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How often do the Resort Hotel prices fluctuate

Aug 18, 2010
188
57
Utah
Hey guys I am planning a trip right now for June and just had a question. We were looking in to staying at Cabana Bay for 1 night during our trip. I also have been eyeing staying at the Royal Pacific as The express benefit would be great to have for my in-laws possible only trip to the resort.

So my question is do you know how often the prices raise and lower? Are there best days of the week to book like there are with airlines? I've never stayed onsite so this is all new to me. Over the last week Cabana bay has dropped in price for the night i've been watching but Royal Pacific has risen. I saw Cabana Bay raise as well a few weeks ago before dropping again. If Royal Pacific drops again to what I saw it at yesterday I will probably book it. Just need my in-laws to get back in town to finalize it with them first. Oh and I do have an Annual Pass.
 
Once every 1-3 weeks, on average. It's not like airlines where it's day to day. It depends on what week you're looking at in June, but I wouldn't wait too much longer.

If you want the best rate that you can get, the way to do so is to book your room and then continue checking for a better rate. If you come across one, book that and cancel your old reservation. Loews will provide a full refund for any cancellations as late as 6 days in advanced.
 
It really fluctuates from what I've seen with my bookings. There are seasonal rates on the website, but I've encountered differences sometimes depending on what day I started my vacation. It generally seemed like starting on a Saturday gave me slightly higher prices for every subsequent day then if my first booking day was a Sunday or Monday. But that wasn't always the case.And like just about everywhere else the prices for weekends are higher than weekdays. The big secret though is if you have an AP the rates sometimes will be even lower than the advertised discounts for number of days staying. Best thing is to just play around with the hotel room search on the Universal website till you reach the best combination. I would imagine room availability at that moment is a big function of what the price will be. The above poster's info seems to be a good indicator of what is happening.
 
Oh, another thought: You can call the Loews Universal reservations line (888 464-3617) and every once in a while get a better rate than what's listed online.
 
Oh, another thought: You can call the Loews Universal reservations line (888 464-3617) and every once in a while get a better rate than what's listed online.
I think you're on to something there. When I just booked Portofino for May over the phone, I got a better AP rate than the web site showed.
 
There's a breakdown of rates on the Universal website, right here: https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Onsite-Hotel-Rates-and-Offers/Seasonal-Rates.aspx

In addition, you also gotta consider using the APH code for any available AP discounts, and if you are a Florida resident, you can also use FLO. There are times when only one works, since they set aside a block of rooms for the promotions. Keep in mind, if you book under either of these, you will have to show proof upon check-in.

There's also other factors affecting the price, like number of guests per room, if you're staying on week days or weekends, and also length of stay.

Hope you're able to get a good deal and have a great trip! :thumbs:
 
I think you're on to something there. When I just booked Portofino for May over the phone, I got a better AP rate than the web site showed.

Yeah, I'd say about a third of these were booked with a cheaper rate via phone... :look:

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There's a breakdown of rates on the Universal website, right here: https://www.universalorlando.com/Hotels/Onsite-Hotel-Rates-and-Offers/Seasonal-Rates.aspx

In addition, you also gotta consider using the APH code for any available AP discounts, and if you are a Florida resident, you can also use FLO. There are times when only one works, since they set aside a block of rooms for the promotions. Keep in mind, if you book under either of these, you will have to show proof upon check-in.

There's also other factors affecting the price, like number of guests per room, if you're staying on week days or weekends, and also length of stay.

Hope you're able to get a good deal and have a great trip! :thumbs:

Some good info here! I think a lot of people do not think about the number of guests per room affecting the rate. Generally, at least for RPR, 1-2 adults is the base with each additional adult adding on to the rate. Unless there's another AP promotion going on that you use, APH and FLO will list the same discounted rate.
 
The way hotel rates work in general is almost like a stock rising and then crashing or leveling out the day of. It's not as much like that at Universal or Disney, but the rooms themselves are perishable and if you have a 30% occupancy on Nov 1st 2009, you'll never be able to sell those rooms again on that particular date.

If you want to book for Cabana Bay in June, as others have said, book now. That price isn't going to drop much close to day of, especially if it's around Potter soft openings. I was also playing around on the booking portion of Universal's website, and you can stay on property at Cabana Bay for as little as $300 difference between what you might pay at some of their partner hotels, which to me would be a huge selling point.
 
Portofino is around one hundred dollars more expensive for the second weekend in June than it was a few days ago. The cheapest room is around $320. Is there a chance it would go down again or should I call them to try to get a cheaper rate?
 
Portofino is around one hundred dollars more expensive for the second weekend in June than it was a few days ago. The cheapest room is around $320. Is there a chance it would go down again or should I call them to try to get a cheaper rate?

Probably won't drop due to Potter Watch.
 
Portofino is around one hundred dollars more expensive for the second weekend in June than it was a few days ago. The cheapest room is around $320. Is there a chance it would go down again or should I call them to try to get a cheaper rate?

I would call, book whatever rate they give you, and then if you find it lower later on cancel the original res and rebook.
 
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