A little worried about our trip....

[ToyStory3]

We are going to Universal for our first family trip there. I've gone a few times but many years ago. We're staying 2 nights at PB Club Level. I have a close friend who just returned - they stayed there 3 nights after a few nights at Disney. They were very disappointed with Universal. Their issues were that they had to wait in line to check in...then wait in line for their tickets (the kiosk was not manned and not working)....then they had to wait in line for their express passes. So, their check-in was 1.5 hours.

Then, they have 3 cards that they had to take into the park (ticket, room key, and express pass) but couldn't take anything on the rides. So, they had to go through metal detectors and put everything in lockers. So, they are discouraging guests from bringing anything in...but make it difficult to do so. Then, the worst was that they had confirmed that they had charging privileges on their room key but after waiting in a long line for butter beer....it didn't work. So, they had no way of paying for anything in the park since they were trying to carry as little as possible and had been told they could charge to their room account.

Just wondering if this is an accurate depiction. We are going and are looking forward to it either way. But, I have to admit that I'm a little less excited now. I'd like to take my phone into the parks for pictures and things but not if I'm going to have to put it in a locker before going on rides. That seems like a waste of time. Thanks for any feedback or thoughts!

 

[wilkeliza]

Yes you have to wait to check in and then you go to the kiosks to get park tickets and another kiosk for Express pass. It should not take an hour and a half though. Sounds like the kiosks were broken was the real issue.

Your best bet to not experience the issues your friend did in the park is buy a lanyard with a pouch. You can put your room card, park ticket, EP, a credit card, and ID in the more heavy duty ones. With that even on rides with metal detectors you just put the lanyard under your shirt (that is Universals policy) then you are good to go. Cell phones, camera, etc go in the locker at those 3 rides but it is not as bad as people make it out. Other rides do have free lockers but if your stuff fits in your pockets you are fine. In those you can take a fanny pack but we just put the stuff in my fiance's cargo shorts.

 

[wookiebeck]

You cover a lot in your message. Here are a few thoughts. I have never waited more than 15 minutes in a check-in line. Check-in takes about 10 more minutes. Getting your EP's at the kiosks off to the side of check-in takes 5 more minutes. Buy tickets from UT before you even get there.

Yes, you have three cards, plus a forth for the club level key at PBR. We use lanyards. You can keep them in your wallet. You do not have to put either in a locker for most rides. You will have to locker a backpack, sometimes, but not pocket items.

Only the big coasters require metal detector entrance. It is a good idea to put your phone in the locker anyway when you are going to be on looping coasters. Doing so take less than a few minutes. No biggie.

I have no experience with room charging on the key. Carrying a credit card is just another thing in my lanyard.

And as an aside, your friend might have been buying butterbeer from an outside kiosk that is not equipped with the right computer for room charging. They should have tried it again at another eatery instead of giving up on the concept thinking they were without for the whole time. Just my thoughts.

I know you will have fun!

 

[ToyStory3]

I always tour the parks with my cross-body purse. It carries our phones, wallets, etc. and stays put nicely on all of the rides. I guess I will need to leave that in the room if I don't want to have to put it in a locker before the rides. I know it will be a lot of fun. But, I do hope they streamline and sync up all of these things down the road.

 

[yaddakal]

It's a very accurate description unfortunately

 

[schumigirl]

You cover a lot in your message. Here are a few thoughts. I have never waited more than 15 minutes in a check-in line. Check-in takes about 10 more minutes. Getting your EP's at the kiosks off to the side of check-in takes 5 more minutes. Buy tickets from UT before you even get there.

Yes, you have three cards, plus a forth for the club level key at PBR. We use lanyards. You can keep them in your wallet. You do not have to put either in a locker for most rides. You will have to locker a backpack, sometimes, but not pocket items.

Only the big coasters require metal detector entrance. It is a good idea to put your phone in the locker anyway when you are going to be on looping coasters. Doing so take less than a few minutes. No biggie.

I have no experience with room charging on the key. Carrying a credit card is just another thing in my lanyard.

