Deal or no deal? Buy 3 nights, get 2 free at Universal Orlando

With the opening of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter slated for spring, legions of Hogwarts fans have set their sights on a trip to Universal Orlando this spring. As luck would have it, Universal Orlando is running a Buy 3, Get 2 Free promotion at an assortment of off-site partner hotels now through May 27. For a price starting at $254 per person, this package gives you five nights for the price of three, plus theme park tickets and a few other add-ons. Is it a good deal for families? We crunched the numbers to find out.

We test-booked this offer for a family of two adults and two kids between 3 and 9 years old on a late-April stay at the Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal. The package includes:

Five nights in standard double (worth $174/night x 5 nights = $870)
Four four-day base tickets to to the two Universal Orlando theme parks, valid for one park per day ($134.99 x 2 adults + $117.99 x 2 kids = $506)
CityWalk Party Pass ($11.99 x 4 people = $48)
Scheduled shuttle transportation between hotel and Universal Orlando (always free to hotel guests)
Early admission to Islands of Adventure theme park (normally available to guests at higher-priced on-site hotels)

If booking these components independently, a family of four would pay a total of $1424, or $356 per person. By comparison, the package price for this stay comes to $905, for a savings of $519 and a hefty 37% discount. It works out to just $226 per person, which actually beats the advertised starting price by $28 per person.

Deal or no deal? Muggles, rejoice! This is a great deal for the hotel we tested. Note, however, that the amount you save will depend on your travel dates and the hotel you select.

Book by March 31. As usual, some blackout dates and other restrictions apply.