Where to Stay While Visiting Universal Studios Orlando

Universal Orlando has quickly become one of my favorite yearly stops. Hello! Harry Potter. Spiderman. The Mummy. Jimmy Fallon!

You have seen my 5 Reasons To Stay On Property At Universal Studios Orlando which explains WHY to stay on property. Now check out the amazing places to stay while there!

There are 3 levels of on-site hotels at Universal Orlando and I have laid them all out for you here. With 3 levels you can choose a good fit according to your budget and needs.

Prime Value – Stylish resorts with family suites and rooms designed for fun and affordability.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

This prime value hotel offers guests their choice of standard rooms or family suites with kitchenettes along with all the recreation fun that you can ask for. With two huge pools, a lazy river, bowling alley, and more, it’s unforgettable family fun at a great value, right in the heart of Universal Orlando’s theme parks and non-stop nightlife.

I have spent a lot of time at this hotel enjoying the amenities. Bowling, lazy river, arcade, and the AMAZING cafeteria style eatery. I have never had the chance to stay here but the rooms look very fun!

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

• Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required)
• Complimentary shuttle buses and walking paths to both Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
• Use of any and all other on-site resort pools.
• Priority seating in resort hotel restaurants.

Preferred – Relaxing getaways offering the perfect blend of resort conveniences and amenities.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

The newest hotel to be added on-site is this Caribbean-inspired resort hotel. It is reminiscent of an estate in the tropics. The 16,000 square foot, resort pool is surrounded by cascading waterfalls. Guests are surrounded by a vivid haven that is old-world and chic while still modern and timeless. It is an island escape in the heart of an unforgettable adventure.

This is the newest addition. I have eaten at all of the restaurants (yes, I LOVE food) and I have toured the rooms and played at this hotel. I have a stay planned for this hotel this coming summer. I already know I love the location and amenities (including a fully stocked gym) so I can’t wait to enjoy the rooms as well.

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

• Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required)
• Complimentary shuttle buses, water taxis, and walking paths to both Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
• Use of any and all other on-site resort pools.
• Priority seating in resort hotel restaurants.

Loews Royal Pacific Resort

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

Experience the South Seas in Florida. Feel the excitement of a time when travelers first island-hopped the South Pacific, relaxing along their journey at magnificent resorts where they could just kick back and enjoy the beauty of the islands. Soak in the breathtaking splendor of lush tropical surroundings at a white sandy beach of the lagoon-style swimming pool; all while enjoying the latest in modern conveniences.

I have spent the last two summers enjoying this property. The pool cafe has the BEST nachos that I have ever had – in my life! I am sure that I will walk over this year to partake in my favorite treat while on vacation.

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

• SKIP THE REGULAR LINES with Universal Express Unlimited ride access in both theme parks – a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day
  (valid theme park admission required)
• Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required)
• Complimentary shuttle buses, water taxis, and walking paths to both Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
• Use of any and all other on-site resort pools.
• Priority seating in resort hotel restaurants.

Premier – Beautiful escapes offering distinguished service, spacious accommodations, and one-of-a-kind experiences.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

La dolce vita or the sweet life is what you get at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. This luxurious hotel has the charm and romance of the famed seaside village of Portofino, Italy, right down to the cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes. Hotel guests enjoy spacious guest rooms featuring custom designed furnishings, impeccable and attentive service, an opulent spa, three swimming pools and exceptional dining options.

I have stayed at this property and was blown away. Walking the halls brought me right back to my vacation to Italy a few years ago. All you need is sunglasses an hour and they will whisk you away to paradise.

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

• SKIP THE REGULAR LINES with Universal Express Unlimited ride access in both theme parks – a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day
  (valid theme park admission required)
• Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required)
• Complimentary shuttle buses, water taxis, and walking paths to both Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
• Use of any and all other on-site resort pools.
• Priority seating in resort hotel restaurants.

