I've stayed in Downtown Disney and it was not nearly as convenient as actually staying on site. The busses do not run as frequently as they do on site. I'm talking about getting to and from the parks. i know once you are at hte parks,the transportation is the same.

mikieguns, are you sure you don't want to rent a car? The Shingle Creek Resort is not as close to Universal Studios as you might think. They are over 5 miles apart, with a major highway in between. The roads around Universal are very busy, and not set up well for walking.

Shingle Creek is on Universal Blvd, beyond the Convention Center. There aren't any restaurants or shops in that area, other than those at the hotel. Most of them are on International Drive, which would be a long, long, long walk (through some major construction areas) from your resort. And May will already be hotter and more humid here in Florida than most people are used to!

You need to check if Shingle Creek offers free shuttle service, and if so-very important!!-how often does it run? Many area hotels only run a shuttle a few times in the morning/evening, with limited seating. If you need to hire a taxi every time you want to leave the resort, it will add up really fast!

thanks for everyone's advice! yes I decided to rent a car. and we decided to reserve a room at the Disney Pop Century hotel for that leg of the trip.

Can't wait!

You'll have a blast at The Pop Century and be so glad you stayed onsight!

Have fun and take advantage of E-Ticket Night if they have it while you are there.