"I don't have to be nice to you, this isn't Disney World" report-Mythos 7/9

[Hedy]

Hi, I'm Heather, AKA Hedy. I'm a 24 year old vacation freak who likes her solo trips.


I'm a Disney girl to the core. I carried my plastic Mickey Mouse everywhere when I was 3. I pooh-poohed the kids in third grade who said they saw Woody Woodpecker at Disney World. I was dragged kicking and screaming to Universal when I was 12, I was not impressed. My highlight was the raft ride at Fivel's playground. But in the past few years I've heard great things about IOA, and I realize that I thought it stunk when I was 12 is not really a review, so my curiosity has been peaked. But I couldn't bear to have it cut into my WDW time.

Anyway, it's been in my long weekend to-do for a while. For a number of complex reasons, I was looking to go away Fourth of July weekend. But airfare and hotels were costly.

Then today's Ding! arrived! I got a great rate from Manchester, NH to Orlando, then also booked MCO-MHT.

I figured timewise my best bet would be to stay onsite at for FOTL one night. I priced it, RPR was booked, but HRH had a rate that was ok. I turned to my trusted Mousesavers.com. AAA discount...wait? All Access discounts? I belong to the All Access club! I called:
"Hi, my name is Hedy and I was looking at booking for July 4 at HRH. I have an AAA card and an All Access card. Are there any discounts available?"
No AAA discounts but the nice lady had an All Access Club discount. Yay!

I'm too young to rent a car without paying out the fees, so I think I'm taking the Mears shuttle to-from the airport. I only want to stay at Universal for 2 days 1 night, so I decided to spend Saturday night at an airport hotel. Being of the cheap sort, I checked out Hotwire, and bidding for travel. The eternally useful DIS told me what to look for to get the Hyatt. I figured any 4 star airport hotel couldn't be bad. I clicked...it matched the criteria, I clicked-w00t! Airport hyatt for $84! I am good!

I also have my pass-I got the $79 deal.

So we have:

Friday: Flying into MCO from MHT
Mears (?) to HRH.
Check in

Saturday:
Check out
Mears to airport

Sunday:

Fly home.

I must confess that I am a Hedy who is very, very out of her element. I don't do Southwest, I don't speak Universal, I nearly peed myself when I learned you don't need to make wicked early reservations for dining-I still may try to make a reservation for Mythos. At present I'm claiming I'm CSing the rest of the trip to save money, but we shall see.

I ordered an Universal book off of Amazon, and am reading Universal threads on the boards. Expect many frenzied posts from me in the next month.

 

[RAPstar]

What's the All Access Club?

 

[macraven]

that andy is thru hrc





you can also do priceline for the on site hotels.

there is a blurb on one other board on how to help secure it.

i have only known 2 people that have stayed on site that way.



for me, too much info.
i just use the AAA for the room discounts.


hope you enjoy your trip to the darkside.

 

[Hedy]

What's the All Access Club?

It's kind of HRC's version of the RFC's safari club. For $25, I got a $20 credit at HRC, a string back pack, 2 pins, a wrist band and a bonus HRC t-shirt. I also get priority seating (great when we were going there after the circus and were 2 hours later than we thought. I really only joined b/c we were going there twice, and my nephews love it, but it's paid for its self.

that andy is thru hrc





you can also do priceline for the on site hotels.

there is a blurb on one other board on how to help secure it.

i have only known 2 people that have stayed on site that way.



for me, too much info.
i just use the AAA for the room discounts.


hope you enjoy your trip to the darkside.

Thanks! The All Access Club seemed easiest, but I am happy about the Hyatt for Saturday night.

 

[phamton]

We are all here to help you. Feel free to ask any questions. The 4th of July will be busy but it will be busy at WDW also. The regular fireworks show has been cancelled because of fire hazard with the Harry Potter atrractions being built but they may be doing the 360 cinesphere show. Stay tuned for more information on this.

 

[alexb0923]

Good job Heather. Have fun.

