struggling with cost of on-site - need some serious guidance

[tfoster]

Last December, we went to Disney and stayed in a Fort Wilderness cabin for $265/night. That covered all six of us and included free dining, but it was still the most we've ever spent per night on lodging. We're more "moderate" folks than "deluxe".

Right now, we (family of six) are set to stay in two rooms Dec 19 - Dec 24 at Portofino Bay for $182/night for a total of $2050 for 5 nights. While I haven't been drawn at all to Royal Pacific, we could switch to that hotel for $149/night per room for about $1650 total or so, but I guess I'm worried about the small rooms and tropical type of food (of which I generally am not a fan). The kids also really want to stay someplace with a water slide, but now I'm thinking that there's a decent chance it won't even be warm enough to swim anyway.

If we booked two rooms at Doubletree, the total would come to less than $1000, but we wouldn't have FOTL and I don't have any idea how that hotel's grounds compare to the Universal hotels' grounds. I just keep thinking about how many HP wands we could buy with all of that saved money!

I'm thinking of switching to RP's regular rooms or even to RP's club rooms (and pay the same as we're currently set to pay but have drinks and some food included too), but can anyone convince me that the rooms and bathrooms don't feel THAT small and that there is plenty of good ol' comfort food available there?

I'm also partial to PB because it's away from the parks. I don't want to go back to the hotel and have even views of the park because I really need some separation in order to relax. While at RP, do you still feel connected to the parks or do you feel like you're in another place?

Sorry so long - my brain just keeps over-thinking this!

 

[Magpie]

Last December, we went to Disney and stayed in a Fort Wilderness cabin for $265/night. That covered all six of us and included free dining, but it was still the most we've ever spent per night on lodging. We're more "moderate" folks than "deluxe".

Right now, we (family of six) are set to stay in two rooms Dec 19 - Dec 24 at Portofino Bay for $182/night for a total of $2050 for 5 nights. While I haven't been drawn at all to Royal Pacific, we could switch to that hotel for $149/night per room for about $1650 total or so, but I guess I'm worried about the small rooms and tropical type of food (of which I generally am not a fan). The kids also really want to stay someplace with a water slide, but now I'm thinking that there's a decent chance it won't even be warm enough to swim anyway.

If we booked two rooms at Doubletree, the total would come to less than $1000, but we wouldn't have FOTL and I don't have any idea how that hotel's grounds compare to the Universal hotels' grounds. I just keep thinking about how many HP wands we could buy with all of that saved money!

I'm thinking of switching to RP's regular rooms or even to RP's club rooms (and pay the same as we're currently set to pay but have drinks and some food included too), but can anyone convince me that the rooms and bathrooms don't feel THAT small and that there is plenty of good ol' comfort food available there?

I'm also partial to PB because it's away from the parks. I don't want to go back to the hotel and have even views of the park because I really need some separation in order to relax. While at RP, do you still feel connected to the parks or do you feel like you're in another place?

Sorry so long - my brain just keeps over-thinking this!

We'll be making our first trip to Universal in December, too!

Here's why we picked Royal Pacific Resort:

1. Cheaper.

2. FOTL passes (better than the ones you buy, because they're unlimited).

3. Pool hopping! Not only is it allowed, it's encouraged. So you can feel free to visit all the hotels. There's a water taxi that can take you, or you can hire a pedi-cab, or you can walk (about 15 minutes to the Hard Rock Hotel, I think). Oh, and the pools are heated.

4. Queen sized beds.

5. A ten minute walk to City Walk, so we can have our choice of restaurants.

I don't know how big the rooms are, but they look to be on par with most hotel rooms. And if you can get adjoining ones, I imagine they'll feel bigger.

Earlier today I was looking into menu prices, and here's what I saw posted about the Royal Pacific (prices from 2009):

Bula Pool Side Bar - Royal Pacific
Kids Grilled Cheese $5.95
1/2 lb Burger, Fries, & Cole Slaw $11.95
Caesar Chicken Salad $12.95
18% gratuity automatically added

Ice Cream
1 scoop/1 topping $3.50
2 scoops/2 toppings $4.50
.50 each additional topping

Toll House Ice Cream Sandwich $4.00
Nestle Ice Cream Crunch Bar $3.00
Itzakadoozie $3.00
Dibs $4.00
Milkshakes or Floats $5.00
Haagen-Dazs $2.50
Red Bull Sorbet $4.00

Plus, also at the Bula Bar (2010):

Nachos-$9.95(no meat)
1 Michelob Ultra-$6.00
1 Raspberry Smoothie-$6.50

I don't know about the hotel restaurants proper, but I imagine you'll be able to find comfort food without any problem.

