Tidbits for saving money on your trip to Universal

[Robo56]

I would like to share some of things I have used to save money on my trips to Universal over the years. I think a common thread we all share is trying to stretch our dollars as much as we can. Hopefully this will be great topic to enlist those experienced Universal travelers to share their tips also to the newcomers.
1. I start pricing the onsite hotels in January for my trips I usually plan in May. I will make a reservation when the prices are at a good rate and continue to watch the prices. If the price falls I will call back and get that changed to the better price. Cost out any packages and see if there is a savings of what your looking for. For example some packages have a per person cost ex 145.00 per person per day that includes hotel, ticket, and couple of breakfasts per person. Break out each cost etc the cost of the room and tickets per person and those two meals per person and actually see if there is a savings to you. Remember you only get express pass included with the deluxe hotels Portofino, Royal Pacific and Hard Rock. If you purchased a package with the budget onsite hotel like Cabana you do not get express pass. That would be a added cost for express passes for each person in your party each day and would be very expensive. Become a Loews first member it is no cost to you and allows you to accrue reward points. This allows you to upgrade your room if an upgrade is available. The water taxi is available to the deluxe hotels only. Cabana beach is not near the waterway. The Cabana Beach had family suites at a awesome price quoted in Feb. This is a definate cost saving to a large family if the express option is not important to you. Staying at onsite hotels allows you to enter Islands of Adventure one hour before the general public. So if the park opens at 9 am onsite guests get in at 8. Water taxi's will start running 1/2 hour before early park opening for onsite guests.
Universal has gift cards. These are sold on the Universal web site and I have also seen them sold at Walmart in Florida. If you are looking to save money for a upcoming trip to Universal why not tell your love ones to give you these for Christmas and birthdays. You can even pick the picture you want on Universals site. Slowly over the course of a few months purchase or hopefully receive a few so when you actually go you have created a little nest egg of fun. It helps not having to lay out a lot of money at one time. They have varied denominations and what little child does not like having their own little gift card to purchase what they want on their special trip to Universal.
Food is expensive at all theme parks I always stop at store and pick up water, juices, muffins and fruit before we check in. Breakfast is in the room in the morning. Lunch is the nicer meal and dinner is lite. I look up the menus and cost of the entrees at the restraurants before hand so I have a pretty good idea what our meals will cost. The majority of restraurants have their menus with prices on Universal's web site. Also if you have rental car go off site for some meals in the evening there is a major strip of hotels and restaurants that's basically not far behind the Portofino property. I have found that the only restraurant we have needed reservations for is Mytho's. You can make these 30 days out online through Universal's website.
Things we buy. We always get a lanyard that has the card holder attached. We put our room key and express pass and park ticket in this so it does not go missing. We usually each have a small 20 inch rolling suite case and one backpack each. Any goodies we buy have to fit in our individual backpacks. You would be surprise what you can fit in a backpack. My grandson had a owl, wand, chocolate frog, Bertie botts t-shirt etc. Using your AAA card offers nice discounts on merchandise bought at the park. Check AAA discounts on park tickets. They will usually match Universal's site. If you choose to use AAA to purchase your tickets remember to get your needed maps for the trip which are also free to you as a member. They will mail these to you if needed. Hope this helps. Have fun making memories with your family.

 

[damo]

There are many restaurants that have meals that are plenty big to share. The salads at the Bula Bar at RPR can easily feed two people. The same goes for the nachos.

 

[elaine amj]

Always on the lookout for money savings tips Trying to keep our trip next week more budget friendly.

 

[Nohal]

Thanks for the tips. We are going for the 1st time since they opened in 3 weeks. You say that you got a discount with your AAA card, I thought I read that the only what to get a discount is if your booked your trip through AAA.

 

[Momw/aplan]

Thanks for the tips. We are going for the 1st time since they opened in 3 weeks. You say that you got a discount with your AAA card, I thought I read that the only what to get a discount is if your booked your trip through AAA.

We've always gotten a AAA discount on merchandise. 10% I believe. And we don't book through AAA.

 

[macraven]

when i plan my dates for the darkside, my first priority is getting the dates, hotel and room type getting booked first.
the cost of that is secondary.
room rates can always be modified anytime after the discounts are released.
so, i don't go into the first step in setting up my vacation worrying about the money.

i go regularly but i am very aware that many do a once only or a stay at the darkside onsite on occasion
the youfirst program wouldn't help as much unless you hit the 10 stays each year at a Loews hotel for their perks
starting out with the blue level can be achieved easily but keeping a status can be iffy if you only stay at a Loews a couple of times in the first two years.


i'm guessing that those that only do the darkside as an occasional trip, would lean more towards the value resort cabana bay.
affordable and it has the bus shuttle to the parks.
looks like plenty of extra activity at the hotel with the lazy river, pool, bowling, etc for night time entertainment.
the hotel does have the park of the early entry which really helps the families out in the parks.
a lot can be covered in that first hour.

my only suggestions for those wanting to make their stay a budget trip would be to sign up for the surveys that UO sends out.
there are times during the year that pin codes and special codes are issued to those on the list that are doing the surveys.
one year i received a code and took the room price extremely low for my already booked room.
it is a hit or miss on getting them as i have only recieved these emails with the discount code 3 times over the years.
when you get one, it means more money for butterbeer.............!

