WWYD-on or off-site?

[2princesses3princes]

We are going to Orlando Nov. 12-20. There will be 6 of us- Me, DH, Grandma, 3 kids (14/12/9). We will be doing 3 days at US, 1 at Discovery Cove, 2 at SeaWorld. We will also have 1 day that we will choose between a resort day or Aquatica.

Right now we have a condo reserved off site at Vista Cay. The condo is 3 bedrooms with a full kitchen. We have always stayed off site and have been fine. BUT, now I am wondering if it would be worth it to splurge a bit to stay on site.

Our condo is $1200 for 8 nights.

I looked on Orbitz (to get the ebates discount) and found:

RPR-2 bedrooms at the cheapest rate for 8 nights is $3084 with the ebates discount. This is pretty much a no go. I'll never convince DH it is worth it.

SF-$2149 for 8 nights + we would get the $300 credits for the promo.

Or we could go for 7 nights instead and it would be $1876+$300 credits.

CBay-$1664 for 8 nights in standard rooms.

I considered the family suite which would put us in the same price range as the condo. BUT I don't think we could survive all 6 of us in 1 room for that long. We are a family that needs a bit of space and my kids get grumpy about pullout couches. Not worth the fight on a vacay for sure!

I am just not sure the benefits of staying on site are worth it when we can't swing a hotel with the EP.
Thoughts?

 

[georgina]

I haven't been in November, but my feeling is that your days at Universal might not be too crowded on weekdays (does Veterans day fall in there?) Now sure how the Jersey week break falls either. I would not switch to CBay for that price with no EP. You have a great deal with a 3 BR condo. There is a lot to be said for space! We are going in Sept and staying 3 nights at RPR with a APH discount (APH is little more than a 3 day pass cost) and then 5 nights at an official Seaworld partner hotel which will give us free Quick Queue at Seaworld and has a buy 4 nights get the 5th free promotion. But there is just 2 of us. With 3 days at Universal, you should be OK to get everything done.

It is also possible to buy the express pass for one of your days only if you need it. Considering what you are saving by staying offsite, it might be within budget? You can decide that when you are there and can see the crowd level.

 

[2princesses3princes]

The EP is not too much of a concern (would be a nice bonus). We didn't need it last time we were there in Nov. I didn't know if the convenience of being on site would be worth the cost or not.

 

[angryduck71]

Can you split stay and stay on-site 2 nights? You would still get three days of express pass if you stayed at RPR.

 

[SharkyGoddess]

If you are not concerned with the early entry or express passes, I personally would stay off site at one of the rental houses or condos. We always stay off site when visiting Disney and prefer it, but always stay onsite at Universal for the added benefits.

 

[2princesses3princes]

Can you split stay and stay on-site 2 nights? You would still get three days of express pass if you stayed at RPR.

My DH is not keen on the idea of a split stay. The idea of packing up and moving midway through a vacation is a no go for him. But I had thought of it!

 

[georgina]

Understandable. DH and I will probably only have a carryon each, so not as big a deal to move during the trip.

 

[pigletto]

I find with a longer trip (provided it is not at a peak time like Easter and Christmas) that we don't mind not having the Express Pass. As long as none of your three days is a holiday I am going to say you will be ok with one day for each park and a third day to go see your favourites again. I am a huge fan of having more space. We like the family suites at Cabana bay, but that's just the four of us. I couldn't do it with 6. Commit to being at the parks early and go in with a plan and I think you are better off with all the space and saving the money.
Plus I need a review of Vista Cay because we are considering it for a future Universal trip!

 

[VacaPlanner2012]

We have found a really nice house to rent for longer vacations ($80 per night), but absolutely love the feel of staying onsite at Universal. So, we compromise. We book one night in the middle of the week at Royal Pacific, pack an overnight bag (maybe a compromise against a split stay), and get two days of Express Pass. That allows us a good full day in the parks with EP, and an afternoon/evening swimming and enjoying the hotel. It scratches the itch for us, although we would love to be able to stay onsite the entire time (and we have splurged on a couple of occasions).

You would need two rooms, so a touch over $600 at Royal Pacific for your timeframe. Just a thought...

 

[keishashadow]

We are going to Orlando Nov. 12-20. There will be 6 of us- Me, DH, Grandma, 3 kids (14/12/9). We will be doing 3 days at US, 1 at Discovery Cove, 2 at SeaWorld. We will also have 1 day that we will choose between a resort day or Aquatica.

Right now we have a condo reserved off site at Vista Cay. The condo is 3 bedrooms with a full kitchen. We have always stayed off site and have been fine. BUT, now I am wondering if it would be worth it to splurge a bit to stay on site.

Our condo is $1200 for 8 nights.

I looked on Orbitz (to get the ebates discount) and found:

RPR-2 bedrooms at the cheapest rate for 8 nights is $3084 with the ebates discount. This is pretty much a no go. I'll never convince DH it is worth it.

SF-$2149 for 8 nights + we would get the $300 credits for the promo.

Or we could go for 7 nights instead and it would be $1876+$300 credits.

CBay-$1664 for 8 nights in standard rooms.

I considered the family suite which would put us in the same price range as the condo. BUT I don't think we could survive all 6 of us in 1 room for that long. We are a family that needs a bit of space and my kids get grumpy about pullout couches. Not worth the fight on a vacay for sure!

I am just not sure the benefits of staying on site are worth it when we can't swing a hotel with the EP.
Thoughts?

not familiar w/Vista Cay but you could rent Bonnett Creek thru VRBO a 2 BD to sleep 8 for $1,400. The water features there are amazing, highly recommend.

anyway, you may find cheap tickets or orbitz to have a coupon code that works as the date gets closer (can use in conjunction with ebates)

are you seeing SMSM rates on the Universal website? AP rates haven't been amazing lately, but the time period you are visiting has traditionally lower rates. I'd not book anything non-cancellable and keep checking for deals in the area.

I haven't convinced myself to book the properties w/o the FOTL. Being a day guest just isn't the same imo

Split stays are a way of life for many of us, easy-peasy. My kids knew they were responsible for their own gear and it actually kept things 'neat' = bonus points! Price it out via a split stay & present your savings plan to the DH lol.