Thinking of staying at few nights at Universal

[tink_n_pooh]

OK, so we are disney addicts and DVC owners but we are thinking of spending a few nights at Universal before we head to WDW in January. The last time I was at Universal (just a day trip) was in 1992, I bet a lot of things have changed

Anyway, were should we stay onsite? And what are the hotels like? Could anyone compare the services to WDW resorts? Are there any secrets to getting a good rate? I have AAA and I saw that they offer discounts. Is it best to book online or through AAA? Do they have a tranportation system like WDW?

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to anything outside of good old WDW so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks!

 

[patster734]

I'd compare the Universal hotels to the Disney Deluxe Hotels. Universal has 3 hotels the Portofino Bay Hotel (PBH), the Hard Rock Hotel (HRH) and the Royal Pacific Hotel (RPH). The RPH has the smallest rooms and therefore is usually the lowest priced hotel. THE PBH has the largest rooms and therefore is usually the hightest priced hotel.

When travelling between the hotels and the parks, the guest have 3 options for transportation. One option is the boat transportation. Each hotel has their own boat to transfer guests to and from Citywalk. If you just missed getting on the boat, expect a 10 - 20 minute wait for the boat to return for the next load. Another option is that each hotel is connected to Citywalk by pathways. The HRH has the shortest path and exits near the Universal Studios park. The RPH path exists near Margaritaville, just across the bridge from IOA. THe PBH has the longest path and I believe it combines with the HRH path. The other option is that each hotel also has bus transportation to Citywalk. I've never used the bus option but some on here have and they like it.

One of the biggest perks to staying on-property is the Front of the Line (FOTL) benefit. Basically it works very similar to Disney's Fastpass. By showing your room key, you will be allowed in a shorter line for most rides. Each offsite guest who want this, has to buy an express booklet that give them FOTL access to every ride but can only be used once per ride. Onsite guests get unlimited access to the rides and its free.

You can book your room online at http://www.universalorlando.com/ or at http://www.loewshotels.com/. Using the 'AAA' code usually results in highly reduced rates. The best rates are with the 'APH' code (Annual Passholder) but they are limited and are usually released a month before the travel date. For example, the OCtober 'APH' rate were just released last week. Many people will initially book with an 'AAA' code to reserve a room and then switch to an 'APH' if one becomes available. The 'APH' code is not available with the Power Pass annual pass and is only available with the Preferred Annual Pass or the new Premiere Annual Pass.

If you do decide to stay on property, be sure to visit the Loews' website and sign up for the LoewsFirst frequent visitor card.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Wow, thanks for the great info!

Now I have more questions, like where can I find a map that shows where the hotels are compared to the parks/attractions?

Are there any good/bad points that I should know about any of the hotels? I'm thinking of either PBH or HRH, however I am not against RPH if it has something great going on that I don't know about.

It's just my fiance and I, we are used to the WDW delux and DVC resorts. I'm just afraid that Universal won't have the same "magic" that we have grown to expect. What do you think?

 

[Fan2CSkr]

More info for you on the onsite resorts.
http://www.universalorlando.com/ht_comparison.html

Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Portofino Bay Hotel are all deluxe properties and we stay at all of them switching back and forth each trip. You can pool hop too. Transportation is easy to and from the parks everything is local.

Here is a map.
http://www.universalorlando.com/map_index.html

The only advice I have is to not compare Universal to Disney. Go and enjoy it as the seperate entity it is. Our family enjoys Universal and Disney but we dont compare the two. Although I grew up with Disney my children definitely are growing up Universal. It's a blast go and have fun!

 

[aztecgoods]

Actually I love them both, but generally prefer Universal a little more. I just think they have a little better rides. The magic factor at U is just as much there or more than disney. They have their own magic that is very unique. There are differences to the resorts, I stay at the RP mainly cause its the cheapest but I also really like the Asian/tropical theme. If all things were equal I could possibly still stay at the RP. I really like the Portifino as well, its quite a bit more expensive and alot further walk if you want to walk to the parks. But it is great too. It has a Italian riviera theme to it, which you can tell by just looking. I've never stayed at the HR but peeps on here seem to really like it too. Its more of a party rock n roll atmosphere there.

You really can't go wrong with any choice. And you can't go wrong in picking Universal, i would never go to Orlando without doing both U and Dis.

 

[robvia]

Put Universal at the end of your trip. With the UEPs (Unlimited Express Passes) you'll be spoiled. So you want to visit Disney first.

 

[bubba's mom]

I'm just afraid that Universal won't have the same "magic" that we have grown to expect. What do you think?

We thought the hotel (stayed RPR) was beautiful and better than Disney..... we were so impressed w/ UO, we bought AP's. Like Fan2CSkr said, you have to go and NOT compare the two..... just enjoy!

 

[Cinderella822]

We had our first Universal vacation last month. I was afraid, too, that it wouldn't be as "magical" as our Disney vacations. We loved it. I can't say enough about it. We stayed at PBH and I think it was nicer than any of the hotels we stayed at in Disney. Very nice rooms, very clean. A lot of attention to detail. And the staff there were very friendly and made us feel like special guests. We spent the afternoons at the Villa Pool every day and rented a cabana there one day. It was a nice quiet pool. They have a waiter that comes around periodically taking drink and food orders. Just loved it! Even though PBH is the furthest, we walked a few times and even after walking around the parks for hours, it wasn't that bad of a walk. Very nicely landscaped path. We're going again next summer. I think you'll be really impressed with Universal.

 

[maryisme]

You got some great info here but I just wanted to chime in and say that like you, we are DVC members and WDW freaks. However, we just love Universal and are APH. We always make sure to hit Universal for a few days either before or after our WDW vacation. I like the suggestion of doing it after because as one poster said - front of the line does spoil you.

Out of the 3 onsite hotels, we've stayed at portofino and Royal pacific. We enjoyed both of them but loved the theming at the portofino.

Whatever you decide, have a great time!

Mary

 

[Mortlives]

If you do decide to stay on property, be sure to visit the Loews' website and sign up for the LoewsFirst frequent visitor card.

Just emphasizing this. The card gives you free access to the health club, and a complimentary welcome gift, among its many perks. It costs nothing to join, either.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I signed up for the Loews First card, that looks pretty nice. I think I may be interested in the HRH but I'm still not too sure. Is there some where I can find more pictures of the hotels and rooms than just the ones the hotel puts up?

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Keep in mind that HRH rooms are being renovated and the photos you view will not indicate the changes. This is what the rooms will look like after the updates.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1212632


http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/Universal/Hard Rock.htm

http://www.iceportal.com/brochures/ice/Brochure.aspx?did=0&brochureid=ICE556

http://www.orlandorocks.com/info.asp?location=Universal&attraction=hardhotel&type=lodging

 

[minniebeth]

We are Disney lovers as well, but stayed at RPR in April for 8 days due to a conference and brought the family along. Our kids are a little bit older now, and we all absolutely loved it and had an awesome time! Not that we don't love Disney, but it was a huge breath of fresh air. I recommend staying onsite. A great trip!