One night stay onsite- is it worth it?

AdrianneB

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
My family is staying offsite in Orlando June 5-12 and doing alternate days in the parks (WDW & USO). June 6 Villains AH MK, June 8 USF/IOA, June 10 EMM HS/EPCOT/MK. Each of these days will be long and exhausting, so I don't want any back to back park days. Was originally planning on June 9 in USO because of the lower crowd predictions, but I know full well we will need a full pool day recovery before tackling the EMM at HS, so June 8 it is. (Also then we can celebrate our actual 12th anniversary in a park.)

I am now looking at booking a stay at Royal Pacific for ONE NIGHT ONLY in order to get the Express Pass UnLtd and EE to WWoHP. Would it make most sense to check in on June 7, enjoy an afternoon/evening at the resort and CityWalk and then be on site for the early entry VS. checking in June 8 afternoon (on a park break) and then having a place to crash after the parks close and morning swim etc.? Is this something I could put together through Priceline/Undercover Tourist and still get all the perks?

I am also looking at the cost-benefit analysis of the added perks. Express UnLtd is valued at $129 pp. What dollar amt would one put on the EE? I am wondering if with the actual value of the perks (and the added benefits of not fighting am traffic or parking), we would actually be getting almost a "free" room.

This is our first trip to USO and HP is definitely our priority. DD9 does not like crazy coasters (though wants to do all the HP rides) but DH and I do. We were alternately considering rope dropping IOA, park hopping to USF, and doing single rider lines for the attractions DD isn't interested in.

I would be grateful for ANY feedback or thoughts!!
 
Yes, it is ‘worth it’.

JHMO you are wildly overscheduled on the WDW day, but different strokes etc.

As for being concerned as to being ‘over-tired’ doing U with FOTL for two consecutive days, that is not a given. If you give it some thought there can be little criss-crossing the parks with the perk. I cannot stress how much easier it makes navigating things. I would term it near ‘priceless’ at times. IMO it’s more of an intristic value vs the ‘sold’ pass that only affords limited access.

I recommend arriving early to check in to allow time to perhaps hit whatever park is EE that day. If booking a standard room @ RPH, there is a good chance you will receive a text as to room ready early. Tour the park(s) until that time or the afternoon & enjoy the pool for a bit. Settle into your room, then do citiwalk or return to the parks.

The next day, again, up early & do the parks until late afternoon & it’s checkin time at the next resort.

You get the perks at the onsite properties that offer them no matter how you book your stay. Good luck trying to score with an opague express deal or hotwire though, bit of a unicorn. Anecdotal takes indicate most tend to wind up with the Doubletree
 
JHMO you are wildly overscheduled on the WDW day, but different strokes etc.

Yes, I am aware this one is a stretch. Was hoping to be leaving HS by 11 am, done with EPCOT by 3, then back to lodging for a break and a nightcap at MK about 9 pm. The last leg might just be me ;)
 
Yes, I am aware this one is a stretch. Was hoping to be leaving HS by 11 am, done with EPCOT by 3, then back to lodging for a break and a nightcap at MK about 9 pm. The last leg might just be me ;)
nightcap @ MK? last i saw only offered at TS venues. You could grab one @ any of the monorail resorts. Good luck
 


Something else to consider would be two day tickets. I know you want to rest on the 9th but with your one night stay you will have two days of express passes. You could take it fairly easy with express passes over two days and see pretty much all of US and IoA
 
Well - I just read through all of the strings and the original post - sounds like a ton of fun no matter how you end up putting this trip together! the crazier the better lol. From one crazy scheduler to another, good luck and document that trip with pics!! #picutrestellyourstory :)
 
Staying onsite/deluxe for the unlimited EP is always worth it, IMO.

I would be grateful for ANY feedback or thoughts!!

ohkay.

You're in Orlando for a possible 8 total days depending on what time you get there and leave. You're only planning three days in parks. You're creating a crunch situation when it doesn't have to be a crunch.

Spread things out and you'll be far more relaxed.

And a full pool day is NOT a recovery day for me. Hot hot hot, exhausted from swimming, dehydration, possible/probable sunburn... That's not recovery!

If you really must do this, I'd arrive early on your park day so you can hit EE, like keisha said.

