Best place to buy/pick up AP, regular tix?

[kkbrig]

Ok, so I my current plan is to buy an AP (preferred) for me, and 5 x two day passes for the rest of the family.

1)For the AP, I can either buy it online at UO website or buy it once I get there. If I buy it online, it gives me the option of picking it up at the Will call kiosk, ticket window pick up, or Fed Ex to me. Which is the easiest thing for me to do?
We will be getting there late in the day (or evening) on Saturday and would like to be able to go to the early entrance on Sunday morning, so I'd like to have the tickets squared away before then. I heard we can just buy or pick them up at the hotel, but when I call and talk to the UO people, no one is very certain about this. The hotel people don't seem to know much about tickets, and the ticket people don't seem to know much about what goes on at the hotels!

2)For the two day tickets, I thought I'd order them from UT, and pay the Fed Ex 2 day, however, I read on this board today that I might be able to buy them at a 15% discount with an AP? I tried looking this up on the UO website, but I could not find any details except on a chart where it says discounts on theme park tickets. The UT price is $150.95 for an adult ticket. Is the AP price off of the online UO price or the gate price? Do I need to buy them at the gate to get the discount?

Thanks for clarification!

 

[damo]

Discount is off the gate price which is $20 higher than listed on the UO website. The two day park to park would you $166.99 less 15% plus 6.5% tax....so about $151.13 which is a few cents cheaper than Undercover Tourist. Undercover Tourists prices used to be less than you could get even with the AP discount, but their prices seem to be higher lately.

Are you staying onsite? If so, there are kiosks in all three of the onsite hotels.


Here's what it says on the website, on the annual pass purchase page when you click on details:

In addition, the 2-Park Preferred Annual Pass includes:
Free self-parking* after first visit
10% savings on 1-day and 15% savings on multi-day theme park tickets purchased at the front gate (up to 6 people)
Free admission to select special events such as Mardi Gras, Summer Concert Series & Holidays
Special discounts on separately ticketed events, such as Halloween Horror Nights and Rock the Universe
10% off at Universal Orlando® owned and operated merchandise stores and carts (restrictions apply on select merchandise)
10% off at select restaurants (excluding food & beverage carts and alcoholic beverages)

 

[kkbrig]

Thank you damo! Yes, we are staying onsite at Portofino Bay. So it sounds like arriving at the hotel Saturday evening and picking up all the tickets at the kiosk at Portofino would be the best thing to do.

Thank you for the details on the AP. I swear I clicked around trying to find that and couldn't find it!

One more question:

So I will buy my AP online and pick it up at the will call kiosk at the hotel when we check in. After I pick up my AP, can I buy the 2 day tickets at the hotel, or do I need to walk over to the park and purchase them at the front gate?

I would like to have all the tickets in hand on Saturday night before we go to bed so we can get in the park as early as possible on Sunday morning.

 

[damo]

Thank you damo! Yes, we are staying onsite at Portofino Bay. So it sounds like arriving at the hotel Saturday evening and picking up all the tickets at the kiosk at Portofino would be the best thing to do.

Thank you for the details on the AP. I swear I clicked around trying to find that and couldn't find it!

One more question:

So I will buy my AP online and pick it up at the will call kiosk at the hotel when we check in. After I pick up my AP, can I buy the 2 day tickets at the hotel, or do I need to walk over to the park and purchase them at the front gate?

I would like to have all the tickets in hand on Saturday night before we go to bed so we can get in the park as early as possible on Sunday morning.

The APs must be activated before you can buy the tickets. So you'll actually have to enter the park and then you can purchase the other tickets. It's a hassle but people could use the APs for discounts for years before actually activating them otherwise.

You could try calling the AP office and seeing if they have any other way to do it.

 

[DCTooTall]

The APs must be activated before you can buy the tickets. So you'll actually have to enter the park and then you can purchase the other tickets. It's a hassle but people could use the APs for discounts for years before actually activating them otherwise.

You could try calling the AP office and seeing if they have any other way to do it.

Of course... The flip side is that the inside Guest Services counter will likely have a MUCH shorter line that the outside guest services or Ticket windows first thing in the AM, so you wouldn't have to wait in as long a line to get the discounted tickets.


Then, in theory, you can always have the rest of your family waiting by the fence near the front of the park to the side away from the turnstyles, and just hand them the tickets once you got them at guest services inside the park.


