Webmaster Pete's review of the Royal Pacific

[englishrose47]

they've been competing successsfully with all the orlando attractions for years, including disney, just a slightly different demographic

i really hope U doesn't try to morph into disney clone w/addition of HP & catering to a specific pattern of travel. It's special just the way it is.

I enjoy DP, but it's value has certainly changed, especially w/OOP tipping. When dining @ Universal -

*you can typically get a reservation the same day vs disney
*you're not locked into eating CS or TS depending on what you have left in pre-paid account
&
*the food offerings aren't as standardized (especially in citiwalk & the resorts) as disney either.

I agreee the ddp is not the huge value it was !!! But I really enjoy having it prepaid and the ability to not have to check prices before ordering !!!

The RPS looks gorgeous to me and way superior to my usual Pop !! But it is a lot more money!!!Another thing that scares me is those fridges with stuff you pay for !! Definately NO KEY for us !!!Just hope the kids don't bring lock picking tools with them !!!

 

[englishrose47]

I agree that RPR and HR could use better quick service options. I think the meal deal was Universal's attempt to try to compete with Disney's dining. USO does not have nearly as many quests staying on site as WDW and the Meal Deal is likely targeted more towards the day guest. Hopefully, they will continue to try to expand their dining options if it is feasible to do so. But I must say, I do not want USO to sacrifice quality and variety like WDW did when they instituted their dining plan. I enjoy USO restaurants more than WDW now which I couldn't have said about 5 years ago. If you receive frequent surveys from USO like I do, make sure to reply as I know they listen to concerns and suggestions.

Thanks !! When we go to Disney as a family it will be during FD so that is a wonderful perk !!But for 5 of us the nicer restaurants at US are just to expensive !!! I don't mean in comaparrison to Disney I simply mean to pay OOP!!

 

[donaldduck352]

In all honesty we paid alot more money at DW for a so-called dinner.The last time we where there we stayed at Fort Wilderness,we ate at a TS restraunt.We got a pizza for the kids which was barely enough to fill them up.DW and I order a somewhat decent steak each.Total bill with drinks>$120...

Now at uni $120 goes alot further and the taste is 10times better!!! Mytho's is a prime example.You can feed a family of four in a 5* rest under $70 with drinks..

 

[englishrose47]

In all honesty we paid alot more money at DW for a so-called dinner.The last time we where there we stayed at Fort Wilderness,we ate at a TS restraunt.We got a pizza for the kids which was barely enough to fill them up.DW and I order a somewhat decent steak each.Total bill with drinks>$120...

Now at uni $120 goes alot further and the taste is 10times better!!! Mytho's is a prime example.You can feed a family of four in a 5* rest under $70 with drinks..

I checked them out !! The prices are not as bad as I thought !! I was looking at the resorts and they are pretty pricey !! I still think we would go with the Meal Deal as the kids are happy with hamburgers, hot dogs and Pizza any way!! Question how much are the souvenir mugs that you pay for refills and how much are the refills !!

 

[keishashadow]

Thanks !! When we go to Disney as a family it will be during FD so that is a wonderful perk !!But for 5 of us the nicer restaurants at US are just to expensive !!! I don't mean in comaparrison to Disney I simply mean to pay OOP!!

FDP was only instituted after hurricanes hit the prior years & the rooms were begging to be filled, not so much a 'perc' as a promo

No big weather event since during that time

Not to be a downer, but FDP hasn't been announced yet for this year (other than the bounceback offers) & there is no guarantee it will continue to be offered if the pre-booked room quota satisfies CRO.

strike while the iron is hot

englishrose - re pre-paid meals, there are U gift cards sold in grocery stores, etc. You'd have to do a search here, know phantom had clarified as to what is covered & how to utilize them. I agree re minibar, scary to even look inside

 

[La2kw]

We've stayed at the RPR a number of times, with our kids, and have never heard any offensive music at the pool. Perhaps that particular DJ made some bad choices. It's a great resort and has a fantastic pool for kids. I think it's odd to not recommend it to families based on that one experience with the music, especially with all the positive things mentioned in the review. Also, finding leaves in the pool on a windy day is not unheard of. I'm always fighting the leaves in my pool due to the wind. If I was there, I would have asked the pool staff to skim the leaves out of the kiddie pool as well. The staff there has always been very helpful and top notch, IMO.

