Ben A.
Yelp
I should qualify this review that ultimately, my family and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime, traveling cross country for over a month, which included a three day stay at this resort hotel.
I think it's also fair to say that one could easily write a five star review for this place, as it definitely was the nicest hotel we stayed in during our entire 9000 mile journey.
All that said, there were a few things about our experience that might have been improved, but ultimately did not take away from our great time:
1. As previously mentioned, we were driving cross-country from Los Angeles to Key West and back home by a completely different route. We were also towing a 25 foot camper trailer. for several months before we left, and having already made reservations and purchased universal tickets, phone calls to the Universal Orlando hotline resulted in strikingly different answers about our ability to park at the resort. The first few times I called, we got very different answers than the ultimate response... And reality... That we were able to park on property. Instead, several people really did not seem to know anything about parking, with one CSR even telling me that our best bet was to leave our camper at a nearby state park, as it would not fit in the lot. When I called that state park, they scolded me and said they were not sure why Universal kept telling people that, as they did not provide the service. panicking a little bit as we had purchased nonrefundable tickets, we ultimately learned from some managers manager that we could leave our camper hooked up and park in their lot.
That said, upon arrival, we learned that the parking lot was a good 3/4 of a mile walk to our room. No, I'm not exaggerating. The only place we could leave a truck and trailer was in the absolute back corner of their parking lot.
Speaking of size and distance, the resort is pretty substantial, and if you are a first time visitor like we were, it was pretty easy to get lost trying to find your way. The lobby is located on the third floor, and at any given time walking around the external parts of the property, you can find yourself pretty turned around. I know this is user error, but this is my Yelp review, not an IQ test.
When we checked in, the young man behind the counter was extraordinary. Very friendly, helpful, and helped us facilitate our tickets and fast passes. Speaking of, this particular resort offered a fast pass with ticket package, unlike some of the other resort possibilities. He also offered us our choice of level for our room, and of course we picked the highest one. As luck would have it, our view was of the theme parks and sunset, which was a bonus.
The room was well appointed, but small for a family of five. Like so many other places, we made it work with the two queen beds in the room, and the bathroom with towels for three or four people. Nothing a trip to the pool can't help...
Speaking of pools, this resort had a pretty nice pool, with Universal/DreamWorks movies at night shown on the big screen, allowing the kids and adults to float around and watch the movie. This was, of course, after all of the thunder and lightning had left the area, which effectively shut down all outdoor attractions including the pools. Somewhere in Florida, you Gotta know what you're getting into.
On one of our evenings, we had planned early to enjoy dinner at the sushi bar in the hotel, and inquired about reservations early. We were told by two different staff that we would not need a reservation, and just to walk up. This could not have been more incorrect, as the first thing they asked us at the restaurant was if we had a reservation. Pleading my case that we were told we would not need one was largely ineffective, and it took us an hour and 15 minutes to be seated. Could've been worse I suppose. But that hour and 15 minutes would have been better spent in the park after dinner.
The water taxi was very close to this hotel, but in truth, we never took it during our stay, instead choosing to walk to and from the different parks.
To end this as we started it, we absolutely had a wonderful time during our universal Orlando stay. As annual pass holders at Universal Studios Hollywood, we thoroughly enjoyed the similarities and differences between the two parks, and certainly cannot wait to visit Orlando again. Notably, we would absolutely stay here again, but perhaps a little more knowledgeable about what we are getting into, and limitations of what this place is and is not.