 

[Hedy]

Somehow, a one month dance does not have the same effect when I've only been waiting three days for it.
However:
1. My Universal guidebook was shipped from Amazon today.
2. I think I'm going with Mears to/from the airport. I figure we used them on our first three WDW trips, so they should be good.
3. I'm defiantely eating at Mythos. I'm toying with also eating at the Kitchen or Margaritaville. My DSIL recommended Tcoup Tchoup, but it's a little out of my price range, plus I'm not an Emeril fan.
4. I ordered another suncreen fitness shirt from Land's End.
5. Speaking of sunscreen, I'm thinking I may try to do carry-on only for time restraint reasons, but I need to find a way to get as much sunscreen as possible in a 3-1-1 bag (I am pale as all get out).
5. Previously mentioned DSIL's recommendations for rides consisted of "Mummy and Spiderman"-I'm looking firward to both.
5. I'm still not sure what I'm doing about getting to the Manchester airport-Park, sleep and fly places all seem to have bad reviews or be pricey (like, more than Logan pricey), so I may just do onsite parking. I may see if I can find anything cheaper, though.

 

[LeslieR]

What is a sun screen fitness shirt?

 

[Hedy]

What is a sun screen fitness shirt?

It's a shirt sold by Lands End that has a) a UHF (like SPF) of 35, and dries quickly (I was on Splash Moutains with the cannons on and dry by Liberty square-they're around $20).

 

[Hedy]

I booked a park, sleep fly in Manchester. Much easier than getting up veeeeeeerrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyy eaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrly to drive to Manchester. However, as my mother pointed out, I'll probably be on the first shuttle to the airport in the morning.

Additionally, my Universal guidebook came today, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

[Nicole786]

I can't believe you're going to universal, awesome!! You are going to have an awesome time especially at the HRH!!! If you can, take a break mid-day and check out the pool, the slide is awesome and so is hearing music under the water!

 

[Hedy]

Learned a lot from the guidebook. I booked my Mears shuttle to/from the airport last night. I'm sure Universal has some great reason why they don't have a hotel shuttle, but it still irks me I have to pay for Mears when I'm paying 2x for HRH what I've paid for a WDW room and gotten DME.

 

[phamton]

I'm sure Universal has some great reason why they don't have a hotel shuttle, but it still irks me I have to pay for Mears when I'm paying 2x for HRH what I've paid for a WDW room and gotten DME.

I'm an old timer I guess because I remember paying for Mears to get to WDW before they had Magical Express. We had already moved here before Magical express started. Every trip we had to pay to get to WDW and Universal.

And when we went to Disneyland in California we had to pay to get to Anaheim. And pay again to get to Universal Hollywood and Knotts Berry Farm.

 

[macraven]

if you book the universal package on line, you can add shuttle service for $12 for mco to universal. can't use the name of the company here as it might be ***** out.


guide books have errors. don't believe everything you read in them.
use people on the boards that have actually currently been there and done that.......

phamton, you are not old. that ME program started up a couple or so years ago.(maybe close to 4 years now) when mears did the charge from mco to wdw, there was a charge per person. it was too much for me with the time frame they used, i went with car service and got a better deal for the 4 of us.

I used the ME service one time and never again.
why would i use them to have to wait one hour for the bus to leave mco after i have my luggage. another waste of time when the mears bus had to make 2 hotel stops before mine...........can you say bye bye, close to 2.5 hours of down time before i hit my resort.......

depending on when you are going to orlando and the resorts, determines the hotel price. disney does not give out that many discounts for rooms.
you have the ap and the aaa rates.
universal has more discounts and deeper. i get 35% discount off my room at universal with the AAA. i get 10% discount at disney.

why pay $120 + for a value room at disney at certain times of the year when you can get a better room with amenities of fotl at loews for not much more using a discount?

you could always just stay at disney and be a day guest at universal.
use the mears and pay the $14 rt shuttle cost.
that way you might be more pleased.
if you are paying 2x the amount for the loews hotel, you would be saving lots of money then by shuttling back and forth.

 

[Hedy]

if you book the universal package on line, you can add shuttle service for $12 for mco to universal. can't use the name of the company here as it might be ***** out.


guide books have errors. don't believe everything you read in them.
use people on the boards that have actually currently been there and done that.......

phamton, you are not old. that ME program started up a couple or so years ago.(maybe close to 4 years now) when mears did the charge from mco to wdw, there was a charge per person. it was too much for me with the time frame they used, i went with car service and got a better deal for the 4 of us.

