Help with Universal trip planning

[smitty0705]

I know all things Disney but we have not been to Universal Orlando. Summer of 2019 we will go to Disney and then to Universal. We want to do one day at Universal Studios, one day at Islands of Adventure, and one day at Volcano Bay. We have 4 adults and 2 children and could stay in a suite or perhaps adjoining rooms. We are interested in express passes. What is the best and most economical way to do the Universal trip? I try to read up on their website but my brain is Disney-fied and the Universal lingo doesn’t make sense to me. Help?

 

[bobbie68]

Hi I would highly recommend two rooms or a suite. The express pass that comes with one of the three deluxe hotels is great, especially with one day at each park. If you do stay at Royal Pacific, Hard Rock Hotel or Portofino Bay you will get the express pass for the day you check in and the day you check out. These express passes will work at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Volcano Bay has it's own express pass feature that can only be purchased and not included in the hotels.

Generally without an AP Royal Pacific is your cheapest of the three. I know they have some suites. I can tell you that you can request adjoining rooms but it is only a request and no guarantee. For 6 people you would have to do one or the other. The max a single room holds is 5.

Universal does sell the express pass at the parks but the price for one day is usually higher than the hotel rooms and you get two days.

I visit in the summer and can say you will want those express passes for the short time you will be there. The Early Entry staying on site is a bonus for Volcano Bay. This is a water park where early entry is a saving grace. You can use the transportation by bus or water taxi to and from the parks.

If you are interested in park hopping by the Hogwarts express you will need a park to park ticket. Otherwise you can do single day tickets.

The express pass will work for all your rides and it can cut the time quite a bit. Stand-by in the summer can be 60 minutes and express pass lane is 20 minutes.

The tickets are sold as 2 park one day or 2 park to park which include the Studios and Islands of Adventure, the three park includes Volcano Bay. You could price out the difference of the two park tickets and buying one day to Volcano Bay separately or look at the three park. Last summer we bought the three park tickets but went to Volcano bay twice so it worked for us.

Happy planning!

 

[skylock]

Since you are aiming for one park each day, I would skip the park to park tickets and just go with base tickets.

I don't think the train ride is worth the hundred or so dollars extra it will cost you for park to park tickets.

Also, the express pass from the hotel does not work at VB. If you want express pass there, you have to buy it separately.

 

[smitty0705]

The tickets are sold as 2 park one day or 2 park to park which include the Studios and Islands of Adventure, the three park includes Volcano Bay. You could price out the difference of the two park tickets and buying one day to Volcano Bay separately or look at the three park. Last summer we bought the three park tickets but went to Volcano bay twice so it worked for us.

Happy planning!

Thank you so much for your post. This is helping! The tickets seem to be the most confusing part to me. Do I buy 2 park 2 day or 3 park 3 day since we are doing VB too?

 

[Lynne G]

I would get a 3 day, 3 park ticket. That way you can go in and between the three parks. If you stay two nights, you get 3 days of express in IOA and the Studios. You also get early entry into the three parks. The express perk of the hotel works from the day you check in, through the day you check out. Price the hotel as room only. Then buy your tickets from an authorized reseller, like undercovertourist.

 

[smitty0705]

I would get a 3 day, 3 park ticket. That way you can go in and between the three parks. If you stay two nights, you get 3 days of express in IOA and the Studios. You also get early entry into the three parks. The express perk of the hotel works from the day you check in, through the day you check out. Price the hotel as room only. Then buy your tickets from an authorized reseller, like undercovertourist.

If we did undercovertourist tickets, you can still link these up with a room reservation?

 

[smitty0705]

So I am seeing that as indicated above it’s cheaper to do 2 rooms rather than suite and RPR is the cheapest that has the express pass. Making progress!

If this is our schedule, we would only need to stay 2 nights at RPR to get express for our days, correct? We would pay separately for a day of VB express and then get 2 days of free EP, correct? Just checking to make sure we could check out on day 3, still use EP that day, and check into a cheaper hotel that evening?

Day 1 (check in day)
Volcano Bay

Day 2
IOA/UF

Day 3 (check out day)
IOA/UF

 

[Lynne G]

If we did undercovertourist tickets, you can still link these up with a room reservation?

There is no linking your tickets like as Disney. Universal does not own the hotels. Most find a room only reservation and tickets bought separately is a better deal, price and change wise. Room only has a 5 day or less before check in, no charge to cancel or change. Packages from Universal have a longer time before charging for cancelling, and charge a change fee for any changes you make to the package. Plus, you can look fashionable sporting a lanyard, with your room card facing out on one side and your ticket facing out on the other. That way, all have their ticket and your room key acts as your express pass.

And yes, with a 2 night stay, say check in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, when you check out. You will have all 3 days of express for IOA and the Studios. Yes, express pass for VB is separate.. I would by a 3 park ticket, for 3 days. You may not want to stay all day in VB, so you could go to a park if open. With express in the 2 parks, and early entry into one of the Potter areas, you can get a lot done in one park. Plus, with a three park, you can hop between IOA and the Studios by walking through City Walk, not a far walk, or take the Pottter train.

