Do Express Passes Really Work?

[pokee99]

We'll be visiting the Universal Orlando parks the weekend following Independence Day (after a nice relaxing week at Clearwater Beach...hmmm...maybe we should be doing this trip in reverse?!). Yeah, so I know it will be packed! DH is going to have a heart attack if I drag him someplace where there are 60-90 min lines for rides, so I need to do anything I can to minimize our wait times.

I haven't really done my research yet - lots of time for that, but it seems to me that the Express Passes kind of become useless at some point. During a busy time of year, you would think that lots of people would buy them, therefore making those lines just as long as the 'regular' lines. Sort of reminds me of a program we have in Canada called "Nexus", which is an express pass that gets us into special lines at the border to cross into the United States. Sometimes those lines can be worse than the regular lines (but, generally that's not the case).

I am just wondering if some people can provide their prospective on this. We will likely be there Sun/Mon July 7 & 8, 2013 and I could see the lines those days being pretty scary. I looked up Express pass prices for 5 people for 2 days - $629! Yikes! Really makes staying at an 'on-site' propertly look like a good idea!

Help! What do I do? We'd likely need a hotel from July 5 for 4 nights. Planning to just do Universal for 2 days (or a more leisurely 3 days, if that's possible!) as we don't want theme park overload (no WDW touring this time around!). I am already doing DL with my niece in Feb., and did it with my kids last year, so Universal will just be a nice change of pace for all of us. Kids will be 8 and 10 next year (and tall for their age) and niece will be 17, so I think they are the right age for a lot of the rides at Universal, correct?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[damo]

Stay onsite for sure. Waits are generally under 15 minutes, even in busy times!!! Also, you can go back to the hotel in the middle of the day for a swim and go back to the parks when it cools down. You also get early admission everyday (although 7 am is early!!!).

 

[pokee99]

Stay onsite for sure. Waits are generally under 15 minutes, even in busy times!!! Also, you can go back to the hotel in the middle of the day for a swim and go back to the parks when it cools down. You also get early admission everyday (although 7 am is early!!!).

Phew! Thanks for the reassurance! I checked the prices - whoa! $400 a night for on site hotels! Since we planned to spend 4 nights there, that's $1600+ taxes! That could be a bit out of our price range! I was planning to use SPG points to stay at the Sheraton down the street for free, so not sure if it's worth it to stay onsite! The admission tickets will already be setting us back around $700.

I have a feeling I have more research to do!

 

[gschmerl]

If you stay on site just one night you will get two FULL days of express access. Check in early. If you room is not ready they will still give you your key so you can print your express passes. That way you will have the benefit of early entry AND unlimited express access for two days. It is good all day the day you check in and all day the day you check out! Worth every penny and then some.

 

[damo]

Phew! Thanks for the reassurance! I checked the prices - whoa! $400 a night for on site hotels! Since we planned to spend 4 nights there, that's $1600+ taxes! That could be a bit out of our price range! I was planning to use SPG points to stay at the Sheraton down the street for free, so not sure if it's worth it to stay onsite! The admission tickets will already be setting us back around $700.

I have a feeling I have more research to do!

Are you an air miles collector? There are tickets through them. Safeway has some amazing deals out there in the west for air miles.

 

[pokee99]

Are you an air miles collector? There are tickets through them. Safeway has some amazing deals out there in the west for air miles.

OH excellent! Thanks for this tip! I can get TWO two-day child passes with the airmiles I have!

 

[damo]

OH excellent! Thanks for this tip! I can get TWO two-day child passes with the airmiles I have!

Yay!!! Maybe Safeway will have another of its super dee dooper days and you can get more.

In Ontario it takes about 20 years to get enough miles for a ticket, lol.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We will likely be there Sun/Mon July 7 & 8, 2013 and I could see the lines those days being pretty scary. I looked up Express pass prices for 5 people for 2 days - $629! Yikes! Really makes staying at an 'on-site' propertly look like a good idea!

I checked the prices - whoa! $400 a night for on site hotels!

I was planning to use SPG points to stay at the Sheraton down the street for free, so not sure if it's worth it to stay onsite!

On our January trip, we booked a room at RPR for one night just for the two days worth of express passes, even though we had accomodations elsewhere. We didn't even stay in the room....but it was cheaper to get the room w/the included express passes then buying 3 express passes for two days.

You could easily do the same and save $229 .

Also, if you have CAA, you can get a discounted rate. Be sure to ask....it might save you a tiny bit more as well.

For the record, the express passes are worth every dollar. They're awesome. Saved our bacon on our New Years week vacation.

 

[pokee99]

If you stay on site just one night you will get two FULL days of express access. Check in early. If you room is not ready they will still give you your key so you can print your express passes. That way you will have the benefit of early entry AND unlimited express access for two days. It is good all day the day you check in and all day the day you check out! Worth every penny and then some.

AHHHH....I get it now! That's why I've seen so many posts for people staying one night! I am surprised they don't have a two night minimum!