Hard Rock Hotel

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

Live the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle at the exciting Hard Rock Hotel. You’ll feel like a big shot  with amazing accommodations, just like a celebrity. It is lively, yet laid back. Classy, yet totally casual. They have an awesome sand beach pool that immerses you in sound, not just water; authentic memorabilia and all the food you crave. You don’t have to be a rock star to stay at Hard Rock Hotel. But after just a few hours, you’ll definitely get used to living the lifestyle.

I have not had the pleasure to stay here… yet. I have enjoyed the pool and restaurants on several occasions and thoroughly enjoyed my time. Teenagers especially enjoy the pool area with the UNDERWATER sound system. Maybe next year I try a new spot 🙂

Credit Universal Studios Hotels

BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

• SKIP THE REGULAR LINES with Universal Express Unlimited ride access in both theme parks – a FREE benefit worth up to $89 per person, per day
  (valid theme park admission required)
• Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one hour before the theme park opens (valid theme park admission required)
• Complimentary shuttle buses, water taxis, and walking paths to both Universal Orlando theme parks and Universal CityWalk.
• Use of any and all other on-site resort pools.
• Priority seating in resort hotel restaurants.

No matter where you decide to stay on property, the extra amenities and benefits are so worth it!

*I was not compensated in any way for this review. All opinions, as always, are my own.

What Was New For Family Forward 2016

I can officially say that I enjoyed my annual (since this was my third year attending) trip to the Family Forward conference at the Universal Orlando Resort. After attending 3 times I can say that this year was by far my favorite!

What Was New For Family Forward 2016 & Forever Favorites

This year Family Forward had several new things to see and do. Between the new things and taking my daughter with me (first time I brought any family to Family Forward – I know it sounds strange) it was a whole new experience.

VIP Lunch

Last year was my first time participating in the VIP Tour during Family Forward. I already knew that VIP was the way to go but with the addition of this amazing lunch spot the experience has gotten even better. The VIP lunch inside of Cafe La Bamba is ONLY for VIP tours. The meal consisted of signature items from the restaurants located in both of the Universal Orlando Resort theme parks. It was a great treat to not have to choose between our favorite places to eat! It included drinks and a dessert buffet!

Volcano Bay

Even though it is not ready to go yet we received a preview look and presentation all about Volcano Bay. The idea behind this all-new, adventure-drenched water theme park is that there’s no standing in long lines. No wrestling with tubes. No waiting for the fun to begin. It’s a tropical paradise just steps away from everything Universal Orlando Resort has to offer. I seriously CAN. NOT. WAIT. to go next year!

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort

The newest addition to the on-site hotels is Sapphire Falls. The Caribbean-inspired Loews Resort hotel transports guests to paradise where blue waterfalls cascade across lush grounds, and the invitation to cool relaxation is everywhere. We ate at both of the restaurants in the hotel and enjoyed the options that they provided so that everyone in our group had something that they liked.

Forever Favorites

With this being my third trip to Family Forward I obviously have my forever favorites. You may see a theme here as all of my favorites are similar.

1. 9 3/4

2. Fire

3. Hogwarts

Finally I share with you our motto:

Wordless Wednesday: #FamilyForward

*I know this is a Wordless Wednesday post but… this was the first year that I brought one of my kids to Family Forward so a lot of these images are with my daughter experiencing Universal Studios for the first time!

Wordless Wednesday: Seuss Landing at Universal Orlando #FamilyForward

5 Reasons To Stay On Property At Universal Studios Orlando

I just got back from a week long trip to Orlando, Florida. I was there working with Mom It Forward for the Family Forward: Orlando Adventure conference for work. It was an amazing week with a bunch of awesome bloggers. While at the Family Forward conference everyone attending stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel, which is one of the 4 hotels on Universal property. Since I had never been to Universal before everything was completely new to me. I was happily surprised by all of the great perks that came with staying on property.

1. The Hotel Property

Have you ever been to Naples, Italy? I have. This property makes you feel like you are there, in Italy, but with palm trees. The grounds are beautiful, the hallways have such great attention to detail, and the buildings are amazing. From the pool to the courtyard (with little vespas set up for pictures) to the common areas you feel like you have been whisked away to another country.

