Tips, Tricks and Secrets for the Portifino Bay Resort.

[Disney Padawan]

Hello everyone! Since there was a tips, tricks and secrets thread for the other resorts, I thought I'd make this one.

I'm actually very interested in this resort and hoping to stay in it maybe late August or early September. So if any of you experts out there wouldn't mind sharing some tips, tricks or secrets, we rookies would sure appreciate it.

 

[damo]

We LOVE Sal's Deli Pizza.

 

[PrincessOp]

I second that about Sal's -- GREAT pizza and very reasonably priced. I've not actually stayed here, but I will add not to miss the beach pool - to me, it's amazing - easily the best at US resort.

 

[Joyciemc]

Don't have anything to add as we haven't been yet... but I am also very interested in anything folks have to share about Portofino Bay. We'll be there Sept 2-5!

 

[Disneyhappy]

We love EVERYTHING about PBR. I will try to share the things I really enjoy. "Music of the Night" is a must see for us. We sit in the piazza either enjoyig frinks or gelatos (yum!) and listen the the singing from the villa balcony. One time my DH grabbed my hand and danced with me, which started other couples dancing. The pools are great. The beach pool is more active. They usually come aroud every hour with something to keep you cool. A toothpick of frozen grapes, refridgerated cucumbers for your eyes, a little sample cup of a frozen smoothy, etc. The massages at the Mandarin Spa are fantastic. I totally agree with the thumbs up for Sal's Deli pizza. The best pizza in all of Universal Studios Resort. The other food is also good. I don't remember the brand name of the chips they sell but they are also very good and we grab several bags during our stays. They have several different flavors. I could probably go on and on but we seem to enjoy the evenings on the piazza at night. No matter how many people are around, it never seems busy. It is a quiet and peaceful way to end our days. Enjoy!

 

[mom2aandj]

We are going here for the first time in October, so noting all these tips! I saw someone mention something on another thread about going through the Hard Rock Cafe parking lot to save time when heading to the parks? Anyone know what that's about?

 

[rpbert1]

Bubbas mum has a map which shows the shortcut, i am sure she will be here shortly and post it up for you.

 

[nhrenee]

2 yr old info, hopefully still current:

At the Flying Fish Bar they have backgammon sets you can use while at the bar. DH and I had a wonderful, relaxing evening enjoying drinks and playing at an outside table.

 

[bubba's mom]

We are going here for the first time in October, so noting all these tips! I saw someone mention something on another thread about going through the Hard Rock Cafe parking lot to save time when heading to the parks? Anyone know what that's about?

I took step-by-step pictures of the shortcut through the HRH parking lot to the parks.

Walk past the boat dock and bear right at the split. Unless you'd like to take the long walk, do NOT follow this sign. (After passing the 'garden walk entrance', I turned around to take a picture...facing the hotel.) Once you get to the corner, you can turn around and look behind you toward the hotel. This is the view crossing the street to HRH. Walking up toward the HRH....turning at your first right (before the hotel) into the self-parking lot. You can clearly see you are heading toward the old HRC (in the background). Just before you would exit the parking lot (to the access road), follow the parking lot and bear left. This is more self-parking. (See the Studios in the distance?) Walk through the parking lot, until you spot a 'break' in the trees/bushes on your right. There is a pathway hidden at parking spot #627. A short path to the parks. The path actually comes out near the bus stop.

eta: the first time we took this way, we actually took the access road next to the parking lot. stopping to take pix of old HRC, it was exactly 11 min. So, w/ cutting THRU the HRH parking lot, figure about the same amount of time or close to it.


***There is a whole thread about the walk from PBH....

 

[goofie4goofy]

PBH has the longest walk to the parks...I dont walk it too hot. Do they still have the rickshaw bikes

One of our favorite places in PBH is Bar American just off the lobby. Outstanding cocktails which are hand made from "real" ingredients. There lounge has a great atmosphere and will have a wonderful time here,

The Gelato is made on premisis and is delicious

The PBH is one of my favorite hotels anywhere and that is a bold statement. I am a travel agent and I visit a lot of different hotels. The PBH has everything going for it, there really is no secret to the PBH the entire resort is excellent. It is quite unique in the fact that while you are in a theme park, you would never know it. Once you leave the park and get back to the PBH you are in another world.

 

[damo]

Here's the map that I made ages ago

<a href="http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/?action=view&current=pbh-walkingroute.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w35/damoporto/pbh-walkingroute.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[mom2aandj]

thanks damo and bubba's mom!

 

[damo]

Here is a new version with green being the shortcut and red being the normal path.

 

[unionville]

We have stayed at Portofino once before but never considered walking. Is there an advantage to not taking the boat (except for having to wait on the boat)? That looks like quite a walk in the heat of the summer. We always walk when we stay at Royal Pacific so maybe the Portofino walk is not as long it appears???

 

[damo]

We have stayed at Portofino once before but never considered walking. Is there an advantage to not taking the boat (except for having to wait on the boat)? That looks like quite a walk in the heat of the summer. We always walk when we stay at Royal Pacific so maybe the Portofino walk is not as long it appears???

The shortcut walk is just a few minutes more than the RPR walk. If the boat is there, we take the boat, otherwise we walk.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

We are considering a stay in Dec. It looks like it is a nice place to stay.

 

[unionville]

damo - thank you for the information and the comparison to RPR

 

[bubba's mom]

The shortcut walk is just a few minutes more than the RPR walk.

agree.

If the boat is there, we take the boat, otherwise we walk.

that is our rule too. if the boat's not there, you can walk there faster than waiting for the boat and getting to CW.

 

[knieriem]

We're staying here on July 12th to be able to get into the park an hour early for Harry Potter. If we want to be at IOA at 7:30 what time would you suggest leaving the hotel to walk?

 

[bubba's mom]

We're staying here on July 12th to be able to get into the park an hour early for Harry Potter. If we want to be at IOA at 7:30 what time would you suggest leaving the hotel to walk?

If you walk the shortcut thru HRH parking lot, 7-7:10am.

If walking the Garden Path...no later than 7am.

Sadly, that is my plan once or twice on our trip (July 13-18th). Be at IOAs gate no later than 7:15am