Universal Resorts vs. Nick Hotel?

[hmhs]

I'm so confused on where to stay this summer when we come to Orlando & I need help!! It will be me, hubby & our 5 yr old son. We are not doing WDW at all bc we've done only that the last two years and want to do Universal, Islands of Adventure, Sea World & maybe a water park instead (may not do water park if hotel has a great set up)

I'm trying to book our trip for the 2nd week of July and was pretty much set on the Nickelodeon Hotel... but now I'm thinking maybe we should stay at one of the Universal Resorts. I like the idea that you can go back to your room during the day and get the FOTL pass too. However, the Nick seems like something my son would just love..... but maybe he would love the Universal hotels too- they look very kid friendly also.

What do you think??? Which of the Universal Resorts would be best for a 5 yr old boy?

Also, I can get a deal on Travelocity (at the moment) for the Nick for about $150 a night... seems like Universal Resorts are much more money- is it worth it??

Need advice please!!!! Thanks so much

 

[Detailor]

With FOTL and what I believe to be much better accomodations I really don't think that you'd go wrong with a Universal resort hotel. I see the Royal Pacific at about $40/night higher than the rate you quote for Nick. Is that extra $40/night worth it? It would be for me.

Now, I've never stayed at the Nick Hotel but my strong impression is that is sounds much better than it really is. The convenience and amenities that an on-site Universal hotel offer are huge plusses in my mind.

Dick Taylor

 

[mamaminnie]

I think the FOTL makes the Universal hotel worth the difference.

We've stayed at all 3 and I think the Hard Rock Hotel is the most convenient, it's a short walk to US or IOA, there's a great pool area, and a fun "rockstar" vibe.

 

[Kcat]

I'm so confused on where to stay this summer when we come to Orlando & I need help!! It will be me, hubby & our 5 yr old son. We are not doing WDW at all bc we've done only that the last two years and want to do Universal, Islands of Adventure, Sea World & maybe a water park instead (may not do water park if hotel has a great set up)

I'm trying to book our trip for the 2nd week of July and was pretty much set on the Nickelodeon Hotel... but now I'm thinking maybe we should stay at one of the Universal Resorts. I like the idea that you can go back to your room during the day and get the FOTL pass too. However, the Nick seems like something my son would just love..... but maybe he would love the Universal hotels too- they look very kid friendly also.

What do you think??? Which of the Universal Resorts would be best for a 5 yr old boy?

Also, I can get a deal on Travelocity (at the moment) for the Nick for about $150 a night... seems like Universal Resorts are much more money- is it worth it??

Need advice please!!!! Thanks so much

We stay at the RPR every time we visit Orlando, in fact I wouldn't want to do Universal without staying onsite now (FOTL). Haven't tried the other 2 onsite hotels as we like this one so much (and it's the cheapest). Though there is no slide at RPR the pool is very good with a fountain/waterfall type play area.

 

[polkadotminnie]

If you are planing to go to the parks, stay at the Hard Rock or Royal Pacific. You will not be able to pull your son away from the Nick Hotel! He will be wanting to leave the parks to go back to their pools.
Maybe split your stay..

 

[semo233]

I have never been to Universal. Let me tell you that Nick Hotel is wonderful for kids, but being that yours is only 5, the limited transportation at Nick, and the fact that there is NOTHING within walking distance at Nick, go for the Universal stay. He won't even know that he is missing anything!

 

[cammie810]

My sister and I went to FL for the same type of vacation a few years ago. We stayed at the Nick hotel and absolutely had to plan one whole day where we let the kids just stay at the hotel for the day so that they could take part in the activities. We had no problem getting them to leave to go to the parks. We had the week long Universal pass so it was no problem going 4 half days so that we could still have time at the pool in the afternoon. We did spend one whole day at Seaworld and managed to do everything. We had 2 adults and 5 kids in a two bedroom and it was a little crowded but doable. There is a little fridge in the room and a microwave so we had breakfast supplies and one night we got cold cuts at Walmart for dinner which helped save a couple of bucks! Would I want to stay there if I didnt have kids...noooo but i can tell you they absolutely loved it and still say it was their best vacation ever. How can you beat that????