2. Early Admission

Anyone that stays in one of the four unique Universal property hotels gets into the parks an hour early. Everyday. Yes, even on holidays and weekends. At 8 am you can head straight into Hogsmeade (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) or Diagon Alley (Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts) and ride one of the rides that don’t accept Express Passes. I went in one morning early and just walked around Diagon Alley and took pictures while there were no people walking around. If you have ever been there you know that it is usually wall to wall people! It was like a personal VIP tour. The beauty of the early admission is a 30 minute or less wait for one of the awesome Harry Potter rides instead of 120 minute wait. You can’t beat that!

3. Express Pass

Speaking of not waiting in line! When you stay on property you get to skip the regular lines for free! Every person that stays on property gets an Express Pass using their hotel room key. It is an individualized pass with your picture on it so that it can only be used by YOU!  It is a value of $89  per person in your room, per day! It’s the fastest way to ride – enjoy access all day long, as often as you’d like! In fact with this express pass we rode The Mummy (my personal favorite ride) 4 times in one day. We literally walked right onto the ride several times while people without passes had to wait. Talk about a time and money saver!

4. Property Hopping

When you stay at one of Universal’s properties you have access to all of the other properties as well. We stayed at Portofino Bay but right across the street, a short 10-15 minute walk or 1-2 minute drive is The Hard Rock Hotel. The Hard Rock has an amazing pool with an underwater sound system. It is very popular with teenagers, little ones, and parents alike. We decided to go to The Hard Rock for dinner one night. When we called for reservations we were put right in and they sent town cars, free of charge, to transport us back and forth. We were able to charge dinner to our account, using our room key and name, at the other hotel since they are sister properties.

Can you say character dining? When staying on property you can have your favorite characters give you a wake up call in the morning. Or how about meals with some of your favorite theme park characters? They will pose for pictures, sign autographs, and interact with everyone at your table… just wait until you tell everybody back home who YOU had dinner with! In fact we had a nice meal with Homer and Bart on our first night at Hard Rock!

5. Convenience

This one is a no brainier. The Universal Resort Properties all have complimentary water taxis, shuttle buses or walking paths to both theme parks and Universal CityWalk, and most have all three. This saves time and cars can stay parked while you are on your vacation.You also receive priority seating at select restaurants throughout both theme parks and CityWalk when staying on property. Sometimes when you are having fun at theme parks meal time sneaks up on you so priority seating makes meal time faster and easier. You also have complimentary delivery of all merchandise purchased throughout the resort and parks to your on-site hotel room. This makes it nice when the kids want to buy 10 pounds of candy from Honeydukes or that giant stuffed Hedwig in Diagon Alley at 8 am and you still have the whole day of rides ahead of you.

With the knowledge that I have gained by attending Family Forward I will never vacation the same way again. I understand the amazing perks and extras that you get while staying on property. I can’t wait to take my family and let them experience the fun and excitement just like I did last week.

*I was not compensated in any way for this review. I stayed at Loews Portofino Bay during a conference that was partially sponsored by them. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Honeydukes at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmeade)

A must-stop when in Hogsmeade, Honeydukes has shelves that are lined with all manner of delicious treats. Acid Pops, exploding bonbons, Cauldron Cakes, treacle fudge, Fizzing Whizzbees, and Chocolate Frogs – just to name a few. Inside the shop you can fill up a bag of Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans and who knows what tasty (or not so tasty) flavors you’ll discover! The shop also offers other classic favorites such as chocolates and fudge.

Wordless Wednesday: Hogsmeade at Night Family Forward

When I was in Orlando for Family Forward in September we had a private event in Hogsmeade after hours. The buildings and castle were gorgeous in the night light.

*At the beginning of September I attended and worked the Family Forward Orlando Conference. I went as an employee but was able to enjoy all that Family Forward had to offer. All opinions, comments, and suggestions are, as always, my own.

Wordless Wednesday and Throwback Thursday: Universal Studios Florida

This is going to count for Wordless Wednesday and Throwback Thursday all in one! These are some of my favorite pictures from last year’s Family Forward trip to Universal Studios in Florida. I am so excited to go again in September!

