staying on site at Universal Orlando--having doubts - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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I'd be careful of booking on Hotwire or any other online source other than Universal or the hotel directly. Rooms booked on these sites are the first guests to get "walked" if the resort overbooks.
Do you have memberships with AAA, BJ's, Sam's Club or Costco? Their members get discounts at these hotels. Call the hotel directly or the appropriate membership club.
If you end up going off property but still want ease and convienience, try either the Double Tree at the Entrance to Universal or the Hyatt Place which is also across the street from UOR's entrance. The Hyatt Place doesn't have the best pool, but the rooms are great and the breakfast was nice. Everyone who I've ever booked into the Double Tree when I was an agent raved about it.
Last June, I took a travel agent tour of all three onsite UOR hotels and Royal Pacific was my favorite by a landslide. If you can find a way to save more money than what you're currently seeing by switching from PB or RP, I would switch.
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I'd be careful of booking on Hotwire or any other online source other than Universal or the hotel directly. Rooms booked on these sites are the first guests to get "walked" if the resort overbooks.
Do you have memberships with AAA, BJ's, Sam's Club or Costco? Their members get discounts at these hotels. Call the hotel directly or the appropriate membership club.
If you end up going off property but still want ease and convienience, try either the Double Tree at the Entrance to Universal or the Hyatt Place which is also across the street from UOR's entrance. The Hyatt Place doesn't have the best pool, but the rooms are great and the breakfast was nice. Everyone who I've ever booked into the Double Tree when I was an agent raved about it.
Last June, I took a travel agent tour of all three onsite UOR hotels and Royal Pacific was my favorite by a landslide. If you can find a way to save more money than what you're currently seeing by switching from PB or RP, I would switch.
jennifer--if you don't mind my asking, what about RP did you like more than PB? i liked it more, too, based on the pics online alone, but my husband chose PB (can you sense a theme here? maybe i'm freaking out because i let him--against my better judgment--make a vacation decision. i NEVER do that!)
we are not members of any of those organizations, but i will call and check out the rate--perhaps it would 'pay' to renew our old AAA membership to get a discount.
jennifer--if you don't mind my asking, what about RP did you like more than PB? i liked it more, too, based on the pics online alone, but my husband chose PB (can you sense a theme here? maybe i'm freaking out because i let him--against my better judgment--make a vacation decision. i NEVER do that!)
we are not members of any of those organizations, but i will call and check out the rate--perhaps it would 'pay' to renew our old AAA membership to get a discount.
Portofino was just beautiful...very classy. But Royal Pacific took me to that faraway island that I probably will never see in my lifetime. I loved the entryway, their lobby, the rooms...everything was just beautiful. I've stayed at WDW's Polynesian and honestly think they could learn a few decorating tips from Royal Pacific.
All of Universal's resorts are rated Four Diamond by AAA, so you really can't go wrong at either of them, but Royal Pacific is something special.
Depending on the cost of a Basic membership to AAA in your area, it may be worth it to rejoin. You can even call Universal or AAA for package pricing...you may get a better deal that way, too. Just as I was leaving the industry, a Harry Potter package was introduced and gave you breakfast at (???) The Three Broomsticks (???)...from what I remember, it was a fairly good deal. If no rates are available, you could always keep what you have booked and then if a package is released that will lessen the cost of your trip, you can always modify the price, as long as you're not paid in full (similar to Disney packages).
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i'm not sure what is up with this, but now all of the hotels are even more expensive than when we booked. should we change now (and clearly we won't), we'd be paying as much for Royal Pacific as we are for Portofino Bay (meaning 'if we booked PBH today, we'd be charged almost $300 MORE over a four night stay'!) well then...good thing we booked it a month ago! what is up with that?
As the dates of the desired reservation get closer, the number of available rooms goes down. At the same time, most people don't book their rooms months in advance, so more andmore people are trying to GET one of those rooms.
As supply dwindles, and/or demand increases .. the price rises.
