Hi,
We are also staying off site at a condo. Its like our home away from home! When we go to WDW, its no big deal, as we have the fast pass thing down, and rarely wait in line. But when we go to Universal we are just spoiled. We have stayed at all three Universal Resorts, and they are awesome. The express pass perk is something our family is not willing to live without. It dramatically reduces the stress levels of a vacation. You can wake up late, come and go as you please, and you dont ever have to plan anything..........just show up when you want, and you can really get lot done in a short awount of time.
We are staying in our condo for 2 weeks this summer, but we are staying at Royal Pacific for 2 nights during our stay. 1 night each week of our vacation. 2 nights stay will give us 4 days of unlimited express pass benefits !! You really cant beat it. I just booked today for 2, 1 nights stays in July/August, and with
AAA the rate is 211.65 night. Call and tell them you have AAA and you should be able to grab this rate still. You wont need AAA when you book the room, only when you check in, so you will have plenty of time to get it!
Beware.........once you experience the express pass, and staying on site, you will never want to do without it again! It ruined our family

!! But in a good way!
Good luck..........

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