 

Universal Orlando Final Recap

I was able to go to Universal Studios Orlando for work over Labor Day for a week. Even though I was really busy with work I had time to have a lot of fun.

I arrived in Orlando on Tuesday evening without any luggage because my bags were sent to Texas. I was the first one to arrive so I picked up the rental car. It ended up being a minivan. If you know me, you know my aversion to minivans, I just hate them. I owned one and drove it for almost 4 years until I just had enough and got rid of it. (I feel like minivans have the illusion of more space, when in reality they are just bigger vertically.) Anyway, I asked the guy for the best minivan they had and he steered me toward the “sweetest ride in the garage”. Uh-huh. It was fine, drive-able even, but it was not a “sweet ride” as he said.

I checked into the hotel, and hit up the local grocery store before heading back to the airport. After some distractions (picking up my luggage, rental car issues) we finally made it back to the hotel at 1:30 am, and headed right to bed at 3 am.

In the morning a couple of us headed out shopping to get a few items that were needed before I went to an afternoon of meetings with the resort and the event planner. After the meetings I was back off to the airport to pick up the rest of our work team. Their flight was late getting in so I got to circle the airport for 30 minutes. We got back to the hotel just in time to jump into our Towncars to head over to The Hard Rock Hotel for dinner. The food was really good. Sometimes you just need a burger!

The best part was our surprise guests that came to visit during dinner. I am pretty sure that I was WAY more excited about these two than anyone else. After dinner we checked out the Hard Rock Hotel pool before walking back to our hotel, The Loews Portofino Bay in time to get to bed by 2 am.

 The next morning was a late wake up with work at 10 until 6:30 when we left the the VIP Exclusive Event at Jurassic Park and Diagon Alley at Universal. We were able to ride the new ride Harry Potter and The Escape From Gringotts without having to wait in line. It was awesome! After the ride we had time to shop and have some treats and frozen Butterbeer.

The next day was a full day of sessions with the bloggers and their families. Once the sessions were done we headed over to the newest hotel on Universal property, the retro-themed Cabana Bay Beach Resort for a pool party. Unfortunately it began raining with thunder and lightening right when we arrived so the pool part was out. Luckily Cabana Bay has a bowling alley and arcade so all of the families could still have a good time. The hotel is SUPER cute. They had a pizza and salad dinner with cookies for dessert all set up for us.

We couldn’t stay at the Cabana Bay for long because we had tickets to go to Blue Man Group that night! After a quick change we headed over on the water taxi to Universal City Walk to see the show. It was a great show. I have been to BMG in Vegas a few years ago but this one was a little different with some fun extras.

We walked back to the hotel and got to bed by 3 am once again. We had to be up early to catch a ride to our Saturday morning character meet and greet on the red carpet followed by breakfast on a sound stage. After breakfast we all learned a flash mob dance (I kept calling it the Flash-dance until everyone was saying it too). Then we went out into Universal and danced to Happy. It was so fun but it was so hot!

After we danced everyone got their tickets and headed out into the park. We rode a bunch of rides, had churros, ate in Simpsons Land, saw Jaws, shopped, and bought a big ass doughnut.

We headed back to the hotel early in the afternoon so that we would have time to relax before catching the bus to Give Kids The World in Kissimmee. After dinner I headed back to the hotel to get some work done, and hopefully get to bed early. I think it was about 2:30 am when I turned the lights out. So much for catching up on sleep 🙂

The next day was Sunday so we got up early to head into the park early. We wanted to get to Hogsmeade and ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey before the crowds were allowed in the park. The place was pretty empty and it was AWESOME! The ride was by far my favorite or maybe second favorite after The Mummy.

After riding everything Harry Potter, shopping, and playing we headed out to Universal City Walk in search of a Sunday brunch because it was only 10:30 am. Did you know that not one restaurant on Universal City Walk has a weekend brunch? What a waste! So we headed back to the hotel where I made a trip to the airport and then met the ladies by the pool for lunch. We were at the pool playing on the water-slide for about an hour when the clouds rolled in and ruined our fun. It was okay because we needed to head up to get ready for our dinner that night.

