I realize most people I chat with here already know this. I’m setting up my TR placeholder for my next trip. (Sept. / HHN)
I’m already trying to think of the food & drinks I want to enjoy again along with the very few places I missed.
If anyone wants to jog my memory with items you know I spoke highly about or have your own favorites I might have missed please share them!
I am having some anxiety about the length of the trip. However, nine days really justifies an AP and the cost of four days was only $800 less.
While Dockside is my “home” I feel in love with Aventura. I have found a rate that’s about $400 more, but if you spread that across the total time it’s only $44 extra per night… That’s a tempting price…
I’m really trying not to break the bank, but it’s so much nicer… Thoughts? (I am looking to be enabled!! LOL!! I could cut costs with meals / souvenirs / booze)
Thanks for indulging me!
When I started going to UOR it was as an alternative to WDW - which like most here I was obsessed with. Hence, I considered myself more of a Disney Fan that was trying out Universal. Now that I have renewed my pass with no firm Disney plans in place I believe it’s more fitting to be a self proclaimed Universal Addict than Disney Refugee!!
I just realized I’ll get to see VillianCon and the new Minions area!! I hope the Springfield construction is complete by then!
I’m definitely going to get a PB&J Old Fashioned at Big Fire…(Not going to eat, just the cocktail at the bar. I still think about it and I don’t drink much at home)
I get to be at the hotel by 1:30pm on arrival and don’t have to get into an Uber until 2pm on my depart day.
My DW has been great about the renewal and she expect me to go twice. I’m trying to make this one a really long trip to make it “worth it”. Plus, I’ll be getting the Rush of Fear pass with the Express Pass included. The more nights I use it the more value I get from it.
I haven’t spoke with DD21. I’m going to offer to pay if she’ll join me. It will be her last year at college, so she may be busy. Right now DD is stressed about paying for her portion of a school trip to Italy next month. So offering to pay for a Universal trip when she could use help with another trip would be weird!
(I’m willing to give her the money, but DW kinda wants to make this a “life lesson” thing… We’ll see…LOL!!)
As soon as the Rush of Fear passes go on sale I will have everything in place!
If anyone will be there at this time, please, tell me! I loved meeting other Liners last year. I won’t latch onto your trip or anything! It’s fun to talk to you in person even for a couple minutes!
I upgraded to Aventura! To get the best rate I have to spend my arrival day at Dockside then the next day move over to Aventura for the next 8 nights… It was $45 per night more, but it’s such an upgrade…
Oh! I never went to Strongbow Tavern! That’s next door. I’ll definitely fix that!!
Again… thanks to everyone for indulging and chatting with me. No one IRL cares even a fraction as much as we do about this and I have almost no where else to discuss it.
I was looking at arrival day hotel upgrades, but realized that I’m going to head straight into the parks & HHN that first night. Sapphire Falls is only $100 more & I am tempted. However, if I’m not going to enjoy the resort or even be in the building much then I should just stay at Dockside…
I don’t think I’ll ever get to stay at one of the premier hotels, but it would be nice to add SF to my checklist… Maybe on the second trip…
I know it’s just excitement, but I have started thinking about that “second” trip. SouthWest won’t have flights for sale past November until June 8, 2023…
How am I supposed to decide if I want to go to Grinchmas or not??
(Curse those Pop Warner groups for overcrowding the hotels the week of my birthday!! I have to “plan around” them instead of picking the dates I’d want!! )
I will admit that Universal does a good job at spreading the groups out in the day time & offering them private party nights during the week. The premiers are the only hotels they aren’t at, but overall it was still unpleasant in the parks with that many groups & early week night closings for them…
If I go to Grinchmas I’ll go the Monday / Tuesday right after Thanksgiving and stay until the following Sunday when they arrive.
I do have to be mindful of using my vacation time now! I had planned to accrue it more and I need to make sure I have enough for a second trip!
IME - It’s when they close the parks early, like 6pm, to host a private event for those groups when it’s an issue. I hate Grad Bash in late April - Mid-May for this reason
I asked the Aventura desk clerk about Pop Warner. She said they had been staying there.
Aventura is my new “home”. I had originally booked at Dockside for the rate, but as of this morning I upgraded to Aventura. I’ll be there for HHN in Sept. (9/15 - 9/24)
I’ve learned my own lessons and know that as great as Endless Summer is for the price it is going to be hard to sleep there. If I’m going be on-site for 9 nights I want to be comfortable.
I still love Dockside and recommend it, but for me as a solo traveler Aventura is better. It’s peaceful and not full of kids laying around the lobby.
I admit I have reached the point of my AP membership where making sure I have nights when I genuinely sleep are prioritized over a little extra money. (to a point…still not paying $300 - $600+ for a premier!! )
Yay for more trips!
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