And as an aside, your friend might have been buying butterbeer from an outside kiosk that is not equipped with the right computer for room charging. They should have tried it again at another eatery instead of giving up on the concept thinking they were without for the whole time. Just my thoughts.

I know you will have fun!

That about sums it up perfectly............

The OP's friends experience is nothing that we have ever experienced.

 

[damo]

I don't think I have ever waited more than 10 minutes in a check-in line. I don't think I have ever waited more than a couple of minutes to get my tickets or express passes.

The kiosks aren't manned. If you can't follow the instructions on the kiosk, ask one of your children to do it. It is pretty simple.

Like others have mentioned, only the big outdoor coasters require you to take stuff out of your pockets before riding. It is for everyone's safety.

 

[cschaaf]

Overall, I think what your friend experienced is true, but the times seemed out of the ordinary.

We've never waited behind more than 3 or 4 people to check in the hotel, and it's usually very quick. The last time we went, there was only one person in front of us and it took about 10 - 15 minutes - it was the check-in person's first day on her own.

From there, I agree that the ticketing and EP process is odd. At PB, you have to walk down a hallway to a non-descript little office to get your passes, then go somewhere else to get your picture for your EP. The nice lady gave us directions to all of those and to the boat launch and we were so overwhelmed that we checked in, got our tickets and EPs, and hopped on the boat. Totally forgetting that we left our car parked in the porte cochere. They called us a few hours later in the park to have us go move our car lol.

That whole check-in process, even with the 15 minutes while the new lady struggled a bit, was maybe 20 minutes. More difficult that it should be, but not something to be overly concerned with, I don't think.

When we returned to move our car, our room was ready - there were maybe 6 - 8 people in line to check-in, but there were 2 or 3 stations open. Instead of standing in that line, I went to the bag storage desk (had to go there anyway as they had our bags) and they were able to give me our room assignment. Took 1 minute.

I agree with all of the above who recommend lanyards. Pick up some cheap ones before you go if you don't want to pay park prices. Just make sure they seem like they will be secure. Get one with a clear pouch. Put your park ticket on one side, with the bar code facing outward. Put your EP on the other side with the bar code facing out. Put everything else you want to carry in between those two tickets. The idea is, for the items you will scan the most to be on the outside so you don't have to pull stuff out.

If you are going to the parks for early entry, you'll likely find very short security and park entry lines.

I always tour the parks with my cross-body purse. It carries our phones, wallets, etc. and stays put nicely on all of the rides. I guess I will need to leave that in the room if I don't want to have to put it in a locker before the rides. I know it will be a lot of fun. But, I do hope they streamline and sync up all of these things down the road.

I almost always take a backpack in the parks. The lockers are free (with the exception of those neat the water rides, which is a bit annoying) and easy to use. You'll be an expert after the first time you use them. It doesn't take that much time out of your day.

I walk faster than the rest of the family, so when we get close to a ride, I might collect all the locker stuff and walk ahead to take care of that piece. Then I can meet my family and get in line. It's certainly not necessary to do that, though.
pro tips -

• remember which finger you used to scan! I always use the same finger for park entry and the lockers the entire visit.
• On rides where you can keep your cellphone (all but the big coasters), put the locker number in a Note or blank email if you are prone to forgetting (I WILL forget if I don't do this)
• Take a quick look at the locker kiosks before choosing. You'll often see a line of people waiting for one, when 3 feet away, no one is in line.
  • That advice applies to all things theme park, too. Security lines, park entry, food, etc. Be aware of your surroundings and you can find the shorter waits while everyone else queues up where they see the most people.

We've never charged back to our room, so I can't speak to that point.

 

[ToyStory3]

I don't think I have ever waited more than 10 minutes in a check-in line. I don't think I have ever waited more than a couple of minutes to get my tickets or express passes.

The kiosks aren't manned. If you can't follow the instructions on the kiosk, ask one of your children to do it. It is pretty simple.

Like others have mentioned, only the big outdoor coasters require you to take stuff out of your pockets before riding. It is for everyone's safety.

So because it's never taken you more than 10 minutes to check-in you're assuming this can't happen? And kiosks always work perfectly and never have lines? Good to know.

