Please help! Sapphire Falls or Portofino Bay

[Pipkin]

Thank you everyone for your input! We decided to go with SF since we'll save $400+ and get an extra night. We'll use the extra hour to get as much as we can done in the morning and then head to VB or the pools if it gets crowded and if the lines are too much to handle we'll just pay to add EP on our tickets one or two days. We're really excited and I'm sure you'll see me on here again soon posting with another question about the dark side.

We are at SF now. It's a beautiful resort with a lovely pool. The rooms and bathroom area are on the small side but workable. The extra hour this morning worked out well. Getting in for 8 allowed us to meet our objectives. We will do the same tomorrow. We left just after noon. Hot and crowded. The Chocolate Emporium was the best meal we have had here, including Emerils, which was disappointing for the $$$.

 

[Scootypuffjr]

We are at SF now. It's a beautiful resort with a lovely pool. The rooms and bathroom area are on the small side but workable. The extra hour this morning worked out well. Getting in for 8 allowed us to meet our objectives. We will do the same tomorrow. We left just after noon. Hot and crowded. The Chocolate Emporium was the best meal we have had here, including Emerils, which was disappointing for the $$$.

Good to know. We will definitely check out Chocolate Emporium. How small are the rooms? Disney value small?

 

[Pipkin]

Good to know. We will definitely check out Chocolate Emporium. How small are the rooms? Disney value small?

I've never stayed at a value. They are 321 square feet. Maybe a little bigger than a moderate.

 

[Scootypuffjr]

I've never stayed at a value. They are 321 square feet. Maybe a little bigger than a moderate.

I just looked and Pop is 260 sq ft and POR is 316 sq ft. We've always been fine with the room size at POR so that should work for us. Thanks again for the info!

 

[schumigirl]

Thank you everyone for your input! We decided to go with SF since we'll save $400+ and get an extra night. We'll use the extra hour to get as much as we can done in the morning and then head to VB or the pools if it gets crowded and if the lines are too much to handle we'll just pay to add EP on our tickets one or two days. We're really excited and I'm sure you'll see me on here again soon posting with another question about the dark side.

Glad to read it!

SF is a lovely resort.........and ask away......always someone to answer questions..........

 

[Dumbo7]

We are at SF now. It's a beautiful resort with a lovely pool. The rooms and bathroom area are on the small side but workable. The extra hour this morning worked out well. Getting in for 8 allowed us to meet our objectives. We will do the same tomorrow. We left just after noon. Hot and crowded. The Chocolate Emporium was the best meal we have had here, including Emerils, which was disappointing for the $$$.

We had terrible service Emerils and we like eating at nice restaurants. I had high hopes this restaurant would get better.

 

[tran1172]

I love Sapphire Falls. If you get up and do early admission, you can get most things done and if it's a crowded day, be back at the hotel pool or like you said, VB by noon or one. It's awesome that you get to stay an extra night too.

We actually have Premiere Annual passes so we get express after 4pm. Needless to say, we stay at Sapphire Falls a lot because we can do early admission, come back and relax at the hotel and go back at 4pm.

 

[cfoxga]

That is a good point about the Premier Annual Pass tran1172, and one I don't think I've seen before. If you want to spend alot of days at the universal hotels or have a small number of people in your group (1-3), this can save quite a bit of money vs the deluxe hotels. There are some other benefits that you get from the Premier that help offset the extra $250 vs Seasonal Pass. If we lived near Orlando, I'd get it for our family of 4 for sure...