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We spent one night at the Nick and three nights at the RPR the last time we went to Universal (about three years ago). The Nick hotel has a wonderful, wonderful pool, but it is also full of kids of all ages. I did feel that I had to stand guard over my then 4-year old - too many bigger kids being wild, squirting her on purpose with the water cannons, etc. It was total chaos, and my kids loved it.

The Nick hotel is a Holiday Inn with cartoon characters on it - nothing more, nothing less, except for the pool. Food is forgettable, noise is very high if your room faces the pool, room was OK - good in concept, but old and the kid "suite" was a curtain pulled across a space as big as a closet.

The RPR is a resort. It is relaxing and comfortable, with great customer service and interesting food choices. The pool is huge, but there is no slide. The FOTL access is worth the price difference and way more, especially during July. If your five year old is like my then four year old was, you simply must ride both tracks of the Sneetch train multiple times (like about 30, in our case ). Similarly, it is not acceptable to ride One Fish Two Fish any less than five times in a row. If we had to wait 30 minutes in line for each ride, that is all we would have done.

If you can swing the cost, stay at a Universal resort at least for the days that you will be doing the Universal parks. We stayed one night at the Nick, then moved the RPR to do the parks. The kids got their fill of water park, and DH and I were able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

 

[Ed J]

Like was said above, a split trip is the answer here. The Nick is far from posh, but the kids really dig it and who is the trip really for?

If the answer is the kids then go to the Nick.

We have done 2 days twice tacking it to a 7 or 8 day stay in Orlando, my kid and nieces who have traveled with us will talk about the Nick before any of the high end places we have ever stayed.

For all of it's faults the Nick is a good time.

 

[peterandlisa]

A few years ago when we went to universal - the lines were so long we decided (and that was back when they still had fast pass!) to splurge for 4 all day fast passes for my family of 4 at a cost of 40 each ($160!!). I am very cheap - so we obviously were very frustrated with the lines!
We soon found out it was only good for one time on each ride! (and one park - one day). Our next trip we stayed at Royal Pacific ..... we walked onto every ride - and numerouse times! (we felt obligated to not make eye contact with those in line as we passed them all over and over as we could not get enough of MIB!) It was WELL worth the cost of the hotel!! With a 5 yr old - I am sure the joy you gain from FOTL would far outway the lesser pool area - although the pool is beautiful at Royal Pacific. This year we are trying Hard Rock - which I beleive does have a water slide.
Good luck deciding ... have fun!

 

[loperella]

Loews Hotels are beautiful & you have your choice of three right there at Universal! We spent 6 nights there last fall on a split stay and went to both parks. It was so convenient to come and go as we pleased and the fotl pass was awesome!!! DEF a huge +++ with young one's!


Staying onsite not only has the convenience but you can also 'hop' to the other pools if you want to. The theming/ambieance is awesome and there is nothing bad I can say about them. Yes, they cost a lil more but it was well worth it to us. Parks are just a short beautiful walk away along a river path or you can take a really cool boat ride to the park (included).

My boys (9 & 11) at the time prob liked Hard Rock a little more, mostly because of the slide/theme but like I said, you can always hop and check out the others too. Good luck on your decision & most of all have fun!

OH YEAH! They also had nightly "dive-in-movies" at/in the pool which was cool. And the underwater music speakers at Hard Rock was neat too. Zero entry pools, beaches, water squirters, several hot tubs, etc. ........

 

[stitchon]

I'd definitely go with the Universal resorts. The Nick Hotel is a longer trek and the Universal Resorts have boat service around the resort, front of the line privilages, and the parks are much closer. Not to mention the accomodations are so much better at the Universal Resorts compared to the Nick Hotel.