Family Vacation Deal: Universal Orlando

Deals are another popular topic, especially for that epicenter of family travel, Orlando Florida. Universal Orlando's Stay and Play package starts at $114/person/night, for 4 nights at an on-site resort plus 7-day admission to two theme parks. Universal Studios has a new Shrek ride; Islands of Adventure is known for thrill coasters, but also has Seuss Landing for kids. Bonus: no waiting in lines.

Universal Orlando’s Stay and Play package

Guests can book Universal Orlando’s Stay and Play package from Monday, Oct. 13, 2003 through Friday, Jan. 2, 2004 for travel from Friday, January 2, 2004 through Saturday, June 19, 2004.

There's a limit of two Stay and Play tickets per booking. Starting at $114 per-adult, per-night, the package offers four nights at a Universal Orlando on-site hotel, plus “Stay and Play” passes which provide seven consecutive days of unlimited admission to both of Universal’s theme parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios.

The package also has one-day’s admission to Wet ‘n Wild waterpark (voted one of the best waterparks in the US), or a lunch or dinner at select Universal Orlando restaurants, plus CityWalk Party Passes for each adult.

Each package also comes with front-of-the-line, preferred access to theme park rides and shows, a perk of staying at an on-site Universal Orlando resort.

Hotels include the luxury Portofino Bay Hotel, the rock music-themed Hard Rock Hotel, and the South-Pacific themed Royal Pacific Resort. One nice feature about Universal Orlando is that everything-- Islands of Adventure theme park, Universal Orlando theme park, CityWalk restaurant/entertainment zone, plus the on-site resorts-- is located right next to each other.

So how would the deal work, for a family with kids?

The package is based on two adults sharing a room, and offers two Stay and Play passes per room, for guests of any age. If Mom and Dad make the trip, their two passes per room could be used for anyone in the family -- Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma or the kids.

If you need to buy additional passes, and if you have kids age 3 to 9, of course you'll use the Stay and Play passes for the grownups and buy kids' tickets because they cost less. Price could range from $45.75 (including tax) for a one-day/one-park pass to $91.54 for a two-day/two-park pass with the third day free.

To make reservations and for further information, visit Universal Orlando’s website at www.universalorlando.com or call Universal at 877-710-9354.

Read more about the Islands of Adventure theme park at TWKids.