 

[macraven]

The review was largely positive and extremely fair. I just relate my experience as honestly as I can. There are people who would care a great deal about the music - those people should be warned that they may have an experience at the pool they would rather avoid. That is, after all, what the site is here for.



Hence the phrase "not normally" - I didn't say "not ever" or "no one". The vast majority of people visiting Orlando are visiting Walt Disney World and taking excursions to Universal. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. I wish there were more people that went to Universal as a destination as I believe it more than warrants it, but that's not the reality. If Universal wants to attract the Disney audience, they need to pay attention to some of these details a little better.

i always enjoy hearing the pros and cons of any hotel and park.
when someone writes a review, there will always be comments, good and bad.

i usually read the trip reports for the motherland and the darkside and learn how those families enjoyed their trips.

i get a lot out of those threads.
reading other's personal experience, goes a long way with me.
i appreciate the "heads up" advice others give.


i started going to the motherland in 1974.
in 1992, i checked out the darkside.

i do both each year.
there is no way i can travel to orlando and not stay at both resorts and enjoy those parks.

11 years ago i discovered HHN.


I am totally and completely addicted to HHN!



since then, i plan my 14- 15 days vacation in orlando around the HHN schedule.
there are others that do likewise.


i have found that there will be problems in any hotel no matter where they are located.
i have had disney/motherland resort issues and also universal/darkside hotel resort issues.
i just live with it as i don't let it bother me while in orlando.

when i'm at the motherland, i just want to relax and enjoy the pixie dust and play in the parks from dawn to midnight.

then when i switch over to the darkside, i have the mummy dust to keep me smiling.

a hotel room to me is a place to sleep, shower, store my belongings. i enjoy the amenities at the resorts, but spend most of my vacation time in the parks.
i know many others prefer the attractions at the hotels as their vacations are to relax and be with family.

when issues arise, homies like to share their experiences, the good and the bad.

once the hotel resorts went up at the motherland, i have always stayed on site there.

i have stayed at hrh over 22 times, pbh once and rph 3 times.

i like the rates best at rph and am making that my new home base for UO stays.

some homies love rph and others can't stand the place.
(i do enjoy rph the most out of the onsite hotels.)
i ran into some of the same issues as you did so i know it does happen there and at the other ones, disney included.

maybe universal will gain more attention and repeat business with the Parry Hotter isle opening.

if that happens, surely the 3 onsite hotels management will listen and improve where they have a weakness.

there is always room for improvement in anything in life.

 

[englishrose47]

FDP was only instituted after hurricanes hit the prior years & the rooms were begging to be filled, not so much a 'perc' as a promo

No big weather event since during that time

Not to be a downer, but FDP hasn't been announced yet for this year (other than the bounceback offers) & there is no guarantee it will continue to be offered if the pre-booked room quota satisfies CRO.

strike while the iron is hot

englishrose - re pre-paid meals, there are U gift cards sold in grocery stores, etc. You'd have to do a search here, know phantom had clarified as to what is covered & how to utilize them. I agree re minibar, scary to even look inside:laughing

:

FD has been every year for several years and the rumor I hear (and they are usually accurate) is Monday AP and Visa card holders will be offered and then Thursday the general public !!

What are pre paid meals ?? Are they for the Sit down restaurants?? Sorry I have all these questions but my OCD planning causes it !!

 

[keishashadow]

FD has been every year for several years and the rumor I hear (and they are usually accurate) is Monday AP and Visa card holders will be offered and then Thursday the general public !!

What are pre paid meals ?? Are they for the Sit down restaurants?? Sorry I have all these questions but my OCD planning causes it !!

4 hurricanes hit FL in 2004, here's hoping they stay away!

this version of WDWs DP started 1/05

we visited 2/05 & tips & appetizers were included, it was grand indeed!

FDP was 1st offered fall of 05'

i was referencing pre-purchase of gift cards to utilize for dining costs @ U

i know there r many waiting for FDP announcement

 

[TwingleMum]

Hi Pete enjoyed your review. Have you reviewed HRH or PBH????

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Enjoyed the review. I didn't get that u were not recommending to families, just mentioning the music played. My DH and myself are planning a trip leaning to RPR and I myself don't like to hear degrading music about women or any other even wo children. I think a good idea for all of us is if we don't like is to complain like Pete did. I think it was a good idea.

 

[tinkerbellmagic]

Enjoyed the review. I didn't get that u were not recommending to families, just mentioning the music played. My DH and myself are planning a trip leaning to RPR and I myself don't like to hear degrading music about women or any other even wo children. I think a good idea for all of us is if we don't like is to complain like Pete did. I think it was a good idea.

