Split stay - Express pass hotels - need advice

[sunlover13]

Hi! First trip to Universal booked for week of November 7th, Veterans Day week.

We are planning to arrive in Orlando late on Friday night, leave late the following Saturday, 1 week later.

I definitely want to book an Express pass Universal hotel for at least 1 night so we could use the Express Pass for 2 days at the parks. I'm not sure if we will need or want a 3rd day at the parks.

2 adults, 2 kids ages 6 and 14.

I'm not sure if we are going to do Disney too. I'm thinking of staying in a value at Disney even if we do not do the parks b/c I have $700 in reward points to use up. We could always do Gatorland or LEGOLAND or SeaWorld. I've only been to Disney. I'm open to suggestions.

I really don't like the idea of checking into a Disney hotel, checking out of Disney hotel, check in to Universal hotel for 1 or 2 nights and then switching hotels again. Universal at the beginning or end of the trip really doesn't work too well with our flight times to utilize the Express pass for 2 full days.

Thinking maybe stay at a cheap hotel Friday night when we get in late, check into Universal hotel Saturday morning, hit the Universal parks, but know we will not be there at opening. Express pass we can hit some of the big rides that first day, enjoy the hotel pool, etc. Sunday, hit Universal park at opening to see Harry Potter. Should we check out that point or stay 1 more night and hit the parks a 3rd day?

I have no idea. I have a lot of research to do, but just curious on opinions out there.

We are not park opening to closing people at Disney. We are park opening, afternoon swim break, go back in the evening Disney people. We always go low season so the parks are not open too late. We do stay until close, but that is usually 9 or 10.

What would you do?

 

[AmberK24]

If you are going over a weekend (especially a holiday weekend) I don't think 2 days will be enough, even if you stayed in the parks all day & don't leave for pool time. I would go at least 3 days on your first visit, possibly 4 if you plan to leave throughout the day. Keep in mind, that with both UO parks, they are typically not open super late, so your number of hours in the evening isn't quite as long as with Disney.
I don't have any experience with Legoland, but if they love animals, SeaWorld or Busch Gardens are both great options, but both are definitely only 1 day.

 

[pcstang]

Legoland will probably be boring for the 14 yr old. Lots of people love it but it's not for us. Been twice and that's enough. Of course, you are on the universal side of the board my answer will be a little biased I guess. We are doing two weeks in Orlando with a "short" 5 night stay at UO. I grew up down the street from the mouse but we don't go much anymore. Did 7 days last October and that was enough to hold us over for a few years. Even my 4 year old likes Universal better....

 

[sunlover13]

Thanks for the replies! I'll look into staying at least 2 nights at Universal.

 

[macraven]

You will enjoy staying on site at UO

Your children are of the age they will enjoy what is in the parks

There will be many choices you all can do many of the rides together
If the 6 yo does not want to do a ride, use the child swap they have

 

[bumbershoot]

or stay 1 more night and hit the parks a 3rd day?

Always.

What would you do?

Stay at Universal the whole time.

Seriously, that's what I would do. We live in Washington state and we have APs and have kept them since 2011.

I just looked up those dates and if you were there the whole week, Cabana Bay is 100/night. (the express-pass-including hotels are definitely higher) With more than 2 days in the parks you could deal with no EP (not that DH and DS will agree with me on that). It would still include early entry to a Wizarding World.

 

[angryduck71]

I have a 9 year old son. He is almost done with Disney. I have several hundred dollars of Disney rewards as well…. this is what we're doing (not that you have to and you have a younger son….): we're going to stay at Universal for 4 nights. My son wants 3 to 5 days at Universal. We're going to use our points to do the VIP Ultimate Thrills Tour at Disney for one day; we may also do one day at EPCOT as the Thrills tour does not include that and he likes doing the Agent P stuff at EPCOT. He really just likes the thrill rides (there's a similar "family tour," but the teenager would probably be bored). We may stay at Shades of Green during our Disney days as I can do that. In any event, he's more happy at Universal. Once your boys are there, I think they'll love it more. And, you can't beat just walking to the parks from the hotels there.