 

[bumbershoot]

Their issues were that they had to wait in line to check in...then wait in line for their tickets (the kiosk was not manned and not working)....then they had to wait in line for their express passes. So, their check-in was 1.5 hours.

Waiting in line to check in is an issue for them?

While some were waiting in the ticket line the others could have taken their room keys to the EP machine to get that done. Then switch. So the EP could have been taken care of before they got tickets. And tickets could have been gotten at the park kiosks or will call.

Then, they have 3 cards that they had to take into the park (ticket, room key, and express pass) but couldn't take anything on the rides.

Only if they were going in the two rides that have the metal detectors, and even with those you can have lanyards to hold those cards. What were they doing with their EPs if they thought everything had to go in a locker?

I see people all around me on rip ride rockit (I haven't ridden hulk since the metal detectors went in) wearing lanyards. If they didn't notice that then they maybe weren't noticing surroundings. There is never a reason to leave *cards* in a locker.

And by no means do ALL rides require lockers.

I always tour the parks with my cross-body purse. It carries our phones, wallets, etc. and stays put nicely on all of the rides. I guess I will need to leave that in the room if I don't want to have to put it in a locker before the rides. I know it will be a lot of fun. But, I do hope they streamline and sync up all of these things down the road.

That cross body won't work on every single ride. So on those use a locker.

But get a couple lanyards. Only reason we carry a bag is for sunscreen, camera/phone, waters (we hate Orlando water), and snacks.

Also bring your ID and another method of payment! Never rely on just one method.

It's a very accurate description unfortunately

Not in the opinion and experience of many of us.

The kiosks aren't manned. If you can't follow the instructions on the kiosk, ask one of your children to do it. It is pretty simple.

So true.

So because it's never taken you more than 10 minutes to check-in you're assuming this can't happen? And kiosks always work perfectly and never have lines? Good to know.

Your friends either encountered something very odd OR didn't do much research and weren't noticing surroundings.

I doubt you'll have the same experience, either way.

 

[richkorn]

So the resort room key cards (with charging privileges) do not have park tickets coded into them like at Disney? Going in 4 weeks never been there...

 

[macraven]

Op, read some of the trip reports and threads about the darkside to get the big picture of the UO set up

Since it has been years from your past visit, changes that have been made are for the better

Www.universalorlando.com will list which rides are hands free
And list info on the free lockers for rides that require storage of items for specific rides

What your friend told you was not accurate or common

I do both theme parks and I don't compare them

I could easily state about long waits and errors I went thru at Disney during last months stay there

If you check out the hotel sticky, you can see what is located in the lobby and where to create your ep once you check in
That will be a time saver for you
Once your room is assigned, you can request your luggage be placed in your room while you are in the park
I do this when I stay at rpr

Lanyards are your friend
And many rides allow the crossover bags on rides

I usually stick my ep, ap, room key in the lanyard under my top

And then there are times I just put those three items in my bra and not use the lanyard

I have had a few times where my hotel card was not valid for charging back to the room
I asked the TM at the eatery to call the hotel and get an approval for the charge

They did and my account was corrected in minutes

Glitches can happen anytime anywhere no matter if you are in a park or grocery store back home

Hope you hang around in the darkside forums and ask any questions that can help you make a vacation be smoother

 

[wilkeliza]

So the resort room key cards (with charging privileges) do not have park tickets coded into them like at Disney? Going in 4 weeks never been there...

The resort room keys do not hold the park tickets at Universal. The parks and hotels are actually run by different organizations (Lowe's just rents property from Universal for the hotels) so they don't really "work" together in the same way as Disney. Think of it more like the experience you would have at a good neighbor hotel or the Swan & Dolphin at Disney.

 

[RalphinSC]

The check-in sounds like an extreme exception to the rule, and not the norm. By being on these boards, you are well ahead of the curve on the process, OP. I think you'll be fine. I worked through the parks with a medium sized bookbag full of everything I needed for my family. Wallet, rain gear, sun protection, medicines, snacks, and such. Basically, the exact same things I packed for Disney. The lockers are a minor issue at best. I forgot where mine was once and I have notoriously bad fingerprints so had to rescan on multiple occasions. I also made the same charging mistake with a portable cart and thought my room key was messed up. Figured it out afterwards and just made sure to have a secondary form of payment on hand.