Most of the reviews I've read about the Royal Pacific say it feels like stepping into another world. So I gather it's easy to ignore the Dr. Doom Fearfall tower in the distance, behind the trees. Lots of reviewers complained that shrubbery blocked the views from their windows, which is something I personally consider a plus.

I hope this helps! I haven't been yet, but - just like you! - I like to do my research.

 

[mum4jenn]

We have stayed at Royal Pacific several times and LOVE it.

 

[PrincessOp]

I can't imagine you will be dissapointed in the Royal Pacific. I've stayed in many Disney resorts - both moderate and deluxe and, I can tell you, the first time I stayed at RPR, my jaw just dropped at how beautiful it is. My family of four stays very comfortably in one room there, so I think you will be fine with six people in two rooms. Enjoy your trip!

 

[justprettynpink]

We have stayed at both places. I think you will love either place.

One thing we do that might help at little if you haven't thought of it...

We stay at a cheap off site place the first night. Get up at wee hours of the morning and check in to our on site hotel so we can use the express pass that day.

On the night before we leave we find a cheap off site place so we can use the express pass that day too.

That usually saves us some money and allows us to use the express pass the same amount of time as if we stayed on site the whole time.

Using your dates Cheap night the 19th and the 24th.

Hope this helps!

 

[brenda1966]

justprettynpink -- how do you find your "cheap" hotel? Do you use hotwire? And how do you get to US from there? Do you take a taxi? I'm guessing the cheap hotel would be very close by.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I just don't know how early to plan to get up, check out of cheap hotel, get a taxi to take us to RP resort, give us time to check in, store our bags with bell hop, and still get to the park prior to opening.

 

[tfoster]

Thanks for all of the positive messages. I feel pretty good about either option now. I showed the Universal map to my husband tonight and talked about the pluses and minuses (from my perspective) of the three on-site hotels. I had gotten in the mindset of switching to RPR, but to my surprise he said for a few hundred dollars difference to just keep us at PBH. He really likes the idea of our having more room space and doesn't think the greater distance from the parks is a big enough deal to worry about. So at least for now, I guess PBH is where we will stay. Of course, now I'm already lamenting not having a shorter walk to IOA and CityWalk! LOL! And we might end up giving up a trip to Blue Man's Group (to make up for going over budget on the hotel), but I could probably accept that easily enough.

justprettynpink - Good idea about the cheaper hotel on the ends, but we're already staying at a different one at the beginning of our trip (for our SeaWorld days) and just thinking about adding another one to the mix makes me anxious. Packing up and moving six people isn't much fun, and we won't have a vehicle to facilitate moving.

 

[tfoster]

We'll be making our first trip to Universal in December, too!

Here's why we picked Royal Pacific Resort:

1. Cheaper.

2. FOTL passes (better than the ones you buy, because they're unlimited).

3. Pool hopping! Not only is it allowed, it's encouraged. So you can feel free to visit all the hotels. There's a water taxi that can take you, or you can hire a pedi-cab, or you can walk (about 15 minutes to the Hard Rock Hotel, I think). Oh, and the pools are heated.

4. Queen sized beds.

5. A ten minute walk to City Walk, so we can have our choice of restaurants.

I don't know how big the rooms are, but they look to be on par with most hotel rooms. And if you can get adjoining ones, I imagine they'll feel bigger.

Earlier today I was looking into menu prices, and here's what I saw posted about the Royal Pacific (prices from 2009):

Bula Pool Side Bar - Royal Pacific
Kids Grilled Cheese $5.95
1/2 lb Burger, Fries, & Cole Slaw $11.95
Caesar Chicken Salad $12.95
18% gratuity automatically added

Ice Cream
1 scoop/1 topping $3.50
2 scoops/2 toppings $4.50
.50 each additional topping

Toll House Ice Cream Sandwich $4.00
Nestle Ice Cream Crunch Bar $3.00
Itzakadoozie $3.00
Dibs $4.00
Milkshakes or Floats $5.00
Haagen-Dazs $2.50
Red Bull Sorbet $4.00

Plus, also at the Bula Bar (2010):

Nachos-$9.95(no meat)
1 Michelob Ultra-$6.00
1 Raspberry Smoothie-$6.50

I don't know about the hotel restaurants proper, but I imagine you'll be able to find comfort food without any problem.

