Royal Pacific Review

[stephensmum]

Why don't you go for just 1 of the 4 nights, that way you'd get FOTL for 2 days & have chance to try out RPR, so you can decide if it's worth staying for longer another time.

We love RPR & have stayed there for 1 night for the last 2 years. This year we have booked for 2 nights at $194 per night + tax (I am hoping for a better AP rate), leaving our SSR room empty, I am starting to question the expense & may go back to 1 night. I agree the parking charge is outrageous, but we get a taxi, so it doesn't apply to us. We never heard the DJ last year (maybe it's new) & we did spend a few hours at the pool.

We go around the 24th August & whilst I agree the parks are quieter, I like been able to go later on & just walk on. We do it in the middle of the hol as we find it so relaxing. We have only done US/IOA this way, so it would be a bit of a shock to the system to have to start queueing.

You may want to wait & see if the $ rate picks up, fingers crossed.

 

[UKDEB]

Last time we stayed at RPR (November, 2008) the charge was $15 + tax per night for self-parking and $22 + tax for valet. As far as I know, it hasn't increased since then. For some reason, it seems Pete was charged the Day Guest rate. Maybe he paid on exiting the parking lot, rather than having the fee charged to his room.

I seem to remember that in the early days (before RPR was built) they had problems with people using the HRH car park rather than the multi-storey facility and they were forced to introduce a fee ($5 at the time). So, I can understand the $20 a day for those not staying at the resort, but $15 a night for resort guests to self park is scandalous.

Although we rate all the Universal resorts highly, RPR has been our default choice recently simply because it's the cheapest. Having said that, our first two stays (two years apart) were both at an AP rate of $139; the most recent was $233. Our two nights there, with the parking and taxes, cost $556 which certainly can't be described as cheap. But, for us, it's all about location and we are willing to pay a premium for that. I wouldn't want to stay there for an entire trip, but for 2 or 3 nights, staying onsite puts a totally different complexion on our Universal Orlando experience. Wayne, my advice is to give it a go - it all adds to life's rich tapestry. If you don't like it, you can just put it down to experience, but you might just find another thing to add to your "convert" list.

 

[PChef]

I am just wondering if the rides are really going to be a walk on at the end of August this year with all the Harry Potter madness/hype going on? I suspect both parks are going to be really busy for the rest of the year as so many people will be visiting to see WWoHP, so FOL is the way to go.

 

[wayneg]

Why don't you go for just 1 of the 4 nights, that way you'd get FOTL for 2 days & have chance to try out RPR, so you can decide if it's worth staying for longer another time.

Moving from our first hotel to OKW is 1 move too many for us, we don't like moving hotels at all so its nothing or the whole 4 nights.

Last time we stayed at RPR (November, 2008) the charge was $15 + tax per night for self-parking and $22 + tax for valet. As far as I know, it hasn't increased since then. For some reason, it seems Pete was charged the Day Guest rate.
I wouldn't want to stay there for an entire trip, but for 2 or 3 nights, staying onsite puts a totally different complexion on our Universal Orlando experience. Wayne, my advice is to give it a go - it all adds to life's rich tapestry. If you don't like it, you can just put it down to experience, but you might just find another thing to add to your "convert" list.

It looks like Pete did pay the wrong price, everyone else seems to quote $15.
This is exactly the reason I want to stay, the experience, because we never have, also never eaten anywhere either within the Universal parks or City Walk so this would be a good oppertunity to try new places, I could swallow the room rate even though its more than I like to pay for a room, its the extras, you know me I hate paying for internet anywhere & $15 parking, its sticking in my throat. Its do I dig deep and pay this year or put it off for another trip.

I am just wondering if the rides are really going to be a walk on at the end of August this year with all the Harry Potter madness/hype going on? I suspect both parks are going to be really busy for the rest of the year as so many people will be visiting to see WWoHP, so FOL is the way to go.

Not sure but FOTL is not that important to us after 6 years of AP, upto 4 trips a year, we are happy with single rider lines and missing whats too busy. Even early August we have found we can get done what we want getting in early morning.

 

[Cyrano]

Wayne I think the $20 Pete is quoting is for day visitors. $15 I am sure is the normal charge.

I agree with Deb about the experience. Hard Rock Hotel really added to our trip last year

 

[wayneg]

Wayne I think the $20 Pete is quoting is for day visitors. $15 I am sure is the normal charge.

I agree with Deb about the experience. Hard Rock Hotel really added to our trip last year

Looks like it Reid.
We had option of Hardrock for similar price, think it was about $10/night more but neither of us liked look of that one, it was a choice between RPR or PBH, that was about $20or30/night more, after loads of research we went for RPR.

