AP questions--activate without parking and buying more tickets

[coastgirl]

So, we will be heading down in March and dh will buy a preferred pass for the discounts and parking. A couple of question...

The first time with an unactivated pass we have had to pay for parking, but I think there was a way around that? Can we wait in the drop off/pick up area while he goes in to activate the pass, then circle back to the garage? Does he have to get to one of the park entrances to activate, or is there somewhere in City Walk?

Can he take his pass then and buy us tickets at a discount at the gate? I found a figure of 15% off gate, which I think is better than Undercover Tourist. The other thing is I can't find the 14 day unlimited park-to-park on the Universal website, so can we buy it there? (It's $200 at UT.)

Can someone remind me what the difference is between the AAA discount and the AP discount?

Thanks...

 

[macraven]

So, we will be heading down in March and dh will buy a preferred pass for the discounts and parking. A couple of question...

The first time with an unactivated pass we have had to pay for parking, but I think there was a way around that? Can we wait in the drop off/pick up area while he goes in to activate the pass, then circle back to the garage? Does he have to get to one of the park entrances to activate, or is there somewhere in City Walk?

Can he take his pass then and buy us tickets at a discount at the gate? I found a figure of 15% off gate, which I think is better than Undercover Tourist. The other thing is I can't find the 14 day unlimited park-to-park on the Universal website, so can we buy it there? (It's $200 at UT.)

Can someone remind me what the difference is between the AAA discount and the AP discount?

Thanks...

AAA and the preferred ap allow 10% discounts.

the only way around the set up for avoiding parking fees would be for the person to be dropped off, activate the preferred annual pass, then be picked up again.

not sure how long a car is allowed to sit and wait in the drop off section.

the person could always call the driver of the car when they are done with the activation of the ap and meet them in the drop off section to be picked up.

there is a guest service in city walk.

 

[damo]

You can't buy the 14 day 3 park ticket at the gate. It is only available through UT and through Universal when you get a package.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

You can wait in the drop off/pick up area for 30 minutes.

 

[johde]

Can someone remind me what the difference is between the AAA discount and the AP discount?

Expanding on what macraven said, from what I understand, the AAA discount requires a $50 minimum for merchandise and the Annual Pass discount doesn't. There may also be some differences in the discounts at City Walk locations.

 

[coastgirl]

You can't buy the 14 day 3 park ticket at the gate. It is only available through UT and through Universal when you get a package.

Oh, poo. Thanks for letting me know, though, Damo. I was going to get 2-day reward tickets (to use some miles and save some money) and upgrade at the gate, but we definitely want the 14 day passes. So it won't matter what he can buy at the gate for the rest of us, though I know upgrading to an AP should be easy enough.

Thanks, Mac, Gr8 Fan and johde, more good information for me. We should be able to manage with that.

Still bummed about the 14 day unlimited, though.