 

[johde]

We've always gotten a AAA discount on merchandise. 10% I believe. And we don't book through AAA.

I think it's a fairly recent change to requiring the AAA package for the discount. When I went in January it was still show your card but shortly after that there was a thread about the change.

 

[Robo56]

To receive your discount on merchandise that you purchase at Universal in park stores or the big Universal store on city walk just requires you show your AAA card. It does not have anything to do with whether you book your trip through AAA. The percentage on merchandise we received last year actually increased with the amount we spent. Which is something they had not done the year before. With this in mind. We did our rides and then I had the grandkids shop their goodies and purchased everything at once and had our merchandise sent to the room. Another nice perk of staying on site. We wait until our last day and purchase our chocolate frogs and any other possible meltable gifts and take them back to hotel.

 

[johde]

Here's the thread from April about the change in AAA discount. , http://www.disboards.com/threads/aaa-inside-park-discount-changed.3398156/ If it's gone back to the old system that would be great.

 

[macraven]

jeremy, i haven't read anything that states the AAA discounts reverted back to what we all were used to.

posters in the thread you brought up is only one month old and i assumed the new policy is the new way the UO is handling AAA discounts.


probably this summer when more are in the parks and posting their experiences, we all might hear more which way the AAA policy is working.

 

[disnutz]

Agreed - I would hate for anyone not to know that, as of April, 2015, AAA discount required a paper that printed when tickets were purchased only.

 

[Robo56]

Should have updated information to share this afternoon on AAA discounts. Will post it when I receive info.

 

[macraven]

Should have updated information to share this afternoon on AAA discounts. Will post it when I receive info.

i've already read back in April where 3 different posters stated that the AAA program changed with new requirements
i would assume this new policy would be in effect for all regions.

the only regions that have had different policies for some perks has been in GA in the past.

 

[Robo56]

I posted a reply on another thread to this question of AAA. I went to my local AAA office today and was told that there has been no Change in the discount policy with Universal Studios. She said you only need to show your card for discounts. She said there is no voucher attached to the tickets you purchase from AAA. Just a reminder to use your AAA card for as much as 25% off of your purchases of $75.00 or more. I also talk to a Rep at Universal and she said that there is still 10% off food and beverages at participating restraurants and 10% off purchases of merchandise of at least $50.00 and 15% off purchases of $75.00 or more on merchandise at participating stores. She said she did not see an exclusion for WWoHP.

 

[macraven]

which AAA office are you using?
the one in southern GA?

i have been aware of the discount amounts allowed but never heard of any of it at 25%.

last year the they did increase it to $50 for a purchase before a discount could be applied.

 

[hpriamson]

I posted a reply on another thread to this question of AAA. I went to my local AAA office today and was told that there has been no Change in the discount policy with Universal Studios. She said you only need to show your card for discounts. She said there is no voucher attached to the tickets you purchase from AAA. Just a reminder to use your AAA card for as much as 25% off of your purchases of $75.00 or more. I also talk to a Rep at Universal and she said that there is still 10% off food and beverages at participating restraurants and 10% off purchases of merchandise of at least $50.00 and 15% off purchases of $75.00 or more on merchandise at participating stores. She said she did not see an exclusion for WWoHP.

That's not what I, and others, have been experiencing in the parks recently. I tried to use my AAA card for a discount for both food & merchandise several times, and each time was told the new policy was you need to have purchased your park tix through AAA to get a discount. A few times they gave me a discount anyway, but made it clear they were "bending the rules" for us.

 

[Robo56]

Sounds like AAA and Universal have got their wires crossed. Both sides I spoke to today are claiming there is not an issue. I am not sure how far up the ladder in either organization it will take to fix things. Will continue to do some digging. I am going to be there in 2 weeks from today and I so enjoyed my discounts on the merchandise.

 

[Lallybroch]

We are new AAA members and will be going to the park this weekend. Always looking out for discounts, so we'll try and report back.

 

[Robo56]

I am in Indiana on business and went by the AAA office here. Lollybroch it will we great to hear back from your experience this coming weekend. Have a great time at the park's.

 

[lborne]

To stretch dollars, you can bring in your own drinks. We use an insulated backpack now that the kids are no longer in strollers. The negative with US/IOA is the mandatory use of lockers to store the backpack for some of the major rides. I'm pretty sure we took the backpack on every ride at all 4 Disney parks.

For souvenirs, check out the last shop at the exit of US. Most everything there is clearance or reduced price items.

Am I missing something, or is staying at one of the on-site deluxe hotels much cheaper than buying express passes? We are going this weekend and for four of us, express passes for Saturday and Sunday would cost $760 before tax. Staying at the RPR for less than $400 after taxes.