Anyone Booked A Hotel Just to Get Express Pass?

[consultant]

From what I understand, guests in the hotel get the equivalent of an Express Pass that can be used not just one time but multiple times.

I've got a party of 8. What is preventing me from booking the cheapest on-site hotel room, getting a couple keys, and pretending it is a party of 8 in 2 rooms. The cost (for dates in question) for the room is less than 8 Express Passes and those you can only use once per ride.

I would be surprised they don't scan the room key because a local could keep the key and keep using it for days and days. So then the question becomes, when they scan it, does it give them any info on number of guests and if not, an you just bluff all 8 are staying in a suite? I suppose the other way around is to have two keys and not all go in at one time. I guess it really depends on a) do they scan the key, and b) does it give them any information that they act on other than verifying the key is currently active?

 

[dpuck1998]

Each person must have a room key to get into the express line. Some rides scan the card, some just check the dates, some you just wave the card at them and they let you pass. Sometimes its different depending on the TM working the ride. Can you "scam" the system and get in, sure sometimes. Should you? That is up to you.

Note, yes you can just get a room and not use it for the express perks. You should get two rooms so you can then "legally" have cards for all 8 people.

 

[Darcy03231]

I rented a room on-site for one night to get the express pass for our party for two days (check in day and check out day). We had a key for each person and had to show it to the TM to use the express line (and if memory serves me correctly it was scanned each time).

 

[consultant]

Well it was an idea. But with two rooms it isn't worth it. One room is barely worth it essentially just to get unlimited times. It would be nice to have a place close by to take a break in the middle of the day, hang at the pool for an hour or so and have a drink.

 

[dpuck1998]

Well it was an idea. But with two rooms it isn't worth it. One room is barely worth it essentially just to get unlimited times. It would be nice to have a place close by to take a break in the middle of the day, hang at the pool for an hour or so and have a drink.

One note, if you stay one night you get two full days of unlimited FOTL access.

 

[bumbershoot]

One note, if you stay one night you get two full days of unlimited FOTL access.

Good point!

 

[heatherwillmom]

The express pass privledges & the closeness to the parks is a big selling point for the on-site hotels. As far as the rooms go, there are no "cheap" rooms. I think most of the time the Cm at the rides looked at the dates on our room key

 

[ky07]

I have stayed onsite several times and have used my room key as my unlimited express pass and always had it scanned and never was just waved thru and when they scan your key it will tell them if its good and if they don't scan it when they look at the dates on the card they will see if its good or not,
I don't believe in the scaming deal cause it only hurts the ones that pay out thier hard earned money they spent to get the privelages for staying onsite

 

[FINFAN]

yep, we don't even check out of our WDW resort hotel, we just take overnight bags to the Royal Pacific and have a blast!

 

[LUVIOA]

We were there this past summer and they scanned EVERY single time. There is no way to bypass this. Also for the early morning entry at 8 am, they definitely scanned everyone.

 

[mjohnson96]

I hate when people post on ways to scam the system, when you do this you are going to run the risk of it being taken away. The only time I have ever let someone use my room key is when my sister rode the mummy with hers and lost it but we did not want to go all the way back to the hotel for a new key, I gave her mine for the rest of the day since I was with the baby and it was only another hour 1/2 until we left anyways for dinner.

I do not suggest trying to find a way around the room situation, if you are caught then you run the risk of being removed from the park. Also, if you have more than 2Adults in the room then you are going to pay extra for each additional adult ( I think $25 ) so take that in consideration too when pricing the rooms out.

 

[Coach81]

"Cheap" and onsite hotel... don't really go together..

 

[bumbershoot]

I hate when people post on ways to scam the system...

But no one has. The OP posted a thought, and they've been told that it won't work.

And then some have given extra info on the benefits of getting the room which increase the value (like you can use the express for two days when you have one night in the room) and might convince the OP to get the proper number of rooms so they actually CAN use the benefit.

 

[mjohnson96]

But no one has. The OP posted a thought, and they've been told that it won't work.

And then some have given extra info on the benefits of getting the room which increase the value (like you can use the express for two days when you have one night in the room) and might convince the OP to get the proper number of rooms so they actually CAN use the benefit.

It is gone now, there was a post earlier telling what to try. Glad either the person removed it or someone else did.

 

[consultant]

I'm not sure how this strategy causes anyone any harm? Maybe someone could explain?

1) We're still paying for the room just like everyone else. What we do with the room is irrelevant and our freedom of choice.

2) We are more likely to spend more money with Loews/Universal by booking the room just to get the pass because as mentioned, we'd probably use it as a break spot and give Universal (I'm sure they share revenue with Loews at these properties) MORE money at the bar or restaurant at lunch or dinner.

3) There is a limit of 5 people per room. But depending on the ride only 5-7 people go on a ride. We'd just use 5 room keys for 5 people and on rides when we have 6 or 7 riders, we'd have them use the Single line.

I agree it that trying to use one room for 8, or 10, or 20 people isn't acceptable. But as long as you are operating within the rules, just because you are getting the room to get the passes does not translate into any unfairness for any parties involved including the hotel, Universal, and the other park guests.

 

[rpbert1]

if you are there at a busy time, i would book the 2 rooms, as the time saved in the parks is immense, and makes doing the parks a pleasure , rather than a chore with all the queuing.

All the rides now scan the room keys, On the Mummy and Hulk last July, people where jumping into the express line, as they only checked the key at the entry,but just before the ride they where scanning keys, and quite a few had to return and join the end of the normal queue, there was other rides they did this on ,but cannot remember which ones.

 

[mjohnson96]

I'm not sure how this strategy causes anyone any harm? Maybe someone could explain?

1) We're still paying for the room just like everyone else. What we do with the room is irrelevant and our freedom of choice.

2) We are more likely to spend more money with Loews/Universal by booking the room just to get the pass because as mentioned, we'd probably use it as a break spot and give Universal (I'm sure they share revenue with Loews at these properties) MORE money at the bar or restaurant at lunch or dinner.

3) There is a limit of 5 people per room. But depending on the ride only 5-7 people go on a ride. We'd just use 5 room keys for 5 people and on rides when we have 6 or 7 riders, we'd have them use the Single line.

I agree it that trying to use one room for 8, or 10, or 20 people isn't acceptable. But as long as you are operating within the rules, just because you are getting the room to get the passes does not translate into any unfairness for any parties involved including the hotel, Universal, and the other park guests.

If you are getting a room for 5 and letting 5 use the express then you have no problems Many people do that all the time and either go to the room during the day to relax and not spend the night, they spend the night and keep their WDW or condo room too, or they don't even see the room Makes housekeeping happy.

When we stay we always put 2A and 3C in our room. That way if my nephews show up they can have the express pass but they don't usually spend the night.

 

[Darcy03231]

We had 9 in our party and rented one room for one night.

We got 5 room keys so only 5 of us had express pass use. It wasn't an issue as one niece was 3 so we didn't need an express pass for her, one was my mom who didn't want to ride the bigger rides, and the other two were my sister and BIL, who also didn't want to ride the big rides. This left the express passes for me, my two children and my two nieces, all of who are teens and wanted to ride the big stuff. It also gave us a place for my niece to have a rest during the day.

I ended up staying there with the four older kids that night while the others went back to our rental house. We had a great time.