I agree and enjoyed the review. Nice to know someone is looking out for the kids. Thanks for mentioning this in the review. I felt you otherwise enjoyed your stay and hoped RPR would do a better job keeping things tidy.

 

[okiedokieartichoke]

I don't think the review regarding the DJ music was totally accurate IMO. Yes, some of the DJs that were hired played some songs that might be questionable, but in general the music being played was NOT bad, not offensive, and totally appropriate. I have had to sit through the DJ music four hours a day, three times a week for a good 3 weeks straight and let me tell you -- I am very conservative when it comes to music, and i didn't see any problems with what was being played. Everything being played was music you would hear on any radio station, and the songs that could be construed as being inappropriate were edited as the radio remixes. Keep in mind that young children are NOT the only people who visit the pool -- we see a variety of people ranging in all ages, and we have to try and find the happy medium to keep everyone pleased. Because of THIS review, the DJ coming back was basically at a 0% chance and we had to switch our regular, normal, enjoyable music to some of the worst and most boring south-seas/big band music EVER. And believe me, I'm positive the complaints we had about that "safe" music was much higher than anything that the DJ played!!! We can't please everyone, it's just a fact. The title of this review, on top of it, is really taking things way out of context. The DJ is back, however, for the summer months and I've noticed a significant change in the music, they are being super safe because they know one bad song and they are done at the RPR. Don't worry yall - your kids are safe.

 

[Magpie]

You know, I'm a lot less concerned about some adult content in the top ten pop songs, which small children playing in a pool are not likely to be paying close attention to, much less understanding, than I am about some of the songs they learned in preschool and kindergarten.

Their TEACHER taught them this one:

"A pizza hut, a pizza hut
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut.
McDonalds, McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut!

You like it, you love it,
You know you really want it!"

Yay, just what I wanted to hear my 5yo singing, just when I was trying to wean her off her Happy Meal addiction.

Personally, I was a lot happier when she was blithely warbling along to Nickleback's, "I've been wrong, I've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle..." because at least she didn't know what she was singing.

P.S. When I was small, I honestly thought Olivia Newton John was telling us all to get out and exercise more when she sang "I wanna get physical, physical, lemme me hear your body talk!" I was in my 20's before I realized she was talking about sex.

 

[mjohnson96]

You know, I'm a lot less concerned about some adult content in the top ten pop songs, which small children playing in a pool are not likely to be paying close attention to, much less understanding, than I am about some of the songs they learned in preschool and kindergarten.

Their TEACHER taught them this one:

"A pizza hut, a pizza hut
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut.
McDonalds, McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut!

You like it, you love it,
You know you really want it!"

Yay, just what I wanted to hear my 5yo singing, just when I was trying to wean her off her Happy Meal addiction.

Personally, I was a lot happier when she was blithely warbling along to Nickleback's, "I've been wrong, I've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle..." because at least she didn't know what she was singing.

P.S. When I was small, I honestly thought Olivia Newton John was telling us all to get out and exercise more when she sang "I wanna get physical, physical, lemme me hear your body talk!" I was in my 20's before I realized she was talking about sex.

How True!

 

[carmiedog]

P.S. When I was small, I honestly thought Olivia Newton John was telling us all to get out and exercise more when she sang "I wanna get physical, physical, lemme me hear your body talk!" I was in my 20's before I realized she was talking about sex.

say what?!? I'm on the upper side of 30 and STILL thought it was about aerobics.

I just googled the lyrics. wow. you're right!

 

[englishrose47]

You know, I'm a lot less concerned about some adult content in the top ten pop songs, which small children playing in a pool are not likely to be paying close attention to, much less understanding, than I am about some of the songs they learned in preschool and kindergarten.

Their TEACHER taught them this one:

"A pizza hut, a pizza hut
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut.
McDonalds, McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut!

You like it, you love it,
You know you really want it!"

Yay, just what I wanted to hear my 5yo singing, just when I was trying to wean her off her Happy Meal addiction.

Personally, I was a lot happier when she was blithely warbling along to Nickleback's, "I've been wrong, I've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle..." because at least she didn't know what she was singing.

P.S. When I was small, I honestly thought Olivia Newton John was telling us all to get out and exercise more when she sang "I wanna get physical, physical, lemme me hear your body talk!" I was in my 20's before I realized she was talking about sex.

