Meanwhile, guests can dine at six restaurants, including Wantilan Luau, a Polynesian- style dinner show with fire dancers, hula dancers and knife twirlers. The twirlers seldom miss. Other options include Islands Dining Room, Orchid Court Lounge, Jake's Bar, the poolside Bula Bar and Grille, and Emeril's Tchoup-Chop. The Mariner's Club provides kids with a special place to call their own with supervised child- care and daily activities. Guests seeking a faster pace can hop water taxis or shuttles to a replica of the famed New Orleans watering hole, Pat O'Brien's, in CityWalk.

Polynesian guestrooms boast warm red tapestries, rich wooden carvings, rattan furniture, imported wall coverings and mahogany Bali furnishings. The rooms also include coffeemakers, minibars, laptop safes, high-speed Internet access and video-game consoles.

For guests seeking something other than the typical Central Florida theme park hotel, the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando will surely give them what they want, even knife throwers who seldom miss.