Trying to figure out the 4/3 deal. And question re booking family of 5 loweshotel....

[TnTWalter]

OK so I read about booking through loweshotel for youfirst [don't really know why yet] but went to their website for fun and see the 4/3 deal listed and below that it says...

Kids Eat FREE at lunch & dinner** during 2009 Extra Value Weeks! Stay 3 nights or longer at the On-site Hotels at Universal from Jan 4 – Feb 11, Apr 19 – Jun 10, Aug 16 – Sept 30, Nov 29 – Dec 17, 2009.

It would just be for 2 of the kids but still a nice bonus.

BUT you cannot select more than 2 kids on the page where you enter # adults #children on website even though you're allowed to have 5 in a room.

Also I see no mention of this deal on this forum so I'm confused.

AND 3rd issue it's $2000 for Royal Pacific whereas Hard Rock through Universal with 3 kids is $1750.

oh it says rate unavailable but offers me the room and tix for the above $2k so maybe that's why.

Trying to save money over WDW.

Thanks.

Trish

 

[minniejack]

I really hate to sound like I'm plugging AAA after all of the problems that my agent created for me, but in the Jan newsletter it mentions that February is Uni month--you get $100 back for 6 nights or more. I don't know if that would be as good as the 4-3 deal.

Also, I was on the Discover credit card site and you can get a 5% cash back bonus for putting travel (air, lodging,etc) on your card Jan-Mar.

 

[TnTWalter]

I can only go May 30-Jun 6. It says on Universal if you go before a certain date you get $150 [obviously geared towards competing with WDW's 4/3 deal+gift card].

Right now I've only gotten Hard Rock to show up on deals page through Universal [I can enter 3 kids there].


I CALLED. And same price...
$1225.14 super saver rate + tix so about $1750 for hotel and tix.
She said the kids 9 and under would eat lunch and dinner free.

Incidently I had a popular travel company give me a quote and they quoted ALMOST $2700 for the same dates and hotel!!! Um, no thanks.

Trish

 

[damo]

I can only go May 30-Jun 6. It says on Universal if you go before a certain date you get $150 [obviously geared towards competing with WDW's 4/3 deal+gift card].

Right now I've only gotten Hard Rock to show up on deals page through Universal [I can enter 3 kids there].


I CALLED. And same price...
$1225.14 super saver rate + tix so about $1750 for hotel and tix.
She said the kids 9 and under would eat lunch and dinner free.

Incidently I had a popular travel company give me a quote and they quoted ALMOST $2700 for the same dates and hotel!!! Um, no thanks.

Trish

That sounds pretty good. With the three kids, I would probably go with the HRH and get a deluxe room. It has two queen beds and a pullout couch. Don't know how much extra that would be but it is considerably more space than the standard room at the RPR. They are quite small.

Are you booking through www.loewshotels.com or through the www.universalorlando.com website?

 

[taliategan]

I am checking rates too. There is a lot of different packages and discounts out there, and you should keep checking until the time of your trip. Try the APH rate - it may pay to buy the APH for one of your tickets. THe extra you pay for the AP may result in more savings on the hotel.

 

[TnTWalter]

Well I could do the POR with 7 day base tix for all 5 of us for just under $2k. The benefit to HRH is it's pet friendly for a small fee and free lunch and dinner for 2 of my kids if eat the the resorts....

I just thought it would be 'alot' cheaper.

And I haven't even figured in the $15 + tax per day to park.....ouch....

Still debating.

Thanks.

 

[damo]

Well I could do the POR with 7 day base tix for all 5 of us for just under $2k. The benefit to HRH is it's pet friendly for a small fee and free lunch and dinner for 2 of my kids if eat the the resorts....

I just thought it would be 'alot' cheaper.

And I haven't even figured in the $15 + tax per day to park.....ouch....

Still debating.

Thanks.

Remember that HRH and RPR are luxury hotels. Your hotel prices are going to be higher than the moderates at WDW. Plus you get unlimited express line access and you can walk to the parks and Citywalk.

 

[minniejack]

Remember that HRH and RPR are luxury hotels. Your hotel prices are going to be higher than the moderates at WDW. Plus you get unlimited express line access and you can walk to the parks and Citywalk.

And Disney isn't really all that close--you would still have to drive and then still pay for parking.

 

[goofy!]

Keep trying.

I just plugged your dates in for the Hard Rock and got a Super Saver rate of $1146.11 after taxes.

This was through www.loewshotels.com.

