Visiting Universal Studios/Local while staying on WDW Resort?

[adudeinblue]

I'm planning a trip with my fiance to WDW next Fall for the Free Disney Dining period (hopefully it comes back). We're coming from California so we were playing with the idea of putting a day or two between WDW parks to visit Universal Studios or even local areas.

Does it sound silly to stay at WDW for our entire trip and maybe a day or two between parks we utilize uber or taxi to go off site locally? Or would it make more sense to visit these places after on seperate hotel visits? Like finish up Disney then go book a separate hotel to closer to Universal?

We are hoping to stay at a moderate hotel during Fall 2016 dining period. We might end up with more dining credits per day.

 

[soniam]

We did it as separate visits. You get a lot of benefits if you stay at a Universal deluxe hotel. Plus, they are cheaper than WDW deluxe hotels. Guests at the Uni deluxe hotels get early entry and express pass. The express pass is almost a front of the line pass. The hotels are really close to the park. You can easily walk, so it's very convenient. We did it at the beginning of the trip but will do it at the end next time. I think Universal was more relaxing, so I think it's nice to end the trip there.

 

[bumbershoot]

You *can* visit there while staying at WDW, but you're giving up some fabulous benefits. Stay onsite at one of the 3 deluxe hotels at Universal and you get early entrance to a park (usually Universal Studios park, I believe) every day of your stay AND you get unlimited Express Pass, which is good for all attractions and shows BUT Forbidden Journey, Ollivander's wand shop show/experience, Gringott's, Hogwarts Express, and Pteranodon Flyers (but you can ONLY get on that ride if you have a child within a certain height minimum and maximum). And you get that EP for all the days you're there, including checkin and checkout days.

We will stay at Uni and visit WDW, but we won't do it the other way. We do it separately, though, usually.

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

We've done it both ways. I agree with the above posts that it would be better to stay off site for your Universal visits, but you can certainly do it either way.

 

[joannjoe]

Stay on site at Universal to many benefits. Think if someone were to get sick your a lot closer to your hotel then to get back to WDW.

 

[poppinspenguins]

Depends...we.have done universal twice and stayed at wdw both times.

Few of our reasons:
We have a car...transport is no biggie.

We go in Feb or sept...the express pass doesn't effect us because the lines are short anyway. The express pass doesn't work for harry potter either so that would have been the big benefit for us

The hotel's at us (just according to me reading the fine print) seem to do more nickel and diming. You still have to pay to park at the hotel...pay extra for fridge...pay extra for WiFi (maybe that is different now?)

We only did one day each time...not 2.

We have also visited us while on dining plan...we ate breakfast at wdw...one lunch at us...then ce back for dinner at wdw since us closes early anyway. CityWalk is nice but nothing we were that interested in


So...depends on when, where you are staying and how long.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Separately is better. Universal is a whole resort in itself and I think staying onsite there is the best way to experience it. Plus all of the perks previous posters have mentioned.

 

[waffocopter]

I'm going to stay at WDW the entire trip and visit Universal for two days. I'm on the DDP so I'll get more credits to use at Disney. I'm utilizing DME so I wouldn't want to put a non-Disney trip at either end of my trip and staying at a Universal hotel in the middle of my trip is too much moving for my family. I'm also planning on doing both Halloween events at MK and Universal so I can't really split it up well. The time I'm going will be pretty slow and we won't be rushing to every single roller coaster anyway so I don't think I'll need to skip lines.

 

[LuvDaisy&Minnie]

Another vote for staying onsite at Universal. The perks are awesome and worth the move! You will be so happy to have the express pass and the early entry to Harry potter. They are invaluable. Just be careful when you book because the cheapest property Cabana Bay doesn't include the Express pass. We have stayed at Hard Rock and Royal Pacific and enjoyed both hotels although we weren't in the rooms very much!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I would also stay onsite at Universal. We did our first Universal/Disney split stay last month and I'm so glad we chose to stay onsite at Universal. Until you get there, it's hard to convey just how close the Deluxe resorts are to the front gates of the parks and to City Walk. Universal is so much more compact and convenient than Disney. And after having rented a car and seeing how easy it is to return one at MCO, I kinda feel dumb for feeling like DME was ever a big perk. We were past the security line at MCO 45 minutes after leaving the Hard Rock. Even though we're doing Universal then Disney in October (last month it was Disney then Universal) I'm keeping the car the entire time just because of how much easier it was to drive to MCO than take DME, even though we could easily drop it off and save a few bucks.

 

[bumbershoot]

We go at slower times too, and the EP is vital for us! Why wait 30 when you can wait 5? Why wait 5 when you can wait 2?

It works for the two coasters in Hogsmeade. Those are part of HP. We cannot say thatit flat out doesn't work for HP. And for the other rides, that's what early entrance can be for.

I'd rather be charged for something I'm using than have it rolled into the total cost when I'm not using it! (Parking)

As RPR renovates they are adding in fridges. And I think HRH has them, too. So soon it'll be wrapped up in the cost of the room, instead of being charged separately for those who use them. Just like at WDW. Sigh.

Because we almost always have a car anyway, and have used some back to the airport maybe twice (and once was on a buddy trip), it's easy to end the trip at uni for us.

 

[soniam]

Depends...we.have done universal twice and stayed at wdw both times.

Few of our reasons:
We have a car...transport is no biggie.

We go in Feb or sept...the express pass doesn't effect us because the lines are short anyway. The express pass doesn't work for harry potter either so that would have been the big benefit for us

The hotel's at us (just according to me reading the fine print) seem to do more nickel and diming. You still have to pay to park at the hotel...pay extra for fridge...pay extra for WiFi (maybe that is different now?)

We only did one day each time...not 2.

We have also visited us while on dining plan...we ate breakfast at wdw...one lunch at us...then ce back for dinner at wdw since us closes early anyway. CityWalk is nice but nothing we were that interested in


So...depends on when, where you are staying and how long.

Our remodeled room at Royal Pacific had a free fridge. Wifi was free in the lobby but not the rooms Parking was a fee, but it's free if you have an annual pass. Universal annual passes are cheap compared to WDW, and you get room discounts, express pass, and free parking at Citywalk (not sure if AP gets you free parking at the hotel). With a Cheap Tickets discount our water/park view room at Royal Pacific (not incl parking & wifi) was cheaper or the same price as our garden view room at Port Orleans with the Spring Break discount. The Universal hotels are really a great bargain compared to WDW deluxe hotels. Royal Pacific felt as nicer or maybe even nicer than Poly. Universal keeps including more with the room, so keep checking back to see if it starts to make money sense for you.

 

[poppinspenguins]

I hear ya

It just wasn't cost effective or convenient for us. With all the craziness of fp...it was easier to go to universal mid week on our particular trip and we didn't want to go back and forth. We usually stay mod with a discount but did all star with free dining...so didn't make sense in our instance to go and come back. We did price it all out and really think about it...but for one day during low crowd times it seems silly. We had to have a fridge for baby milk and what not. So the parking and the fridge and upgrading to somewhere besides cabana for the express pass all swayed us away.

I think we would def do it for a 2 to 4 day stay though...just not sure the specs on Op trip

 

[NancyIL]

I've done it both ways. Twice I stayed at WDW and took Mears to/from Universal for the 2 days I visited those parks. Last December I stayed at Cabana Bay for 3 nights before moving to WDW for a week. I loved Cabana Bay and would stay there again - even without the Express Pass.

 

[heatherwillmom]

We always do both WDW and Universal and stay onsite at both for the convience.