Tickets/Express Pass/Lodging Advice

[clipfert]

Hi,
Our family of four (2 adults, 2 kids ages 9 and 5) are going to Orlando from 7/24 - 8/3. We will spend couple of days at Universal followed by a Disney Cruise that leaves Port Canaveral on 7/30. I was originally planning on doing two days at universal but I see that Undercover Tourist has a buy 2 days get one day free ticket and it's cheaper than anything Universal has right now. I'm leaning towards purchasing those tickets.

I know if we stay at select Universal Hotels that we will get free Universal Express passes however my husband and I would prefer to cook a few meals and staying in a suite at universal is not going to cut it. We also don't want to hop from hotel to hotel during our stay. We would prefer to stay one hotel in Orlando before going on our cruise. We will most likely have a car. We aren't planning on doing anything else while in Orlando except the theme parks and then a couple of relaxing days, so a resort type vibe would be nice for our off days. We are looking at Vista Cay or something similar, any recommendations?

My 5 year old isn't interested in roller coasters however, there are only 5 rides she can't ride between the two universal parks. (mostly the roller coaster type rides). Do you think it makes sense to just purchase two Universal express passes that we could share between the family? I realize we wouldn't get to hang out as a family during the ride but if the line is short, does that matter? Is it worth it, anyone done this before? Also would you recommend express pass for Volcano Bay? My 5 year cannot ride approx 5 rides at that park.

Thanks in advance!
Christine

 

[damo]

That's a really busy time at Universal. If you aren't staying at one of the express hotels, you probably will want to purchase express. You can purchase there, though. You don't need to purchase in advance.

 

[bchbetha]

I’d really consider just how necessary and important cooking some meals and staying put are when weighed against the crowds. Staying onsite is convenient on a hot, crowded day simply to be able to relax a bit and recharge. Express passes will be very valuable and they cost SO much bought vs included in the hotel.

 

[schumigirl]

I’d forget the cooking idea........

It is going to be heaving then at Universal.......you’d really appreciate the EP with staying onsite at one of the hotels that offer free EP......you also get EE in all hotels.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I have to agree with the pp about staying on-site verses off-site and the express pass and the cooking at this time of year. This is the week we usually go and it is slammed there. However, if you really want to stay in a suite and cook I have stayed in the Staybridge Suites in Lake Buena Vista. I also understand about hotel hopping with younger kids. We do it and like it but it is not for everyone. Have you thought about the club level at Royal Pacific Resort. It would give you some food in the price and it is right in the hotel. It is more costly but could be an option. I am not sure how the express pass works with buying it through the park and sharing. When you go through the hotel everyone gets a card with it. I have heard of people using other passes but not sure I would chance that. The Express Pass last year at that time was going to cost me more than staying at the hotel. You do get check in and check out day for one night.

Volcano Bay stopped selling express passes last year however, the rumor I have heard is that they have started again. We had express passes there last summer. If they are selling them and you are going for a whole day I would recommend it. However, you wouldn't need the express pass if you are only going for about 3 or 4 hours in the morning. You can ride everything you want at a reasonable wait time in the first three hours or so. After that this place will be mobbed and the lines long.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[KEW]

My 5 year old isn't interested in roller coasters however, there are only 5 rides she can't ride between the two universal parks. (mostly the roller coaster type rides). Do you think it makes sense to just purchase two Universal express passes that we could share between the family? I realize we wouldn't get to hang out as a family during the ride but if the line is short, does that matter? Is it worth it, anyone done this before? Also would you recommend express pass for Volcano Bay? My 5 year cannot ride approx 5 rides at that park.

Thanks in advance!
Christine

I don't think you can share EP and I would not chance it. I know there have been talk about some rides with some facial recognition machine in the EP lanes and I can vouch for that. When we went, they were using it at MIB, although you don't know that until way into the EP and also we saw similar machines at other rides but they were not in use. So there's no way to predict which rides will be using it on which day. And if you do happen upon a ride with the machine, will those 2 people then "take the pix" and be linked to those passes while others in your party are out of luck and/or will it look fishy/suspicious when you come upon that machine checkpoint only to have those 2 people back out?

If you are planning to do 3 days at Universal, you might not need the EP. Get there before rope drop each morning and you can get a lot done each day, especially if you are planning on leaving at lunch to cook/eat anyways. At each day's rope drop, each day focus on a different popular attraction/part of the park.

 

[clipfert]

One other thought I had would be to purchase a room at Lowes Portofinio (or one of the resorts that has the free express pass) for one day. This is in addition to our condo rental. We'd get express pass for two days. Then we'd be able to use the express pass for the whole family. We wouldn't actually need to stay in the room or maybe we could just use it to "take a break". Anyone ever done this before?

Everyone seems to be urging us to get a hotel on site, I get it however we'd need to purchase breakfast and dinner (the meals we'd like to make ourselves) and our husband and I would have no privacy after spending all day with the kids. That in of itself is worth the extra money. Oh and having separate bathrooms ... hehe!

I've heard meals at the resorts can be quite pricey.

 

[bchbetha]

Plenty of people do the “throw away” room because, as noted, the perks are sweet.
Can you simply get by with something like protein bars for breakfast?
Yes, things onsite cost more but nothing so significant to break a budget. Split meals (my youngest and I do that as it fits our appetites). Get free cups of water.

