Universal Resort Hotels

[TH1]

I can recall reading somewhere (probably on DIBB!) that booking one night at a resort hotel gets you two FOL days at the parks (with paid admission, obviously). Can anyone confirm this and, if so, how does it work?
Do you, for example, turn up early, check in, dump the bags then head to the parks?

[Suzieq]

Thats exactly right.

Once you have checked in your room card acts as your FOTL pass.

Its one of the best tricks I have learned on the Dibb.


Sue

[highlander447]

Yep u can check in from 7am :beer:

[TH1]

Woooohoooo! So, the next morning, do you check out late or ....? I mean, what happens to your luggage (well, overnight bags)?

[highlander447]

they will hold your bags, u have fotl till midnight day of checkout:beer:

[AndyJ]

Doesn't mateer what time you check out =)

I have a Cabana booked for my check out day! They said they will charge it to the room credit card.

[poet123]

it is brilliant..............no waiting in line, lovely hotel, well worth the price.

[TH1]

Thanks all. That info makes a booking a must...PLUS....you avoid the yomp over the concrete ....!


Thanks again!

[Winnies_No1fan]

Just out of curiousity how much does it cost for a room ??

[AndyJ]

Park/Pool View Room $249 I paid.

[Winnies_No1fan]

cheers for that andy..think i might look into it ...going with friends and sharing a villa ..might do this one night to have a break from them and as a special treat :D

[AndyJ]

No Probs Suzie =)

I'm staying in the Disney Dolphin, but as we are driving rather than taxi'ing this year, I feared losing the coin toss and having to stay sober for the Halloween Party !

The coctails they have are always yummy, and once started I can't stop.

[TH1]

I just checked on expedia and, for two rooms, it was £400. Is it therefore cheaper to book direct and pay in Dollars, do you think?

[kcanderson]

we stayed there last year well worth it ,great relaxing round the pool we did 5 nights rang direct to the hotel works out cheeper . you can get one room with two double beds and a pull out sofa. did you know that if your a member of the aa tou get discount and also as daft as it may seem if you say star for a day you also get discount., say it befor you start your booking, with them. so we got two lots of discount and only paid £90 a night

[AndyJ]

I booked direct, and paid in $'s.

[TH1]

I love DIBB!!!

Following the mention of the Leows First Programme, I signed up. Once I had my number, I jumped directly to the Portofino Bay Booking Site. Their best price was $249 for one room. So, go that way and book two (getting the other party to sign in separately, of course) takes the price of £400 (on expedia) down to around £250.


Thank you DIBBers.....!

Just read that if you say "Star for a day", you get an extra 10% off...? This cannot be right, surely?

[Goingagain]

TH1 -
You do realise you have to pay your park entry separately, do you ? Unless you buy a room with park entry rate. We stayed at Hard Rock and loved it. Going back again this year.

[debs1505]

If you are an AA member you can get a AAA discount! Well worth it! Book via uescape.com

[Flo]

Is it cheaper to book a room with park entry rate?

[Mike]

:D I can't imagine doing Universal parks now without staying to get the FOTL. Unfortunately, the more people do this, the more likely it is to be stopped or restricted....:(

[Winnies_No1fan]

How would it work if you stayed a HHN ?? would the FOTL apply to that also or is it a seperate thing ??

[highlander447]

For HHN theres no FOTL although u can buy an express booklet that allows it:beer:

[dcmax]

Highlanders correct HHN is totally diff though you can buy a FOTL pass for it....

[Flo]

Can you buy a FOTL pass without staying on site at US, if so where from and how much?

[highlander447]

Hi they sell the express booklets at the parks:beer:

[Flo]

Does this mean that I buy the park entry tickets here and then buy an express booklet at the park?

With the express booklet do you use the same entry system on the rides as the FOTL?

Any idea how much the express booklet costs?

I am trying to convince my DH to go to US and IOA again in this visit but as we now have a DD (5) he thinks we should concentrate on Disney and Seaworld.

[highlander447]

The price varies at the time of season, but remember they have free express passes as well same as Disney,if using express booklet u use the express line, but it can work out exp as u need a booklet each and for each park, sometimes its cheaper to pay for a room at hotel and get 2 days unltd fotl access for 1 night stay:beer:

[dcmax]

Its a little expensive I`ve always thought and has to be used well in combination with express pass otherwise you will only get on x amount of rides once before your passes run out...

Universal Express Plus

This program allows you to buy your way to the front of the line by purchasing small cards with a magnetic stripe that give you one-time Express access to every ride or attraction with an Express queue. You must buy one pass per park and the cards will only work on a single day starting one hour after park opening.

How much you will pay for this privilege is hard to predict. Passes have sold for $15, $20, $25, $30, and $40 pp, with the price determined by how busy the parks are as well as by someone’s evaluation of what the traffic will bear. Obviously, the higher prices are charged at peak times, with “peak” usually defined as Easter and Spring Break, late June through late August, Thanksgiving time, and Christmas week through New Years Day.

Quantities are limited (the exact number issued is a closely guarded secret) and once they’re gone for the day, they’re gone. Passes are sold at the parks one hour after park opening or on the phone; call (407) 224-6350.

At each ride, your card will be “swiped” by an attendant using a hand-held device. If there is no hand-held device, the attendant will scribble a notation on the card. Either way, the result is the same: one ride per attraction.

[poet123]

Also if you go in busy periods they limit the usage even when you have paid for them!!!
We bought these passes last year and they were useful, but we stayed onsite this year and aside from the luxury of the hotel, the passes were much better and we used them for 3 days off a 2 night. So if you factor the costs of 3 days express pass against hotel etc we came out ahead as there were 5 of us.
So last year we paid around $40 per pass per day which had we bought them for 3 days would have been $600!!! this year it cost us $250 per night for room , pass and breakfast. So we would stay onsite rather than buy the pass at the parks. Also it is so convenient to get to the parks from the hotels either by bus or strolling through the grounds. No parking hassles!!!

[minijaffacake]

Hi,

Can somebody tell me, if you stay at a Universal on site hotel, if you want to check in before your room is actually ready, will they give you your room key so that you can go straight to the parks and benefit from FOTL. I am planning to stay at the Royal Pacific next year for 2 nights but wasnt sure it would be worthwhile if I only get the room key late afternoon and then have to hand it back in by 11am on the day of checkout.

Thanks

[Flo]

I am sure I read that you can collect your key and leave any baggage before the check in time and keep the FOTL pass until late (after checkout) on day of departure.

[debs1505]

You can check in from 8am and you can use the FOTL from park opening to park closing on day of check out! You can also continue to use the hotel facilities when you have checked out - your cases can be left with the bell boys! We have 2 separate days at the HR as that gives us 4 days front of line whereas if you stay 2 consecutive nights you only get 3 days!

[debs1505]

Originally posted by debs1505
We have 2 separate days at the HR as that gives us 4 days front of line whereas if you stay 2 consecutive nights you only get 3 days!

That should have read 2 separate NIGHTS at the HR!!

[Maz]

Clever thinking there Debs! 2 separate nights instead of 2 together - I wouldn't have thought of that. Bet you have thought of other ways to play the system too!:thumb: