Koz
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2011
Good morning. I'm a big planner. Dare I say UUUUGE planner.
We've done Disney many times over and while we considered Disneyland earlier we've now instead decided to head to FL in late August before the kids go back to school.
In a nutshell, here's the plan
1) 3 days on the west coast of FL renting on the beach in Siesta Key or Sarasota. Nice downtime, low key etc.
2) Head to Universal Orlando for 5 days at the hotel with 3 days at the parks.
I am sure that you will also agree that the Universal page pales in comparison to Disney in terms of function and interactivity. That being said, I think that we've narrowed it down to 3 options simply because of the "extras" that they throw in regarding early admission and Universal Express Unlimited.
We are looking at the Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino as options, and I'd like to see if I can get some recommendations/opinions from my trusted fellow posters.
1) Are we heading to Universal at a time when the crowds will be somewhat lower- specifically the last week of August right before Labor Day?
2) Should we expect that the weather will still be akin to stuffing your head in a wet oven? My flip side to that, if it is the case, is that a good amount of Universal attractions are indoor and air-conditioned.
3) We are big on spending time at the hotel to have days off, outside of the parks. Which of these 3 hotels offers the best pool in your opinion, and why? Waterslides for kids are certainly an added bonus.
4) Does one of these hotels offer advantages over the other?
5) Is one of these hotels more conveniently located to the amusement parks?
6) Are guests charged for parking either at the hotel or at the parks?
7) How does skip the line work? Is it similar to fast-pass?
8) Is it worth considering the meal plan? If so, which one?
9) We are figuring on a 3 day ticket, shooting to hit each park once per day. Sufficient?
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate any information you are able to give. Take care!
We've done Disney many times over and while we considered Disneyland earlier we've now instead decided to head to FL in late August before the kids go back to school.
In a nutshell, here's the plan
1) 3 days on the west coast of FL renting on the beach in Siesta Key or Sarasota. Nice downtime, low key etc.
2) Head to Universal Orlando for 5 days at the hotel with 3 days at the parks.
I am sure that you will also agree that the Universal page pales in comparison to Disney in terms of function and interactivity. That being said, I think that we've narrowed it down to 3 options simply because of the "extras" that they throw in regarding early admission and Universal Express Unlimited.
We are looking at the Royal Pacific, Hard Rock or Portofino as options, and I'd like to see if I can get some recommendations/opinions from my trusted fellow posters.
1) Are we heading to Universal at a time when the crowds will be somewhat lower- specifically the last week of August right before Labor Day?
2) Should we expect that the weather will still be akin to stuffing your head in a wet oven? My flip side to that, if it is the case, is that a good amount of Universal attractions are indoor and air-conditioned.
3) We are big on spending time at the hotel to have days off, outside of the parks. Which of these 3 hotels offers the best pool in your opinion, and why? Waterslides for kids are certainly an added bonus.
4) Does one of these hotels offer advantages over the other?
5) Is one of these hotels more conveniently located to the amusement parks?
6) Are guests charged for parking either at the hotel or at the parks?
7) How does skip the line work? Is it similar to fast-pass?
8) Is it worth considering the meal plan? If so, which one?
9) We are figuring on a 3 day ticket, shooting to hit each park once per day. Sufficient?
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate any information you are able to give. Take care!