Wellsaid and

 

[leanne11]

i disagree w/pete but like everyone says each has a seperate exper.. We LOVED RP..just loved it.. checked in on my b-day last yr and they tried really hard to upgrade us to king suite and felt really bad they couldn't do it for my entire stay, so 1 night i had a reg room(that i pd for).. they gave me the best view of hulk outside our window and explained that if the convention was not there they would upgrade me.. got to our room, bottle of wine and glasses from Steve the check-in guy saying tom. they will call with upgrade room details..yeah..went to the pool.. loved how they had big pichers of ice water all around the pool. ordered some snacks and the luau people showed up to light the torches they did a dance that pulled my 11 yr old out of the pool..not easy to do and he jumped right in, they taught the kids how to move their hips..really fun...then jumped back in the pool and they set up a huge screen and played cat in the hat movie.. while swimming, my son was in his glory.. they called next day said just leave everything in room they moved us to above pool king suite..loved being able to close to door and having some privacy..they moved everything. we went to the parks on a very quick boat ride.. my 11 yr old loved the buffet at the rest. they hd mac and cheese, chick tenders and cookies.. also got to lay on a huge bed and watch spongebob on a big screen tv upside down in the play room.. never saw too much in the pool.. surprised it bothered anyone who has been to florida swimming after a storm they have so many plants right near the pool no big deal..never had a dj. the pool is so big would have just went to the other side of the pool area..we loved it and most important our son wants to go back..the reason we go to florida is for him anyway...

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

I don't think the review regarding the DJ music was totally accurate IMO. Yes, some of the DJs that were hired played some songs that might be questionable, but in general the music being played was NOT bad, not offensive, and totally appropriate. I have had to sit through the DJ music four hours a day, three times a week for a good 3 weeks straight and let me tell you -- I am very conservative when it comes to music, and i didn't see any problems with what was being played. Everything being played was music you would hear on any radio station, and the songs that could be construed as being inappropriate were edited as the radio remixes. Keep in mind that young children are NOT the only people who visit the pool -- we see a variety of people ranging in all ages, and we have to try and find the happy medium to keep everyone pleased. Because of THIS review, the DJ coming back was basically at a 0% chance and we had to switch our regular, normal, enjoyable music to some of the worst and most boring south-seas/big band music EVER. And believe me, I'm positive the complaints we had about that "safe" music was much higher than anything that the DJ played!!! We can't please everyone, it's just a fact. The title of this review, on top of it, is really taking things way out of context. The DJ is back, however, for the summer months and I've noticed a significant change in the music, they are being super safe because they know one bad song and they are done at the RPR. Don't worry yall - your kids are safe.

Actually, we don't listen to the radio except for contemporary christian. And I'm not sure what the problem is with South seas music as it's in keeping with the theme of the hotel. I would think softly played island music while relaxing with a book at the pool while kids played with DH in the pool sounds better than blaring rock music. As a mom, I like to have some relaxation on vacation not nonstop noise which I get at home. I would expect to hear radio music blaring at Hard Rock which is why we would don't even have that hotel on our list for a trip to Universal.

So do all three of the hotels play radio music at the pools?

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

You know, I'm a lot less concerned about some adult content in the top ten pop songs, which small children playing in a pool are not likely to be paying close attention to, much less understanding, than I am about some of the songs they learned in preschool and kindergarten.

Their TEACHER taught them this one:

"A pizza hut, a pizza hut
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut.
McDonalds, McDonalds
Kentucky fried chicken and a pizza hut!

You like it, you love it,
You know you really want it!"

Yay, just what I wanted to hear my 5yo singing, just when I was trying to wean her off her Happy Meal addiction.

Personally, I was a lot happier when she was blithely warbling along to Nickleback's, "I've been wrong, I've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle..." because at least she didn't know what she was singing.

P.S. When I was small, I honestly thought Olivia Newton John was telling us all to get out and exercise more when she sang "I wanna get physical, physical, lemme me hear your body talk!" I was in my 20's before I realized she was talking about sex.

I certainly would not be thrilled with what the teacher is teaching them in music. On the other hand whether my kid understands what they're singing or not I don't want them singing about drinking or sex. Children grow up way too fast and worldly these days because of what we fill their little minds and hearts with.

My 5 YO watches Disney animated movies and that's the kind of music he listens and sings as well. That and the old standby preschool songs like Old McDonald, Bingo, and Christian music.