 

[burt]

Looks like it Reid.
We had option of Hardrock for similar price, think it was about $10/night more but neither of us liked look of that one, it was a choice between RPR or PBH, that was about $20or30/night more, after loads of research we went for RPR.

It is expensive Wayne but all i will say is i dont think you will be dissapointed with it, we had a great time last year. The FOTL is obviousley great but what we really enjoyed was jumping on the boat to city walk for a nice meal and stroll round at night, thats really what made our mind up to book it again. Just think the cheap car hire deal helps soften the cost of RPR

 

[DISWolves]

I think the wifi is free in the lobby so I will be using that when I am there

 

[Cyrano]

I think the wifi is free in the lobby so I will be using that when I am there

Yes wi-fi is free in the lobby. We saw many a teenager with their Mac sitting and browsing

 

[rpbert1]

I read Petes review. and it was quite good.
As for parking it is $15 a night, the $20 is for day guests parking, and as he had family come over i take it that was the $20 charge, no rate increase according to RPR concereige, who i was talking to.
We stay here usually the whole time in Orlando for the last 4 or 5 years, and have Never had any inappropiate music played at the pool by the DJ, although hopefully they take his complaint onboard.Also the music is never loud at RPR, and once you move around from where the DJ is you would not hear the music.

 

[stephensmum]

Moving from our first hotel to OKW is 1 move too many for us, we don't like moving hotels at all so its nothing or the whole 4 nights.

Not sure but FOTL is not that important to us after 6 years of AP, upto 4 trips a year, we are happy with single rider lines and missing whats too busy. Even early August we have found we can get done what we want getting in early morning.

If you booked the 4 nights at a cheaper hotel, perhaps you could just take an overnight bag. Then you'd be just travelling there & back once

I was wondering if it might be extra busy, due to Harry Potter.

 

[Disneymad]

Moving from our first hotel to OKW is 1 move too many for us, we don't like moving hotels at all so its nothing or the whole 4 nights.

Picking up from what Stephensmum hinted at....

It might seem like a bit of an indulgent suggestion but it could work out as a half decent compromise considering the price of RPR per night and the benefits of FoTL.

Might it be worth remaining at OKW and booking 1 night at RPR as an additional room? You could just pack a small bag for the 1 night there and leave the rest of your stuff behind to come back to the next night?

It would allow you to dip your toe in to test the waters and with Free Dining you'd get some extra meal credits for your trip too.

 

[luke]

From what i recall Wayne's RPR stay is for before he checks into OKW

 

[wayneg]

Thats correct, 4 nights at RPR before 21 nights at OKW.
I am back to 50/50 again now I have calmed down after reading $20 for parking and the loud music by the not so clean pool. Exchange rate has hopefully bottomed, up a little last few days.
Not cancelling yet, plenty of time before we go, I am thinking if we don't do it this year we probably never will. Will see how I feel in a couple of months.
Thanks for input everyone.

 

[rpbert1]

Wayne, i have been staying at RPR for 5 years now, usually 3 weeks in July, when its busy, have never saw the pool dirty, complete opposite, they are cleaning it before it opens in the mornings , usually see them from the room, and even during the day , you will see them cleaning around and the pool itself. As for loud music , it does not happen,maybe if you are directly beside the DJ, but he is at an exit gate from the pool area, if it was loud we would be staying at PBH instead, but its not. And like i said its still $15 for self parking.
I read the report and it was quite good, but the only issue i think had any relevance was the song that was played.

I had a short video of the DJ, must see if i can find it, as i formatted my comp and had it on a disc somewhere, .

 

[pixiepower04]

We stayed at RPR for 4 nights in September 2008 and didn't pay for parking!

There was no DJ either and the whole place was serene and peaceful and so beautiful.

We're staying at HRH for 7 nights in September in view of Harry Potter opening and when I booked it the offer was the same nightly rate as the OKW offer which we've also booked for 14 nights.

 

[sandshal]

If you're looking to book a room purely for FOL priviledges then RPR's fine .. but having stayed at all 3, I'd definately choose one of the other two if we booked again ..... room was fine, pool we felt was pretty dirty will all sorts of debris at the bottom.

Didn't matter too much to us because we only sat by the pool for a while and got changed before dinner in the room and didn't actually sleep there (went back to the villa that night rather than all of us cramped in one room) To be fair tho you get what you pay for and RPR is very good value compared to the other two.

Only thing I'd add at UR Hotels is ........... watch out for the service charge, HRH even charged 6% service charge when we collected two ice creams from the bar!!!