?'s from a Disney addict thinking of trying Universal

[georgina]

Thank you for the tip on AP. I called and was able to get SF at a great AP rate which we are actually saving money. It's amazing you don't have to buy until you actually get there in the event you need to cancel. I was checking on other dates for next year and it seems there are none. How often do they release new dates and is there a better way to check than on online.

There is a stickied thread at the top for AP rates. Someone will post when they see new ones come out. I think the Dec AP rates just were released in August, so Jan/Feb may show up in a few months. Online is the best way to check.

 

[cfoxga]

Thank you for the tip on AP. I called and was able to get SF at a great AP rate which we are actually saving money. It's amazing you don't have to buy until you actually get there in the event you need to cancel. I was checking on other dates for next year and it seems there are none. How often do they release new dates and is there a better way to check than on online.

You're welcome. Yes, it is amazing how much you can save with an AP. If you end up really enjoying yourselves, you can get APs for both of you by upgrading the other ticket before your last day ends (usually for not much more than a 2-day park-to-park ticket). Then you can have a second (or third) trip within the next 12 months, without having to pay for tickets.

Thanksgiving is our favorite time of year to go to UO. The holiday setup is great and the later closing times means you get to be in the park when it is quite dark. I love Diagon Alley at the end of the night when very few others are there...

 

[starousse]

We are Disney people and just got back from a 6 night (Disney WL), 2 night (Portofino Bay) trip. Resort wise, I think you would be much happier at any of the Universal resorts in comparison to a Disney Value (All Star). Portofino Bay was nice....the pool/service was great but it was a little too quiet for us. Food wise, Disney wins hands down. We are also big food people and were very disappointed in City Walk, as well as the Universal Resort restaurants, with some of our favorite spots being in Disney Springs. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves at Universal, however we all agreed that it didn't have that Disney bubble feel. The next time we go, we are going to start w Universal and end with Disney.

 

[Grumpy92]

Universal hotels also offer a resort shuttle in the evening. It stops at all the hotels and we have used it to go to dinner at a different hotel. Love Jakes, the Kitchen and Islands.
CBBR is our favorite resort, followed by Sapphire Falls. We love the CBBR pool areas and especially the lazy river. The food court, Atomic and the Hideaway offer some really good food options, not to mention the large Starbucks. They also have a bowling alley which is fun. The UO resorts are far better then what you would pay at a Disney resort.
In general the bus service is much quicker than WDW transportation. We have also done the Walking path that goes from CBBR, Aventura and RPR over to Citywalk. There are some good restaurants at Citywalk but Disney Springs offers more options. We have a car and dont mind the Turkey Lake Rd/Palm Pkwy back road into Disney.
Security for buses is the same as the parking garages but moves pretty quickly. Rarely long lines.
We are staying at Dockside and cant wait to try that one.

 

[Chickinvic]

While we enjoy Universal and spend more time there than at WDW these days. I can't imagine spending a week there without going into the parks. I don't think CityWalk has enough to do to keep you occupied for a week. We actually haven't been to Disney Springs, but my understanding is that it is a lot bigger.

If you are going into the parks, then I think a week is fine, but without parks, I'm not sure how you'd fill your time.

I can't honestly imagine wanting to go to either place without the parks since there are lots of better vacation spots for the money if you take the parks out of the equation. To each their own I guess.

 

[TinkerMouse]

It all depends on what matters most to you in a resort and what level of "maintenance" you require in order to be comfortable. When staying on property my family has only ever stayed in deluxe resorts, but this past week I tried out values for the first time and stayed in standard rooms at both Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Disney's Pop Century. As someone who values cleanliness and customer service above all I would pick Pop over CBBR any day.

The one thing CBBR had over Pop was that the buses were faster and better timed when it came to getting from the resort to the parks. Like clockwork, the buses to/from CBBR and CityWalk came every 20 minutes and the ride lasted about 6 minutes. I also enjoyed eating at Citywalk's Toothsome and Cowfish. That's where the bonus points for CBBR end.

In order to get to/from the airport, Disney gives you magical express for free but Universal asks you to pay for Super Star Shuttle and the problem with that (aside from paying extra money) is that it's disorganized. You have to book Super Star Shuttle through Universal but the hotels are run by Loewes which means that any issue or delay has the front desk shoo you away to the Universal desk unless it's closed meaning you have to call the 24hr number or wait. The problems can continue if the Universal desk doesn't have all it's paperwork together (which happens) so you then have to call the SuperStarShuttle people directly to double check. This is part of why the line at the Universal desk is always so long. None of the employees seem to care that this is inconvenient and poor customer service. Universal and Loewes employees are polite but they don't care. Disney doesn't give you the runaround and their cast members are more professional.

The higher maintenance you are, the less CBBR will work for you. It had small pieces of trash in the hallways, scuffed up/banged up hallway walls, and a stale smell in the hallways. The beds creaked, the furniture was chipped, there were small mold spots on the cieling, the sheets were thin and blankets had pulls. I have never seen anything like this at a Disney hotel. Pop wasn't as ritzy as my favorites Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Polynesian but it looked and felt clean so I could stay there again. If you're staying at Universal I suggest you stay at one of their premium hotels so you can use their ferry boats, get included Express Passes and hopefully experience better cleanliness and service.

In terms of general preference, Citywalk's vibe is more of a bright, edgy nightlife scene whereas Disney Springs has more of a relaxing posh atmosphere. There are more restaurants and high-end stores in Disney Springs and the food is fantastic from Morimoto Asia and Homecomin' to Wine Bar George.