A little advice please as my head is minced

[clucky1966]

So we currently have a 14 night package booked with Disney staying at POR in Aug 2020 (last two weeks), the cost is £5757 including tickets and QSDP, as our kids are older (18,15 and12) they are also asking about Universal, but we are trying to budget (to a certain degree)
So we were going to book one night at HRH for the express passes and 2 day base tickets (these do not allow you to go park to park) total costing (for tickets and hotel) £1520 so coming in at a total of £7,277

Now I have had another thought:

10 Night package at POR with tickets and dining is £4,775 (Inc the 50 pound admin fee to change)
4 nights at Endless Summer Resort Universal (2 bed suite): £435
3 day park to park tickets: £1479 so coming in at a total of £6689

Therefore £588 cheaper than the original package.

We will not have any food or drink included whilst at Universal but the money saved could go towards that. Also we would not have express passes either so is that enough time to do the major rides without them?

My main thought is my 2 step children (18 and 12) have never been to Florida or Disney before so will 10 nights be enough for them, although being older I am sure they will appreciate Universal too and would give us a little more time there

Arrgghh... ,my brain hurts

Any advice greatly appreciated

p.s. I don't really care which one we go for as I am in my happy place anyway

Thank you

[Squidgyness]

Hmm that's a tough one. I've not visited Universal in late august since 2006, but having been early September (the first week) I'd have said you could get away without express passes.

I can state that £588 (i.e.$720 appx) would buy you a lot of food! That's $180 a day for 4 days. So definitely not a worry on that front imo. I'd imagine cabana bay is more than Endless summer? I'd probably lean towards that one of the Universal hotels, but obviously not as much of a saving there.

So, either go for 1 night/2 days in parks at a fancier hotel with EP's, or 4 nights/3 days in parks at a more basic hotel without EP's. Now you've got me stumped! On the one hand, nice hotel and express passes means a stress free trip, on the other queues will be up to about 30 mins on average (minions prob more) so not the worst in the world, and 3 days vs 2 would give you 50% more park time, allowing you to do a day redoing favourites in both parks thanks to the park to park tickets, and also that would insure you against breakdowns/missed experiences.

I think I'd lean towards the longer but cheaper Universal stay - but I also think I'd end up caving and going for cabana bay tbh. That's just the type of person I am.

[LLamb]

I would go for the shorter Disney/longer universal otherwise you are paying for hotel and food at Disney that you may not end up using. It also gives you an extra day to maybe visit volcano bay.
I’ve not been at the end of August but I think if you are there for rope drop, get a few rides done, break and then back in the evening you will get the majority done.

I would also lean more towards cabana bay but that’s because I like it!
£588 is more than enough for food. This year 2a2c (younger children though) spent just over £1200 in two weeks on food and that included petrol and a character breakfast at Disney. And yes we did eat in the parks although shared a lot as we got so full.

[AliceCooper9]

I think 2 weeks WDW with a night at Universal with express passes would be the way forward. We stayed at Royal Pacific cheaper and you can walk 10 mins to the parks.

You can do most of US with Express passes over 2 days.

With all the new stuff at WDW SWGE etc. I think you need more time there.
4 theme parks+2 water parks hard to squeeze into 10 days.
Toy story/Avatar/SWGE, Mickey's Railroad getting FP for them would be easier over 14 days.

[Squidgyness]

Originally Posted by AliceCooper9

I think 2 weeks WDW with a night at Universal with express passes would be the way forward. We stayed at Royal Pacific cheaper and you can walk 10 mins to the parks.

You can do most of US with Express passes over 2 days.

With all the new stuff at WDW SWGE etc. I think you need more time there.
4 theme parks+2 water parks hard to squeeze into 10 days.
Toy story/Avatar/SWGE, Mickey's Railroad getting FP for them would be easier over 14 days.

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Depends on your schedule I suppose, but for me 10 nights at Disney seems fine. Regarding SWGE, I'd do the rest of Hollywood studios one day, pop to say Epcot when done (we got done at noon, so about 2ish if you want to do another couple of rides) then on another day do Star Wars and head to another Disney park when finished there.

Allowing for that would give say...

3 MK days (I know people tend to do this one more)
2 hybrid HS/another park days
2 AK days (say one of those days you do mainly pandora)
1 EPCOT day
2 full waterpark days
3 days Universal (1 IoA 1US 1 doing favourites in both parks)
Return travel day

That's not including arrival day, but its unlike you'd get much done then. Just an example schedule, adjust to suit tastes, I'd probably drop a day at MK for EPCOT, but it's just to lay it all out as to how much you can do in 10 nights at WDW/4 nights Univeral.

[danisleigh]

I think 10 nights at Disney is enough, that’s what we plan for our next trip. I do like to have the front of line passes for universal but the end of August isn’t too bad queue wise so 4 days is more than enough to get all the rides done and you can use early entry and visit late in the evenings too.

[Loobylou_82]

I would go for the 2nd option. You are getting the best of both worlds then. But all my children prefer Universal, probably because they are all adults.

[DisneyFoodie]

Haha you are getting a lot of different responses! Here is my take: for me, the Disney parks are a destination in a way universal is not. I could wander round Disney happily not doing a single ride. The first time we went to universal we did two days with no express pass, and felt bored and cross with all the waiting in line as we were really just there for the rides and not the environment (except Harry Potter but can only enjoy that at quiet times of day). Now we do one day with express at universal and spend the extra day in Disney because that way we still do all the universal rides that we want but don’t miss out any of the Disney magic.

So - I would stick with option 1.

Also I have just noticed that in the first option you are paying for 15 nights total but the second is only 14... no wonder it is cheaper! Have I missed something?

[clucky1966]

Originally Posted by DisneyFoodie

Haha you are getting a lot of different responses! Here is my take: for me, the Disney parks are a destination in a way universal is not. I could wander round Disney happily not doing a single ride. The first time we went to universal we did two days with no express pass, and felt bored and cross with all the waiting in line as we were really just there for the rides and not the environment (except Harry Potter but can only enjoy that at quiet times of day). Now we do one day with express at universal and spend the extra day in Disney because that way we still do all the universal rides that we want but don’t miss out any of the Disney magic.

So - I would stick with option 1.

Also I have just noticed that in the first option you are paying for 15 nights total but the second is only 14... no wonder it is cheaper! Have I missed something?

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Hi option 1 is also 14 days so same amount of time :-))

[DisneyFoodie]

Originally Posted by clucky1966

Hi option 1 is also 14 days so same amount of time :-))

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But in that case would you be paying for your HRH hotel during your port Orleans package? Or is the Disney package only 13 nights?