I think you will have a wonderful trip and it will be what you make of it! Best of luck to you!

 

[bchbetha]

I always tour the parks with my cross-body purse. It carries our phones, wallets, etc. and stays put nicely on all of the rides. I guess I will need to leave that in the room if I don't want to have to put it in a locker before the rides. I know it will be a lot of fun. But, I do hope they streamline and sync up all of these things down the road.

I wore my small cross body. Truly, with the exception of Dragon Challenge (which was a pain), the lockers are FINE!! Don't stress about them. Take what you want and just deal with the lockers.

 

[macraven]

So the resort room key cards (with charging privileges) do not have park tickets coded into them like at Disney? Going in 4 weeks never been there...

The hotels are not owned or run by UO

I'm grateful that ap/tickets are not connected to the hotel room cards!!!!

I'm still working with Disney to get ticket credit back from their errors since my mb changed usage of my hoppers and non hopper when I used them

Op read the website and get an idea of park layout for ride locations, eateries, first aide, restroom, etc

Pick up the park guide map when you enter the park
It will list show times, entertainment times and locations, etc

Stickies are another good source of info

 

[gotomu212]

I'll echo that I haven't experienced waits like this at any of my recent PB stays. One time the ticket kiosks didn't seem to be working so I just went to the park to pick up tickets (express passes HAVE to be done at the hotel). My typical checkin/ticket pickup/express pass pickup is 15 minutes or less. The most I've waited is 30 and that was checking in late at night with a difficult guest ahead of me.

Lanyards work well for all those cards and it really is very few rides that require a metal detecter. Most will also accommodate your bag and with the exception of I think 2 rides I could always keep my phone in ,y back pocket (but double check the link above for which rides are bag free and everything free).

One time I did have a problem with room charging when there was a computer error at the shop. I asked them to call the hotel and that fixed it.

It sounds like your friends had a perfect storm of bad events (plus once one thing goes wrong everything seems to exaggerate that). Try not to let their stories affect your excitement!

 

[richkorn]

The resort room keys do not hold the park tickets at Universal. The parks and hotels are actually run by different organizations (Lowe's just rents property from Universal for the hotels) so they don't really "work" together in the same way as Disney. Think of it more like the experience you would have at a good neighbor hotel or the Swan & Dolphin at Disney.

OK thanks - maybe you or someone can answer this question:

We pre-bought the 3 day Universal Photo Package at ww2universalorlando.com ($10 cheaper in advance) and the options at checkout to retrieve it was "will-call Kiosk" and "Ticket Window." We selected the Kiosk because I read it was easier, but I'm not quite sure what the kiosk will actually give us since it will be a photo package with 2 photo cards, a lanyard etc... Is the kiosk just printing a voucher to take to one of the photo stores inside the park entry to get the package? And, does the resort (RPR) kiosk do the same thing as in the parks?

 

[wilkeliza]

OK thanks - maybe you or someone can answer this question:

We pre-bought the 3 day Universal Photo Package at ww2universalorlando.com ($10 cheaper in advance) and the options at checkout to retrieve it was "will-call Kiosk" and "Ticket Window." We selected the Kiosk because I read it was easier, but I'm not quite sure what the kiosk will actually give us since it will be a photo package with 2 photo cards, a lanyard etc... Is the kiosk just printing a voucher to take to one of the photo stores inside the park entry to get the package? And, does the resort (RPR) kiosk do the same thing as in the parks?

That I'm not sure of. I think the kiosks just give you the the photo card and then you get a voucher for the lanyard but not really sure as I've never bought that.

 

[mjhtvchick]

So because it's never taken you more than 10 minutes to check-in you're assuming this can't happen? And kiosks always work perfectly and never have lines? Good to know.

Wow - that's a bit rude, isn't it - damo was just answering your question and trying to help!