We are traveling to Universal for our first ever visit from Feb 7-13. We are a family of four--our two kids are 8 yr old twins. We definitely want to stay on property. I understand that express passes come with some, but not all, properties. As such, I thought we would book Royal Pacific. But then I found a great offer on costco.com where Portofino would cost the same as I was about to pay for Royal Pacific on the universal site. But, in further researching the costco options, sapphire falls (which I know does NOT include express passes) would be about $500 cheaper (or $100 per night).
I am curious, first, which property is best for my kids. All three appear to have nice pools. One concern I have about Portofino is that it's too upscale. I'd like a nice place to stay, but with both quick dining and sit-down options. For point of reference, we stayed at Pop Century in Disney a few years ago and grew tired of just having the food court, although it would be nice as an option.
I am also wondering if express passes are worth $500. We plan to spend about 3 days in the parks. From the census calendars that I reviewed, our dates don't look particularly busy.
So, TIA for any advice or thoughts from you, the experts.
I am curious, first, which property is best for my kids. All three appear to have nice pools. One concern I have about Portofino is that it's too upscale. I'd like a nice place to stay, but with both quick dining and sit-down options. For point of reference, we stayed at Pop Century in Disney a few years ago and grew tired of just having the food court, although it would be nice as an option.
I am also wondering if express passes are worth $500. We plan to spend about 3 days in the parks. From the census calendars that I reviewed, our dates don't look particularly busy.
So, TIA for any advice or thoughts from you, the experts.