I have 3 kids too and when searching for rates, I always search for 1 room with just 2 adults. Then I book it with the kids. I don't know why, but searching with just adults always seems to bring up a rate a few dollars cheaper.

 

[TnTWalter]

And Disney isn't really all that close--you would still have to drive and then still pay for parking.

Disney doesn't charge for parking if you're onsite.

 

[TnTWalter]

OK what about Hampton Inn?

I can stay there June 1 - 6 with 2 day unlimited passes for all 5 of us for ~$900.

Now that seems like a great deal.

Is it crazy busy that first week of june? Can I buy express front of line add-ons?

I can do SuperSaver for same time period for like $1400 at HRH.

Here's details:
Vacation Price: $ 918.42
Hotel: Hampton Inn Orlando-South of Universal
Room Type - Standard

Activity: Free Scheduled Shuttle to Universal Orlando Resort
Activity: CityWalk Party Pass
Activity: Early Park Admission to Universal Studios Florida
Activity: Vacation Protection Plan
Activity: 2-Park Unlimited Admission Ticket

Thanks.

 

[damo]

You have to judge what is important to you. You have to decide ... If you don't mind scheduling yourself to a shuttle instead of coming and going on your own. If you don't mind waiting in line instead of having unlimited express pass. If you don't mind staying in a budget hotel instead of a deluxe. If you don't mind not being able to hop back to the hotel for a swim because it will be very hot in the beginning of June... then book the Hampton Inn.

If you want a perfect vacation where you run completely ON YOUR OWN TIME not waiting in the heat in lines and being able to relax at a deluxe resort, then stay onsite. If those things don't matter, and they don't to lots of people, then book offsite. Are you going to get in that line waiting for the shuttle and say, "Geez, I wish I had spent the extra money and was walking to my hotel instead". Are you going to begrudge the people who are passing you several times in line because they have the unlimited express passes you get from staying onsite. Are you going to wish your kids had a great pool and water slide to play on so you could sit by the side and lounge?

The express passes will cost you about $30/day per person. There go your savings and you only get to use it once per ride per day.

Hampton Inn Pool:

Hard Rock Pool:

Hampton Inn Room:

Hard Rock Room:

 

[minniejack]

Disney doesn't charge for parking if you're onsite.

I meant the charge for parking at Universal if you stay at Disney

You have to judge what is important to you. You have to decide ... If you don't mind scheduling yourself to a shuttle instead of coming and going on your own. If you don't mind waiting in line instead of having unlimited express pass. If you don't mind staying in a budget hotel instead of a deluxe. If you don't mind not being able to hop back to the hotel for a swim because it will be very hot in the beginning of June... then book the Hampton Inn.

If you want a perfect vacation where you run completely ON YOUR OWN TIME not waiting in the heat in lines and being able to relax at a deluxe resort, then stay onsite. If those things don't matter, and they don't to lots of people, then book offsite. Are you going to get in that line waiting for the shuttle and say, "Geez, I wish I had spent the extra money and was walking to my hotel instead". Are you going to begrudge the people who are passing you several times in line because they have the unlimited express passes you get from staying onsite. Are you going to wish your kids had a great pool and water slide to play on so you could sit by the side and lounge?

The express passes will cost you about $30/day per person. There go your savings and you only get to use it once per ride per day.

 

[Bluer101]

Like damo says, stating onsite has alot of benifits. We used to stay offsite since universal opened until this year. We have now stayed 5 times at RPR and will not stay offsite again. I will find the $ in the budget to just won't go.

 

[macraven]

i suggest you call the Hampton and ask them the scheduled hours for their shuttles.

some places have limited runs to and from the park.
and some hotels share the shuttle where you need to sign up in advance to get a seat on them.


so, if you decide to stay at the Hampton and use the shuttle, you might end up taking cabs some of your days.

sometimes, kids need a break from the parks during the day and you need to go back to the hotel for a down time.


i have stayed off site in the very early years of going to universal.
i have also had a rental car and would stay at disney and drive to uo.

i know people need to cut back and go with the cheapest way for vacations.
after doing it both ways, i only stay on site as i am tired of rental cars, shuttles and working with time schedules for transportations.

i have to set my alarm clock when i work.
when i am staying at the on site hotels, i don't have to stick to a schedule.
now that feels like a vacation to me.

 

[TnTWalter]

Well the rooms look nice at the Hampton but the pool well stinks.

We wouldn't stay at Disney and drive to Universal. We're either going to WDW but staying OFFsite in Windsor Hills OR going to Universal and skipping WDW.

