My daughter has recently became a huge Harry Potter fan. We have been to Disney several times but never Universal. Any tips or tricks to save money? We are planning to go either the end of March early April or during summer 2019. We want to stay on site to take advantage of the express pass. Any help will be appreciated!!
We go to Universal most years during late March/early April and always stay onsite for the express passes. It makes for a very easy, relaxing trip as no real planning is needed. As for saving money, I buy tickets through Undercover Tourist for both Disney and Universal as they are always cheaper. I usually get an AP for myself, the passes are not much more than a park ticket, and you can get great discounts of rooms with one. AP rates do not come out very early though, maybe January or February for late March/early April. In general, you can save up to 40% off your room, so it is well worth it to get 1 pass. Also, you do not need to even have the pass to look at the rates or book your stay. On the Universal site you just enter the code APH when looking for a room. Rack rates this time of year are often around $500 plus a night, we usually pay about $300-$350, considering it includes express passes is a steal compared to Disney deluxe hotels. At this point we like 2.5 days in the parks plus half a day at Volcano Bay water park, which is amazing. For a first trip, I would plan 3-5 days at the most there, with express pass you just breeze through the lines. All 3 deluxe hotels are fantastic, my favorite for theming is Portofino Bay, and my favorite for location is Hard Rock. Royal Pacific is usually the least expensive. All are within walking and boating distance. In 2019 we will be there 4/4-7. Hope this is helpful.
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Thank you so much for the info!!
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You are welcome!