Second trip to disney

[ferrero121]

We are planning a trip to Disney in November 2014. This'll be our second trip. We want to stay at Disney but also do Universal Studios. We're trying to do some research now to see what is The cheapest way to do everything we wanted to. Were thinking of going to 12 through the 19th. Nothing set in stone yet. We went when there was free dining and we really want to go when I have free dining again.

So here are my main question:

Question one. Do they usually offer free dining around this time of November 12-19?

Question two. Is it cheaper to say Disney the whole time or stay Disney like five days and and hotel that's closer to Universal Studios for 2 to 3 days?

Question three. What are some hotels around universal that are very affordable?

Question four. How much time do you really need to enjoy universal studios.?

 

[Marionnette]

We are planning a trip to Disney in November 2014. This'll be our second trip. We want to stay at Disney but also do Universal Studios. We're trying to do some research now to see what is The cheapest way to do everything we wanted to. Were thinking of going to 12 through the 19th. Nothing set in stone yet. We went when there was free dining and we really want to go when I have free dining again.

So here are my main question:

Question one. Do they usually offer free dining around this time of November 12-19?

Question two. Is it cheaper to say Disney the whole time or stay Disney like five days and and hotel that's closer to Universal Studios for 2 to 3 days?

Question three. What are some hotels around universal that are very affordable?

Question four. How much time do you really need to enjoy universal studios.?

Do they usually offer free dining around this time of November 12-19?
List of past discounts and their dates:
http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codechart
Is it cheaper to stay at Disney the whole time or stay at Disney like five days and and a hotel that's closer to Universal Studios for 2 to 3 days?
Disney hotels are expensive for what you get, even with a discount. An offsite resort will offer more amenities for less money. The only question is whether it will be worth it to you to pack up and move your family for just a couple of days.
What are some hotels around universal that are very affordable?
There are quite a few on I-Drive. Check the Universal forums for suggestions. A lot of people will choose to stay onsite for the free FOTL access. If you're going during a busy time, it's worth spending more on your resort in order to get this perk. If Nov. 12-19 is Jersey Week, the parks will be crowded.
How much time do you really need to enjoy universal studios.?
At least two days - one for each park. But if you want to take it slowly, then I suggest a third day.

 

[Darcy03231]

When I'm staying off-site for Universal I use Hotwire for a hotel. I limit the search area to the Universal area and don't go lower than a 3*. Once we got the Sheraton Studio City for $53/night. Last time we did three nights at the Royal Palms and the total for the three nights was $136. Both hotels were very close (about a mile) away from Universal.

I will say we usually stay onsite at Universal for the perk of the unlimited express pass (like a fastpass). If you decide to do this, do the Universal portion of your trip last. We did it first and then the kids wanted nothing to do with WDW. They kept saying that the rides were lame (I have thrill ride junkies) and that lines were too long. All week it was "why can't we go back to Universal?"

 

[crisi]

In my opinion, its worthwhile to spend a lot of money for one night and stay in a Universal hotel for FOTL passes. Especially with the Harry Potter expansion happening this summer. Lines at Uniiversal are intolerable without FOTL and almost non-existent with it. You can also buy it, but its expensive per ticket. FOTL and a multipark ticket makes it possible to get through all of Universal in one day. Without it, we saw lines during the last week of August (not a very busy time) of two hours plus.

 

[Eureka]

In my opinion, its worthwhile to spend a lot of money for one night and stay in a Universal hotel for FOTL passes. Especially with the Harry Potter expansion happening this summer. Lines at Uniiversal are intolerable without FOTL and almost non-existent with it. You can also buy it, but its expensive per ticket. FOTL and a multipark ticket makes it possible to get through all of Universal in one day. Without it, we saw lines during the last week of August (not a very busy time) of two hours plus.

I second this. We went second to last week in August and the express passes and extra hour were worth their weight in gold. And we loved the Royal Pacific hotel. Not to mention walking everywhere.