Obviously, It won't be as easy or quick as having everything already in your hand come Sunday morning, But it could be quicker than having to stand in line to purchase the passes with the AP discount at the main ticket booths outside the park.

(I'm sure Metro or someone with a bit more experience here will speak up if I'm overlooking something here. I've never actually tried this in person, but I have upgraded someone's ticket before at the inside the park Guest Services)

 

[kkbrig]

I was thinking that maybe what I'd do is this: Arrive at hotel sometime Saturday evening (10 hour drive, hoping we can leave early, but DH has to go in to work for at least a little bit, so 9am is probably the earliest we can manage). Check in to hotel. Pick up my AP from the kiosk at the hotel. Walk over to the park and go in to activate it. Then go to ticket window to buy the other 5 day tickets. Return to hotel and all go to dinner or go to pool. That is- I was thinking of doing it all on Saturday night. Do you think that will work?

I think what you are saying DCTooTall, is that there is a Guest Services office inside the park that I could buy the other discounted tickets from, versus exiting the park and buying them at the regular ticket window?

 

[DCTooTall]

I was thinking that maybe what I'd do is this: Arrive at hotel sometime Saturday evening (10 hour drive, hoping we can leave early, but DH has to go in to work for at least a little bit, so 9am is probably the earliest we can manage). Check in to hotel. Pick up my AP from the kiosk at the hotel. Walk over to the park and go in to activate it. Then go to ticket window to buy the other 5 day tickets. Return to hotel and all go to dinner or go to pool. That is- I was thinking of doing it all on Saturday night. Do you think that will work?

I think what you are saying DCTooTall, is that there is a Guest Services office inside the park that I could buy the other discounted tickets from, versus exiting the park and buying them at the regular ticket window?

Yes.

The inside Guest Services location is to the right of the entrance in both parks.

 

[rowan555]

Dumb question - if I buy an AP, do I get a discount off a Power Pass for my daughter, or only off the 1 to 4 day tickets? We need more than 4 days, so I'm assuming no AP discount for us on that second purchase...

 

[damo]

Dumb question - if I buy an AP, do I get a discount off a Power Pass for my daughter, or only off the 1 to 4 day tickets? We need more than 4 days, so I'm assuming no AP discount for us on that second purchase...

No, the preferred AP will not get you discounts on the Power Pass.

 

[rowan555]

Thanks. I wish there was another option through Universal of more than 4 days, but less than the Power Pass!

 

[damo]

Thanks. I wish there was another option through Universal of more than 4 days, but less than the Power Pass!

Last year they had the 14 day, 3 park pass on the UO website. There's nothing wrong with purchasing it from the Undercover Tourist website. You can also still purchase it through the UO website if you are buying a package. It is a very legit ticket.

The 4 day park to park ticket is $181.06 with taxes and fees through the UO website and the 3 park pass is $189.95 including all taxes and fees through Undercover tourist. So for $9 you are getting 10 extra days and Wet 'n Wild.

 

[rowan555]

Last year they had the 14 day, 3 park pass on the UO website. There's nothing wrong with purchasing it from the Undercover Tourist website. You can also still purchase it through the UO website if you are buying a package. It is a very legit ticket.

The 4 day park to park ticket is $181.06 with taxes and fees through the UO website and the 3 park pass is $189.95 including all taxes and fees through Undercover tourist. So for $9 you are getting 10 extra days and Wet 'n Wild.

Thanks. I get 5% cash back from Universal with my credit card, and a discount from having the AP I'm getting for myself, which was the main reason I wished it was available on Universal's site as a standalone purchase.

I didn't see it available as part of a package on UO's site, but then again, I'd only need 1, since I'm getting the AP. All the packages I looked at included 3 day base tickets and I didn't see any way to change that. I will look again.

 

[damo]

Thanks. I get 5% cash back from Universal with my credit card, and a discount from having the AP I'm getting for myself, which was the main reason I wished it was available on Universal's site as a standalone purchase.

I didn't see it available as part of a package on UO's site, but then again, I'd only need 1, since I'm getting the AP. All the packages I looked at included 3 day base tickets and I didn't see any way to change that. I will look again.

You can change things in the change activities section. It is the very first one. They want $197 for it.

 

[rowan555]

You can change things in the change activities section. It is the very first one. They want $197 for it.

Thanks, I finally found it - they don't make it easy to change your options! I suppose at $197, I may as well just pay $199 for the Power Pass.