Split Stay between Univ/Disney

[xtinewashere]

Hi All! We did our disney trip this sept 2015 for 10 days. While there we booked a bounce back for next Sept 2016. During this trip we really wanted to include a universal visit. What is the best way to do this?

We can either continue to stay at disney to take advantage of our free dining and just rent a car to visit for a day or two.. or we can shave some nights off of our trip and stay at a universal hotel.

It just seems adding universal hotel, passes and thinking about meals into the trip makes the prices jump from just staying put at one resort..

We are not super harry potter die-hards.. but I think as my boys get older they'll appreciate the rides at Universal-- travelling with a 6 year old girl, and boys 9, 12 and husband.

Thanks all!!
Christine

 

[phillymummer]

After staying one night at RP, I am hooked on staying on-site. The close proximity to the parks (walking distance) and the EP make it worth the cost. I think I enjoy staying on-site more at US than at Disney! Remember- one night gets you two days of express passes. I would say if you can swing the on-site stay at US, do it. I don't think you will regret it.

 

[jerseygal]

After staying one night at RP, I am hooked on staying on-site. The close proximity to the parks (walking distance) and the EP make it worth the cost. I think I enjoy staying on-site more at US than at Disney! Remember- one night gets you two days of express passes. I would say if you can swing the on-site stay at US, do it. I don't think you will regret it.

Maybe at the beginning of your trip or end, stay 1 night stay at one of three on site hotels will give you 2 days of express passes. We are staying on site Hard Rock this May. Really pays for itself having the express passes included and the convenience can't be beat. Trying Hard Rock this time as we have stated few times Royal Pacific and one Portofino. Have FUN!

 

[bumbershoot]

It just seems adding universal hotel, passes and thinking about meals into the trip makes the prices jump from just staying put at one resort..

That's how it is whenever you include two parks. We had a Universal stay that started with one night at a DVC villa to get some laundry done in our room. We were at Boardwalk so we were close to Epcot, and we were tempted. But a one day ticket is just SO expensive, we opted to not do it.


Stay onsite if possible. Disney onsite perks are nothing compared to Uni onsite perks. (I get that you have the dining plan so that's nice, but still...) I'd shave days off at the end and move to Uni.

 

[nfceagles]

Ditto what they all said. Staying onsite at Universal is the only way to go. Neither park makes it cheap or easy to visit the other. I recommend putting the Uni stay at the end of your trip as it will feel like a real vacation compared to Disney.

 

[RMulieri]

Stay onsite.It makes the Universal trip so relaxing and enjoyable and if you stay deluxe, you get the express passes ...It will ruin you for fastpass forever.

 

[schumigirl]

Stay onsite at the end of your trip.....the EP perk will spoil you.

You don't need to be a Potter die hard fan to enjoy the parks.......Universal Orlando Resort is so much more than Potter.......both parks offer and awful lot for all ages. You're kids are perfect age to really absorb everything.

The resorts are all beautiful, take some time and enjoy whatever resort you choose if you do decide to stay there.......you definitely won't regret it.

 

[VacaPlanner2012]

Personally, I would keep the longer reservation at WDW (to get the extra food credits for some 2 credit meals on other days) and book a night in the middle of the week at Royal Pacific. The one night at RPR will still be less than trying to swing Express Passes for one day, and you get two days of Express Pass as mentioned above. An overnight bag with a change of clothes and a swim suit is sufficient, we have done it many times.

It will give you just enough time to realize that you will be spending a full week at Universal in 2017, and you can take a quick trip on the boats over to Hard Rock and Portofino Bay to scout whether either one of those hotels gives you the family vibe for future stays. They are all great and each family is sure to find the one perfect for their tastes.

Then, like I said, you will still have some extra food credits to do those great, overpriced Disney Signature meals for the last time, since it will be your last WDW stay until Star Wars is done in 2020 something...lol!!

Well, that is how it went down for our family...

 

[phillymummer]

That is awesome ^^ That's pretty much how my family feels too!

[/quote] I recommend putting the Uni stay at the end of your trip as it will feel like a real vacation compared to Disney.[/quote]

AMEN! No ADRS! NO FP+!

 

[xtinewashere]

Thanks all! So it sounds like it's worth staying on property and worth paying extra to go. It's funny because I seemed to enjoy Universal more when we did our last split say trip (cough, cough.. 15 or 16 years ago). That was a much different time in our lives and prekids-- i have foggy memories of hurricane's from pat o'brians and halloween horror night. It would be awesome to be able to do a bit of that again.. even more awesome if we can arrange some babysitting and go to HHN.

So- now the question is do Universal pre-disney or post-disney. I like the idea of ending at universal as a way to recharge and maybe enjoy the pool and resort a bit more.. but my dates go into Canadian Thanksgiving/columbus day weekend and i was thinking of adding our universal portion onto our trip to begin with.. and shaving some days off our disney trip at the end to avoid long weekends. I had heard there is a noticeable crowd level at WDW.. but would the same go for US if we try over that long weekend? We'll stay somewhere that we can get express passes.. but we still are not fond of crowds.