I used the ME service one time and never again.
why would i use them to have to wait one hour for the bus to leave mco after i have my luggage. another waste of time when the mears bus had to make 2 hotel stops before mine...........can you say bye bye, close to 2.5 hours of down time before i hit my resort.......

depending on when you are going to orlando and the resorts, determines the hotel price. disney does not give out that many discounts for rooms.
you have the ap and the aaa rates.
universal has more discounts and deeper. i get 35% discount off my room at universal with the AAA. i get 10% discount at disney.

why pay $120 + for a value room at disney at certain times of the year when you can get a better room with amenities of fotl at loews for not much more using a discount?

you could always just stay at disney and be a day guest at universal.
use the mears and pay the $14 rt shuttle cost.
that way you might be more pleased.
if you are paying 2x the amount for the loews hotel, you would be saving lots of money then by shuttling back and forth.

I'm an old timer I guess because I remember paying for Mears to get to WDW before they had Magical Express. We had already moved here before Magical express started. Every trip we had to pay to get to WDW and Universal.

And when we went to Disneyland in California we had to pay to get to Anaheim. And pay again to get to Universal Hollywood and Knotts Berry Farm.

I think it's force of habit-akin to the people who are used to FOTL and miss it at WDW-I'm used to getting DME for free, so I'm a little flustered by paying for it. But I, too, took Mears in the pre-DME days, and lived. I'll live, and I'll deal, it just kind of momentarily bugged me.

In more germaine info, I just switched my flights from Manchester to Providence. So I'll now Hotwire a hotel at MCO, and cancel my Sleep Inn Reservation.

 

[macraven]

the magical express bus transportation from mco to disney resorts only started in may 2005.

i copied this from the disney site.
when four of us went, that $80 for transportation costs was more than private car for us round trip.
i tried the ME in 2006 to see if it was to my advantage to use it.
it wasn't my thing so i went back to car service.

i looked at your siggie and see you must have been paying for the service prior to 2005 when you went.

if you like the ME service, then by all means continue with it.
some people love it and use it all the time.
while it is now free, families save money then.
if you are not in a rush to get to your resort, free sounds pretty good then for some families.


28 December 2004: Announcement

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 28, 2004) -- Walt Disney World announced an innovative new service today called "Disney's Magical Express" which offers complimentary airport shuttle, luggage delivery and airline check in for Disney hotel guests.

Beginning May 5, 2005, guests of Disney hotels* using Disney's Magical Express service can check their bags at their hometown airport, bypass baggage claim at Orlando International Airport (OIA) and board state-of-the-art motor coaches to the Walt Disney World Resort -- as their bags "magically" appear in their room upon check in. The round-trip service, which is available and complimentary during Disney's Happiest Celebration on Earth event (which also begins May 5, 2005), is designed to give Disney hotel guests the stress-free vacation they want.

With Disney's Magical Express service, a family of four can save more than $80 (based on round trip shuttle or taxi transportation, plus tip, for two adults and two children).

"We are extremely excited to add Disney's Magical Express to the extensive list of ways we make Disney guests' vacations easier and more enjoyable," said Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "In essence, this benefit provides a hassle-free experience for our guests from the airport to our hotel room door and back again."

"Disney's Magical Express service will set new standards for convenience, value and comfort for guests traveling between the airport and Walt Disney World Resort," Weiss added. "Orlando International Airport is one of the premiere airports in the world. We believe Disney's Magical Express will not only transform the airport experience for Disney hotel guests, but will further enhance the world-class status of OIA and drive additional visitation to Central Florida."

* Disney's Magical Express service will not be available to guests of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels, the Shades of Green and the seven hotels near Hotel Plaza Boulevard.

 

[RVGal]

Sounds like you've got a good plan going. Fourth of July weekend, you'll be thankful for the FOTL I'm sure. Holidays are always crowded, no matter where you go. Universal will be no exception.

My biggest piece of advice, as one Disney lover to another, is do NOT go expecting Universal to be just like Disney. Or a Disney wannabe. Or a Disney knockoff. Just flush Disney out of your head before you get there.

As a regular poster on this board, I can't tell you the number of times I've seen a Disney lover miss out on all that Universal has to offer because they spend their whole time at Universal comparing it to Disney. Or who spend their whole time at Universal finding reasons not to go back because they would rather be at Disney. They make one "see I'm not missing anything" trip to Universal so they can say they went, spend the whole time finding reasons to put it down, then report back that they had a miserable time and won't ever go back.

So, go with an open mind and you should have a good time. I'm not saying that you would be one of those people I just described, so don't take it that way. I'm just tossing that out there since I've seen it happen over and over.

