Need to stay onsite if you have a 5-day pass?

[maggiew]

I purchased the 5 day Kraft deal passes. We have never been to Universal/IOA before. Right now I have reservations at Portofino Bay Hotel for 4 nights (Aug. 16 - 20). I thought staying onsite would be great for the FOTL access but now I am wondering if it would be necessary if you plan to do the parks for 5 days? I am just beginning to feel guilty about the $155 per night price tag! We can afford it and have budgeted for it, but I have never spent that much per night before.

Could we do it all in the 5 days without killing outselves? I was planning on spending some time each afternoon at the pool.

We would also need to get a rental car or stay someplace that has a good shuttle.

My kids are 9 and 12.

We will be staying a week at Disney at Pop Century before our Universal Stay.

Maggie

 

[antmaril]

Stay onsite - you will love it. If you got Portofino Bay for $155 per night, you got a deal. PB is lovely. Your children will love the pools (especially the Beach Pool). The whole experience of staying onsite, walking to the parks and Citywalk and FOTL (even with the five day pass) are the makings of a perfect vacation. We always rent a car because we like to go exploring. We go over to Downtown Disney, the Mall at Millenia, etc. However, if you just want to stay right at Universal, you will not need a car.

Again, stay at Portofino Bay. You won't regret it!

Have fun!

 

[LaurieA]

Stay onsite. We went lasty earin July with the 5 day passes, staying off-site. The lines were horrible, 5 days or not. Luckily, the hotel lost our reservations after the 1st night and we went to Royal Pacific-that made our trip-what a difference. Stay on-site at least for a couple days if it is in your budget. My son loved Portifino when we went there to swim. We are staying onsite this year also-even if it isn't in our budget.

 

[JRLATL]

Even if you are going for 5 days, the FOTL makes the difference between using that time to see attractions/rides or standing in line. In April, we could walk from HRH to US and see Jimmy Neutron and Shrek both within one hour. The waits for those attractions during our stay could be up to 120 - 150 mins. EACH. You can see the difference. I don't know if Aug. will be like that though. It's just nice to have the option, and then walk back to the hotel for a swim or rest in the afternoon. We also used our hotel room alot since we were so close, and went to the parks even more often, because you could drop-in and try a couple of rides and then leave.

 

[highlander447]

U will love staying onsite u can do parks in am then return to pool and relax then early eve return to parks for more fun without the hassle of waiting in Qs

 

[gschmerl]

$155 is a great rate for the Portofino. Stay on site. It's HOT in August. You won't want to be waiting in lines. If you stay on site, you can go to the parks in the AM and relax by the pool in the HOT afternoons.

 

[*Fantasia*]

WOW!! WOW!! How did you get $155 a nite at PBH if you don't mind me asking? That is such a steal!! I have never heard of it that low. I am staying at RPR and paying $209 a nite!! We also bought the 5 consecutive days for the price of 2. And planning to stay for 4 nites also. Stay with PBH, you may never see that rate again!

 

[maggiew]

I got the $155 rate with the Entertainment book. We are going Aug. 16 - 20. It must be the beginning of the "slow" season for them because I inquired about the price for the week before (Aug. 9 - 12) and it was around $200 per night (don't remember exactly). But by switching to the later week, we saved money. We were going to do Universal first and then Disney, but I just switched our days around to go to Disney first, then Universal, so I could get the cheaper rate.

I guess you guys have me convinced to stay on site. Thanks.

Maggie

 

[A Mickeyfan]

If you can afford it & have saved the money for onsite...then do it!!! There is nothing better than going to the parks for about 3 hours, doing all the attractions....head back over to the resort & enjoy the pool. Get your mid-day break...then head back over for the night fun.... then stroll around City Walk.... and best of all...you don't have to worry about the traffic....you can park your car & not look at it until you have to head home!!! :space:

 

[gschmerl]

Originally posted by maggiew
I. We were going to do Universal first and then Disney, but I just switched our days around to go to Disney first, then Universal, so I could get the cheaper rate.

Maggie

Actually, you'll be glad you're doing Disney first. You will be so spoiled by the FOTL perk that it would be hard to stand in the lines at Disney after that.

 

[BarbaraMB]

Originally posted by gschmerl
Actually, you'll be glad you're doing Disney first. You will be so spoiled by the FOTL perk that it would be hard to stand in the lines at Disney after that.

This is so true. We did Universal first and then Disney. FOTL is a remarkable perk. Because of FOTL we are returning to Universal. It is a true spolier.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Originally posted by BarbaraMB
This is so true. We did Universal first and then Disney. FOTL is a remarkable perk. Because of FOTL we are returning to Universal. It is a true spolier.

I am just the oposite. If I stay in Disney, I probably won't leave Disney. It happened to me before. Where I keep adding more days to my Disney trip and lessen the nights at Universal. So, I have been doing it the other way around, where I will start of Universal first, then do Disney last. But then again, there was one time where now, I can't leave Universal, I ended up shortening our days for Disney to the point where we ended up staying at RPR for the whole trip!! If I could be at two places at one time, this would be it- to be at Disney and Universal!! Ok, three places at one time- I have to add Maui, Hawaii!!