Universal on a Budget About This Page:

[Magoo__]

I'm thinking of surprising my family with a 4-night trip to Universal for a Christmas present. (Kids have way too many toys and gadgets and really don't need anymore, nor do we have room for anymore!!!!) What is the cheapest deal you have got and how did you get it? We'd fly out of Detroit or Flint and would love to stay onsite. The biggest expense will probably result from the timing - the week between Christmas and New Years would be the only option for us. If we stayed offsite during Christmas break would it still be possible to experience most of the parks since we wouldn't have the "fastpass" thing that we would have if we stayed onsite?

[RobDVC]

You should be able to see and do everything at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure with 4 days, whether you stay onsite or off. Their current ticket deal is buy 2-days, get an extra 5 for free, so you'll be able to spend up to 7 straight days at Universal's two parks for the price of two. Staying on-site does have it's advantages (no parking fees, "front of the line" access), but comes at a cost. The Universal hotels are all priced in the range of Disney Deluxe resorts ($250 per night).

[Shell_of_the_South]

That week is supposedly the busiest week of the year. If your budget will allow, staying onsite will be a huge benefit. If you do your research, you can find discounts. You might start by checking out mousesavers.com's Universal page:

MouseSavers.com - Discounts at Universal Studios / Islands of Adventure Orlando - tickets, hotels, meals

The current offer of $85.99 for a 7 day ticket is a phenomenal deal. Maybe the money you save on tickets can offset the cost of your room?

Also, keep checking Universal's website for special deals:

Vacation Deal: Great offers from Universal Orlando

Somewhere on their site you can sign up to receive email alerts of any special deals they have going.

Annual passholders get discounted rates on rooms. An AP at USF is about $179, so the savings you get on your room might pay for one AP. You'd only need one AP to get the discount.

The only downside of their onsite hotels is that you do pay parking - the daily parking fee is added onto your room bill. That highly irritates me!

If you don't stay onsite, most of the nearby hotels have a free shuttle service. We stayed offsite at a hotel on Universal Blvd. It was a Sierra Suites but it has changed names since then. Most of those hotels are fairly new and look very nice. And most of those will offer a complimentary breakfast, which can save you even more money.

Good Luck!

[Magoo__]

Well, after checking out prices during the Holidays as compared to mid January I have decided to go in mid January. I can get a room at a Universal resort, 3 7-day passes and flights for less than the cost of just the room from Dec 26-30! Now the planning begins!

[jimmymac]

If you're going to go for 4 days, how about 2 days at US / IOA, and a day each at Seaworld and Busch Gardens, both of whichg are worth a whole day

[Magoo__]

It's just my two kids and I going and I don't plan to rent a car - so Busch Gardens is out. We were at SeaWorld 2 years ago and although we enjoyed it, I think we'll wait till the next trip. This trip is just a short little "vacation" for the kids and I - DH is no longer interested in theme parks So I think we'll just hang out at Universal for the whole time. We've never been able to have a "leisurely" trip to Florida so it'll be nice to be able to take our time and not rush through the parks. If we have enough of the parks then we'll sit by the pool - can't wait!!! Thanks for the suggestions though

[BarryH]

If you're staying offsite during the busy Christmas and New Year's time, be sure that you arrive at least 30 minutes before opening so you can do the major rides before the crowds come in. During that time, the parks generally open at 8 am. I know it's hard to wake up early on your vacation, but do it and you will be happy you did. The crowds will arrive around 11 am and noon, so if you do the major rides by then, you can relax and have a nice lunch or enjoy the shows. You can go back to your hotel in the afternoon and swim in the pool, take a nap, shop, etc. Come back in the evening and enjoy Universal 360 and do other things.

Also during that time, discounts will be hard to find, but you can find them. If you don't mind where you're staying, try Priceline or Hotwire. I found a room during that time for $35/night, but it was by the airport (a bit of a ways away from the park). You might be able to find closer hotels to Universal for $10-$20 more a night. You can even find a rental car for $25-$35/night on Priceline or Hotwire.