We had a great Italian dinner (can you say really fresh pasta?) followed by a VIP final event and dessert bar inside of Universal Studios to watch their firework/movie spectacular at the end of the night.

Monday was our last full day at the park so we got up really early and headed out. We were able to hit Diagon Alley, Hogwarts Express, ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey again without a long line, have breakfast at The Three Broomsticks, ride more rides, shop some more, ride The Mummy FOUR times, shop more, and then head back to the hotel so I could take another group to the airport. That night we headed back into the park to hit Diagon Alley one more time for a frozen Butterbeer and to ride The Mummy once more. We headed to The Hard Rock for dinner followed by some time in the pool and hot tub before packing and bed.

I caught a cab early on Tuesday morning and was home by 6 pm to sleep in my own bed. It was a fabulous week of hard work and fun.

My Harry Potter Guide To Universal’s Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade

As you know, if you have been following my posts, last week I was in Orlando for work visiting Universal Studios. I was working with Mom It Forward at the Family Forward: Orlando Adventure conference. It was an awesome week with a bunch of bloggers and their families. Even though we kept busy we still had time to enjoy Universal Studios and all that it had to offer. After my VIP Exclusive Event in Diagon Alley I was pumped and ready to visit Hogsmeade that week and see Hogwarts.

The first morning that we had off we headed into the park an hour early (thanks to the perks of staying on Universal property) and headed straight to Hogsmeade. It was pretty empty when we got there. I was so excited to be able to walk the streets and actually look at everything without it being crowded. I took so many pictures and they are all amazing because there aren’t a 1000 strangers in them!

The first thing we walked (ran, whatever) to was the ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We did not have to wait long, maybe 10 – 15 minutes, if that. The walk through Hogwarts Castle to get on the ride was an experience in itself. I mean, hello! The sorting hat and everything was there. The ride was awesome. I think it is better than the ride in Diagon Alley, but that is just me. I was nervous at first, and at the last second we decided that my flip flops might fall off so my friends grabbed them and I rode barefoot! I think I smiled the whole ride. The ride is not roller-coastery but if you are afraid of heights I would skip this one as the special effects make you feel like you are flying! There is also a spider section so beware if you are nervous around arachnids. I could have ridden this one all day but there was so much more to see in Hogsmeade. We went back a couple of days later and rode it again. I think it is one of those rides that I could do over and over again and never get tired of riding.

After the ride I took time to look at everything, take pictures and visit some shops while some of the group went on the Dragon Challenge. The Dragon challenge is a real roller coaster and I am not too keen on that. I also did a little shopping in the stores before taking the train back over to London. Specifically I did quite a bit of shopping in Honeydukes where I got some of Dumbledore’s favorite treats. As you can see I had the candy store all to myself.

The second time that we went back to Hogsmeade at the end of the week we were able to have breakfast in The Three Broomsticks. Again, with no line! Of course I ate the “American Breakfast”. For anyone that knows me, you know that I am very picky with what I eat and some of the “traditional” foods on the list were not very Kendra friendly. Without pictures showing me exactly what the English meals looked like, I was not going to risk being hungry all day.

It was amazing to walk around and feel like I was in the Harry Potter books. As you can see both times I went it was pretty empty. I can’t stress how amazing that extra hour in the morning makes all the difference with the amount of people who crowd into the area. I can’t wait to go again and experience all of this with my kids.

Last but certainly not least I wanted to leave you with the images of us walking through the platform to board the train. At first I did not realize what I was seeing and I had to go back and look again. I took a series of pictures of my friend going through and then she took a series of me going through as well. Put them together and this is what you get. I could have stayed there and watch people walk through the wall all day. This place really makes you feel the magic!

I have so many more pictures but I didn’t want these posts to get too long. I decided to add folders with a ton more pictures to my Facebook page and you can go and see them there!

*I was not financially compensated in any way for this review. I received tickets to Universal for attending a conference that was partially sponsored by them. All opinions, as always, are my own.