We are strongly considering spending our Spring Break at Universal Studios Orlando. I haven't been in 15 years, so feeling very lost. I know I want to see Harry Potter. I know the kids would love a character dining experience. We all would love a place that has fun pool areas. So, my questions:
Is staying at Nickelodeon Hotel worth it? Has anyone had a good experience staying on site at Universal? Are there any discount sites out there for me to look at? Any tips on saving money? How many days do we need to see both parks? Will the kids (5 and 8) enjoy both parks? Can we bring in outside food?
Please don't hold back. Anything and everything you think would be helpful for me to know...I'm all ears!
Oh, and we have done Walt Disney parks, Legoland, and Sea World in the past few years, which is why I am focusing on just Universal. I don't want to go overboard, just have fun in one area and have some time to relax as well.
Thank you everyone for your responses! We decided to go with a time-share rental instead. It is cheaper and we will have a kitchen so we can do breakfast before leaving each day and pack some of our lunch/snacks. The saved money can then be spent on fun stuff like character dining. And we are going to do a 2-day Universal pass and spend a day at Cocoa Beach and possibly St. Augustine. We can't wait!
I ditto those who have bad reviews of the Nickelodeon hotel. I have heard nothing good about it, dirty, bed bugs, dirty diapers floating in the pools, etc. I'd stay away from it. We normally stay at the Marriott right across the street. Or Wyndham's Bonnet Creek. Those are both FABULOUS resorts.
Okay,so my kids love Universal the best.I think kids of all ages love Universal,from what i remember my kids had outside food and we were allowed to bring it to our rooms.Harry Potter was the best part of the whole place!!!!If your children like the flying brooms from Harry Potter...they will het a kick out of this!!!
I would not stay at Nickelodeon. The reviews have been all terrible. Dirty, noisy. Not a pleasant experience. Would look around for other hotels. .
I'm not really familiar with the hotel since we lived local and never needed a hotel (we just moved from Orlando to Dallas last August). Universal parks are fun though. Personally I love Islands of Adventure way more than Universal Studios but its just my preference. I think you wouldn't want to spend more than one day at US but IoA is definitely worth two days. And don't forget, you are literally 45 minutes away from beautiful beaches on the Atlantic side. If you haven't gone, I highly recommend Coco Beach! Take two days and enjoy that for sure, plenty of hotels there to stay at. Enjoy!
i have to disagree with patty k. i STAYED there for my sons birthday last year and it was AWESOME! he loved it! i think its so worth it.
The Nickelodeon Hotel is closer to Disney and it is visible from Downtown Disney. Universal is about 20 minutes from there. These are the on-site hotels at Universal,
http://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Three-World-Class-....
There are also lots of hotels just outside of Universal, check some of the travel sites like Expedia. I am sure they all offer shuttles to and from the parks.
I know Disney allows coolers into the parks with your own food and Universal is not as strict so it shouldn’t be a problem. Universal has two parks Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, it really depends on what time of year you are coming. The both get crowded in the spring and summer months.
We were there a week ago and had a blast.. both parks.. There is also a big Boardwalk over there with lots of things to do..
You need to go to travelosity.com for hotel reviews Nick hotel has bed bug issues. Not a fun thing. They have some places in universals . After researching I stayed at teh Rosen Inn, the main building. Heard some bad things about the outside building. Service was good, rooms were clean but a little run down. It was within 10 min driving to Universals which was great for me. A little further away is all the major hotels, marriott etc. They looked really nice from the outside. Just double check travelosity before you book. My daughter enjoyed Harry Potter. She is a roller coaster fan.
