love to hear about it. :thumbsup2

Sure will, I love seeing photos of rooms/views, well basically anything that helps with planning and anticipation. We are traveling 11/14-23, so just a couple months to go. I always take a lot of room/hotel photos, so I'll be putting in my 2 cents in! :)

I'm hoping that with the combination of the time of year/Express Passes/Single rider lines (we're fine doing that if it saves time) we'll have enough time to see as much as possible and maybe do a few our new rides more than once. I also cannot wait to try out the myriad of drink concoctions offered in both areas and hopefully a meal at LC!

So excited, I feel like a little kid! :banana: LOL
 
Thanks for your review! We're planning on adding a couple days at Universal on to our trip next summer and we're trying to decide between Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay.

Your info was great :thumbsup2
 
Great report :-) We will spend 3 night there next may ! We've been several times to US and IOA but never stayed onsite. Can't wait :-)
 
Sure will, I love seeing photos of rooms/views, well basically anything that helps with planning and anticipation. We are traveling 11/14-23, so just a couple months to go. I always take a lot of room/hotel photos, so I'll be putting in my 2 cents in! :)

I'm hoping that with the combination of the time of year/Express Passes/Single rider lines (we're fine doing that if it saves time) we'll have enough time to see as much as possible and maybe do a few our new rides more than once. I also cannot wait to try out the myriad of drink concoctions offered in both areas and hopefully a meal at LC!

So excited, I feel like a little kid! :banana: LOL

Oh, terrific! I look forward to reading about your trip and seeing your pics. We did great with the Express passes and single rider lanes in early August, so I think you will be fine. I had two or three Butterbeers in the course of two days, lol (some were shared). Loved them so much! We wanted to try the other drinks, maybe next time. Hint: know the names of the ones you want to try before you go. We forgot to do that. Have a great time, the anticipation and planning is always so much fun. :)

Thanks for your review! We're planning on adding a couple days at Universal on to our trip next summer and we're trying to decide between Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay.

Your info was great :thumbsup2

Thank you! Have fun trying to decide between the two hotels. I'd love to hear about your trip when you return. :goodvibes

Great report :-) We will spend 3 night there next may ! We've been several times to US and IOA but never stayed onsite. Can't wait :-)

I'm pretty sure you will love the convenience of staying onsite. Three nights is perfect, especially since you have been to the parks before. Have fun and let us know how you liked your onsite stay! :)

And here is one of the views I like to remember of taking the launch to/from RPR. If your'e lucky, you'll get the singing captain! That was an unexpected treat!

 












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