Universal at Middle or End of WDW Trip - WWYD

[rlduvall]

I am a DVC Member and have an upcoming trip planned. Last year my DS and I spent one night, in the middle of our trip, at one of the Universal on-site hotels to receive FOTL access for 2 full days and thoroughly enjoyed it [we are seasoned WDW and Universal veterans]. By doing it in the middle of the trip and not wanting to pack up everything, we just burned the DVC points, i.e. we didn't check out - they never knew we were gone. Worked out perfectly and since we only stay in studios it wasn't that big of a deal.

This year [10 night trip - value studio], my DS is wanting to stay at least two nights at Universal and I can't decide if we should do it the same way as last year [would be middle of the week] and again burn two nights of DVC points by going in the middle of the trip, or just go ahead and check out and move over to Universal for the last two nights. While the latter seems like the obvious choice it means we will be at Universal on a Friday and Saturday night and here are my issues [I can't do it at the beginning of the trip because DH will be with us then and he doesn't care about Universal]:

1) We want to play the new minature golf course and it will most likely be more crowded on the weekend; 2) Slightly higher room rates; 3) Our flight leaves early Sunday morning so we won't gain any time at the park for that day whereas in the middle of the trip we would have a portion of that extra day; 4) We will not be able to check our luggage at the resort that Sunday morning for our outbound flight - I love that perk; 5) Disney let down knowing when we head to Universal we will not be going back to Disney that trip.

We will have a rental car.

Opinions . . . please!!! Someone make my decision for me.

[I have also posted this on the DVC board; forgive me if you see it twice]

 

[disneygrandma]

We're also DVC members, and here's what our family has done a couple of times. Before we left our DVC rooms, we had bell services come & pick up the the bulk of our luggage, and had it sent over to the DVC resort that we had resv's at when we returned from Universal. We only took the clothes & items that we would need for our stay at Universal. This worked great & gave us a chance to stay at a different DVC resort.

However, I like the idea of keeping everything at a DVC studio, and that's what we might try the next time. That's something I've been thinking about doing on our next trip that we stay at the HRH.

On one hand, you're paying tips to bell srvcs at both DVC resorts. On the other hand, you're using up points for a studio to hold "your stuff". However, that way is much more convenient since you don't have to pack up everything. What ever you do, I wouldn't haul everything over to your Universal room. And if you want to check your bags at WDW, then you'll need to be back there. I'd want to stay the last night at a DVC resort, rather than ending the trip at Universal. But that's a decision that only you can make.

 

[Anal Annie]

Also a DVC'er here slipping over to Universal this August (but for the 1st time). I didn't want to give up any of our days at Disney NOR am I fan of split stays / moving a lot SOOO we're booked in a BW view studio at BWV for 9 nights so we'll still have 7 nights at Disney. Smack in the middle of our trip (Thurs & Fri) we are going to Universal and I booked 1 night at the HRH for the express pass & early entry. I didn't want to go on the weekend... I hate the idea of "burning" a nights worth of points, esp. for a BW view but so our trip starts on Aug. 12th and goes until the 21st...the one night I booked at the HRH is the 16th - the day the points drop from Magic to Dream season. I know it doesn't really matter, I'm still wasting a night of points but in my mind it seemed like some justification and not to matter AS MUCH somehow if it was done int he lower season. I would have a hard time booking more than 1 night anywhere else tho seeing as we have our DVC accomodations already covered. But IF I were going to go for more than 1 night I would do it at either the beginning or the end of the trip, not in the middle. I despise packing with a passion and would try my best to avoid it - and once I wrestle the top back onto my Owners Locker that's it...it's sealed until the next trip. I wouldn't try to move hotels 3 times (WDW, U, WDW). One then the other.