Also-- the meal plan at universal? is that worth it? or is it better to just wing it? We have one ultra picky eater in our group and none of us are big eaters or soda drinkers.. TIA!!

- Christine

 

[donnajherren]

I would recommend doing Universal at the end of your trip vs the beginning. We've been to Universal just once, and already my whole family refuses to go back to Disney. I really don't want to think about how frustrated we would have been trying to go from Universal to Disney in a single trip.

To be honest, I expected to get a few more years of Disney love out of a couple of 9 & 10 year old girls, but nope. They just loved the relaxed atmosphere so much more. So we bought annual passes for Universal, and we're gonna roll with it.

As far as the meal plans go, we bought it for the kids once during our trip--during breakfast at one of the Harry Potter restaurants. We got it because it was the same price as their breakfasts, and included another drink and snack for later. No reason not to. So it can make financial sense, but generally speaking, I don't think it's a huge benefit. Dining at Universal is really different than at Disney, and there's much less emphasis on the meal plans.

 

[VacaPlanner2012]

No need to do the dining plan at Universal, except when you hit the situation above. You can buy it on the spot and use it for just that day. As also mentioned, no 6 month ADRs as well. Maybe 6 hour ADRs, like make a reservation that day or the day before for main places like Mythos. However, we have never made a dining reservation at Universal and only once did we opt to go somewhere else because of wait times - and that was because Margaritaville was setting up for 68 person party (pre teen cheerleaders and some chaperones, um, no thanks!).

You will wait in lines for the HP rides and probably Kong (can't imagine that will have Express Pass to start, but here's to hoping), but going from Express Pass to Fast Pass is no good, don't do it!!! Stay at Universal after Disney!!! Add a day, or two, or the week!!!!

We are going for 8 days, adult only and I know my wife and I will have so much fun, and still feel relaxed when we leave. That's the magic of onsite!!

 

[keishashadow]

Thanks all! So it sounds like it's worth staying on property and worth paying extra to go. It's funny because I seemed to enjoy Universal more when we did our last split say trip (cough, cough.. 15 or 16 years ago). That was a much different time in our lives and prekids-- i have foggy memories of hurricane's from pat o'brians and halloween horror night. It would be awesome to be able to do a bit of that again.. even more awesome if we can arrange some babysitting and go to HHN.

So- now the question is do Universal pre-disney or post-disney. I like the idea of ending at universal as a way to recharge and maybe enjoy the pool and resort a bit more.. but my dates go into Canadian Thanksgiving/columbus day weekend and i was thinking of adding our universal portion onto our trip to begin with.. and shaving some days off our disney trip at the end to avoid long weekends. I had heard there is a noticeable crowd level at WDW.. but would the same go for US if we try over that long weekend? We'll stay somewhere that we can get express passes.. but we still are not fond of crowds.

Also-- the meal plan at universal? is that worth it? or is it better to just wing it? We have one ultra picky eater in our group and none of us are big eaters or soda drinkers.. TIA!!

- Christine

Be aware that rates are expensive onsite @ U over Columbus Day and it's not uncommon for the resorts to both impose minimum night stays (i.e. 2 days) & sell out

there are a few free crowd calculators, google & you will see it's a very popular time at both parks. If you want to avoid large crowds, go late in September. The beginning of October has becoming very popular.

I recommend U last during a split trip if staying onsite w/FOTL or you will find yourself in line @ Disney not feeling very magical lol. however, in this case (over Columbus Day), would do Disney. Avoid Epcot on the weekend, MK is a good bet on a party day, even if you aren't attending it. Crowd doesn't pick up until mid afternoon.

 

[dsdeleon]

Our first two trips we did Uni first but learned our lesson. It feels like a rushed downgrade. Patience for all the chasing of the magic is at an all time high the first few days of vacation.

 

[gschmerl]

When we split stays we always do Universal last. It's hard to go back to waiting in line at WDW after being spoiled by express access staying on site at Universal.

 

[macraven]

Amen to that gschmerl!

 

[pigby]

We are doing a split stay between Universal/Disney in September/October 2016. We are doing Universal first for the sole reason that when we move to Disney, Food and Wine will have started over there, which is a must for us. Have done split stays for some time and it depends on what is going on, whether we do Universal first or second but I agree that the lines at Disney get some getting used to if you have had Express (and we have in the past as stayed at all 4 Universal resorts)

Staying at Cabana bay again - definitely worth considering in September as won't really need Express pass at that time - we went in June 2015 it was much busier than September (touring plans was rating 6/7 as opposed to 2/3's in September on crowd levels) - didn't really need Express then either though (apart from Despicable Me).