What is your line in the sand?

[SmithSmith]

Hi Davenport! I see this post caused a little ripple in thread, so I'll go into more detail.

I got a package deal through Travelocity, and we traveled off-season for London (I guess), going in early April. I can't give the breakdown between room and flight. I can tell you I had been looking at 8 days, 9 nights at POR with hoppers and tix for length of stay. It seemed kind of pricey to me at the time, so I hopped over to the Travelocity site and for the heck of it started researching a trip to London, which we had always wanted to visit. I do not have the exact figures, but I can tell you for certain it was $700 - $800 cheaper to take that trip to London. Which is why we did it instead of going back to WDW that year. I certainly wouldn't have done it if it was more than WDW.

So a 9 night POR trip in April with PH costs around $3400.

You got your London travelocity deal for $700-$800 less than that.

Let's say $700. Subtract from $3400 is $2700. Considering airfare for 2 is around $2000, that means you got that hotel for just $700! Wow! That's amazing!

I also meant to point out that the London Marriott books for $544 a night in early April. So that hotel stay usually costs $3800!

 

[SmithSmith]

OK, you keep mentioning the 1 day price comparison between Disney and Unversal. But a 3 day base ticket for Disney is $285.90 vs a 3 day base ticket for Universal is $186.00. So, I would say in this comparison Universal is $100 cheaper than Disney.

So besides Universal being smaller, it also charges for their express pass.

Edited to add that Universal has much shorter operating hours than Disney

 

[ArwenMarie]

We definitely have different ideas of value. I don't even keep my home to these impeccable standards, having them at a hotel would be a needless luxury and not at all valuable.

I never said that is the only type of accommodations I would stay in. Just that's what I expect for $400-500 a night in Orlando.

 

[btk2333]

I never said that is the only type of accommodations I would stay in. Just that's what I expect for $400-500 a night in Orlando.

$400-$500 a night is too much for me pretty much anywhere- I always stay on site but I either use DVC points or book with discounts. I can generally get any deluxe I want for around $300-325 per night (I have no interest in the GF or Poly)- mainly BC/YC, Boardwalk, CR, or AKL

 

[SmithSmith]

However, Disney offers a option of 4 parks and not 2, which are smaller. I cant say this is still so, but in the past, if you wish you can use a park admission for the water parks as well.

So using your comparison system, WDW is a bargain.

Now, look at the costs of travel, parking and tickets which are off the wall expensive for a 3 to 4 hour event and many times the costs of WDW or Uni, I would say most theme parks are a bargain.

SO TO ANSWER the OP...........nope, not even close to a line in the sand.

AKK

I was trying to compare ticket prices between Uni and WDW, but I'm no Uni expert so tell me if I'm pricing this wrong.

I'm pricing out 4 day base tickets for both parks since WDW has 4 parks. I'm also adding the basic unlimited express pass for Uni because I thought it would be comparable to FP+, since you can't use Express pass on the most popular attraction(s) and you can only use it once per ride. Since the price of the express pass varies I just entered the next 4 days as dates.

For 4 day WDW base ticket I got $313 per adult

For 4 day Uni base ticket/Express pass add-on for each day I got $445 per adult

Am I screwing this up?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I was trying to compare ticket prices between Uni and WDW, but I'm no Uni expert so tell me if I'm pricing this wrong.

I'm pricing out 4 day base tickets for both parks since WDW has 4 parks. I'm also adding the basic unlimited express pass for Uni because I thought it would be comparable to FP+, since you can't use Express pass on the most popular attraction(s) and you can only use it once per ride. Since the price of the express pass varies I just entered the next 4 days as dates.

For 4 day WDW base ticket I got $313 per adult

For 4 day Uni base ticket/Express pass add-on for each day I got $445 per adult

Am I screwing this up?

Hi there.....I am sorry I am not that good either. I do know you buy Disney multi day park tickets for say 8 days you down to about $35.00 per day. Very cheap.

The point is different combinations of parks, hoppers and waterparks can make WDW or Uni the better buy.

AKK

The bottom line in my point was WDW can be cheaper

 

[Suvadoo]

However, Disney offers a option of 4 parks and not 2, which are smaller. I cant say this is still so, but in the past, if you wish you can use a park admission for the water parks as well.

So using your comparison system, WDW is a bargain.

Now, look at the costs of travel, parking and tickets which are off the wall expensive for a 3 to 4 hour event and many times the costs of WDW or Uni, I would say most theme parks are a bargain.

SO TO ANSWER the OP...........nope, not even close to a line in the sand.

AKK

For both of the prices I listed, these are not park hoppers. So this is choosing 1 WDW park per day VS 1 universal park per day. So your suggestion of 2 parks vs 4 is irrelevant. You can say what you want about the value, but as far as the price universal is less expensive for a straight 3 day ticket.

