Universal Studios, Flordia
May 30th, 2003, 11:38 AM
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Universal Studios, Flordia
I am thinking about a trip over New Year's. My son will just have turned 13 and daughter 11 plus hubby. I was checking into prices of on-site hotels. My gosh!!! very expensive. I know we are planning during prime time so prices will be higher. Are the added benfits worth the price? We would like to not rent a car, just hire the town car to pick up and take back from the airport. Any suggestions?
May 30th, 2003, 11:42 AM
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I think the benefits of staying on property are worth it. I haven't stayed on property at Universal, but I have at Disneyworld, and I'm assuming they are the same. You would not need a rental car if you are on property. When we plan our next trip, I plan to stay on property at Universal. And yes, anything over Christmas and New Year's cost more.
May 30th, 2003, 11:43 AM
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The BEST perk of staying on-site is that you will have front-of-the-line access for your whole trip. Especially since you will be travelling during the busiest time of year, I think that's a major advantage. $200 a hotel room, $6 parking, not waiting in lines - - - priceless!!
May 30th, 2003, 01:06 PM
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My family (DH, dd 16 and 14) just did this trip in March. We stayed on site at Universal, and would do it again in a minute. Yep, it's pricey, but worth every step as you walk by those long, long lines to the front. With the age of your two, Universal is by far the better choice...much more geared to teens. A driver from Mears picked us up at the airport, and showed us some areas not hard to get to outside the property if you need something different. We walked to the parks, but they also offer a water taxi. Lots of resturants the kids will like. Let me know if you have other questions.
May 30th, 2003, 04:13 PM
#5
You can get discounts on the on-site Universal Hotels. Call 1-800-BEASTAR and ask if there are any entertainment rates available for the dates you want.If they are, go to www.entertainment.com and buy a book. You should wait until the 2004 book comes out since the 2003 one expires Nov. 1. If there are no entertainment rates, ask for the fan club rate or AAA rate. They also have discounts for Florida residents and annual pass holders. For all the info you could ever want on this and everything else dealing with Universal Orlando, go to www.disboards.com and click on the Universal forums.
May 30th, 2003, 05:31 PM
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There are many other locations in Orlando, yes onsite is nice but limiting. You DO NOT HAVE TO STAY ONSITE TO GET EXPRESS ENTRY TO RIDES. yes I ment ot yell as no one seems to know this. For an additional 10-15 dollars a person you can purchase a express pass ticket book which gives you the same privileges as hotel guests.
May 30th, 2003, 06:38 PM
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There are many hotels across from Universal or a stones throw away, that would probably be less expensive. Not to mention cheaper restaurants. I'm sure they have shuttles at these hotels or you can take taxis.
I've also heard them advertise the Express Ticket book for a small fee.
It's up to you! What's in your budget and if you saved a couple hundred dollars would you spend it on another activity?
Have Fun!
I've also heard them advertise the Express Ticket book for a small fee.
It's up to you! What's in your budget and if you saved a couple hundred dollars would you spend it on another activity?
Have Fun!
May 31st, 2003, 04:33 AM
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We stayed at the Hard Rock hotel, and what a treat to be able to walk to the parks from your room. It is literally right next door. Very convenient and then not having to wait in line at the park was an added plus. Great pool area for the kids, we had two 11 year olds with us and they loved it, the pools have underwater music. Only drawback was that the rooms have no balconies. Nice room, though. I think we upgraded a little bit.
May 31st, 2003, 11:30 AM
#9
Those "express pass booklets" are NOT always available. There are two kinds. One offers one express pass for each major ride. The other is not ride specific. This certainly is NOT as good a perk as on site guests get, but it would be less expensive to stay off site. I again suggest going to www.disboards.com and getting all the great info for getting discounts for the onsite hotels. Those hotels are also sometimes offered on hotelkingdom. Again..go to the disboards for all the information.
Jun 2nd, 2003, 10:47 AM
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When you call to make a reservation, ask for the best rate available. We went through about 4 different rates with our "reservation specialist" before we found the one we would take. They started at $289 and when we finished we were down to $159 for the Hard Rock.