 

[bobbie68]

Yes I have gotten a room at Royal Pacific Resort for one night to get the EP for check in day and check out day. We didn't sleep in the room however, we used the room to "take a break" while we were at the parks. This worked out nice for us.

Yes the meals can be a bit pricey and I totally understand about the privacy.

 

[schumigirl]

Food isn’t too pricey.......

Check damo’s thread in the stickies.......it has menus for all restaurants in hotels, parks and Citywalk.

There is a fridge in all rooms, shops in hotel sell cereals and milk.......and other stuff too.

It would be a shame to have the room and not use it......the 3 deluxe hotels are all lovely.......nice way to spend an evening.

 

[KEW]

You could also book a 1-night stay, either at the beginning or end of your Orlando stay, for 2 days' worth of early entry and EPs. That would mean only 1 day where you would buy all your food. For breakfast, I would just pack a bag of granola for each person with a stick of cheese (string or cheddar) and a fruit (single-serving apple, mandarin orange/cutie, or banana). We actually did this every morning for breakfast for our 5-night Orlando stay before a cruise and it didn't leave us hungry at all. I know you only wanted 1 hotel, I totally understand, but I think 1 move shouldn't be that bad.

 

[DonaldnDaisy5]

Is US busier than DW at that same time? We are looking at approximately that week but leaning towards CB because we are 2 families of 5....

 

[bumbershoot]

Do you think it makes sense to just purchase two Universal express passes that we could share between the family?

I don’t think you can do that.

And the non-coaster lines get very long as well, so EP is lovely for all rides. Waiting an hour for “one fish two fish” is NOT something I ever wish to do.

 

[schumigirl]

You absolutely can`t share EP.

 

[clipfert]

Yes I have gotten a room at Royal Pacific Resort for one night to get the EP for check in day and check out day. We didn't sleep in the room however, we used the room to "take a break" while we were at the parks. This worked out nice for us.

Yes the meals can be a bit pricey and I totally understand about the privacy.

When using the Universal Express Pass provided by the Royal Pacific, do you have to go to the hotel lobby/kiosk everyday to get your fastpass? I.e. if we decided to get a room for one day to get fast passes for two days would we need to go to the hotel both days?

 

[schumigirl]

When using the Universal Express Pass provided by the Royal Pacific, do you have to go to the hotel lobby/kiosk everyday to get your fastpass? I.e. if we decided to get a room for one day to get fast passes for two days would we need to go to the hotel both days?

You don’t need to do that.

When you check in you’ll be given room keys for all that are registered in the room.......along with your name, they have the dates of your stay on them. That is your EP.

 

[ktate82]

One other thought I had would be to purchase a room at Lowes Portofinio (or one of the resorts that has the free express pass) for one day. This is in addition to our condo rental. We'd get express pass for two days. Then we'd be able to use the express pass for the whole family. We wouldn't actually need to stay in the room or maybe we could just use it to "take a break". Anyone ever done this before?

Everyone seems to be urging us to get a hotel on site, I get it however we'd need to purchase breakfast and dinner (the meals we'd like to make ourselves) and our husband and I would have no privacy after spending all day with the kids. That in of itself is worth the extra money. Oh and having separate bathrooms ... hehe!

I've heard meals at the resorts can be quite pricey.

We have done this a few times and it worked quite well. We actually packed an overnight bag and stayed in the hotel. In the afternoon, we took a break and swam for a bit to cool off. It was nice to have a spot to take a break and Portofino is amazing!

 

[nkereina]

One other thought I had would be to purchase a room at Lowes Portofinio (or one of the resorts that has the free express pass) for one day. This is in addition to our condo rental. We'd get express pass for two days. Then we'd be able to use the express pass for the whole family. We wouldn't actually need to stay in the room or maybe we could just use it to "take a break". Anyone ever done this before?

You could do this, but price out RPR because it tends to be cheaper than Portofino. In my experience, Portofino is the most expensive of the three deluxe resorts. Also keep in mind that you'll need to stop at the hotel to check-in and receive your key cards which will act as your EPs, so you'd need to build in time to make that extra stop in the morning.

I understand the points about why you want the condo, but the Universal resorts are beautiful and fun. The convenience of being able to head back to the room for a couple hour nap and head back to the park at night even if just to walk around is also appealing. Just things to consider.

 

[bumbershoot]

When you check in you’ll be given room keys for all that are registered in the room.......along with your name, they have the dates of your stay on them. That is your EP.

Yep.

I understand the points about why you want the condo, but the Universal resorts are beautiful and fun. The convenience of being able to head back to the room for a couple hour nap and head back to the park at night even if just to walk around is also appealing. Just things to consider.

Agreed. Those things are so much better than making dinners in a condo.

 

[trstno1]

You don’t need to do that.

When you check in you’ll be given room keys for all that are registered in the room.......along with your name, they have the dates of your stay on them. That is your EP.

Sorry to clarify, but I haven't visited Universal Orlando since 2015. Did they get rid of the booth in the lobby where you would get your photo taken for the express pass? Is it just the room key now? If so, can I check in alone and pick up all of the room keys for my family? Several members of my family are traveling with the high school band and won't be with me when I check into our room.