Upcoming Trip to Universal

[Schweino]

Hello friends! Wife and I, at this moment in time, are booked to do Universal 9/5 - 9/11 (baring mask mandates or hurricane. Not anti-mask, but in the heat I just can't do it). We arrive into MCO around 12:10 PM and have the Universal Shuttle booked for our trip. Few questions as I haven't been to universal in like...18 years and my wife has never been before:

1. When you stayed, were you able to check-in/get to your room early? We anticipate getting to Aventura probably around 2:30 give or take.

2. As we will probably be awake around 3:30 AM, we are wanting to just chill that Sunday and plan to eat dinner at Aventura. Any suggestions on what we could do to just walk around and observe? I slightly remember City Walk, but not sure if that requires park tickets (We have a 5 day pass, M-F).

3. We have one dinner resy at Hard Rock on one of our park days. Does Universal do transportation similar to Disney? From the parks we can just hop on a bus to Hard Rock?

4. Seeking opinions about our dinner resy's. Right now we plan to do 4 days at the two Universal parks, and 1 day at Volcano Bay (Friday) and we do have the park hopper option:

EDIT: 5. Is Halloween Horror Nights worth it if you are not big 'horror' people? MNSSHP was awesome in 2019 but Universal's looks more 'horror' related, but maybe Im way off.

Monday - Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at 5:15 PM
Tuesday - Mythos at 5:30 PM
Wednesday - NBC Sports Grill (this is for me ) - at 6:45 PM
Thursday - Hard Rock Cafe at 6:15 PM
Friday - Bigfire American Fare at 7:30 PM.

Thursday I have the open question (#3 above) about transportation. Wednesday we have Express Passes that day, so we wanted a later dinner to get the most out of our EP. Not sure if I should push it back farther or not and maybe do a later lunch that day at the park. Open to opinions/thoughts

Long post - wow, so sorry!! TIA to anyone that can help!

 

[Weather_Lady]

Here's my two cents:

1 - We've stayed at Hard Rock and Royal Pacific in the past. Both times we checked in, we were able to get into our rooms early (around 10am, and 2pm, respectively). However, that was before COVID and the housekeeping shortages that have accompanied it. Chances of getting your room early are much less these days. However, if your room is not ready, Bell Services will hold your bags for you and you can head off to enjoy the parks, or have a drink at the hotel, and you should get a text when your room is available.

2 - CityWalk does not require park tickets. You can stroll around and check out the restaurants and shops (or catch a movie or play mini-golf), enjoy your resort pool, or walk around some of the other resorts. I don't think there's enough to keep one busy for more than a couple hours in CityWalk, but that's just me.

3 - To reach the Hard Rock Hotel from CityWalk, you can take a boat from CityWalk, or stroll a short walking path that starts near the entrance to Universal Studios Florida. Either one will get you to the Hard Rock Hotel in about 5 minutes.

4 - I think your dinner reservations look fine. I'm presuming from your choices that you enjoy standard American "burgers-and-fries"-type food, as Mythos is the only choice you've listed that has a slightly internationally-inspired menu (although Toothsome's menu runs the gamut). If you wanted something more exotic, Cowfish and Antojitos are also nice choices.

*NOTE: You said in question #3 that you had a dinner ADR at Hard Rock and needed resort transportation, but your listed meals include the Hard Rock Cafe, and not any of the Hard Rock Hotel restaurants. FWIW, the Hard Rock Cafe is not at the Hard Rock Hotel -- it's at CityWalk, situated just a few steps from the park entrances. Just wanted to make sure you knew that.

5 - We've never been to Halloween Horror Nights, although if you want to get an idea what some of the houses are like to assess their "scare level" (and have a laugh), Ellen Degeneres has a bunch of videos on Youtube of her producer, Andy, being sent through the ones at Universal Studios Hollywood.

 

[Schweino]

@Weather_Lady thank youuuu!!! Huge help! It is Hard Rock Cafe at CityWalk, had to check my email. Wonder why I thought it was at Hard Rock

Watched the video, and while funny, sounds like the HHN isn't for us.

 

[matt9112]

Here's my two cents:

1 - We've stayed at Hard Rock and Royal Pacific in the past. Both times we checked in, we were able to get into our rooms early (around 10am, and 2pm, respectively). However, that was before COVID and the housekeeping shortages that have accompanied it. Chances of getting your room early are much less these days. However, if your room is not ready, Bell Services will hold your bags for you and you can head off to enjoy the parks, or have a drink at the hotel, and you should get a text when your room is available.

2 - CityWalk does not require park tickets. You can stroll around and check out the restaurants and shops (or catch a movie or play mini-golf), enjoy your resort pool, or walk around some of the other resorts. I don't think there's enough to keep one busy for more than a couple hours in CityWalk, but that's just me.

3 - To reach the Hard Rock Hotel from CityWalk, you can take a boat from CityWalk, or stroll a short walking path that starts near the entrance to Universal Studios Florida. Either one will get you to the Hard Rock Hotel in about 5 minutes.

4 - I think your dinner reservations look fine. I'm presuming from your choices that you enjoy standard American "burgers-and-fries"-type food, as Mythos is the only choice you've listed that has a slightly internationally-inspired menu (although Toothsome's menu runs the gamut). If you wanted something more exotic, Cowfish and Antojitos are also nice choices.

*NOTE: You said in question #3 that you had a dinner ADR at Hard Rock and needed resort transportation, but your listed meals include the Hard Rock Cafe, and not any of the Hard Rock Hotel restaurants. FWIW, the Hard Rock Cafe is not at the Hard Rock Hotel -- it's at CityWalk, situated just a few steps from the park entrances. Just wanted to make sure you knew that.

5 - We've never been to Halloween Horror Nights, although if you want to get an idea what some of the houses are like to assess their "scare level" (and have a laugh), Ellen Degeneres has a bunch of videos on Youtube of her producer, Andy, being sent through the ones at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Tell them about the palm!!!!

 

[Weather_Lady]

Tell them about the palm!!!!

I'm afraid we haven't dined there yet - you'll have to fill us in!

 

[JoeCamel]

Tell them about the palm!!!!

I'm afraid we haven't dined there yet - you'll have to fill us in!

My opinion of the Palm is it is small, expensive and very good if you like a great steakhouse. Worth a visit if that is your food, you won't be disappointed.

For the OP - you are welcome to poolhop as well. Be sure to get across the street to Cabana bay to float the river, underwater music at Hard Rock and quiet solitude at Portofino which all adds to your Volcano Bay experience. You have plenty of time, you don't have to go commando on the touring and it will be a blast.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

My opinion of the Palm is it is small, expensive and very good if you like a great steakhouse. Worth a visit if that is your food, you won't be disappointed.

For the OP - you are welcome to poolhop as well. Be sure to get across the street to Cabana bay to float the river, underwater music at Hard Rock and quiet solitude at Portofino which all adds to your Volcano Bay experience. You have plenty of time, you don't have to go commando on the touring and it will be a blast.

I second hopping to Cabana Bay. If not for the pools then for exploring the resort and having a drink.

Just FYI you can swim or float in the CBBR lazy river but if you want to float you either can bring your own tube or buy one there.

And there’s two pool areas at CBBR. One has a slide, the other has the lazy river.

 

[trr1]

on Saturday I booked our vacation for next year 5/15/-5/25/2022 at Royal Pacific