Hello and welcome back to our blog, lovely to have you here 🙂
My husband is a big Star Wars fan and even though we visited Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in October 2019, the Rise of The Resistance ride was not open and neither was the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway so we are planning to do 7 nights at a Disney hotel and then stay 7 nights at a Universal hotel.
The Disney hotel we have chosen is Pop Century. Why? you may ask, well for a number of reasons:
1. It has been a while since we last stayed there.
2. It is on the Disney Skyliner path, which is something we have not used yet.
3. It is classed as a value hotel, which is one of the cheaper hotels on Disney property.
4. The rooms have recently been updated.
We have often thought about staying at one of the moderate or deluxe Disney resorts but when we travel there does not seem to be any added benefits of paying more for a hotel room you are rarely in. The Disney Dining plan is something that can be offered for free if you stay at a better hotel but this I not offered at Christmas and Halloween when we tend to go.
So why don’t we stay off property and make it even cheaper? Well, if you stay on Disney property you can take advantage of being able to book your FastPass+ 60 days before you travel whereas, if you are off property it is only 30 days before you travel. The best rides go fast even at 60 days! I would prefer to pay that little bit more and have a more enjoyable park experience. You also get Extra Magic Hours if you stay on property, which is where only those guests staying a Disney hotels get to enter the parks an hour before it opens on set days or stay later. There is also the free Disney Magical Express from Orlando International Airport (MCO), this whisks you from the Airport to your hotel with all of the Disney magic. You do have to make sure that you book this to secure your place. This link explains everything: https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/guest-services/magical-express/
We are then going to take an Uber or a Lyft to take us to The Loews Royal Pacific Hotel on Universal Property. This is an awesome hotel and we have stayed here many times. The reasons are many but the main ones are free Unlimited Express Passes for the length of your stay; early park entry and it is a walk or a boat ride away from the parks.
If you would like any info or tips please let me know,
Thanks for reading, TheAllenFamilyAdventures
TheAllenFamilyAdventures 