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PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.

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Old 12-31-2009, 12:08 PM   #1
Christine43
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stay at Universal or take a bus?

Hi everyone, we're going to Universal for the first time in August and I have a couple of q's. We're also going to WDW for 10 days and we're going to Discovery Cove for a day so I thought it might be better to stay on Disney property for the 2 weeks rather than stay at Universal for three days. What do you think? Is it easy to get the bus from Disney to Universal & DC? Do you know how much it costs? We're going primarily for HPW but what else is not to miss other than the JP ride? What are the best places to eat? Thanks very, very much in advance.
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Old 12-31-2009, 12:29 PM   #2
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First of all......if you are a roller coaster junkie - DO NOT MISS THE HULK!!! And Dueling Dragons!!!!! I tried Rip Ride Rocket for the first time this past trip and while I am glad I did it (would have regretted it if I hadn't ridden) I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. The darn thing gave me a headache from jerking me around and because it slowed to almost a stop a couple of times, it seemed almost like two or three short rides instead of one long one. The Hulk on the other hand, is awesome!!!!!!!

We did a split stay, one week at AKL and then one week off property. I was NOT impressed with the off property hotel so I really don't recommend the Country Inn and Suites at Calypso Cay. We had looked at staying at one of the US hotels. Unfortunately it was a price difference of around $219 a night vs $64 a night. I know you get what you pay for, but CI&S was not good. It was clean, but the whole hotel was just a little run down and tired (and after AKL a REAL LET DOWN) and it was part of a "resort" so it shared its pool with two other hotels and my son and his two buddies told us that the water was salt water (never heard of that at a hotel???) and the "mini golf" was pitiful (especially after Fantasia Mini Golf and the Volcano Mini Golf the boys got to try out). And then there was the many football teams and cheerleading groups that showed up and kind of took over......and the hotel did little to try and ensure that the chaperones actually chaperoned! I felt like I had to do it for them when out in the public areas like the elevator when the kids were completely out of control! I wasn't thrilled with the shuttle system from CI&S, you were on their schedule and if you missed the shuttle, you were on your own to get back to the resort. I have never tried to get to US from Disney via a bus or shuttle (so I don't know how it works). The first trip to Disney when we went to US, we had a friend who lives in FL driving us around so it wasn't an issue. If you can afford to stay on Disney property or perhaps at one of the DTD resorts or at one of the US hotels I think you would better off.
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Old 12-31-2009, 01:05 PM   #3
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We stayed at the Hard Rock hotel, and I highly recommend it. No, it wasn't cheap, but the convenience (and the express pass for the rides) were well worth it. You can see more in my trip report in this forum.
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Old 01-02-2010, 08:16 PM   #4
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Thanks! And Jennifer, my kids are dying to go on the Hulk but you wouldn't get me on it with a gun to my head!
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Old 01-02-2010, 09:04 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Christine43 View Post
Thanks! And Jennifer, my kids are dying to go on the Hulk but you wouldn't get me on it with a gun to my head!
It was a real rush - I loved it (but then, I am a coaster junkie)!
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Old 01-02-2010, 10:25 PM   #6
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I really love the Universal hotels, so I would encourage you to spend the three days on Universal property if you can afford it. The two I have stayed at were beautiful, well themed and wonderfully managed. I actually have had better experiences at Universal hotels than any of the 7 Disney properties I have staed at.


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Old 01-02-2010, 11:56 PM   #7
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I would definitely say to check out the Universal Hotels. I went down to Orlando for the first time and went to only Universal (I know, I know) and stayed at the Hard Rock which was amazing - great location, great pool, nice people, and really nice rooms!
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