Most of the reviews I've read about the Royal Pacific say it feels like stepping into another world. So I gather it's easy to ignore the Dr. Doom Fearfall tower in the distance, behind the trees. Lots of reviewers complained that shrubbery blocked the views from their windows, which is something I personally consider a plus.

I hope this helps! I haven't been yet, but - just like you! - I like to do my research.

Thanks for all the great info! You do very nice research! Don't know when you're going in December, but that was also an obsession for me. First it was Dec 6 - Dec 11. Then it was Dec 12 - Dec 17. And then Dec 19 - Dec 24. Of course, we had to go back and forth between the weeks several times before finally settling on Dec 19 - Dec 24. It will probably be more crowded than the other weeks, but I think it will feel more like a Christmas trip. We'll just try to make sure we get everything done we want to get done early in the trip and then relax a bit more the last day or two. Happy planning!

 

[cieslack]

I am typing this from a standard room at PBH. You will not be disappointed. The room is huge and the grounds are beautiful. We are a family of five and we are saving a bundle by buying most of our food at walmart. Most car services allow a grocery stop, but I drove so it's not an issue. The walk to the parks is not bad, but the boats are never far away and run until 2am.

Be careful, after you experience Express Pass you will never be satisfied without it again.

 

[tfoster]

I am typing this from a standard room at PBH. You will not be disappointed. The room is huge and the grounds are beautiful. We are a family of five and we are saving a bundle by buying most of our food at walmart. Most car services allow a grocery stop, but I drove so it's not an issue. The walk to the parks is not bad, but the boats are never far away and run until 2am.

Be careful, after you experience Express Pass you will never be satisfied without it again.

Hey, thanks for writing from "on location"! We're thinking of doing the "car service grocery stop / cooler in the tub" deal to save money too - especially on drinks, which seem to always be so grossly overpriced!

At an average pace, how long is it taking your family to walk to Universal Studios? How about IOA?

 

[tfoster]

I am typing this from a standard room at PBH. You will not be disappointed. The room is huge and the grounds are beautiful. We are a family of five and we are saving a bundle by buying most of our food at walmart. Most car services allow a grocery stop, but I drove so it's not an issue. The walk to the parks is not bad, but the boats are never far away and run until 2am.

Be careful, after you experience Express Pass you will never be satisfied without it again.

Oh - one other question - if it's raining and miserable, are there things to do at the hotel to keep the kids occupied?

 

[tfoster]

I know I'd have to pay for another deposit but I believe I'd get one of them back later when I canceled. Right?

I'm wondering if I should secure both places and then make a final decision closer to our trip rather than over 6 months out and have me fretting over it for the next 6 months.

 

[Magpie]

Thanks for all the great info! You do very nice research! Don't know when you're going in December, but that's was also an obsession for me. First it was Dec 6 - Dec 11. Then it was Dec 12 - Dec 17. And then Dec 19 - Dec 24. Of course, we had to go back and forth between the weeks several times before finally settling on Dec 19 - Dec 24. It will probably be more crowded than the other weeks, but I think it will feel more like a Christmas trip. We'll just try to make sure we get everything done we want to get done early in the trip and then relax a bit more the last day or two. Happy planning!

We're booked for Dec 11 to 18. We picked that week because it's the last week of school, so hopefully our kids won't miss much. And we'll still get to enjoy relatively uncrowded parks (knock on wood!). My husband's a bit crowd-phobic. He did not enjoy Mickey's Very Magical Christmas Party at all.

I start celebrating Christmas about halfway through November (I TRY to keep it to a low simmer until after my son's birthday, but it's hard to resist the music and movies). And I need several days at home before the 24th to plan Christmas dinner and start all the pre-cooking and prep. Dinner usually takes about a week, with various pieces being made ahead, and then everything assembled on the big day. I love Christmas!

In part because of dietary needs, and partly for the budget, we'll be bringing high-fibre instant oatmeal packages with us, along with some assorted nuts and dried fruit. We'll boil some water in the coffee maker and eat our breakfasts in our hotel room.

 

[Magpie]

Oh - one other question - if it's raining and miserable, are there things to do at the hotel to keep the kids occupied?

