When to book? Universal Newbie

NicoleLarson

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 21, 2010
So we are a long time WDW family but we DD9 wants to go to Universal for her 11th birthday, Feb. of 2020 and we feel like it's time for a change from WDW. We know that we want to stay at one of the 3 "free" express pass hotels. Are there any deals on these hotels or should we just expect to pay rack rate? I feel like there's so much to learn!
 
Rates do fluctuate, and then there is the potential for Annual Pass Holder discounts (that usually don't show up until 3-6 months before a given date period).

The general rule of thumb is to book as soon as you can see a rate that you can live with, but continue to check over time to see if the rate drops, or if you want to go the Annual Pass Holder route, see a good APH rate when they come available.

If you book room only, and then a better rate comes along, you can call them to re-book your reservation against the lower rate without any penalties. Just don't book a package (Room + tickets) as changes to a package usually incur fees.
 
Rates do fluctuate, and then there is the potential for Annual Pass Holder discounts (that usually don't show up until 3-6 months before a given date period).

The general rule of thumb is to book as soon as you can see a rate that you can live with, but continue to check over time to see if the rate drops, or if you want to go the Annual Pass Holder route, see a good APH rate when they come available.

If you book room only, and then a better rate comes along, you can call them to re-book your reservation against the lower rate without any penalties. Just don't book a package (Room + tickets) as changes to a package usually incur fees.


All great info! thank you! Any idea of when 2020 rates will come out? I'm sure everyone has their favorite but which of the 3 EP resorts is most preferred? I don't know if we'll get an AP. We do live in central FL so that's definitely something to think about. How much do the AP rates tend to be off??
 
AHP rates can be a bit of a mixed bag. Sometimes they are significantly cheaper than the standard "Stay More, Save More" discounted rate (if you are staying 3 nights or longer, they automatically discount on an increasing scale the longer you stay) but sometimes they can be only slightly cheaper. And it's also a mixed bag in terms of being able to get one as they limit the number of rooms available at the APH rate. In terms of *when* those rates come out, it's not an exact timeframe always (hence I noted a general 3-6 month timeframe). But if you check back in this thread often people are updating it once they see new APH rates open up for a particular timeframe: https://www.disboards.com/threads/aph-rates-are-currently-available-updated-07-27-18.3301532/

In terms of which 3 of the Deluxe resorts that have EP is the best, you'll probably get a lot of different responses. Some key things to know:

1. From a price perspective, Royal Pacific is typically the cheapest, Hard Rock usually in the middle, and Portofino usually the most expensive.
2. Hard Rock is definitely closest of all 3 to the parks with about a 5-10 min walk, but all of the 3 are walk-able within about 15 minutes, or taking the free water Taxi which is also about 15 minutes.

I typically choose Royal Pacific for the price, and we also like the themeing there and the restaurants are all good. Some like Hard Rock for the atmosphere (especially those with Teens) as the pool area is quite lively with underwater speakers playing music. Some prefer Portofino as it's the most upscale and a bit more quiet than the other two.
 


So we are a long time WDW family but we DD9 wants to go to Universal for her 11th birthday, Feb. of 2020 and we feel like it's time for a change from WDW. We know that we want to stay at one of the 3 "free" express pass hotels. Are there any deals on these hotels or should we just expect to pay rack rate? I feel like there's so much to learn!
Book right away. You can always cancel. We waited to book for November 2019 and the price went up over $200 for Stay More Save More on the Universal site. So I went to the hotel site directly and got it for the old price. I checked a couple of weeks later and they too went up $200.

I just checked it today and it's now $600 more on both sites (same Stay More Save More rate)! Glad I booked it! I'll keep checking for lower rates or a package right up until the last minute.

Edited to add:
I always check hotel only and park tickets separately, as well as packages. Ticket prices haven't changed separately or in package so it's just the hotel that is going up.
 
I booked a few months ago for this April. My SMSM rate is $210, now it’s up to $325 at Royal Pacific. So the earlier you book, the better the rate it seems. I keep watching for AP rate, but so far the only AP rates have been for Hospitality Suites.
We’re looking forward to our first Royal Pacific Stay. Last trip we stayed at Portofino and loved it. We also stayed at HRH, but for me it was just ok. Everyone has different likes. I’d go look at the thread for each, page 1 has descriptions and photos. See what appeals to you.
 



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