Currently I have plans for spending 8 nights at Portofino Bay at Universal. Will it be a big hassle to get to WDW? I originally thought that the hotels at WDW were to expensive to justify and not as appealing as the Portofino, but I'm having 2nd thoughts. Any help?? I really hate the idea of moving halfway through our trip and this will be my son's (8yr) first trip to WDW and Universal.

Thanks in advance!!

Why do you hate the idea of moving so much? I like being onsite of whichever park I'm visiting. It/s certainly less trouble than staying at Universal or WDW and commuting to the different parks for half the time. It is a hassle to get back and forth to WDW.

I strongly recommend splitting the hotels between WDW and Portofino. We have done this the last several trips. 3 days at the Swan then 3 at the Hard Rock. Worked out great. It's wonderful to be close to your hotel so you can stop in for a break during the day. In the long run, it's going to save you lots of time. Think of all the time you'll spend in traffic going from Portonfino to WDW. Plus, will you want to go back to WDW at night if you are at the Portofino?

I'd think about this. Also, Early entry is back, so you'll get that perk if you stay onsite at Disney, plus the perk of FOTL at Universal while at Portofino.

Also, since we did this we didn't even need to rent a car. We had a private towncar pick us up at the airport, take us right to the Swan, then after 3 days the same driver picked us up from the Swan and brought us to the Hard Rock, then at the end of the trip picked us up at the Hard Rock then back to the Airport.

No need to waste time in line getting the rental car, no need to leave early to drop off the rental car, the limo was there when we wanted (not on some shuttle schedule) and the best part of all, the entire 3 way trip was only $105! Way less than renting a car for the week. Try yourride.net or Tiffany Towncars.

It will take approximately 20 minutes to get from Portofino Bay to Disney (if you don't run into bad traffic). We stayed at Portofino Bay over Labor Day Weekend. It is a lovely resort. I'm sure you will love it.

However, I would like to suggest you split you stay between Disney and Universal. Driving back and forth between Universal and Disney will be a hassle for eight days. Why don't you stay three nights at Disney and then move to Portofino for the last five days. As I'm sure you know, you will have Express access at the Universal parks because you are staying on-site. This is a fabulous perk. No standing in line!!! Do Disney first. If you do Universal first, you will be spoiled by the express access.

IF you do decide to stay at Disney, be sure to check mousesavers.com to see if you can find any codes for Disney. Also, did you get the Entertainment Rate at Portofino?

Have fun!

Bev, You are so right about doing Universal last. We had awful lines at Disney and it was fantastic when we got to Universal and had the Front of the line Access! My husband kept saying "This is great" as we just breezed pass the crowds to the front of the line! Definitely save it for last.

Thanks for all of your replys. I was just hesitant because it always seems to take a day of your stay to move hotels in my experience. Which resort at Disney has the best pool area? That is my sons favorite activity.

The YachtClub/Beach Club resorts have a wonderful pool area called Storm Along Bay. Kids love it!

I particularly like this resort area of Disney because you can walk to Epcot and the Boardwalk.

Another possibility is Port Orleans. They have a nice pool area with water slide. This is a moderate resort and will be less expensive than Yacht Club or Beach Club which are Deluxe Resorts.

We had the car pick us up at the Swan (which has a nice pool area, plus discounted rates), at 9:30 am. We were all checked in, unpacked and at Universal by 11:30.

Best pool area at WDW is Yacht and Beach Club which is also in a great location, right on the boardwalk. You can walk or boat to Epcot and MGM from there.

Do the dreammaker packages offer any savings? We are going during spring break and I can only find rate at Disney.com. Any suggestions??

I have never booked a package. I always find it cheaper to do it myself. There is a lot of valuable information at disboards.com. The people on the disboards are somewhat fanatical about Disney, but you can get some good information on hotel deals, etc. You might want to book the hotel so you know you've got it, and then keep your eyes open for codes to get the price down. If you find a code, they will give you the cheaper rate. It will be harder at Spring break to get deals, but not impossible.