AP or 3 day tickets

[Callsdodisney]

I'm pricing out tickets for our trip. We need 3 (could be 3.5) days in late May.

A seasonal pass AP is $349.99, and our dates are not blacked out. The current 3 day + 2 extra day ticket on the Universal website is $350.99. The same tickets are $339.69 on a common discount site.

Seems silly to buy the ticket from Universal when the AP is cheaper and at least allows the possibility of us coming back during the year. If we find an AP discount on a hotel room we will absolutely buy at least one AP, but I'm wondering if it makes sense, for the extra $40 total, to buy APs for all of us?

I've seen people talk about buying tickets and then transferring that into an AP on site. If we did that, I assume the new AP would start the first day of the use of the tickets, not the day of conversion? I ask, because I think we are most likely to return the same week next year.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[cfoxga]

If there is any chance that you'll make it for a second trip, I'd get the APs. Even if you don't make it back, $40 isn't much compared to the cost of buying tickets for another trip.

I've read here that upgrading tickets to APs would start the clock on the first day you used the tickets, so you wouldn't be able to go the exact same dates next year.

 

[NJlauren]

I can only tell you what I did, I purchased one premier pass and then seasonal for the others. The premier pass offers a bunch of discounts, we have 4 maybe 5 park days planned this year and I’m hopefully to get in 2/3 more so should easily make it worth it.

 

[Husker Mike]

I will say that it was a LOT easier to manage plastic Annual Pass cards than electronic daily passes through the app.

 

[MarcIsMe]

If you can get an AP rate on a room the annual pass becomes a slam dunk. You don't need the annual pass to book, just when you check in. I did the same as a previous poster, did the premier for myself to get the food and merchandise discounts and seasonal for everyone else. I took one trip with my son on a blackout date and simply paid the $50 difference to upgrade him to a power pass.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

I'm going with one preferred pass for me and three seasonal passes for my husband and two daughters. I want the possible hotel discounts, and also the restaurant and shop savings that come with a preferred pass since we will be dining out a lot. I am buying them next week and not waiting until our trip this summer.

I am opting NOT to buy the 3+2 deal and then upgrade to annual passes because our trip is in June (yours is in May) and ticket and annual pass prices typically increase in February. The increase from 2020 to 2021 was $50 per seasonal pass.
So the $170 I could have 'saved' on buying the promo tickets from a discount site and then trading in for their 3 A/P's will be reduced down to a $20 savings.... and that's if it only increases by $50 per person for a seasonal annual pass. It'll probably be more since everything is more expensive this year.

And then I'd also have to take the time to trade in those regular tickets for annual passes prior to using our last ticket of the trip. That takes time out where I have to go to the ticket desk and handle the transaction. Not worth it for *maybe* $20 in savings.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The promo tickets wouldn't have been nearly a $170 savings, either - each would be treated as a 3 day ticket for the upgrade, not a 5 day ticket.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

The promo tickets wouldn't have been nearly a $170 savings, either - each would be treated as a 3 day ticket for the upgrade, not a 5 day ticket.

I was calculating based on the Universal cost value of the 3 day ticket versus the seasonal AP. UT was just cheaper for the promo and most of that was due to tax.

 

[Callsdodisney]

I'm going with one preferred pass for me and three seasonal passes for my husband and two daughters. I want the possible hotel discounts, and also the restaurant and shop savings that come with a preferred pass since we will be dining out a lot. I am buying them next week and not waiting until our trip this summer.

I am opting NOT to buy the 3+2 deal and then upgrade to annual passes because our trip is in June (yours is in May) and ticket and annual pass prices typically increase in February. The increase from 2020 to 2021 was $50 per seasonal pass.
So the $170 I could have 'saved' on buying the promo tickets from a discount site and then trading in for their 3 A/P's will be reduced down to a $20 savings.... and that's if it only increases by $50 per person for a seasonal annual pass. It'll probably be more since everything is more expensive this year.

