US/IA Onsite Advice? Children of differing ages/interests?

[im_vee]

We just got back from a 10-day Florida stay in August -- was pretty much what I expected, hot & crowded with long waits, crowded freeways & thunderstorms! We used to go in October/November/January when the weather was cooler and the crowds smaller, but now that's not an option for our family. We have to go June-August.

What was hardest for us was having a 9-yr-old who wanted to do EVERYTHING and a 4 yr old who did NOT; at Disney it was easier because we could split up & go back to the hotel if we wanted (stayed onsite Port Orleans; hotel was wonderful, food BAGGED and was way overpriced on top of it).

The rest of the family wants to stay at Portofino/IA and totally SKIP Disney next time we go (in a few years when youngest child is taller and braver). The plan is to do the Universal Studios/US-IA/Sea World/Wet & wild with a few days at Busch Gardens.

I am a cheapskate and don't want to pay $200-$285/night to stay onsite unless the privileges are REALLY worth it! Wondering if any of you have stayed at Portofino or Hard Rock, what kind of rates you were able to get, and if the "skip the line" and transportation privileges were worth it. Also wondering what else you liked/did not like about the experience.


Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[gschmerl]

If you stay at the Hard Rock Hotel it is just a short walk to the parks. The hotel and pool are great. The express access is priceless!! We were there the week of July 4 and never had to wait more than 10 minutes and most of the time it was less of a wait than that. Don't know what the special privilege will be like a few years from now, but now it's well worth it.
If you buy an Entertainment Book ($20-$25) you can try to get the "entertainment rate" for your stay. The entertainment rate for a garden view at the Hard Rock is $117.50 a night for the room. WELL worth it. YOu can also get discount rates through AAA, Loew's First and a Fan Club Card.

 

[im_vee]

Whoa!!! $117???? I'd be all over that -- I've read elsewhere that if you can get hold of local Entertainment books you can get better rates but never tried it....Thanks!

(I do have a Disney Club membership, and could get Entertainment rates at the Doubletree in Tampa for $75 instead of $150/night, but funny thing, they didn't offer any discounts on ORLANDO area hotels....cuz you're supposed to settle for the 15% discount & stay at a Disney hotel hmmmm ....)