And yes, most of the time, RPR is the cheapest of the three onsite express hotels. But I would price PBR, and even HRH too. For my summer trip, my cheapest room is at the PBR. And, since room prices rise as time goes on, so I would book as soon as you are generally sure of your dates. Longer stays are generally discounted via a deal called Stay More, Save More. I have not seen a discount for 2 or 1 night. A room reservation will be secured with a one night charge. That is fully refundable until 5 days before your check in day. If within those five days, you owe thr total. Otherwise, you pay your total remaining, when you check out. While you can pre pay, you have to call in, and most do not do that. Also, if you call, the reservation people are good at helping with finding a good price, and will help you with any changes you need.

Take a look at the 3 resorts in their stickies in the Resorts board. They are a good wealth of information about each hotel.

I hope you have a great trip.

 

[smitty0705]

There is no linking your tickets like as Disney. Universal does not own the hotels. Most find a room only reservation and tickets bought separately is a better deal, price and change wise. Room only has a 5 day or less before check in, no charge to cancel or change. Packages from Universal have a longer time before charging for cancelling, and charge a change fee for any changes you make to the package. Plus, you can look fashionable sporting a lanyard, with your room card facing out on one side and your ticket facing out on the other. That way, all have their ticket and your room key acts as your express pass.

And yes, with a 2 night stay, say check in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, when you check out. You will have all 3 days of express for IOA and the Studios. Yes, express pass for VB is separate.. I would by a 3 park ticket, for 3 days. You may not want to stay all day in VB, so you could go to a park if open. With express in the 2 parks, and early entry into one of the Potter areas, you can get a lot done in one park. Plus, with a three park, you can hop between IOA and the Studios by walking through City Walk, not a far walk, or take the Pottter train.

And yes, most of the time, RPR is the cheapest of the three onsite express hotels. But I would price PBR, and even HRH too. For my summer trip, my cheapest room is at the PBR. And, since room prices rise as time goes on, so I would book as soon as you are generally sure of your dates. Longer stays are generally discounted via a deal called Stay More, Save More. I have not seen a discount for 2 or 1 night. A room reservation will be secured with a one night charge. That is fully refundable until 5 days before your check in day. If within those five days, you owe thr total. Otherwise, you pay your total remaining, when you check out. While you can pre pay, you have to call in, and most do not do that. Also, if you call, the reservation people are good at helping with finding a good price, and will help you with any changes you need.

Take a look at the 3 resorts in their stickies in the Resorts board. They are a good wealth of information about each hotel.

I hope you have a great trip.

You have been incredibly helpful! I really appreciate this! I think I am starting to get the hang of this. Do they give away those super fashionable lanyards at check in?

 

[Lynne G]

No, no free lanyards, but Royal generally give you a free lei or two. You can buy them anywhere you would like, including at Universal. Heck, I think my one kid uses one he got on clearance at Game Stop. I have one I got from a HHN private tour. Sometimes my other kid borrows that one, and I think she either uses that or one she bought in one of the Universal’s shops. We swap sometimes.

The best part of a Universal trip, is the relaxing part. With the express, lower crowded lines, and a boat ride, or not too far walk to the parks from the 3 on site hotels. Oh, and with your room key, while you only have a short time, you can pool hop to all the other hotels. Totally allowed. Though I think all the pools are nice. Royal Pacific has a nice, tropical one, Portofino has a slide, and Hard Rock plays music inside the pool.

 

[Artygal90]

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention is that Universal is currently building a new value resort called "Endless Summer", with half of it, the Surfside Inn and Suites, scheduled to open in summer 2019. It will have bus access only to the parks (no walking or boats), and no included express passes, but the suites are supposed to feature a kitchen, sleep 6 people in two separate rooms, and start at $111/night. You'll have to do the math for your dates and exact group on express pass + value resort vs. staying at RPR with the included passes, but I wanted to mention it since I hadn't seen it as an option. And of course, there's no telling that it would actually be open for the dates you plan to be there.

I will say that the RPR was an awesome hotel and the included express passes make everything really easy - even with only a day and a half during a super-busy Spring Break Friday and Saturday, we got to do almost everything we wanted to do at least once. So for us we felt like the extra cost was worth it.

And yes, Universal is sooo much more relaxing than Disney. Once you've got your hotel booked and tickets purchased, that's the only planning you *have* to do. So chill!

 

[macraven]

You have been incredibly helpful! I really appreciate this! I think I am starting to get the hang of this. Do they give away those super fashionable lanyards at check in?

I receive rpr lanyards when I check in but don’t know if that is due to being a platinum you first member

But the you first program is no more come this December 6 so we will find out then about the free lanyards at rpr

I have about 10 if them

I’m crossing my fingers you so get one when you check in !

If you are not given one at check in time, ask if your family can have them

The worse they can say is no