Universal Studios Hotels
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DebbieG · 04-28-2006, 05:25 PM

We are thinking of spending 2 nights at a Universal hotel before moving onto Disney property for a week. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips? We are a family of 4 - DD age 6 and DS age 9, traveling in early November.

I plan to buy our tickets online this weekend - can't beat buying 2 adult 2 day passes, getting 3 days for free, and 2 free kids tickets as well! That way, we can go back for part of a day later in the trip if we want to.

Thanks for your help!

Debbie

SHEANA1226 · 04-28-2006, 05:28 PM

Are you staying at one of their resorts?

DebbieG · 04-28-2006, 05:36 PM

That's what we have planned. We don't know much about the 3 hotels, Hard Rock, Portofino Bay or Royal Pacific. I am looking for any advice that anyone can give me!

Thanks!

Debbie

bradk · 04-28-2006, 06:01 PM

the way i look at it, RPR is probably the least expensive option. HRH is literally steps away from USF though.

SHEANA1226 · 04-28-2006, 06:09 PM

I stayed at Royal Pacific in 2004 and we loved it. We still had a view of the parks. You won't be disappointed. All of the resorts are beautiful and you can't go wrong with any of them. The Universal Express can't be beat.

GoofyMom · 04-28-2006, 06:35 PM

I've stayed at both RPR and HRH and enjoyed both. Royal Pacific is themed like an exotic Asian/Pacific island theme and is usually cheaper than HRH although I have on occasion seen it the other way around. Hard Rock Hotel is themed like you are a guest of a multi-millionaire rockstar at his mansion. Our family's favourite is HRH, although my kids were older than yours are. I think your kids would enjoy the pool at the Royal Pacific a little more, although it doesn't have a water slide, it has some great spray features and a kind of a shipwrecked theme. If they want a water slide, you will have pool hopping priviledges as a guest of any Universal Resort and you could easily head over to HRH for that. I think it is Friday nights that the pools have the dive-in movie or whatever they call it. You hang out at the pool and they show a movie there. RPR also has a putting green.

You can easily walk to the parks from both resorts. HRH is closer to Universal Studios. RPR is closer to Islands of Adventure. They also provide a bus shuttle and a water taxi shuttle. We never used the bus, but the water taxi's seemed like they were very efficient and my kids (teens) seemed to view them as though they were an attraction -- like the Monorail at WDW.

Sign up for the Loews First card. I am almost positive it is free, and you can do it online. As a member of Loews First, you will get a free room upgrade if available, and a free snack (with your choice of quite a few options) brought to your room on your first night. Don't bother with the breakfast buffet. In my opinion it was way overpriced and the service I had both times that I tried it (once at each resort) was sub-par. You can pick up a cinnamon bun and juice or something inside the parks.

If you aren't a AAA member, become one. That's pretty much the only way to get a discounted room at a Universal Resort now. Plus the parks accept the AAA card for a discount on meals and I think souvenirs. Or, if you have any way of getting a Universal Fan Club membership, try to do that also because it offered discounts at certain places, and I'm not certain if there's a benefit for room rates with that card. That's something that is usually offered through your work or may be available through your TA. It never hurts to ask.

And most importantly.... use the Express Lane with your room keys when you are in the USF parks to bypass any long lines! [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/082502yes_prv.gif[/img] That is the absolutely best feature of staying onsite at USF. It's like FastPass on steroids. Some rides have a restriction that you may only use your room key once per ride before 3 p.m. (you'll know if they swipe the magnetic stripe), but after 3 pm you can use your key for the Express Lane as many times as you like. There are still rides that you will have to wait to ride, like the Mummy, but it doesn't have that restriction of time-frame windows like WDW uses.

Editted to add: Don't use the Express Pass lane for Poseidon's Fury. We found that it actually gave us the worst position possible for viewing the show and we didn't enjoy it at all. And don't just walk past the Mystic Fountain in IoA (I think that's what it's called). Talk to it and see if anything happens, you never know. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

LisaJ · 04-29-2006, 09:42 AM

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That is the absolutely best feature of staying onsite at USF. It's like FastPass on steroids.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/ubb/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img] [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/rofl2.gif[/img]

Shell_of_the_South · 04-29-2006, 09:54 AM

We've stayed at the Royal Pacific and the Hard Rock. As far as the rooms go, both rooms were equally nice, with 2 queen size beds. The Royal Pacific is newer. We had no complaints with the rooms, sparkling clean, spacious and comfortable. Royal Pacific could be compared to the Poly as to theming. Our family preferred the HRH, and its usually only $20 or more a night than the RP. But I wouldn't hesitate to stay at the RP again.

Both pools are very nice, but the great thing about Universal resorts is that you can pool hop to other resort pools!

RP is a closer walk to IOA, HRH is closer to US. There are water taxis too if you don't want to walk, but the walk isn't bad, maybe 10 minutes from RP.

Room key = Front of the line pass - [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/love.gif[/img] it!!! The ultimate reason to stay at at Universal resort, especially since they have eliminated Express Pass for regular visitors all together. The hotels at Universal aren't cheap, but if you can afford it, do it.

This is how we get our money's worth of the front of the line access: You can check in as early as 9:00 am, even if your room is not ready you can pick up your room keys and head to the park. Also, the day you check out your room key is good until 3 pm or so. Our first night we stay in a cheaper offite hotel, get up the next morning, check in at Universal, go to the parks, and move into our room at Universal that afternoon when the room is ready. The day we check out, we pack up, hit the parks, then spend that night at a cheaper off site hotel. This could easily save us $200 or more. You need a car to make this scenario feasible though.

Also, Universal had AP rates too, so it might be something to consider to buy one AP if it saves you $100 a night off a room.

MAria R · 04-30-2006, 09:49 AM

I too am planning on doing 2 days at Universal probable at the end of out Disney trip as a surprise for my son. I am going with the Royal Pacific as it is the cheaper of the three but still looks really nice. Either way I look at it, it will be a splurge for me especially compared with the price at Pop which is where we will be staying at Disney.

**HiddenMickey** · 05-01-2006, 08:42 AM

I've stayed at the Hard Rock. Loved the rooms and the quick walk to the parks. The pool is beautiful too with a fun slide. Next time we'll stay at the Royal Pacific....a bit cheaper and the rooms are a bit smaller, but my family liked the theming better. I don't think you can really go wrong if you stay at any of the resorts. Have a wonderful trip!

pmlskr · 05-01-2006, 10:09 AM

In June of 04 my family stayed at Portofino Bay. We loved it. Very family friendly. My to boys loved the moped and cars placed through out the Piazza near the boat dock. The coffee is awesome! We had a lovey room (upgraded with our Loews First card) over looking the main pool. We truly loved the nightly turned down service and the large, very large bathroom (we were upgraded to a deluxe room)

You can't go wrong with Loews hotels.

Pam

RogerRabbit · 05-01-2006, 10:38 AM

I stayed at the HRH at the beginning of March and really, liked it. It is just a short walk from CityWalk and Universal Studios. The pool was real nice, and the Hotel seemed very kid friendly.

Michael

**chezp** · 05-01-2006, 10:41 AM

What great reviews of all the Universal hotels. Very useful as well, as we're planning on spending two nights at one of them (haven't decided which one yet [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] on our October trip - thanks for all the input. [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif[/img]

AnnetteO · 05-01-2006, 03:49 PM

Another vote for HRH!

My family loved the short walk to the parks! No waiting for a boat to take you back to the hotel!

Dont forget that your room key will also act as a FAST PASS at Resturants!