Split stay - Universal then Pop - when to switch dilemma? and a few other Qs.

[sarabguerra]

Booking dates haven't opened yet for Feb 2024 so we are still talking this all out. Need some input from those who have more experience doing this.
We'll be traveling February vacation week (teachers don't have flexibility) and can arrive either LATE Friday night or Saturday.
Planned on staying at Universal first staying at Royal Pacific, and doing 3 park days there. Then we planned to transfer to Pop Century, and doing 3 more park days.
We feel safer trying to fly home Saturday so we have wiggle room for delays.

So do we:
1) check out of RPR on our last park day and leave the bags with bell services, retrieve them when we're done at the park and Uber to Pop for late evening check-in?
2) leave RPR super early to Uber to Pop, check-in at Pop super early, leave our bags at bell services there and head to whatever park we've reserved until our room is ready (probably HS or Epcot)? Is that even possible?
3) Really push for that Friday night arrival and plan to be at Universal Sat - Mon so we can use Tuesday as a nonpark day. **My choice, but not DH's!**

It's likely a wash cost-wise between 1 & 2.

Do we get Early Hours on our check-in day at Pop (if we made it that early)?
Really, how long is that trip via the Skyliner to Epcot with all the transfers?
Pop Premium rooms to get closer to the Skyliner, food, etc?
Is there online check-in? If I can check-in online, one of us can take the bags to the Pop and the other can head straight to the park with the kids! There are 5 of us, and we need to transport a manual wheelchair, so we need 2 Ubers.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yes you get early hours on check in day.

Normally I’d stay RPR if it cost the same as Pop but with kids in tow I’d rather be on-site that morning for going into Epcot so I vote move to Pop for that night. If you decide to stay RPR yes you can drop your bags at bell services as soon as you want, use the Skyliner and get EE.

 

[Rory607]

I would do the first option. This is what we did in December. We did not stay super late in the parks at Universal that day because I had made a dinner reservation at Disney. But we checked out of Portofino that morning, left luggage with bell services and headed to the parks. We headed to Disney late afternoon, checked in and went to dinner. Kids swam that evening, then we were rested and ready to hit Disney parks the next day. Transferring early morning sounds terrible, honestly.

 

[Pyxie]

I would time it so that you are visiting a Universal park on your check-out day of RPR because you'll get Express Pass for that day as well.

 

[sarabguerra]

Thanks for the input. I really think that between the express unlimited and the disability passes (which we have for other reasons than the WC), 3 days is more than enough at Universal. We were just there last year and did 3 days during the same week without the express pass, just the disability pass and didn't even stay the whole day each day, did everything we wanted, sometimes twice. We also did 2 days at Disney, but Ubered there each day. This time the kids asked to stays on property instead since we've never done that.

 

[danceintherain]

I would do 1.
I wouldn't want to have to rush extra in the morning, or be roomless on a day with no parks.