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All About the Extras
The biggest perk to staying at one of the three Loews hotels is the fact that you get to skip the lines in the parks. Your room key acts as an express pass and allows you to bypass the lines on almost all of the rides in both Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. That's worth almost $90/day per person. Even though that excludes the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a stay at any of the Loews also gets you an hour of early admission into Island of Adventure (home to Harry) so you won't have to spend your whole life (just half of it) in line there either.
Staying on property also means you get resort-wide transportation via water taxi or shuttle bus between all the hotels and Universal Studios, Universal CityWalk and Islands of Adventure. You are also given priority seating at select Universal Orlando restaurants, free package delivery to your hotel room, and resort-wide charging privileges.
Families will have access to cribs, nightlights, baby blankets, and outlet protectors . All Loews hotels are pet-friendly, and if you bring yours along, you'll get a pet tag and bowl. There is free Wi- Fi in the lobby, but there is a fee of $10/day to connect in the room.
All Loews have lending libraries of games and Fisher-Price welcome gifts. Normally, we can take or leave these little gifts, but at Portofino the kids got write/erase boards that they used over and over again, even on the plane ride home. Smart, thoughtful choices like this are common at Portofino, and are what make it not just a good hotel for families, but a great one.
Getting There and Around
First off, there are no hotel shuttle busses from Orlando International Airport to any of the three Loews Universal hotels. It's only about a 20-minute ride, but still, we find that outrageous. If you want to take a shuttle bus, try Mears, which has reasonable rates and a good safety record. But be sure to check the return schedule and make sure you set up a pickup from the hotel that works with your flight. A taxi will cost you about $45 each way, which is pretty reasonable considering we priced out Mears, and for three of us (one adult, two kids) it would have been $75 round-trip by bus as opposed to $90 round-trip for the taxi. For us, it was totally worth spending the extra $15 for the taxi. If you're driving, take I-4 and get off at Kirkman Rd./Highway 435, then follow the signs to Universal.
Getting around once you arrive, thankfully, is a breeze. If you're staying at any of the Loews Universal hotels, you'll get free shuttle service (either by water taxi or bus) between the resorts, theme parks and CityWalk. The water taxis are the way to go. There are also free bus shuttles to SeaWorld and Wet & Wild. Self-parking fees at Portofino Bay are $15 per night and valet are $17.
The Art of Smart Timing
High season in Orlando is March through April, June through mid-August, and mid-December to early January, while low season is February, late May to mid-June, mid-August, and October. Rooms will be less crowded and less expensive in low season. Holidays and school vacation times are always extremely crowded. Temperature-wise, the summer months are generally quite hot, with temps going into the mid-90s, while November through the winter months can get chilly, with temps getting down into the high-40s at night, and averaging in the 60s or low-70s during the day. Hurricane season is June through November.
For Mom and Dad
If you're looking for a night out without the kids, the most obvious choice is CityWalk, a 30-acre entertainment complex with bars, clubs, restaurants and live music and even a karaoke bar. It's a quick water taxi ride from the hotel and there's no shortage of things to do, eat and see. Another fun option is Blue Man Group, which plays at The Sharp AQUOS Theatre, located between the Hard Rock Cafe and the main entrance to Universal Studios. If you'd rather stay at the hotel, try dinner at Bice.
The Mandara Spa at Portofino Bay offers everything from massages and facials to full-body treatments, hair and nails, and there are his and hers steam saunas.
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