And then I'd also have to take the time to trade in those regular tickets for annual passes prior to using our last ticket of the trip. That takes time out where I have to go to the ticket desk and handle the transaction. Not worth it for *maybe* $20 in savings.

thanks for this! So are you buying the APs now to activate when you arrive, anticipating a price increase in the middle of those two things?

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

thanks for this! So are you buying the APs now to activate when you arrive, anticipating a price increase in the middle of those two things?

Yes! I am buying our annual passes next week. I want to purchase them before the inevitable price increase happens. It looks like they increased it April the last two years (?) but I don't want to risk buying too late.

What's nice is that they aren't considered 'active' until you use them for the first time.

Also, keep in mind that if you buy the AP's on that payment plan thing they offer that the rules are different. I'm buying mine outright, but there's something about how if you buy it on the "put money down and pay X per month" thing they advertise that it's screwy with when it's considered active and how early you have to submit a letter to them for cancellation to not auto-renew.

Just buy them outright to save the headaches and make sure you get a full 12 months from the first day of use.

 

[DisneyMom93]

Yes! I am buying our annual passes next week. I want to purchase them before the inevitable price increase happens. It looks like they increased it April the last two years (?) but I don't want to risk buying too late.

What's nice is that they aren't considered 'active' until you use them for the first time.

Also, keep in mind that if you buy the AP's on that payment plan thing they offer that the rules are different. I'm buying mine outright, but there's something about how if you buy it on the "put money down and pay X per month" thing they advertise that it's screwy with when it's considered active and how early you have to submit a letter to them for cancellation to not auto-renew.

Just buy them outright to save the headaches and make sure you get a full 12 months from the first day of use.

I too want to purchase our APs before the price increase, but I'm worried there may be a "3 months free" promo and then I won't be able to get it if I've already purchased them.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

I too want to purchase our APs before the price increase, but I'm worried there may be a "3 months free" promo and then I won't be able to get it if I've already purchased them.

Yeah, I had hoped they’d offer that again this year but I’m starting to lose hope.

 

[Nabas]

My daughter bought a 2-day no hopper ticket for a weekend trip that occurred during the Christmas blockout dates. For a few dollars more, she upgraded to a seasonal pass on the second day in the evening as she was leaving the park, having decided there was a 100% chance she was going back within the next 12 months.

Maybe the best thing to do is wait until you are there before making the decision?

 

[keishashadow]

It looks like they increased it April the last two years (?) but I don't want to risk buying too late.

I could be wrong but, when I renewed one of our passes last fall, the amount seemed higher than what I had priced out just a few weeks earlier.

They are absolutely over-due for an increase and, you never know what sort of AP or tickets will be offered at any time.

if you see a price you are comfortable with, buy them.

The parks are packed with guests, I see no reason for them to offer any sort of bonus promo

Additionally, there was rumbling here a few years ago about special promo tix & issues with being able to upgrade them. if you end goal is to upgrade to APs with tix, always check with the seller that you have that capability.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

FYI, Universal Orlando AP Rates just went up $50 per person at each level for out-of-staters per Universal's website.

No idea on Florida A/P's since that doesn't apply to me.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

FYI, Universal Orlando AP Rates just went up $50 per person at each level for out-of-staters per Universal's website.

No idea on Florida A/P's since that doesn't apply to me.

I guess they were overdue for an increase. Ouch!

 

[Tege]

FYI, Universal Orlando AP Rates just went up $50 per person at each level for out-of-staters per Universal's website.

No idea on Florida A/P's since that doesn't apply to me.

Well that certainly stinks! They had to increase the price one week before we arrive. My cost to upgrade is no longer such a deal. Maybe they will raise day ticket pric3s as well is my only hope.

 

[Pooh's World]

AP is a no brainer.

 

[PrincessJasmine88]

When is the last time they had a discount sale on APs?

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

When is the last time they had a discount sale on APs?

A sale? No idea. They offered that “get 15 months for the price of 12 months” promo just last year, but they were trying to encourage visitors. They don’t need to incentivize people now, they’re busy.