Premier onsite vs other onsite for Feb 2018

[nicco5family]

Hi everyone,

My DH and I are planning our first trip ever to Universal. We have done Disney several times but this time we are bailing on the kids and celebrating our 25th Anniversary in style!

My question is this- We will be in the Universal parks Feb 26 to about March 1. I am trying to decide on a hotel. It looks like, from the charts I have looked over, that park attendance should not be terribly high, but the hotel pricing is at Peak 1. Should we book one of the 3 premier hotels (leaning toward either Hard Rock (less expensive) or Royal Pacific) or one of the other onsite but not premier ones like Cabana Bay? The price difference is at least 100 dollars per night. How much value should I put on the Unlimited Express Pass during that time period? Do both levels of hotel include the early entry? Is there something that should help me lean more one way or the other?

We can budget for either, but spending more on hotel takes away from, say, fancy dinners or whatever, you know? At the same time, 25 years is definitely something to be celebrated and we have some wiggle room. Prior to coming to Universal we will be doing the three night Disney cruise on the Dream.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[WhitneyMB]

You'll find a lot of different opinions on this question on this board. Personally, I would never visit Universal during a busy time without staying at a hotel with the Express pass, as having the Unlimited Express pass is one of my favorite differences between Universal and Disney.

This is supposed to be one of the most accurate crowd calendars and it says that the parks will be "busy" during those dates. Universal's rates are usually pretty accurate in that too. https://orlandoinformer.com/universal/crowd-calendar/?month=feb&yr=2018#crowdCalendar

To answer your question--yes, all on-site hotels get to use early entry hours.

Good luck figuring out the right hotel for you and your trip!

 

[nicco5family]

Thanks for that link to the crowds. The ones I had seen before seemed to indicate a 3-4 out of 10. That sounds very different!
Are there particular advantages with the Premier hotels, one over the other? Reasons to pick Hard Rock over Royal Pacific or vice versa?
Thank you for your time!

 

[-Shannon-]

Something to keep in mind is that all hotel guests at the premier hotels receive the Unlimited Express pass -- regardless of how they book the hotel. You can play with hotels.com, other booking sites, points you may have accrued, discounted gift cards, etc. That may help to bring down your per-night cost.

I was disappointed the Cabana Bay didn't offer the Unlimited Express pass because the theming looked fun! We ended up at the Royal Pacific and enjoyed it. And we LOVED the Unlimited Express Pass. I don't think I'd ever do Universal without it.

 

[georgina]

I stay at Cabana Bay when I go solo, but we always stay at one of the EP resorts when I go with family. OP, If Hard Rock is less expensive for your dates I would guess the cheaper category at RPR is sold out, that has always been the least expensive in my experience. I prefer RPR to Hard Rock but that is personal, like the decor and pool and restaurants. Stayed at PBH last time and loved the pools there (you can pool hop).

 

[gotomu212]

It’s such a personal decision, BUT for something like an anniversary I would splurge for sure. Getting to skip the normal lines for every ride makes me feel VIP (I know lame haha) and leaves a lot more time for relaxing at the pool, Strolling around, maybe sleeping in. All three hotels are nice and offer something a little different.

 

[nicco5family]

Thank you so much for the input, everyone. Still trying to figure out which hotel to book!

 

[tony67]

February is February Vacation for lots of states - so that is probably why it is targeted to be Busy.

The EP is well worth the 100 a night IMO - as for HRH vs RPR I think it really comes down to the theming and personal preference

Personally I prefer RPR, but HRH is closer to the parks.
I think RPR tends to be less expensive - depending on room availability
RPR is also very close to Sapphire falls so you have easy access to the bars and restaurants at both hotels

HRH tends to be noisier/busier in general - probably due to it's theme - but people really like it and it has some very good restaurants

 

[HM]

I like the close proximity of Hard Rock. I like the pool and grounds at RPR for the ambiance.
So, it depends on whether you are mostly doing parks or spending time at the resort.

 

[nicco5family]

I think we will probably default to the Hard Rock just because the prices are not budging and there is about an 80 dollar per night difference in price. I'd rather eat an 80 dollar dinner than pay for that difference in the room/resort, I think, unless there is a compelling reason not to.

Am I correct that the hotel will include the early hour and the unlimited express pass, but I still need to buy park tickets separately from the hotel price listed?

 

[Ladcassidy]

My family stayed at HRH last week, and would not stay anywhere else if we return to Universal. The easy walk to the parks, early access, and express pass gave us such flexibility in our trip.

 

[Squirlz]

I think we will probably default to the Hard Rock just because the prices are not budging and there is about an 80 dollar per night difference in price. I'd rather eat an 80 dollar dinner than pay for that difference in the room/resort, I think, unless there is a compelling reason not to.

Am I correct that the hotel will include the early hour and the unlimited express pass, but I still need to buy park tickets separately from the hotel price listed?

Yes you need to buy park tickets.

 

[PoohIsHome]

My family stayed at HRH last week, and would not stay anywhere else if we return to Universal. The easy walk to the parks, early access, and express pass gave us such flexibility in our trip.

We were also at HRH last week. It's always our hotel of choice at Universal....we just love it!

 

[nicco5family]

Thank you for the input. We did book the HRH and I am looking forward to it. We will be happy to explore the other resorts for fun!

 

[PoohIsHome]

Thank you for the input. We did book the HRH and I am looking forward to it. We will be happy to explore the other resorts for fun!

You'll love HRH! It's such an easy and fun walk to the parks! We just love the vibe and general feel at HRH. I'm sure the other on-site hotels are the same, the staff is so friendly and welcoming....they make you feel like you're the most special person they'll greet all day. You'll never feel rushed or hurried. It's just a great atmosphere!

 

[shanew21]

Something to keep in mind is that all hotel guests at the premier hotels receive the Unlimited Express pass -- regardless of how they book the hotel. You can play with hotels.com, other booking sites, points you may have accrued, discounted gift cards, etc. That may help to bring down your per-night cost.

I was disappointed the Cabana Bay didn't offer the Unlimited Express pass because the theming looked fun! We ended up at the Royal Pacific and enjoyed it. And we LOVED the Unlimited Express Pass. I don't think I'd ever do Universal without it.

I wish Cabana bay had a category with express passes. I love the theming but won't ever stay there again since they don't have passes.

 

[shh]

I really don't understand why CB just doesn't offer a discounted EP....they don't have to include it free, but maybe knock 30-35% off for CB guests. They'd sell a lot more.

 

[shanew21]

I really don't understand why CB just doesn't offer a discounted EP....they don't have to include it free, but maybe knock 30-35% off for CB guests. They'd sell a lot more.

I’d stay there every time. I loved the theme

 

[hhoope01]

You might want to check on the "type" of room you are getting at each hotel. It may be that you are looking at a Club access or possibly a suite room at RPH versus a standard garden view room at HRH. Don't know if that would change your decision or not, but if so...

 

[damo]

If all the hotels offer express or even discounted express, it won't be much of an express anymore.