 

[Suvadoo]

I was trying to compare ticket prices between Uni and WDW, but I'm no Uni expert so tell me if I'm pricing this wrong.

I'm pricing out 4 day base tickets for both parks since WDW has 4 parks. I'm also adding the basic unlimited express pass for Uni because I thought it would be comparable to FP+, since you can't use Express pass on the most popular attraction(s) and you can only use it once per ride. Since the price of the express pass varies I just entered the next 4 days as dates.

For 4 day WDW base ticket I got $313 per adult

For 4 day Uni base ticket/Express pass add-on for each day I got $445 per adult

Am I screwing this up?

You may be right, but I don't think it's fair to compare express pass to FP+. Express pass gives you front of the line, with no reserved ride times, for EVERY ride at Universal, except the Harry Potter. Not exactly the same as WDW. Also, Universal has a special right now buy 2 days and get a 3rd free.

 

[Love Tink]

I'm also adding the basic unlimited express pass for Uni because I thought it would be comparable to FP+, since you can't use Express pass on the most popular attraction(s) and you can only use it once per ride.

Am I screwing this up?

Yes, you are screwing it up.

For a family who goes to Universal for one day, the Express pass might be a decent idea.

For a family that goes to Universal for four days (as in your scenario), the far better option would be to stay at one of Universal's three deluxe on-site resorts. If you do, then every member of your party (up to the room occupancy of five) gets an unlimited Express Pass.

That pass - which as I mentioned is unlimited, not "once per ride" - can be used at 30 rides/shows (including most of the "most popular attractions") and cannot be used at three of the five rides in the Harry Potter sections of the parks, and two kiddie rides that don't have space for a second queue.

In August, we paid $159 plus tax per night for four nights at the Royal Pacific. So we paid less than $800 total for four nights within walking distance of the parks, which included five days of unlimited express passes for five people.

 

[Love Tink]

Hi there.....I am sorry I am not that good either. I do know you buy Disney multi day park tickets for say 8 days you down to about $35.00 per day. Very cheap.

All parks everywhere make it cheaper to stay longer or go more.

For example, at UT for Universal you can get a 14-day pass that allows you to hop between their two parks and Wet 'n Wild for $201/$190.

(You can get a 10-day Disney park hopper pass with water park access for $442.04/$424.10.)

 

[SmithSmith]

You may be right, but I don't think it's fair to compare express pass to FP+. Express pass gives you front of the line, with no reserved ride times, for EVERY ride at Universal, except the Harry Potter. Not exactly the same as WDW. Also, Universal has a special right now buy 2 days and get a 3rd free.

I'm aware it's not an straight comparison. The express pass doesn't give you access to the 3 very popular Harry Potter rides, also, Hogwarts Express cant even be riden without a park to park pass, whereas there are no restrictions at WDW. I thought that was a fair trade off considering the park hours are far longer at WDW.

 

[SmithSmith]

Yes, you are screwing it up.

For a family who goes to Universal for one day, the Express pass might be a decent idea.

For a family that goes to Universal for four days (as in your scenario), the far better option would be to stay at one of Universal's three deluxe on-site resorts. If you do, then every member of your party (up to the room occupancy of five) gets an unlimited Express Pass.

That pass - which as I mentioned is unlimited, not "once per ride" - can be used at 30 rides/shows (including most of the "most popular attractions") and cannot be used at three of the five rides in the Harry Potter sections of the parks, and two kiddie rides that don't have space for a second queue.

In August, we paid $159 plus tax per night for four nights at the Royal Pacific. So we paid less than $800 total for four nights within walking distance of the parks, which included five days of unlimited express passes for five people.

I didn't think it fair to compare on-site or not since Uni's "value" resort is restricted from the express pass.

I was trying to compare a "like" base ticket to "like" base ticket cost. That is all.

 

[Love Tink]

So a 9 night POR trip in April with PH costs around $3400.

You got your London travelocity deal for $700-$800 less than that.

Let's say $700. Subtract from $3400 is $2700. Considering airfare for 2 is around $2000, that means you got that hotel for just $700! Wow! That's amazing!

I also meant to point out that the London Marriott books for $544 a night in early April. So that hotel stay usually costs $3800!

Wonky math, don't you think, to include transportation costs in the London breakdown but not the WDW breakdown?

Wouldn't you have to add the price of airfare from Iowa to WDW into your $3400 number - bringing that total well over $4,000 (to be comparing apples to apples)?

