Staying on site vs. off site

[dis gal at heart]

I am tring to decide whether to stay on site or off site for my up coming trip in July. I will buy the bypass line ticket for myself and daugter. I can save about $400 staying off site for four nights.

Been to Disney 2 times and taking daughter 7 to US, IOA, and SW for the first time.

 

[damo]

Since the bypass line tickets will cost you about $50 each/day, you really won't be saving anything.

I suggest checking into the deals you can get onsite.

What are your dates?

 

[dis gal at heart]

July 9-July 13

 

[kenban]

If you don't mind staying at several hotels during your trip there is another option. You get FOTL (Front of the line) access all day during the day you check in and check out. Its possible to just spend one night on site and get two full days of FOTL. You just visit the hotel onsite in the morning your going to check in before you go to the park and they can give you passes good all day.

Express passes during those dates cost $30 each per day for 1 park and $40 for both parks. I would stay at the Royal Pacific Resort one night ($239) and just live without express passes the rest of the time if you visit US/IOA more then 2 days.

 

[damo]

The Royal Pacific AAA rate is $191 for your dates. If you were going to be spending $80/day on express passes, that bumps your rate down to $111/night which is pretty good!

Definitely move over to somewhere closer for your visit day to Seaworld and then you stretch out your express pass days without having to spend the money on an extra onsite night.

 

[robvia]

Advantages to staying offsite
You save a ton of money if staying at a hotel across the street.
http://www.nogodforme.com/offsite.htm

Advantages to staying onsite
Walk to/from parks
Pools are huge, have music, slides, and are way cool.
FOTL
"Feel" like part of the action

I've done both, each has it's perks. But during the summer months, you want to stay onsite. At noon it will be burning hot, and you'll want to go back to your room and rest. If you stay offsite, that means walking to the parking garage and driving back to your hotel. If you stay onsite, you take the boat ride back.

 

[micksterlee]

I love the onsite experience at Universal. It is great to be able to park my car and lock the keys in the room safe for the rest of the week.Staying onsite is like staying at a deluxe vacation resort with two great parks as an added perk.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Offsite or onsite ... the eternal question

For us, it depends on the time of year. When the schools are in session, the parks are generally slow. If we go at a very slow time of year, we have no problems staying off site.

A biggie for us is where to stay offsite, tho. If we're talking a regular hotel room at $100 per night, I think onsite is better. If we're talking a three-bedroom timeshare with a full kitchen, hot tub in the master bedroom, balcony overlooking a park's fireworks for a price of, say, 2- or $300 for the week, I think offsite is better.

If I were going in July, I wouldn't hesitate to stay onsite. The parks will be crowded, and that unlimited FOTL will be priceless.

 

[sha_lyn]

I love staying onsite, however off site can be done without buying the express passes. Just plan on arriving in the parking garage 45 before park opening. Head to park of choice. Once the gates open, hit the high demand rides first.

Saying that, I much prefer on site. The RPR is great. I love being able to park the car on arrival day and not going near it until time to leave.

 

[yaytezIOA]

It boils down to when. The on-peak times of July at the parks are going to be terribly high.
Now....if you do not have your tickets, the this deal will work for you:
https://universalhotels.ibe.netbooker.com/web/FrontController.nb4?module=PropertySearch&execute=yes&operation=SinglePropertySearchResult&instanceId=96&lookAndFeelId=1016&numberOfNights=4&propertyCode=UERPR&chainCode=UE&arriveMonth=07&arriveDate=9&arriveYear=2007&departMonth=07&departDate=13&departYear=2007&adults=1&children=1&numberOfRooms=1&Check+Now.x=34&Check+Now.y=1
That gives you your park tickets for free. Just a thought.

 

[dis gal at heart]

I decided to stay at the Royal Pacific, with the 4 nights stay play for free. Due to the weather that is going to be hot, I know my daughter and I will want to go back to the hotel and swim and relax. We will still go to Sea World one day while we are there.

I am saving quite a bit by flying Airtran.

 

[sha_lyn]

you'll love RPR. It is beautiful

 

[Notatourist]

I would like to clear up something that folks keep saying here over and over. A room key on site at Universal gets you into the express line. That's it. You might still have a line to deal with.

If you want no line at all, take a VIP tour.

 

[scammermom]

I decided to stay at the Royal Pacific, with the 4 nights stay play for free. Due to the weather that is going to be hot, I know my daughter and I will want to go back to the hotel and swim and relax. We will still go to Sea World one day while we are there.

I am saving quite a bit by flying Airtran.

I think you have made a very wise decision.

It was very difficult to convince me to spend the extra $$ and stay onsite but the kind people here did talk me into it. RPR and FOTL was the absolute best!! If you have a line, it's not very long. The longest we had was a BTTF. I cannot imagine going to a park now without it!

The Express pass only lets you bypass the normal line once. FOTL is unlimited. We rode Popeye's barges 5 times in a row!

 

[yaytezIOA]

I would like to clear up something that folks keep saying here over and over. A room key on site at Universal gets you into the express line. That's it. You might still have a line to deal with.

If you want no line at all, take a VIP tour.

But lets be realistic. Unless its a really really busy day where the standby is over 60 minutes, the longest you'll wait for express is like 10 minutes.

 

[Notatourist]

Realistic is that for no line, you take a tour.