We've been to WDW only twice and both times have stayed ONsite. Kids are older this time [will be 10,8,6]. We did mid-day breaks and park hopped later for like dinner or something but not really...we just went went went and then chilled.

Do you guys also go to WDW?

Thanks I appreciate the feedback.

Trish

 

[macraven]

We've been to WDW only twice and both times have stayed ONsite. Kids are older this time [will be 10,8,6]. We did mid-day breaks and park hopped later for like dinner or something but not really...we just went went went and then chilled.

Do you guys also go to WDW?

Thanks I appreciate the feedback.

Trish

i have been going to the motherland (disney) since 1974 and to the darkside (universal) since the year after they opened.

i go annually since 1992 and do both parks on the vacation.
when at wdw, i stay on site.
when i transfer to UO, i stay on site there.

in the earlier years, i stayed off site.
then i would stay off site a couple of days and the rest of the vacation on site.
some years after that, i stay on site the entire vacation for both places.

time is money to me.
i don't like to travel back and forth from an off site hotel to the parks.

if i return to an off site hotel during the day and plan to return to the parks early evening, my plans usually fail.

that is the main reason i only stay on site now.

if you can swing the onsite hotels, do it.
it gets tiring taking kids back to a off site hotel to take a break.

when you stay on site, you are minutes away from the hotel and much easier to go back to the parks.
the convenience is well worth it to me.

 

[damo]

There is a big difference between going to WDW and Universal. I think all of us have and still do both. Disney fills a day. You spend a very long time waiting in line -- first for transit and then for the rides. Universal, on site, is not like that. You get to enjoy the parks and the hotels because you just don't spend half of your day waiting in line. Until you experience it, it is very difficult to understand how dramatic the difference is between staying onsite at Disney and onsite at Universal.

Our last Disney stay, last March, was at AKL. Firstly, we spent about $350 for the standard room (which was about twice what we were paying at Universal) and we waited over half an hour for transportion every time. The room wasn't nearly as nice as our suite upgrade at the Portofino and the lines at the parks were horrific. After staying at Universal, your tolerance for waiting becomes very low, lol.

One of the reasons that we never go back to the hotel at WDW in the middle of the day is because it would take so long. At Universal it takes about 10 minutes and you are in your room getting your bathing suit on.

 

[TnTWalter]

Hmmm...well I guess I didn't experience horrific lines at WDW...I did wait once for a bus for about 20 minutes..but that was the exception to the norm....

I've been pricing it out and just can't figure out how to justify skipping WDW and doing US....we're debating staying in Windsor Hills and doing WDW so I will have to deal with parking for the first ime...UGH.

Most expensive I've paid at WDW was $250 for the Poly [got a pincode]. It was a great price to be on the MONORAIL, talk about location. I would NOT have paid $350 at AK so that doesn't figure into my calcs at all...

I guess I'm just surprised. I figured it would be a 'substantial savings' but it's not.....I can do 5 nights at Universal + tix for $1700 [HRH] or 7 nights at WDW + tix $1929...and Disney doesn't charge to park if you're onsite...but I could get my dog at US for a small fee vs. kennel @ WDW for $15 per night.
So I guess the $15 kennel and the parking at US cancel each other out...

I found a condo at Windsor Hills for $450...I can do that + 7 day tix for $1490. But I will have to pay to park since offsite $12 per day. Kennel price goes up to $20 per night.


Trish

 

[macraven]

when i stay on site at disney, i always have to give myself one hour to get to where i want to.

if i am at MK and have an ADR at Epcot, i have to budget 40 minutes of my time to commute there by monorail.

i could be at splash mountain and have to leave for making the adr at epcot on time.
by the time i walk to the front of the mk park, get on the monorail, get off that monorail and then get on the epcot monorail, depending on crowds, it could be up to a 25 minute time period.

then when i get off the monorail, i have to go thru the search counters with the disney po po's.
then go thru the ticket entrance at epcot to the park.
then walk from there to the other side of the park for my adr in world showcase.

that's 40 minutes right there.

you wouldn't realize how much time it takes out of your day when you have to change parks and get to another one for dining plans.

if i started my day at AK and had the adr at epcot, it would take me up to an hour minimum for the commuting.
a bus from ak to my resort and then wait at the resort for the epcot bus.
i know you can get the epcot bus from ak but those are far and few between.


at universal, i can walk out of the park to HRC and be there all within 10 minutes.
i could be at mythos quickly also.
i could even walk to the hotel and eat at their dining area.
i'm still talking about a short time period when i leave the park to go get food outside of the park.

i do like that at universal.