Quote:
i found that universal hotels are no longer on expedia
Expedia recently stopped doing business with American Airlines - after AA pulled it's listings from Orbitz. (Source.)
If US has a deal or other close business relationship with AA, or if AA is invested in those hotels ... that might explain their being pulled from Expedia.
I stayed at PB a few years ago with my DD for her birthday. I think I paid around $150./night. The hotel is really beautiful and the service was wonderful, including sending my Dd birthday gifts. I think it is much nicer than the lower end Disney deluxes-it feels elegant. If I had a choice between the WL for $225./night and the PB for $290. I would spend the extra money-PB is overall a much nicer hotel.
The other thing about Universal and AAA is that you can get a discount on most food and merchandise. I don't know how much your AAA is, but to me it's worth the money without the travel perks. But if you eat at sit down restaurants once a day, it may pay for itself.
Can you and your husband get an inexpensive hotel at the airport for the first night he is there and then take a taxi together to Universal. I've gotten rooms at the Hyatt in the airport on Priceline for $50./night.
we once loved vegas (minus the gambling--we don't)--but that was BDW--before disney world!
how funny my husband and i say that all the time! for adults wdw has all the fun and "yum" and relaxation of Vegas, but without all the gambling and riff-raff... we don't gamble either.
Funny that you say that Vegas used to be your vacation spot as WDW and Vegas are the two places I go regularly! I think that staying on site at Universal has definite advantages so I would stay with that--unless you can find an offsite hotel that is cheaper than adding on the front of line pass, which you can buy at Universal!
ok--i've talked to the husband and it seems nothing is negotiable! he wants a relaxing long weekend, and feels this is the only way to do it. i guess i can't complain--i just have to ignore the dollar amount. thanks everyone for your great input--it will likely help readers in the future (who have less stubborn husbands! but seriously--he's a great guy and deserves a great trip!)
i also cannot get a better deal than i already have--it turns out we're 'only' paying $258/night which is around $35 less per night than anything else i've found. apparently when we booked it, there WAS A deal!
I was going to say the same about staying onsite for less nights. If you got your DH to agree to stay just two nights you get three days of express pass usage and you could stay at disney or another offsite location the other nights.
I agree with this suggestion. We love WDW and rarely venture off property But the kids want to go to WWOHP (and I am a bit curious about it too!), so we are staying 1 night at the Hard Rock. Since it is a less crowded time, I am thinking that will be enough. We will have two days to go to Universal before heading to WDW. Granted I am not a big Universal fan, but IMO 4 nights is too much to stay on site at those rates. I would think two nights, as suggested above, is plenty to see the attractions. Just my opinion . . .
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You guys will love it. PBH is beautiful and should feel relaxing, I'd think. Don't think about the cost anymore. Your DH is good with it, you can be too!.
$258 per night is a good rate for PB. It's the most upscale Universal resort, comparable to Beach Club at WDW. And you wouldn't get Beach Club for that price. I'd relax and enjoy your surroundings!
$258 per night is a good rate for PB. It's the most upscale Universal resort, comparable to Beach Club at WDW. And you wouldn't get Beach Club for that price. I'd relax and enjoy your surroundings!
ok, good to know! we stayed at the beach club on our one and only disney trip (it was a convention trip and mostly paid for) and we LOVED it. it might actually be the best place we've ever stayed (and we travel...a LOT!)
Another thought I just had, can't remember if someone mentioned this. If you stay in a Universal resort you can pool hop to the other resort pools. If you get your fill of the parks you could plan a day to visit all the pools. Ride the water taxi around to all the resorts and look around.
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But the kids want to go to WWOHP (and I am a bit curious about it too!), so we are staying 1 night at the Hard Rock. Since it is a less crowded time, I am thinking that will be enough. We will have two days to go to Universal before heading to WDW. Granted I am not a big Universal fan, but IMO 4 nights is too much to stay on site at those rates. I would think two nights, as suggested above, is plenty to see the attractions. Just my opinion . . .
Michelle - with my step sisters!
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