Somewhere I saw something about "cookie-decorating" at Christmas, and lots of reviewers have praised the kids programming at the pool, so I'm assuming there will be something for rainy days, too. But you can call the hotel and ask!

Also, there's a big movie theatre at CityWalk, so if it's miserable out, you can always go see a movie with the kids.

Re. walking? The reviews I've seen say that the walk from RPR to City Walk is either 7 minutes (and totally easy) or it's 15 minutes (and a hellish slog). My family walks a lot, and a half hour hike to school is nothing we'd ever thing twice about. But I had some friends from the States up, and they were dying at the (for us) short 15 minute walk to the bus station. It took them about 25 minutes to get there, and then they had to sit down and rest.

So it all depends on your family's definition of a "short walk".

The path from RPR drops you off right next to Margaritaville in Citywalk.

P.S. There's also a boat that runs every 15 minutes, or so.

 

[mjohnson96]

The path from RPR drops you off right next to Margaritaville in Citywalk.

That is the best part of the walk....grab a Margarita if you get too hot on the walk

They also have those pedicabs that work off tips too, we used one last year. I was 6 months pregnant and just couldn't do the walk anymore so we grabbed one and gave him a tip! We beat everyone back to the pool that day!

 

[justprettynpink]

I check several sites but Travel Zoo is my favorite.

I got the Hampton Inn Universal for $44 per night for the 1st week of July. (no Payment upfront just need a CC to hold the ressie.

 

[brenda1966]

Thanks Justprettynpink! I hadn't heard of Travel Zoo, will add it to my list of places to search. Now for my million other questions. How do you get from one hotel to the other? how much time do you allow for checking out, travel, checking in at US, storing luggage, getting to the park, etc.

 

[justprettynpink]

We drive down. I usually allow an hour.

We have not had to wait to check in the wee hours (7-8 am) of the morning.

Drive up, have the bell hops take the luggage and store it.

Check in and off to the park.

FYI...If the PBH boats are busy, the HRH boat comes over to help...no more than a 10 minute wait.


We have had the room ready when we checked in and we have also had them call us to tell us when the room was ready.

right now Crown Plaza has $79 junior suites....keep checking they add places often...

 

[bubba's mom]

To the OP: I WAS going to say you'd have plenty of room for 6 people in 2 rooms at RPR. We're a fam of 3 and have plenty of room. Then again, we don't stay IN the room long...we only stay onsite for 'the key'

But, we've stayed at all 3, and PBH IS our fave. As for the walk...you can shave some time off it if you DON'T take the Garden Path. Instead, go straight and cut across the highway (there is a traffic light w/ crosswalk). You'll be staring at the entrance to HRH. You can go around the hotel and cut thru the parking lot. Takes about 5 min or so off your walk. You'll come out to the far side of the Studios...of course the walk to IOA is a bit longer (because it's on the other side of the resort).

We usually get a stryofoam cooler, ice and drinks and snacks. Saves us a bunch of money...esp on water!

You won't be disappointed w/ the onsite fotl perk....mof, you won't go back withOUT staying onsite for it.

 

[tfoster]

To the OP: I WAS going to say you'd have plenty of room for 6 people in 2 rooms at RPR. We're a fam of 3 and have plenty of room. Then again, we don't stay IN the room long...we only stay onsite for 'the key'

But, we've stayed at all 3, and PBH IS our fave. As for the walk...you can shave some time off it if you DON'T take the Garden Path. Instead, go straight and cut across the highway (there is a traffic light w/ crosswalk). You'll be staring at the entrance to HRH. You can go around the hotel and cut thru the parking lot. Takes about 5 min or so off your walk. You'll come out to the far side of the Studios...of course the walk to IOA is a bit longer (because it's on the other side of the resort).

We usually get a stryofoam cooler, ice and drinks and snacks. Saves us a bunch of money...esp on water!

You won't be disappointed w/ the onsite fotl perk....mof, you won't go back withOUT staying onsite for it.

Thanks bubba's mom. I feel like such a wacko for thinking about this so much! It's nice to hear you like both RPR and PBH. There really are pluses and minuses with each of the hotels, and it's so hard to decide with never having seen any of them.

I'm thinking we'll probably use Garden Grocer to have some groceries delivered to us on the day we move from our SW hotel to our Universal hotel.

Really looking forward to this trip!