First time - which Disney and universal resort, how and when to book?

[lpop]

Hello, we're looking to go to Orlando for the first time in October / November 2018 for my wife's 40th.

We're looking to go for around 14 nights (split 10 in Disney and 4 or maybe more(?) in universal). We need to stay in resort as my wife has MS and needs to sleep each afternoon so she'll need to go back to the hotel while I stay out with the kids (they'll be ages 10 and 4).

My question is which resorts should we be considering? By looking at this forum a lot of the consensus seems to point towards port Orleans or Caribbean beach resort. How much more would it cost to upgrade to something like the animal kingdom resort and is it worth it? Are there any other Disney hotels worth consideration?

From a previous post I understand that probably the best time to book is April when the new rooms are released for next October as we will get inclusive dining plan and also 200 dollars to spend. Also is it best to book direct with Disney?

Finally, which universal resorts are best given my wife will need to sleep during the day? Also where is the best place to book these hotels and what sort of deals are available?

Thanks in advance!

[Unexpectedpenny]

I didn't really look at upgrade costs as we knew we wanted to stay at POFQ so can't comment on upgrade price etc.

Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest/quietest and also near to a Disney Springs. Could be a good choice for your wife to be able to sleep. Also being smaller it's easier to get around as the pool/bus stop/restaurant isn't too far from any room which is handy.

However at your children's ages they may well need a rest in the middle of the day too so could be an idea to look into the hotels with 2 bedroom apartments such as Saratoga Springs depending on how much peace everyone needs to sleep in the day!

Yup free dining is normally released around the 27th April. You can book through Disney, as a package or DIY separately but other travel agents offer it too, I've used orlandoattractions.com and Virgin.

Universal hotels: Hard Rock/Royal Pacific/Portofino are all close and offer express passes. Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay are also near and cheaper but no express pass (you should be able to get everything done in 4 days though).
I find BA, netflights and hotels.com offer the best price and cash back. They also include any taxes/fees unlike places like booking.com

Hope that's helpful

[lpop]

Thanks unexpectedpenny! In terms of prices for Disney hotels, I know it will tend to depend on the deals available that can vary but typically speaking is there much price difference between the port Orleans, Caribbean beach resort and animal kingdom?

Also, with the universal resorts you get free park entry and is there a dining plan included as with the Disney resorts?

Thanks

[Bartswife]

It can seem very overwhelming when first planning. Without knowing how much you want to spend it's difficult to make suggestions. However, our first visit (silver wedding anniversary celebrations) we chose the Yacht club. Walking distance to Epcot, DHS and the boardwalk. Plenty of buses to the other parks too. You would have storm along bay for the children to play on while your wife slept. Can't help with universal - we have stayed at HRH twice but can't remember about park tickets. We did however pay for meals out so not sure of any dining plan.

[Shani]

Originally Posted by lpop

Thanks unexpectedpenny! In terms of prices for Disney hotels, I know it will tend to depend on the deals available that can vary but typically speaking is there much price difference between the port Orleans, Caribbean beach resort and animal kingdom?

Also, with the universal resorts you get free park entry and is there a dining plan included as with the Disney resorts?

Thanks

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Typically speaking, CBR will be the cheapest, followed by POR and then AKL.

Rough ballparks, but CBR about £300-400 cheaper than POR and AKL £600-1000 more than POR. That's for 14 nights, but they're very rough figures.

[wombat girl]

Originally Posted by lpop

Also, with the universal resorts you get free park entry and is there a dining plan included as with the Disney resorts?

Thanks

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I don't think park tickets or dinning plan are included in the Universal hotels, you can book both of these seperately or you might find a package offer somewhere.

[Unexpectedpenny]

Originally Posted by lpop

Thanks unexpectedpenny! In terms of prices for Disney hotels, I know it will tend to depend on the deals available that can vary but typically speaking is there much price difference between the port Orleans, Caribbean beach resort and animal kingdom?

Also, with the universal resorts you get free park entry and is there a dining plan included as with the Disney resorts?

Thanks

See more...

As Shani said, when we booked French quarter it was £420 more than Caribbean Beach. I think Animal Kingdom Lodge was about £1,300 more.
You could always get the price for this year on Virgin/BA etc website for a rough price guide.


I haven't seen Universal Resorts include park entry. The 3 more expensive (Hard Rock, Royal Pacific and Portifino) include express passes for each guest which is handy as these are $85+. You still have to buy park tickets though.
There is a dining plan you can buy but it doesn't really save much money, good if you want to pre pay for things though.

[dmurrayuk]

Originally Posted by lpop

Thanks unexpectedpenny! In terms of prices for Disney hotels, I know it will tend to depend on the deals available that can vary but typically speaking is there much price difference between the port Orleans, Caribbean beach resort and animal kingdom?

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We are planning an onsite stay for September 2018, so last year I made a note of the 2017 prices for the resorts I liked the look of, just to give me an idea. These were the prices for 12 nights in September, so not the exact duration or month you are looking for, but it should give you an idea of the prices differences:

Caribbean Beach Resort: £1680
Port Orleans French Quarter: £1908
Port Orleans Riverside: £2088
Old Key West: £2292
Animal Kingdom Lodge: £2580
Wilderness Lodge: £2856
Beach Club: £3276

These prices do not include park tickets, and I'm fairly certain this was just for the basic room in each resort (ie no preferred rooms or specific view).

If you booked while the free dining offer is on then you would get the quick service dining plan included for CBR, POFQ, and POR, or the full dining plan with the other 4. I'm fairly certain that the dining plan is not included for stays throughout the majority of October though, but I'm sure someone a lot more knowledgeable than me could confirm or deny this!

[Shani]

Originally Posted by dmurrayuk

We are planning an onsite stay for September 2018, so last year I made a note of the 2017 prices for the resorts I liked the look of, just to give me an idea. These were the prices for 12 nights in September, so not the exact duration or month you are looking for, but it should give you an idea of the prices differences:

Caribbean Beach Resort: £1680
Port Orleans French Quarter: £1908
Port Orleans Riverside: £2088
Old Key West: £2292
Animal Kingdom Lodge: £2580
Wilderness Lodge: £2856
Beach Club: £3276

These prices do not include park tickets, and I'm fairly certain this was just for the basic room in each resort (ie no preferred rooms or specific view).

If you booked while the free dining offer is on then you would get the quick service dining plan included for CBR, POFQ, and POR, or the full dining plan with the other 4. I'm fairly certain that the dining plan is not included for stays throughout the majority of October though, but I'm sure someone a lot more knowledgeable than me could confirm or deny this!

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October is normally included It's usually only a few blackout weeks around Easter and arrival dates in December that's excluded.

[dmurrayuk]

Originally Posted by Shani

October is normally included It's usually only a few blackout weeks around Easter and arrival dates in December that's excluded.

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Ahh, see I knew someone else would know better! I remember a mention of black out dates when we were looking at booking during school holidays for 2016, but that must have been the Easter hols and not the October break. Thanks for clearing that up!