The Spiderman ride is a definite. Do not miss that ride. If you enjoy overall theming, just walking around Seuss Landing is fun. It's like stepping into the pages of a Dr Seuss book. I like the Cat in the Hat ride and the High in the Sky Trolley ride is short, but the Sneeches was one of my favorite stories so I love that one too. I think Shrek 4-D is good and I enjoy watching Donkey at the photo op outside the exit/store. He is so dead-on in character and funny, I've lost track of time just watching him interact with people.

The characters at Universal can appear at any time, not just at scheduled meet & greets. I think that is great. Also, remember that some of the characters, like the superheroes, can talk. Took me by surprise when I actually held a conversation with Spiderman. My son still talks about meeting Spiderman. "He knows my name now and everything!"

My goodness I've rambled, haven't I? I'll shut up now before I feel like a thread hijacker, which wasn't my intent. I'm just a stream of consciousness poster. I'll go back to my corner and wait for them to feed me again.

 

[Hedy]

Sounds like you've got a good plan going. Fourth of July weekend, you'll be thankful for the FOTL I'm sure. Holidays are always crowded, no matter where you go. Universal will be no exception.

My biggest piece of advice, as one Disney lover to another, is do NOT go expecting Universal to be just like Disney. Or a Disney wannabe. Or a Disney knockoff. Just flush Disney out of your head before you get there.



So, go with an open mind and you should have a good time. I'm not saying that you would be one of those people I just described, so don't take it that As a regular poster on this board, I can't tell you the number of times I've seen a Disney lover miss out on all that Universal has to offer because they spend their whole time at Universal comparing it to Disney. Or who spend their whole time at Universal finding reasons not to go back because they would rather be at Disney. They make one "see I'm not missing anything" trip to Universal so they can say they went, spend the whole time finding reasons to put it down, then report back that they had a miserable time and won't ever go back.way. I'm just tossing that out there since I've seen it happen over and over.

The Spiderman ride is a definite. Do not miss that ride. If you enjoy overall theming, just walking around Seuss Landing is fun. It's like stepping into the pages of a Dr Seuss book. I like the Cat in the Hat ride and the High in the Sky Trolley ride is short, but the Sneeches was one of my favorite stories so I love that one too. I think Shrek 4-D is good and I enjoy watching Donkey at the photo op outside the exit/store. He is so dead-on in character and funny, I've lost track of time just watching him interact with people.

The characters at Universal can appear at any time, not just at scheduled meet & greets. I think that is great. Also, remember that some of the characters, like the superheroes, can talk. Took me by surprise when I actually held a conversation with Spiderman. My son still talks about meeting Spiderman. "He knows my name now and everything!"

My goodness I've rambled, haven't I? I'll shut up now before I feel like a thread hijacker, which wasn't my intent. I'm just a stream of consciousness poster. I'll go back to my corner and wait for them to feed me again.

Thanks! I'm *hoping* my separate trips will help me avoid that, but I appreciate your advice.

 

[bubba's mom]

-I'm used to getting DME for free, so I'm a little flustered by paying for it. But I, too, took Mears in the pre-DME days, and lived. I'll live, and I'll deal, it just kind of momentarily bugged me.

You either pay to GET TO Universal, or you are paying to PARK your car at the hotel.... We all wish Universal would operate something like ME, but they are not as enormous as Disney can't do it...besides, the parks are independent of the hotels

My biggest piece of advice, as one Disney lover to another, is do NOT go expecting Universal to be just like Disney. Or a Disney wannabe. Or a Disney knockoff. Just flush Disney out of your head before you get there.

As a regular poster on this board, I can't tell you the number of times I've seen a Disney lover miss out on all that Universal has to offer because they spend their whole time at Universal comparing it to Disney. Or who spend their whole time at Universal finding reasons not to go back because they would rather be at Disney. They make one "see I'm not missing anything" trip to Universal so they can say they went, spend the whole time finding reasons to put it down, then report back that they had a miserable time and won't ever go back.

So, go with an open mind and you should have a good time. I'm not saying that you would be one of those people I just described, so don't take it that way. I'm just tossing that out there since I've seen it happen over and over.

I'll go back to my corner and wait for them to feed me again.

Here: dinnertime

I just wanted to let you know, that you did a great job explainin' all that to Hedy.... Also as a regular poster (well, not recently because I'm getting ready for vacation myself ) everything RVGal said is correct. Ya tire of reading it, so we try to warn peeps....consider yourself warned.

With that said....have yourself a great time and be sure to let us know how it went!

 

[donaldduck352]

Keep US posted