I also think, since you are blown away by this deal, that if you are interested in world travel you should look at package trips, not just stand-alone hotel prices. By far the cheapest way to travel to many European cities is to look for a package, where airlines and hotels (and sometimes other entities) band together to create more business by offering mutual discounts. That way they fill their seats and rooms without either taking the full hit of the discount. I have traveled to Paris and London this way and had savings that would apparently be "amazing!" to you. You don't always get a deluxe hotel, but sometimes you get lucky.

 

[Love Tink]

I didn't think it fair to compare on-site or not since Uni's "value" resort is restricted from the express pass.

What does that have to do with anything?

I was trying to compare a "like" base ticket to "like" base ticket cost. That is all.

No, you were trying to compare a base ticket to a ticket with an expensive add-on.

 

[SmithSmith]

Wonky math, don't you think, to include transportation costs in the London breakdown but not the WDW breakdown?

Wouldn't you have to add the price of airfare from Iowa to WDW into your $3400 number - bringing that total well over $4,000 (to be comparing apples to apples)?

I also think, since you are blown away by this deal, that if you are interested in world travel you should look at package trips, not just stand-alone hotel prices. By far the cheapest way to travel to many European cities is to look for a package, where airlines and hotels (and sometimes other entities) band together to create more business by offering mutual discounts. That way they fill their seats and rooms without either taking the full hit of the discount. I have traveled to Paris and London this way and had savings that would apparently be "amazing!" to you. You don't always get a deluxe hotel, but sometimes you get lucky.

They didn't say how they traveled to Disney.

My math was only trying to dissect what their hotel costs were since the poster didn't know because the costs were bundled.

Yes, I think anyone would think getting 80% off rack rate would be "Amazing!".

Like I said earlier, I need access to a kitchen (therefore I need a flat) when I travel most places, so package deals aren't something I'm interested in.

 

[Love Tink]

For 4 day Uni base ticket/Express pass add-on for each day I got $445 per adult

You are creative at math!

At UT, a 4-day base ticket for Universal is $163.40. (There are better deals available, including buy 2 get 1 free, but I didn't set the rules here.)

The Express Pass starts at $34.99 per day.

Total of $303.36.

 

[Luckybee]

I'm aware it's not an straight comparison. The express pass doesn't give you access to the 3 very popular Harry Potter rides, also, Hogwarts Express cant even be riden without a park to park pass, whereas there are no restrictions at WDW. I thought that was a fair trade off considering the park hours are far longer at WDW.

Well you are rights about one thing. It isn't a fair comparison. The express pass is 100's better than 3 fp's. Beginning of Oct we went back to U for the first time in years. We did a 1 night stay at Portofino (a holiday from our holiday )As a result of express pass we didn't have more than a 2 minute wait for anything outside of the hp attractions . As a result of early entry we waited 15 minutes for Gringott's. We did have to wait for Hogwarts express for about 35 minutes. Keep in mind this is one of the top rides. anywhere. now.
It certainly isn't a secondary tier ride. I mention this because the secondary rides at MK all had around the same wait time sadly In other words lines for things like Small World, and POTC (rides thay didn't have any lines before fp+ ) were as long as the lines for a brand new ride. I don't know about you but that struck me as bizarre.

 

[SmithSmith]

What does that have to do with anything?



No, you were trying to compare a base ticket to a ticket with an expensive add-on.

I'm trying to compare a similar experience to a similar experience.

 

[SirDuff]

They didn't say how they traveled to Disney.

My math was only trying to dissect what their hotel costs were since the poster didn't know because the costs were bundled.

Yes, I think anyone would think getting 80% off rack rate would be "Amazing!".

Like I said earlier, I need access to a kitchen (therefore I need a flat) when I travel most places, so package deals aren't something I'm interested in.

But since you haven't included any travel costs for the WDW trip (from which you subtracted $700 to get the cost of the London trip), you don't actually have the right cost for the London trip. It is unlikely the deal is, in fact, 80%.

 

[Love Tink]

They didn't say how they traveled to Disney.

My math was only trying to dissect what their hotel costs were since the poster didn't know because the costs were bundled.

Yes, I think anyone would think getting 80% off rack rate would be "Amazing!".

Like I said earlier, I need access to a kitchen (therefore I need a flat) when I travel most places, so package deals aren't something I'm interested in.

Oh my gosh. Seriously.

I know you were just trying to figure out their hotel costs. But the PP said that his/her London trip was cheaper than the cost that had been worked out for the WDW vacation.

So you have to compare the total cost of the WDW vacation including transportation to the total cost of the London vacation including transportation.

Or, alternately, you could compare the partial cost of the WDW vacation excluding transportation to the partial cost of the London vacation excluding transportation.

What you can't do is compare the partial cost of the WDW vacation excluding transportation to the total cost of the London vacation including transportation. If you do your numbers will be off.

Eesh.