JHMO you are wildly overscheduled on the WDW day, but different strokes etc.

Agreed.

nightcap @ MK? last i saw only offered at TS venues.

Last I saw, too.
 


Yeah this seems like an odd plan.....unless you are really constrained by park ticket budget, I would add another few park days and do shorter days, especially at WDW. You will be spending a lot of that day on a bus or in a car traveling from park to park.

I have done Universal as day trips from WDW before, mainly to see HP, and have had no trouble seeing all the HP in one day. This time, the family wanted to spend more time at Universal so I booked two nights there. Looking forward to the extra hour bonus, and depending on the crowds, we might end up buying an express pass for one of our days.
 
I'm curious to know how this turned out. I'm trying to get a family trip together for April and I was looking to limit the amount of time in the Universal rooms, since the rest of the time will be on DVC points.
 
I'm curious to know how this turned out. I'm trying to get a family trip together for April and I was looking to limit the amount of time in the Universal rooms, since the rest of the time will be on DVC points.

Well, we ended up booking the Royal Pacific for the evening of Friday June 7. Decided to only do one park day with a 2 park ticket. Checked in a little early, around 2 pm, and dropped off our overnight bag in the room. Took the ferry to CityWalk, explored, and had lunch at Antojitos. Bought some Voodoo Doughnuts for next am's breakfast. Came back to the resort and spent the rest of the evening at the pool after area was cleared after lightning/storm. Watched the first hour of HP&tSS in the pool.

On Saturday, family was up by 6:45 and at the RP boat launch at 7:25 am; our boat departed almost immediately. At USF gates by 7:40, let in about 7:50 and headed back to WWoHP. Entered DA and immediately went to Ollivander's after determining that the hand-me-down wand from a cousin wasn't working. Wand was "repaired" (exchanged), then we did the Ollivander's show. Wand spots after that for a while, exploring DA & Knockturn Alley, Magical Menagerie, drinks (butterbeer/pumpkin juice) at Fountain of Fair Fortune. Rode HP&EFG around 9 am. Took the HE to IOA/Hogsmeade around 10 am. Did Honeydukes, FotH, HP&FJ, then a light brunch at the 3 Broomsticks.

From there, went to Lost Continent, did PF, then onto Seuss and HitSSTTR. DH and I took turns riding Hulk while one took DD9 on SFA. Watched the hero arrival on their bikes in Marvel in front of the arcade. Ate churros, rode Spider-Man, DDF, walked through Toon Lagoon. Rider swap for Kong, then JPRA. Back through Hogsmeade to HE to USF at about 3:45 pm. Knight Bus, phone booth in London, then adopted a Pygmy Puff at WWW, ice cream cones from FF, watched the ToBtB show about the fountain, then went on to World Expo. Rode MiB, then the Simpsons Ride. Huge downpour. Ducked into Fast Food Blvd to eat a quick bite, sat in Moe's. Poncho'd up and went on to ride ET, then Horror Makeup Show. Shopped the Hello Kitty Store, then rode DMMM, RTNY, rider swap at RotM. I single rode HRRR while DD and DH had Icees.

Left park about 9:15 pm, got on a boat right away with Capt. Surf who plays "Livin' On A Prayer" and makes all the passengers sing along which is much more fun than it sounds. Picked up the car from the resort lot and was back at our AirBnb by 11.

Following day was spent sleeping in until about 9. Swam at the resort, then visited the Orlando Cat Cafe in the afternoon. Had lunch at Raglan Road at Disney Springs and spent a little time shopping. Back at the resort by early evening and took another dip. In bed early for a 5:45 am wakeup on Monday for our epic WDW day. (Which, since y'all are so curious, included HS (EMM:TS), EP, and AK, which we closed down. I got my "nightcap" at Pongu Pongu. We spent 16 hours in the parks that day and were *very* close to trying to hit MK before 11 pm closing, but we got to our car at 10:45 and there was no way.)

I'm a "go-go-go" type and my DD can be as well, but DH is decidedly NOT. He says it was the most "epic" vacation we've ever had. So although my aggressive itineraries would have worn on the nerves of others, we actually had a rockin' time :P
 

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