I can even book the cheapest room just to get the passes, since we'll barely be in the room!!! Why pay $629 when I can pay $325. (incl. taxes) for the Sunday night only?! And then we can even try out the amenities for one day, too!

THANK YOU!!!!!! Thanks to Gina in Canada, as well, for suggesting the same thing!!!!

 

[pokee99]

Yay!!! Maybe Safeway will have another of its super dee dooper days and you can get more.

In Ontario it takes about 20 years to get enough miles for a ticket, lol.

Yes, I know...I have been saving to redeem for some Best Western gift cards, but they haven't had them for a while...so kept on saving! Now I know what to use them for! Thanks again!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

And then we can even try out the amenities for one day, too!

You could actually have access to the resort all day on check-in and check-out days. Nice, yes?

 

[pokee99]

You could actually have access to the resort all day on check-in and check-out days. Nice, yes?

YES!!!!!!!!!! What a fantastic idea!

I looked up the other benefits of staying on site - and there's more! The priority restaurant seating and character dining could be some other things we'll take advantage of! How COOL!!!

I wonder if the hotels have caught on to this scheme? I am sure they can't complain that it ain't legit, but I wonder if you get the dirty looks you sometimes get from clerks when you are milking the system?

I guess all 5 of us would need to be there at check in, because it sounds like we need to get photos with our Express Passes, correct?

 

[rwdavis2]

YES!!!!!!!!!! What a fantastic idea!

I looked up the other benefits of staying on site - and there's more! The priority restaurant seating and character dining could be some other things we'll take advantage of! How COOL!!!

I wonder if the hotels have caught on to this scheme? I am sure they can't complain that it ain't legit, but I wonder if you get the dirty looks you sometimes get from clerks when you are milking the system?

I guess all 5 of us would need to be there at check in, because it sounds like we need to get photos with our Express Passes, correct?

Correct on getting the express passes at check in.

 

[damo]

YES!!!!!!!!!! What a fantastic idea!

I looked up the other benefits of staying on site - and there's more! The priority restaurant seating and character dining could be some other things we'll take advantage of! How COOL!!!

I wonder if the hotels have caught on to this scheme? I am sure they can't complain that it ain't legit, but I wonder if you get the dirty looks you sometimes get from clerks when you are milking the system?

I guess all 5 of us would need to be there at check in, because it sounds like we need to get photos with our Express Passes, correct?

You're not doing anything wrong. Many people just stay one night and do two full days at the parks. It only makes sense not to spend the extra money if you don't have to. The clerks that we've encountered while checking in at 7 am think it is great and that it is a smart way to do it. They have been nothing but cheerful and encouraging!

 

[pokee99]

You're not doing anything wrong. Many people just stay one night and do two full days at the parks. It only makes sense not to spend the extra money if you don't have to. The clerks that we've encountered while checking in at 7 am think it is great and that it is a smart way to do it. They have been nothing but cheerful and encouraging!

Good to know - thanks!

 

[DCTooTall]

And since it hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, You may also want to look at getting at least 1 AP.

You can sometimes get a great discount on the onsite hotel (Code "APH" when pricing the room), plus a small discount on additional tickets for the rest of your family at the park.... on top of all the discounts on food and merch at the parks. Those discounts can sometimes make up for the extra cost of the AP.

 

[bumbershoot]

YES!!!!!!!!!! What a fantastic idea!

I looked up the other benefits of staying on site - and there's more! The priority restaurant seating and character dining could be some other things we'll take advantage of! How COOL!!!

I wonder if the hotels have caught on to this scheme? I am sure they can't complain that it ain't legit, but I wonder if you get the dirty looks you sometimes get from clerks when you are milking the system?

All hotels I know of allow you use of their grounds for the whole time you are there. Disney does it, Universal, even a random resort we stayed at in Phoenix allowed it.

There are times when the Loews hotels at Universal require a longer stay than one night, though right now I can't remember when. So they have ways of slowing down the one-night thing when they will be extra busy.

 

[mlg32]

I am so thankful for this board and I thought there was a min. 3 night stay. I really don't want to stay for 3 nights, one night is totally what I am looking for , thanks so much

 

[rwdavis2]

All hotels I know of allow you use of their grounds for the whole time you are there. Disney does it, Universal, even a random resort we stayed at in Phoenix allowed it.

There are times when the Loews hotels at Universal require a longer stay than one night, though right now I can't remember when. So they have ways of slowing down the one-night thing when they will be extra busy.

It would not surprise me that they really don't mind the one night stays. Once you stay in one of those hotels it's tough to settle for a Disney version the next time in Orlando. IMHO, the Hard Rock is way nicer than virtually any Disney hotel as long as you don't mind that the it's not themed like a WDW hotel.

 

[macraven]

I am so thankful for this board and I thought there was a min. 3 night stay. I really don't want to stay for 3 nights, one night is totally what I am looking for , thanks so much

there are certain time periods where a two night stay is required.