Universal Orlando Resort, Orlando

We visited the weekend before Thanksgiving as the crowds were just starting to grow. We stayed at Hard Rock Hotel, booked the airport shuttle service and purchased the prepaid meal plan. Hard Rock Hotel - Was great! Everyone is so friendly, it was decorated nicely and the current renovations didn't impact our stay one bit. The added perk of the Express Pass allowed us to maximize our time in the parks and have some free time to shop and take a dip in the heated pool. Shuttle - No issues there, very efficient with timing and got us too and from without concern. Meal Plan - We went with the Universal Dining Plan. The only other plan I can compare to is Disney. The Universal Dining Plan was tricky and our hotel was not an option for a snack if we wanted to grab something for breakfast on the way out and we found ourselves spending much time looking for our snacks and asking employees at each location to explain since there is nothing I could find that kept this from happening. A full description of what is and isn't included and the possibility to grab snacks from the Universal Hotels would be a definitely plus. With that said, the dinners were great and I loved not having to book reservations months in advance as required for Disney. Overall, our family had a wonderful time and saw everything we wanted in 4 days at a slow pace. I could have cut a day I'm sure and not had a problem but I had 11 y.o. and 16 y.o. with me.

Lots of exciting choices for rides, food, coffee or tea. Decent bathrooms. Well maintained public areas, positive vibes from park employees. Space to wander and wonder. Manageable wait times if you check in online. Parking a breeze. Thorough security checks. All contribute to an enjoyable day.